Give me a chance to illustrate and I will. It started with “Show and Tell” in grade school and I never stopped. Fueling this passion is one of the most memorable quotes from my seminary years by Dr. Alvin Rogness, “Make sure your illustrations illustrate.” Now, the rest of the story.

A while back some “Mad Money” came in, and I went shopping. I was not after the usual things. I was after a suit of Roman armor. The real stuff. Re-enactment quality, meaning the steel is real steel, the horsehair crest is real horsehair, and so on. The only difference between what I found and what the Apostle Paul saw in his day is that mine isn’t two thousand years old. So when I preach or teach on the whole armor of God, you know what happens – I illustrate to the max.

I was asked to teach on the Armor of God for the adult Bible classes at the Pacific Region North Family Bible Camp at Warm Beach near Stanwood, Washington. For eight class periods we explored the meaning of the armor. Mine is physical, ours is spiritual. Both are very real.

The most memorable lesson for me has to do with putting on the breastplate. This story starts the day before the class on righteousness was to be taught. CLB President Joel Egge had arrived in camp just in time for the evening meal, and he happened to get in line right behind me. After a cordial greeting, he said he was looking forward to attending my next class. I asked him if he would like to put on some righteousness. He said, sure, he wouldn’t mind putting on a robe. I left it at that.

As class started the next morning, I invited Rev. Egge to come forward. I proceeded to take the steel breastplate off the display stand and put it on him. I want you to know it is heavy and awkward the first time you put it on. He was a great sport. The lesson is: the breast plate has to be fitted. I have an armorer who bends the steel plates to fit me. It would take considerable re-fitting to make it fit President Egge comfortably.

When we put on the righteousness of God, the Holy Spirit takes considerable time and work to make it fit well. The first time you forgave someone from your heart, it was awkward and heavy. With the Spirit adjusting things to your temperament and personality, you find forgiveness fitting much better. The same is true for all these expressions of righteousness. That is an example of what can be vividly illustrated with the armor. Having the armor, caring for it, keeping the rust off, and wearing the armor reveals all kinds of new insights into what it means to put on the whole armor of God.

Rev. George Stoddard serves as pastor at Immanuel LBC in Eugene, OR.