Veterans Day
Notes
Transcript
In honor of those who have served or who are currently serving, I ask that our veterans or any active service members please stand.
To be quiet honest, at times it is difficult to put into words how we, as citizens of the United States, should honor our service members, the words we should say, and how we should recognize them.
SO, Veterans, we thank you
For all that you have done.
Thank you for protecting our freedom,
Thank you for ensuring our rights remain,
and Thank you for making sure that in our lives we can fulfill the American dream.
It is because of your sacrifices that all of us in the United States can boldly claim citizenship in the best country on earth.
You may be seated.
Now, as we all well know, our citizenship here on earth is temporary. James tells us:
14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Job is so eloquent when reminiscing on his circumstances in life when he says:
10 But a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he?
And where is he. This leads one to remember that our life on earth is not the end. If we spend as much time and money on protecting our earthly home, then what should each Christian be willing to do to serve?
I read of a pastor that was standing by the door after service greeting those who were leaving. He held onto one gentleman, as he went by, and told him that he needed to be in the Lord’s Army. Kind of startled, the man said, but I AM in the Lord’s Army. The pastor bluntly asked, then why do we only see you on Easter and Christmas? The man smiled and said…I’m in the secret service.
Now, who would like to take a stab at where in scripture we can justify being called to be in the Christian secret service? We can’t find it! Instead, we are told to be bold and courageous, to go teaching, preaching, and baptizing, we are called to ACTIVE SERVICE. As with any active duty service member, we must train and be prepared for a battle with the proper armor.
Purpose for Preparation
Purpose for Preparation
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
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.
In verses 11-12, Paul quickly reminds us of why we must put on the whole armor of God. Each day we wake up, we step onto the battlefield. Not only do we step on the battlefield, we face an enemy who immediately throws all he has at us. To be honest, I think there is only one person stronger than he is…and that is God. Satan comes prepared for battle, armed to the gills, and has no conscience when it comes to winning. So, for Paul to warn us…he uses a military example.
At this time, Paul is chained to a Roman soldier and was no doubt reminded daily of the parts of armor that soldier was wearing. He uses these parts as a way to remind us, as believers, that we will engage in daily battles and must prepare ourselves.
Why? To STAND AGAINST the schemes of the devil. As believers… we have an enemy that is out to get us.
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Most enemies… unless you were in the “proper” military, from “proper” countries, during a time we “properly” defeated them… do not line up and expose everyone to a volly of fire from the enemy. They dig trenches, find cover, and disguise themselves so you are not seen. But there is another type soldier type called a sniper, hiding, prowling, seeking the kill, and he has each and every one of us as targets in his sights.
Paul calls him the devil, the accuser, because he accuses God’s people day and night. He cannot accept the defeat he has already received! And while he accuses, he does not fully know what he accuses of, or why he accuses Christians. Yet he is not a singular enemy, he has an army of his own, the army of darkness, and an army that is already defeated.
Because of his army, we are constantly involved with spiritual battles. Paul reminds us, this is not a physical battle as we are not fighting against humans, but spiritual beings. Warren Wiersbe makes this comment “We are wasting our time fighting people when we ought to be fighting the devil who seeks to control people and make them oppose the work of God.”
So if we are to fight against a spiritual enemy, then we must equip ourselves for spiritual battles with the whole armor of God.
Whole Armor
Whole Armor
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.
God has provided each believer with the “whole armor” needed for battle. Paul reminds us to put on the armor, pick up the weapons, stand against Satan, and stand firm on or faith.
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 57.
Whole Armor
Whole Armor
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,
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,
John 8:44 tells us plainly and bluntly that Satan is a liar.
John 8:44 (ESV)
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
So, as a believer grounded in the truth, we can see the enemies tactics, can identify the lies, and will be able to overcome! The first part of the armor listed is the belt, the part that holds all the other parts of the armor together. A Christian who exhibits integrity, with a clear conscience, can face an enemy without fear. The Belt of Truth will never let you down. We also know that the belt could hold a scabbard for a sword, and scripture tells us the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and allows the discernment of thoughts and intentions. God’s Word IS our weapon of choice.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The Breastplace of Righteousness is made of metal plates or chains, protecting from the neck to the waist. This symbolizes a Christians righteousness in Jesus. It is hard for satan to accuse a believer who is living the life God has called them to, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Living a righteous life means we are living our life IN Christ and God sees us as perfectly aligning with God's character. Needless to say, the closer we are to God, the more difficult it is for satan to try to defeat us. When Satan accuses the Christian, it is the righteousness of Christ that assures the believer of his salvation.
The Shoes of the Gospel of peace. The Roman soldier wore sandals with hobnails in the soles to give him better footing for the battle. If we are going to “stand” and “withstand,” then we need the shoes of the Gospel. Because we have the peace with God (Rom. 5:1) that comes from the Gospel, we need not fear the attack of Satan or men. We must be at peace with God and with each other if we are to defeat the devil (James 4:1–7). But the shoes have another meaning. We must be prepared each day to share the Gospel of peace with a lost world. The most victorious Christian is a witnessing Christian. We are on the move for Jesus, and we must have the footwear needed to dig in and hold firm wherever we stand.
The Shield of Faith - The shield was large, usually about four feet by two feet, made of wood, and covered with tough leather. As the soldier held it before him, it protected him from spears, arrows, and “fiery darts.” The edges of these shields were so constructed that an entire line of soldiers could interlock shields and march into the enemy like a solid wall. This suggests that we Christians are not in the battle alone. The “faith” mentioned here is not saving faith, but rather living faith, a trust in the promises and the power of God. Faith is a defensive weapon which protects us from Satan’s fiery darts. In Paul’s day, arrows, dipped in some inflammable substance and ignited, were shot at the enemy. Satan shoots “fiery darts” at our hearts and minds: lies, blasphemous thoughts, hateful thoughts about others, doubts, and burning desires for sin. If we do not by faith quench these darts, they will light a fire within and we will disobey God. We never know when Satan will shoot a dart at us, so we must always walk by faith and use the shield of faith.
The Helmet of Salvation - We not only must protect our body, but we must protect our mind. If we think back to original sin, Satan did not attack Eve nor Adam physically - he did so mentally. He twisted the truth in a manner to make Eve question the Word of God. We must grow in our understanding and our application of the Word of God. It is too bad that many Christians have the idea that the intellect is not important, when in reality it plays a vital role in Christian growth, service, and victory. When God controls the mind, Satan cannot lead the believer astray. The Christian who studies his Bible and learns the meaning of Bible doctrines is not going to be led astray too easily.
The Sword of the Spirit - As we already spoke, the belt of truth holds the scabbard which holds the sword of he spirit. The sword is an offensive weapon, it was meant for close quarters combat, and it is meant to pierce vital organs. Holding true to Hebrews 4:12, we were also cut to the core when the Word of God convicted us of our sins.
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Notice that this was not a physical sword, but the spiritual sword which caused the change. The more you use a physical sword, the duller it becomes; but using God’s Word only makes it sharper in our lives. The Spirit wrote the Word, and the Spirit wields the Word as we take it by faith and use it. A physical sword wounds to hurt and kill, while the sword of the Spirit wounds to heal and give life. But when we use the sword against Satan, we are out to deal him a blow that will cripple him and keep him from hindering God’s work. Remember, when Christ was being tempted on the mountain he didn’t physically attack satan, but instead used the words “It is written”. Don’t forget we hold the sword which has already caused the death blow to the betrayer, the liar, satan himself.
Ammunition
Ammunition
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.
What good is any weapon without ammunition? You might be able to use it as a club, but it is not going to accomplish what it was originally intended for. The same is with the armor of God. If we do not arm ourselves with the proper ammunition, then the rest is worthless. Prayer… Prayer is the ammunition that protects us and allows us to wear the armor and wield the sword. We cannot fight the battle in our own power, no matter how strong or talented we may think we are.
We are to keep our ammunition can full by being in a continual heart of prayer with the Lord. We don’t “just” set aside a few minutes to pray, we don’t become hyper-religious with schedules and texts in which we have to read, but instead it is like picking up on a party line…God is always there to listen.
Multiple weapons require different ammunition, so we are to pray with more than one kind of praying: prayer, supplication, intercession, thanksgiving. If we only pray for one thing, then what else are we missing out on?
Next, make sure the ammunition is the right caliber. The Bible formula is that we pray to the Father, through the Son, and in the Spirit.
Stay alert. Watching means “keeping on the alert.” The phrase “watch and pray” occurs often in the Bible. When Nehemiah was repairing the walls of Jerusalem, and the enemy was trying to stop the work, Nehemiah defeated the enemy by watching and praying.
Then, keep on praying. The word persevere means to keep on keeping on. Don’t give up, and don’t quit.
Form allies - pray for everyone. Wiersbe points out the Lord’s Prayer begins with “our” Father, not “my” Father for a reason. We pray as part of a great family that is also talking to God, and we ought to pray for the other members of the family.
We must always be aware, be prepared for the battle, and as believers, we do not fight FOR the win, we fight BECAUSE God has already won the battle for us - we have already won!
CLOSING
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 58–60.