Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity (2025)

Eph 6:10-17

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ what a wonderful passage here for we know that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Satan’s means accuser, and diaboulos which we get diabolical from, but its one who hurls things for when he comes against God’s saint’s he hurls every accusation at us that he can to destroy us. That is why it is a great joy to find here in the Scriptures how God equips and arms us that we may be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might, not our own for we have a great and mighty champion that stands against the evils of the world.

The Ancient Serpent

It isn’t just earthly enemies we face.

St. Paul was no stranger to the dangers that came from earthly foes. He had been arrested, beaten, whipped, stoned, chased out of towns, thrown in prison, and mistreated by Jew and Gentile, and yet as he speaks to the Church in Ephesus, he tells them that these opponents are insignificant compared with what stands behind them. For who sits behind all of these forces?

It is satan who sits behind these forces.

That ancient serpent, that evil foe that has sought the destruction of everything that God had called good in the beginning. He had corrupted and destroyed the image of God given to Adam and Eve, and so when Christ comes and accomplishes our redemption it should be no surprise that his forces, don’t give up. For the devil does not want God and man, Creature and Creator, to be together in Paradise. Since he cannot assault Christ who has ascended to the heavenly realms. What does he do?

He continues to attack the church.

The children of God that are here on earth and living through this world find that Satan is a sore loser and does not want to let ago of any that once were in his kingdom. He will work diligently to see that we fall back into his kingdom. That is why we are

Seeking Protection

We are weak against him.

We know what happened to Adam and Eve, and we are no better than them. How many times have we fallen into sin? How many times have you come into church confessed your sin and fall back into it before the end of the day. Even though we know its evil, even though we know it brings slavery, and the Law of God threatens us with death and hell if we continue in our sins, and we stand here lamenting our sins and yet go back into it again? Why aren’t we better than that? Because we are weak, and

Our strength is found in the Lord.

Not in what we do, or have done, or what we can will or accomplish, no our strength is found in the Lord. Jesus is the one who is strong for us, He is the one that lifts us up and keeps us in the faith. It is the work of God that saved you, for what we see there on the Cross is that

Jesus fights for you.

Christ came to be your champion to fight on our behalf and be strong where we have been weak. We could not fulfill the Law and that revealed that each and everyone of us was born into the kingdom of Satan, and under his power, but then Christ came born in Bethlehem to fight for you. Jesus is the champion of mankind who fought against these cosmic power, and the spiritual forces of evil and threw them down in victory.

Christ is Victorious

Every temptation was hurled at Jesus.

He lived as you and I do, for by the incarnation is like us in every way except he is without sin. Now just because you are without sin doesn’t mean you can’t be tempted. For Adam and Eve were both tempted even though they had no sin, but where we have fallen, and have indulged weakness to our shame, Jesus

He remained strong for you.

He was fighting for the sake of all mankind and won for us the victory upon the Cross that it might be given to us freely. That is God’s gift to you, that you might not perish for your sins, but rather that you mind find forgiveness, and peace with God, and that you may no longer be enslaved to Satan. What does God do?

God gives you this armor.

Everything that Christ had, he clothes you in it, so that you might not have to rely on your own strength, and your own abilities, when Satan comes at you, but that you may remain firm in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Armor of God

Look how each part defeats our foe.

Satan himself is the father of lies and that is how he tricked and misled Adam and Eve in the Garden, he has been a liar from the beginning, but if you have the truth then you are ready to stand firm against him. What guards your heart against the attacks and insults that he hurls against the children of God, the righteousness of Christ that covers your sins, so his accusations bounce off ya. Instead of being in irons, our feet are ready and good to go for we have the gospel of peace. The shield of faith that extinguish all the fiery darts of the evil one, for faith clings to the promises that God has given, doesn’t mean things will always be easy, but we know what Jesus has secured for us through the resurrection. The helmet of salvation that Christ has secured for us to guard our hearts and our minds, and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God that Satan cannot overcome, and as though this was all not enough we are even given the Spirit that we may pray to our father in heaven. All this

It all comes from God.

It wasn’t anything that we had to fashion or prepare on our own, it has been given to us to keep us safe while we live in a world where satan still rages. For Christ knows that we need help, and that is why He has given these to you, and the incredible thing is that

Each piece is a gift.

not something you earned, but something that was paid for by the Blood of Christ to assure you, equip you, and keep you prepared in this world against all the assaults of the evil one. The strength of the arms and armor you have been given isn’t found in the strength of your arm, but it comes from Jesus. That doesn’t stop

The Scheming Serpent from trying to win.

If you’re armored, Satan can’t win.

Satan cannot over come the defenses of Christ, He cannot overcome the Word, he has been defeated by Jesus and cast down. Each of these pieces is enough to shield you from the assaults of the devil. Satan knows this and just because he has lost the war, doesn’t mean that he has given up. He rages against Christ, and against the Church, and he works to destroy the children of God still, and so to do that.

Satan will try to trick you.

While he can’t defeat us head on, he will try to persuade us to take off the armor to lay it aside to go without the rations that Christ has given us to keep us strong and to then try to take him on ourselves. Don’t be a fool. If Adam and Eve who had no sin, could not stand against him, how are you going to fair on your own? This isn’t just a physical contest, this is spiritual warfare against the cosmic powers over this present darkness. So

Don’t lose the armor.

Rather remain in your armor, do not lay it aside even if he should taunt you and say, what are you too weak to fight me on your own. Confess and say I am, but I have a champion, one who loved me even when I was in your kingdom and rescued me from your foul grip. It is Jesus Christ my Lord has redeemed me and made me His own, and He has already defeated you, and will again if you need to be reminded.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, what a great treasure has been given to us in the armor of God. Not only did Christ go forth and fight against Satan on our behalf, but He has then given the very same strength that He used to overcome Satan. Don’t set this armor aside, but keep it ever with you for Satan will try to ensnare and lead us astray, but even on the darkest of days, Christ remains with us through the Word and Sacrament. So let that prowling lion roar in the darkness, and we will remain in the light of Christ who keeps us safe from all His assaults, that we might share in Jesus’ victory. In His name. Amen.