Dear
Friend, grace and peace be unto you from God our Father, and our Lord
and Savior, Jesus, the Christ. Amen.
St. Paul is
in prison in Rome and under constant guard when he writes this letter to
the Ephesian church. He saw the soldier’s that guarded him day
after day. As he thought of the battle the Christian wages in the
world of sin and death he formed in his mind, from watching the
soldiers, a picture of the armor needed by the Christian to combat the
forces of evil. We now look at the armor St. Paul says you and I
need if we are to live a victorious life in Jesus.
First,
you need the belt of Truth (6:14a) “Stand
firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,…”
The belt
was used to hold the soldier’s clothing next to his body. This
kept his clothing from getting in his way as he moved. The belt
was also used to strengthen and support the body.
God gives
the pure truth for life and salvation that possesses strength to hold
you together. God alone shares the truth of abundant and eternal
life.
-
What
specifically is the belt of Truth that God dresses you with?
Second,
you need the breastplate of righteousness (6:14b) “…with
the breastplate of righteousness in place,…”
The
breastplate covered the body of the soldier from the neck to the thighs.
It was used to protect the heart. Your heart is to be focused on
Jesus, the Christ, and His righteousness, and it must be protected.
You have put on Jesus’ righteousness not your own. He is your
protection now. Jesus protection of you creates in you a heart
that is righteous and pleasing to God.
Third,
you need the sandals of the gospel of peace (6:15) “…and
with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of
peace.”
The sandals
were a sign of readiness – readiness to march and to do battle.
The Roman sandals were made with nails that gripped the ground firmly
even in difficult terrain.
The sign of
the Christian soldier is readiness – a readiness to march and to bear
witness to the gospel. Wherever your feet take you, you are to
share the life and love of Jesus with those you meet.
Lehman
Strauss has said, “The soldier’s shoes are not
the dancing slippers of this world or the lounging slippers of the
slothful, but the shoes of the Christian warrior who knows Christ and
makes Him known.”
Fourth,
you need the shield of faith in God (6:16) “In
addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
The word “shield”
does not mean the small round shield which the soldier held in his hand
to fight off the weapons of the enemy. It means the great oblong
shield carried by the soldier to protect his body from the fiery darts
thrown by the enemy. The darts were dipped in pitch or some other
combustible material and set afire. When they struck, they served
the purpose of small incendiary bombs. Thus, the Roman soldiers
dipped their plywood shields into water before battle. The plywood
shield absorbed the darts and the water helped extinguish them.
Satan has
his fiery darts – those things that will cause you to…
Most of
Satan’s fiery darts will assault your mind – doubting and
questioning God’s will.
You,
however, as a Christian soldier are given the shield of faith – the
protecting waters of baptism - faith in Jesus – a trust that God will
quench the darts of doubt and evil that attack you. God will help
you control your mind and conquer the evil doubts and thoughts you may
have. You will be conscious of God’s presence as a shield of
protection around you.
Fifth,
you need the helmet of salvation (6:17a) “Take
the helmet of salvation…”
The helmet
covered the head and the mind of the soldier. The mind is really
the power to wage war. The soldiers thinking ability was the most
important factor in determining how a battle would come out.
Therefore, the soldier needed a helmet to protect his head and mind.
The sign of
the Christian soldier is the helmet of salvation or deliverance.
You must protect your mind and thoughts from the deceptions of the
enemy. You must keep your mind focused on your Savior, Jesus.
You must keep your mind focused on His objectives in this war.
As with any
soldier your focus is on the mission. Your mission is determined
by your commander, Jesus. That mission has been commanded to you
to go and make disciples of all nations.
Knowing
that you are secure in God’s Army and well trained and equipped, your
mind and thoughts are on obeying Jesus and carrying out his mission.
You are an “Army of One.” That
one is Jesus. And you do have a tremendous impact on the world for
Him.
Sixth,
you need the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (6:17b)
“…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God.”
The Roman
sword was a well thought out weapon for warfare. It was for
defense and offense. One name given it was the “Gladius".
It went through several modifications. It was 30” in total
length with a two edged blade. The sword was short for more stable
use. It was used as a stabbing weapon alongside the shield the
soldier carried more than a swinging weapon.
The sign of
the Christian soldier is his use of the Word of God – the sword of the
Spirit. To do battle in the world you need to know your sword –
the Word of God well. The more you train with the Word of God the
more effective fighter you will be for Jesus. The better you will
be able to defend against the attacks of Satan. And the more able
you will be to strike a blow against evil.
If a
soldier didn’t have a sword in battle he was at a great disadvantage.
If you don’t have the Word of God in your life you are at a
disadvantage in living for Jesus.
Remember,
Jesus is our example here. He used the Word of God to overcome the
attacks of Satan in the wilderness and throughout his mission.
As the
writer to the Hebrews says, “…the word of God
is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit joints and marrow; it judges
the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
To show you
how God uses the Sword of the Spirit, I share with you an experience
from college. One day as I was eating, a young man came to my
table and asked if he could sit down. I said yes and he sat across
from me. As he sat down he asked me point blank, “Are
you a Christian?” I was shocked somewhat and replied, “Well,
I’m a Lutheran.” From then on we didn’t talk because
he could tell I was shook up. He asked if he could drop by my room
some time and talk about being a Christian. I said, “Yes,”
but hoping he wouldn’t. I stayed away from my room as much as
possible to avoid him. I heard from other students on my floor
that he had come by several times to see me. I also saw him in the
library one time and hid behind a row of books. I never did see
him again but I didn’t need too. I had been cut to the core by
the Spirit of God. I began asking myself how sure I was about
being a Christian. And I began reading the Word of God every day
and my life was transformed and I came to know that I was a Christian.
You can’t
wage effective warfare in this life without a good knowledge of the Word
of God. Period!!!
Seventh,
you need the lance of prayer (6:18-20) “And
pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying
for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my
mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the
mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.
Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
There is a
supernatural weapon you possess as a Christian soldier – prayer.
I give it the symbol of a lance or spear. A lance or spear was
used by a soldier to conduct warfare from a distance. Either
poking or throwing the spear. It is the same with prayer. We
launch our prayers to God and He directs them with power to the target.
This spirit
of prayer will give you confidence as you engage in battle. Note
these things that you need to know about your prayer life.
-
You
must pray always. Communication with your God must be always
open. You must share your thoughts with Him so that He can
respond to the need.
-
You
must pray “in the Spirit.”
This means that the Holy Spirit within you must be energizing your
prayers.
-
You
must be sleepless in prayer. You must persevere in prayer.
-
You
must pray unselfishly. The outcome of any battle is determined
by all involved not just one. Pray for those who fight the
good fight with you.
-
You
must pray for leaders in particular. Pray for their decisions
and example because they often determine the outcome of a battle.
Pray for the Church leaders who teach and preach and administer
around the world. Pray that they have boldness to confront the
enemy.
In the
Lutheran Church we pride ourselves on our education of the Christian
soldier. From early years we provide training for our young people
in putting on the armor of God. We provide confirmation
instruction to help our Christian youth prepare for battle. We
offer adult education to keep our skills sharp.
So what has
gone wrong? Today we see few taking advantage of such training.
The world and the devil have acquired the high ground in our society and
have taken our youth away from the training they need to survive.
We ask why is our nation degenerating? Why are our kids slipping
into danger? Maybe the answer is because they have not been
trained with the skills of a Christian soldier. They have gone
into battle unprepared and they are losing battle after battle.
As a pastor
I see it at St. Mark’s. Many of our young people are not taking
their training seriously. They are not even here. These kids
are growing up in real danger. They are unprepared to stand up to
the attacks of the devil. And they may also lead others astray.
Are you
training your children in the arts of Christian warfare? Or are
you setting your children up for great disappointment in life?
All of us
need to take Christian training seriously. You need to continue to
train for the next battle you will have to fight. You need to
insist that your fellow soldiers train also for the good of the mission
of our Commander.
Heavenly
Father, You have called us from our baptism to be Christian soldiers
engaged in the mission of Jesus. We fall so short. We let so
many things of the world crowd in. What is wrong with us?
Open our eyes and minds to see the dangers in our complacency.
Stir up Your Spirit within us to train and prepare us for battle.
In
Jesus' name, Amen.
