Putting on the Equipment Ephesians 6:13-15 Part 1

Transcription

1 1 Putting on the Equipment Ephesians 6:13-15 Part 1 It was just before Christmas nearly a decade ago. U.S. troops were ramping up their military offensive against Iraqi forces in the pursuit of WMDs. American forces were searching for Saddam Hussein. And at Camp Buehring in Kuwait, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had just landed to give a pep talk and to encourage the troops being deployed. Little is remembered about what the Secretary said, but many still remember a single question from a young soldier. It was Army Specialist Thomas Wilson of the 278 th Regimental Combat Team who blindsided Secretary Rumsfeld and set off a media firestorm. The Army Specialist asked, Why do we soldiers have to dig through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to up-armor our vehicles? Specialist Wilson felt he was being sent into battle without proper protection. Meanwhile Secretary Rumsfeld hemmed and hawed because he really had no response. As Christians we face various battles everyday. Some days we can face intense spiritual warfare. But unlike Specialist Wilson, we need never enter the battle thinking that we may lack essential, well-designed defensive armor. We have exactly what we need. Christ the Captain of our Salvation, the one who has enlisted us in his service, equips us with just what we need to stand strong and to withstand the enemy s attacks. It s our job to daily put this equipment on and to put this equipment to good use. This is what Paul is telling us in today s Scripture text as we continue our Sunday worship series in Ephesians 6 with the theme Freedom Fighters. Paul doesn t want us to be unarmed or unaware. While many of our daily challenges appear fairly simple and straightforward, some problems can pose unexpected complexity or perplexing issues that never seem fully resolved. Often at the root of these deeper, ongoing issues are spiritual battles. The only way to overcome, persevere and find victory is when we avail ourselves of this Godgiven spiritual armor. Of course, this kind of talk sounds utterly foolish to unbelievers. It may even sound over-the-top to some who profess to believe the Bible and to follow Christ. Most people dismiss a spiritual force who is the mastermind behind all evil in our world evils such as war, terrorism, genocide, murder, rape, corruption at the highest levels. Most people deny that there is a prince of the power of the air, a god of this world, a father of lies, a slanderer and accuser, a murderer from the beginning even though Jesus Christ and the Bible refers to such a being. All this talk about spiritual warfare, for many, is irrelevant and immaterial. Those who are blinded to spiritual reality commonly think that way. Such folks argue that we must be practical and realistic! If the problem is war, we need stronger international organizations and peace-keeping forces. If the problem is crime, we need more police, more prevention. If the problem is teen pregnancy, we need more education and greater access to clinics and Planned Parenthood. If the problem is an enslaving habit, we may need a therapist or support group. Some of these things may be good. In some cases they may be helpful. But they re not enough. If we think expanding government programs will solve our deepest problems, we re fooling ourselves. Or, rather, Satan is fooling us. As we noted last Sunday, we face a powerful adversary. The only way to win is

2 2 with powerful spiritual weapons. When our Lord called Paul to preach the Good News, he said, I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Acts 26:17-18). To open our eyes, to turn us from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God to find forgiveness and faith there isn t a more urgent or practical message for us to hear and heed! The Bible tells us, The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil s work (1 John 3:8b). Are we dedicated to Jesus mission? He is the only person Satan fears because Jesus has come to destroy him and his evil. That s why we must, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devils schemes (Ephesians 6:10-11). This morning and next Sunday, the Lord willing, we re going to focus on the effective use of this spiritual equipment. We don t need to forage for spiritual scrap to armor-up our lives. No, God provides us with all the spiritual armor we need everyday. There s no shortage. There s no sequestration. There are no cut-backs when it comes to spiritual armor. God gives us a panoplia which literally means a complete set of armor. He does this because He knows that we need each piece. Follow along on your back-page bulletin outline, if you wish. Here s a first truth to note. In order to stand strong, I need to put on my God-given equipment 1. In order to stand strong, I need to put on my God-given equipment Let s read aloud together the first verse of our Scripture text: Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Ephesians 6:13). Let s think about this 13 th verse. We must put on this equipment, forged and furnished by God for two reasons. First, we put on the armor in order to face the day of evil. This refers to those days and seasons of severest trial and testing and trouble that comes into everyone s lives. Because Satan is so evil, he and his demons will kick us when we re down. Satan will do his worst to hurt us when our back s against the wall, when we re sad or mad, in a bad way on a bad day. If we re not wearing the spiritual armor, his crushing blows can multiply our pain and suffering. Of course, we don t know when times of testing, trial or trouble may come. So we need to be ready at all times. We must daily put on the armor that God provides so we endure the spiritual warfare. Second, we put on the armor in order to be able to stand our ground. Dr. William Hendriksen notes, The standing of which Paul speaks is not that of a brick wall that is waiting passively, as it were, for the assault of the battering ram. The idea conveyed in verse 13 is that of soldiers who are both defending themselves and attacking. Only when they make full use of God s armor will they be able to stand their ground, that is, to withstand the foe, stand up against him, repulse his onrush and even gain ground. It s often been said that the best defense is a good offense. And the best offense is a good defense. Good defense and offense even better than what the Steelers or Eagles feature is what Paul s 30 years of ministry were all about.

3 3 That s also what our annual autumn world mission emphasis and offering is all about. That s what our American Baptist international missionaries such as Dr. Bill and Ann Clemmer, serving in medical missions in Juba, South Sudan, as well as each of international missionaries are all about. It s good defense by standing strong against evil. It s also good offense by invading the adversary s territory. It s bringing the love and light of Christ into communities and families and seeing lives changed by the transforming power of God. We are partners in this important work as we pray, give and serve on behalf of world missions and the World Mission Offering. Let s be honest. By ourselves we re vulnerable to the enemy s attack. Without this God-given equipment, we cannot stand, much less stand strong. But as we put on the spiritual armor which God provides, we re able to stand and withstand the adversary s attacks. Then there is a second truth to note about the first piece of this spiritual armor: In order to stand strong, I need embrace God s truth in my life. 2. In order to stand strong, I need to embrace God s truth Let s read aloud the first part of the next verse in our text: Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist (Ephesians 6:14a). In the ancient near east, persons commonly wore flowing garments. These needed to be girded with a belt before any real work could be done, or before one could engage in battle. In other words, a belt was basic, essential equipment. The metaphor has nothing to do with fashion, something to do with function, but everything to do with faith. In terms of function, a belt held everything together for the Roman soldier. It was made of leather, used to gather garments and to hold one s sword. In terms of faith, our adversary, the father of lies, wants us to try to go into each day s battle without wearing the belt of truth. In his book, Distorted Truth, Dr. Rich Mouw explains why. The Devil doesn t want us to obey God. Outside of that, though, he s pretty open-minded. Anything goes. Satan is flexible. That s a crucial point to keep in mind. The sinful life comes with a lot of options built into it. Sin is giving our basic trust to something other than God. Sin is also denying the truth of God s Word. But by putting on the belt of truth, our task is to embrace and apply the truths of God s Word to our lives. God s truth then informs our thoughts, directs our feelings and guides our actions. That s why one of our purposes as a church family is, quite simply, to teach truth. Dr. James Boice puts it this way: In Christianity truth comes first then action follows. Without truth, without the doctrines, without the knowledge of who God is, who we are, what we have become in Christ, and what we have been called to do (precisely the kinds of things Paul has been teaching in the earlier chapters of Ephesians) without this we really do not know what kind of activity in which to engage, and we will be vulnerable to Satan s onslaughts and wiles. This leads us to a third truth to draw from our text: In order to stand strong, I need realize God s righteousness anew. 3. In order to stand strong, I need to realize God s righteousness anew Let s read aloud the complete 14 th verse: Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place (Ephesians 6:14). How often Satan attacks our hearts, our emotional wellbeing, our sense of self-

4 worth! Dr. Warren Weirsbe notes that God's righteousness is the breastplate that protects our hearts and ensures his approval. He approves of us because he loves us and sent his Son to die for us. The breastplate of righteousness is another piece of essential equipment which we must daily wear in order to succeed in spiritual warfare. Roman soldiers in Paul s day depended on this armor made of metal plates or chains, because it covered the body from the neck to the waist, both front and back. There are two important facts which this piece of armor symbolizes. First, it reminds us of our righteousness in Christ. In brief, Jesus took our sin upon himself on Calvary s cross. He endured the punishment that we deserve for our sins, which is death and separation from God. By his crucifixion he paid the penalty for our sins and by his resurrection he offers us a gift we can never earn nor deserve new life by God s grace and our faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. Referring to the Captain of our salvation, Paul writes, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we confess our sin, believe and receive Christ as Savior, allow him to be Lord and Leader of our lives, by a marvelous exchange, our sin for his salvation, God reconciles us to Himself and declares us righteous because of what His Son has done on our behalf. Our standing as new persons in Christ, as forgiven and freed from the power of sin and death, is all from God and by God s grace. He clothes us with the righteousness of his Son and He sees us as His beloved children, fully accepted, embraced by the Father and Son. So, on one hand the righteousness of Christ is given to us imputed to us by God s grace and received by faith. When we realize our standing as new people in Christ, we know that we have peace with God and the peace of God in our lives which enables us to stand strong against this evil adversary. Secondly, this piece of armor reminds us that if we are declared righteous by God s grace through faith in His Son, we ll want to live up to our new standing. As deeply loved adopted sons and daughters, we re not grasping for some uncertain salvation. We re grateful for an assured salvation. We live by grace through faith, and with God s Spirit filling our lives daily, we seek to live godly, Christ-honoring lives. We put on the breastplate of righteousness because it reminds us who we are and whose we are. But it also protects us from the adversary s attacks. Satan is forever the accuser, but he can t accuse us if we re living godly lives in the power of the Holy Spirit. Then there is a fourth and final truth we note from our text this morning: In order to stand strong, I need to share God s peace with others and work for the things that make for peace. 4. In order to stand strong, I need to share God s peace Let s read aloud together the final verse of this morning s Scripture text. Paul calls us to stand firm with the belt of truth buckled, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). This third piece of equipment is not armor, per se. But it s arguably one of the most important factors for an advancing army and that is to have strong sandals for traveling and engaging in battle. We are told that Roman soldiers wore sandals with hobnails in the soles to give them better footing. If we re to stand and withstand, we 4

5 5 need to be equipped not only with the right soles, but with a heightened concern for souls! In this 15 th verse, while some debate which of the terms readiness, gospel or peace is most central, it seems clear that the biblical directive is to make the Good News known to others. We have the truth of God s Word. We have the assurance of God s righteousness by faith in His Son. The question is: As we go from place to place, are we ready and willing to share the Good News? The adversary, of course, wants to discourage our faith sharing efforts. He wants us to think it s a hopeless and worthless endeavor. The task is too great. The likelihood of success is too little. Those are the adversary s lies. God, on the other hand, calls us to share the Good News of who His Son is and what He s done for you and me. God calls us to share the Good News of His reconciling peace with those we remain trapped by the enemy, enslaved by sin and are living without God and without eternal hope. Are you equipped to do that? Do you know how to tell others about the Savior? The Bible tells us, But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). During the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese soldiers were strictly ordered to avoid surrender at all cost. Their Communist leaders told them that if they surrendered to the Americans, they would be tortured, beaten and starved to death. Yet when many of these North Vietnamese were captured and taken to POW camps, they reported being treated better by the Americans then by their own comrades. After the war, many of these former prisoners elected to come to the United States and during the past 40 years, many have become U.S. citizens living in this great land of freedom. For them, to surrender was the best thing that they ever did. It s much the same way when we surrender and submit to Christ, following Him as our true Lord and Leader. In the spiritual warfare we face day-by-day, Satan is the one who always seeks to deceive and delude us. He tries to make us doubt and deny the grace and goodness of Christ. Satan does everything he can to keep us from surrendering to the Lord. But when we surrender and submit to Christ, we discover a greater joy and peace than we ve ever known. We discover the freedom and abundant life God desires to give us. We ll hear and heed this biblical teaching: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7). As freedom fighters for Christ, one way that we can resist the adversary is by daily putting on the special equipment the spiritual armor God has provided: The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the sandals of God s peace. Don t leave home without it! Let s pray.

6 6 Putting on the Equipment Ephesians 6:13-15 Part 1 1. In order to stand strong, I need to put on my God-given equipment Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Ephesians 6:13). 2. In order to stand strong, I need to embrace God s truth Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist (Ephesians 6:14a). 3. In order to stand strong, I need to realize God s righteousness anew Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place (Ephesians 6:14). God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). 4. In order to stand strong, I need to share God s peace...and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).