Soldiers of Christ

Ephesians 6 is sometime known as the Armor of God passage. In it, we hear Paul describing a battle between good and evil and encouraging believers to arm themselves like a soldier in Christ’s army. Have you thought recently about what it means to be a soldier of Christ? Listen to Paul’s words in verses 12-13:

[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. [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.

With this verse in mind, my exhortation to us this morning is to embrace the mindset of a soldier in Christ’s army and stop trying to be comfortable in this world.

There is a cosmic war being fought in and around you. Paul uses the phrases, “this present darkness” and “the evil day” to describe the environment that we live in. And he’ s not talking about the Roman emperor or the Ephesian cult religion when he says this. He is talking about Satan, and Satan’s war against God and everyone who follows God.

What is Paul’s exhortation to those in the battle against Satan? He tells them to prepare like a soldier and to stand firm. There is a difference between the mindset of a soldier and that of a civilian. Soldiers prepare for battle. They study their enemy. They keep their weapons at hand. And when the time to fight arrives, they are ready to be deployed. Soldiers remain alert and are not caught off guard when the battle arrives.

So what does it look like for us to be prepared? What should we expect when Satan attacks? Throughout the scripture we see Satan using two primary tools to attack God’s people – Sin and Suffering. We should not be surprised when we are individually tempted with sin or experience suffering, and we should not be surprised when those around us are tempted with sin or experience suffering. But we so often are. Think about what I just said, you should not be surprised when you are tempted by sin or when you experience suffering. When was the last time you pro-actively prepared for your own sin or suffering?

I think too many of us believe the lie that there is a cease-fire between us and Satan. We think that if we can just keep our heads down, go to church, and do nice things to others Satan will leave us alone. We feel like becoming a Christian promises us a nice life, a fulfilling job, a functional family, and God will whisk us away to heaven when we die. But the promise of Ephesians 6 is not comfort, but armor. The call is not to hide from attacks, but to stand through them. Comfort and hiding is what civilians do, not soldiers.

Christian, you are a soldier of Christ. So put on the armor of God and get in the fight. Look around you, there is suffering everywhere. If you can’t see the cosmic battle, ask yourself why. Are you more focused on your next project, your next vacation, or the next sports season that you’re invested in? Men, when was the last time you had a genuine spiritual conversation with another brother? If it’s been a while, it’s time to get in the fight. Women, when was the last time you walked with a friend through suffering? You genuinely stayed with her and didn’t run away as soon as things turned awkward. Look around you, there are hurting women in this church who need friends in the fight with them.

For everyone, your homework for this week is to have an actual spiritual conversation with someone from Emmaus. Talk about the sermon, or a sin struggle, or an evangelistic need, or your marriage. As you talk about it, read a verse in the Bible that speaks to that given topic and spend a few minutes applying biblical truth to each other’s lives. And then make a plan to continue that conversation moving forward. If something was particularly encouraging, I’d love to hear about it next Sunday. Grab me in the hallway so we can rejoice together.

We are strangers and aliens in this world. Our life is a cosmic battle against forces of darkness, and this world will never be our home. Because of this, we should embrace the mindset of a soldier in Christ’s army and stop trying to be comfortable in this world.

Turning now to our prayer of confession, we want to reflect on ways that we have sinned this week. For some of you, this may be the only time when you think about your sin and you may have to do some work to come up with specific sins. Don’t move too quickly past them. All sins, even the respectable ones, are acts of rebellion against a holy God.

Others of you are very well acquainted with your sins, and this is a time to remember that God promises forgiveness and healing to all who come in repentance and faith. Take a brief moment now of silent reflection, and I’ll lead us in a corporate prayer of confession.