Title: THE POSTURE OF STRENGTH

Focus: Since Christians face spiritual warfare every day, we must adopt a posture of strength and avail ourselves of the armor of God.

Function: To move the people to be aware of their enemies and to find their strength in God’s provisions for spiritual battles.

Text: Ephesians 6:10-24

Who are the enemies of America? It’s true that not everyone, including politicians, are fully aware of America’s enemies, but most of us would say: The Iranian regime, the North Korean dictatorship, and rogue nations such as Libya, Syria, Somalia, and Cuba, for example. There’s also the Iranian puppet regime of Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

We also deal with an ideologically and fanatically religious enemy—radical Islam, which shows itself in Muslim terrorists all around the world. It’s a dangerous enemy, which knows no boundaries and seeks to subdue all the nations of the world to Allah and Sharia Law. The world, then, is a dangerous place.

America protects and defends itself by means of military power using sophisticated weaponry and technology to subdue the enemy. We also make use of stealth weapons and drones to inflict death and destruction upon unsuspecting terrorists in Afghanistan, for example. In addition, we have the CIA and domestic intelligence to prevent—if we can—any fanatic, internal attacks. We like to think that we are alert and well-prepared to face our enemies.

But who are our—the Church’s—enemies? Who are the enemies that oppose Christians, the Church, yes who oppose Christ himself? Perhaps, it comes as a surprise to some of us, but in light of the Scriptures, we have to come to grips with this reality: Christians face spiritual warfare everyday.

And since we are engaged in spiritual warfare—whether knowingly or unknowingly—we must adopt a posture of strength and avail ourselves of the armor of God. This is my message tonight: Let’s be aware of our enemies and find our strength in God’s provisions for spiritual battles.

______________________

Christians in the Reformed tradition of the Christian faith tend to avoid thinking in terms of spiritual warfare. Give us a worldview to evaluate or attack, or confront us with a social or justice issue—and we’ll go to bat and respond with Christian love and fervor.

But when it comes to spiritual warfare—thinking about powers, and authorities, and rulers in this dark world and in the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms—we enter nebulous, tentative territory. We don’t always know how to deal with these powers

Yet, Reformed Christians do not hesitate to identify their enemies. We read about them in Scripture and we reference them in our confessions. In Lord’s Day 52 of the Heidelberg Catechism, for example, we explain the meaning of that petition in the Lord’s Prayer that says: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

We say: “By ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment. And our sworn enemies—the devil, the world, and our own flesh—never stop attacking us.” In other words, we do recognize that Christians have enemies and that we must be aware of them.

Take a look at these enemies: There is the devil. Of him, the apostle Peter says: (I Peter 5:8) “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith….” The devil comes to us in many shapes and ways. He is a master of disguise. The apostle Paul, for example, warns the church against false teachers and preachers saying: (II Cor. 11:14) “…such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.” So, then, using people and spiritual beings such as angels or demons, the devil is out to destroy Christians. He is our enemy.

The world in opposition to God’s heavenly rule—that world is also our enemy. In John 15:18, the Lord Jesus warns us about the world—that is the people who hate God and oppose his rule here on earth. Jesus said: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you…if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” Clearly, people who oppose God’s influence and claim on their lives and who reject the Son of God in their lives, are enemies of God—and of Christians. They make up the “world.”

There is one more enemy to consider. It’s the one closest to us—the one we find within us. It’s the flesh, or more commonly called, our sinful human nature. In Romans 7 Paul talks about the internal struggles Christians have—the struggle to overcome the power of sin and sinful impulses and sinful desires.

And in Galatians 5 Paul shows us the way to battle this enemy by availing ourselves of the power of God’s Spirit. He says: “…live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” Clearly, Christians must combat their enemies called ‘the devil, the world, and the flesh or sinful human nature.’

In Ephesians 6 the apostle Paul shines the spotlight on these enemies, in particular on the one who is called “the prince of darkness,” or the “father of all lies,” or the “mass murderer of the human race”—the devil. Listen: “…take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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 the heavenly realms.” Here we have a call to arms. Christians must engage in warfare and spiritual battles.

In the previous chapters, Paul has shown us what God in Christ has done. Christ has demolished the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, and Christ is calling and gathering his people from all over the world into one body, the church. As such we are to live the life of Christ, which is characterized by conduct and ethics that are Christ-like. And the posture that Christians must adopt toward each other is one of “mutual submission out of reverence for Christ.” That mutual submission takes on different shapes and forms in marriage, in parent-child relationships and in master-slave or employer-employee relationships.

Paul gives us biblical pointers and he shows us the way. But then, lest we loose sight of our enemies—who are bent on our destruction and on the destruction of the rule of God in this world—Paul trumpets a battle cry: “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.” Surely, Paul calls us to adopt a posture of strength and to avail ourselves of God’s armor.

Let’s pay close attention to the battle cry. Listen: “Be strong in the Lord….” Here Paul helps us see that strength is NOT found in ourselves or anywhere else but in the Lord. Paul calls Christians to identify with the person and work of Jesus Christ. When we put our trust and confidence in the accomplished work of Jesus on the cross and in the tomb, we stand on firm “ground”—on ground that is solid. Ground yourself in Christ as you face the world, the devil or the enemy within, the flesh.

To be strong in the Lord means that we must abide in Christ and Christ in us; it means that we nurture our spirit with his words, that we flex our muscles of faith with obedience to Christ’s word. It means that we live a life that is governed by the Lord Jesus at the center of our lives and all our relationships.

Listen again to the battle cry: “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Rooted in Christ, identifying ourselves with all his accomplishments, we must also learn to avail ourselves of Christ’s mighty power. That power comes to us by means of the indwelling Spirit of God. God’s Spirit empowers us for battle. The Spirit of the Lord Jesus works his strength in us.

Our posture of strength, then, is one of identification with Jesus, and empowerment by the Spirit of Jesus. Thus Paul says: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

___________________________

Two years ago, my wife Rosanne and I visited our son Elliot in Jacksonville, North Carolina. There we observed his Marine base—an awesome, huge complex of buildings, and fields, and barracks. We also saw hundreds of military vehicles, and tanks and other heavy-duty equipments. Driving by a huge field, Elliot warned us NOT to stop the car and look around, for the moment we would stop and walk around; there would be a number of dogs and Military Police surrounding us in no time. We asked “why?” Elliot said, “Because buried underneath this flat field is a vast array of bunkers filled with explosives.”

Needless to say, we did not stop the car. But the point I want to make is this: Just as our soldiers must avail themselves of all their equipment and ammunition to engage in warfare, so we must avail ourselves of the weaponry of God.

Paul points to that weaponry by making an analogy with the outfit or battle gear of a Roman soldier of his days. I encourage you to do a historical study of that battle gear and then reflect upon Paul’s application to spiritual warfare. Paul speaks of the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes fit for long marches and fierce battles; Paul refers to the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace—these make up our spiritual weaponry. Faith, the hope and victory of salvation in Christ Jesus, and the very word of God—these are God’s provisions for us today to fight the enemies: the devil, the world, and our sinful human nature.

Earthly kingdoms and empires come and go; armies conquer; armies collapse. But the kingdom of God continues its advance throughout the ages. The enemies push and shove and prowl around, seeking to destroy God’s people. But the church and army of God will prevail—provided that we assume the posture of strength and avail ourselves of God’s armor.

The posture of strength—located in Jesus, worked in us by Christ’s Spirit, and exercised through us as we use the armor of God—that posture of strength is surrounded by an ‘aura’ of prayer. For example, when you enter the Marine base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, you sense an aura of power, of vast military superiority that gives you (a false, I submit, but nevertheless) a sense of invincibility.

The same is true for the armor of God. But in this case, it’s not a false sense of power or invincibility. It’s true. Listen: (vs. 18) “…pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

The posture of strength to overcome or encounter our enemies calls for the breath of prayer at all times. Here’s where I struggle the most as a Christian and pastor. And here’s where most of us fall short—the mode of prayer. May God help us as we seek to do his bidding. And may we continue to pray that familiar petition: O Lord, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.