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?
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 Samuel 14:13)
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.
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, in all things.
In 1 Samuel 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?”
Geen, 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, Wysheid, en insig, to make the right decisions.
Jonathan commanded his armor-bearer twice to come. Both times his armor-bearer obeyed Jonathan and came.
The second time, that Jonathan commanded his armor-bearer to come with him, the armor-bearer said, “Do all that is in your heart: turn thee; kyk, 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, naamlik, 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. (Lees ook: Geloof, action, 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
- Hy obeyed his lord
- Hy trusted his lord
- Hy followed his lord
- Hy stayed in the shadow of his lord
- Hy fulfilled his task during their mission
What does it mean to be an armor bearer of Jesus Christ?
If you believe in Jesus Christ, are born again in Him, have become a new creation (die nuwe mens), 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’ feet. Jesus has all authority in the heavens and on earth! (O. Matteus 28:18, Efesiërs 1:19-23, Kolossense 2:10, Hebreërs 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, where He took all sins, sicknesses, and iniquities of the world upon Him and the penalty of sin which is death, en entered Hades and after three days Jesus rose as Victor from the dead.
Through His redemptive work and by His blood, He restored the position (Staat) of fallen man and reconciled man back to God.
Jesus took the keys (of authority) back from the devil and gave you the power to reign with Him, in His authority in the heavenly places. (Lees ook: 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:
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, As iemand agter My aan wil kom, laat hy homself verloën, en neem sy kruis op, en volg My. Want elkeen wat sy lewe sal red, sal dit verloor: en elkeen wat sy lewe om My ontwil verloor, sal dit vind (Matteus 16:24-25)
And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, laat hy homself verloën, en neem sy kruis op, en volg My. Want elkeen wat sy lewe sal red, sal dit verloor; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it (Merk 8:34-35)
Want elkeen wat sy lewe sal red, sal dit verloor: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it (Lukas 9:24)
He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour (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 ‘self‘’, and give your whole life to Him and yield to Him and become His servant. (Lees ook: Om Jesus te volg sal jou alles kos).
The armor bearer of Jesus obeys his Lord
When you give up your life and serve Jesus Christ, it means that you lief vir hom 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 Sy gebooie.
As julle My liefhet, onderhou My gebooie (John 14:15)
If ye keep My commandments, julle sal in My liefde bly; net soos Ek die gebooie van my Vader bewaar het, en bly in Sy liefde (John 15:10)
If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour (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.
When you say, 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.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding (Spreuke 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. Daarom, you should follow Him and His will, instead of following your own will. He gave you His Word. Nou, 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 (die woord), His will and follow Him, you shall be His armor-bearer.
And he said to them all, As iemand agter My aan wil kom, laat hy homself verloën, and take up his cross daily, en volg My (Lukas 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, magte, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places.
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 (Matteus 4:15-16)
The shadow of the Most High
How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings (Psalms 36:7)
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalms 91:1)
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. En julle is volmaak in Hom, which is the head of all principality and power (Kolossense 2:9-10)
Solank jy in Jesus Christus bly; die woord, you shall walk in His shadow and His authority. When you walk in His authority, you shall have dominion over all hosts. (Lees ook: Wandel in die heerskappy wat God jou gegee het).
The armor bearer has a task to accomplish
Sien, Ek gee aan julle die mag om op slange en skerpioene te trap, en oor al die mag van die vyand: en niks sal jou hoegenaamd skade doen nie (Lukas 10:19)
Jesus accomplished His task on earth, He bound the strong one; die duiwel. Jesus defeated the devil at the cross, and by His resurrection, He took the keys of authority back from him.
To everyone, who believes in Him and has given up his or her life to serve and follow Jesus, He has given power (gesag) over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt him or her.
Jesus has finished His work and is now seated on the right hand of God the Father.
Jesus has bound the strong one, die duiwel. Nou, it’s our job to spoil the house and set people free.
Geen mens kan in 'n sterk man se huis ingaan nie, en bederf sy goed, behalwe dat hy eers die sterk man sal bind; en dan sal hy sy huis bederf (Merk 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 has given you a task to accomplish
You also have your own task to accomplish. Jesus has given you and all His armor bearers the following task:
En Jesus het gekom en met hulle gespreek, sê, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, en leer al die nasies, hulle doop in die Naam van die Vader, en van die Seun, en van die Heilige Gees: Leer hulle om alles te onderhou wat Ek julle ook al beveel het: en, kyk, I am with you always, tot aan die einde van die wêreld. Amen (Matteus 28:18-20).
Hy wat glo en gedoop word, sal gered word; but he that believes not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, en hulle sal herstel (Merk 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. You should fulfill the task that He has given you to do. 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, trust Him, volg hom, en bly in Hom, then you shall be able to fulfill your task and fulfill God’s mission on earth.
‘Wees die sout van die aarde’
