The Believer's Battle (2)

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Jacob Groves introduction

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Memorial Day next week. Encourage you all to be here…but if you’re not…you know that you can be with us online. Part 3

Part 3 (The Believer’s Battle)…its not about us. Memorial day is about giving…sacrificing…willingly laying down your everything for the sake of something or someone else. USA - for country.

What would that mean for the Kingdom? Do you lay everything down for the Kingdom? How…in battle, we put on the armor that helps us point to someone other than us. We decrease so He increases.

Today we’re continuing our look at the familiar passage Paul wrote that many of us just refer to as the Armor of God. As kids, many of us probably memorized the “what” about this…What is the armor of God?

Legitimate question. What is it? Paul uses a picture to help us remember something. And Paul does a great job. Many of us could probably go through the six images of armor. Back then, the original readers would have seen Roman soldiers marching through towns and villages and on roads going from town to town. They would have known these items. So Paul uses it…And I think it helps us to…how many of you can remember pieces or parts or maybe even the whole thing.

Belt of Truth, Chest-plate of righteousness, shoes of readiness (feet fitted with readiness) for the sake of the Gospel, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the spirit.

Sometimes we think about the image of the armor and kinda gloss over what each piece of armor helps us to remember. Pneumonic device. Memory device.

Truth, righteousness, readiness to take the gospel.

Those are the what’s? These things…if they are armor, are functional. They help us do things or protect us.

Little Kids Ask Why - What’s the question that kids ask a lot? Why…yes why!

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, “Why is the bride wearing white?” Her mother said, “Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life!” The little girl thought about this for a minute, then asked, “Why is the groom wearing black?”

Why? Little kids ask why a lot. And I think there’s a reason. And I’m going to say this …I think its a reason that we as adults lose as we get older.

I think that sometimes we get to busy with our day to day stuff…life as it is. We get too busy with the things we want to take care of…those battles that we’re battling on our own. Those things we think are important. And many times, if you’re like me, you do those things like you want to, in your own way. Asking why slows down the process…and many of us are not trained thinkers.

Kids are learning…they want to know why. We sometimes just accept things as they are and don’t go to the deeper layers of the onion…so to speak.

But it is a really good thing to do. It causes us to think.

1960’s From an Army Manual: "Tent pegs, aluminum, 9-inch, NSN 8340-00- 261-9749, must be painted orange. The bright color provides an easy means of locating the pegs under various light and climatic conditions during field use. When bright orange pegs are used, they must be driven into the ground completely out of sight."

Why? Asking why usually helps you understand things a bit more. Narrows down the subject matter. Helps things become a bit more clear.

Last week: Our battle is not against flesh and blood. Our ultimate battle is not against other people. It is against evil. Satan himself. We should not be surprised that he is doing what he can to distract us, confuse us, blind us, create in us a need to hold on to this life so much so that we forget about eternity.

So here’s what Paul says. If this is really where the battle is…then do this. Put on the armor of God...

Ephesians 6:11 CSB

11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.

Ephesians 6:12 CSB

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.

Leave this next one up.

Ephesians 6:13 CSB

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.

Why take up the armor of God? Why focus on the things Paul is quickly going to jump into? Truth, righteousness, readiness and willingness, faith, salvation, word of God. Why focus on these things?

For this reason....

Ephesians 6:11 (CSB)

11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.

Stand....

Why? Because these are the points where evil will attack. He will attack these things to confuse and frustrate you.

And when you’re confused and frustrated…what happens? Why would he do that?

Paul states this too. Why do you put on the armor of God? To stand ....against satan…against evil.

In long distance running....really racing....you train to somehow gain a speed where you’re hurting. Where it wouldn’t make sense to keep going.

Districts - We saw a few athletes who find that spot where, even though they’re hurting, during say the 1600 (mile)…4 laps…they get to a speed and hold… And racing hurts. It isn’t just a point to where you can run fast. You run and train to change gears with your legs like you do in a car…to get just a bit more speed…change pace or your gate or your cadence…turnover...

And through it all you hurt. But there’s a point when you get to that pain…and it’s tough…you kinda move into a zone you know you’re hurting…but your focus becomes on racing…and the pain becomes secondary. You don’t forget about it…but you keep your speed anyways. You stay…you hold...

Paul uses one word a few different times here that is essential for us to comprehend…it comes from asking why? put on the armor of God.

Stand. You keep your focus. You stay and hold…and it isn’t by your own power, its you…using God’s power.

Put on the armor. You need to do something here. You need to pick it up and put it on. It’s intentional. And sometimes you don’t want to. Or sometimes might be too unfocused to remember to. But in the blink of an eye, you’ll remember that its there for you. Put it on.

Why?

So you can stand…resist…push back against the real one who wants to see you fall and fail.

What will Satan do? Let’s look at Paul’s word picture here.

Ephesians 6:14–15 (CSB)

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.

Ephesians 6:14–15 CSB

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.

Belt of ? Truth

Truth…Satan loves confusion. He loves to keep us off track. Remember, if God is the creator of everything, then He knows…He is truth. Satan twists truth to keep us away from God. Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the life. All truth comes through Jesus. From what 2+2 is, to how the universe was created, to what essential to live forever with Him.

Satan wants you to focus on what you think is right, what the world thinks is right, what culture things is right. The problem with those things is that they change. There’s little foundation for “truth” to rest. If you look for truth in God…the unchanging foundation…it will always be the same. And it will always be good. Because God is goodness.

Truth, Righteousness. Jesus, as recorded by Matthew, said that we should be Holy…righteous…same word…because God is Holy. Now…crud…we’re imperfect…so how is that possible. Well, Jesus is our righteousness. When God looks at you…and you’re a believer…you trust in Jesus His son, He sees the One who died for your sins and became your righteousness.

Satan, again with the confusion thing…will have you doubt and regret and have guilt and shame…which all CAN lead to you doubting your forgiveness from Jesus. You might say something like this…you can finish this sentence. “I’ll never be good _____________.” Words from satan himself.

Truth, Righteousness, Readiness (shoes ready to run). Readiness sounds a lot like us believing in one of those last things Jesus said. Go and take the Good News to all nations. The good news? That without Jesus, you can’t live forever with God…Jesus died for you so you can be. Good news? He died for you. And now He lives for you too to show you that you will be like Him…forever.

Are you ready to go with that news? The news of Jesus. The news of His way of living. The news of what He’s done for humanity? Are you focused on being willing and available to go. Hey…focus on that stuff and the other stuff…the distractions will slowly fade away....resist the devil and his schemes. Stand!

Courage Is Fear Holding on a Minute Longer

Famed World War II tank commander General George Patton said, “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.” If you give in to your fears, you are on the path to defeat. If instead you stand strong in spite of your fears, you are on the path to victory. And we must never forget that we are not in the battle alone. With the power of God on our side, we cannot be defeated.

Adolph Menzel created a painting titled Frederick the Great’s Address to His Generals Before the Battle of Leuthen. This historical piece depicts Frederick’s speech to his generals in December 1757 during the Seven Years’ War before their famous battle in Silesia against the Austrians.

Menzel worked on it from 1859-1861, but never finished it. The monumental painting contains the background and the generals standing in a semi-circle, but the main figure of Frederick the Great was left blank. Menzel’s famous painting is a picture of many lives. The background of career, interests, pursuits and achievement is complete. The faces of significant people like family, friends and colleagues surround. But the central and most important figure is left incomplete—Jesus. Jesus Christ has been given a name that is above all others and rightly deserves to be the focal point of our lives. Likewise, the centrality of Christ in life is the greatest need of every person. May we never foolishly allow Him to be a blank figure in our crowded lives.

So where are you? The big question is…do you recognize these pieces of armor?

Truth

Righteousness - that we can’t get on our own…but only through Jesus. We can’t be good enough…we need Him. And then He is our armor so to speak.

Readiness - Satan would do one thing. He wouldn’t mind us being as good as we can be…just keep us busy and unfocused on eternity…unfocused so we really don’t see people around us as those who need Jesus too…Keep us busy and unfocused so we aren’t ready and willing to take the Gospel in some way shape or form to people who need it.

Our battle is not against flesh and blood

It is against Evil, Satan, powerful authorities of the kingdom of darkness.

But we have God. And with our armor on…we will be able to stand.

Prayer - Decisions

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