Sermon
NOTE: This is an adaptation of David Rigg's message "Don't Be Another Red Baron" with a different outline and emphasis.
Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-17
Today is Halloween. Tomorrow is All Saints Day. Today is a day about ghosts and goblins and death and everything that the world says is scarey. Now I want to say right off that I am not opposed to kids going out trick or treating for Halloween. The Pagans use Christian holidays so there's no real good reason why we can't use theirs. And this is a pagan event. You need to know that.
But like the video we just watched suggested, the little boys and girls that will dress up and come to our door this evening are just that – they are little boys and girls - and we have the opportunity to let our light shine when they come to the door, by greeting them warmly and giving them a treat.
Because, like our text says, we don't wrestle with flesh and blood but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
How do we wrestle against these things. Isn't Halloween all about surviving haunted houses and goolish figures and hidden corpses that might jump out at us at any time? Halloween is about being afraid. So Halloween is so much about what Christianity is NOT, that I want to suggest a few things this morning just by way of devotional more than a sermon per se.
Halloween evolved from a Celtic holiday – the Celtic new year when harmless pranks were carried out against a neighbor. It was the time that it was felt the veil between the dead and the living was the thinest so people would build bon fires and wear masks to keep the dead in the realm of the dead. The tradition came to the States during the Ireland potato famine and before long the idea of pranks turned into vandalism and people started giving children and young adults treats in order to keep them from pulling pranks – it wasn't long then before the children started going from door to door with the phrase trick or treat.
For me, Halloween means watching “It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.” Ron and I caught the tale end of it Friday night. I haven't seen it for years but in the program, Charlie Brown's dog “Snoopy” pretends to be a World War I fighter pilot. He hops on top of his dog house pretending that it's his Sopwith Camel airplane. Then Snoopy goes out to battle the infamous Red Baron.
Did you know that there really was a Red Baron?
Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen was a German fighter pilot known as “The Red Baron” because he flew a distinctive red Fokker three-winged aircraft. He was the most successful flying ace of World War I, officially credited with 80 confirmed air combat victories.
Now I'm going to be like Paul Harvey and tell you the REST of the story at the end of this message. That was like the “teaser” to keep you listening to this station.
There are three things I want to share with you this morning that are very simple. Because I want to take advantage of this day falling on a Sunday, to get across this very important part of what the Bible says about flesh and blood, and about the spiritual world.
Too many times, we as Christians, and non-Christian as well, think that we are doing battle with other people. But the Bible is very clear about it. The Bible says we are NOT doing battle with flesh and blood, other people – we are battling evil authorities in the unseen world. We're battling mighty powers in this dark world. We're battling evil spirits in heavenly places.
Does that make it clear enough that there is a demonic world – there is a spiritual realm of darkness which you and a fight every day? I don't believe in a demon behind every bush, but we'd be foolish to think that there aren't some demons behind some bushes. And we need to fight against them.
So how do we do that battle?
Four things. Get up, dress up, speak up, Wake Up.
Look what the Bible says in verse 11. “Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the strategies of the devil.”
The Bible says we are to “stand firm” against all the devil's strategies or schemes.
The devil has all kinds of schemes to keep us from standing firm. To make us wonder, to cast doubt on ourselves and others. To cast doubt on the very nature and God-hood of Jesus. The devil will feed us lies every day about everything that is good and truthful and the Bible says we are to stand firm against all of those things. Stand firm – get up. Don't believe those lies. Don't listen to them. The devil will take every situation of your life that God intends for good and he will turn it around to try to get you down, to try to defeat you. GET UP!!
You say, how on earth do I get up when I'm being pushed down every day, day after day.
You get up by dressing up. Psychologists tell people who are depressed not to wear black, to dress up – wear bright colors, open the curtains, dress up – dressing up makes us feel better. It's good for us.
The Bible says “put on the whole armor of God.”
That's the answer – it's right there beginning with verse 13, put on EVERY piece of the armor so that you will be able to STAND against the enemy. EVERY piece of armor. And the Bible says even AFTER the battle, you will still be standing firm. Doesn't that encourage you?
EVERY piece of armor.
The Belt of Truth
The breastplate of righteousness
The shoes of peace
The shield of faith
The helmet of salvation
The sword of the Spirit
We have to wear the clothing. The Halloween costume, literally, that we wear every day is what we've just listed here. Every job has its clothing, or costume.
Business – suit and tie (for the most part, still is)
Firefighters – boots, coats, pants, hats
Police – uniform, flack jacket
Football players – protective padding, special helmets
Bikers – leather (it's not just for looks you know – it's for road rash, in case you go down)
God's armor is for road rash in case you go down too.
God's armor, like the spirit world, can't be seen. It's not something we pick out of the drawer on Sunday morning. It's not something we can touch. We put it on through reading the Word – the Sword of the Spirit, we put it on by knowing the truth – the belt of truth.
We put on the breastplate of righteousness – that's right living. We put on the gospel of peace – that's reconciliation. We take up the shield of faith – that's believing in Christ and his promises. We put on the helmet of salvation – that's accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior. And we take – everywhere we go – the sword of the spirit – that's God's word.
When evil comes – when the devil tries to TRICK us, we stand firm because we are wearing the armor of God. We don't have to fear the tricks of the devil as long as we have on every piece of the armor God has given to us.
Manfred Albrecht von Richtohofen won his first aerial combat over France on September 17, 1916. In January 1917, after this 16th confirmed kill, Richthofen received the Blue Max, the highest military honor in Germany at the tie. That same month, he assumed command of a unit that included some of the elite of Germany's pilots. Richthofen led his new unit to unparalleled success. In April 1917, he downed 22 British aircraft, raising his official kill tally to 52. It seemed as if nothing could stop him. The Red Baron was wearing the armor, and he was using it to defeat his enemy.
The third way we defeat the enemy is to pray in the spirit at all times. We are to speak up.
God wants us to talk to him – we release the hand of God through our prayers, but we have to speak up. Look what the Bible says in verse 18. “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Jesus taught us to speak up best when he said to Satan himself, “It is written!” See, we are praying when we quote scripture to the devil like that. We are praying when we resist the devil through telling him the truth. We are praying when we rebuke the evil one.
Job spoke up when he told his wife she was speaking like a foolish woman. Should they not accept adversity from God as well as good.
Joseph spoke the truth when he told Potipher's wife he would not dishonor his God or his king by sleeping with her.
And we speak the truth when we resist the devil with the sword of the Spirit, praying in the Spirit at all times on every occasion.
Finally, we are to Wake UP. That same verse, verse 18, says stay alert.
To battle against the forces of evil in this world we have to stay awake! We have to wake up to what is going on around us. We need to watch, pay attention, be on our guard.
The Bible clearly teaches us to keep our eyes open. Matthew 26:41 says, Keep watching and praying. Luke 21: 34-36 says, 'Watch out! Don't let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness and by the worries of this life. Don't let that day catch you unware.” Verse 36, Keep alert at all times.
1st Peter 5:8, Be sober, be alert, because your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” And then there it is again, verse 9, “Stand Firm”
And especially 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 “But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For ou are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
What's your Halloween Costume? The Armour of God. Put it on. Halloween is the epitomy of the forces of this dark world. I could tell you all kinds of horror stories about what goes on on this day and on this night. But we must always remember, that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against evil authorities in the unseen world.
There is no need for fear, because God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of peace, love and a sound mind.
Stand Up, Dress Up, Speak Up and Wake Up, and there will be no power on halloween or on any other day of the year, when the powers of the unseen world will be able to overtake you.
The rest of the story?
On April 21st, 1918, the Red Baron had been pursuing at very low altitude a Sopwith Camel piloted by a beginner Canadian pilot. As the Red Baron pursued his prey behind Allied lines, he didn't watch out. He dived too low into the enemy lines and he also failed to see another Canadian pilot coming up on his tail. During that pursuit he was hit in the chest by a single bullet. He managed to make a hasty but controlled landing in a field. One witness said that when he and other Austrailian soldiers reached the aircraft, Richthofen's last word was “Kaputt” (finished.).
Yes, it was Canadian pilots that got him in the end. But more importantly, he knew, with one single shot, it was finished. And the devil knows that he has NO power over a Christian who is wearing the armor of God. He has NO power over a Christian who is praying about everything on ALL occasions.
Halloween need not be a fearful time. But let's not do like the Red Baron did and get so far into enemy territory that we don't see the devil on our tail. One shot, and we too, may be kaputt.
Stand Up – against the enemy -resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Dress Up – put on every piece of God's armor
Speak Up – pray at all times and on every occasion
Wake Up – stay alert and be persistent in your prayers
Let's pray.
