A Common Enemy a shared Battle
Message: Pastor Mark Aarssen
Dear Saints today we gather to pause and reflect on the valiant few who have paid the ultimate price in sacrificing their lives to protect, defend and ensure the freedom of our world from tyranny and oppression.
Such valor is an example of the brotherly love that exists among brothers in arms. The Bible records just such a relationship between David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 17:40 - 18:5
David having faced the Giant Goliath with nothing more than a sling shot and his faith in the Living God won the day and the battle for the Nation of Israel.
David proved himself and won the admiration of King Saul and of King Saul’s son Jonathan.
So taken with David’s faith, courage and leadership young Jonathan took off his princely clothing and gave it to David to wear – along with the sword of the prince.
From that day on the two were inseparable as together they fought the enemies of Israel and won battle after battle with David in command.
Jonathan offers all of us an example of how we are to fight the enemies of this world.
We are to surrender our titles and our swords to the Prince of Peace – Jesus Christ.
We must put our trust and hope in the one whom God has proved to be our champion and defender.
For as David shouted “the battle is the Lord’s” we must trust in the Lord
But what sword do we possess or with what army will we march and who is the enemy to be vanquished?
The sword is the word of God and the one holding it is Jesus Christ. The army are the Saints of God and the unseen choirs of heavenly angels. The enemy is Satan and his fallen legions who openly and defiantly oppose God the Father and who openly and defiantly fought against Jesus Christ at the cross and at the grave where they lost. But this enemy continues to make war with the Church who possess the Holy Spirit of God as it lives in them.
We dear Saints are a different kind of soldier than the ones we commemorate today.
We are on the front lines of an eternal battle to defend, prove and honor God’s Holy place over all creation seen and unseen.
We are called to this war by our commander and chief Jesus Christ. But we do not wage this war with the weapons of this world for our battle is not against the nations of this world or its people.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-13
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 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.
No our enemies are not other people. They too are created in the image of God and they too are part of our collective human family.
Their customs and religion may be different than ours and their language foreign to our ears but their plight is not foreign to us.
We know that they are sinners in need of the saving power of Jesus Christ. They are being held prisoners by the unseen powers and principalities that the Bible speaks of. Our enemy is the one who provokes them to hate and indifference and envy.
Luke 4:5-8
5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’
Saints let us not take up arms against earthly nations but rather let us fight the unseen enemies who hide behind the nations of the world.
We are in a spiritual battle Saints not a temporal one. Let us engage in this battle with the weapons of prayer, the power of unconditional love and the shield of faith with which we can extinguish all the fiery arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16
Let us devote ourselves this day to the cause of Christ to proclaim His glory and His victory over sin and death as we remember our fallen who rest in the soon and coming hope of our returning Savior.
For Holy Scripture promises that one day- The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 11:15
Let us remember that it is the Prince of Peace who is the only one who will bring about peace to this earth. Let us fight the good fight of faith showing that we too are as brothers and sisters in arms seeking the victory that brings about eternal peace. This is the best way for us to honor those who have fought and died for peace. – Amen.
