Suit Up! Series

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So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! (Ephesians 5:15-16 MSG)

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, … Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life (Ephesians 6:13-15 MSG)

Being part of team Jesus is a serious business. You’ll need every bit of protection you can get. Today, we’re going to talk about some of the equipment you should be wearing when you take this field.

Look at these guys taking some hits. Image what would happen if they weren’t wearing protection. The competition Jesus is asking you to join is far rougher. He is asking you to take the field and play your special position, like we talked about last week. God doesn’t bench his players. He wants everyone on the field. If you are sitting on the bench, its because you’ve chosen to. But there’s more to it than just signing up and stepping on the field – you have to suit up. That’s what we’re talking about this week. You have to get some protection or you are going to be an early casualty, and you won’t do your team a bit of good.

The 6th chapter of Ephesians mentions five things that you need:

• Your salvation

• Righteous living

• Faith in God’s protection of you

• Focusing on loving people like Christ loves them

• Living an authentic life

• Knowing and using the word of god

God gave you this list of equipment you need. You need it all. Any missing piece is going to leave you vulnerable somewhere. Put it all on! Think about this. Satan believes he has the power to fight with God himself. Do you really want to come up against him without your armor on? It doesn’t matter how powerful your weapons are - they are worthless if you don’t know how to use them or you simply refuse to use them.

Take my side, God-I’m getting kicked around, stomped on every day. Not a day goes by but somebody beats me up … I’m proud to praise God; fearless now, I trust in God. What can mere mortals do? (Psalms 56:1-4 MSG)

2Cor 10:3-5 By now we are completely aware that we are in a battle (That battle is a spiritual battle) and that battle must be fought with spiritual weapons.

God has provided the armor, but it is up to us as individuals to take the responsibility of putting it on. It seems so simplistic but you could have a whole closet of clothes but if you didn’t put them on they would do you no good. Paul states put on the full armor of God. This has to be a conscious choice to use the power the Lord Jesus Christ makes available through him. The armor is described in detail, as well as the enemy we must face. Without the armor of God we are unable to stand against the enemy.

Imagine going to war with no weapons, without a shield of any kind. Think about it a platoon of marines have just landed on the beach in Normandy like that scene out of “Saving Private Ryan”. The enemy is entrenched, in bunkers with rifles, machine guns, mortars, bazookas, howitzers, and flamethrowers. Now picture the marines jumping out of their transports stark naked – not even a slingshot for a weapon – not even a t-shirt for protection. That would be crazy! I don’t want to trivialize what those men did – they were real heroes. I’m just saying that many Christians today have joined the battle and are jumping to their position, but have totally neglected to put on their protection and pick up their weapons. It’s that crazy!