“Armor”
B-17’s flying bombing runs over Europe during WWII faced often likely prospects of being shot down or severely damaged during missions. Actually surviving a whole tour of duty with Bomber Command was a coin-flip. Initially the attrition rate was very high. In hope of improving the likelihood of Bomb crews making it back to base after a mission, allied officers studied the patterns of bullet holes and flack damage in the aircraft which did make it back. They discussed ideas for armor plating. It was natural to think of putting the armor where the planes they were looking at had the most bullet holes.
Mathematician Abraham Wald, and his colleagues at the Statistical Research Group at Columbia University, had a much different recommendation. He suggested, “Don’t protect the planes where they were taking the most damage; armor the planes where there were no bullet holes!” The reasoning was sound. They realized that all those shot up planes had lots of holes and damage, but still could maintain flight and get home. They deduced that all the planes hit in the other places were the ones which did not make it back. Hence, the recommendation to armor in those areas was followed, and our returning flights rate greatly improved.
The Bible gives a pattern for the armor of the Christian.
Eph. 6:13-17, Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
There is in the list, no provision for the back. Implied here is that our warfare is one in which we should be pressing forward, rather than retreating. Are you moving ahead following the Captain of our salvation?