Armor Bearers

For several years we have listed among our prayer requests those individuals and families involved in armed conflict around the world. Soldiers and civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other dangerous places are people we pray for on a regular basis. We pray for their families. We know that no matter what we hear on the news, there is real danger in many parts of the world.

Imagine a person who believes they are safe in Baghdad, Iraq or Kabul, Afghanistan because they wear the uniform of the United States and carry a weapon. “Surely no one can touch me. I carry a weapon, and I am a member of the strongest army in the history of the world. No one would dare mess with me.” I think we all agree that this person greatly underestimates the danger of the situation.

Right here, as followers of Jesus Christ in our own community, we cannot be so foolish. Our life is a battlefield. Immediately upon receiving Christ, we find ourselves in a constant struggle, an ongoing fight, a war. We are combatants, soldiers in conflict. We are members of the strongest army in the history of creation, we have won, the outcome is sure, but the battle is still on. I know that some of us are uncomfortable with the metaphor of the Christian life to the military, yet this is what the Apostle Paul offers us in our Epistle passage for today.

In our Scripture passage for this morning, Paul sounds a call to arms. It is a charge to all Christians. There is no other way to conquer the enemies who stand opposed to the believer, enemies who will do whatever they can, and use whatever weapons at their disposal, to defeat us.

This call is for the Christian who is willing to take hold of all that he or she is called to be, one who is willing to be strong in the Lord. This is not for those who are willing to backpedal through life. Many of us at times have chosen to live apologetically about our faith, and it is the reason for the appallingly weak witness and voice of God’s people in our society. On most social issues, Christians have backpedaled and given so much ground that almost all public policy is decided by those who have no faith perspective, no Christian world view. A wishy-washy, excuse-me-for-living, I’m-sorry-if-I-offended-you-by-believing-in-Jesus mediocrity is clear evidence of Christians who are not strong in the Lord.

The believer’s strength is not human strength; the believer’s strength is in the Lord. The supernatural strength of God, empowering the believer, gives us the heart to fight for the truth. Once the power of God is in our life and God’s heart is becoming our heart, we must then be armed with the full armor of God in order to wage war against the spiritual enemies of life.
Before we discuss the full armor of God, lets try to understand why this is so important. Once we fully give our hearts to God, we become the enemy of those spiritual forces which desire to destroy life and peace. The enemy will attempt to offer us anything which will divert our attention from spiritual things, will separate us from God’s plans, will slowly build a wall between us, other believers, and God. As Scripture makes clear, the enemy is not other people. Those who do not believe in Christ are not our enemy; nor are those who are believers but choose to express their faith in other ways. Our enemy is spiritual.

What are some of these offerings of the enemy? possessions, positions, power, people, lust, teachings that claim to be Christian but are not, and an emphasis on our own desires and needs are some current possibilities. The only answer is to put on the full armor of God.

Let’s spend a few minutes talking about the components of the armor. Please keep in mind that it is absolutely essential to put on every piece of armor. If even one element is left off, we are exposed to the deadly attacks of the enemy and may be wounded or even killed.

First is the belt of truth. What is it? The belt of truth is Christ himself. When we have a relationship with Jesus, the Truth of God becomes our truth. The belt of truth is the power to live a life of truthfulness and speak the truth in love. What does the belt of truth do? It keeps us from flapping about from one worldly activity to another. It keeps us consistent in the battles of life and not constantly shaken up when things seem to be in chaos. When you have the Truth you can identify that which is not true.

Second is the breastplate of righteousness. So many Christians lack this armor. What is it? The breastplate protects the heart. Our heart must be centered on Christ and the things of the Kingdom, and it must be protected. The breastplate of righteousness is righteous living. It is the only way to not be wounded by the temptations of life. We are not capable by ourselves to live righteously. Only the Holy Spirit within us can empower us to live this way. We need to protect our heart, so that we do not lose our first love. This is literally true for young people. Their heart must be protected.

Third are the sandals of the gospel. The sandals were a sign of readiness for battle. They were studded in order to make it possible to walk anywhere with sure-footed confidence. The sign of the Christian is a readiness to do whatever is necessary for the sake of the Kingdom. The sandals of the gospel indicate our readiness to share Christ anywhere, anytime.

Fourth is the shield of faith. This is the great, oblong shield used by warriors to protect the body from the fiery darts of the enemy. The darts of war in Paul’s time were dipped in combustible material and set afire. They hit like little incendiary bombs. Today, the fiery darts we face attempt to destroy our faith, by encouraging us:

• to question our salvation

• to question our call

• to question if we are truly loved by God

• to question whether we can withstand whatever circumstance we are facing at this moment

• to question if we can really serve God and other people

• to question whether our church can really reach the unsaved

• to doubt and question the essential teachings of the Bible and church

• to become discouraged, depressed, and defeated

• to burn with carnal passion and desire

• to give up on ourselves

• to believe the worst about others and ourselves

These darts come at us fast and furious, one after another. The only answer is the shield of faith, faith in God--a complete and perfect trust that God is greater than any of the attacks of the enemy. We can have a consciousness of God’s presence, which is so strong that God’s presence itself becomes our sword and shield.

Next is the helmet of salvation. The helmet covers the head and the mind of the soldier. Like a soldier, it is our thinking ability which is the most important factor in our ability to wage spiritual war. Our thoughts and minds must not only be protected, but also totally focused on the task at hand. That which protects our mind is the helmet of salvation. Unless we have been saved, our mind is at the mercy of the temptations of the mind. It is completely natural and normal for the unsaved to think about

• seeking more and more

• possessing more and more

• studying the opposite sex with desire

• focusing on the desire to feel and experience, to satisfy desires and passions

• to have and to hoard when others have little or nothing

The unsaved person sees nothing wrong with being his own person and doing his own thing. His mind and thoughts are all about extravagance, indulgence, hoarding, pleasure, self-centeredness, worldliness, immorality--and to the unsaved person, this is life. The enemy need not waste weapons of temptation on the unbeliever.

For us, whose minds are focused on the mission of Christ and sharing the Gospel, both abundant life and life eternal, the enemy attacks. If we do not make sure of the helmet of salvation, we can find ourselves overwhelmed with thoughts and temptations that distract us from the task to which we are called.

This way of thinking about faith, about what it means to be a follower of Christ and the dangers encountered when we follow Jesus, sounds strange to some folks. We’ve grown accustomed to a mediocre Christianity that doesn’t want to get too excited, doesn’t want to care too much, doesn’t want to be too different from the world. But I will tell you--with the helmet of salvation firmly on my head, I am a Jesus Freak! I desire to fully engage the world, to fit in to the extent that I can understand the needs and desires of those who are unsaved. But once you have the helmet of salvation, you recognize that you are different, and that’s OK. When the world is flying upside down, and you’re flying right side up, you are just going to be different!

Finally, the last piece of armor that we must have is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. The sword is both an offensive and defensive weapon. It is a weapon which we see Jesus himself use. It is the one weapon which assures our victory, if we know how to use it. Without living in the Word of God, we have no chance.

There is so much more I could say, but it is time for me to ask you some questions:

Do you have the whole armor of God? As I have been speaking this morning, has the Holy Spirit been helping you do a spiritual inventory? Are you missing anything? Do you have the belt of truth securely around you? Is the breastplate of righteousness firmly in place? Are your feet fitted with the readiness to share the Gospel of peace? Do you have the strong shield of faith ready to withstand the attacks of the enemy? Is your mind covered by the helmet of salvation? Are you confident in your ability to use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God? Friends, please make sure. If you are missing anything, you need immediate assistance. today! now! Here at this altar you can find it, but you will also need daily training, which brings me to my next question.

Do you have an armor bearer? Armor is heavy, and nearly impossible to put on by yourself. We need others to carry it for us, help us learn how to use it, and assist us in its maintenance. We all need armor bearers. Do you have someone who walks alongside you, checking your armor. Who makes sure you know the truth, who makes sure you are living a righteous life? Who makes sure your armor is firmly in place? When I listen to people who have been wounded by the enemy, almost without exception they have tried to go it alone. They have turned away from other believers and believed lies or succumbed to temptation. We all need someone to help us with our armor. Who is your armor bearer?

Let’s think for a few moments about how the “full armor of God” becomes a part of our lives. It begins with a moment of decision to do everything you can to be strong in the Lord. But wanting to is not enough. We need to put concrete, practical strategies into our lives. This is where we really need one another. We need to learn how to read and study and meditate on God’s Word on a regular basis. We need to learn how to pray. We need to learn how to share our triumphs and struggles with one another, to be honest and transparent. We need to learn how to celebrate the successes and grieve the pain of life together. Right now, there are people in our fellowship who are more mature in their faith who are ready to help you learn how to do these things.

My third question is this: Are you an armor bearer? Those of you who are experienced in the spiritual battles of life, now is the time and this is the place to come alongside less-experienced believers. You must become an armor bearer for others. Now is not the time to relive past victories or mourn past losses. Now is not the time to question strategy or tactics. Now is the time to step up and say, “Let me walk alongside you. I know what you are facing. I’ve been there. Let me be your armor bearer.” We all need armor bearers, and we all need to be armor bearers for someone else. Our children need armor bearers. Our teens need armor bearers. Our young families need armor bearers. Our single parents need armor bearers. Our empty nesters need armor bearers. Our seniors need armor bearers. Maybe you do not know what someone is going through, because you have never been there before. Maybe they are preparing to die. You do not know what it is like, but you have the courage to walk alongside them. You can be an armor bearer.

This is an important message for you and for our church. We are preparing to enter serious days in the life of our church. We are preparing to go where the enemy does not want us to go. The enemy does not want the message of salvation and holiness to be spread. The enemy does not want us to believe it or live it, but if we must, the enemy certainly does not want us to be used by God to spread it. This is serious. We are going to be attacked. Our children are going to be attacked, our families attacked. Our self-esteem attacked, our way of life attacked. If we choose to keep to ourselves, and choose to allow our church to be just a safe Christian club for nice people who want to hang out with other nice people, then there is no reason to worry. You can relax. We will not be attacked--and the kingdom of God will not be advanced. If we are going to do the will of God, be filled with the Holy Spirit and aggressively reach out in love to the unsaved, hurting, hungry, and dying in our community, well--that’s different. Every one of us will be attacked.

Each one of us needs the full armor of God. today. now. Do you have it? If not, you can.

	Pentecost Sunday May 31, 2009
	Trinity Sunday June 7, 2009
	June 14, 2009
	June 21, 2009
	June 28, 2009
	July 5, 2009
	July 12, 2009
	July 19, 2009
	July 26, 2009
	August 2, 2009
	August 9, 2009
	August 16, 2009
	August 23, 2009
	August 30, 2009
	September 6, 2009
	September 13, 2009
	September 20, 2009
	September 27, 2009
	October 4, 2009
	October 11, 2009
	October 18, 2009
	October 25, 2009
	November 1, 2009
	November 8, 2009
	November 15, 2009
	November 22, 2009