Psalm 46:1 -God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 7 – The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Ephesians 6:10 – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11 – Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 – 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.
13 – 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.
14 – Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 – and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 – In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 – Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
I know you may be unaware of this because it hasn’t been reported on CNN or FOX—but for the past year or so a furious battle has been raging about a mile east of here. I’m referring to the war that is being waged at 6508 Farmingdale Court—a war that is fought on a deck-turned-battlefield between the Adams family and a platoon of militant squirrels. Don’t laugh. I’m serious. I even have some pictures to show you what we’ve been up against. The conflict began about a year ago when the squirrels attacked a bird feeder we had hung from their deck. Twice these furry-tailed mercenaries threw our feeders to the ground…chewed through the plastic walls, and then gorged themselves on the contents, leaving the poor birds to fend for themselves.
We counter-attacked by purchasing this “squirrel-proof” bird feeder—but as you can see, the enemy was crafty—and by working together they were able to lift the feeder, chew through the plastic, and once again fill their bellies with food that was intended for cardinals and finches. We repaired the hole—and greased the hanger with Crisco, thinking that this would prevent them from getting a grip…but the enemy was non-pulsed. I don’t know how they did it—but one night under cover of darkness—they were able to knock the entire apparatus off the wood railing where it was securely fastened—and fill their hairy little stomachs. We’ve bravely—valiantly—fought back with brooms—but to no avail. They are simply too fast for us. Even our grand-dog has been unable—or more accurately, unwilling—to scare them away. In fact, the squirrels must have a spy in our midst because recently they found out that the bird seed is stored in a huge plastic bin on our deck—and, as you can see from this photo they have begun chewing a hole. It’s only a matter of time before this last line of defense is breached. I fear that in a few months they’ll be inside the house—eating OUR food. I’m usually opposed to using weapons of mass destruction but I have to tell you—I’m considering purchasing a pellet gun and installing a “squirrel stand” where I can lie in wait—and the moment they show themselves—BLAST THEM TO ETERNITY!
Now—of course I have exaggerated a bit in my “war correspondent reporting” this morning because the battle we are waging on our deck is really no more than an annoyance, but—the fact is there is a REAL war is going on right now at 6508 Farmingdale Court—and in your homes as well. I’m talking about the invisible war that is being fought every day in each of our lives—and yes, I’m talking about YOUR life—because if you are a Christian—you’re engaged in a constant war with an invisible enemy and 1st Peter 5:8 names him. It says, “Be sober. Be vigilant because your adversary THE DEVIL walks about like a roaring lion…seeking whom he may devour.”
So—please hear me on this: I’m saying that spiritual warfare is NOT an option in the Christian life. If you are a believer and have chosen NOT to live for Jesus you are already a casualty and if you ARE trying to grow in Jesus’ likeness and serve Him—if you are serious about your walk with Jesus, you can be sure the devil has his sites trained on you. Coy Wylie writes,“There is a great cosmic, invisible struggle between good and evil, light and darkness…The casualties are men, women, boys, and girls. In this war there is no cease-fire, no truce, no time-outs, no prisoners, and no quarter.” Look back at our text from Ephesians 6. In verse 10 Paul says, “Finally” and that literally means, “From now on…” In verse 12 he uses the inclusive personal pronoun, “we” which means that all of us are involved in this great war with the adversary—and all of us will be until Jesus comes back.
The sad truth is many of us LOSE more than we WIN when it comes to our personal part of this struggle. Here’s why I say this. Our enemy gains ground—he wins a battle—whenever:
- …you fight with your spouse…or lose your temper with your children.
- …a Christian leader falls into sexual sin.
- ….Christians gossip and fight among themselves.
- …believers don’t have the courage to trust God and obey Him.
- …disciples of Jesus lie or cheat.
I could go on and on but you get the idea.
Now don’t misunderstand me—Jesus has already won this war I’m talking about. He did that when He rose in VICTORY from the grave. But that doesn’t stop satan from fighting. You see, he knows his time is short and his evil nature is such that even though he knows he has lost he still tries to do as much damage as possible. I mean, he knows he can’t have our souls but he will stop at nothing to destroy our lives and especially wants to ruin our Christian witness.
I bring this up because, as we’ll see in our study, the writer of this week’s great hymn of our faith was very aware of this battle that we each fight against an unseen but powerful enemy. I’m referring to Martin Luther, the leader of the protestant reformation. In fact, this hymn that he wrote about spiritual warfare is the best known song of that pivotal period of church history. I mean, in the 16th century—all over Germany, Luther’s A Mighty Fortress became the rallying cry in the struggle against the evil abuses of the catholic church of that day—a struggle that helped give birth to protestant denominations like our own.
Let’s begin with a little history lesson—to remind us about this famous Christian soldier. Martin Luther had originally intended to enter the practice of civil law—but like the Apostle Paul, he had a life-changing experience while traveling down a road. One night as Luther journeyed along God used a storm to get his attention. In fact, Luther became so afraid of the lightening that struck all around him that he promised that if God would protect him, he would become a priest and Luther was good to his word. He left civil law behind and began his theological studies—acquiring a great reputation for wisdom such that he was asked to be a professor at the University of Wittenberg. After a trip to Rome, he became disturbed by the practice of the selling of indulgences. Here’s how that would work. Church officials would go around the country side with “relics” from church history. For example, a catholic priest would charge Christians to see the “skull” of John the Baptist or touch a splinter of wood from the “Holy Rood”—the “actual” cross of Christ—and in exchange the payer could have his time in purgatory—or that of a deceased loved one—shortened. In essence, with indulgences one could literally buy their way into heaven. A famous statement from that day went like this:
“The moment the money tinkles in the chest, a soul mounts up out of purgatory.”
Well, Luther was shocked at the blasphemy of this false teaching. He began to speak out against this practice both in his writings and in his lectures at the university. On October 31, 1517 this all came to a head when Luther posted 95 theses or complaints against the practices of the Roman Catholic Church on the doors of the Cathedral of Wittenberg. In the theological battles that followed he wrote and preached and taught that our salvation is not something we can buy—or earn—that Christ alone provides redemption—that as Paul says, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17) Luther also said that the knowledge of the Scriptures should be reestablished and that priests should be allowed to marry. He practiced what he preached by translating the Bible into the German language…and by marrying a nun named Katherina Von Bora. They had six children. Another thing: Luther taught that music is very important in our personal spiritual growth. Joni Erichson Tada writes, “Declaring music to be second only to the Word of God, Luther composed sacred hymns so that ‘the Word of God may dwell among the people also by means of song.’” Luther went so far as to encourage women to sing in worship—something that hadn’t been done in a thousand years. He even taught that hymn singing was a weapon to use against our enemy. He said,“…the devil, the originator of sorrowful anxieties and restless troubles, flees before the sound of music almost as much as before the Word of God.”
Luther was interested in effective weapons to use in spiritual warfare because as I said a moment ago, he was constantly haunted with a vivid awareness of satan’s opposition in his own life. He was very aware of this invisible battle that all Christians fight and felt that the devil posed a far more present danger than the flesh-and-blood adversaries he contended with. Once, he even threw an ink-pot across the room at satan. It is said that the ink-stain of that battle is still visible on a wall in Warburg Castle today.
Okay—with the words of this hymn echoing in our minds, let’s review a few important facts about this struggle all Christians have with our adversary. Think of this as a “military briefing.”
(1) First, let’s review what the Bible tells us about our enemy. Who is he?
- Luke 10:18 says his name is: “satan.”
- Matthew 4:1 refers to him as, “the devil.”
- In John 12:31 his is described as, “the prince of this world.”
- In Matthew 4:3 he is referred to as, “the tempter.”
- In 2 Corinthians 4:4 he is singled out as, “the god of this world.”
- According to Job 1:6 and Colossians 1:16, satan is a created spirit.
- Matthew 25:41 and Revelation 12:7 refer to him and his minions as “angels.”
- Ezekiel 28:14 says that he is not only an angel but a CHERUB.
Now—that word conjures up images of greeting cards on Valentines’ day, but CHERUBS in Hebrew Scripture are anything BUT cute, puffy little cupids. They are the highest class of angelic being, and Ezekiel 28 says satan was the highest of them. So satan was the highest angel of the highest class of angels before he opposed God and fell from Heaven—which means Luther is right in his hymn when he says that “on earth he has no equal.”
But of all these descriptive words or phrases, the Bible teaches that the best way to describe our enemy is to say that he stands in opposition to our Heavenly Father. He is literally the adversary and his purpose is to destroy the WORKS of God…to discourage the PEOPLE of God…to discredit the WORD of God.
In our text from Ephesians Paul tells us three other things about satan.
A. First he reminds us that satan is STRONG.
And he is. As Luther puts it in verse one of his hymn, “Still our ancient foe, seeks to work us woe—his craft and power are great…” But hear me on this: satan IS strong—but God is INFINITELY stronger…and GOD is on our side. He puts limits on what satan can do and offers to empower us to stand against him! Luther reminds us of this in verse 2 of his hymn when he says, “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing…” But as he puts it, Jesus is on our side and “He MUST win the battle.” In your personal struggles with satan remember the words of this hymn…remember that as Romans 8:31 puts it, “If God is for us—who can be against us!”
B. Secondly, Paul reminds us that satan is SUBTLE.
In verse 11 he speaks of the “schemes of the devil.” The Greek word for “schemes” is “methodeias” and it is the word from which we get our word “methods.” So Paul is saying that we must watch out for the subtle METHODS of the devil—and this is good advice to heed. I mean, satan will not come at us garbed in red with a pitchfork, pointed ears, and a long tail. satan is not going to come to you dressed up in something evil looking or unappealing so we can say, “That’s satan. I’d better watch out!” No…that’s not the way satan works. He is much more subtle than that. He will come to you just as he came to Eve in the beginning, dressed in an attractive, appealing, interesting disguise…in order to gain our approval before we ever realize who he is. He is tricky…sneaky….subtle!
C. He is also SINISTER.
Perhaps Luther’s words in his hymn—words that say satan is “…armed with cruel hate”—perhaps they were inspired by verse 16 of our text where Paul refers to satan…as “the EVIL one.” Well, he is evil. His plan is never to do things to help us. He always hurts. He always causes pain and sorrow. He is sinister. Remember that when you face temptation. Remember that sin always hurts! And that’s what the evil one wants. He wants us to hurt.
(2) Okay—that’s WHO he is—WHAT are his limitations?
Well, he can tempt—he can entice us to sin—but contrary to what some believers say, satan CAN’T possess us. He can oppress but he cannot possess. WHY? Because we are already possessed! As Christians we are possessed—indwelt—sealed with the Holy Spirit of Almighty God. And remember, as 1st John 4:4 says, “Greater is HE WHO is in you—than he who is in the world!” satan cannot stand against God. He flees from God as darkness flees from light.
And at this point I would remind you of a very important fact—spiritual warfare is never about us—it’s all God. A proper perspective on this invisible battle is focused on the power of God rather than the ploys of satan. And Almighty God gives us the power and the authority to resist our enemy. The closer we grow to God the better we are enabled to withstand our enemy.
Winning this invisible war is more about discipleship than deliverance. The more we mature in Christlikeness…the more we understand Who God is…the more we are able to exercise the authority He gives us. We may feel weak and helpless at times but this does not diminish our position of authority as God’s forgiven children.
Think of it this way. A policeman may not feel strong. Physically he would not be able to stop the smallest compact car yet when he raises his hand, all traffic stops Why? Because the government has given him authority over traffic. Well, Jesus has give us the authority to resist the devil—to raise our hand and say, NO. Remember—as I said earlier, ours is a DEFEATED enemy. Jesus was victorious over him 2000 years ago…so he can be resisted by the child of God. James 4:7 says, “Let God work His will in you. Yell a loud NO to the devil and watch him scamper.”
satan likes to make people THINK he can program them and that they must obey his commands but Christ’s death and ascension have put an end to such lies. The message of the New Testament is clear. Christ won a complete victory over satan and believers now participate in that triumph.
(3) Okay—how exactly does satan attack us?
Well—as I inferred a moment ago, his main tactic is by tempting us to sin.
For example, as the father of all lies, he uses the sin of DECEIPT.
We tend to think white lies are not TRUE deceit so they pose no real problem. We believe they are harmless—but consider the case of Annanias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Remember? They lied about the amount of money they received from the sale of their land. Now—let’s assume they sold their land for $1,000 but when asked how much they got for it, they said $600. In one sense, they spoke the truth—they did get $600 for their land. They just failed to tell the whole story. They got $600 PLUS an additional $400. So theirs was a white lie—what some people call trivial. Who would have guessed that satan was the instigator of this deception? Peter, following the leadership of the Holy Spirit saw threw their lie, confronted the husband and said,
“Annanias, why has satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?!”(Acts 5:3)
This couple never realized that the devil had actually inserted a lie into their mind; they credited themselves with the idea.
Another example of satan’s attacks is seen in unfaithfulness that leads to the breakup of a marriage.
Paul warns that couples ought to meet one another’s sexual needs, “…so that satan will not tempt you because of your lack of control.” (1 Cor 7:5) Don’t get me wrong—the unfaithful spouse can’t blame the devil. He or she made the choice to give into temptation—but the devil played a part and when he or she yielded to satan’s tempting…a battle was won for the god of this world. Remember—satan will do whatever he can to ruin a marriage. He loves to play a part in destroying two lives that God has made one.
Another example of our adversary’s craft is seen when we yield to the sin of failing to speak out for our Lord—those times when we have a God-given opportunity to share our faith…but we give into fear and keep silent.
Do you remember when Peter did this? When this big fisherman failed to identify himself with Jesus…and in fact proceeded to deny Him? Jesus had warned Peter that satan demanded he be sifted as wheat (Luke 22:31) but Peter didn’t listen….and a few hours later he gave in to the fear satan placed in his heart.
And while we are talking about that night—where do you think Judas got the idea to betray Jesus? John 13:2 says that the devil put the suggestion into his heart.
Irwin Lutzer says,“satan loves exploiting our areas of weakness. He delights in influencing our passions, arousing our greed and anger, inflating our egos, and stirring up our hatred and resentment.”
Ask yourself soldier: “Where have I given ground to satan? What sins do I tolerate? Where do I resist God? What weakness have I let the enemy take advantage of?” Well, whatever your weakness is—don’t despair for there is HOPE! God is indeed our mighty fortress! And He has given us the tools to withstand the attacks of our invisible but relentless enemy. He’s given us attitudes and actions and TRUTH we can use to protect the weaker areas in our life. Paul writes about it in our text—part of a letter he wrote to the church at Ephesus. Now—remember, when Paul wrote these words he was under Roman house arrest. He was chained day and night to the wrist of a Roman soldier. Well, as he writes this letter—he searches for a WORD PICTURE to explain how we can resist the devil…how we can stand against his strong, subtle, sinister attacks—and as he is sitting there thinking about this—under the influence of the Holy Spirit of God he looks up—and see’s the soldier in full armor. He takes that imagery and gives us six things we need to know to win this battle we all wage.
Bobby and Kevin are going to come now and help me to give you the same imagery.
A. First, there is the Belt of TRUTH
A roman soldier like the one Paul was chained to—had a belt—and that belt literally held everything together. All the rest of his armor somehow clipped to that belt. If it was wintertime, soldiers wore a long robe or tunic. The first thing a soldier would do to get ready for battle was “gird up his loins.” That is to say, he would lift up that long robe…and tuck it into his belt so that he could move freely. Well, Paul refers to this as the “belt of truth” because in a similar sense TRUTH holds it all together for the child of God. You see, above all else, KNOWING THE TRUTH protects us from satan—because as I said, he is the father of all lies, so if we gird ourselves with the truth of God’s Word….then we will be able to recognize our adversary’s deceit. We’ll be able to discern falsehood when we hear it whispered in our ears. This means one of the best tools or weapons we have at our disposal is to simply know God’s WORD OF TRUTH—the Bible—and know it well. As Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word.”
Let me ask—how well do you know the Bible—this Word of Truth? How much of your perceptions—your world view is based on the words of this book? Listen soldier! The less you know it—the more susceptible you will be to the attacks of the deceiver. William Barclay writes,“Others may guess and grope; the Christian moves freely and quickly, because in any situation he knows the truth.”
B. The second piece of armor Paul mentions is the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Now—the breastplate was a vital piece of armor that covered the chest kind of like a modern policeman’s body armor. Its purpose was to defend a soldier from arrows, spears, or swords being thrust at the vital organs—especially the HEART. This part of Paul’s word picture serves to remind us that the HEART of a Christian is the primary target of the devil. This is why Proverbs 4:23 warns,“Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.” In the following verses Solomon goes on to describe HOW we guard our hearts—by steering clear from sin and unrighteousness. It says, “Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead. Make level paths for your feet. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”(Proverbs 4:24-27)
In other words the best way to defend/protect your heart—is to live a life of holiness and obedience to God. 1st Peter 1:15:16 says,“As He Who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” The fact is, we can immerse ourselves in Scripture all we want to—but if those things don’t transform the way we live, we are defenseless.
John MacArthur writes, “Many, if not most, of the emotional relational problems Christians experience are caused by lack of personal holiness. Many of our disappointments and discouragements do not come from circumstances or from other people but from our own unconfessed and uncleansed sin. And when circumstances and other people do manage to rob us of happiness, it is because we are unprotected by the armor of a holy life.”
Do you remember when King Saul went into battle against the Amalekites? God told him to put to death all livestock and destroy everything that belonged to them. Saul obeyed MOST of God’s instructions—but not all of them. He spared the Amalekite king and the best of the sheep and cattle and as a result of that sin…for the rest of Saul’s reign he was consumed with jealousy and fits of insanity. Demonic activity pursued him relentlessly. Saul was a king without the breastplate of righteousness and he lost the battle. Consider this question: in what area of your life are you being disobedient to God? Where are you sinning? Remember soldier—wherever you yield to sin you give satan a foothold…a beachhead into your life—and he will take advantage of it—count on it—but when we live righteously before the Lord, satan can do nothing to us. Are you living above reproach?
C. The third piece of armor Paul talks about are the Shoes of PEACE.
Now in the Roman world sandals were not loose-fitting flip flops. No…they consisted of a piece of leather with knobs underneath, almost like spikes…for sure footing. Strings of leather were brought from the leather base over the instep. These firm-fitting sandals were an essential part of their equipment…because they gave the soldier the ability to stand firm when fighting.
Think of it this way. You have the breastplate on so your vital organs are protected—but what good would that do if you can’t keep your footing. Let this remind you that our relationship with Jesus gives us a firm foundation in the storms of life. We can stand firm—at peace. But that’s not all this part of the armor represents—it also reminds us that we must always have our sandals on so we’ll always be READY…ready to share the Gospel whenever God gives us an opportunity to do so.
Well, continuing with our personal military inspection—how is your “footwear?” Is your footing solid enough that satan can’t knock you off your feet with temptation or despair? And—are you ready—are you prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in you?
D. The next piece of the armor is the shield of FAITH.
Now—the Roman soldiers used two types of shields—a small round one basically for close hand to hand combat like the one Kevin has—and a larger rectangular one—like the one in this slide. The word Paul uses here refers to this second type. This was an important piece of equipment because one of the most dangerous weapons in ancient warfare was the fiery dart. It was a dart tipped with pitch…the pitch or tar was set on fire and the dart was thrown. But the BIG shield was the perfect defensive weapon against this attack. It was made of two sections of wood, glued together and when the dart hit the shield, the point that was burning sank into the wood and was extinguished. Paul uses this mental image to help us see that faith has the same affect on the darts of doubt and panic and temptation that satan hurls at us.
Now…there are two kinds of faith. There is the “IF” kind of faith.“IF” You will bless me Lord, and “IF” You will give me good things, and “IF”You will make Your face to shine on me, well….then I will have faith in You…then I will serve You. Paul is not talking about this kind of faith. He’s talking about the “EVEN IF YOU DON’T” variety. This is the faith that Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego had—faith that held firm even as they were thrown into a fiery furnace—the faith of Job, who said, “…even if God slay me, I will trust in Him.”
Faith in this context means absolute confidence in God. It’s the belief that nothing can separate us from His love—nothing can thwart His purposes for our lives. In short, faith is a defense for all defenses—a defense that is ultimately rooted and grounded in an accurate understanding of the nature of God Himself…a faith that enables us to trust God even when we don’t understand.
Well, what kind of fiery darts does the adversary tend to use against you? Are they darts of doubt or fear or are they darts “tipped” in a burning desire to sin? Are they darts of disappointment or criticism or pride? Remember—as we raise the shield of faith…as we refuse to believe the evil one’s lies and instead hold firmly to God’s character, the flaming darts are harmlessly deflected. 1st John 5:4 says,“This is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.”
E. The fifth piece of equipment is the Helmet of SALVATION.
Roman soldiers wore helmets made of thick leather that were often covered with metal. These helmets were invaluable in battle. I mean, imagine standing on the battlefield in the midst of flaming arrows, swinging swords and thrusting spears without something to protect your head!
A hard blow to the body might maim or seriously injure but a hard blow to the head would kill instantly. Ever watch an 8-year-old put on a football helmet? They become instant kamakazes because they feel invincible in their helmets. In the same way, the helmet of our salvation gives us confidence because we know that no matter what happens we will ultimately win the victory.
Our eternal salvation infuses us with an optimism that victory is assured. Let the enemy attack. Let the forces of Hell rage against us. Let them shoot their fiery darts. We may be wounded. We may suffer momentary defeats. We may falter and stumble. But, because of the cross and the empty tomb—we are not afraid even of death itself—because we know victory will ultimately be ours. Well, how’s your head gear?
F. The final piece of equipment is the Sword of the SPIRIT.
The Roman soldier’s sword was short—about two feet long—and it was designed to be used in close, hand-to-hand combat. It had to be easily accessible and ready to use—plus the soldier had to be very proficient in using it. You see, the sword was the only strategic weapon that could be used when the enemy was close, so warriors spent hours upon hours with it in their hands—working on their dexterity, getting used to the feel and letting it become second nature—as familiar as their own limbs.
Paul defines the Christian’s sword in verse 17 as the Word of God—but he doesn’t use the Greek word “Logos” as he does in other parts of his writings. This time he uses the word, “rhema” referring to the specific spoken word or words given to us by the Spirit of God to do close, hand-to-hand combat with the lies and deceptions of the enemy. The difference between the LOGOS and the RHEMA is the difference between a stockpile of weapons and a sword in a highly skilled hand. One is the invaluable ARSENAL; the other is a specific well-timed DEPLOYMENT. The RHEMA is the sword of the Spirit—and if you want an example of how it works look to Jesus and the way He responded to the devil’s attacks in the wilderness. Every time satan said something, Jesus said, “it is written…” and then quoted from the LOGOS…the perfect RHEMA for each temptation. satan attacked three times and each time Jesus expertly parried his thrusts until finally satan gave up and left the field. Remember soldier, as Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
So as 2nd Timothy 2:15 says we must do our best,“…to present ourselves to God as one approved, a workman who correctly handles the word of truth.”
Now—we must remember the armor here in Ephesians 6 is a metaphor—description of how we are to live out a dynamic relationship with Jesus. Paul is talking about a lifestyle—not a checklist. Plus—the real battle is prayer—prayer that enables us to rely on God. In verse 18 Paul says, “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kids of prayers and requests. Be alert and always keep on praying.” We’ll talk more about prayer next week—but let’s close our study fellow soldiers by talking to our Commander-in-chief. Would you pray with me?
Father God,
I pray that right now You would search us and examine us….in the same way a commanding officer inspects his troops. As you do this—speak to each of us—show us the areas of our lives—the parts of our armor that are weak. Convict us of sins that have given the adversary a beachhead…renew our minds by replacing satan’s lies with Your truth…remind us that nothing—not angels or demons…not life or death…nothing in all creation can separate us from Your love….and the eternal salvation made possible through the sacrifice of Your only Son. Most of all—fill our hearts with the courage that comes from knowing Who You are—knowing that You are our mighty fortress—a bulwark never failing. Make us bolder soldiers father—confident in who—and Whose we are.
I ask this in Jesus’ name. AMEN
As we sing Luther’s great hymn, we invite you to respond as God leads. Come and ask to join this church…come and confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord…come and pray…but come as God leads.