Suit Up

Eph 6:10-18 - 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench 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 in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

When you join an organization, depending on the organization you receive something that shows you identify with that group. It could be a hat, a t-shirt, a sash, a card you carry, something you display in or on your car, or it could be an entire uniform.

Many of us in Love Christian Center have served in the military and we know we receive an entire uniform and for some, depending on where they’re serving and what their mission is, they receive additional uniform items for their task. On this Memorial Day weekend, we honor those military personnel who have given their lives during a war.

This message is for those who have professed Jesus as their Lord and Savior and have joined the Army of the Lord; I’m here to tell you to Suit Up.

Saints we have got to suit up. There are those who believe that church only happens in a building, that we can only pray in a specific place. While a demand has been made that churches reopen, there have been cases where they did and several of their members ended up contracting the Corona virus.

From the beginning of this crisis I have been saying we are to be wise, sensible, intelligent persons. For church leaders I would add to that, we take our orders from a much higher place.

God is showing us, His power and therefore our power, and that power is not and cannot be contained in a building. We have had to come up with new and inventive ways to reach our members and in turn have been able to expand our reach by allowing those who may not have had physical access to the church, virtual access.

The saints of God are not praying less, I can say with confidence we are praying more. Many pastors have begun daily prayer calls, the intercessors are praying more, and the Scripture 2 Chron 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” has become the mantra of many.

Our text passage begins with the word “finally”, this denotes the speaker is coming to the end of his instruction, we are at the conclusion of the matter, but before I go let me leave you with this.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. When you’re in a fight, you have to be strong, but this strength is not the strength that comes from going to the gym and working out, Paul is telling us to be strong in the Lord…be strong in your faith, knowing that when Jesus went to the cross and the curtain was rent or torn from the top to the bottom it gave each and every one of us access to God for ourselves.

That torn curtain exposed the Holy of Holies and let us all come to the throne of God, let us all go to God for ourselves and pray; whenever we want, whenever we need to, and whenever we’re called to. We go knowing that God will answer our prayers. And when it seems like He doesn’t hear us, just know He is listening, He does hear us and He will answer us, in His time, and in His perfect way. His strength is perfect, and his power is immeasurable. And now that you have your strength because this fight is not for the faint of heart it’s time to suit up.

With the strength of His power comes courage. You can’t go into battle with fear,

• fear can paralyze you when you should be moving

• fear can make you run when you should stand still

• fear can cloud your judgement when you need to clear headed

• fear can cause you to make bad decisions when others are counting on you to be wise

Verse 11 says, “11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

You’re going into battle and when you go to battle, you need to be properly outfitted, you need the right equipment and God is dressing you. You hear them ask the question on the red carpet all night, “Who are you wearing?” Well our answer is, “We’re wearing God”.

When you put on your armor, you have to put it all on. This is no ordinary fight we’re dealing with, this is a spiritual battle, and when we engage in this battle we don’t want anything to be exposed to the enemy and so we boldly proceed and retreat is not an option.

The enemy paces like a roaring lion searching for whom he may devour. He’s looking for an opening like a boxer so he can land that knockout punch. So you have to know your what your uniform consists of, how to put it on and how to use each part of it. This armor is not the standard armor and our struggle is not a standard struggle.

12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Even when it looks like the enemy is standing in front of us, our battle is spiritual one. Satan has a government too and you can identify it by the things that happen there, by the darkness you see.

• When you see government sanctioned mass murder happening, that’s a place of darkness.

• When you see innocent people gunned down in the street for no other reason than the color of their skin, that’s a place of darkness.

• When you see incarceration rates and sentences unfairly imposed for no other reason than the color of a person’s skin, that’s a place of darkness.

• When you see those with little being taxed more than those with much, that’s a place of darkness.

• When you have a leader that marginalizes women, who demands his own way, despite the danger it poses to others, that’s a place of darkness.

• When you see children separated from their parents and placed in cages, left to sit in their own waste for hours at a time, becoming sick and dying alone, that’s a place of darkness.

Church we have got to be prepared to fight, suit up.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

That evil day is here, that evil day is now, suit up so you can stand, nothing wavering, with no hesitation, with no fear. Saints take your place, stand firm and put the devil on notice, letting him know, “Devil you will not win, because greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world”

We have to stand and declare that my God is awesome, his power is infinite, his knowledge is absolute, his love is limitless, and his control is never ending. God is in control, even now. We must stand and declare His victory

• over the enemy

• over the rulers

• over the authorities

• over the cosmic powers of this present darkness

• over the spiritual forces of evil

In the name of Jesus, we have the victory, even over Corona virus. We must be able to stand and declare to the world we will come out on the other side stronger, but we must endure for now and stand firm.

• Yes, there are situations that look bleak, but we must endure for now and stand firm — lift up your eyes to the hills from whence cometh your help, and know your help comes from the Lord.

• Yes, there are businesses going under, but we must endure for now and stand firm — God can restore everything you lose.

• Yes, some are unsure where their next meal is coming from, but we must endure for now and stand firm — many places are setting up food banks and other places to get food, check in your local community.

• Yes, some are losing loved ones and even multiple loved ones because of the virus, we pray God’s comfort for you. But there is also hope, because we are finding there are many more who are recovering, even coming back from the brink of death. We must endure for now and stand firm.

We must endure to the end, whatever and whenever that end may be and only God knows. We must stand firm in our faith, knowing that in the end we win, and no weapon formed against us shall prosper.

There are many inequities, inadequacies and incompetencies in our country and this virus has shined a spotlight on just how egregious they are. Perhaps this virus is here to open the eyes of our nation and bring to light this sad truth in a way that cannot be overstated, overemphasized or overlooked.

Saints it’s time to suit up, it’s time to put on the divine armor of God and take a stand.

14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, it’s time for the truth to be told, everything hangs on truth. This belt is the belt all your essential equipment hangs from or attaches to. If what we have is built on anything other than truth, it will fall apart. Let God be true, but every man a liar.

This truth is not our opinion and it doesn’t come by vote. It is the pure unadulterated Word of God and it is the basis for everything we are, everything we do and every other piece of armor God gives.

Then we are to “put on the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate protects the vital parts of our bodies, it shelters the heart. When we allow the righteousness of Christ to penetrate our hearts, we are protected from the arrows that Satan will attempt to attack us with. The hurts, the disappointments, the accusations all those things that would try to distract us from the true fight.

Satan is a master of deception and distraction; he will wave a bright flag in one hand and while your attention is there he is destroying or smashing something of value to you in his other hand.

Put on your breastplate of righteous which includes faith and love. By faith we’re united to Christ and by love we’re united to our brothers and sisters.

And then we give attention to our feet. What we put on our feet is important. Verse 15 says, 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. In the military we are issued boots, it’s important the boots fit correctly and are comfortable, because there is a lot of marching to do. The path may not always be smooth, and your boots must have a sole that can grip when necessary.

If you’ve ever attempted to do something that required you to stand on your feet for long periods of time or walk or run for a distance, you know what you put on your feet will sometimes determine how long or how far you go. Put something on your feet that will help you stand for as long as you need to stand and go as far as you can go to proclaim the gospel of peace, to spread the Good News of Christ. We carry a message of hope for the masses, what we wear is important, in that it can determine how far we get and how many people we reach.

And then, 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, [why] with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Our faith is our most important defense, everything we believe, everything we are, and everything we do is predicated on the faith we have that God is real, that He is in control, and that He keeps His promises. The faith we have that Jesus is real, that He came and gave his life for our sins, dying for our salvation and that we indeed have the power God said we have to do what he said we can do.

• When we enter a room, the atmosphere changes, not because of who we are, but because of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

• When we pray, God answers. Not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

• When we speak demons tremble, not because of who we are, but because of who we represent and who we are speaking about.

We can read in Hebrews 11 that

• It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again.

• 20 It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

• 21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

• 22 It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.

• 23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.

• 24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.

• 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.

• 28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.

• 29 It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.

• 30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.

• 31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

• And it is by faith that we, the people of God can declare and decree that this too shall pass.

Your shield of faith is designed to protect you from the flaming arrows of temptation that Satan will shoot your way in an attempt to make you doubt God, to make you sin and to ultimately make you lose your soul to him.

Next, we are to 17 Take the helmet of salvation, which contains and protects our hope. We have strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Not just hope, but bright hope. We have a hope that is well founded and well built, and that hope will purify the soul and keep it from being defiled by Satan.

That hope will comfort the soul and keep us from being in despair, because

• while we may be troubled on every side, we are not distressed.

• while we may be perplexed, we’re not in despair.

• while we may be persecuted, we’re not forsaken.

• while we may be cast down, we’re not destroyed.

So we don’t lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

And with our helmet of salvation we pick up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The word is defensive and offensive. We can fend off the enemy’s attacks and use it to fight back.

When Jesus was in the desert for 40 days, he used the word of God to fight off the temptations Satan put before Him. We are to hide the word of God in our hearts so we do not sin against God.

In Deuteronomy 11 the children of Israel were told, be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods. Commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.”

And in 2 Timothy we told, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Saints don’t forget your sword.

And our armor would not be complete without prayer. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. Prayer is talking and listening to God. When we pray in the Spirit, we are connecting with the Spirit of God, to pray the things of God for the people of God. Men and women ought always pray, pray without ceasing.

Prayer is an often overlooked weapon because it seems like such a passive thing to do, but when you know the God to whom you are praying, when you understand that he has all power in his hands, when you believe that he can do anything but fail, when you know, that you know, that you know, that God has always been, is now and will forever be in control you can rest assured that prayer is anything but passive.

• When you pray in the Spirit, expect your situation to change

• When you pray in the Spirit, trust that God will move

• When you pray in the Spirit, the angels in heaven stand up and take note, they prepare to go to war in the heavenlies for God’s children here on Earth

• When you pray in the Spirit, God comes to see about His child

• When you pray in the Spirit

Pray all types of prayer

• public and private,

• secret and open,

• social and solitary,

• solemn and sudden.

And pray with all the elements of prayer:

• adoration of God,

• confession of sin,

• thanksgiving for favors received and

• supplications.

To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Be vigilant at all times, stay alert and always persevere in supplication or prayer for all the saints. Where are the intercessors? Part of our armor is to intercede for all the saints, all the children of God. We have intercessory prayer every Thursday morning from 8-9 a.m. EDT. If you’d like to join us please go to our website at www.lovechristianctr.org and go to the “What’s Happening” tab for the information.

Saints it’s time to suit up and get in the fight. There is so much misinformation going out to the public, be wise about who you’re following. Don’t get distracted by the flag that’s waving in the right hand and lose sight of what the left hand is doing with the hammer. Put on the whole armor of God so you can stand firm.

This armor is reserved for those who have professed Jesus as Lord and have joined His army. Perhaps you’ve yet to make that decision. Today is a great day to do so, on this Memorial Day weekend when we mourn the deaths of those who fought and died in wars past for the rights and freedoms we have today,

… even for the right for you to pray this prayer,

Lord I admit I’m a sinner, please forgive me for my sins. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and he died and rose again to save me from my sins. Please come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. Amen

If you prayed that simple prayer, if you missed it back the video up, if you prayed that prayer you are a child of God, you’ve received salvation, congratulations, welcome to the family and this message is now for you too.

Now suit up, we’re going to war.