The full armor

Scott Green preached a great sermon last week. I was reflecting on it this morning and had some thoughts. The key passage for me was Eph 6:10-20, the classic treatise on the spiritual battle. The first thing Paul addressed was the fact that the struggle is not against the people in our lives (e.g., workmates or family members), but rather against dark spiritual forces. This is the reality. Therefore, we need protection. I did some deeper reflections on each of the armor elements based on my limited knowledge of war as well as my 1.5 years training in kung fu.

Taking your stand
The Bible says, "when the day of evil comes", not IF. All of us will be tested and go through challenges. This is a spiritual reality. I want to work really hard so I can get to an easy point and from then on can relax. But this is not how God set up this life! Days of evil will come my way, often evil of my own making due to my sin, and sometimes others' sin. It is at those moments that I must take my stand.

I want you to reflect with me on the battle and what happens when you stop taking your stand. The Roman army was legendary for having very large shields that formed a nearly impenetrable wall as they advanced. Attackers typically shot the arrows first. With the shields in place and an "advancing" mentality, the soldiers were relatively safe. But think about what happens if everyone gets afraid and turns and runs. Suddenly everyone is vulnerable to the attack of the arrows.

In kung fu, if we could get someone to turn their back to us, then this placed them at a disadvantage and in a vulnerable position. Arms were made to work forwards, not backwards! If I have someone's back to me, suddenly I can do whatever I want to their head and neck and they can do relatively nothing. It's a matter of time before they are on the ground in a submission hold (not that I advanced that far to learn all those techniques :-).

Spiritually speaking, we have to be ready to take our stand. If we flee, we give up ground and eventually the enemy will overtake us. Think about how Europe kept giving up land to Hitler trying to pacify him until Hitler had literally run the opposing armies into the ocean, necessitating D-Day to reestablish that key beachhead!

The great thing about a relationship with God is that he always has our back. Ecclesiastes 4:12 states, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." In the body of Christ, we have so many resources to confess, get advice, and get help so that we can take our stand. Individually, we have to take our daily stand against sin. Evangelistically, it is a huge challenge to consistently take a stand alone. That's why Jesus sent us two by two (Mark 6:7).

Evangelistic Feet
Paul urges the Ephesians to possess "feet fitted with the readiness that ocmes from the gospel of peace." Despite multiple attempts, I've really never made a lot of sense of this element until today. My first realization was that the apostles were commissioned and literally sent out on foot to "go make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:18). Their feet had to be ready to carry them. Location was the biggest barrier between people and the gospel.

Today, we have no such barriers. The world is relatively small. 4 out of 6 billion people on this planet own a cell phone. What needs to be ready is my tongue and mouth. What holds me back? Not being, thinking, & speaking on my feet! Think about it: if you're sitting or lying down, it takes time to get on your feet before you can take action. I was in the grocery store on Friday Nov 6. I ran into a guy I know. It had been a long time since I'd seen him and he'd gone through a lot. I gave him a hug and was warm and loving, which I hope made a difference. But I didn't take any actions that could multiply that love I had for him. Fortunately, God gave me an idea that I should invite him to our Family Group dinner after church on Sunday. 2 minutes later he wheeled his kids around the aisle again past me and I stopped him and we exchanged phone numbers and he expressed an interest. Sometimes we're not ready the first time, but God gives us a second chance if we want to be ready!

Fear holds me back too. But there's a solution: prayer! Paul himself requested prayer in v19-20 that he could proclaim the gospel fearlessly as he should. We all feel fear when we think about whether or not we'll share our faith. But courage is action in the face of fear. At Landmark we did a great exercise that helped me understand that people are just as much or more afraid of me than I of them! If you feel fear, tell yourself and Satan, "I acknowledge my fear and thanks for sharing, now I'm going to obey God and act to make a difference in this world!"

The Importance of Readiness
In kung fu, we worked on our footwork all the time. Why? You stand on your feet. Duh. But what can you do while you're on your feet? Fight. If you're off your feet, it's a grappling battle on the ground and you are much more likely to get hurt. Ultimate Fighting is all about taking out the other guys' legs. In Paul's day, anyone whose leg was injured suddenly became a liability and his buddies had to protect him and get him off the battlefield. It literally took someone out of the attack and the battle in order to help the guy who was off his feet.

This is why evangelism is so key. If we're not on our feet advancing the gospel on a daily basis, we are way more vulnerable to Satan's attacks. Satan wants us to get us off our feet and then it can take a tremendous amount of effort for the Christians around us to get us back on our feet, fighting the fight for others' souls.

When I'm not being evangelistic, I am playing a game that is way too small. Christianity becomes merely a game of church attendance and attempting to stay consistent in reading my Bible and praying. When I considered myself in "top fighting form" is when I was studying the Bible with several guys at the UW. Quiet Times and prayer times and times with brothers were absolutely essential to get strength and get training and stay close to God. I was in touch with the power of sin and Satan's ability to take me out.

I have already confessed to many that I was out of the game, but praise God that I have recently gotten back in the game and in the fight. If you're battling discouragement like I was, if you're not having Quiet Times 7 days a week, if getting to midweek and church early is a constant struggle, then getting back in the evangelistic fight is exactly what you need! Wading back in gradually isn't going to work for you! God wants us to play a much bigger game than simply staying saved ourselves. God is a genius--he knows that we do much better spiritually when we're unconcerned for ourselves and concerned for others. I naturally do way better spiritually when I am considering and meeting others' needs above my own.

Let's stay on our feet so that we can fight with our sword, which is the word of God!

The Shield of Faith
Faith is an amazing tool. The Bible explicitly says that it can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. I naturally think of this applying to myself. My faith helps me overcome the evil thoughts and insecurities and fears that come to my mind throughout the day.

But this morning I considered how my faith can be a shield for others. Jesus acknowledged the faith of the paralytic's friends in Mark 2:5. Galatians 6 states, "carry each other's burdens" (v2) but also that "each one should carry his own load" (v5). I realized that my faith can literally be a shield for someone who is off their feet, who is being attacked by Satan's arrows. I cannot shield them indefinitely, but for a time I can certainly lend a hand. When I'm in a conversation with someone and I see a flaming arrow Satan has put into their minds, I can literally say something based on my faith and extinguish it for them. God can use our little faith the size of a mustard seed to disarm powerful weapons Satan is trying to use against others!

Shields can also be used as weapons. In particular, fight scenes from "Gladiator" come to mind for some reason, but also from Prince Caspian when Peter fights the evil Miraz. Sometimes we may not know the perfect scripture that applies to a situation. Sometimes we're literally out of practice in our use of the "sWord of God." However, our faith can still be an effective weapon. I love Tom Jones' mind change formula, which goes: "Situation blah, blah, blah and excuse blah blah blah--but God." He acknowledges the situation and then by faith brings God into the picture, which totally changes everything.

Conclusion
May we all enter our days fitted with the full armor of God. If you're not on your feet, then call someone and get help getting back up so you can fight the good fight of faith and finish the race!