The Sword

Ephesians 6:17

[Take] the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

The Sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon mentioned in Ephesians 6. Everything else was defensive to protect against the enemy.

Without the sword (Word of God) you cannot attack the enemy. The better a person knows how to use the sword (Word of God) the better fighter they become.

I just want to use an Old Testament story as an illustration of this. You may have heard of King David's Mighty Men. Eleazar was one of the chiefs.

2 Samuel 23:9-10
Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. The the men of Israel retreated, but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

This dude is my freakin hero. Eleazar and David are taunting the Philistine army while everyone else is shaking and rattling in their armor. Eleazar is saying "Bring it." While the army of Israel is telling him to shut up. Whatever he did along with David to taunt the Philistines into battle it worked. It reminds me of the movie Braveheart where William Wallace offends the British guy to provoke a battle and rides back to the Scottish army and his buddy ends up saying. "At least we didn't get dressed up for nothin."

One thing I find amazingly interesting about this story is how hard Eleazar fought. It says that his hand was so tired from the battle that it froze to his sword. Oh that we would cling to the Word of God in that way. That we would till our dying breath be clutching without fear, without doubt, and with complete faith in the Word of God.

That verse says that the army of Israel only came back to strip the dead. It's the same type of thing when a person can only lean on the trust another has in the Word of God. "My Sunday School teacher said she..." or "My Pastor said that he..." but not have a story of their own. They do not fully understand the Word and so their revelation of God is small. A small understanding of God only leads to a forfeit faith. If we had an understanding what the Word of God can do for us we'd do more than just preach, memorize certain scriptures, or let it save our seat in the pew.

God's Word:

Generates Life | Creates Faith | Produces Change | Frightens Satan | Causes Miracles | Heals Hurts | Builds Character | Transforms Circumstances | Imparts Joy | Overcomes Adversity | Defeats Temptation | Infuses Hope | Releases Power | Cleanses Minds | Brings Into Being | Guarantees Our Future Forever

That's the reason this is our only weapon. We need to be so diligent and so proficiently savvy with the Word of God that we are like Eleazar with the sword; unwavering, unstoppable, unashamed, and unrelenting.

Notice this one last thing about the "Full Armor of God." There is nothing to guard your back. You can't run and hide from this. So the best option is to pick up your sword and become skilled at using it.

Deeper Than Acceptance

Ephesians 6:12

Take the helmet of salvation...

A soldier's helmet protected his skull and neck from his enemy's weapons and falling objects. It also identified the soldier to whom he had allegiance to.

A person can survive most injuries depending on the severity; a broken arm, a missing limb, a stubbed toe all of which are painful but survivable. But head trauma is different. It doesn't take a neuroscientist to point out that head injuries are the most traumatic injuries a person can sustain. Head injuries can cause aneurysms, hemorrhages, hematomas and several other big fancy scary medical terms.

We, Christians, for decades have put an emphasis on salvation being something God offers and we accept. Not necessarily as a life changing new identity that we often tote as a "free gift". But more or less like an added credit card to our wallets.

God: "Do you want to accept this Heaven Express Platinum Card with a very low APR offer? We can also roll all your credit cards into your new Heaven Express Platinum Card in order to make your payments quick and easy. If you act now we'll give you this special bonus of touring our location once this card has expired. What do you say?"

Us: "Yes, sign me up today!"

Then as we incur the dept we work hard at paying it off. We don't make any true changes except for who we are in "debted" to. We pay off that debt by trying to have better behavior around church people and give Jesus a shout out now and then. But what happened to the life change?

As often as you read in Scripture where salvation is a discussed topic it mostly describes a new life or a transformation taking place. Salvation isn't found in a nod of agreement to a doctrine but in a life transformed by the person of Jesus Christ.

So if we get this salvation wrong we screw up how we view God, what we think about God, how we respond to God, and what we do for God. It's like a hemorrhage that leads to a spiritual coma. That is why it is so crucial for us to understand that salvation is meant to be worked out and lived daily.

I do accept what Jesus has done for me; that is just the beginning. Who I am is a representation of the salvation that has renewed my mind, transformed my heart, and opened my life up to a divine purpose.

The Shield

Ephesians 6:16

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

The Shield of Fatih is the Christian's protection against the attack of the enemy. When faced with authentic faith in God the powers of darkness are overcome. This is why the apostle John could say for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

One of the greatest pieces of armament that was ever created was the shield. Shields have been key in any successful military force. From ancient warriors to modern riot police; shields are being used. Though the type and durability of shields have changed over the centuries shields are an essential piece of equipment. Imagine being a warrior without a shield. You have a lot more to worry about than before and a lot more energy is exerted to dodge attacks because the shield isn't present.

A shields elementary purpose is to intecept an attack or redirect a blow. That is what our faith does. Sometimes we pray that God delivers us from stuff we are meant to endure. When we engage in a battle and must step out in faith as the enemy approaches to attack we can have confidence to know that as the blow comes in we can position our faith in a way to break up its intended purpose.

Don't just have faith. Actually PUT faith in God.

To have faith in something is like having faith a wall will hold you up. I have faith that if I lean against any wall in my office it will be able to hold me up. Yet if I never lean against it what good is that faith? So what you can quote books of the Bible. So what you got gold stars for perfect attendance in Sunday School. If what you now isn't how you act, than what you know is worthless. It is a whole other thing to say I have faith and actually commit to leaning on that very faith.

One other great thing about a shield is that you can use it to help those battling beside you. Our faith can be an encouragment to others who may be struggling to endure the very trials that we are in or have already overcome.

Intercept, redirect, endure...you can't do any of it if you're not engaged in faith.

God's Foot Locker

Ephesians 6:15
And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Without good shoes or shoes that actually fit the soldier that soldier would not be able to hold his ground in battle.

Your feet fitted: is a call to step into YOUR anointing, YOUR purpose, YOUR life with God and not living someone else's. It is easy to see the glory in a persons life but you may not know the struggle that person went through to get there. I remember in Bible college all us young buck preachers wanted to be like T.D. Jakes. One of his catch phrases was "Get ready, get ready, get ready." It was often imitated by several of us. I believe I sounded most like the Bishop. But T.D. Jakes has an anointing for what he does where he is by God. I am not to be T.D. Jakes Jr. I am to be like Christ and find my identity in Him.

When we try to live a life based on the outward appearance of another human we fail to see God's original purpose for us. Try God's Foot Locker and put on the shoes that have been designed with you in mind.

The readiness means to be ready to make a faithful stand. Sometimes peace is brought about through an act of aggression. Like I have said before part of living right is being prepared to fight. There must come a point where as Christians we become intolerant of the nonsense and speak the truth of the gospel. In doing so the message of the gospel of peace which is that those who trust and believe in God are no longer on the receiving end of His wrath.

Those who stand firm in their anointing and their God directed purpose are not easily tripped up by temptation. The peace that Jesus gives in knowing who we are in Him is liberating. We are liberated to have life to the fullest when we experience it in the way God intended for us.

Go in this peace and return in the victory.

Righteous Swag

Ephesians 6:14

...with the breastplate of righteousness in place.

The Breastplate of Righteousness
The breastplate was one of the single most important elements of the Roman armor. If any soldier decided not to wear their breastplate they were asking to be killed. The breastplate protected the vital organs. Many commanders would also wear it for swagger.

Righteousness means to be just or act justly. Isaiah 59 says that the Lord puts on "righteousness as a breastplate" and goes into battle against injustice and corruption, restoring peace and order to the land. God offers us His righteousness and the duties that go along with it.

Sometimes as Christians we can assume that our religion makes us righteous but that is NOT the case.

James 1:27 says,
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:  to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Our duties in righteousness is to "look after" which means protect, stand up for, support, and be a guardian of. To act, think, walk, and talk justly. This involves getting involved. No one believes a person to be righteous if they don't act accordingly.

You keep yourself from being polluted by guarding your own heart. You can only guard your heart with something that is as pure as righteousness. To be righteous a person must have integrity; publicly and privately. A righteous person is not enticed to lay it down for momentary pleasures.

Having the breastplate of righteousness in place means that it is secured; not in oneself but in Jesus. It is a command to never retreat. There is no rear defense. Nothing to guard the back. Only to engage in the mission. Righteousness must stand the test of time. It must endure to the end. When the battle gets difficult they don't run they raze hell.

Those who stay true to righteousness definitely have some swag.

Keep the Belt Tight

Ephesians 6:14

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist...

The Belt of Truth
When preparing for battle, the belt would have been the first piece of protective armor put on. It was more than a strap around the waist. It had other leather straps with brass plates connected to them which hung over the groin area of the soldier.

Belts were used to tie up the garments so they would not get in the way while fighting. Without the belt the armor becomes weak and wobbly. The same goes with the truth. If we don't have a definite absolute truth everything else becomes weak, awkward and a burden. The call to already have "buckled" is a call to already be prepared. You start with the truth. You can't go any further if you don't have the truth.

This truth is not relative. This isn't theology or doctrine. It is the one simple truth that everything else hangs on. JESUS. In the movie A Few Good Men Colonel Jessep says, "You can't handle the truth!" I believe when we try to add so many other things (theologies and doctrines) to the truth of Jesus whether they're indeed the truth or not it begins to make the truth harder to handle. The person of Jesus begins to get blurred. We are meant to be replicas of Jesus and a replica is no good if it has things added to it based on a belief about the original.

Jesus said that He is the truth. There is no other truth besides Him.

In our faith we cannot get anything else right if our understanding of Jesus is askew. It doesn't matter what you believe about the rapture, if you are pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, or about speaking in tongues, and all the other debatable topics. They come second to Jesus and a far second at best.

We cannot do Christianity right with a false Christ. An image of a true Christian is found in Christ. We find our purpose, our mission, our hope, our joy, our peace, our freedom and our life in Jesus.

So make sure the belt is tight and you'll be able to stay in the fight.

Stand Ready

Ephesians 6:13
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.

Depending on the translation of the Bible you read it says to "stand against", "withstand", "done all to stand", "stand". Paul is trying to create a picture here. Imagine old style Roman warfare, where there are two opposing forces on separate ends of the battlefield. Every soldier is lined up in place standing. They are ready for the conflict to begin at a moment's notice. It is a picture of being in the midst of the battle and not losing your strength but to endure to the end. So knowing that you are capable of standing and can endure; STAND now.

All of this is done in preparation long before the "day of evil". If we aren't prepared to fight we will loose the battle every time. A reason, I believe, so many Christians walk around beat down and have the faith like soggy fries is because they only begin to "stand" when the enemy has already started to attack. So they run defeated.

"Stand your ground" is a determination not to back down. There is no second guesses. The soldier is all in. You've probably heard this before, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." You can not deceive a person or quickly defeat a person who has an understanding.

This is our understanding:

Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels not demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You are to stand, prepared to fight. Nothing has the ability to overcome you unless you are not ready.

Don't Just Sit There, FIGHT

Ephesians 6:10-12
Finally, be strong in the Lord in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can 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.

Notice all these phrases:

Be strong. Be spiritually powerful, tough, resilient in the Lord. Be empowered through your union with God. Draw strength from Him.

Put on. This is a command to commit to action. It is something that we must do. We're never told to take off.

Full armor of God. Every time it is mentioned it is the full or whole armor. Without putting on the full armor of God we won't be fully equipped for battle.

Here are some of the devil's schemes:  pride - lies - fear - discouragement - anger - complaining - gossip - regret - greed - self-pity - laziness - unfaithfulness - worry - anxiety; just to name a few.

Too long have we just got comfortable in our church pews and comfortable building churches that we forgot that we're meant to cause a righteous ruckus with holy indignation that hates mediocrity and self-absorption. We go to church not for our sake but to give the enemy a break.

Our battle isn't with the theology of another. Our battle isn't with an atheist, a homosexual, or a satanist. It is with the one who is behind all of it playing the puppeteer. Our battle is with:

The rulers. A person (in this case a spirit) exercising dominion.

The authorities. The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

The powers. The capability of doing or accomplishing something.

The forces. The capacity or active power to cause change.

This is not as cartoonist portray it as the fat angel and seductive devil on our shoulders. There is a spiritual battle that we are fighting. There is no spectating. Let me say this there are no innocent bystanders. I don't believe there is a demon behind every rock but I do believe that we have overlooked the reality of the conflict. We have become disengaged from the warfare we are called to fight in.

We are soldiers who fight the good fight.
We are soldiers who don't get caught in the nonsense.
We are soldiers who raze hell.

Don't just sit around in church, pick a fight.

Raze Hell

 


 

Raze

     1. to demolish completely (town, building, etc);

     2. level (esp in the phrase:  Raze to the ground).

     3. to delete, erase

I'm going to reference an old blog of mine:  Who In Hell Are You (if you want to read it fully click on the link).

Matthew 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

This verse is not a defensive scripture for the church. This verse isn't referring to the church being under siege by the enemy. Using this scripture as such is foolish and completely counterproductive to the true meaning of the church. This verse is about the church, or the True Christians, being on the offensive taking the battle to Hades. Look at this verse. The gates only belonged to the stronghold of that city. Gates don't fight a battle. They withstand the battle. True Christians take action in breaking down the strongholds of the enemy.

You can't raze something unless you battle against it. The principle for us is that in order for us to live right we must be prepared to fight. To be battle ready. Hell has dominated community after community and the church has idly watched from a distance rather than taking the battle to the enemy.

Forgive what I am about to say, but Christians "pray" about stuff too much. I don't need to pray about witnessing to my neighbor; I should just do it. I don't need to pray about whether or not I should serve somewhere in my local church or in the community; I should just serve. I don't need to pray to God for boldness and strength; He promised that to us already.

~ [sidenote] I can't tell you how many people I know that have asked for prayer to be bold in witnessing and when the time comes to act boldly they run away. What good is their prayer if they don't allow God to use them through it? ~

AW Tozer said, "If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch?"

God has declared some things to us and we now have to stand on them and take the fight to the enemy.

You are a conqueror. (Romans 8:37)
You are victorious. (Psalm 18:35)
You are an overcomer. (1 John 4:4)
You are equipped. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Don't back down from the fight, start it!