“Soldiers of Christ”
(Ephesians 6:10-20)
Whenever our nation has had a military draft, there have
always been “conscientious objectors”…those who objected to serving in the
military for political, philosophical, or religious reasons. During the Vietnam War, there seemed to be
more, perhaps because of the controversial nature of the war. Some refused to
serve in the armed forces. Some were
jailed. Others fled to Canada or elsewhere.
They wanted nothing to do with fighting in Vietnam.
When you and I became a Christian, we became engaged in a
war. In the waters of Holy Baptism, we
are made to be at peace with the Holy Trinity.
We’re on his side now. But that
also means we are thrust into battle with everything that is opposed to
God. We are now at war with the “unholy
trinity” of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh.
Today’s Epistle lesson teaches us that we are “Soldiers
of Christ.” As soldiers of Christ, it’s
important to 1) remember the seriousness of the battle, 2) use the armor that God
has provided, and 3) keep in touch with “headquarters” during the fight.
No good soldier takes his opponent lightly. He must always be aware of the seriousness of
the battle. Even the strongest, most
well-armed soldier can be taken out by a lesser opponent if he lets his guard
down. Likewise, as Christians, it’s
important for you and I to know the seriousness of our battle. We forget we are at war. We become apathetic and complacent.
It’s also important to know the nature of our enemy so we
may fight with proper tactics and weapons.
Our text says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.” But what meets the eye are those “flesh and
blood” enemies, those people that cause grief.
Our first instinct is usually to fight back, take revenge, defend
ourselves and our reputations. However,
about these enemies Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you” (Matt. 5:44).
St. Paul continues in our text, “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” (Eph. 6:12). Flesh and blood adversaries are not our real
enemies. Our real adversaries are evil
spiritual forces. They’re not as easy to
spot as flesh and blood enemies. They
are fighting us in a spiritual “guerilla warfare.” They are sneaky, undercover, and
dangerous. They tempt others to sin
against us. They tempt our own sinful
flesh. Therefore, we need to be alert
and watchful. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be
sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).
In
this day and age, the danger is that we do not take the devil seriously. He’s not the guy with red horns and a
pitchfork. Instead, he “disguises
himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14).
I imagine if he would appear to us today, he would appear as a
sharp-looking, smooth-talking, very likeable salesman (or perhaps a pastor!),
doing a convincing job of selling his product to us.
The
devil and his demons are real. They must
be taken seriously. And we must never
let our guard down, thinking that we will never fall to their assaults. Think of what Satan did to Adam and Eve, to
King Saul, to King David, to Judas, even to Peter … to so many others who
started out strong yet fell in battle.
Never say, “It won’t happen to me.”
Remember St. Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10: “Therefore let anyone who
thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).
Thankfully,
God has provided us with “armor” so that we can stand up against the wiles of
the enemy in battle. Our reading today
tells us, “Finally, 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” (Eph. 6:10-11).
Our
sinful flesh constantly tempts us to think that we can stand by using our own
armor, our own strength, our own resources, our own abilities. We ignore the armor that God has
provided. Without the strength of the
Lord, however, we would not be able to stand up. If we reach down inside of us to find
strength for these spiritual battles, we will only find weakness, as Jesus
said, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual
immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality,
envy, slander, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:21-22).
Don’t
use your own armor. It has too many
chinks in it. Like Achilles from Greek
mythology, whose only weak spot was his heel, and who was killed by a poisoned
arrow aimed there, Satan knows where our “Achilles’ heel” is. He knows our weakest spots. He finds our pet inclinations, the desires
that we struggle with the most. He attacks
us there and most often is quite successful.
Therefore,
we must not use our own armor. We must
wear God’s armor. It has no weak spots, no
“Achilles’ Heel.” God’s armor will guard
all of the chinks in our armor.
St.
Paul describes how a Roman soldier would have been outfitted. In so doing, he
teaches us about the “spiritual armament” that God provides to his Church
Militant…believers in Christ who fight the good fight of faith in this life.
“Truth”
is compared to a belt around the waist that is used to tie all the equipment
together. God’s truth revealed in Scripture protects us from the lies with which
the devil tries to undo all of the protection that God gives to us.
“Righteousness”
is compared to a chest protector, or body armor. Today we might call it a “flak jacket.” Righteousness is the news that in Holy
Baptism and through the preaching of the suffering, death, and resurrection of
Jesus Christ, God has declared the believer in Christ to be righteous in his
sight. Just as a flak jacket protects
the heart, the righteousness that God bestows upon us protects us from Satan’s
accusing attacks upon the heart of our faith in Christ. He will accuse us by saying such things as, “How
can God forgive such a great sinner like you?”
But we can turn around and say, “Yes, I am a sinner. But God does not
condemn me. In Christ, he has forgiven
me. There is no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus.” (Cf. Rom 8:1)
Our
feet are fitted with the “readiness given by the gospel of peace.” Because of God’s truth and the righteousness
that he bestows upon us in Christ, we are at peace with him. We can march out and tell others the Good
News about Jesus. Imagine that! Combat boots are the shoes that bring peace. But that makes perfect sense. When the Gospel is preached, Satan is
defeated. He wants people to remain in
conflict with God. The Gospel declares
that in Christ we are friends with God. And wearing the Gospel of peace upon
our feet, we can walk right over and through all the thorny and rocky
temptations that the evil one puts in our way.
“Faith”
is compared to a shield capable of warding off flaming darts or arrows. Faith is trust and confidence in God’s love
and forgiveness that the Holy Spirit works in us through the means of grace.
“Salvation”
is compared to a helmet or headgear.
Salvation is the deliverance from the power of the devil brought about
by Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary and the Garden Tomb. It is also the final deliverance when Jesus
returns and we will share in his resurrection victory over sin, death, and the
devil.
Finally,
there is the Word of God. The Word of
God, God’s Law and Gospel through which the Holy Spirit works, is compared to a
sword. The author of Hebrews said it this way: “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” (Heb. 4:12). The
Word of God is an offensive weapon upon the hearts of all people, as the Law
convicts us of our sin and the Gospel directs us to the Savior.
Endowed
with God’s armor, it’s important to keep in touch with “headquarters” during
the fight. Paul calls his hearers to pray
“at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (Eph. 6:18). No one can live by taking a breath only once
in a while. A person cannot read by a
light that flickers on and off. A ship
cannot sail with only an occasional puff of wind. So also a Christian cannot maintain spiritual
life and health by praying only once in a while. God wants us to be constantly in touch with him
in prayer.
“To
that end,” Paul continues, “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” (Eph. 6:18-19). While we can certainly pray for ourselves,
prayer is never to be completely self-centered.
Remember the other soldiers in God’s army and pray for them. Expect them to pray for you, too, as Paul
expected that the Ephesians would pray for him … especially that God would give
him strength to preach Christ crucified.
The
Roman soldiers that Paul had in mind had an invincibility because of their
discipline and their valor. They were
the great fighting machines of that day.
Soldiers
of Christ are only invincible because of the armor that God has provided for
them. So be strong in the Lord and in
his mighty power. Be aware of the
seriousness of the battle. It’s a war
against a powerful adversary, but one whose days are numbered because Jesus
Christ already defeated him at the cross.
Use
the armor that God has provided. Don’t
rely on your own strength or abilities.
Only God’s armor and God’s strength can give us victory in our
battles. Put it on. Make use of it at all times.
And
keep in touch with headquarters during the fight. Pray in the Spirit everywhere and at all
times … for others, for yourself, and always with the end result that God’s
Kingdom would be extended and his will be done.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment