CHRISTIAN BATTLE ARMOR? WHAT A SHAME!
It was a crying shame that, in June of this year, a gunman opened fire on softball teams made up of congressmen in Washington! No one suspected it could happen, yet it did happen - two teams practicing to play a charity game that would bring opposing factions together in a show of unity, only to have it marred by the near-fatal shooting of Rep. Scalise of Louisiana.
On the other hand, this past week, the congressman who almost lost his life returned to work and stood before the members of the House of Representatives to speak highly of the true “American Spirit” that wished him well and prayed for him throughout his ordeal. Said he: “It changed me but not in the ways you might think. It has only strengthened my faith in God.”
With regard to matters pertaining to good versus evil, folks: In the end, good will always prevail over evil! It’s guaranteed by the very nature of the God whom we serve, and by the promises He has made to those who trust Him!
It is a crying shame that Christians even have to think about, let alone have, as part of our spiritual preparedness, Battle Armor! Battle Armor? What a shame!
Yet, in Bible studies, we are reminded of a dark side of life with which we must contend at all times: Satan is real – fight against him we must! Demonic forces exist – resist their evil influence we must! Satanic practices tempt us – saying “no” to them we must!
When we consider the totality of threats hurled at Christians worldwide, increasingly so in the USA, the sheer magnitude of them is bound to strike fear in the hearts of those who “stand firm” in the LORD as well as innocent bystanders.
As children of God living in the spiritual realm, we need not fear simply because of where we reside! If “in Christ” we reside, the Spirit of God in us does reside; and Jesus said, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world”!
Not only did God give us the Holy Spirit to be with us, to guide us, to guard us, to reassure us, He gave us the Spirit to equip us for spiritual battles we face!
In his epistle to the Ephesians, the embattled Apostle Paul rallied Christians to prepare themselves to stand strong when facing satanic assaults - by putting on the armor of God and by devoting themselves to prayer – Ephesians 6:10-13 . . .
We have established the fact of our Christian position in the geographical location in which we reside -“in the world . . . but not of the world”, meaning that we also reside in a “spiritual realm” because of our spiritual location “in Christ”.
Thus, our source of strength for waging any battle against satanic forces is the LORD. Since we reside “in the sphere of the LORD”, the spiritual strength we need the LORD will provide.
The word picture painted by Paul of the Roman soldier made an indelible impression on the minds of otherwise fearful Christian soldiers – in the sense that what the mere existence of the Roman Seal engraved on their helmets meant to Roman soldiers, the very presence of the Spirit of God in the hearts of Christian soldiers means to those who take their orders from the LORD: “mighty power”! (to withstand any foe that dares go up against an equipped soldier representing his country)
The most powerful point made by the most powerful apostle about the Christian’s most powerful response to Christianity’s most powerful enemy is this: To withstand, you must stand!
However! To be ABLE to stand against the “fiery darts”, you must “put on” spiritual armor which the LORD your God has provided – Ephesians 6:14-17 . . .
God has provided absolute truth. The devil tries to convince people that gospel truths are false and that false teachings are truths. In our “upside down” world of not knowing who or what to believe, be cautious. Be a believer who is wrapped up in God’s Truth, and you will know the difference.
God has provided standards of righteousness by which disciples of Christ are to conduct their lives. As we mature in our faith, we adopt a lifestyle marked by righteous indignation, integrity and a commitment to doing that which is right in God’s sight as best we can.
God has provided a path for His children to walk through this world with a sense of peace, security and stability that is found “in Christ”. We have a choice: “walk according to the course of this world” (Ephesians 2:2) or “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we were called” (Ephesians 4:1); or bluntly, “walk circumspectly, not as fools” (Ephesians 5:15). How would you describe your Christian walk?
God has provided a shield of protection against the fiery darts rained down upon us by evil-minded antichrists. There is no circumstance we will ever endure that cannot be overcome, conquered, withstood by a believer’s unswerving faith in God! Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, stand up for Jesus! Your faith is greater than any dart the devil can throw at you!
God has provided the most obvious piece of equipment any one of us will ever need – the helmet of salvation! Once we give our hearts to Christ as Savior, and let Christ as Lord transform our minds so that we no longer conform to this world, the battle for our allegiance is over. Christ won His battle against Satan at the Cross and God sealed His victory by the Resurrection. Victory in Jesus!
God has provided His Word - as if it were a sword - to prick the conscience, to pierce the heart, to pack the mind so that we rely not on our own words but on “thus saith the Lord”. Look – one thing this old soldier has become aware of in the latter days of my life is that, whereas no word of mine is capable of causing an evil spirit to flee, evil spirits cannot stand their ground when the Word of God speaks.
God provided all the equipment we need for engaging in spiritual warfare, but (you know what?) we are responsible for “putting it on”. Even so . . .
What a difference the power of prayer makes – Ephesians 6:18-20 . . .
“To succeed in battle an army must keep the lines of communication with headquarters open . . . If the enemy cuts this line of communication, the army will be at the enemy’s mercy.” (adapted from Hobbs) It’s as if Paul is saying, “Keep the line of communication with heaven open!”
And do so “in the spirit”. Why pray “in the spirit” . . . with a keen awareness of the indwelling presence of the Spirit . . . in humility, dependent upon the Spirit to guide us in our praying? Why not just say a prayer . . . recite a memorized prayer?
There are times when the “saying” or “reciting” of prayers is appropriate - as in congregational praying . . . doctrinal recitations . . . sung prayers . . . worship settings both private and public. Paul is not saying that such prayers are not of the Spirit, for indeed they are, in the sense that the Spirit interprets our thoughts and our heartfelt desires.
Praying “in the Spirit” while going up against enemies of God is meant to convey that sense of sheer exasperation or desperation when we feel helpless, when our groanings and utterances make no sense to anyone else, but if, when we’re “at a loss for words”, we stay “in touch” with (aware of) the Spirit’s presence, He becomes our advocate – acts on our behalf – to persuade, to convince.
“Into every life some rain must fall”. When it pours, and we seemingly do not know which way to turn, why not turn to the One source we can count on?
A man was filling out a job application. He hesitated, felt a little confused, at the item: “Person to Notify in Case of Emergency”. He thought for a moment and then wrote: “The Paramedics”.
Paul’s final word to the Ephesians was about not only how to be strong but who to depend on in times of spiritual warfare. His final word was more about the “who” than the “how”. “Be strong in the LORD . . .”
Folks: YOU “put on” spiritual “armor”, but always, in case of an emergency, get in touch with the LORD, whose Spirit is your “paramedic”. Amen.
