There's a Crack in Your Armor Perry Stone

Years ago while studying the armor of the Roman soldier, comparing it with Ephesians 6, I discovered that there appeared to be two important weapons of the Roman soldier missing from Paul’s list in Ephesians 6. The two items were called the pilum and the javelin . Both were standard pieces of equipment of a fully dressed Roman soldier. The javelin was specifically designed to be thrown and was called a lance. Paul never mentioned the pilum or javelin by name in his discourse, as perhaps the Roman guards in his cell may not have been carrying these as they were not needed in a prison setting. But they were visible when soldiers were marching or preparing for battle, and these important objects were standard equipment for every Roman soldier. The javelin was long (over sixfeet), and the pilumwas shorter. The longer one was for throwing and the shorter one for gouging the enemy up close. The pilum consisted of a long iron head and a wooden shaft, the long shaft being wood and the upper part being made of iron. Lead weights were placed on the wooden section of the shaft to increase range and impact. In battle, before charging the enemy, the soldier threw his pilum, usually within a distance of twenty to thirty yards. Once it reached its destination and struck the intended object, the metal section would bend from the wooden part, preventing the pilum from being used by the enemy. If the pilum hit the enemy’s shield and stuck, it was difficult to pull out, causing the enemy’s shield to become cumbersome and difficult to balance. When the battle concluded, the pila were gathered and straightened out in order to be reused in a future battle. 11