This is War! Putting on the Full Armor (Pt. 7)

(The helmet Pt. 1 of 2)

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”

                                                                                                            Ephesians 6:17

The helmet worn by a Roman soldier was their most expensive piece of equipment and served a very obvious purpose; to protect the head and neck from receiving a fatal wound. One blow to the carotid artery would cause a man to bleed out. One blow to the head would fracture a man’s skull leading to death.

We see an example of man’s vulnerability in battle, when he fails to properly secure his helmet, in Judges 9:52-53:

“Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.”

Without the helmet of salvation securely in place we are extremely susceptible to the enemy’s attacks.  By carefully examining Paul’s writings we see that he understood this and declared it to God’s people. He began by using imagery found in Isaiah 59:17 in his depiction of the armor of God found in Ephesians 6:

“He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head, and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped himself in zeal and a mantle.”

He then carried the narrative into 1 Thessalonians 5:8 where he writes:

“But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

Paul’s writings address both of the aforementioned areas of vulnerability: the neck and the head. The neck provides two essential functions to the body; it provides support to and gives direction to the head. 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11 defines this spiritual helmet as the hope of salvation.

As believers we receive tremendous hope and encouragement by focusing on the sacrifice Jesus made to give us life and on His soon return; which is the goal of our salvation. This hope works like a helmet to protect our minds from discouragement and despair. Before we came to Christ we did not have this hope:

  

“Remember that at that time you were separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”

                                                                                                                        Ephesians 2:12-13.

This hope provides the basis for our faith in Christ.  Just as the head rests on the neck; so our faith rests on hope.

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Lead Pastor

Dayspring Community Church

This is War! Putting on the Full Armor (Pt. 6)

(Part 6)

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”-Ephesians 6:16.

The shield of a Roman soldier was an impressive piece of weaponry in size and construction. The shield was designed to be large enough to protect a soldier’s entire body when crouching behind it. To ensure the shields were lightweight and able to be carried long distances; they were constructed of wood and covered in animal hides. Before entering a battle; these hides would be moistened so to quench the fiery arrows that would rain down from the walls of the fortress or high ground they were attempting to occupy.

Unlike the belt, breastplate, and shoes that are put on; the shield was a piece of the armor that was to be wielded or taken up. It was positioned out in front of a soldier to protect him from projectiles aimed at mortally wounding him. Paul likened this shield to a believer’s faith.

What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 states:

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

In very simple terms; faith is taking God at His word! Faith when raised up will cover us spiritually from the flaming darts of doubt, unbelief, and temptation. The shield of faith does not keep the arrows from coming, but stops them in their tracks and neutralizes the damage they are meant to inflict.  This makes faith a key component in obtaining victory.

“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”-1 John 5:4.

This overcoming faith was not designed to be a parade prop or wall art. Faith is a spiritual weapon given for us to employ on the battlefield.  Just as the Roman soldier’s shield was meant to take the blows meant for the man; so faith is designed to take the blows meant for us. When raised up to defend their position the shield would deflect the assault away from the soldier; however the soldier would still feel the weight of the force upon him, but he would not be destroyed. 

Paul makes reference to this imagery in 1 Corinthians 10:13:

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way our so that you can stand up under it.”

The arrows of temptation are bound to come, but we can stand up under the force of them when we are brandishing the shield of faith. When we do not keep our faith out in front of us, we must bear the brunt of the attack. This makes the shield of utmost importance.

Soldiers took care to ensure that their shields did not become worn and brittle by daily applying a fresh coat of oil to the hides. In like manner, we too must maintain our faith. Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith cometh by hear; hearing by the Word of God.” If our faith is strengthened and made strong by hearing the Word of God; then we must daily be applying the Word to our lives in order that our faith will be resilient enough to quench the fiery darts.

Even when the enemy fires accusations, manipulates truth, and attempts to distract and dissuade us from the sufficiency of our faith; when we are well rooted in the word we will not be moved off our mark.

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Lead Pastor

Dayspring Community Church

This is War! Putting on the Full Armor (Pt. 5)

(part 5)

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”- Ephesians 6:14-15.

In combat the ability to stand your ground is essential. One slip or misstep could prove fatal; therefore a soldier’s shoes became an essential element of their armor. A Roman soldier’s footwear consisted of a sandal firmly bound by straps to the soldier’s calf, ankle and foot. In addition the soles of the shoe were studded with small spikes to prevent slipping.   

The Apostle Paul must have recognized the importance of the soldier’s shoes as evidenced by Ephesians 6:11, 13, and 14; where three times he instructs the Ephesian believers to stand firm. The repetition of this idea demonstrates that standing firm is essential for spiritual victory and that there is a real danger of losing one’s footing. Because our footing is so important to our victory, God made provision for us by equipping us with feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

If our feet are to be fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, what then is the gospel of peace? The gospel of peace is the good news that God brought peace (between Himself and mankind) through the death of his son and offers it to sinners who put their faith in Jesus Christ:

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into the grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”- Romans 5:1-2

This position is a defensive one. When the enemy attacks our position by attempting to undermine our peace, we are reminded that the grace in which we now stand was purchased for us through Christ’s blood. When the enemy attempts to bring division and separate us from the peace of God, we are reminded that the peace we enjoy was not generated from our own abilities or desire; but secured for us by Christ’s sacrificial death:

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace who made the two one and destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”-Ephesians 2:13-14.

Nevertheless, this piece of armor was designed to do more than protect our territory; it was designed to take ground. Once we are securely fitted with the peace that comes from our faith in Christ, we ought to then be ready to take that same message of peace to others who are lost without it. The Prophet Isaiah declared:

“How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”-Isaiah 52:7

The message we carry is not simply a nice little story designed to make people feel better. We carry the gospel of Christ; the power of God unto salvation:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”-Romans 1:16.

We are carrying a weaponized message that can destroy Satan’s stronghold on people’s lives. Satan is keenly aware of this and works to constantly bring the battle to us through temptation, sin and compromise; so that we do not carry the gospel of peace into his kingdom.

We take the battle to him when we storm into the lives of people bound by sin, who need to hear the life giving message of God’s peace, available through Jesus Christ, and proclaim freedom to the captives!

 

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Lead Pastor

Dayspring Community Church

This is War! Putting on the Full Armor (Pt. 4)

Part 4

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with feet fittede with the readiness that comes fromthe gospel of peace.”-Ephesians 6:14-15.

When examining the armor of God, it is important to remember that each piece is constructed by God for battling a spiritual enemy. This is evidenced in no other piece of armor more than the breastplate of righteousness.

The breastplate of a Roman soldier was affixed to a man’s chest primarily to protect his heart. The heart is a prime target. If you can strike the heart, you can stop your opponent dead in his tracks. This is true not only in the physical realm, but the spiritual realm as well.  

The spiritual heart of a man is the inner soul and spirit of a man. It is a person’s center for spiritual, emotional, intellectual and moral activity. Speaking of the heart, Proverbs 4:23 states:  “Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” This passage reinforces the necessity of protecting and keeping our heart healthy. We must guard our hearts above all else because if it becomes compromised it will jeopardize our confidence before God.  Nothing can compromise our hearts faster than condemnation.

“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.”-1 John 3:21.

Condemnation is Satan’s primary weapon to rob you of the confidence that comes from knowing Christ. The Apostle Paul recognized this in Romans 8:1-2 when he wrote:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

The breastplate, created to guard our hearts against the arrows of condemnation, is constructed of the righteousness of Christ. Righteousness, simply defined, is to have right standing with God; justified and free from condemnation. It is not a righteousness of our own, but that which is imparted to us by God through faith:

“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”- Philippians 3:8-9.

Our own self-righteousness is no match for the penetrating power of condemnation. To attempt to maintain our confidence utilizing our own righteousness would be akin to rushing into battle wearing a breastplate that we’ve constructed out of cardboard:

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away”-Isaiah 64:6.

The confidence we have to stand against Satan’s accusations and condemnation is not afforded to us through our own self-effort, but through Christ’s willingness to take on sin so that we may be clothed in righteousness:

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”-2 Corinthians 5:21.

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe and without it being seated securely in place we will lack the confidence needed to face our spiritual enemies.

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Lead Pastor

Dayspring Community Church

 

This is War! Putting on the Full Armor (Pt. 3)

Part 3

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

                                                                                                            Ephesians 6:14-17

Before we can effectively defend our ground we must understand how the armor God has provided for us functions. The short and simple answer is this: Armor is put on for protection! This means that each piece of armor is significant in what it protects and how it protects.

So we want to begin our discussion on the full-armor of God by focusing, on what I believe to be, the single most important piece of armor provided and that is the belt of truth:

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.”- Ephesians 6:14

For the ancient Roman soldier this leather belt wrapped around his waist and was fastened securely into place by a buckle. The leather straps draping the front of the belt provided protection to the soldier’s vital organs: kidneys and liver.

However, the loin belt also had another very important function. The loin belt held all the other pieces of armor in place. Without it, everything would fall away or apart. The Apostle Paul referred to this belt in Ephesians 6 as the loin belt of truth. Truth, for every born-again believer, is the most important element of our armor. Like the Roman belt it ought to encircle our lives and be securely fastened as not to be moved. Truth cannot be a shifting part of our armor. Instability in its security will cause vulnerability with every other area.

So what is truth? Jesus defines it this way:

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”-John 17:17

Truth is not our opinion, not what is culturally acceptable, and not what is politically correct. Truth is the word of God! The unchanging, unfailing Word of God!

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”-Psalm 119:105

It is this truth that David spoke of in Psalm 51:6: “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.” In fact Jesus told his disciples in John 8:31-32: “If you hold to my teachings you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Truth is essential to victory! As a believer, you cannot live victoriously without the word of God having an active central role in your life. When we cease to read and apply the word of God on a daily basis it is only a matter of time before we fall to pieces spiritually. Our ability to appropriate and understand the rest of our spiritual armor rests on our knowledge of truth.

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Lead Pastor

Dayspring Community Church

 

 

This is War! Putting on the Full Armor (Pt.2)

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

                                                                                                            Ephesians 6:13

It is every Christians’ responsibility to show up in the battle against wickedness! Ephesians 6:13 instructs that each of us are to put on the full armor of God and stand our ground against evil. This means that each of us is to show up fully equipped to engage the enemy and fight alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In ancient Rome, no soldier went to the battlefield without being fully armed and dressed for battle. The Roman legions were an imposing and impressive force. The sight alone of these well trained and properly equipped soldiers would send chills up the spines of their enemies. 

This was no ragtag army. They each carried with them everything they needed to win.

Does the enemy we face see us as an impressive and imposing force? Does Satan tremble when he sees the people of God? Or are we just a ragtag army? Ragtag armies were recognized as being ill-equipped. Some had armor, others did not. Some carried a sword, others did not. Some had shields, others did not. This meant that each soldier had an area of vulnerability, which left the army open to defeat.

How then should we be dressed to face our enemy?

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

                                                                                                Ephesians 6:14-17

Each of these pieces of armor play a vital role in our war against wickedness and each of us must put on the entire armor if we are going to be effective in battle. Author Rick Renner in his book “Spiritual Weapons to Defeat the Enemy” made this observation:

“God has not left us naked before the enemy. He has provided us with spiritual weaponry that has the ability to counter-attack and defeat any scheme that the devil would try to use against us. God knows that in or for us to successfully fight the unseen powers that have been marshaled against us, we must have His special supernatural power that He has provided for this fight.”

We must then appropriate the armor God has provided for us and then stand our ground; because when we do not show up to fight we forfeit the ground we have been assigned to defend!

Pastor Scott Burr

Lead Pastor

Dayspring Community Church

This is War!!!! Putting on the Full Armor (Pt.1)

"Finally, be strong in The Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
                                                                                                                         Ephesians 6:10-11

As I read that passage this week I was struck by Paul's instruction to the Ephesians. He told them to be strong in the Lord, put on the full armor of God, and take their stand against the devil's schemes. Whether you want to believe it or not, we are in a battle against evil. This is not a war being waged on foreign soil that we watch from afar and can escape by changing the television channel. It is being waged in our hearts, homes, marriages, schools, governments, churches and communities.
It is a war that is inflicting heavy losses and countless casualties primarily because believers are deserting the battle. Why? Because we have failed to teach God's soldiers how to stand against evil without attacking people:

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms."
                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                               Ephesians 6:12

How do we stand against the wickedness and evil in our world when it is being carried out, embraced, and supported by our friends, families, classmates and co-workers? How do we maintain our integrity and stand firm in our convictions when we are being maligned by a culture that opposes our moral and biblical worldview.

Our biggest struggle in this war against wickedness is being able to separate the evil being done from the person who is subjecting us to it. The battle becomes personal. We attack each other by belittling, humiliating, and demeaning each other even though, and this passage is clear that, our battle is not against flesh and blood!

Satan loves this!

As long as we are attacking each other we are not taking the fight to him. The primary reason we don't take the fight to him is that we have no idea what waging war against evil looks like and consequently have become ill-equipped to fight that way:

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."

                                                                                                       2 Corinthians  10:3-4

Instead of taking a stand against evil; we fight the way the world does. We attack and kill each other rather than taking the fight to Satan's doorstep. We are at war, but before we engage the battle we need to be equipped!