This week’s theme is the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). Listen and find out how to be equipped for life’s spiritual battles.
The Book of Ephesians is a letter in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul is an incredibly interesting man who took joy in the murder of Christians before having an encounter with Christ himself and dedicating his life in thankfulness to the mission of God. It is addressed to the Christian community in Ephesus,a significant city in ancient Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), known for its wealth, commerce, and the temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The letter primarily serves to instruct and encourage the Ephesian believers by addressing various theological and practical issues. It emphasizes the nature of the church as the body of Christ and focuses on themes such as unity, grace, spiritual maturity, and ethical living.
The first half of Ephesians discusses God’s plan for salvation and the church; the second half (chapters 4-6) offers encouragement and practical guidance for living out the faith.
The Armor of God
This armour is for a spiritual war against the unseen darkness of the world, we are to be warriors of peace and love and kindness and growth against a darkness of destruction and death and lies and cruelness and unfairness.
This call to prepare ourselves in the armour of God and fight for a battle of peace, not using weapons but using words and acts of goodness is given in the context of Ephesians where Paul is emphasising unity. We are to do this as an army with community and support not by ourselves. I thought to myself when looking at this and thinking of Jacobs baptism I thought its also quite needed for parenting. We need community, we need peace, we need purpose, we need encouragement for all the challenges and joys that raising a family brings us.
Breakdown of each piece of armour
1.Belt of Truth – Importance of truth in our lives – in a world where deep fakes and lies are shared so abundantly we end up with everything being deniable. Nothing being trustworthy. We need to listen to the truths – thruths God speaks over us – such as that when we accept Jesus we become children of God with a heavenly inheritance, loved, accepted and cherished.
- Breastplate of Righteousness – Guarding our hearts and living righteously in a way where you live for the good of others
- Footwear of the Gospel of Peace – Being prepared to share and stand firm in the Gospel – walkig peace with us wherever we go
- Shield of Faith – Protecting ourselves from doubts and challenges
- Helmet of Salvation – Assurance of our salvation and its transformative power – we are saved through Jesus Christ, the Lord our God prepares a room for us in heaven, we can be sure of that.
- Sword of the Spirit – The Word of God as our offensive weapon against lies and deception
C. The role of prayer in spiritual warfare (v. 18) - The importance of continual communication with God
- Collectively praying for one another for strength and perseverance in battles
V. Purpose – Purpose – ‘the reason for doing something or the reason that something exists’
Three things we might accidentally do with this armour aside from fully putting it on and using it– these mistakes are that we either think the armour doesn’t have a purpose – or we don’t, or we wear it and stand still forgetting to actually get out the on the battlefield.
we don’t think it really has a purpose, so we don’t put it on – or we put it on but think we don’t have a purpose.
What’s wrong with thinking ‘there is no need for the armour of God today’?
• We deny the terrible darkness in the world – which is there and if we deny the dark and the evil in the world then are we fully understanding the God who has saved us and desire us to be in the light. Although in our own lives we may see no need for the armour, what about the lives of others less priviledged than us.
What’s wrong with thinking ‘I would wear it if I had a purpose’?
Is that you do have a purpose, you are a beloved child of God, adored and cherished and we read in Mark that Jesus welcomed children with open arms beckoned them to come to him and said the kingdom of heaven belonged to them.
The third possibility is that we can put the armour on and think that we’re done or think we have to wait before we use it.
This reminded me of a discovery that I just found fascinating growing up.
Can anyone name the army that was discovered in 1974?
Once we’ve put on this armour, we do not want to stay still like a statue, frozen in time, not reacting to the world around us, not learning afresh from God, not reaching out to people. We want to be living breathing warriors of peace for god.
When you think there is no need for the armour of God remember we are fighting against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world.
When you think you have no purpose – remember you are a child of god called into community and equipped with the full armour of God.
When you forget the importance of your purpose that God has equipped you for
Pray in the spirit at all times and of every occasion and for your community of believers. Enourage others in the fight as you yourself are encouraged.
I don’t say these thoughts because I think people are bad at them, I say them because I’ve experienced each of these thoughts in my own life.
When I first became a Christian I wasn’t sure why passages like this were relevant today – I would have thought like the top one that there is no purpose today for the armour of God
But as I grew in faith and understood the story of Jesus more and more I then questioned my own purpose in all of this. I felt similar to how I had done as a child – coming out of all those films wishing I had some great quest or adventure to embark upon.
And then when I had realised God’s purpose in the world and his purpose for me I then had to remind myself again and again of the truth that God has equipped me and that God had equipped me for where I was. It was very tempting when I was working back to back shifts in a café and a bar to think – maybe one day if I ever become a vicar that’s when I will live out my purpose, but actually, God was calling me then and there in the café I worked in and in the bar I worked in to help people in the bar get home safely by ordering cabs, to speak with those who were lonely, to pray for healing for my bosses, to share the gospel with customers and to be a witness to those around me. I want to encourage each of you today that you have a purpose as who you are and where you are today, whether that’s as someone who is retired, working in construction, spending a lot of time alone in your job you can be a prayer warrior. now, and God is equipping you for it, not with violence, or fear or judgement, but peace and righteousness and salvation and truth and faith. that doesn’t mean you can’t work towards something else, I did end up becoming doing what I am now but that doesn’t mean I have only just found my purpose.
Before we finish I would like you all to close your eyes and i’m going to ask you to visualise something then while we have still got our eyes closed I am going to pray.
Visualise wearing that armour.
Now I want to challenge you, and this might not be relevant to you, but it might, that if when you visualise that you are alone I want to encourage you to ask the Lord to help you grow in unity. Because we can’t wear this uniform by ourselves its meant for an army, so picture yourself again but in a sea of people, not just people in this church but people in every church, every believer across the globe.
Father God, Help us to be fully equipped in the armour of God and stand in unity more and more each day with our fellow believers, our brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen
St. George's Church Ramsgate 