A BATTLE WORTH FIGHTING (Ephesians 6:10-18)
As I look back over my life, I thank God for the life that I have lived. God blessed me to have some wonderful parents, some wonderful grandparents, a wonderful rearing church family, and a reasonable portion of health and strength. God blessed me to have a little success in life to acquire three academic degrees and to purchase a few items of which I have always dreamed of owning. While looking back over my life I realized a troubling reality concerning my growth and development. I have always gotten into fights. I fought when I was in elementary school so many times that I cannot count them (often I got into fights because I was the only Black child at an all-White elementary school). I fought when I was in middle school because I felt like I had to defend myself from being teased for being too smart, too skinny, or too fat. I fought when I was high school a couple of times to prove to my peer group that I was not the class genius or class nerd. I thought that I could find my place in the popular crowd but I did not fit in that crowd. I even got into a few fights my freshman year in college. For a minute, I cared more for my designer shoes or designer clothes more than my life not realizing that I could have been killed over something so stupid as some clothes. I remember my grandfather telling me these words on my fifteenth birthday, “William, many of the battles you have fought were about nothing, one day you will fight a battle worth fighting.” Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, I present to you today from this biblical text a battle worth fighting. The title of today’s message is “A BATTLE WORTH FIGHTING.”
Today’s biblical text presents to us a battle worth fighting. Paul, the writer of this letter to the Ephesus, seeks to inspire the writing audience that this Christian battle is worth fighting. Paul, even though he is about to die or be killed while being jailed, takes time out to inspire others to go forward in the world in spite of their present day situation. In the world’s eyes this little group of scattered folks appears small, powerless, unimportant, outcastes, rejected, nerdy, and goofy. The apostle lets them know that it is okay to be different. It is okay to stick out like a sore thumb. It is okay if you are the “oddball” and that you do not fit in the “popular” crowd as long as you know that you are God’s children and that has the best crowd in which you could fit. Paul takes the time out to learn these folks know that little is much in GOD’S THE MASTER’S TOUCH. Paul takes the time to let this group know that even though it seems like no one wants to like you or be your friend God loves you and God is more than just a friend. God was/is/will be the best thing and best friend to you, with you, and for you. God’s standards are not like our standards. Paul takes the time out to let this group of scattered folks in Asia Minor know that they must see beyond what they presently see and stretch their views higher and wider than they ever have. Paul takes the time out to let this group of Christians know that they can truly change the world one step at a time if they only believe in God and exercise their faith. This group at Ephesus can celebrate in knowing that God provides greater security than the world could ever guarantee. God’s government is greater than the world’s government. In God we can have a hope to become and to dream that the impossible is possible and that we be what no one else say we can be because we rely on, have faith in, and trust in the Almighty God. Paul says that we can stand up and fight against the world. This battle is worth fighting. Now that our attention has been caught by us knowing that this Christian battle is worth fighting, let us consider whom we are fighting.
WHO ARE WE FIGHTING IN THIS BATTLE WORTH FIGHTING
Brothers and sisters, it is very important that we know whom we are fighting in this battle worth fighting. I want us to be informed about whom we are fighting. I am afraid that too many of us do not know whom we are supposed to be fighting in this Christian battlefield. Some folks think that we should be fighting their fellow schoolmates. Some folks think that we should be fighting their neighbors. Some folks think that we should be fighting folks who do not look like we do, dress like we do, or act we they do. Some folks think that we should be fighting folks who are not from the same economic level, neighborhood, country, or racial background as us. Some folks think that we should be fighting our pastors, our deacons, our deaconess, our trustees, our religious leaders and administrators. Some folks think that we should be fighting corporate America, our bosses, our husbands, our wives, our children, our boyfriends, our girlfriends, or even our own biological family members. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages I have some troubling news for you concerning this spiritual battle. We are not supposed to be fighting any of the above. I know whom we are supposed to be fighting. For those of you who know and for those of you who do not know who we are fighting let me tell you who were fighting. The enemy of us in this battle is Satan. Let me tell you about Satan.
Satan, the chief opponent of God, has many names. He is the Accuser, the Adversary, and the Angel of the Bottomless Pit, Beelzebub, and Belial. He is the little “g” god of this world, the Murderer, the Old serpent in the Garden of Eden, and the Prince of demons. He is the prince of the power of the air, the ruler of darkness, the wicked one, and he is the Lion that roars about seeking whom it may devour. Not only does have many names but Satan also has designs to destroy humankind’s relationship with God.
Satan is creative in his design to destroy humankind. He seeks to undo God’s work. He seeks to make humankind turn away from God. He seeks ways to instigate evil. He seeks ways to secure humankind’s worship away from God and to him. Not only is Satan creative but he is also systematic and methodical.
Satan is systematic and methodical. He disguises himself. He insinuates doubt. He misuses and misquotes Scriptures. He uses schemes and attack Christians in whatever way he can think is possible. Now that we know who our enemy is now we can see why he wants to fight us.
HOW DO WE FIGHT IN THIS BATTLE WORTH FIGHTING
How do we fight in this battle worth fighting? The answer to the question is very simple. We fight this spiritual battle and fight in well by wearing the right battle gear. We cannot fight this battle just any old kind of way or with just any old kind of thinking. We must have on the right uniform for spiritual battle. We cannot be half-dressed or underdressed but we must be fully dressed for when we fight against the enemy. WE MUST BE GIRDED WITH TRUTH. WE MUST HAVE THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE MUST WALK WITH PEACE AND SEEK PEACE WHENEVER WE CAN GET IT. WE HAVE FAITH IN OUR HEARTS AND FAITH ON OUR MINDS AND FAITH IN OUR FOCUS. WE MUST TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION BY WHICH JESUS CHRIST PAID THE PRICE FOR US THROUGH HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS-AND HIS RISING FROM THE DEAD. TAKE THE WORD OF GOD THAT CUTS LIKE A TWO-EDGED SWORD AND GET READY FOR BATTLE. FINALLY PRAY ALWAYS IN THE SPIRIT. Now that we know how to fight let us see what we will receive while we are fighting this battle.
WHAT WE RECEIVE IN THIS BATTLE WORTH FIGHTING
Now I must tell you about what we receive when we fight this battle worth fighting and why Satan wants to stop us from fighting the battle. We who are in Christ receive a community with one another. Yes, there are some times when no one else understands what is happening with one but you are never alone. God is always there hearing, seeing, and being concerned about our livelihood and situations. We never have to travel life’s roads by ourselves. We, Christians are brought together by our sharing in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God does not care about what side of the tracks we were reared. God does not care about whether we came from a poor economic background or a rich economic background. God does not care about whether we are male or female or whether we are Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American. God amazingly loves and cares for you in spite of our backgrounds and communities. Belonging to Christ, we have a responsibility to build up this Christian community. We have a responsibility to be productive members of this body. In the community of God, there are no big “Is” or little “Us”. Each person counts in this community. God gives each person spiritual gifts, talents, and skills. This Christian life is a life to be lived in and with community.
When we fight this battle worth fighting, we receive a freedom in Christ. We receive a salvation that cannot be understood by the world. We receive this freedom through salvation because of God’s grace and mercy via Jesus Christ’s life, death on the cross, and resurrection. We cannot earn this gift because God has already given it to us freely. All God requires of us in this daily process is that we have the faith to believe that God has genuinely and ultimately shown his grace and mercy to us. We, having this freedom in salvation, are free from the power of sin if we continuously embrace this notion. Through our embracing of this notion, we illustrate how we can be “in the world” but not “of the world.” We still will face persecutions, trials, troubles, concerns, and dilemmas but we can rise to stand victoriously over any situation. We are enslaved or bound to sin whereby we remain imprisoned. We live freely through the power of the Holy Spirit. We can the godly things and live in God’s will and way.
The most important thing we receive when we fight this battle worth fighting is a faith that actively participates in love. We receive a faith to treat and respect our neighbors in a loving, positive, and helpful way, as we would treat our own selves. We do not become perfect people but we become people were constantly try to live for perfection. We become persons who are constantly in a growth process of learning and living to love. This learning and living to love process is not simply a work of our own doing but the Holy Spirit actively participates in our life. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls children of all ages this battle is worth fighting!
