The Code of a Knight - Part Two

In my previous post, I listed three attributes of a “knight in shining armor.” Those attributes focused on a knight’s discipline and preparation. This time we’ll look at three qualities of a knight’s personal character, the heart of the Old Code.

This is an excerpt from my book Spit and Polish for Husbands. If you're interested in purchasing this book from me, click here. If you want discounted bulk copies for a church group, maybe for Father's Day, or for a Bible study, please contact me - bryan (at) dragonsinourmidst (dot) com.

A knight keeps his word and performs what he has spoken. Whatever he commits to do, he will either do it or make arrangements to have it done, or he will die trying. Thus he is careful with his words, using wisdom and discretion with every utterance of his mouth.

A knight tells the truth in a world of lies, remains loyal in a land of betrayal, and works faithfully in a culture of excuses. Even his friends might think he is overzealous, and in this zeal he often stands alone. Yet his peculiar faithfulness makes him trustworthy, even in the eyes of pretenders. His loyalty is unquestioned, even among the unfaithful. If a lie of expediency whispers its desire to be told, a horde of lesser men will stampede to tell it. Not a knight of the Old Code. To speak a falsehood is to spew poison, and he will not allow a drop of venom to leave his tongue, even if offered the treasure of Solomon or threatened with his death.

Our culture celebrates the lie. It laughs at the deceptive antics of bumbling fools on television. It elects politicians who tell the most convincing fables. It winks at “white lies” that allow a man to skip an annoying meeting or avoid a tiresome caller by saying, “Oh, I can’t talk to him right now. Tell him I’m out to lunch.”

And with one shady statement, this man falls from being a knight to being a knave. He may think he’s running with the big dogs, but he’s really wallowing with the pigs.

Whether it’s an income-tax “miscalculation” or a “forgotten” appointment, the common man excuses himself time and time again. With each falsehood, his reputation slips into the shadows, where intentions lose their luster, excuses are peddled, and buyers are few.

Are we living in the shadows? What price do we place on our integrity? A few extra dollars in a tax refund? An escape from a pest? A way out of a jam? What could possibly be worth the stripping of our mantle of honor? And our shame is so much the worse if we make excuses, trying to explain why a code of honor doesn’t apply to us.

In contrast, a knight of the Old Code stands boldly in the sun. He carries no shame. He is unafraid of examination. The next time you look in the mirror, look yourself in the eye. Can you say without a twinge of conscience, “I am a man of honor”? If you can, great! Now, can you look your wife in the eye and say the same thing? Does she hold her hand over her mouth and start spewing laughter? Does she avoid your gaze and change the subject? Or does she embrace you and say, “I know. And I thank God for a man like you”?

Think about it. What kind of example does a liar set? If you allow yourself to tell lies, which lies will you allow your wife to tell you? How about your children? Will they give honest answers to a man who so casually splits his tongue?

Lying spreads like cancer and envelops an entire family. It spins a spider’s web, and it traps a liar in its sticky strands because each lie requires another to keep it from falling apart. A man may begin to believe his own lies, but it won’t take long for everyone else to forsake his word.

Whether it takes a hundred lies or a dozen for someone to lose faith with other people, it takes only one lie to sear his conscience and make him more able to tell the next. With just one lie, he violates the Old Code, and, should his wife discover his falsehood, his armor is stained in her eyes. Only the miracle of grace and forgiveness will ever remove that mark.

A knight keeps himself pure in thought and deed, rejecting association with influences that would cause other people to perceive stain in his character. In other words, he abstains from all appearance of evil.

Although there will always be someone willing to accuse us of wrongdoing, we knights must be careful never to give our enemies a real reason to call our character into question. This application is sometimes obvious: we don’t meet our friends at strip clubs, we stay away from bars, and we never wear T-shirts with questionable printed messages such as “So Many Girls, So Little Time.”

“But I have liberty in Christ,” a person may retort. “I’m free to do what I want as long as I stay away from real sin.” Yes, a strong Christian is free, but he must balance freedom with responsibility. We are not called to serve ourselves in our liberty, but to be beacons fueled by true purity, so that, as the Scripture says, “that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

We are to reflect to the world what we really are in our hearts, holy and pure. Our ability to remain unstained in this culture is the light that will draw other people to God. Why risk destroying our reputations by pursuing “freedoms” that are worthless in comparison to guiding someone toward the kingdom of God?

What about our wives? We vowed complete faithfulness to them. Do we display an aura of availability? Do we flirt? Do we spend one-on-one time with other women? Let us always realize that part of our duty as knights is to keep our armor spotless by abstaining from anything that would soil our reputation. The light we shine is easily dimmed in the eyes of others.

A knight is humble. He does not boast of his accomplishments, but he gladly exults in the virtuous deeds of his allies because other good knights will not boast of themselves.

If we successfully follow the Old Code, we’ll discover that we stand head and shoulders above most men. It’s not a sin to notice the reality of our upright character, but we should never let pride sneak into our brains. Without God we would be nothing, non-existent, without even an inkling of a thought. A man who ignores God, though he rule the world, is worthless and less than a blurry blip on creation’s eternal radar. Although we can develop massive muscles, brawny brains, and savvy spirituality, we’re still the creature, not the Creator. Walk humbly, men, knowing that we possess nothing that God hasn’t given us.

Remember, however, that with God-endowed power we’re conquerors for Christ. We can stamp a massive imprint on history. We’re rocks of strength, able to forge a radical difference in this world of marshmallow men.

Think about it. A knight in shining armor is not exactly normal, and I’m not talking about any earth-shattering acts he might achieve. When he simply takes out the garbage without being asked, a news crew (complete with a live-feed satellite van) could roar into his driveway to cover this “breaking story.” And when he changes a dirty diaper? Heaven help us! There’s sure to be live coverage, interviews with his elementary school teachers, and expert opinions from mental-health correspondents. No man in his right mind has ever attempted such a feat of nose-boggling dexterity! The world will lean closer to their television sets as a reporter asks, “How long has your wife been out of town?”

Seriously, every time we make a real sacrifice for others, we’ll shine like beacons in our spiritually dark world. How much more of an eternal impact will we make when we surrender every moment to God’s will? There may be no cameras, microphones, or blurbs on page fifteen of our local newspapers. Our sacrificial acts may pass unnoticed. Men who sacrifice usually bleed alone. But we seek not such rewards of this world: photo opportunities from media hounds, the massaging adoration of clinging fans, or even a pat on the back from sympathetic buddies. We seek only these words from the author and finisher of our faith, “Well done good and faithful servant.” And in these words alone we breathe soul-satisfying sighs. May our Lord always find us faithful.

Next time we’ll look at a knight’s duty toward others.