Reputation, reputation, reputation. It's all about image.
Even from afar, his lord father was resplendent. Tywin Lannister's battle armor put his son Jaime's gilded suit to shame. His greatcloak was sewn from countless layers of cloth-of-gold, so heavy that it barely stirred even when he charged, so large that its drape covered most of his stallion's hindquarters when he took the saddle. No ordinary clasp would suffice for such a weight, so the greatcloak was held in place by a matched pair of miniature lionesses crouching on his shoulders, as if poised to spring. Their mate, a male with a magnificent mane, reclined atop Lord Tywin's greathelm, one paw raking the air as he roared. All three lions were wrought in gold, with ruby eyes. His armor was heavy steel plate, enameled in a dark crimson, greaves and gauntlets inlaid with ornate gold scrollwork. His rondels were golden sunbursts, all his fastenings were gilded, and the red steel was burnished to such a high sheen that it shone like fire in the light of the rising sun.
I'm not even sure if the picture above does it justice.
There is some obvious Lannister narcissism and vanity in Tywin's armor, but it all connects with his insanely fierce protection and projection of his image, stemming, of course, from the terrifying fact that his father was a pushover and a made House Lannister a temporary laughing stock.
Laugh at Tywin and he will kill you, your wife, your three children, your cousins, your dry-cleaner, your mail-man, your green grocer and the manager of the supermarket you frequent. He'll hang the mayor of your town, and your dog will be fed the remnants of your body. Then he'll kill the dog.
Nobody laughs at Tywin.
His reputation, made as a teenager in the War of the Ninepenny kings and the utter destruction of Houses Reyne and Tarbeck and immortalized into a smash number 1 hit known across Westeros coupled as his obvious competence as Hand of the King is the reason for the respect he gets. It's the stuff of legends--scary legends-- and he cultivates it.
Indeed, he sat out Robert's Rebellion and we don't have many reports of military campaigns during his two decade run as Hand of the King; but there may have been minor skirmishes and revolts that he coordinated during that time.
But mostly, it's all about image.
His armor. His hatred of Tyrion. His justification of the Red Wedding. His expectations of his children: it's all coming from one urge: to further his reputation.
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