One of the field trips my sons thoroughly enjoyed was when we visited an armor collection. The collection was from Styria and was on tour.
We saw lots of cool armor. I have been fascinated with knights and their armor since I was sixteen years old. Their eyes lit up as we saw row after row of suits of armor and edged weapons. It’s one thing to see armor in movies and books compared with seeing it in person.
The detailed engraving made them works of art. The detailing on the swords and shields were amazing. The swords showed battle damage. They were meant to be used for combat not just for show.
We enjoyed the exhibit so much that we purchased one of the official books. For years, that book was cherished and enjoyed. It was thumbed through, admired and read.
Armor protects the vital areas of the wearer. The heart and head were the two main areas needing protection. I remember reading that the design of to helmet was more for comfort than protection. They were heavy and not designed for mobility. The armor was extremely hot, especially in summer.
The most common surviving armor is chain mail. In a chain-mail shirt or coat, the metal rings are connected by wire shuttles which form the fabric used. The added protection lessened the impact of blows from enemy weapons. I’m sure the blows still hurt, but they did less damage.
In thinking about armor, I considered whether spouses protect each other from dangerous weapons of influence and seduction. These days there are many threats to your marriage. Failing in protecting your spouse from those influences exposes them to danger.
I know of a couple whose marriage was impacted by the husband working side-by-side with women in his company. Working in close company often leads to risk taking and becoming too familiar with each other.
There are other dangers as well. Among those dangers are bad friends, pornography, and seductive influences. Some of the threats are obvious, while others are subtle. All it takes is a few suggestive idea, lewd comments or images and they’re under attack.
It’s not that some seducer is putting their hands on them and making passes. That kind of threat you can see. Those kinds of threats are more obvious and easier to see from a distance.
In marriage, there are so many ways that spouses can be subtly influenced away from their marriages. The other spouse may not even realize it’s happening. How can you protect each other?
In my opinion, the answer is to stay close and keep communicating openly with each other. When you know the threats and temptations, you can better deal with them.
It may be a comment or image that triggered fantasies in your spouse’s head. All it takes is a fantasy to start changing your spouse’s heart or their thinking.
There were reasons that armor protected the heart and head areas. Previous generations knew that these areas were vulnerable. They knew that protecting these areas was critical. They knew attacking those vulnerable points could easily kill their spouses.
When the heart and mind are exposed, they’re open to be influenced or seduced away from you. Those influences and seductions may not be dramatic or easy to see.
Your marriage is under attack every day of every week. Even today those are the areas vulnerable to attacks.
Even the strongest and most committed are vulnerable to attacks when they are caught at weak moments. Acting like there are no threats is living in naivete.
One of the best ways of protecting your spouse is by making your marriage the best it can be. Rather than settling for an “okay” marriage, you can have a great one. The “30 Days to a Better Marriage” program guides you in taking steps that improve the relationship you have.
By improving your marriage, you are protecting your spouse from influences and dangers to your relationship. If you’re not prepared to give your marriage 110% attention, then there is no way that the marriage can be protected.
The romance will eventually fade and reality will set in. You’ll want more from your spouse than they are able to give. During those times, the two of you need to protect each other from outside and internal threats as well.
Keeping It Real,
Jeff
