Iron Man is rather unique in the realm of superheroes. He himself doesn't have superpowers, but his big brain has granted him the ability to make incredible things, such as a full body suit of armor complete with weaponry and the ability to fly. With this suit, he's able to become Iron Man and be a superhero, but Tony Stark himself is powerless (very similar to Bruce Wayne and Batman). We see throughout the Marvel Universe people who are inheritently super, such as those featured in the X-Men (Wolverine, Professor Xavier, Jean Grey, Magento, etc.), or at least have, through some form or (usually freak) accident, gained powers (Spider-Man, the Hulk, Captain America, etc.). But Iron Man is different, in that his powers are genetic (be they natural or enhanced). Rather than just dawning a costume of spandex when he changes from mild-mannered alter-ego (if you can consider Tony Stark "mild-mannered") to superhero, he needs to put on armor; he needs to "put on" his superpowers. With that suit, he can fly, he can shoot lasers and rockets, he can shrug off bullets, he can save the world. With that suit, he's the Invincible Iron Man. He can face anything the bad guys throw at him! No villain is unconquerable to Iron Man, but, the same can't be said about the man in the suit. Without the armor, Tony Stark is just Tony Stark, your average, run-of-the-mill billionaire, genius weapons technician (like the one that everyone has living just down the street from them). Sure he's a genius, but if Iron Monger or Backlash comes at him and he's not in his suit, he's toast. Just like anyone else, he's just a man. But when he's got armor, he's Iron Man.
The same can be said for us. We're just regular people. We're weak, fallible, and easily manipulated. How are we expected to stand up to the greatest villain of all time, Satan? We don't have super strength, or the ability to fly, or teleport, or any of those other powers you see in comic books. We don't even have sweet super armor like Tony Stark... or do we? In Ephesians chapter 6, we're told about the "Whole Armor of God". "Put on the whole
armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." See? God doesn't just leave us unprotected; He gives us armor, just like Iron Man has. We have truth and righteousness to protect our bodies, our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, faith as our shield, to protect us against the fiery darts of the wicked, a helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. That is some pretty sweet armor, right there. That's better than Iron Man's armor! To anything made by man, there is a weakness. Something someone does will be able to crack his armor or in some way disable it, and leave him vulnerable. But with God's armor, you
know it's good. Nothing will be able to crack that! Not even the fiery darts of the wicked. So, be like Iron Man: put on the Whole Armor of God, and know that while you're wearing it, nothing can hurt you!
Elder Holbrook, I have a really cool story to tell you about this blog post of yours!
ReplyDeleteSo, anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE Iron Man. It's kind of a sickness, really. But anyway, one day last September, I was coloring in my Iron Man coloring book and I thought to myself, "How awesome would it be to start the 'Iron Man Challenge,' which means using God's armor to prepare me for whatever Satan has to throw at me??" Later on that day, I wrote my missionary brother a letter in which I included a newly-colored picture of Iron Man and asked him to take the Iron Man Challenge with me. Ever since, we both have been working together over this long distance to always be prepared through the armor of God, thus becoming "Men (or women) of Iron" ourselves. This truly is a great metaphor to use and I'm really glad you wrote about it, because I know the armor of God is a real thing. Thanks again, Elder. :)