While writing the previous blog post, the Lord showed the role of an armor bearer and how this role refers to our role as believers and followers of Jesus Christ. Let’s look at what the Bible says about the life of an armor bearer and the characteristics of an armor bearer. What does it mean to be an armor bearer of Jesus Christ?
What’s the role of an armor-bearer?
The armor-bearer is in the service of his lord. He carries his armor and does what his lord commands him to do. The armor-bearer knows, that he is subordinate to his lord. He is not important, but his lord is important. It’s not about his will and what he wants, but it’s all about what his lord wants.
Although the armor-bearer is subordinate to his lord, he plays an important role in the battle. The lord and his armor bearer each have their task to do in the battle.
Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor-bearer slew after him(1 Samueli 14:13)
What are the characteristics of an armor-bearer?
The first characteristic of an armor bearer is that an armor bearer follows his lord. Wherever his lord goes to, his armor bearer follows him and will not leave the side of his lord.
The second characteristic of an armor bearer is that an armor bearer is always obedient to his lord, ve všech věcech.
V 1 Samueli 14, we read about the battle, between the people of Israel and the Philistines.
Jonathan stepped out of the army of 600 people and commanded his armor-bearer to come with him and fight against the Philistines.
Jonathan commanded his armor-bearer to come, and his armor-bearer immediately obeyed his lord.
The armor-bearer didn’t think about it. He didn’t argue with his lord and didn’t question him. He didn’t say to Jonathan, “Jonathan, are you sure? Is this the right thing to do? Why don’t we wait until the others go, so we can all go together and attack the Philistines?”
Ne, the armor-bearer didn’t say that. The armor-bearer was willing and obeyed his lord and went with him. Because he trusted his lord completely. The armor-bearer knew that his lord had the knowledge, moudrost, a vhled, to make the right decisions.
Jonathan commanded his armor-bearer twice to come. Both times his armor-bearer obeyed Jonathan and came.
Podruhé, that Jonathan commanded his armor-bearer to come with him, the armor-bearer said, “Do all that is in your heart: turn thee; spatřit, I am with you according to your heart.”
The armor-bearer obeys and follows his lord
Whatever Jonathan decided to do, his armor-bearer obeyed and followed him. Jonathan made his plans known to his armor-bearer and made him partaker of his mission.
When Jonathan climbed up to the Philistines, his armor-bearer followed him and stayed in his shadow. Jonathan had authority, and as long as his armor-bearer stayed in his shadow, he shared this authority with him. But as soon as the armor-bearer would leave his shadow, he would be on his own and lost his authority.
The armor-bearer wouldn’t have any authority anymore, because he was the armor-bearer and not lord.
Then came the best moment of their cooperation, a to, the moment that Jonathan and his armor-bearer attacked the Philistines and gained the victory. The Philistines fell before Jonathan and his armor-bearer slew after him and killed the Philistines. During their attack, they each had their own task and together they gained the victory. (Přečtěte si také: Víra, akce, and victory).
A list of the characteristics of an armor-bearer
In the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer, we see the following characteristics of an armor bearer:
- The armor-bearer’s life was in service of his lord
- On poslechl his lord
- On trusted his lord
- On followed his lord
- On stayed in the shadow of his lord
- On fulfilled his task during their mission
What does it mean to be an armor bearer of Jesus Christ?
Pokud věříte v Ježíše Krista, znovuzrozeni v Něm, have become a new creation (nový muž), and made Jesus the Lord of your life, you are an armor bearer of Jesus Christ.
Just like Jonathan and his armor bearer were joined together and worked together, you are joined together with Jesus Christ and work together with Him.
All hosts, in heaven and on earth, are put under Jesus’ nohy. Ježíš má veškerou autoritu na nebesích a na Zemi! (k. Matthew 28:18, Efezským 1:19-23, Kolosané 2:10, Židům 2:8).
Jesus came in the Name of His Father and stayed in His shadow, by speaking the words and doing the words that His Father told Him to speak and do. He stayed obedient to His Father until death.
Jesus finished God’s perfect redemptive work for humanity on earth, through His death on the cross.
Na kříži, Ježíš vzal na sebe všechny hříchy, nemoci, and iniquities of the world upon Him. He bore the penalty of sin which is death, a vstoupil do Hádes. Po třech dnech, Jesus rose as Victor from the dead.
Through His redemptive work and by His blood, He restored the position (stát) of fallen man and reconciled man back to God.
Ježíš vzal klíče (of authority) back from the devil and gave you the power to reign with Him, in His authority in the heavenly places. (Přečtěte si také: Has Jesus bound the strong man, or do you have to bind the strong man?).
The armor bearer is a servant of his Lord
It all begins by giving up your own life. Jesus said this in all the four gospels:
Potom řekl Ježíš svým učedníkům, Pokud za mnou přijde někdo, ať se zapře, a vezmi svůj kříž, A následujte mě. Neboť kdokoli si zachrání svůj život, ztratí jej: a kdokoli ztratí svůj život pro mě, najde to (Matthew 16:24-25)
A když k sobě svolal lid i se svými učedníky, Řekl jim, Kdokoli za mnou přijde, ať se zapře, a vezmi svůj kříž, A následujte mě. Neboť kdokoli si zachrání svůj život, ztratí jej; ale kdokoli ztratí svůj život pro mě a pro evangelium, to samé to zachrání (Označit 8:34-35)
Neboť kdokoli si zachrání svůj život, ztratí jej: Ale kdokoli pro mě ztratí život, to samé to zachrání (Luke 9:24)
Kdo miluje svůj život, ztratí ho; a ten, kdo nenávidí svůj život v tomto světě, bude udržovat do života věčný. Pokud mi někdo slouží, Nechte ho následovat mě; A kde jsem, tam bude také můj služebník: Pokud mi někdo slouží, bude ho ctít můj Otec (John 12:25-26)
The armor bearer of Jesus gives up his own life
You can’t serve Jesus without giving up your own life. Why not? Because you will not be able to follow Jesus. A follower follows someone. When you want to follow your own will and do what pleases you, then you can’t follow someone else. Because the only person you want to follow is yourself.
There can’t be two lords in your life. There’s only one lord and one follower.
When you decide to follow Jesus Christ, it means that you have to give up your own will; your ‘já‘’, and give your whole life to Him and yield to Him and become His servant. (Přečtěte si také: Následování Ježíše vás bude stát všechno).
The armor bearer of Jesus obeys his Lord
When you give up your life and serve Jesus Christ, it means that you milovat Ho and you shall obey Him and do His commandments. It doesn’t matter what you want to do, what you feel, or what you think. But it’s all about what Jesus wants and what Jesus thinks and what the Word says.
Just as Jesus did the will of His Father and walked in His commandments, so shall you do the will of Jesus and walk in Jeho přikázání.
Jesus said, Jestli Mě miluješ, Udržujte moje přikázání (John 14:15)
Budete-li zachovávat má přikázání, zůstanete v mé lásce; stejně jako jsem zachoval přikázání svého Otce, a zůstaň v Jeho lásce (John 15:10)
Pokud mi někdo slouží, Nechte ho následovat mě; A kde jsem, tam bude také můj služebník: Pokud mi někdo slouží, bude ho ctít můj Otec (John 12:26)
The armor bearer trusts his Lord
You can only follow Jesus if you believe in Him and fully trust the Lord. Faith is the foundation. When there is doubt in your heart, it is impossible to obey and follow Jesus and walk in the faith.
Když říkáš, that you believe, then you should prove that by walking in faith and relying on Him. Because you can say that you believe, but your words and actions show if you really believe in Jesus and His words or not.
Důvěřujte v Pána z celého srdce; and lean not unto your own understanding (Přísloví 3:5)
When you trust Him and don’t lean on your own understanding, then you shall be able to follow Him.
The armor bearer follows his Lord
Jesus commands you to follow Him. Proto, you should follow Him and His will, instead of following your own will. He gave you His Word. Nyní, it’s all about what you do with His words.
When you take up your cross daily, which means that you submit your will and flesh to Him (Slovo), His will and follow Him, you shall be His armor-bearer.
And he said to them all, Pokud za mnou přijde někdo, ať se zapře, a každý den se zabývat jeho křížem, A následujte mě (Luke 9:23)
The armor bearer of Jesus stays in his Lord’s shadow
As long as you are seated in Jesus Christ and stay in His shadow, you walk in His authority and are protected.
But as soon as you leave His shadow and go your own way, you will have no authority over principalities, pravomoci, Vládci temnoty tohoto světa, a duchovní špatnost na vysokých místech.
There are two shadows in which you can live. You can live in the shadow of the Most High or the shadow of death.
The shadow of death
The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; Lidé, kteří seděli ve tmě, viděli velké světlo; a těm, kteří seděli v kraji a stínu smrti, vrhá se světlo (Matthew 4:15-16)
The shadow of the Most High
How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, Bože! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings (žalmy 36:7)
Kdo přebývá v úkrytu Nejvyššího, zůstane ve stínu Všemohoucího (žalmy 91:1)
Neboť v něm tělesně přebývá veškerá plnost Božství. A v něm jste dokonalí, který je hlavou veškerého knížectví a moci (Kolosané 2:9-10)
Dokud zůstanete v Ježíši Kristu; Slovo, you shall walk in His shadow and His authority. When you walk in His authority, you shall have dominion over all hosts. (Přečtěte si také: Chodit v nadvládě, kterou vám dal Bůh).
The armor bearer has a task to accomplish
Spatřit, Dávám vám moc šlapat po hadách a štír, a nad veškerou mocí nepřítele: a nic vám nebude nijak ublížit (Luke 10:19)
Jesus finished His task on earth, He bound the strong one; ďábel. Jesus defeated the devil at the cross, a Jeho vzkříšením, He took the keys of authority back from him.
Všem, who believes in Him and has given up his or her life to serve and follow Jesus, He has given power (autorita) over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt him or her.
Jesus finished His work and is now seated on the right hand of God the Father.
Jesus has bound the strong one, ďábel. Nyní, it’s our job to spoil the house and set people free.
Žádný muž nemůže vstoupit do domu silného muže, a zkazit jeho zboží, kromě toho, že nejprve sváže toho siláka; a pak zkazí jeho dům (Označit 3:27)
Both Jonathan and his armor bearer had a task to fulfill. Jonathan didn’t take these two tasks upon himself, so that the armor-bearer didn’t have to do anything. No, the Philistines fell before Jonathan and his armor-bearer had to kill the Philistines.
Jesus gave you a task to accomplish
You also have your own task to accomplish. Jesus gave you and all His armor bearers the following task:
A Ježíš přišel a promluvil k nim, rčení, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, a učit všechny národy, křtít je ve jménu Otce, a Syna, a Ducha svatého: Učte je zachovávat všechno, co jsem vám přikázal: a, hle, Jsem vždy s tebou, dokonce až na konec světa. Amen (Matthew 28:18-20).
Ten, kdo věří a je pokřtěn, bude zachráněn; but he that believes not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; Budou mluvit s novými jazyky; Budou zabírat hady; A pokud pijí nějakou smrtící věc, Nebude jim to bolet; budou položit ruce na nemocné, a zotaví se (Označit 16:16-18)
You can’t pray to God and expect Him to take over and do your part; your task. If that was the case, then what are we all doing here on earth? Because that would mean, that you don’t have to do anything anymore.
You can’t turn your task over to Him and expect Him to accomplish what you are supposed to do. It’s your job to fulfill the task that Jesus gave you. Jesus has done His part, now you should do your part. That means action!
As long as your life is in the service of Jesus Christ and you yield to Him and obey Him, důvěřuj Mu, následuj Ho, a zůstaň v Něm, then you shall be able to fulfill your task and fulfill God’s mission on earth.
„Buď solí země“
