Finding Strength: Protect Your Head
February 21, 2021
Ephesians 6:17

I think we would all agree that what you put on your head is very important. When you are doing a dangerous job, or something where there could be a hazard of injury to your head, you want to be wearing the right gear. A hard hat or helmet is a very good idea. The reason why is because it only takes a split second for an injury to happen, and an injury to the head can drastically change your life. Having the right gear on is a must.

Just as wearing the right gear on your head will help save you and your brain from some potentially dangerous and life changing injuries, making sure you are wearing the proper gear spiritually will keep your spiritual mind safe.

I want to invite you to flip to Ephesians 6:17, where we will pick up today. And once again, a quick recap where we are at. We are in a series together (that will take us a few more weeks) about the fact that as followers of Jesus, we are engaged in a battle. It isn’t a physical battle against people. It isn’t a religious battle against those who we view as being against the Christian faith. 2 Cor 10:3-4 has a description of this battle. It is an internal spiritual battle. And this series is about us putting on the strength, the protection, and the armor of God so that we can face the challenges and battles of this life that seek to bring us down spiritually.

As we talk about this protection and armour, there are now five things that I think we need to remember that are crucial in our understanding of the battle and the armour we are told to wear.
1) The same grace that restores us to God through Jesus puts us into conflict with Satan. Our enemy does not like it that we are following Jesus and are in a restored relationship with God. So he will do whatever he can to stop us from having that closeness.
2) It is in the routine of life that we face the challenges from our enemy. It isn’t always some big, easy to spot attack. It is in the routine things where our guards are down and we aren’t expecting it.
3) You can’t get by on your own strength and being strong enough. We do not have it in us to be able to win this battle.
4) The Armor we are told to put on isn’t decorative, it is foundational. We need this armor to be able to properly live as a follower of Jesus and engage in the spiritual battle that comes as a result. The armor, because of who it belongs to, and because of who puts it on us, is a tool of victory.
5) We need to stand firm in what Christ has already done. The armour that we are being told to put on, the protection in the battle is possible because of what Christ has already done for us. Because of His love, His giving of Himself, His forgiveness, and the restoring of peace with God, we are able to have this protection and armour, and stand firm in it.

Key Question:

Are you wearing your helmet? Is your spiritual mind protected?

EPH 6:17
1) The helmet: The soldier’s protection and confidence
We have talked about many of the other important armour pieces, and how they all protected vital areas or did important things. Of equal importance was the helmet. The reason for this is because the helmet protected the head. The head is the control centre for the whole body. It is from the head that all your organs, limbs, and other body parts receive their marching orders. And when the head (specifically the brain) gets injured, your body might function dramatically different, or stop functioning all together.

The head was a vulnerable spot, and a soldier who left their head unprotected was a soldier who was asking to not return home. The helmet was needed for protection of the head and brain. It was generally made of bronze, like a bowl with padding on the inside that one wore on their head. And it covered enough to also protect the brow, cheeks, and neck. The helmet was strong enough that it would deflect much of the attacks that would come against it. The helmet brought protection.

As well, the helmet was traditionally the last piece of armour that they would put on after everything else was put on. And as a soldier went into battle, they could march in with confidence knowing that their head (which was vital) was fully protected from the attacks, as well as confident that they were fully dressed for battle.

2) The helmet: protecting our thoughts, feelings, and actions
Our spiritual mind needs protection too. What the brain is to the body, the mind is to the soul. The spiritual mind is the control center for our spiritual body. This is why it is so important to guard what we think.

What you think, you begin to feel. What you then feel, you decide to do. Thoughts lead to feelings, which then leads to action. And if you are thinking wrong, you will be feeling wrong, which then causes you to function wrong. And if you are not careful, out of functioning wrong, you drive yourself further into thinking wrong.

Let’s look at an example of how this works out:
a. The person who is on a diet, but decides they are hungry when driving by A&W. They are not hungry, but they start thinking they are as they drive by. And if they don’t check that thought as being false, they will begin to feel hungry. And if they don’t treat those feelings as just being a fickle thing, they will likely go in and buy the burger. They eat, and then feel bad afterwards. They may start thinking of themselves as a failure, then feeling like a failure, then act on it by not doing the diet anymore.

Remember how I said earlier that the enemy uses whatever tactic he can to stop us? This is one of those things, and it is very effective. If Satan can get us thinking wrong about ourselves, he is aware that unchecked thoughts lead to unchecked feelings, which then can lead to wrong choices. The mind is probably the most vulnerable spot because what happens in the mind can affect the rest of the body. Even this week as I was working on this message, this was a reality for me as Satan used something to put negative thoughts, thoughts of doubt, thoughts of inadequacy in my head. And very quickly I saw how those thoughts turned into feelings. And I had to bring those into check. And praise God, they did come into check.

This is why we need our helmet also. Our spiritual mind needs protection. And in it,
our feelings and actions also become protected.

3) The helmet: our confidence

Why does our helmet bring us confidence? It is because of what our helmet actually is. If you haven’t figured out by now, I am not talking today about a physical metal helmet. I am talking about what Eph 6:17 calls the helmet of salvation. It is the reality and assurance of what Jesus did for you by dying for you and taking on the cost of your sin and brokenness that you could not pay so that you could be made right with God, have your brokenness toward Him repaired, and live in a renewed relationship with Him. It is the assurance and reality of who we belong to that protects our spiritual minds from harm.

I like how 1 Thess 5:8 talks about the ‘helmet’. The future hope of salvation brings confidence. And when I say this, I am not saying that if you are saved now, you need to re-ask Jesus into your life again later. If you have done that, you have already received the gift of salvation. It is referring to the daily putting on of the hope of what you know will be coming in the future because of what you have already accepted by faith. The reason why your eternal position with God is called a helmet is because the hope of what you have through Christ undercuts every attack the enemy can bring into your mind. You see, if Satan can cause us to doubt our standing with God, we become vulnerable. The reality is that on a daily basis, our minds are bombarded with thoughts that challenge every notion of who God is, who He says we are, and what He has done for us.

But if we can guard our mind with the truth and assurance of what Jesus has done, it renders the enemy completely powerless. His attacks aimed for our minds hit and bounce off. It is only when we walk without guarding our minds that those attacks get through.

Are you wearing your helmet?

Sometimes keeping on our helmet is hard. We get distracted, we let our guards down, and the enemy causes thoughts to creep in. And I would suspect that even today, some of us are being taken captive by thoughts that we know aren’t right, things we know don’t come from God, and are not true. And we may have allowed them to take root in our minds, work their way into our souls, and come out in the way we live. Things like pressures of who we should or shouldn’t be, the heaviness of expectations, the need to overachieve, the lures of power and prestige, or the rawness of old emotional wounds and bitterness, the fallout of failures, etc…

So what are some ways that we can consciously keep our guard up and keep our helmets on?

a. Take every thought captive 2 Cor 10:5

Make use of the power you have through Christ to demolish and knock down those strongholds that come into your mind. Recognize the thoughts that are not from Him, call them for what they are, and ask God to take those thoughts from you and replace them with His truth.

b. Set your mind on things above – surrender your thoughts Col 3:2

Focus on eternity, the things of God, the things that truly matter. Don’t get bogged down in the nitty gritty of the daily grind here. Don’t focus on the small distractions. Focus on what it means to live as a follower of Christ.

c. Remember God’s character and proven faithfulness

God’s character and faithfulness do not change, even when everything else around us does. Focus on God’s unchanging character, and let that be a rock and anchor point for you.

d. Have your mind renewed and transformed Rom 12:2

Let Christ change the way you think. Let Him renew your mind and restore it from the brokenness of life and into a new pattern of healthiness.

Finding Strength: Faith
Ephesians 6:16
Feb 14th 2021

Several weeks ago I mentioned that I like some of the Marvel Superheroes, like Iron Man, because he has a really neat suit of armour that allows him to fly, has its own built-in intelligence, and seems almost indestructible. I also like another superhero… Captain America. He is strong, he is generally an all-around nice guy, and he has a really strong shield that he uses to protect himself. It is so strong that you pretty much can’t destroy it. That shield is used to defend himself from the attacks of his enemies, but he also uses it to go on the offense and take his enemies out.

Do you know that we have a shield that can defend us against the attacks from our enemy, but can also be used to help us push our enemy back on the offensive as well?

I Invite you to turn to Eph 6:16, and as you do, just a reminder where we are at. We are in a series together (that will take us to Easter) about putting on the strength, the protection, and the armor of God so that we can face the challenges of this life that seek to bring us down spiritually.

There are four things though that we need to understand that are crucial as we talk about putting this armor on:
1) The same grace that restores us to God through Jesus puts us into conflict with Satan. Our enemy does not like it that we are following Jesus and are in a restored relationship with God. So he will do whatever he can to stop us from having that closeness.
2) It is in the routine of life that we face the challenges from our enemy. It isn’t always some big, easy to spot attack. It is in the routine things where our guards are down and we aren’t expecting it.
3) You can’t get by on your own strength and being strong enough. We do not have it in us to be able to win this battle.
4) The Armor we are told to put on isn’t decorative, it is foundational. We need this armor to be able to properly live as a follower of Jesus and engage in the spiritual battle that comes as a result. The armor, because of who it belongs to, and because of who puts it on us, is a tool of victory.

With that in mind, I ask you the following question:

Are you leaving yourself open to attack or are you walking in, fully dressed for battle?

Ephesians 6:16
1) Every soldier needs a shield

Paul mentions a shield here because it was a very important part of a soldier’s armour and uniform. When you think of a shield, chances are you are thinking of a round metallic shield worn on the arm. And while that was a shield that they would have used, there was another shield that this was referring to.

This shield measured 4ft X 2.5ft. It was the size of a small door, and covered much of the soldier’s body. It was made of two layers of laminated wood and overlaid with canvas and leather. It would have been quite thick.

It was useful, because of it’s thickness and strength in protecting against a javelin strike, or the blow of a sword. It was also was a good defense against flaming arrow attacks. Sometimes from the walls of a city / fortress, flaming arrows would get shot at them. So not only would they have arrows coming at them, but flame balls too. These shields could be raised overhead and would catch the arrows. As well, shields were often soaked in water so that when these flaming arrows were shot, they would be extinguished upon contact.

The shield was a great defense tool. There is something called the “phalanx formation” where soldiers would all huddle together and build a surrounding wall of shields on all sides around them and above them and would be able to put their spears and swords through the gaps to fight off any enemies. With that in mind, they also used an offense tactic called “tertudo” or tortoise where they would, in that huddle slowly move forward. They were protected against arrows overhead, of enemies coming at them, and they could, in this large fortified, armoured mass, push forward against their foes.

A shield was an important part of the armour. Every soldier needed a shield.

2) Our protection is a person

Like I mentioned before (the whole premise of this series) we are in a battle, and are under spiritual attack as followers of Jesus. As we engage in this battle, we have a shield to protect us. Our shield is a person. Our shield is trusting in God through Jesus Christ.

Do you notice a recurring theme in all the messages in this series? While each piece of armour is different and has a different function, the foundation of them is all the same. They all the pieces of armour all come back to one thing: faith and trust in God through Jesus Christ.

This is not a novel concept. This is how God views Himself. See Ps 3:3, 18:2, 33:20, Prov 30:5. God is our shield. Jesus Christ is our shield. And it is faith in Him that puts Him between us and our enemy.

When we think about trust and faith, it is important to note that this isn’t a blind faith. It isn’t a gamble where you are closing your eyes and putting your trust in a protection that you are not sure you know even is there. It isn’t an unknowing faith that does not come through relationship. When we think about the faith that protects, we need to agree that this is a committed, intentional, informed, and conscious faith that is based on a first hand growing knowledge, love, and relationship with God. It comes out of you first trusting in Jesus as your Lord and growing from that.

Our protection is a person. Our shield is trusting in God through Jesus Christ.

3) Our shield completely protects

Remember what I said about “phalanx formation” and “testudo”? This is important to remember as we think about how God shelters us, how Jesus protects us.

We have flaming arrows, we have darts dipped in combustible, flammable material that have been set ablaze that the enemy is shooting at us. And at times, it may feel like we are walking in a rainstorm of flaming arrows falling down or coming at us.

Yet if we allow Him to, if we get out of the way and stop trying to defend ourselves on our own and take what God is offering, God longs to completely protect our hearts and minds, by His Spirit, through Jesus Christ. He longs to completely surround us (like the shields in the formation) so that the flaming darts of the enemy don’t get through. He wants to completely guard our hearts from the emotional attacks, our minds from the mind games. He wants to completely protect us in His presence so that as the attack is going on, and we experience the attack all around us, the enemy can not destroy.

He wants to surround us and help us to walk in the victory over the enemy that He has already won. He also wants to surround us in His protection so that we can, in Him move forward and push back against the enemy and take back the ground the enemy has tried to steal. As our complete shield, He wants to help us on the defensive, but also on the offensive (as we walk forward, guarded by the shield of faith, walking with the shoes of the Gospel of Peace – remember that from last week?).

The image of the flaming arrow reminds me why we need to walk in His complete protection. Arrows pierce and flames engulf. You see, the enemy wants to shoot his arrow at you and wound your heart, and keep you from walking with God. He wants to knock you down. But beyond that, the enemy wants your mind to be fully engulfed with whatever distraction or desire that he can grip your mind with so that you are too distracted to follow Christ.

We are our own worst enemies at times. In our own feelings of strength and independence, we place ourselves outside of the daily protection of God by not submitting our hearts and minds daily to Him. When we walk in this independence, we walk in a place where we are inviting ourselves to get hit by the attack.

The good news is though that even when we do this, even when we walk in this independence and find ourselves wounded in the war, Jesus, in His love always invites us back into His complete protection. He continues to forgive us, heal us, and protect us. Our shield completely protects.

Are you leaving yourself open to attack or are you walking in, fully dressed for battle?

Are you prepared for the flaming arrows?

What are some of the flaming arrows today that the enemy fires at us in an attempt to knock us down? This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here goes some things that not only have the ability to wound us, but also engulf our minds: Doubt, Fear, Bitterness, Discontentment, Materialism / Consumerism, Temptation / Compromise, Narcissism, Inadequacy, Insecurities.

One more thing: Where do the flaming arrows come from? The big picture is obviously Satan and his legion of demons, but let’s think small picture. When we think of the flaming arrows flying, we think of them coming from the enemy forces on the wall in front of us, shooting them towards us and those flaming arrows raining down on us. But do you know where one of the biggest places the enemy likes to shoot the flaming arrows from is?

The enemy likes to find the gaps in the armour that we have created, and shoot one arrow of division, strife, and conflict in. And then he watches as we turn on each other and engage in a fight of friendly fire. The reason why he does this is because it is one of the most effective ways to stop a church from moving. “Some of the most lethal arrows come from within our own camp”, our own side. Sometimes, our tongues become those flaming darts (see James 3). With what we say, we can inflict a lot of damage.

The good news is that when we walk wearing the shield of faith, we rob the enemy of the chance to stir up conflict, division, and bitterness among us. When we are walking with the shield of faith on, surrounded in the presence of Jesus, we do not shoot our own. But instead, we walk together in unity, harmony, and love, focused together on following Jesus. And in the bigger picture, when we walk wearing the shield of faith, we can stand in the face of the enemy and his attacks, and say what David did before he fought Goliath in 1 Sam 17:45.

Let’s walk in that boldness, with the shield of faith protecting us, knowing that He is fighting for us, He is protecting us, and He has already won.

Finding Strength: Are Your Feet Protected?
Ephesians 6:15
Feb 7th, 2021

I used to have many different jobs. I haven’t always been a pastor. Over the years, there have been some jobs that were long term, and some that were temporary just to fill in until I found something better. Did you know that I was a forklift driver at the Tim Horton’s coffee roasting facility for a short while (if you know me, you know that is a dangerous place for me)? Also, I was a temporary factory worker at the Tim Horton’s bakery (that is almost as bad as being surrounded all day with Tim’s coffee… talk about temptation). For a few years, I worked as one who daily cleaned and serviced city buses. And I know this will be hard to believe, but after I first got married, I did a short stint in construction.

For all these jobs, I had to have special shoes for the job (steel enforced safety shoes). The reason being? There were hazards at each of these jobs that could have been dangerous to my feet. An accident could happen that could hurt, crush, or permanently damage my feet.

Having the right shoes are important. Today we are talking about putting on the right shoes, as it relates to our spiritual feet. We are talking about protecting our spiritual feet in the battle that we are in as followers of Jesus.

I Invite you to turn to Eph 6:15, and as you do, just a reminder where we are at. We are in a series together (that will take us to Easter) about putting on the strength, the protection, the armor of God so that we can face the challenges of this life that seek to bring us down spiritually.

There are four things though that we need to understand that are crucial as we talk about putting this armor on:
1) The same grace that restores us to God through Jesus puts us into conflict with Satan. Our enemy does not like it that we are following Jesus and are in a restored relationship with God, so he will do whatever he can to stop us from having that closeness.
2) It is in the routine of life that we face the challenges from our enemy. It isn’t always some big, easy to spot attack. It is in the routine things where our guards are down, and we aren’t expecting it that the enemy likes to move in.
3) You can’t get by on your own strength and being strong enough. We do not have it in us to be able to win this battle.
4) The Armor we are told to put on isn’t decorative, it is foundational. We need this armor to be able to properly live as a follower of Jesus and engage in the spiritual battle that comes as a result. The armor, because of who it belongs to, and because of who puts it on us, is a tool of victory.

Eph 6:15
1) Proper shoes were a part of a soldier’s armour.
This verse is all about shoes. What is the significance here of shoes? A roman soldier (which Paul is basing his object lesson off of) who wasn’t wearing his shoes was a roman soldier who was not ready to go to battle. They would not be ready to walk on the dangerous, uneven, jagged, or rough ground. They would not be able to have a firm grip that they needed on the ground in order to stand their ground. They would be at a big disadvantage.

The shoes were
a. Sturdy: They were made out of a thick leather, so the shoes would provide protection when walking over hazardous terrain. As well, they were comfortable, with good supports up to the ankle to allow the soldier to march long distances without getting tired.
b. Spiked: This was a benefit when standing on ground where the grip wasn’t the best. It allowed them to be firmly planted in that ground, and as a result, retain balance and stability. Also, not to be graphic, but the roman army would also use the spiked shoes to further trample their enemies who were already down. It was a way to keep their enemies down and under their feet.

Hopefully you can see how the proper shoes were essential protection for the soldier’s feet and allowed them to do the job set out for them. Without their shoes, they became a vulnerability to the whole team.

2) We need to protect our spiritual feet
This verse is not talking about going out and fitting our physical feet with the newest pair of New Balance or Brooks runners out there. It isn’t talking about putting on our work boots. It is referring to our spiritual feet. We are told to fit our feet with readiness… so being prepared. For what? To go out and represent Jesus in the battle.

The reason why we need to have our spiritual feet protected is that it is our spiritual feet that take out the message of Jesus Christ (the Gospel) to the world. As well, it is with our spiritual feet that we stand firm on as we fight the spiritual battle in front of us.

On both these fronts, the enemy would love to see us misstep. In fact, he will do whatever he can to try to spiritually trip you. Maybe it is falling down into a temptation that isn’t good for you. Maybe it is helping you walk down a path that takes you further away from God rather than closer to Him. Whatever it is, if he can cause you to stumble, he will. He is hoping that in doing so, we either potentially discredit the message we come to share or fall in battle (and get caught). But if our spiritual feet are prepared, we will be able to stand firm in the battle and share the message of Jesus.

3) It is the message of Jesus that protects our feet
Paul writes that the shoes that allow our spiritual feet to be ready and prepared for the battle comes from the Gospel – the good news, which is the message of Jesus.

The message of Jesus readies and prepares our spiritual feet in a couple ways:
a. It is strong and sturdy: As we walk our faith journey, as we live daily for Him, as we seek to share His message, and we do front line spiritual battle for Him, we will be walking on hazardous and dangerous ground. I already alluded to this in the last section, but there are things the enemy throws on the path in front of us that are meant to pierce us, to wound us, to stop us from walking forward. There are moments of life that will be rough and rocky. There are parts of our faith journey that will feel long. Yet, when we have our spiritual feet protected with the message and truth of Jesus Christ, much like the soldier who is protecting his feet going into battle, we do not have to fear that those things will bring us harm.

b. It has spikes: Much like the soldier who used the spikes on his shoes to help him grip what would otherwise be slippery ground, By wearing the message of Jesus on your spiritual feet, you have grip. You have a solid ground upon which to stand. When the enemy tries to knock you down, you can stand your ground and not fall over. Also, much like the troops who used their spikes to put their enemies under their feet,
when we put on the good news of Jesus, it allows you to move ahead in triumph over the enemy, and ‘put him under our feet’ in victory. SEE Rom 16:20.

Where we sometimes get it wrong though is that we think about how to wage that war and move forward all wrong. We forget that we don’t have to trample by force like the Romans did. In fact, for us it is quite the opposite. We wage our war and fight our battle through a campaign of peace. And it is through a campaign of peace that the enemy is put into defeat.

Our message is about being people who are at spiritual peace because we are at peace with God through Jesus. It is no mistake that Eph 6:15 refers to the Gospel as being one of peace. It is about how Jesus did the opposite of a typical conquest and actually gave up His life to achieve the victory. It is about how through what Jesus did, we can have peace with God through a fixed relationship with Him. Us being at peace with God is what robs the enemy of His power and puts the enemy under our feet (like Rom 16:20 mentions).

When we then go out to share the message of peace with others, the message that Jesus loves them so much that He gave up His life for them so that through receiving what He did for them and making Him the head of their lives that they could have their broken relationship with God and brokenness repaired, it intentionally advances us against our enemy and takes back the ground that he was trying to capture. Sharing the good news, the Gospel of peace through Jesus is what it is all about. SEE ISA 52:7.

SO WHAT??

I have two questions for you today:

1) Are you putting on your shoes? You say you follow Jesus. You say He is the head of your life. You say that you believe in Him and have taken His free gift of forgiveness. So, if that is you, are you putting on your shoes? There are so many Christians walking around in defeat… why is that? Are you protecting your spiritual feet as you advance against the enemy in this campaign of peace? Are you putting on your shoes so that you can be protected against the attacks meant to hurt your feet and keep you from marching ahead? Beyond that, are you putting on your shoes so that you can stand firm and not fall on ground that could be slippery (like temptations, areas of compromise, etc…)? Also, are you putting on your shows so that you can advance against the enemy and put him underfoot by sharing the message of peace that Jesus has given you to share? Put on your shoes and walk in victory.

2) Do you have shoes to put on? Do you follow Jesus? Truly? This is more than just going to church, being a spiritual person, being a good person. Do you know what it means to make Jesus the head of your life and receive the new life, the forgiveness, and the repairing that He offers? The truth is that until you follow Jesus, you can not put on the shoes of the Gospel of peace. They aren’t on your shoe shelf in your closet. Which means you are walking around in battle completely vulnerable, with an enemy who knows where you will step and is planting hazards underneath your foot. And without your shoes, there is no way you can stand firm against the enemy attacks… you have no grip on the slippery ground. And you don’t have what you need to have the enemy underfoot. So, are you going to go and get you some shoes?

hmcfamilychallenge (2 options)

1) Have a good ol’ balloon stomp. Take lots of pictures, and have fun together as a family. After, talk about how it helps you to know that you can have the enemy ‘under
your feet’.

2) Be a person of peace this week. Find someone that you can talk to, encourage, or do a random act of kindness that will share the Gospel of Peace. And after you are done, pray for that person that this act of peace will lead them closer to finding Jesus.

Finding Strength: Truth
Ephesians 6:14
January 17, 2021

I love a good police and detective drama. I love the mystery of it. I love the way that, if it is written well, you don’t always know who the guilty person is until the very end. I love the suspense of it, the process of figuring out who done it. And I love the way that by the end of the episode, truth seems to triumph, and all the deceptions and cover stories are exposed for what they are. There is something about truth winning over lies that is captivating, that feels empowering, that feels right. Maybe that feels natural, like the way that it should be.

We are in a series together (that will take us to Easter) about putting on the strength, the protection, the armor of God so that we can face the challenges of this life that seek to bring us down spiritually.

Last week, I talked about why we need to wear the armor (I am not going to go through it all again today, so please watch the video from last week to catch up). This week, I want to start talking about the specific pieces of armor and protection, the spiritual resources available through Jesus that you can have to help you face with victory the struggles and battles of life. There are four things though that we need to understand that are crucial as we talk about putting this armor on:

1) The same grace that restores us to God through Jesus puts us into conflict with Satan. Our enemy does not like it that we are following Jesus and are in a restored relationship with God. So he will do whatever he can to stop us from having that closeness.
2) It is in the routine of life that we face the challenges from our enemy. It isn’t always some big, easy to spot attack. It is in the routine things where our guards are down and we aren’t expecting it.
3) You can’t get by on your own strength and being strong enough. We do not have it in us to be able to win this battle.
4) The Armor we are told to put on isn’t decorative, it is foundational. We need this armor to be able to properly live as a follower of Jesus and engage in the spiritual battle that comes as a result. The armor, because of who it belongs to, and because of who puts it on us, is a tool of victory.

I am going to invite you to find Ephesians 6. And as you are flipping there, some context. The letter “Ephesians” was written by the Apostle Paul, roughly around AD60 or 61, during a time where he was imprisoned in Rome. As he sat in prison, he would have been chained to a Roman guard / soldier. So as he is writing specifically about the Armor of God, he is likely looking at the soldier that he is chained to as a source of information / inspiration.

Ephesians 6:14
1) “Stand firm then”
This verse points us back to the larger context. It points us back to what it follows. This verse is to be read in light of the command in the prior verses to put on the whole armor of God because we are engaged in a spiritual conflict. In these verses it is said that by being clothed by God in His strength, protection, and armor that we will be able to stand firm and in victory. Paul is telling them that “this is the promise, this is the reality for you….You will be victorious as you wear His armour. So…. Stand firm.”

2) “with the belt of truth buckled around your waist”.
Why was the image of the belt important?
a. The belt kept the other armor in place.
-> The belt provided a place for the sword to be secured, as well as held the breastplate where it needed to be.
b. The belt kept the soldier from tripping.
-> It was common, even for the soldiers, to wear robes underneath their armor that were long, and could become a trip hazard. The belt provided a way for them to tuck in the long parts of their robes and keep it from getting in the way. The last thing you would want is a soldier to trip in battle.
c. It protected vulnerable areas.
-> The belt wasn’t a thin little leather strip that was tied around the waist. It was a thick leather and metal band that went around the waist, and had leather straps attached to metal disks that would hang off on various places of the belt (such as the front) for added protection.

3) Why do we need the belt of truth?
a. Truth provides the foundation of life that holds all our defenses together.
Without truth, everything falls apart and we have no protection for the spiritual battle we will face. Without truth, everything we believe and hope in comes crashing down and becomes meaningless.
b. Truth keeps us from tripping over our own robes.
There are a lot of things that will trip us up in life, and in the midst of the battle, can cause us to fall flat on our face. I will talk about some of these things in just a few minutes. But having truth “around our waist” keeps us from being tripped up and falling.
c. Truth protects our vulnerabilities.
Truth protects the areas of our lives where we are most susceptible to spiritual attack. There are areas of our life where the enemy knows we are most vulnerable to attack. He knows where to attack us and where it is going to hurt the most, cause the most damage, and knock us out of the battle. Yet truth, when used in the face of those things, protects and deflects those attacks. Truth protects our vulnerabilities.

4) What are the tactics of the enemy?
I just talked about us tripping on our own robes. I talked about our vulnerabilities. The question we need to ask here is “how specifically does the enemy seek to take us out of the battle? This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it gives a good idea.

a. He attacks our hearts and minds.
The enemy knows how to get us worked up and upset. He knows what will make us bitter or bear a grudge. He knows the things that will hurt us deeply and will cause us to withdraw and live in our hurt. He knows the lies he can whisper in our ears to cause us to do the destructive self talk where we beat ourselves up mentally and emotionally, and leave ourselves in ruins. He knows how to mess with our emotions and minds. And he uses it to his advantage.
b. He attacks our morality.
The enemy knows where we are most easily tempted to sin. He knows how to entice us. He knows what buttons to push, what to say, what feelings to prompt to get us to a place where the temptation to do what is wrong is great. The enemy also knows where we are willing to compromise, and finds ways to exploit those areas. The enemy also knows the areas where, even though we know the Bible says it is wrong, we will rationalize why it is okay. And he uses those things to his advantage.
c. He attacks our relationship with God.
He tells us that God can not or does not love us. We are unlovable. We messed up one too many times. Or that God is just too busy to care about us to begin with. That He has forgotten us. That He has no interest in us. He tells us that God isn’t even there. He doesn’t exist. We are wasting our time and fooling ourselves to think that God could love us and want a relationship with us because He isn’t there.
d. He attacks the authority and accuracy of what God says.
He says that the Bible is not true, is filled with errors, and can not be trusted. He says that the Bible does not have authority for our lives today. He says that the Bible is just another good book, but is not God’s Word that is powerful, active, alive, and for you today. Therefore, all the things that God reveals about Himself in the Bible, what He says about who you are and how He views you, what He says about how to live life are not to be taken seriously.

5) What truths do we need to dress ourselves with?
a. God is the source of truth (Jn 1:14, 1:17, Jn 14:6, Jn 15:26, Jn 16:13)
Truth comes from God. Truth starts and ends with Him. Truth is who He is.
b. What God reveals is also truth (Ps 119:160, Jn 17:17, 1 Jn 5:20, 2 Tim 3:16-17)
Because God is truth, what He says about Himself, what He says about you (and how He views you), what He says about how we should live, what He says about what He has and will do is true.
c. Truth sets you free to be who God made you to be. (Jn 8:32)

HMCFAMILYCHALLENGE

This week, design a poster (make it colourful, make it bright) as a family. And on that poster, I want you to look up, in the Bible 5 positive things that God says about who you are or how He feels about you. Once done, put it up somewhere in your house, take a picture, and send it to our Facebook page #HMCFAMILYCHALLENGE

Finding Strength: The Need
Ephesians 6:10-13
January 10th, 2021

We are starting a series together today that is all about finding strength, because let’s face it, we could all use a bit more of it. As we live for Jesus, as we do the things He calls us to, live our life like He did, share the message He did, and become more and more like Him (We call that here the way of Jesus… remember that?), there are challenges that will come. There are hard and trying situations, confusing times, and difficulties of life that will come up specifically because you are trying to follow Jesus. And in those times, you need a strength that comes, not from within you personally, but from outside of you, from God. You need His strength that comes from His protection, His ‘suit of armour’ that He puts on you.

Until almost Easter, we are going to be looking at what that armour looks like. We are going to be looking at different ways for us to be finding strength, but before we do that, I want to look at the why question, the need for it. I invite you to turn to Ephesians 6. It is in the New Testament, about 1/3rd of the way in, after 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, before Philippians and Colossians.

Ephesians 6:10
1) His protection comes from Him
It is important for us to agree right at the start that His strength that comes through His protection is all about Him. It is not about us, in our efforts, becoming stronger. It isn’t about us trying harder to be better, to be stronger, to be more courageous, to stand more firm. It is all about Him.

Verse 10 says “Be strong in the Lord.” This isn’t something that you can do on your own. The verse actually translates better “be made strong in the Lord.” It is about God doing something in you, and Him making you strong, Him putting His protection on you, and then you choosing to trust in what He is doing, not in what you can do.

APPLICATION QUESTION: Are you trying to face all the challenges of your Christian faith on your own?

Eph 6:11 (why do we need His protection?)
2) His protection shows us what is true and false
Paul goes on to say that we should put on His whole armour. The image here that the reader would have understood was a soldier putting on all their pieces or armour (including weaponry) before going on duty. It was not just strapping on an helmet and thinking they were fine. They needed complete protection in order to be ‘safe’.

It is also an active action of putting on, much like getting dressed. And we actively put on this armour through us trusting God and letting Him clothe us in His protection. And the reason why we need this armour, this protection? Because each day, we will be bombarded and surrounded constantly with choices between what is true and false, and it wont always be easy to know the difference. The verse calls it “the devil’s schemes”. These are the deceptions, things that are fake, false teachings, and things and people that are against God. It is important to remember that word “schemes”, because a scheme is meant to fool people, it is meant to be a con job. And by very definition of a scheme, unless you know the truth, it is easy to get caught up in the scheme. (Think all those email and phone scams…). As I think of schemes, I also, think of 1 Peter 5:8 which speaks to the sneaky schemes of our enemy.

There are so many things even within the church today that we have to be careful of, that are not Biblical, that are completely false, yet people unknowingly flock to. Why? Because they are not being fully dressed in the armour of God.

The point is that if you are dressed in His protection and walking in His strength, a natural result of that is that you will be able to pick up on and pick out things that are not of God, things that are not true, things that are schemes and fake, false teachings. The greatest defense against things that are false is to know the truth. And in clothing yourself in His protection, you are clothing yourself in His truth.

APPLICATION QUESTION: The deception is real. Are you choosing to protect yourself by trusting God, taking on His protection, and standing on truth as a result?

Eph 6:12-13 (Why do we need His protection?)
3) His protection is what gives us strength to fight the enemy
Paul is very clear here that as followers of Jesus, we are in a battle, but it is not a traditional battle of human to human. It is not a traditional battle with guns, swords, and shields. We don’t have a physical enemy that we can see like a person in front of us. In some cases, we are not even sure what we are fighting against. But we know that we are in a battle, and it is a distinctly spiritual battle. It is a battle for our hearts, minds, and souls.

And as we fight this battle, we are aware that we are in that continual battle between good and evil. And as this battle goes on, there is a very real commander, Satan, who is at work to destroy, to bring down, to ruin the people and the cause of Jesus Christ. And he will use any tactic he can to do so. (like division, bitterness, anger, distractions, comfortability and complacency, apathy, busyness). And his tactics aren’t limited to bad things that we can easily pick out (see last point). They can also be good things that are seemingly innocent. Anything that can take our eyes off of Christ and put them on us, he will use.

One effective tactic out there that he uses is to convince people that there is no battle. That the battle is over-rated. Not really real. Just something that people use as a crutch when things aren’t going well. I don’t say this judgementally, but this morning if you are believing that the battle doesn’t exist, that is all the more proof that it does and that the enemy is real.
What does Paul say though? Put on the full armour of God, be fully protected by Him, adopt a position of finding strength in Him, and when the day of battle comes (the evil day), you will have done everything you can to stand, and stand in victory you will.

APPLICATION QUESTION: Is your life a reflection of victory, or a reflection of defeat? If it is the later, what do you need to do to change that? Who should you be going to?

So what?

As we follow Jesus, it is not always an easy journey. The reality is that we are engaged in a conflict on a spiritual level. It is a conflict that has been going on since the beginning of the ages, and one that will continue until Jesus returns again to end the battle once and for all, and declare His final judgement. In the mean time, we have an enemy whose game plan is scheming, deception, and being a con man. We have an enemy who desires to bring us down in defeat. And in all of the conflict, it is easy to feel tired. It is easy to feel weak. And there are many days where we are wanting to be finding strength so that we can carry on. The good news is that as we turn to God and trust Him, and put on His armour and His protection, we will find the strength we need, He will make us strong in Him so that we can stand, and having done everything to stand, we can and will stand in victory.

The ultimate good news in all of this is that as we stand strong, fully protected in His armour, we look forward to the day where it comes to reality that because of what Jesus did (which we celebrated this morning with Communion), it beomces fully realized that the battle has already been won. Even though Satan right now is doing whatever He can to try and mess things up and mess you up, his days are numbered, the end is coming, and he knows it. So today, with that in mind, as we trust in God, we follow Jesus, and we allow Him to clothe us in His protection and make us strong in Him, we can stand in the victory that has already been won through Jesus, and the victory that will be unleashed when Jesus comes again.
-> Remember:
1) His protection comes from Him
2) His protection shows us what is true and false
3) His protection is what gives us strength to fight the enemy

Familychallenge

This week, our church family (because you are all family no matter how old you are or who you live with) challenge is two part:

Make a suit of body armour. Post pictures of you making it on our facebook page #HMCFAMILYCHALLENGE. There are points for the most original, most creative, or most artistic suit of body armour. This is a contest. And the winning submission gets a prize.

In order to be eligible, you need to do this part too. As you are making your armour, talk as a family about the ways and the situations in which the Armour of God can protect you. And if you are doing this on your own, maybe write a journal about it.