We Are At War, Prepare For Battle

Commentary

As a born-again believer, you’re a soldier for the Gospel of Christ. Though not a soldier who fights with guns, knives, arrows, spears, or the like, but one who harnesses the power of the Holy Spirit to engage in battle against Satanic strongholds. To shine light in darkness and bring hope to the hopeless, with the Good News of Jesus. This calls for an armoring up in spiritual things and a seeking of God’s strength to endure the battles you face.

Our enemy not only has more knowledge than us but is ruthless and cunning. Described in Scripture as a lion prowling around, seeking those whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Throughout Church history, God’s spiritual armor was needed by all believers; however, in these last of the last days, it’s so much more essential to have, or you will get spiritually beat up and knocked out if you try and fight the good fight in your own strength.

In the coming verses, we will learn what the spiritual armament of God looks like and the purpose each piece serves.

Commentary

We learn that our battles as believers are not against people, physical flesh and blood. Though it is most often people who are doing the mistreating or harming the follower of Christ. But, it’s Satan who uses such people to do his will, it’s those spiritual, demonic powers of evil that we are truly at war with.

This is a war with many fronts: culture, politics, media, our minds, and so on. As followers of Christ, we must be shining the light of Jesus in all the places He sends us. We don’t fight this spiritual evil to make this world a better place; we do it to win souls for Christ. Better outcomes end up falling into place when there is a greater saturation of Christ-followers in a community.

However, there is a visible rot in this world, an evil so abundant that it’s not even hidden in the dark places any longer. There’s a pride of one’s evil that is on full display now, a sign that evil has saturated society at all levels, just as Scripture has foretold. This is a call to action for the believer to be fully prepared, fully engaged, and ready to do battle against these demonic forces that wreak havoc on the souls of men. There are people still out there whom God is going to save. He will use you to deliver His message.

Commentary

In these verses, we have three pieces of this set. The belt, the chest plate, and the sandals. With the belt of truth, we fasten on ourselves the Truth of God. It’s not relative, it’s not personal; it is the Truth for which all things exist. I see it in this way: that when you choose to live in God’s truth, you’ve buckled up and strapped in, kept safe from the destruction of the enemy’s numerous lies. The truth of God is what everything else is held together by. God’s truth prevents us from being deceived or led astray by the lies of Satan.

Next, we have the chest plate of righteousness. The imputed righteousness of Jesus covers the heart of the believer. As you live in this righteousness, the enemy will accuse you of all kinds of things, and some will be true, due to your sin nature. But with Jesus’ righteousness upon you, you can confidently go on sharing God’s love with this world, because whatever they say you are, Christ says, “nope, not anymore”.

Thirdly, we have the sandals. The love God has placed upon your new heart for those around you. To run to them with the Gospel of Jesus. As the apostle Paul wrote in the book of Romans:

Commentary

In these verses, we have the shield, helmet, and sword. The shield of faith is one of the most important pieces, as your faith in Christ Jesus will stop all that the enemy can throw at you if you’re walking in that faith. Picture a shield that covers the length of the body, big and able to stop all the arrows. Satan and his minions would love to destroy your body, your mind, and your relationship with God. But your faith is a shield that can withstand the most difficult of scenarios, the fears, the lies, the feelings, the doubts, and so on.

The helmet of salvation protects our minds from the corruptness of this world, especially discouragement. Satan loves to discourage believers with lies and scare tactics, getting you to stop sharing the Gospel and showing Jesus to people. But if you’re putting on the helmet each day, by focusing on the salvation you have, his tactics will not be effective.

So far, everything has been defensive, but this sword is our weapon. It is God’s Word. Which the Bible describes as being able to pierce into such an infinitely small area of the separation of soul and spirit that it’s effective in convicting a person’s heart.

We should be wielding this sword with boldness and confidence. Using it in love to counter the wickedness we see in this world. To show people that they are sinners in need of a Savior. Then we tell them about our Savior. And we’re promised by God that His Word does not return empty.

Commentary

In addition to the armor, we must remain in prayer daily. This is your time to communicate to God and to seek His wisdom and direction. To pray over your mission and over your brothers and sisters, who are fighting alongside you, whether in person or halfway around the world, those you know personally and those you’ve never met.

The life of a follower of Christ is not and never will be easy. But God has given us everything we need to be effective for Him and to endure until He calls us home. All you must do is actively take part in utilizing this spiritual armor through living out God’s Word in obedience, seeking Him for wisdom, discernment, and strength.

As God prepared so many of the heroes of the faith for physical and spiritual battles in the past, so too does He prepare you for the spiritual battles that you face in these last days. Now is the time to be bold for Jesus and to find your fortification in Him for this ever-so-important rescue mission.