Ephesians 6:10-20 (2)

Opening:

Good morning Connection Church. I am so humbled and honored to be given the fearful and wonderful honor of bringing you the Word of God this morning. It is a beautiful thing to be able to gather together on the Lord’s Day and worship God.

Introduction of the Passage:

So let us continue on in worship this morning by going to the Word of God. This morning we will be in Ephesians 6:10-20. I am sure that if you have spent any time in the church or church culture, you will be familiar with the contents of this passage.

In order to give you some context on this, Paul is closing his letter to the church in Ephesus and the surrounding area. In this letter, Paul was explaining the mystery of the gospel. He opens the letter with three chapters of beautiful exposition of the gospel. The last three chapters are commands in light of the gospel. Because of salvation, here is how to live. So in light of the gospel, this is the final section of commands in this letter.

Reading of the Passage:

Would you stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.

Ephesians 6:10-20.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Behold, the Word of God. Let’s pray.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word. You are so gracious and kind to us, Lord. You have given us instruction. Lord, I ask that you would open our hearts and minds unto Your Word. Change us, Lord, through your Word. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

Introduction/ Opening Illustration: (Sir Vincible)

I want to tell you a tale of tragedy. In a long forgotten age, an age of brave knights and fierce dragons, there was a knight known as Sir Vincible. Sir Vincible was raised up in a poor and lowly house. But He did not stay in that state. Although had nothing to give, the King took mercy and pity upon Vincible. He raised him to the estate of knight, and even an heir unto the kingdom. This poor farm boy who had nothing was given station, being dubbed Sir Vincible. He was given blessings beyond number. A new life, a purpose, forgiveness of debt, and more. Upon being knighted, Sir Vincible was given a bright and gleaming set of armor. He was given a full suit of armor and weapons. He was given a beautiful sword, a wonderful shield, and the full armory.

But as I said, this story is a tragedy. Sir Vincible had a peculiar quirk. He never took battle seriously. He was foolhardy and lazy. He would rarely practice with his sword. He never polished his armor, and in truth hardly ever wore it. He would complain that it was restrictive and uncomfortable. Occasionally he would wear odd pieces of armor. One would see him in the castle wearing the helmet, one shoe, and the belt. He was an oddity.

Other knights would warn Sir Vincible of the real threat of foes or even of dragons. He would simply scoff at best, or at worst would claim himself to be well equipped for the fight. When a knight would come back from some adventure with his armor covered in soot from warring against dragons, Sir Vincible would laugh and make jokes about how the knight must have rolled into the camp fire while sleeping. No one knew if Sir Vincible disbelieved in dragons or was simply making jest.

The day finally came when Sir Vincible was sent from the castle to go into the world. Everyone thought that finally the foolhardy knight would wear his full armor. Yet, the knight came, saddled his horse, and rode out with only his helmet and sword. The other knights were aghast. No one ever heard if Sir Vincible disbelieved there was a war on, or if it was just his old habit finally taking root. But Sir Vincible rode out un-armored. I have it on good authority that one knight remarked at this, “The fool thinks his name is Sir Invincible not Sir Vincible.”

A week later, a litter came back carrying Sir Vincible. He was bloodied and near death. He had encountered a dragon. When he drew his sword, the weight of it was so unfamiliar in his hand that the first blow upon the dragons scales, caused it out of his hand. He had no shield to protect from the serpents fiery breath. He was covered in blood and burns. I never did hear what happened to Sir Vincible, but I am sure he finally saw that wearing his armor, no matter how restrictive, was well worth while when fighting a dragon.

Need:

We are such fools. We are so often like Sir Vincible. We disbelieve we are at war, or that there are dragons. We find the armor of God restrictive in our lives. We think training in the Word of God is too time consuming. But we must recognize this. We are at war. This is not peace time. Beloved, here there be dragons. We are at war with a very real enemy. That is what this text is about.

Text Idea:

Paul here was telling the Ephesian Christians that in the war they were engaged in, they were to stand firm in the strength of the Lord, wear the armor of God, and always be praying in the Spirit for the saints and their leaders.

Sermon Idea:

In the same way, I hope to communicate to you this morning that in the war we are engaged in, we are to stand firm in the strength of the Lord, wear the armor of God, and pray always in the Spirit for each other and our leaders.

Interrogative:

I love an opening one commentator gave to this passage. “Is not our life a warfare? It is so; for we struggle with the common calamities of human life. Is not our religion much more a warfare? It is so; for we struggle with the opposition of the powers of darkness, and with many enemies who would keep us from God and heaven. We have enemies to fight against, a captain to fight for, a banner to fight under, and certain rules of war by which we are to govern ourselves.”

If I told you that you were tomorrow going to be thrown into a fight for your life, what would you do? How would you respond? Well, the fact is, we are in a war. We are in a real war with a real enemy that hates you and wants to utterly destroy us. This ought to prick your ears up. The question ought to be on your lips, “What should we do?!” Well, I am so glad you asked.

Transition:

In this war, there are three things we can do. First, Stand firm in the strength of the Lord.

Point 1: Stand Firm in the Strength of the Lord.

Look with me again at verses 10-13. Ephesians 6:10-13 “10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

Explanation:

Paul was telling the Ephesians to stand firm. When we notice repetition in Scripture, we ought to take notice. In just these few verses, the command to stand firm is given three times. Paul is emphasizing the command to stand firm. He obviously wants the Ephesians to take notice of this command. And this command is common in Paul’s writing.

1 Cor 15:58 “58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Gal 5:1 “1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Phil 4:1 “1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”

Obviously this is a common theme for Paul. In all his writings Paul is commanding the early church to stand firm. And this is an incredible command. That command to stand firm is a military command. It is the command to take up battle lines. It has the connotation of the commander riding back and forth along the line of troops commanding, “Hold the line!” It is a command to be bold, to be brave, to be courageous.

And why is Paul telling the Ephesians to hold the line? Why is he telling them to be brave and bold and courageous? Because they are at war! Paul is cluing them in to the reality of the fight they are in. He is telling them to draw up battle lines because they are in a real war. And this is no ordinary war. This is a spiritual war against spiritual foes.

Paul clues the people in by saying that this war is not against flesh and blood foes. This war is against the very powers of darkness. Paul is saying that the Ephesians Christians are not to take up physical battle lines and attack Rome, but they are to take up very real Spiritual battle lines in order to fight the forces of darkness. And what are these forces of darkness. He tells us Eph 6:12 “12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

The Ephesian Christians are told that they are going to war against rulers and authorities, cosmic powers of darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the spiritual realm. Think of the impact of this. These Christians are facing the beginnings of one of the greatest persecutions in history. Nero is about to come into power, who will institute horrific persecution. And Paul is saying, don’t just look at Nero or these other horrific persecutors. Look further in and see what is behind that. It is the Devil and his demons and spiritual forces of darkness that are truly at work here. So stand firm! Do not compromise. Take up the armament in order to fight the true enemy.

Argumentation:

And we have to recognize the same thing. We are still at war. This cosmic war is still waging. We are still to stand firm. This command directly applies to us. The war is still on. And we have to recognize this. We have to be ready for the fight. And the fight is not where we think it is. It is further in. Those ancient powers of darkness are still raging against Christ and His church. So be ready! Do not be cowards. Be bold and brave and ready for the fight. When the attacks come, stand firm. Hold the line!

I cannot stress this enough. Do not be cowards! So much of the church today is filled with chicken hearted Christians who are just cowards. Be brave. Stand firm! But notice, it is not enough to just take a stand. If you take a stand in your own strength, you will be crushed. Your own will power is not enough to help you in this fight. You cannot stand under your own power. Turn and look to the banner that flies over our battle lines. What is this banner? It is a blood red flag. It is the blood of Christ. Never forget Ephesians 2:1-3 “1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

All of us used to be on the enemies team. We were on the wrong side of the battle. We were actively fighting in the Devil’s army. So what happened? Ephesians 2:4-5 “4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”

Let me pose this question to you. If you could not even join the right side of the fight under your own strength, what makes you think your strength is enough to fight back against the enemy you formerly could not defy? Who are you to stand against the devil and his armies of cosmic darkness? Can you stand before the evil elemental spirits Paul talks about elsewhere and defy them in your own strength? They would look at you and laugh.

This is why we have to stand firm IN THE LORD and the STRENGTH OF HIS MIGHT. Christ is the one who defeated these evil rulers. Christ is the one who won this war. And somehow we think we can waltz out to these dragons and whip them because we hit the gym and feel tough. This is utter foolishness.

So how do we do this? Well let me start by describing what we do not do. Standing firm in the Lord is not some hyper-spiritual ethereal mystic act. We do not stand up and shout “I rebuke you satan!” No where in Scripture are we ever even given a hint we should “rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus.” In fact we get this very interesting passage in Jude where even the archangel Michael refused to rebuke the Devil.

Jude 9 “9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.””

So that is what we don’t do. So what do we do? What does it mean? Standing firm in the strength of the Lord means that we fully rely on Christ. We are always trusting in the redemptive work of the Lord. Let me quote the Heidelberg Catechism here.

1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?

That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with His precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him.

You want to know what it means to rely on the strength of the Lord. That is it. And fundamentally, it means we recognize, Christ won the war. The war is over. All we are facing is the mere remaining skirmishes until He returns.

Eph 1:19-23 “19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

Col 1:13-14 “13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Col 2:14-15 “14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

When Christ raised from the dead and was seated on high, he put these demonic enemies to open shame. Our job is not to conquer these forces. They are conquered. Christ won. We are not some fleeing rebel force. This is God’s world, Christ is reigning and our enemy is in defeat. We are merely mopping up the remnants. And they are mean remnants. It’s not as if we are no longer at war. Christ won, but the war is still on. We just have guaranteed victory. And this gives us comfort. So stand strong. The battles are ugly. But the victory is ours in Christ. And this is the hope.

Romans 8:38-39 “38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We may suffer and die in this fight, but nothing can take away the victory we have in Christ. So be jolly brave warriors boys. Like a poem I love says, Give thanks, Weigh anchor, Strap your packs. Clean the spark-plugs and turn the key. Yes, kick the tires and light the fires, My jolly brave boys! But why must we be jolly? And why brave? Jolly for the wars And brave enough to come home. Jolly for the assembly And brave for the watch. Merry for meeting And steady for standing. Joffre Swait -Men at Church.

Transition:

So stand firm in the strength of the Lord. Rely on the salvation won for you in Christ. But what else? Paul continues.

Point 2: Wear the Armor of God.

Ephesians 6:13-17 “13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”

Explanation:

Paul here is using the image of a Roman soldier’s armor. He is telling the Ephesian church to Stand Firm and Armor up. Do not go out to war in your shorts and t-shirt. Wear some armor! And this is a common theme in Scripture. In fact, Paul is expounding on this. In the Old Testament, there are prophesies about the armor the Messiah would wear. Here are just two.

Isaiah 59:17 “17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.”

Isaiah 11:5 “5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.”

So Christ wore this armor first. And He won it for us. Now Paul is telling the Ephesian Christians to put on the same armor that Christ wore. And this is a common theme in all of Scripture.

1 Thes 5:8 “8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”

Isaiah 52:7 “7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.””

Nahum 1:15 “15 Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows, for never again shall the worthless pass through you; he is utterly cut off.”

You may notice that the definition of the pieces change. Sometimes the breastplate is faith and love. Sometimes, elsewhere it is just called the weapons of righteousness. So I don’t want to abuse the analogy Paul is using attempting to say “Here is why righteousness is a breastplate,” or “here is why trust goes around your waste.” No, that isn’t what Paul is doing here. He is telling the Ephesian Christians how to make war against evil. And comes down to this. Truth, Righteousness, Readiness given by the gospel, Faith, Salvation, and Scripture. Christians ought to wear these virtues everywhere they go. So let me explain these.

Truth:

Paul is telling the Christians in Ephesus that truth is a defense against the demonic cosmic forces. How do you stand against the devil? Don’t lie! Be honest. Be a truthful person. Paul is saying to the Ephesians, “Do not lie! Be truthful and honest. That will be your defense against satan.”

Righteousness:

Paul is telling them, live righteous lives. Obey Jesus’ commands. Do not partake in the perverse evils of their age. Do not partake in orgies, drunkeness, pride, and other evils. Live righteous lives. In essence, Paul is saying, “Want to be protected from the attacks of the enemy, live holy and righteous lives.”

The Readiness given by the gospel of peace:

There is a real sense in which the gospel frees us. It gives us spiritual mobility. Always rely on the gospel. Always be ready to share the gospel. In all you do, apply the truth of who Christ is to it. Be ready with the gospel.

Faith:

Here, faith is our defense. How are the Ephesians to protect against the flaming arrows of Satan? Faith in Christ and faith in God’s promises. This is one of the key virtues of the Christian life. As the late R.C. Sproul put it, “What protects us from the enemy is our trust in the living God.”

Salvation:

Paul is telling the Ephesians that their salvation is a pivotal piece of armor against the enemy. Who’s are you? Wear it boldly on your head. I am a child of God. God redeemed me and I am His.

The Sword of the Spirit/The Word of God:

Here I do want to emphasize something. All over Scripture, the Word of God, the Scriptures are compared to a Sword. Perhaps most famously is Hebrews 4:12 “12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

I think this is worth noting because Paul gives only one offensive weapon. All others are defensive. Our protections against Satan are truth, righteousness, faith, and salvation. But we are not a passive people. Christians are a warring people. We war not against other people, but we are to make war none the less. And how do we do that? Do we make war using our own thoughts? Do we make war with man’s ideas? No! We make war using the Word of God. Scripture is always our weapon. When Satan or his armies or his human puppets come up against us, we go immediately to Scripture. We are to wield the Word as a great broadsword.

Argumentation:

And I hope you see clearly, that this is not just some advice Paul had for the Ephesian church. This is God’s command to all of us. Wear the armor of God. Be defended against the attacks of the enemy. How are you to be defended?

Stand firm in the strength of the Lord and obey Him! Put off lying. Do not lie. Do not be coerced into lying. Be honest and truthful people. Live righteously. Put away sexual immorality. Put away drunkeness. Put away the works of the flesh and live unto Christ. Be ready always with the gospel. Always live and walk in light of the gospel. Cling to your salvation. Not that you fear losing it, you cannot lose it. But love it, wear it, embrace it. And in all things, maintain faith in Christ. When an attack comes, cling to the truth of Christ and truth of Scripture.

Many of you know my story. You know what we have walked through. You know what we are continuing to to walk through. Beloved, I tell you this, nothing in this life can shake you when your faith is in Christ and the promises of God. Life hurts. The attacks of the enemy are real and they are bloody hellish battles. But faith holds us to Christ. Nothing can shake you when you have that faith. These are what guard us against satan. Or as Paul says in Rom 13:12-14 “12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

That is our defense. But what about our attack? We are not a passive people. So how do we attack? Sadly, many Christians are content just to have protection. They are content to sit in a fox hole and just not take damage. But our calling is far beyond that. When Christ established the authority of the church in Matthew 16:18, He said the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. Let me ask you this. Are gates an offensive or defensive tool? Defensive!

We are on the attack. And our weapon is the Word of God. Hear me on this, the church advances by the Word and the proclamation of the Word. But sadly we are so Biblically illiterate. Many of us have no clue how that sword is to feel in our hands. A soldier must know his weapon. Even in our day, soldiers are trained to know their weapons so well they can completely disassemble and reassemble them in the dark. My challenge to you is this, know the Word inside and out. Train with it day and night. Train with it with your family. Your children are going out to fight dragons. Are you equipping them with sling shots and foam balls or with the Sword? Training them is of the utmost importance. If your response to this is “Pastor Jonathan, we just don’t have time!” Then take them out of sports. Get rid of any excess fat in their lives and train them for the fight. They will carry it on after you die. Will they be ready for the fight? Or will they only know how to throw a football and dance?

Transition:

Finally, Paul gives the Ephesians the final key in this fight.

Point 3: Pray always in the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:18-20 “18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Explanation:

I won’t spend much time here as I hope it is fairly obvious. But let me give one quote just for clarification. “To pray in the Spirit does not mean praying in tongues. Praying in the Spirit means that the Spirit helps us to communicate with the Father, interceding for us. When Paul tells us to pray in the Spirit it reminds us of what Jesus said to the woman at the well, that we are called to worship God in Spirit and in truth. Not in a perfunctory manner, not by reciting our favourite syllables or empty repetitions, but praying from the depths of our souls. To pray in concert with the Holy Spirit means that the communication is earnest in its origin and in its passion.”

Paul commands the Ephesians to pray earnestly and passionately for one another, and himself.

Argumentation:

We are to pray. Our final piece of gear for the militant church is to pray always. Pray for one another. And pray for your leadership. Pray for the believers. Pray for each other in this room. Pray for the other Christians and churches in this community. They are in the same war we are. They may be in other companies and regiments, but they are in the same army. Pray for them. Pray for the believers around the globe. Keep the army of Christ always in your prayers.

And pray for your leadership. Pray for the commanders and captains that God has raised up. I want to ask you this, how often do you really pray for Pastor Jon, Pastor Kaleb, Pastor Cory, and Pastor Seth? Do you actively pray for them? If not, do! If you are just visiting here, do you pray for your pastor? God has raised these faithful men up to lead and command in this war. They need your prayer.

Transition:

This is my hope for you. This is my prayer for you.

Conclusion:

I love you all more than I could ever say. I have spent over ten years here among you. I have prayed with many of you. I have wept with some of you. I dearly and deeply love you. It tears my heart out that I am leaving you now. But God has called me on to be faithful to Him in Iowa. And I take this assignment with joy and with sorrow. I love you all so much.

Visualization:

And as I leave you, I beg of you to hear this. Beloved, you are at war. I am not leaving you in peace time. My orders have come in and I am being reassigned to a new duty station. But I leave you in the midst of a war. And I beg of you, please stand firm in the strength of the Lord. Please wear the armor of God. Please pray always for each other, and also for your leadership.

Reiteration:

I hope you take this to heart. In the very real war we are engaged in against a very real enemy, you are to stand firm in the strength of the Lord, wear the armor of God, and pray always in the Spirit for each other and your leaders.

Application:

Please do this things.

Action 1: Stand Firm in the Strength of the Lord.

This is so encouraging. One writer during the reformation put it this way, “By the power of his Spirit he strengthens what is weak in us, restores what is fallen and preserves what is already strong.”

Be strengthened in the Lord. Do not neglect the gathering together as is the habit of some. Be strengthened in the Lord. Find that strength not in yourself but in Christ.

Action 2: Wear the Armor of God.

Please, as I leave you, let your Christian walk be defined by truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, and salvation. Know the Word. Practice every day with your Sword. Know the Word. Be people of the book.

Action 3: Pray always for Each Other and Your Leaders.

Do not neglect prayer. Prayer is so often our last resort when it should be our first response. Pray for each other. Pray for your pastors.

Appeal: Do these things, and pray also for me as I leave you.

Finally, I want to paraphrase the words of Paul. Pray also for me, as I am an ambassador of Christ in Northern Iowa. Pray that I may be bold and proclaim the gospel. Pray for passion and boldness. For me.

I love you all more than I could ever say. I pray for you. Pray for me.

Closing Prayer:

Let’s pray. Our great God and Father. We thank you that you have not left us unprepared. We know we are in a war, but we know this is a war that you have already won. Lord, give us strength to fight the good fight. May we not be cowards. Let us be brave, jolly warriors. Help us to wear the armor for the fight. Help us to be diligent in our Sword training. May we be grave in the knowledge that there is a real fight to be had. And may we go into battle whistling with smiles on our faces. Give us joy and peace and bravery and honor. Let us represent the banner of Christ well. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Would you stand with me and close out in singing the Doxology.

Doxology:

Benediction:

Phil 4:1 “1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”