To keep the attention of youth, people employed a variety of techniques to try and communicate the spiritual importance of the theme for a particular year. One year, the theme was "Put on the whole armor of God," based on the passage in Ephesians 6 in the New Testament:
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:11-17)
Unfortunately, that particular year, everyone had almost the same idea, which was to create homemade armor and put it piece by piece on a volunteer describing how to better implement a certain idea such as the breastplate of righteousness or shield of faith. There was also a video made by the church for seminary students that depicted the same basic concept, in which the conclusion portrayed a young man leaving for missionary service in an airport clad in armor. We wondered how he had made it though airport security even then, which was before the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the additional screening measures we see today.
While there were efforts made to get people to think about spiritual defense in different ways, ultimately, the ecclesiastical messages shared mostly focused on the metaphorical concept that correct choices protect individuals from the negative consequences that follow sinful behavior.
That message was probably the most appropriate message for the majority of teenagers that attended Youth Conference, since many of the teenagers were primarily there to flirt with one another; any spiritual information that was even accidentally absorbed represented an accomplishment of the instructors and counselors. While I too had social ambitions in participating, I found the repetitive "spiritual dress-up" to be tedious and shallow.
Since then, I have thought about how much emphasis is put on the metaphorical armor or metaphorical shield, or metaphorical fiery darts of the wicked. In fact, there seems to be an abundance of metaphorical content with respect to spiritual matters. Of course, much if it is correctly portrayed as symbolic such as the allegory of the olive trees in the Book of Mormon (Jacob 5) or the comparison of faith in the word of God to the nourishment of a seed (Alma 32). Christ himself taught many things metaphorically, explaining that he had "living water" (John 4) and that he was the"bread of life". (John 6)
The problem comes in when the literal aspects of spirituality are lost. I have heard people claim that Jesus was resurrected only "spiritually." I have heard people explain away powerful miracles such as the dividing of the Red Sea as a symbolic delivery from Egypt, or Noah's ark and the flood as a symbolic escape from wickedness. There are those who so love metaphors that they see them in things that are meant to be taken literally.
The Armor of God certainly has metaphorical elements. Righteousness can act as a breastplate, sparing the heart from the pain that accompanies wickedness. Faith can act as a shield, helping those that exercise it to overcome trials that they might not otherwise be able to overcome. It seems obvious that the Apostle Paul spoke symbolically when he taught the Armor of God concept.
While symbolism can be rich and powerful, I believe the greatest strength in spirituality is not based on metaphysical concepts or psychological strength, but in literal power. While the metaphorical Armor of God can provide protection, there is in my opinion to little emphasis placed on the literal Armor of God.
The fact that there is a literal Armor of God may conjure up images of other relics of divine importance, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the brazen serpent, or even the Holy Grail. The literal Armor of God is not composed of a helmet, a breastplate, a shield, a sword, leggings and boots. There is a powerful example showing its power that comes from the story of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ.
A fourteen year old boy named Joseph Smith was conflicted in determining what church truly represented God's kingdom, as each of them in his area claimed to be exclusively correct, and condemned the others. Wanting to ensure he was following God, he retired to a secluded grove of trees near his home and prayed to God. His account of the end result of this prayer is well known to members of the Mormon church, but there is an element that is frequently dismissed. In his own words, Joseph Smith said:
"After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being" (Joseph Smith History 1:15-16)
Many people, even in the Mormon faith, tend to describe Satan as a concept rather than a person. The devil is taught as a metaphor to describe "the natural man" or "human nature" or perhaps wickedness in general. The apostle Paul did not describe him that way in the original passage in Ephesians, but described the "wiles" of the devil, and his attacks as fiery darts. Joseph Smith was quite clear that the force that attacked him was not a concept, it was "the power of some actual being from the unseen world..."
Convinced that death was about to come, at that moment, he was suddenly saved:
"...just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Joseph Smith History 1:16-17)
The pillar of light that descended upon Joseph freed him from a genuine attack that had nearly killed him. Miraculous protection from genuine harm is not limited to Joseph Smith's first vision. Consider the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Determined not to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image on the plain of Dura, these three faithful men refused to obey the king. Provoking his anger, they found themselves thrown into a burning fiery furnace. To the surprise of all those who saw, they were not harmed. At Nebuchadnezzar's request, they walked out of the furnace completely unharmed. (Daniel 3)
The Apostle Paul who wrote concerning the Armor of God found himself shipwrecked on an island he called Melita on his journey to Rome. A poisonous viper emerged from the fire by which he warmed himself, and latched its fangs into Paul's hand. To the astonishment of those who watched him, the venom did not affect him at all. (Acts 28:3-6)
There is no shortage of examples in which God provided literal protection from harm of all sorts. Though God does not always protect every individual from every harm that might fall upon them, there is a literal Armor of God that can prevent any ill effect, spiritual, physical, or otherwise.
There are actual malevolent forces that actively and constantly seek the corruption and destruction of humanity, and that there are more powerful benevolent forces that seek to exalt mankind. This is not a metaphor or a symbol. Joseph Smith may have encountered a "spiritual" attack, but it had real power to bind him and cause him to think he would be destroyed. While Mormons describe his experience with the pillar of light and two personages as a "vision," he was literally delivered from evil.... evil from which he could not deliver himself.
Ultimately, the protection described by Paul with helmets of salvation, shields of faith, and breastplates of righteousness represents more than moral courage. The literal Armor of God is not made of pieces to be strapped to our bodies.
The truth is simple, yet profound. The Armor is God. He is the one that protected Joseph Smith. He is the one that delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He is the one that guarded the Apostle Paul. In the end, his power to protect is not limited at all. Though there may be times when harm, injury, illness, and even death come, his power makes these conditions temporary.
Those that cling to him, and follow his council will be shielded from the will of actual enemies that would see them destroyed. Those that accept God accept literal protection. It is not with reluctance that God acts as armor for his children; he eagerly asks us... even begs us to find shelter in his power... He wants to save us all...
The words of his prophets represent the pleading of a protective father when they ask us to put on the Armor of God.
