Use the Right Equipment to Go into Battle
March 14, 2022 No. 6
I don’t typically directly refer to portions of my book here in this blog, but if you’ve been reading regularly, you are familiar with my chagrin over the war in Ukraine. I am so conflicted each day as I live my normal everyday life, knowing that in Ukraine the people are just being hounded by the commands of a tyrant, who is conducting a bold-faced genocide on these innocent people!
Let me refer you to Ephesians 6:13-18. Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus. He writes this letter to encourage unity among the members of the Church of Jesus Christ. This church is not a building, it is made up of those who profess their allegiance, their loyalty, their commitment to be a Christ follower.
The BATTLE that Paul refers to in the Ephesus letter is the war all Christians face and wage against the enemy of the Church—Satan. I think it’s safe to state that no Christ follower can say s/he has never been tempted by Satan to sin. Christ himself was tempted at the beginning of his earthly ministry!
The Apostle Paul provides instructions as to how Satan can be beaten…how Christ followers can be victorious over the temptation to sin.
Paul writes, “Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy wherever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will still be standing up” (Ephesians 6:13 TLB). Paul eventually lays out for us what the pieces of God’s armor are.
If you were a Roman soldier in Paul’s day, you would have worn a belt for the tethering of your sword, one of the weapons of choice, which was standard issue. Of course, the steel breastplate was likewise crucial to the protection of the body. For Paul, the “Belt of truth” (Ephesians 6:14 TLB) lends itself as a metaphor to help us understand how God wants us to live our lives. Think of it—truth as a weapon fastened to the body of our personage, our reputation. And then the breastplate is God’s approval! For us to attain the approval of Almighty God, we need to wield the sword of truth!
Speedy shoes are talked about next. “Wear shoes that are able to speed you on as you preach the Good News of peace with God” (Ephesians 6:15 TLB). Another Bible translation reads, “With your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15 NIV). “Readiness.” Maybe this is where I can improve my CE (Christian effectiveness). I need to be ready for anything that God may put in my path for Him and His kingdom. My “readiness” will be improved as I “wear shoes that are able to speed [me] on as [I] preach the Good News of peace with God” (Ephesians 6:15 TLB).
“In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan” (Ephesians 6:16 TLB; italics added). Those “fiery arrows” can come from many and diverse directions. Since we don’t live in a “perfect world,” few of us are immune from the fiery arrows’ effects. Usually, the attacks are not foreseeable either. Fiery arrows: here is a list (not complete, I’m sure): health, wealth, coworkers, superiors, subordinates, neighbors, fellow students, parents, children, siblings, extended family, spouses, acquaintances, or strangers.
How are we directed to handle this? Put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of God’s approval, wear speedy shoes, and “in every battle you will need faith as your shield.” Wait! We’re not finished! “You will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17 TLB). Can you be a Christian without reading the Bible? Yes! Yes, you can! But you won’t grow in the faith. Life doesn’t automatically get to be perfect or even all that much easier when you accept Christ as your Savior and Redeemer. Becoming a Christian guarantees you an eternal life in heaven. After praying the salvation prayer (provided in blog message No. 5), you should walk into a church the very next Sunday and begin to worship as a new believer! “How do I find a good church?” you ask. You might ask a churchgoing neighbor or even a coworker if you might go to church with them. The point is you need to begin to wake up to faith—putting your faith into practice as soon as possible. You will begin growing your faith in Christ and developing a relationship with Him.
Please look to God for answers to the questions I am sure you are having about what is happening in our world today. I’ve been telling people, “We’re walking on the ceiling!” meaning that nothing seems to be making any sense in the grand scheme of things in our world. But remember this, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV), so following closely behind Jesus is the answer in our world, no matter what happens! Be blessed…
I don’t typically directly refer to portions of my book here in this blog, but if you’ve been reading regularly, you are familiar with my chagrin over the war in Ukraine. I am so conflicted each day as I live my normal everyday life, knowing that in Ukraine the people are just being hounded by the commands of a tyrant, who is conducting a bold-faced genocide on these innocent people!
Let me refer you to Ephesians 6:13-18. Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus. He writes this letter to encourage unity among the members of the Church of Jesus Christ. This church is not a building, it is made up of those who profess their allegiance, their loyalty, their commitment to be a Christ follower.
The BATTLE that Paul refers to in the Ephesus letter is the war all Christians face and wage against the enemy of the Church—Satan. I think it’s safe to state that no Christ follower can say s/he has never been tempted by Satan to sin. Christ himself was tempted at the beginning of his earthly ministry!
The Apostle Paul provides instructions as to how Satan can be beaten…how Christ followers can be victorious over the temptation to sin.
Paul writes, “Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy wherever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will still be standing up” (Ephesians 6:13 TLB). Paul eventually lays out for us what the pieces of God’s armor are.
If you were a Roman soldier in Paul’s day, you would have worn a belt for the tethering of your sword, one of the weapons of choice, which was standard issue. Of course, the steel breastplate was likewise crucial to the protection of the body. For Paul, the “Belt of truth” (Ephesians 6:14 TLB) lends itself as a metaphor to help us understand how God wants us to live our lives. Think of it—truth as a weapon fastened to the body of our personage, our reputation. And then the breastplate is God’s approval! For us to attain the approval of Almighty God, we need to wield the sword of truth!
Speedy shoes are talked about next. “Wear shoes that are able to speed you on as you preach the Good News of peace with God” (Ephesians 6:15 TLB). Another Bible translation reads, “With your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15 NIV). “Readiness.” Maybe this is where I can improve my CE (Christian effectiveness). I need to be ready for anything that God may put in my path for Him and His kingdom. My “readiness” will be improved as I “wear shoes that are able to speed [me] on as [I] preach the Good News of peace with God” (Ephesians 6:15 TLB).
“In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan” (Ephesians 6:16 TLB; italics added). Those “fiery arrows” can come from many and diverse directions. Since we don’t live in a “perfect world,” few of us are immune from the fiery arrows’ effects. Usually, the attacks are not foreseeable either. Fiery arrows: here is a list (not complete, I’m sure): health, wealth, coworkers, superiors, subordinates, neighbors, fellow students, parents, children, siblings, extended family, spouses, acquaintances, or strangers.
How are we directed to handle this? Put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of God’s approval, wear speedy shoes, and “in every battle you will need faith as your shield.” Wait! We’re not finished! “You will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17 TLB). Can you be a Christian without reading the Bible? Yes! Yes, you can! But you won’t grow in the faith. Life doesn’t automatically get to be perfect or even all that much easier when you accept Christ as your Savior and Redeemer. Becoming a Christian guarantees you an eternal life in heaven. After praying the salvation prayer (provided in blog message No. 5), you should walk into a church the very next Sunday and begin to worship as a new believer! “How do I find a good church?” you ask. You might ask a churchgoing neighbor or even a coworker if you might go to church with them. The point is you need to begin to wake up to faith—putting your faith into practice as soon as possible. You will begin growing your faith in Christ and developing a relationship with Him.
Please look to God for answers to the questions I am sure you are having about what is happening in our world today. I’ve been telling people, “We’re walking on the ceiling!” meaning that nothing seems to be making any sense in the grand scheme of things in our world. But remember this, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV), so following closely behind Jesus is the answer in our world, no matter what happens! Be blessed…
