BATTLE READY - The Armor for War

THE ARMOR FOR WAR
Sunday, January 19th Sermon Recap

How are your battle preparations going so far? Last week we examined the reality of spiritual warfare, and were given this prayer to start each day:

"God, show me today where my battle is and remind me of who it is against."

How has this prayer been impactful over the past 2 weeks? Has this helped you identify the battles in your life? Have you been able to see past the physical, relational difficulties into the larger, spiritual struggles?

I hope you are taking advantage of this series to really evaluate whether or not you are "Battle Ready", because whether you want to be or not, you are in a fight!

This week, we are taking a look at a critical component of our battle readiness, and that is the Armor of God.

Ephesians 6:11 - "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand firm against the schemes of the devil".

Something that was significant to me reading this passage this week was that God has not instructed us to "craft your own armor" or "prepare yourself to fight the devil", He tells us that the armor has already been provided - we just need to put it on!

This reminds of a word that comes to mind quite often in my life - intentionality. After getting married and having kids, I quickly learned that some things in life that used to just happen simply because I wanted them to happen, or they were just on my mind, suddenly seemed to fade away. For example, I genuinely enjoy exercising and I like to feel good, so I generally avoid junk food. However, without intentionality, these desires quickly became drowned out by the business of life. It's not enough just to "want to do these things", or to buy healthy groceries and pay for a gym membership. If I'm not intentional about preparing the food I bought, waking up early enough to get the gym and executing the plan in my mind, then I'll stay stuck in a cycle of rushing from place to place and eating when I find the time.

I think the same applies here. I realize that I can be aware of the spiritual battle that is raging around me, I can have knowledge of the armor of God and know that He has provided it for me...but if I'm not intentional about putting the armor on and defending my heart and mind against the schemes of the devil then I will find myself in a similar cycle.

So, let's dig into the different elements of this armor, starting with: 

How important is a belt in your daily life? This likely varies drastically from person to person. For some, a belt may simply be an accent piece to a wardrobe. For others, a belt may help fasten necessary tools and equipment for daily job tasks. Maybe you don't even own a belt! Let's look at a few historical and cultural pieces of significance that a belt would have had during the time period this passage was written:

• Securing Armor – In ancient Roman military gear, the balteus or cingulum (belt) held a soldier’s tunic together and provided attachment points for weapons and supplies. Without it, their armor would be loose and ineffective.
• Readiness & Preparation – To "gird up your loins" was a phrase meaning to tuck a long tunic into a belt to allow free movement. This signified being prepared for action, whether in battle or intense work.
• Identity & Authority – A soldier’s belt often displayed their rank, achievements, or unit insignia.

We don't really identify with these purposes of a belt today in modern, Western society, but I think this helps us to think about the importance a belt would serve in this setting. In several places in scripture, we see phrases like "gird up your loins" or "prepare yourself for action", and those commands would physically require a belt in order to execute.

The Belt of Truth symbolizes the necessity of truth in the life of a believer. Just as a soldier's belt secured their armor and provided a place to carry their sword, truth provides stability and readiness for spiritual battle.  

It's no secret that our culture today prefers relative truth over absolute truth. If we are to "stand against the current" like we talked about last week, we have to first know what is true and what isn't. We must understand our identity - as a believer, our identity is rooted in Jesus Christ.

So, how do we "put on" this Belt of Truth?

1. Spend time in Scripture - like I just mentioned, before we can "stand" for truth, we have to know what truth is. Truth is found in God's Word. 
2. Speak truth over your life - what do you tell yourself, about yourself? This is oftentimes subconscious, but many of us are constantly telling ourselves nasty, untrue things about who we are. Learn truth from Scripture, and then speak that truth into your own life. 
3. Practice truth in relationships - are you speaking truth in your relationships with others? Just like a belt would communicate a soldier's rank or insignia, the belt of truth should communicate your identity in Christ, and the foundation of God's Word, to those you encounter on a daily basis. 

If someone is going to be swinging a sword at me, I definitely want something covering my vital organs. I find it interesting that in a lot of movies, soldiers will be wearing only a breastplate. I feel like this is more for visual appeal, but it just makes sense that a warrior would at least be covering their heart from physical attack, right?

Let's look at some significance of this piece of armor:

• Vital Protection – In ancient warfare, the breastplate (often made of bronze or iron) covered the chest and torso, shielding the heart, lungs, and other vital organs from deadly blows. Without it, a soldier was highly vulnerable.
• Identity & Status – A soldier’s breastplate often bore symbols of allegiance, marking their identity as part of a specific army or empire. 
• Strength & Confidence – Wearing a breastplate allowed a soldier to fight with confidence, knowing they were protected from fatal strikes.

The Breastplate of Righteousness carries similar importance for us today.

Scott made a great point last Sunday, that many of us, if we are honest, can struggle with this concept because we think "I'm not very righteous...". When compared to Jesus, none of us are! So, how can this breastplate enable us to live with boldness and confidence when our own righteousness is lacking? Because it's not our righteousness we are wearing, it's the righteousness of Christ!

As always, Jesus is our example in this. In John 6:38 we see that Jesus sought the Kingdom of God first in His life. When we seek God's righteousness and put His will first, He will highlight areas of our life that we need to relinquish control, which enables us to "take off" our own righteousness and "put on" His. 

How do we "put on" this Breastplate of Righteousness?

1. Seek God and His righteousness first (Matt 6:33) - just like we learn truth from God's Word, we understand righteousness when we seek His kingdom first.
2. Make Him your dwelling place (Psalm 91:1) - wherever you are, whatever you're doing, dwell in His presence. 
3. Delight in His commands (Isaiah 61:10) - rejoice in the fact that God is wrapping you in His righteousness, instead of wallowing in your own shortcomings. 

I recall several moments from training scenes in movies - whether it be boxing, sword fighting or super hero battles - where a more experienced fighter will highlight the importance of having a "firm stance" or "good footwork". Specifically, I remember when Batman is being trained by Liam Neeson's character on a frozen pond in Batman Begins - Bruce Wayne thinks he has bested his superior, but quickly realizes he sacrificed his footing and finds himself plunged into the icy water.

The reality is, firm footing is actually crucial to surviving a battle. There are historical cases where an inferior force was able to overcome insurmountable odds because they took advantage of terrain or environmental factors which caused their opponent to lose their footing. It's hard to fight if you can't stay on your feet!

The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace provide the believer with stability. Just like a soldier cannot stand firm on shaking ground (or thin ice), a believer cannot stand firm on a shaken foundation.

Again, Jesus set the example - Luke 4:18 shows us that Jesus was secure and firm in His mission because He was anointed to share the Good News.

No matter how unstable your life circumstances may seem, the Gospel is never shaken. You can always share with others what Jesus has done in your life. The Gospel gives us hope. 

There is a distinction made moving into the next 3 pieces of the armor of God when it says to "take [them] up". The first 3 pieces we are to put on, which gives the visual that we should just be wearing them. Every day, we should be clothed with Truth, Righteousness and Peace - these are crucial in order to be Ready for Battle.

The remaining 3 pieces of armor are to be taken up when we know we're under attack. It makes sense to me that if soldiers are at their camp near the battlefield, they would maintain some level of readiness. They would be prepared, ready to move at any moment - their belt secured, breastplate on and shoes tightened. Then, when the enemy approaches, it's time to take up arms and fight...

When the arrows start flying and the metal begins to clash, we must take up arms.

The Shield of Faith - this shield enables believers to "extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one," protecting them from doubt, fear, and deception. Just as a shield was a soldier’s primary defense against incoming attacks, faith is our defense against spiritual assaults. Wielding this Shield is essentially the act of taking the Truth that we believe in our heart and making it a reality in our life, even when it doesn't feel true. The enemy wants us to doubt, to be depressed, to withdraw. Having faith requires us to act, speak and live out the truth of God's Word even when we can't see it.

The Helmet of Salvation - the Helm symbolizes the assurance of salvation and the protection of the believer’s mind. Just as a helmet guards a soldier’s head—the control center of the body—salvation protects our thoughts, securing our identity in Christ and shielding us from doubt and deception. The enemy wants us to doubt that identity. Much like the Shoes of the Gospel give us peace, the Helm gives us assurance that we belong to Jesus. So, when the enemy begins to attack, take up the Helmet of Salvation and be certain that God is fighting your battles, because you are His.

The Sword of the Spirit - the sword is the only offensive weapon in this arsenal, but still we see it used defensively. It's not our job to "slay" the devil - God already promised to accomplish that in His Word. We are to use the Sword of Scripture to parry the attacks of the enemy and discern truth from deception. We see that Jesus used the truth of God's Word to ward off the attacks of Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness. Without the Sword of the Spirit, a believer is defenseless against deception and temptation. But when wielded effectively, God’s Word is a powerful force, cutting through falsehood, guiding believers in righteousness, and bringing victory in spiritual battles.

In short, the whole Armor of God is Jesus. Jesus perfectly demonstrated each of these elements in His earthly ministry, and He has called us to be like Himself.

One last note - this whole set of Armor is only available to those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Without the truth of the Gospel in your life, you are hopelessly lost in this battle with no defense against the enemy. If you can't say that you know without any doubt in your mind that you are a child of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, I hope you'll have a conversation with God today. Talk to someone at church if you need to, pick up the phone and call someone right now even...but don't go another day without knowing who's you are. 

Now that we've examined each piece of our spiritual armory, what's next? Here's your marching orders for the next week:

1. Continue the prayer from last week, every day: "God, show me today where my battle is and remind me of who it is against." 
2. Armor Up - mentally put on the Armor of God every morning.
3. Do an Inspection - which piece of this armor are you lacking? 

Intentionality - these things won't just happen by chance. We all need to wake up each day, realize we are in a fight and that we need to prepare for the battle ahead.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you this Sunday!