Battle Ready

BELIEVE AND LIVE

SERMON 13

BATTLE-READY

INTRODUCTION:

IN 1588, THE SPANISH FLEET SAILED UP THE COAST OF ENGLAND, IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAUNCH A NAVAL ATTACK THAT WOULD THEN ALLOW THEIR GROUND FORCES TO SUBDUE THE ENGLISH.

WHAT THEY DID NOT REALIZE WAS THAT THE ENGLISH HAD BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING NAVAL SHIPS DESIGNED TO SINK ENEMY VESSELS, AS OPPOSED TO THE SPANISH FLEET THAT WAS DESIGNED TO DISABLE ENEMY SHIPS AND ALLOW THEIR TROOPS TO BOARD AND SUBDUE THE SAILORS ON BOARD.

THIS LACK OF PREPAREDNESS, COUPLED WITH WEATHER DELAYS, AND AN OVERALL POOR STRATEGY, LED TO THE SPANISH ARMADA’S DEFEAT, AND MAEKED THE END OF SPANISH NAVAL DOMINANCE.

THE KEY PHRASE IN THIS ILLUSTRATION IS “LACK OF PREPAREDNESS.”

A LACK OF PREPAREDNESS IS REPEATEDLY CITED AS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS FOR FAILURE IN TIMES OF WAR.

A LACK OF PREPAREDNESS ON THE PART OF GOD’S PEOPLE HAS SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES AS WELL.

LIVES HANG IN THE BALANCE, AND OUR LEVEL OF PREPAREDNESS WILL HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON THE ETERNAL DESTINY OF PEOPLE ALL AROUND US.

AND MAKE NO MISTAKE, IF WE ARE UNPREPARED, IT IS NOT GOD WHO WILL BE AT FAULT, BECAUSE HE HAS GIVEN US EVERYTHING WE NEED TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THE EVER-RAGING BATTLE AGAINST THE ENEMY OF MANKIND.

AND HERE IN THE LAST FEW SENTENCES OF PAUL’S LETTER TO THE EPHESIAN CHURCH, GOD GIVES US SOME OF THE MULTITUDE OF INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN HIS WORD FOR HOW TO WAGE WAR AGAINST THE ENEMY OF YOUR SOUL…

LET’S TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO LOOK AT WHAT PAUL WROTE, UNDER THE INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, TO HELP US BE BATTLE READY.

HERE THE FORST THING I WANT YOU TO MAKE NOTE OF…

1. TRUE STRENGTH CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN THE LORD.

a. (ESV) – 10 FINALLY, BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE STRENGTH OF HIS MIGHT.

i. BE STRONG IN THE LORD…

1. THAT WORD TRANSLATED “STRONG” IS A WORD THAT MEANS TO BE ENABLED, OR TO BE RENDERED CAPABLE.

2. THERE ARE SO MANY OF US TODAY TRYING TO WORK WITHIN OUR OWN CAPABILITIES WHEN THE BIBLE CLEARLY TELLS US THAT IN THIS BATTLE FOR THE SOULS OF MEN, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO WITHOUT THE ENABLING OF THE LORD.

3. IN (ESV), JESUS SAID THIS, “I AM THE VINE; YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. WHOEVER ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE IT IS THAT BEARS MUCH FRUIT, FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.”

4. HOW LONG MUST WE GO ON IN OUR OWN STRENGTH TO RECOGNIZE THE FUTILITY OF OUR EFFORTS…

5. THAT IF WE ARE NOT OPERATING OUT OF THE CAPABILITIES THAT THE LORD GIVES, OUR EFFORTS WILL NOT JUST BE UNSUCCESSFUL, THEY WILL BE ETERNALLY DEVASTATING…

ii. IN THE STRENGTH OF HIS MIGHT…

1. 1. THIS PHRASE REFERS TO THE NEED WE HAVE TO NOT JUST BE ENABLED BY THE LORD, BUT ALSO TO BE CONTROLLED BY THE LORD.

2. UNCONTROLLED STRENGTH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS.

2. UNDERSTAND WHO YOUR TRUE ENEMY IS.

a. ONE OF THE WORST THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN IN WARFARE IS TO MISIDENTIFY THE ENEMY.

i. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE AN ENEMY THAT LOVES TO SHIFT OUR FOCUS AWAY FROM HIM, AND PUT OUR FOCUS WHERE IT REALLY DOESN’T BELONG…WHICH IS OFTEN ON EACH OTHER…

ii. (ESV) – 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.

iii. GOD IS POINTING OUT HERE THAT THE BATTLE WE FIND OURSELVES IN IS NOT A PHYSICAL BATTLE, BUT RATHER IT IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE.

iv. OUR ENEMIES ARE NOT POLITICIANS WITH WHOM WE DISAGREE…

1. THEY ARE NOT PEOPLE WHOSE WORLDVIEWS DIFFER FROM OURS…

2. THEY ARE NOT PEOPLE WHO LOOK DIFFERENTLY, TALK DIFFERENTLY, OR HOLD DIFFERENT VALUES THAN WE DO…

3. THEY ARE NOT EVEN THOSE WHO WOULD SEEK TO DO US HARM…

b. AT THE END OF IT ALL, OUR ENEMY IS SATAN, AND EVEN THOUGH WE DO BATTLE WITH HIM IN A PHYSICAL REALM, THE BATTLE WE WAGE IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE…

i. EVERY TEMPTATION YOU FACE IS A SPIRITUAL ATTACK…

ii. THE TEMPTATION TO HATE SOMEONE ELSE…SPIRITUAL IN NATURE…

iii. THE TEMPTATION TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST SOMEONE BECAUSE OF SKIN COLOR, NATIONALITY, OR ANYTHING ELSE…SPIRITUAL IN NATURE…

iv. THE TEMPTATION TO DISOBEY AUTHORITY…SPIRITUAL IN NATURE…

c. ALL OF OUR BATTLES – THOUGH WAGED IN THE PHYSICAL, ARE SPIRITUAL AT THEIR ROOT…

d. THEREFORE, WE NEED SPIRITUAL ARMAMENT TO COMPETE IN THIS SPIRITUAL BATTLE…

e. GOD GIVES US A LIST OF SPIRITUAL ARMAMENT IN THE NEXT SECTION…AND HE INSTRUCTS US TO…

3. GEAR UP FOR BATTLE.

a. (ESV) –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,

b. TO PUT ON THE BELT OF TRUTH CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AS ACCEPTING THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE AND CHOOSING TO FOLLOW IT WITH INTEGRITY.

c. TO PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AS CHOOSING NOT TO HARBOR AND NURTURE KNOWN SIN. IT IS STRIVING TO BE LIKE CHRIST AND LIVE ACCORDING TO HIS WAYS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

d. TO PUT ON THESE SHOES OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE COULD BE UNDERSTOOD AS BELIEVING THE PROMISES OF GOD IN THE GOSPEL AND COUNTING ON THEM TO BE TRUE FOR YOU. FAITH IN THESE PROMISES YIELDS PEACE IN THE CHRISTIAN’S LIFE.

e. TO TAKE UP THE SHIELD OF FAITH CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AS REJECTING TEMPTATIONS TO DOUBT, SIN OR QUIT, TELLING YOURSELF THE TRUTH AND CHOOSING ON THE BASIS OF THE TRUTH TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

f. TAKING THE HELMET OF SALVATION COULD BE UNDERSTOOD AS RESTING YOUR HOPE IN THE PROMISES OF GOD AND LIVING IN THIS WORLD ACCORDING TO THE VALUE SYSTEM OF THE WORLD TO COME.

g. TAKING THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT—DEFINED FOR US AS THE WORD OF GOD—CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AS USING SCRIPTURE SPECIFICALLY IN LIFE’S SITUATIONS TO FEND OFF ATTACKS OF THE ENEMY AND PUT HIM TO FLIGHT, SUCH AS JESUS DID IN .

h. SO PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD…

i. AND FINALLY, WHILE PREPARING FOR AND DOING BATTLE, GOD COMMANDS US TO…

4. STAY ON HIGH ALERT.

a. (ESV) – 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.

b. WE ARE LIVING IN A VERY ODD TIME IN THE CHURCH…

c. IT’S A TIME WHEN, I BELIEVE, WE ARE WITNESSING SOME OF THE LOWEST LEVELS OF COMMITMENT TO CHRIST THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN…

d. NOTICE I SAID LOWEST LEVELS OF COMMITMENT TO CHRIST…

e. IT’S NOT THAT WE ARE UNWILLING TO COMMIT TO THINGS…

i. IT’S JUST THAT THE THINGS WE ARE WILLING TO COMMIT TO USUALLY TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER THINGS RELATED TO THE FAITH WE CLAIM…

ii. WHICH LEAVES THE CHURCH UNDERMANNED AND UNPREPARED FOR THE CHALLENGES OF MINISTERING TO THE WORLD AROUND US…

iii. BUT IF WE ARE TO IMPACT THE CULTURE, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE…

iv. GOD COMMANDS US HERE TO STAY ALERT WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE…

v. A PRAYERFUL AWARENESS OF THE CULTURE SHOULD CAUSE US TO BE MORE COMMITTED THAN EVER BEFORE TO THAT WHICH WE KNOW IS THE ONLY THING OF LASTING VALUE…

1. FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST…

2. LET ME GIVE YOU SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT…

3. IF THE COMMITMENT LEVEL OF YOUR CHILDREN ONLY MATCHES YOUR COMMITMENT TO CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH, HOW LONG DO THINK THIS CHURCH WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE MINISTRY IN THIS COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD?

CONCLUSION:

MAYBE THIS MORNING, IT’S TIME TO RENEW YOUR COMMITMENT TO CHRIST…

IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING WE’VE READ IN THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS, AND EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THE CULTURE WE LIVE IN…

MAYBE YOU KNOW THAT GOD IS CONVICTING YOU BECOME A MORE DILIGENT PURSUER OF HIS TRUTH, AND MORE DILIGENT WITNESS OF THAT TRUTH, AND A MORE DILIGENT EXAMPLE OF A CHRIST-FOLLOWER…

OR MAY THIS MORNING, YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TRIES EVERYTHING TO FIND PEACE FOR YOUR LIFE, AND NOTHING YOU’VE TRIED HAS BROUGHT YOU PEACE, AND TODAY, YOU ARE READY TO SEEK THE PEACE THAT CAN ONLY COME THROUGH REPENTANCE AND FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST…

MAYBE TODAY IS THE DAY YOU BECOME BATTLE-READY…