DAY EIGHTY-THREE: 

The Armor of God 

Ephesians 6:10-20 

Jesus taught in parables, word pictures using things from everyday life, to teach the truths of God. The old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words," is true. Paul also used illustrations from life to teach spiritual truths. In today's reading he uses the armament of the Roman soldier to teach us how to fight against the devil.

Paul begins this passage with the word "finally." My homiletics (preaching) instructor in seminary told us never to use that word in a sermon. When people hear it they turn their attention away from the sermon toward what comes next. He also said that if we do use it, make sure finally really means finally! As you can see Paul didn't study under my professor! Furthermore, he often uses the word and then goes on for two or three more chapters. But in this case he is wrapping up the book. This "finally" comes after teaching us about our identity in Christ and our relationships with one another in relation to who we are in Christ. 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might." Paul uses two words for strength. The first is endunamoo, which means to be filled with strength. You can see the root for our words dynamo and dynamite. This is power that comes from Christ that is part of our birthright as believers. The second is kratos which means strength and authority to rule (you can see the a root that we use in words like bureaucrat or autocrat. This is God's authority to rule, which He shares with us. We will reign with Him one day, and even now we exercise His authority, as we'll see below.

We need to suit up, Paul said, in the whole armor of God. Soldiers don't go into battle without the proper equipment. The picture above is of an American soldier in full combat gear. Everything together weighs between 70 and 80 pounds! All of this is well and good, if you're fighting a war. But as I look out my office window now, I don't see any signs of a battle. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and all is well with the world. Nothing to worry about here.

Wrong! "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." We're in the midst of the war of the ages, a war that began before the foundation of the earth. We face an unseen enemy who works behind the scenes to harass us and keep us from advancing God's Kingdom. We read in Daniel 10 how Daniel fasted and prayed for three weeks to understand a vision God had given him. Finally an angel showed up with the answer, but listen to what the angel told Daniel: "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come." (Daniel 10:12-14) The prince of Persia is not King Cyrus, who sat on the throne, but rather a demon in charge of Satan's work in Persia. This prince of Persia prevented the angel from reaching Daniel, and he required the help of Michael,  a high-ranking angel, to come and help him. Daniel didn't see this war, but it was very, very real nonetheless. Is there a "prince of Sebring?" who opposes our efforts to win others for Christ?  I think it's quite likely. Does spiritual warfare go on all around us? I'm certain of it. Paul wrote, "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm." Let's look at the pieces of this armor: Stand therefore,

• "having fastened on the belt of truth"- the belt here is not to hold your pants up, but is actually a type of armor that protects the hips and abdomen, and especially the vulnerable groin area. This belt goes on first because the rest of the armor attaches to it. This belt is truth. This truth is God's revelation of Himself to us which enables us to discern truth from falsehood. Psalm 51:6 says, "Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart." Jesus prayed for His disciples in John 17:17, "Sanctify them in the truth;your word is truth." Let the truth of God's Word protect you from the devil's attempts to deceive you. Read the Bible daily and internalize its truths.
• "and having put on the breastplate of righteousness"- The soldier's breastplate covered his heart and protected it from swords, spears and arrows. Our heart is just that fist-sized organ pumping blood through your body. It's a metaphor who who we are at the very core of our beings. It is at this deep level that Satan loves to attack us. He tries to remind us of our sins and weaknesses so that we will dwell on them rather than on the things of God. But remember the great trade that Jesus made with us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Jesus took our sins and gave us His righteousness in their place! Therefore you and I are the very righteousness of God. I heard a preacher say once that we should start every day by repeating "I am the righteousness of God in Christ." That's a reminder of who we really are.
• "and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace"- Our shoes protect our feet from things like broken glass, sharp stones, bees and hot pavement. This part of the armor of God enables us to walk for God. Jesus said in Luke 10:19, "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you." These shoes enable us to share the gospel (good news) of peace in this strife-torn world. These shoes enable us to be heralds of peace. Isaiah 52:7 says, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation,
  who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'" The devil can't stop us from carrying the wonderful message of peace with God through Christ unless we let him.
• "In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one"- The shields the Romans used were large and rectangular. They could interlock with other soldiers' shield and serve as a strong barrier. These shields were made of wood and metal covered with leather. The soldiers would soak the leather in water, which would put out any flaming arrows that hit them. Our shield is made of faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Abraham left all he had to follow God to a new land, and God protected him. David faced Goliath without a shield or armor, but the Lord protected him and gave the giant into his hands. Our faith is our protection and it enables us to move forward even when it appears that all is lost.
• "and take the helmet of salvation"- A helmet protects our heads. I wear one when I ride my bike. Motorcyclists wear them (or at least should wear them). And soldiers rely on them to protect their heads. Our helmet is made out of salvation. There are a lot of forces in our world that seek to shape our thinking. Colossians 2:8 says, "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ." The education we receive, the music we listen to, the books we read, the TV shows we watch, all try to shape us in some way or another. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." The Holy Spirit will renew our minds and help us to think clearly.
• "and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"- Up to now all of the armor has been protective. The sword is an offensive weapon, used to attack the enemy. Our sword is the Word of God, the Bible. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Emile Caillet, a professor at Princeton Seminary discovered that the Bible is "the book that understands me." The Word of God pierces through our defenses and speaks directly to our hearts. Jesus defeated Satan with Scripture, and so can we. Read the Bible, memorize it, internalize it. And then use it!

Paul concludes, "...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." It's impossible to overstate how important prayer is! Prayer activates the armor and makes it work. Prayer accomplishes amazing things, many of which we may never know until we get to heaven.

Iron Man has captured my imagination since childhood. I read the comics and watched the animated versions. And of course I've seen all the movies. You can find the Gospel message hidden in many movies and TV shows (I heard that the Gospel According to Mayberry, which uses clips from the Andy Griffith Show, was a hit with one of the Sunday School classes). This clip from Iron Man, narrated  with the words of our passage today, reinforces what we've learned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RwiXHRZoF0