Modern day battleship: what is it? p1
Saul liked him very much and David became one of his armor bearers. — 1 Samuel 16:22b
In Bible days, the squire was the one who actually carried the shield and armor of his leader when he went into battle, often acting as his personal assistant. For example, King Saul had several armour-bearers assigned to him.1 In our modern day I do not see anyone walking around fully dressed in the classical armor of the early centuries.
However, in the spiritual realm, we continue to need our armor. The writer of Ephesians commands us to put on the full armor of God so that we can resist the devil’s schemes.2 Just like our colleagues of the early century, we in the ministry must put on the armor of the Spirit and carry the armor of God’s leaders in the battle of the faith.
The term squire it was originally translated from the Hebrew word nasa, which means figuratively or literally to lift, support, or simply help.3 Sometimes Bible translators translate the word “help” from the Hebrew word nasa. In light of these defining terms, we can see that a squire is one who assists or supports the arms of a designated leader during battle.
The modern armor bearer is the one called by God to serve and help his assigned leader in life, ministry and especially in the battle of faith.4 In essence, the armor bearer is called to care, to serve, to care, to help, to be for use, help, benefit, encourage, support, facilitate, nurture and encourage their leader.
Also, God calls others to walk in the spirit of bearing arms. They may not be specifically assigned to one leader, but they have the mindset and attitude of a gun-bearer. The attitude of a squire is servile. The attitude of the bearer of arms, as well as of those who act in the spirit of one, is to do whatever is necessary to serve and support their leadership.5 Acting in the spirit of bearing arms can also be described as acting in accordance with the principles or overarching qualities of a squire. The qualities that top the list are service, dedication, consideration, support, help, loyalty and faithfulness.
Bearing arms in the attitude of service is not simply the performance of menial tasks, but an effort to serve Christ in the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, “The servant of all is greater than all.” Among my favorite examples are the great men of the Old Testament scriptures, many of whom were faithful armor bearers before their public ministry. King David, King David’s mighty men, Elisha, and Joshua exemplified the superiority of the spirit of arms. Even Elisha’s assistant, Gehazi, gives us an example of what we do not want to do as armor bearers.6
We need not think that our Father God called only squires or helpers to help in the ancient battles. See Joseph of Cyprus in the New Testament, called “Barnabas” or “Son of Encouragement.” The most popular opinion is that Joseph of Cyprus received these names because he constantly encouraged those he and Paul ministered to. I recently pondered another thought as to why he was called the “Son of Encouragement.” Perhaps because he persevered by Paul through shipwrecks, stonings, and much rejection.
Do not overlook Stephen and Philip among the seven appointed to wait tables for the early church apostles’ meal program. The leaders assigned them to help while their apostles paid more attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word. Throughout the Bible and today God still calls helpers and armor bearers to lift up the hands of the leadership of our Church.
Acting in the spirit of wearing armor, it is performing a service of help, vigilance, and intercession on behalf of our leadership. I believe God has issued a new call to serve and support our leaders in this way. Only He knows what spiritual effort and sheer hard work will be required to fulfill the vision of His Church.
The Apostle Paul encourages us to excel in the gifts that build up the Church. As we at helps ministry excel in the gift of service and support of our leaders, we will enter into the unity of faith as never before. When everyone takes their place and shares the load, our men and women in leadership will suffer less fatigue and burnout, allowing for greater refreshing from the Lord.
#Modern #day #battleship