Rise To Arms Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 Ephesians 6:10-20 Mark 7:14-23 Pentecost 15 Finally [Paul says], be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. To the saints who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Bridge The devil is no joke. The author, C.S. Lewis, wrote his Screwtape Letters as a fictitious strategy session for a pair from the demonic forces, but he shuttered as he wrote. There is nothing humorous or quaint or cute about the deadly-serious nature of Satan s war on you and me who have been redeemed by Jesus blood and adopted into that by baptism. How Lewis describes the devil s, then, specific desire for God s people is He wants our souls, especially, to serve as his food for all eternity. Satan wants (and I think, quite literally) to consume our flesh and soul for all time and do-so without ever consuming us entirely (so that we will be, for him, eternal food). He wants us barely alive yet still alive, so that what s left of our life can be nourishment for his death. And he works upon this earth from a level much higher than from the surface (but he s very much working upon its surface). He (with his minions) yet still (until this world is brought to an end) are effective rulers as authorities over darkness, spiritual forces of evil here but with beyond-this-world capabilities ( heavenly beings / cosmic powers. In other words, we can t (by ourselves) withstand the assaults of their evil which are relentless assaults. I was reading of the fight in humanity as a relentless
Japanese World War II soldier (alone) fought-on (not quitting the War) until 1974. Hiroo Onoda, not believing that his country had surrendered in 1945, along with (initially) three others, continued their assignment of trying to hold onto one of the Philippine islands from a hide-out in the mountains. Regular guerilla attacks finally reduced his group to just him as police and, even, fishermen took the others out. Onoda maintained, and held his ground, having still (at the end) his sword, rifle, 500 rounds of remaining ammunition, and several hand grenades yet, until the day that the government flew in his previous commanding officer (then a book-seller) up that mountain to him and, formally, relieve him of duty 29 years late. Satan (and his vast army) will never consider themselves relieved of duty; just quarantined at the end of time, yet unrestrained in Hell to rule over that kingdom (the devil s own of the damned) to exist, again, on the flesh and souls of humans who were unrepentantly negligent or rebellious ultimately toward God. Satan will, then, have each of them, without the fetters of God s involvement (to protect them in any way) and that will be from Judgment Day on to forevermore. Text It s Satan who tries to especially regain God s adopted children into the courts of his massive domain, and I say regain because, since our baptism, we are not his to have unless we return to him (so an especially-good catch for him) so, we fight to keep that from happening. It s THAT FIGHT into which Paul has led us in Ephesians. He s prepared us well, calling us taken from the devil s camp by God who d predestined us, instead, for Heaven and told us of God s work to make that happen for us by grace through faith, with no reason for our boasting, yet for a purpose of giving Him glory and providing Light to the world that (no matter how that world might look) is so darkened by the devil s evil that it needs God s light (from us).
Paul (using the word) finally to introduce his close, issued the call to action that he d been leading to a Rise To Arms. More than, just, expecting us to have a defensive posture (yet that, too), he suggest that God s expects us to be offensive and militant (a sword is to be engaged, which is God s Word). The days are evil (he said) so make the best us of the time do not be foolish : Rise! To Arms! We, just, sang about that. Hear the words: Rise! To Arms! O Christians, lest the foe destroy you; for Satan has designed our fall. Wield God s Word, the weapon glorious; against all foes be thus victorious, for God protects you from them all. Fear not (after, of course, being appropriately concerned about the activity of the hordes of hell ), here is Emmanuel. Hail the Savior! The strong foes yield to Christ, our shield. And we, the victors, hold the field. Our day-to-day: Cast afar this world s vain pleasure and boldly strive for heavenly treasure. Be steadfast in the Savior s might. Trust the Lord, who stands beside you, for Jesus from all harm will hide you. By faith you conquer in the fight. Take courage, weary soul! Look forward to the goal! Joy awaits you. The race well run, your long war won, your crown shines splendid as the sun. In urgency: Wisely fight, for time is fleeting; the hours of grace are fast retreating; short, short is this our earthly way. When the Lord the dead will waken and sinners all by fear are shaken, the saints with joy will greet that day. Praise God, our triumph s sure. We need not long endure scorn and trial. Our Savior King His own will bring to that great glory which we sing. I skipped over a few words from that hymn: with prayer employ you I left for now because we need to discuss what the hymn-writer meant by employing prayer as weapon according to how Ephesians built us to this. For five and a half chapters Paul s told us to adorn
ourselves, or put on, or take up, or fasten on the entire content of our relational identity in Christ. Prayer is, simply, the active relating (or interaction and dialogue) done relating in-relationship to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit under whom (and into whom) we ve been adopted by baptism. In that we ve been entwined to what defeated the devil and his demons in the death and resurrection of Jesus (the Gospel), us baptized into that, His death, buried therefore with Him by baptism in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life for (as Paul continues) if we have been (through baptism) united with Jesus into a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. And Jesus IS RISEN and He is (as Scripture says) the Firstfruit of all who also rise with Him and live through Him. Application Paul calls our active relating to the death and resurrection of Jesus (our baptism into-itall and our relating to that through His Word) adorning the weaponry and armor of God, employing the prayer of an in-dialogue relationship with the Lord God, very aware of dangers without that so not naïve or complacent / lazy, settled and, maybe then, vulnerable. Ephesus seemed to be very American in that (I think). I looked back on Jesus comments to these people forty years later as John records (Revelation 2) what the had to say to these same ones who Paul had addressed in this letter that we ve spent so much time in. He called them (in essence) complacent and lazy, having largely forgotten who God had made them to be / not remembering to adorn their (what he called) first love in the Gospel to counter all that the devil wanted of them. Jesus said then that, if they didn t return to the dynamic dialogue with God that He d joined them to, they d jeopardize their relationship with He and His Father and Jesus might remove them from the ranks of His Church no longer quite as in opposition to the devil as He d made them to be.
American Christianity stands (I think) at that same cross-roads. Satan s got us not (so much) noticing his warfare upon us, working through the sleepiness of seemingly good times and the comforts and busyness of our days, making us dangerously self-satisfied and, ourselves, complacent / lazy toward the cause of eternity. Paul Harvey (who many of you remember) wrote of this, addressing America in 1965 in his radio speech, If I Were the Devil. Hear what s all-the-more relevant now: If I were the devil, with flattery and promises of power I would get the courts to vote against God and in favor of things pornographic, thus I would evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, then from the Houses of Congress. Then in God s own churches I d substitute psychology for Scripture and deify humanity and the sciences. I d subvert the churches with a campaign, first, of whispers, do as you please / have what you want. To the young, I d encourage the thought that the Bible is a myth and boring I d convince them that man created God rather than the other way around. I d convince then that what s bad is good and what is good is not cool or fun. If I were Satan I d make the symbol of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a party bottle. If I were Satan I d just keep on doing what I m doing. According to a poll of American Christians, 98% of us believe in God (and how shocking it is that the other 2% still consider themselves Christians). But of that same sampling, only 41% believe in Satan. Satan s already won more than half of the battle. To this Paul gave this directive to parents (and I ll leave you, in the Holy Spirit, with it from the beginning of Ephesians 6): bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Rise! To Arms! In +Jesus name. Amen.