SUIT UP --- PREPARING FOR BATTLE – PART 2
Last Lord’s Day, we looked at Ephesians 6, where Paul describes the Armor we, as Christians, need to win the battles of life.
We looked at the Belt of Truth and the Breastplate of Righteousness.
Today we will continue Suiting Up for battle.
READ Ephesians 6:13-18
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of GodWith all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
To properly prepare ourselves for the battles of life – in particular, those battles Satan brings against us – we must be equipped to do so.
Paul urges us to equip ourselves with God’s armor.
We talked last week about the belt of truth. That belt of truth is more than just a strap of leather. It served more of a purpose than to hold up a soldier’s pants.
Soldier’s belts were a vital piece of protection as we learned – the belt held the breastplate in place. They were foundational, which simply means they were a part of the base of all the other pieces of armor.
We are told that without girding ourselves with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the Gospel of peace, and taking up the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation – without all of those pieces of armor – we will not be able to stand against the enemy. In fact, we will fail and suffer defeat.
So, now let’s look at having our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace.
The Roman soldiers of that day wore sandals with hobnails or cleats on the bottom to keep them firm-footed in battle. This allowed them to dig in and hold their ground.
As we consider our Christian walk, we need that firm footedness as well.
When our connection with God is strong and firm, we are not apt to be wishy-washy in our relationship and devotion to God. Our moods or the taunting of others will not sway us in our devotion to Him.
In that time, we know we have a firm foundation to continue to build our life upon.
The shoes—the Gospel of Peace—also give soldiers—and us—mobility so we can move forward on the battlefield. All that Paul speaks of here is preparation for battle. Preparation is also known as readiness, the idea of being ready and willing to move at a moment’s notice.
As soldiers in an army commanded by Jesus Christ, we are to be on duty at all times. We are to be alert, ready, and looking for opportunities to share the Gospel.
Many opportunities – or open doors – to share the Gospel come to us when we are not expecting them to. That is why we must be ready to share the Gospel – ready for the opportunity.
And those opportunities, of course, didn’t just happen. They are most often orchestrated by God – by the Holy Spirit.
And, you know, He works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, yes, even on Sunday.
He works when you are doing whatever it is you need to do. Maybe you are pumping gas at Thornton’s. Maybe you are in the long check-out line at Schnuck’s. He works in the schools, the hospitals, in the shop or the factory.
Those are opportunities we often have when we can plant a seed.
Of course, you may not be able to stick around and watch the seed grow. But the seed is planted. God will see that the seed gets planted and begins to grow.
In situations like the one I just described, most of them are not where you will present the Gospel—hear, believe, confess, be baptized, and continue in Christ. But, of course, if the opportunity is there, follow through with teaching the way of salvation.
Well. That is the shoes shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Preach.
Now, we come to the Shield of Faith.
Paul says (vs. 16) that with the Shield of Faith, we are able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
This shield is vitally important. In some versions, the Scripture (vs. 16) reads: “Above all, take up the shield of faith”.
I believe he says it that way because none of the other pieces of armor will be effective without faith.
Paul says, in Romans 1:17
“…..the righteous shall live by faith.”
You will notice that when Paul begins to talk about the Shield of Faith he says, “above all.” That simply means that faith is of significant importance.
In other words, the other pieces of armor, as vital and as important as they are, will not work without faith. Hear what the writer of Hebrews says about faith:
“Without faith, “it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
The shield is a defensive piece of armor that deflects the fiery darts or flaming arrows that soldiers use in battle.
When the Roman army was fighting off an enemy they would fire flaming arrows at the enemy. The strategy was to fire thousands of these flaming arrows at their enemy.
Their aim was to confuse and demoralize the enemy. The Roman army, though, would put up their shields to deflect the arrows and protect themselves.
You may remember last week when we looked at the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate the soldiers wore protected the core of the body—the vital organs.
They were made of either steel or thick, heavy leather.
The same is true of the shields the soldiers carried. They weren’t made of thin, flimsy
materials. They were likely, much like the breastplate, very well padded.
In the same way, Satan has arrows that he uses to fire at us. These arrows are swift and silent.
There is no advanced warning. They come when we least expect them, but usually when we are at our weakest moments.
The arrow may come to you as an impure thought – a thought of hatred or a thought of fear.
That is when the devil creeps into your head. First, he fires the flaming arrow, and then he condemns you for having that thought in your head.
This is an attack of the enemy of all enemies.
We all have times when we feel less than great or less spiritually strong.
It is at those times that we must take God at His Word, and apply the shield of faith, and believe and know that it is our protection.
Do you know what Satan’s prime intention is? Always? It is to try to get you to doubt God.
The first time we learn about Satan back in Genesis in the Garden.
What did he say to Eve?
Genesis 3:1-4:
“’ Did God really say what you thought He said? Has God said that you shall not eat of every tree in the garden? “
“God knows in the day that you eat thereof you will be as gods, knowing good and evil. God is not on the level with you, Eve. “
“He is holding something back from you.” “ Doubt Him!”
That is a flaming arrow.
When that flaming arrow comes to us, we must return to faith and to what God has said in His promises to us.
As long as we have that shield of faith, believing God is supreme, our shield of faith is before us.
When we give in to Satan’s temptations and lies, the shield of faith falls to the ground before us – useless and powerless.
John tells us in 1 John 5:4 –
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”
Song – Faith Is The Victory - that overcomes the world.
“Encamped along the hills of light, Ye Christian soldiers rise; And press the battle ere the night shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foes in vales below Let all our strength be hurled.
Faith is the victory, we know, that overcomes the world.”
The shield of faith is not only a weapon to be used by one soldier, but when a military unit marches forward toward the enemy in a solid line, their swords are held in such a way that they become a solid wall of protection as they march toward the enemy.
As we gather here for worship, we have a solid line of protection. When we band together, we are stronger.
That line of protection is strongest when we allow God to use us in His service.
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