As I began to read, I came to 1 Samuel 16:21: "And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer."
Suddenly the Lord quickened the word armourbearer to me. He said, "I have called you to be Pastor Caldwell's armorbearer."
What does an armorbearer do? In Old Testament days, he was the one responsible for carrying his master's shield into battle. He had the awesome responsibility of seeing to the safety of his officer.
God was getting my priorities in order at that time of my life. It is my prayer that He will do the same for you.
The Spirit of an Armorbearer
We live in a world that seems to know very little about laying down one's life for another. A full understanding of this concept is vital to the Christian, especially if he knows he has been called into the ministry.
Instead of offering ourselves to wait on others, we in the Church often expect them to wait on us. This is particularly true of our attitude toward the man or woman of God.
You and I will never flow in the anointing of Elisha until we have learned to serve an Elijah. Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). It is not difficult to claim that we are submitted to Jesus, but the question is: are we submitted to another human being? That is a different story.
One day I asked God, "'What about my dreams and desires?" He told me to give them to Him and to work at fulfilling the desires and visions of my pastor, assuring me that if I would do so, He would see to it that my dreams and desires would be fulfilled.
He reminded me that that is exactly what Jesus did. He gave up His own will and desire in order to do the Father's will for His life. In turn, the Father made sure that Jesus' dreams and visions were all fulfilled.
The Need for Armorbearers
My pastor understands the calling and anointing on my life, and it is his desire to see that calling fulfilled. On the other hand, I understand my God-given duty to stand with my pastor and help him fulfill the vision God has given both of us, and to fully submit myself to him.
There is a great fear today among many pastors that their associates are out to steal the sheep from them. As a result, there is little or no trust between the pastor and his assistant, no flow between the two of them. I believe God has someone prepared for every pastor (and others of the five-fold ministry), someone to stand with him in the ministry.
I see today great ministries which are built around one person. What will happen when he is gone? It is of no credit to a pastor, or any man of God, to know that when he leaves town the sheep cannot function. The sheep should have their eyes fixed on Jesus, not the pastor. And there should be capable men to run the ministry while the pastor is absent.
Where would we be today if Jesus had not put a portion of Himself into the twelve disciples? What would have happened if, on the day He ascended to the Father, there had been no one there to see Him go and then to take up His ministry on earth?
I ask every pastor and spiritual leader this vital question: If you were taken off the scene today, where would your ministry be tomorrow? Most would have to admit that it would suffer. Jesus' ministry increased and multiplied. That's because there were armorbearers standing with Him.
Definition of the Word
The word armorbearer is listed 18 times in Strong's concordance. All of the references are from the Old Testament. Each one of these listings is referenced by two numbers, indicating that the word was originally translated from two Hebrew words.
Before beginning a study of the actual scriptures in which this word appears, let's consider its original meaning, which must be firmly established if the true idea of the term is to be fully understood.
As we have noted, the King James word armourbearer was translated from two Hebrew words. The first is nasa or nacah (naw-saw'). This is a primary word meaning "to lift."
It has a great variety of applications, both figuratively and literally. Some of the more interesting applications are to: accept, advance, bear, bear up, carry away, cast, desire, furnish, further, give, help, hold up, lift, pardon, raise, regard, respect, stir up, yield.
The second Hebrew word is keliy (kel-e), which comes from the root word kalah (kaw-law'), meaning "to end." Some of the applications of this root word are to: complete, consume, destroy utterly, be done, finish, fulfill, long, bring to pass, wholly reap, make clean riddance.
From these two Hebrew words, we can see the duty of the armorbearer was to stand beside his leader to assist him, to lift him up, and to protect him against any enemy that might attack him.
Developing the Spirit of an Armorbearer
My purpose in sharing this information is not to boast of how humble I have become by serving my pastor, but to help put an end to division in the Body of Christ. Like everyone who reads my book, "God's Armor Bearer," I too, have to deal with the temptation to get into strife, to refuse to submit in some areas of life. But the Lord has given me grace and I have learned to call upon Him and to trust Him completely to direct my steps.
You too can be set free from rebellion, strife and contention when you develop the spirit of an armorbearer.
Even though I am writing and speaking from the viewpoint and position of an associate minister, please do not think that this information does not relate to you. It will help anyone who is a part of the Body of Christ, anyone who desires to fulfill his or her God-given call.
To the person in the five-fold ministry, I say this: You will never arrive at a place where you do not have to submit to anyone. The spirit of an armorbearer is the spirit of Christ. It is the heart of a servant.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Terry has served as senior associate minister of a thriving congregation for over 23 years with over 40 years of experience in local church ministry. He is currently the senior pastor of Impact Church in Sherwood, Arkansas. Terry has authored four books. On the bestselling list, these books have motivated thousands of Christians to stand with their leaders in faithful service, helping them to fulfill God's purpose for their lives.
