Mission Readiness

Over the past several weeks we have been covering some foundational spiritual topics

Week one we discussed how the Bible is God’s method for speaking with us and training us for a life on mission

This morning we covered prayer which is our method of communicating with God (of course He speaks to us too)

Next week we will end this series by looking at what that mission for our life is

As we get prepared and begin to mobilized the enemy will notice and begin to try and derail our efforts

So tonight I want to make sure we are mission ready

Ephesians 6:10–20 CSB

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. 20 For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.

When we think of prayer we picture a quiet living room or maybe the comfort of our Sunday school class where we bring our needs and hurts before a loving Father

But tonight I want us to look at prayer from the perspective of a battle ready soldier who is establishing a wartime connection to the God of angel armies

Prayer is an essential piece of gear that we cannot head into battle without

First Steps

Suit up!

Notice it is the full armor of God - Paul uses the Greek word panoplia, which means a complete, comprehensive set of heavy Roman infantry gear

To fight well if we must be properly outfitted.

A soldier doesn’t pick and choose which gear to wear - if you have the shield but no helmet , you’re vulnerable.

There is even a proper way to put the armor on.

The Belt of Truth

The Function: For a Roman soldier, the belt tucked in the loose tunic and held the sword sheath. It kept everything together so he wouldn’t trip.

The Spiritual Meaning: Truth is the foundation. Without objective truth (God’s Word), the rest of your armor will fall apart. It protects you from the "tripping hazards" of lies and deception.

2. The Breastplate of Righteousness

The Function: This heavy piece of metal protected the heart and vital organs from fatal blows.

The Spiritual Meaning: This isn't about your own "goodness," but Christ’s righteousness credited to you. When the enemy attacks your character or fills you with guilt, this breastplate protects your heart from those accusations.

3. The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

The Function: Roman boots (caligae) had metal studs on the bottom, like cleats. They provided traction and allowed the soldier to stand his ground on slippery or uneven terrain.

The Spiritual Meaning: Having "peace with God" gives you a firm footing. You can’t fight if you’re slipping. It allows you to stand firm in the middle of a storm because you know you are secure in Him.

4. The Shield of Faith

The Function: This was a large, rectangular shield (scutum). Soldiers would soak them in water so that when the enemy fired "flaming arrows," the wet leather would extinguish the fire on impact.

The Spiritual Meaning: Faith is your first line of defense. It intercepts the "fiery darts" of doubt, fear, and temptation before they can even touch your soul.

5. The Helmet of Salvation

The Function: Protects the head, the command center. A soldier without a helmet is one blow away from losing his ability to think or see.

The Spiritual Meaning: The assurance of your salvation protects your mind. When the enemy tries to make you doubt your identity or your future, the "Helmet" keeps your thinking clear and focused on the hope of eternity.

6. The Sword of the Spirit

The Function: The gladius was a short, sharp stabbing weapon used for close-quarters combat.

The Spiritual Meaning: This is the only offensive weapon listed. Paul explicitly identifies it as the Word of God. Like Jesus in the wilderness, we use specific scripture to "cut through" the enemy’s lies.

Tune in.

While not a physical piece of armor, Paul ends the list by saying to "pray at all times."

Prayer is the “radio” to HQ.

This is our Comms (Communications). Armor is useless if you aren't in contact with your Commander.

Prayer is how you receive orders and call in the "Air Cover" or that divine intervention we need in the midst of the battle.

Our prayer isn’t just for our own safety and help - it is for the whole unit

You will find there are 3 phases to the battle:

Mission prep and pre-launch - this is where you cover as many variables and plan for unexpected circumstances, you train, you make sure everything is in working order (fix or replace if necessary), and you map out the objective - this is your everyday time with God in His word and in prayer

Combat operations - you are in it now, you will rely on your preparation and training, communication is available but can become chaotic in the midst of battle and if you are not tuned in orders get missed, support doesn’t come and people may get hurt - these prayers are often cried out in desperation

Post combat operations and debrief - the battle is over and now it is time to regroup, rest and reset for the next assault. Now we get look back and thank God for His provision and the victory. Plus, we get to move again in to mission prep…

Paul warns us that we are fighting an enemy who specializes in schemes.

He will try and separate us from one another, keep us from the Word and try to sever our communication with God

Internal Roadblock

The slumber trap

This is being spiritually asleep and unaware

Paul tells us to “stay alert with all perseverance”

The enemy likes to attack at night when we are naturally sleepy

The worst thing a soldier can do is fall asleep on guard duty.

If we allow ourselves to get spiritually drowsy we will miss the warning signs of imminent danger

We find ourselves cruising through life thinking our biggest problems are our finances, jobs, health and we are completely blind to spiritual ambush waiting for us

We must shift our focus and remember Jesus reminder, “lead us not into temptation and deliver us from the evil one”

The casual soldier mentality

We get relaxed and lulled into complacency

Lukewarm is the most dangerous attitude to have because we fail miss the threat

The casual solider isn’t necessarily doing anything wrong, that’s what makes is so dangerous. They are not rebelling, or running, they are just coasting

They check the box but there’s no urgency, no alertness, no expectation that a battle is coming

The reality is, you don’t need to commit some massive sin to become a casualty. Sometimes all the enemy needs is for you to do nothing.

Think about it like this - a soldier who has never been in combat can start to think training is unnecessary. “Why do we keep drilling? Nothing ever happens.”

Paul says to stand firm - present tense, ongoing. This is not a reaction to crisis but a lifestyle of readiness.

The slumber trap says, “I didn’t see it coming.” The casual soldier says, “I saw it, but didn’t think it mattered.”

External Roadblock

The naturalist myth

Spiritual warfare is a myth; everything can be explained by psychology and science

See, this is the roadblock the culture throws at us — and honestly, the church has bought into it more than we'd like to admit

The world says if you're struggling with anxiety, it's just brain chemistry. If you're dealing with addiction, it's just a behavioral pattern. If your marriage is falling apart, it's just communication issues. And look — I'm not saying those things aren't real. They are. But if we stop there, we've only told half the story

Paul doesn't say our struggle is against flesh and blood — and that word "struggle" there is the word(). It's a wrestling term. It's hand-to-hand combat. Paul is saying this is personal, it's close, and it's real palē G3823

Here's the deal — the naturalist worldview says if you can't measure it, it's not real. But Paul says the opposite — the things that are most real are the things you see. 2 Corinthians 4:18 “18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

And honestly, if you think about it, this roadblock is one of the enemy's most effective strategies, because if he can convince you the battle isn't spiritual, you'll never pick up spiritual weapons. You'll spend your whole life fighting symptoms and never address the root

The reality is, psychology and science can describe what's happening, but they can't explain why it's happening at the deepest level. They can tell you what the storm looks like, but they can't tell you who's stirring the water 

And we need to be careful here because this isn't an anti-science message. God gave us minds. God gave us medicine. God gave us counselors and professionals who do incredible work. But if we reduce everything to the natural, we will miss the supernatural, and that's exactly what the enemy wants

Jesus Himself acknowledged the reality of spiritual warfare. He cast out demons. He confronted the enemy directly. He told Peter, "Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat" (Luke 22:31). If Jesus took spiritual warfare seriously, we probably should too

So when someone says "there's no such thing as spiritual warfare," the question isn't whether they believe it, the question is whether we have let that thinking creep into our own lives. Have we gotten so used to explaining everything naturally that we've stopped discerning spiritually?

See, we cannot view people, or our problems, from a worldly perspective. We have to see things the way God sees them. And God's Word tells us plainly: our enemy is real, the battle is real, and the weapons of our warfare are not natural — they are divinely powerful for the demolition of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4)

If we are preparing for or actively fighting a spiritual battle then how can we execute good battlefield communication?

Paul give us 4 distinct, tactical instructions:

Pray at all times, with every request, stay alert, and pray for all the saints

To lock this in I want to give you an acrostic - let’s call it the… W.A.R. Blueprint

W — Watch (Scanning the Perimeter)

Before you start asking God for anything, spend the first few minutes looking around. A soldier on guard duty doesn't close his eyes and start making requests — he scans the horizon. He's looking for movement.

That's what this looks like practically. Look at your day. Look at your week. Where is the enemy likely to set a trap? Is there a conversation coming where you know you'll be tempted to lose your temper? Is there a situation where you're going to want to escape — into your phone, into a bottle, into anything that numbs the pressure? Name it. Bring it to God before it happens. "Lord, I see this coming. Set a guard over my heart."

See, most of us skip this step. We go straight to "God, bless my day" without ever assessing the battlefield. But a soldier who doesn't know where the enemy is will get flanked every time.

A — Ask (Calling in Heavy Support)

Now that you've scanned the perimeter, you know what you're walking into. This is where you call it in. You bring your requests to God, but notice what Paul says: pray with every prayer and request in the Spirit. That means we're asking according to God's will, not just our wants.

This is where you ask for the spiritual provisions you need to survive the day. You need the Belt of Truth because you're walking into a situation where the enemy is going to try to get you to believe a lie. You need the Shield of Faith because doubt is coming. You need daily bread, not just physical food, but the strength to keep going for His kingdom.

Here's the deal — we're not just asking God to fix our circumstances. We're asking Him to equip us for the fight. There's a difference. Sometimes God calms the storm, and sometimes He lets the storm rage and gives you the strength to stand in it.

R — Reinforce (Providing Cover for the Saints)

In a firefight, a soldier never fights alone. If you only pray for yourself, you are a terrible squad member. That's just the reality.

Paul says it plainly — pray for all the saints. And then he says, "pray also for me." Even Paul, the apostle, needed backup. He needed people covering him so he could preach boldly.

So you spend the last few minutes of your prayer time providing cover fire for your church family. Pray for your pastors, that they would have clarity and boldness and that the enemy wouldn't get a foothold in their lives or their families. Pray for the marriages in your small group that are taking heavy hits. Pray for the people in this church who are struggling to stand — the sick, the broken, the ones who are barely holding on.

See, that's what it means to be the church. We don't just fight for ourselves. We fight for each other. We cover each other. And when one of us can't stand, the rest of us hold the line.

I want to wrap up with something from a previous sermon I titled The Warrior Ethos

Ethos is a Greek word that means character, habit, or custom, and it describes the guiding beliefs, values, or credibility of a person, group, or culture

In the military the warrior ethos is a foundational mindset that guides how members train, live, and fight - it is that code of conduct centered on courage, selflessness, and an indomitable will to succeed.

I believe this ethos translates well into our spiritual warfare as Christians

There are 4 core principles:

Place the mission first: we prioritize our mission to share the gospel above personal needs or safety.

Never accept defeat: we maintain a refusal to give up, even when facing significant adversity or perceived failure

Never quit: we commit to persistent effort and endurance until the task is complete (we run the race)

Never leave a fallen brother or sister: we maintain unwavering loyalty and responsibility for fellow believers (our brothers and sisters)

All right, church — it's time to put this into practice. Right now. Not next week. Not when you get home. Right now.

I want you to stay right where you are. I need you to take the next few minutes and let me walk you through this. We're going to do this together — guided, focused, and honest before God.

Step 1 — Watch (1 Minute)

Close your eyes. Picture your week ahead. Not the whole year, just this week. Now ask yourself: where do I see the enemy setting a trap? What's coming that could take me out spiritually? Maybe it's a relationship that's been wearing you down. Maybe it's a habit you keep falling back into. Maybe it's just the slow drift of getting comfortable and not paying attention.

Don't say it out loud. Just let the Holy Spirit bring it to the surface. Be honest with God right in this moment.

[Pause — 1 minute of silence]

Step 2 — Ask (1 Minute)

Keep your eyes closed. Now, with that threat still in your mind, ask God, “What do I need from You this week to stand firm?” Not a wish list. A battle provision. Maybe you need patience with someone. Maybe you need courage to have a conversation you've been avoiding. Maybe you just need the strength to get through another day.

Ask Him right now. In the quiet. Just you and God.

[Pause — 1 minute of silence]

Step 3 — Reinforce (2 Minutes)

Now open your eyes. I want you to think of one person in this church who is taking heavy fire right now. Somebody who's struggling. Somebody who's barely standing. Somebody who needs cover.

Turn to the person sitting next to you, and tell them one sentence: "I'm going to pray for __________ this week." Say the name out loud. Make it real. Make it a commitment.

[2 minutes — seated pairs share quietly]

That's it. You just told another soldier who you're covering. Let them know you will be praying for them too so they know somebody has their back too.

That's how it starts. That's how we stop being a room full of individuals and start being a unit. We watch together. We ask together. We cover each other. And when the enemy comes, and he will come, we won't be caught sleeping. We'll be battle ready.