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Soldiers! On Your Feet!

Soldiers! On Your Feet!

The very second you trusted Christ as your only hope of salvation, two major things happened:

  1. First, the angels rejoiced and they threw a party to celebrate your eternal life (Luke 15:10 ).
  2. Second, the demons raged and they drew up a plan to destroy your earthly life (John 10:10 ).

Now hear this! Whether you like it or not, you are involved in a war. This is not a video game or virtual reality simulation. God and Satan are in a cosmic battle for control of the universe. God will eventually win, but in the meantime you are enlisted in the Lord's Army.

Remember this song?

I may never march in the infantry,
Ride in the cavalry,
Shoot the artillery.
I may never zoom o'er the enemy,
But I'm in the Lord's army. Yes, sir! I'm in the Lord's army. Yes, sir!
I'm in the Lord's army. Yes, sir!

I may never march in the infantry,
Ride in the cavalry,
Shoot the artillery.
I may never zoom o'er the enemy,
But I'm in the Lord's army. Yes, sir!

As little kids it was easy for us to sing that loudly and proudly, then go home to watch cartoons and eat ice cream.

But times have changed. Now you have trials and temptations you never dreamed of, and living the Christian life isn't quite as simple as you'd like it to be.

In short, welcome to the war. And don't forget the words of Civil War Union General William Sherman:

"War is hell."

So, what are you going to do about it? You are either committed or a casualty. You are either fighting the battle in the Lord's Army or you are rotting in the enemy's prison.

Maybe some of you like the prison. You're content to let Satan hold you captive to do his bidding, and you'll make it into heaven with the smell of hell's smoke on the seat of your pants (I Corinthians 3:15).

But not me. This is a fight for the souls of my friends and family, and I will not sit by and watch the devil have the victory while I have the chance to make a difference.

Do you want to make a difference? If so, let me take a few minutes of time to help prepare you for a lifetime of battle.

First, you need to understand what spiritual warfare is not:

Spiritual warfare is not defined by dealing with annoying people. Just because your brother and/or sister makes your life miserable does NOT mean you are deep in a spiritual struggle with the Prince of Darkness. Neither do acne, bad grades, or strict parents count. In fact, that's one of the ways Satan gets our eyes off the real battle - by making us think that spiritual warfare has to do with the people in our lives. It doesn't.

Spiritual Warfare is also not using our words in our strength to oppose Satan. That's a lot like throwing little rocks at a tank...not effective.

Spiritual warfare is defined by dealing with Satan and his demons. In other words, it has to do with the SPIRITUAL world! Here's what the Bible says about it:

For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

The battle is in the 'unseen' world where the spiritual forces of God and Satan are in a cosmic clash that makes our wars look like a squirt gun fight. There is no neutral ground, and there is nowhere on earth that the battle isn't being waged.

If you're ready to get off the sidelines and get into battle, here's what you need to do.

Put on the full armor of God. If you walk into spiritual warfare without spiritual armor, you'll be pummeled into spiritual silly putty. The armor is listed in Ephesians 6:13-17.

Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (A detailed explanation of each piece of armor can be found in the Hands section below.)

Pray Pray Pray!

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray. ( Samuel Chadwick)

Did you get that last part? He trembles when we pray! That's why Paul finishes up in Ephesians 6 with this command:

Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. (Ephesians 6:18)

The core of spiritual warfare is prayer. When you talk to the Father and ask that His "name be honored" and His "Kingdom come soon" (Luke 2:11 ), it's game on...or should it be "war on"? Only you can answer that question, but I think I hear the voice of King Jesus right now, shouting to his troops:

"Soldiers! On your feet!"

Head: What you need to know about this truth

Spiritual warfare is battling Satan and his demons so that God's rule and reign can be established on this earth. Our weapons for battle are prayer and the armor of God.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Sober. Not in the sense of "not being drunk", but sober in the sense of this being serious business. Battling an evil enemy should also make us feel dependent on God. He is the one who provides us with the armor to fight and he is the one we turn to in prayer. Apart from him we can do nothing. We should also feel determined to do what it takes to stand against the enemy - determined to put on the armor of God and pray.

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Below are detailed *explanations of the armor of God. Read through each one, then think through/jot down ways that you can make each piece a part of your life.

  1. The Belt of Truth

    The belt tied tightly around the waist indicated that the soldier was prepared for action. To slacken the belt was to go off duty. The "belt" served an essential purpose. It gathered in the short tunic and helped keep the breastplate in place. The sword also hung from the belt. The belt of truth around our waist is said to be the truth of the gospel and the truthfulness of God and His Word. The belt of truth protects us from false teaching and false living. Truth is found in God's word and we must hold on to it. Is our doctrine and beliefs completely in line with the truth of God's Word?

  2. The Breastplate of Righteousness

    The heart protector. The breastplate secures the vital organs and shelters the heart. Holiness, godliness, uprightness and integrity of character are all part of being righteous. We put on the righteousness of Christ which fortifies the heart against the attacks which Satan makes against us. We have no fear when we are living a righteous life. Our hearts are protected and we remain strong in God. Is there any sin in our lives we need to deal with or is there any area where we need to make changes so that we are living a righteous life?

  3. Feet fitted with readiness

    The army boots of the soldier was described by Josephus as "shoes thickly studded with sharp nails" so as to ensure a good grip. For the believer it is the readiness to go out at any moment to announce the Good News to others. We need to be ready in season and out of season to share the Gospel message with others. Are you ready? Have you been trained how to clearly communicate the Gospel message?

  4. Shield of Faith

    To cover all the rest, we are to take up the shield of faith. We hold up the shield in front of us for protection. We must have faith in God. With this shield the believer can extinguish the fiery arrows from Satan. We can quench the flames with our shield to keep the fire of Satan's work from spreading.

    The breastplate protects the vital organs, but the shield we turn in all directions. Our enemy the devil is wicked and he tries to make us wicked. His temptations are called darts, because of their swift flight, and the deep wounds that they give to the soul. Faith will cause all of Satan's darts to be ineffective so that we might be effective for Him. Do you understand who God is so that you can totally put your trust in Him?

  5. Helmet of Salvation

    The helmet is the hope of full salvation. We must know that our salvation with God is secure. Christ died for us. With our salvation secure in Christ we can have boldness and assurance in our relationship with God and keep our minds from being polluted by Satan. Knowing our salvation brings us comfort and peace. Do you know for sure that Christ is in your life?

  6. The sword of the Spirit

    This is our only offensive weapon that is part of God's armor. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. As Jesus used the words of Scripture to repulse the tempter, so must the Christian use the inspired Word of God to drive away Satan. Jesus said that we do not live on bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Scriptural arguments are the most powerful arguments with which to repel temptation and render Satan's tactics ineffective. How well do you know God's Word so that you might use it as an offensive weapon against sin and temptation?

  7. Prayer

    We must remain alert as a soldier in Christ through prayer. We must keep watch as we prepare for battle as well as pray during the battle. At the critical hour of spiritual battle, prayer support is most required. Through all this we need to stand firm. Are you praying about everything? Are you giving all the issues in your life to God in prayer?

* Selected sections of the Expositor's Bible Commentary and Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Armor of God