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 uSamuweli 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, kuzo zonke izinto.
Ngaphakathi 1 uSamuweli 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, “uYonatan, 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?”
Hayi, 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, ubulumko, kunye nokuqonda, to make the right decisions.
Jonathan commanded his armor-bearer twice to come. Both times his armor-bearer obeyed Jonathan and came.
Okwesibini, that Jonathan commanded his armor-bearer to come with him, the armor-bearer said, “Do all that is in your heart: turn thee; khangela, 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, oko kukuthi, 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. (Funda kwakhona: Ukholo, isenzo, 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
- Yena wathobela his lord
- Yena trusted his lord
- Yena followed his lord
- Yena stayed in the shadow of his lord
- Yena fulfilled his task during their mission
What does it mean to be an armor bearer of Jesus Christ?
If you believe in Jesus Christ, bazalwa ngokutsha kuye, baba sisidalwa esitsha (umntu omtsha), 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, ezulwini nasemhlabeni, are put under Jesus’ iinyawo. UYesu unegunya lonke emazulwini nasemhlabeni! (Owu. UMateyu 28:18, Kwabase-Efese 1:19-23, KwabaseKolose 2:10, Hebhere 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.
On the cross, UYesu wazithabatha zonke izono, sicknesses, and iniquities of the world upon Him. He bore the penalty of sin which is death, kwaye ungene ngeHadesi. Emva kweentsuku ezintathu, UYesu wavuka njengoVictor kwabafileyo.
Through His redemptive work and by His blood, He restored the position (urhulumente) of fallen man and reconciled man back to God.
UYesu uthathe izitshixo (of authority) back from the devil and gave you the power to reign with Him, in His authority in the heavenly places. (Funda kwakhona: 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:
Wathi ngoko uYesu kubafundi bakhe, Ukuba kukho mntu uza kundilandela, makazincame, awuthwale umnqamlezo wakhe, ndilandele. Kuba othe wathanda ukuwusindisa umphefumlo wakhe, wolahlekelwa nguwo: Kwaye othe wawulahla umphefumlo wakhe ngenxa yam, wowufumana (UMateyu 16:24-25)
Wasibizela kuye indimbane nabafundi bakhe, Wathi kubo, nabani na oya kuza emva kwam, makazincame, awuthwale umnqamlezo wakhe, ndilandele. Kuba othe wathanda ukuwusindisa umphefumlo wakhe, wolahlekelwa nguwo; kodwa othe wabuncama ubomi bakhe ngenxa yam, nangenxa yeendaba ezilungileyo ezi, Kuyafana kuya kuyigcina (Phawula 8:34-35)
Kuba othe wathanda ukuwusindisa umphefumlo wakhe, wolahlekelwa nguwo: Kodwa osukuba ephulukana nobomi bakhe ngenxa yam, Kuyafana kuya kuyigcina (ULuka 9:24)
Lowo uthanda ubomi bakhe uya kuphulukana nayo; Kwaye lowo umthiyileyo ubomi bakhe kweli lizwe uya kuyigcina ebomini iphakade. Ukuba kukho mntu undikhonzayo, makandilandele; kwaye apho ndikhona, khona apho kuya kubakho isicaka sam: Ukuba kukho mntu undikhonzayo, Utata uya kuzukisa ubawo (UYohane 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 ‘ubuqu‘’, and give your whole life to Him and yield to Him and become His servant. (Funda kwakhona: Ukulandela uYesu kuya kukuhlawula yonke into).
The armor bearer of Jesus obeys his Lord
When you give up your life and serve Jesus Christ, it means that you Mthande 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 Imithetho yakhe.
Jesus said, Ukuba uyandithanda, Gcina imiyalelo yam (UYohane 14:15)
Ukuba nithi niyigcine imithetho yam, hlalani eluthandweni lwam; njengokuba mna ndayigcinayo imithetho kaBawo, nihlale eluthandweni lwakhe (UYohane 15:10)
Ukuba kukho mntu undikhonzayo, makandilandele; kwaye apho ndikhona, khona apho kuya kubakho isicaka sam: Ukuba kukho mntu undikhonzayo, Utata uya kuzukisa ubawo (UYohane 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.
Xa usitsho, 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.
Kholosa ngoYehova ngentliziyo yakho yonke; and lean not unto your own understanding (IMizekeliso 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. Ngoko ke, you should follow Him and His will, instead of following your own will. He gave you His Word. Ngoku, 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 (ilizwi), His will and follow Him, you shall be His armor-bearer.
And he said to them all, Ukuba kukho mntu uza kundilandela, makazincame, kwaye uthathe umnqamlezo wakhe yonke imihla, ndilandele (ULuka 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, amandla, abalawuli bobumnyama beli hlabathi, nobungendawo bomoya ezindaweni eziphakamileyo.
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; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up (UMateyu 4:15-16)
The shadow of the Most High
How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, Owu Thixo! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings (Iindumiso 36:7)
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Iindumiso 91:1)
Kuba kuhleli kuye konke ukuzaliseka kobuThixo ngokomzimba. Kwaye niphelele kuye, Yeyiphi iNtloko yazo yonke kunye namandla (KwabaseKolose 2:9-10)
Ngalo lonke ixesha uhlala kuYesu Kristu; ilizwi, you shall walk in His shadow and His authority. When you walk in His authority, you shall have dominion over all hosts. (Funda kwakhona: Hamba kulawulo olunikwe nguThixo).
The armor bearer has a task to accomplish
Khangela, Ndininika igunya lokunyathela phezu kweenyoka noonomadudwane, naphezu kwawo onke amandla otshaba: kwaye akukho nto iya kuthi nangayo nayiphi na indlela yokwenzakalisa (ULuka 10:19)
Jesus finished His task on earth, He bound the strong one; umtyholi. Jesus defeated the devil at the cross, nangovuko lwaKhe, He took the keys of authority back from him.
Kuwo wonke umntu, who believes in Him and has given up his or her life to serve and follow Jesus, He has given power (igunya) 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, umtyholi. Ngoku, it’s our job to spoil the house and set people free.
No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house (Phawula 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:
Weza uYesu wathetha kubo, esithi, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, kwaye ufundise zonke izizwe, nibabhaptiza eGameni loYise, kunye noNyana, kunye noMoya oyiNgcwele: Nibafundisa ukuba bazigcine zonke izinto endikuwisele umthetho ngazo nina: kwaye, khangela, Ndihlala nawe rhoqo, Kwanasekupheleni kwehlabathi. Amen (UMateyu 28:18-20).
Lowo ukholwayo aze abhaptizwe; but he that believes not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; Egameni lam baya kukhupha iidemon; baya kuthetha ngeelwimi ezintsha; Baya kuthatha iinyoka; kwaye ukuba basela into ebulalayo, Ayizukukhathaza; Baza kubeka izandla phezu kwabagulayo, Kwaye baya kuphila (Phawula 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, mthembe, Mlandeleni, ndihlale kuye, then you shall be able to fulfill your task and fulfill God’s mission on earth.
‘Yiba yityuwa yomhlaba’
