Changed - Iron Man

Like many movie fans, I have enjoyed Hollywood's recent offerings based on the superheroes of my childhood comic books. Spiderman, Batman, X Men, Green Lantern, Thor, the Fantastic Four have all been recent offerings. Just a few years ago Tony Stark came to life as Iron Man.

 

This morning in devotional reading I realized that just maybe the apostle Paul was familiar with Iron Man, or at least his story. A man dies and is raised to new life, with a new character, and equipped and armored in a way that makes him indestructible.

 

Tony Stark was the billionaire playboy heir to the giant Stark weapons manufacturing company. While observing the effects of his experimental technologies on the American war effort in the Middle East, he's injured by a booby trap. Stark's situation is dire and his injuries critical as shrapnel is moving towards his heart. His fellow prisoner constructs a magnetic chest plate to keep the shrapnel from reaching Stark's heart, keeping him alive. Having been captured by the enemy, who then orders him to design weapons, Stark and his prison mate use the workshop to design and construct a suit of powered armor which Stark uses to escape. But Tony Stark is transformed by the experience, including the self-sacrificing death of the prisoner who saved his life. Replacing the temporary power source keeping him alive with an ever renewing source, Tony Stark develops and dons the Iron Man armor, discovering a new passion, a new mission.

Changed, he becomes an unstoppable force against the powers of evil in the world.

 

Okay, so I was reading Colossians and I saw a similar story.

It's us. Listen.

 

He who died and in one blow forever disarmed the evil rulers and powers of the world (Col 2:15), set us free from them and their dominion (Col 2:20). Now raised to new life with Christ (Col 3:1) we discover real life (Col 3:4). A real life that brings with it a continually renewed new nature (Col 3:10). We the rescued, the ones freed from the rule of the kingdom of darkness now find ourselves in the kingdom of the Son. Brought into the very presence of God, holy and blameless, we stand (Col 1:22). Called to put on a new armor, for we are destined to join the fight against the evil rulers and authorities of the world (Eph 6:12).

 

Changed-an unstoppable force against the powers of evil in the world.

 

I confess I seldom see myself that way, but I think Paul did. Should we?

 

the man in the window

Bruce D. Rzengota
Norwalk Alliance Church

-- To follow Jesus is to learn to move with God.