Suit Up - Part 1

This weekend "The Avengers" opened in theaters.  As a comic book and movie fan I really enjoyed this movie.  It's a hodge podge team of heroic individuals that have to come together to stop a maniacal villain from conquering the world.  Each member has different skill sets and abilities that they contribute to the whole.

One of my favorite moments (not a spoiler) is when Captain America asks a potential member of the team if he has a suit (Cap has a patriotic uniform, Iron Man is a techno-suit of armor, Thor has a mythical type of armor, and there are a few more that I'll leave out.)  War is breaking out and it's time to fight, time to get the suits and do battle.  When the character responds with a yes Cap says, "Well then, suit up."

That's the same thing I'm saying to you.  Cap said it.  Barney Stinson says it.  And a bloke named Paul said it thousands of years ago:

"Suit up."  (my paraphrase)

Did you know that as followers of Jesus we are called to war?

Well, we are.

But we are not called to fight with guns and bombs. We do not fight against other people, or religions, or nations.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

-Ephesians 6:12

But we do have an enemy. The Enemy. He's been our enemy since the beginning in Eden. He's been working against God ever since. Jesus said this in John 8:44

"...He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

There are many other places in the Word that give other descriptions of the Enemy and his character. One other I'll mention here is also from Jesus

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy..."

-John 10:10

So we know we are in a battle. We know who are Enemy is. What now?

We take up arms.

Paul lines out in Ephesians 6 what these arms are. (verses 10-18)


The Belt of Truth

"...Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,..."

The belt. It holds everything together. And what does Paul call it?

Truth.

"A verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like" is one of the definitions in the dictionary. But truth being verified, is not where it stops for us. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..." So for us, Jesus is Truth. Jesus is a verified or indisputable fact. He is what holds everything together.  He holds us together.

So if we are buckled with truth, we must live in truth. Lying does not become a follower of Jesus. We must live out what we claim to be. If we are Christians, let us be Christians. And to do that we have to know who Jesus is. How?

Well that's coming up later.

Check back Monday for Part 2!

grace, peace + hope
-Jesse