Suit Up - Part 5

In case you missed out on the first 4 parts I give you the "Easy Catch Up List"

Part 1 - Belt of Truth
Part 2 - Breastplate of Righteousness & Readiness from the Gospel of Peace
Part 3 - Shield of Faith & Helmet of Salvation
Part 4 - Sword of the Spirit & Prayer 


So what is the point of all this armor?  What is this war we are in?  Let's look back at that verse in Ephesians.

"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

Our fight is not with other Religions.  Our fight is not with Politics.  Our fight is not with other Christians.  Our enemy is not someone we can see and set cross-hairs on.  It's not someone we can track down in a safe house.

The Enemy

Look who/what Paul points out: rulers, authorities, and the powers of this dark world.  Yet they are not flesh and blood.  Also...the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  So we have a war on two fronts.  The intangible powers of this world, and evil in the spiritual realm.

Intangible powers of this world?  Look around and you'll see them.  Things like fear, hate, oppression, selfishness, godlessness.  These things are everywhere and we have been conditioned to accept them simply as the way things are.  Where did Jesus tell us to live subject to these powers?  Exactly, nowhere.  These powers are tools of the Enemy.  Satan.  The Devil.  Lucifer.

He is the true enemy.

We cannot win this war. 

The good news is, we don't have to.


The War

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

-Ephesians 6:13  

We don't have to win because it is already won.  The story is written.  Jesus wins.  We just haven't finished living the story out.  After you have done everything, to stand.   We have to hold on.  We have to persevere.  All our armor and weapons are built on the strength of Jesus.  Truth.  Righteousness.  The Good News.  Faith.  Salvation.  Spirit.  Prayer.

Get to know Jesus.  Pray...listen to him.  Learn his voice from reading Scripture.  Build your relationship with him.  Trust him.  It's not about feelings and callings.  It's all done, we just have to make it to the end. 

We have a clear and present Enemy. We have been given our arms and are equipped. There is open lines of communication to Jesus. But we do not fight to draw blood. We do not fight to kill.

We fight on our knees in prayer.  We fight in worship with song and how we live.  We fight in actions by serving others.  We fight by laying down our lives for Jesus.


What does any of this have to discipleship?  We'll wrap that up tomorrow in the final post.  Until then,

grace, peace + hope
-Jesse