In this message we shall cover further aspects of what Christ is in His person to the believers.
Colossians 2:16 and 17 say, “Let no one therefore judge you in eating and in drinking or in respect of a feast or of a new moon or of Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.” All the aforementioned items of the ceremonial law are a shadow of the spiritual things in Christ, which are the things to come. The body, like a man’s physical body, is the substance. The rituals in the law are a shadow of the real things in the gospel, like the shadow of man’s body. Christ is the reality of the gospel. All the good things in the gospel belong to Him. For us as believers, Christ is the feast, the new moon, and the Sabbath.
Paul’s word in Colossians 2:16 and 17 indicates that to the believers Christ is the real feast. The word “feast” in verse 16 refers to the annual Jewish festivals, signifying joy, enjoyment, and satisfaction. Three times a year God’s chosen people came together for the annual feasts, which were times of enjoyment, of rejoicing together before the Lord. Although the feasts were enjoyable, they were simply shadows of Christ. He is the real joy, enjoyment, and satisfaction.
Colossians 2:16 and 17 also indicate that Christ is the new moon. The new moon signifies a new beginning with light in darkness. Just as the new moon marked a new beginning in Old Testament times, so Christ affords us a new beginning with light in darkness today. Before we came to the Lord, we, like all unbelievers, were in darkness. Now we have Christ as the new moon.
In Colossians 2:16 and 17 we see that Christ is the Sabbath, which signifies completion and rest. Without completion, we cannot rest. Rest always comes from completion and satisfaction. When we have finished a certain matter and are satisfied with it, we are then able to be at rest. After God completed His work of creation on the sixth day, He enjoyed rest on the seventh day. Likewise, we also can enjoy rest only when our work has been completed and we are satisfied with it. Therefore, the Sabbath signifies Christ as the believers’ completion and rest.
According to Colossians 2:16 and 17, Christ is the reality of the various aspects of the ceremonial law, which are shadows of spiritual things. The festivals, the new moons, and the Sabbaths were all shadows. The body, the solid substance, of these shadows is Christ. Such a Christ is now for our enjoyment and experience.
Ephesians 6:11 opens with the words, “Put on the whole armor of God.” To fight the spiritual warfare, we need Christ as the armor of God. The whole armor of God is for the entire Body, not for any individual member of the Body. The church is a corporate warrior, and the believers together make up this unique warrior. Only the corporate warrior, not an individual believer, can wear the armor of God. This is contrary to the concept held by many Christians that an individual believer is able to wear the entire armor. The armor in Ephesians 6 is not for the believers as individuals; it is for the church corporately as the Body. This chapter reveals not the believers fighting as individuals, but the believers fighting as a corporate entity for God’s interests on earth. Therefore, we must fight the spiritual warfare in the Body, not individually.
According to Ephesians 6, Christ is the armor that we put on for our protection. In order to fight in the spiritual warfare, we must put on Christ as the whole armor of God. In Ephesians 6:14-17 there are six aspects of Christ as armor: the girdle of truth, or reality; the breastplate of righteousness; the firm foundation of the gospel of peace (the shoes); the shield of faith; the helmet of salvation; and the sword of the Spirit. Of these six aspects of Christ as our armor, only the sword is for offensive warfare. All the other items are for defense.
We need to put on Christ as the whole armor of God so that we “may be able to stand against the stratagems of the Devil.” These stratagems are the Devil’s evil plans. Not only does the Devil have an evil will, but he also has subtle stratagems to work out his will. If we would stand against these stratagems, we need to put on Christ as our armor. Let us now consider briefly the six aspects of Christ as armor to the believers.
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