You're Gonna Like the Way You Look

Ephesians 6:10-17 ^“Finally, be strong in the Lord and 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Just returned from a vacation, between Christmas and New Years Day, in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, near Yosemite National Park, to visit my dad. He lives at Bass Lake in a beautiful Pine covered valley that takes your breath away. We enjoy the rain, the hail, the snow and the sunshine of mountain winter season … for a week, then back home to sunny Southern California. While there, we attended the Sunday Worship service of “The Little Church in the Pines” and enjoyed the preaching of associate Pastor Herk on “putting on the full armor of God”. Here are some notes that I jotted down.

We live in a world that does not want to believe in “fallen angels” known as demons or a “fallen archangel” known as the Devil, but the truth is that the evil demonic realm exists and we see its influence and destructive results in society daily. But this evil can be overcome by the child of God through the Word of God and by good because Christ has conquered sin, death and the Devil by His “finished” work of redemption on the Cross. Satan has no power over or around Jesus. We are not to over-estimate or under-estimate the enemy. Believers are told to keep in fighting readiness, then stand fast and firm, to hold our ground against the schemes of the devil. But we must not have the wrong weapons for spiritual warfare and we must not have the wrong battle plan strategies. We must rely on the strength and power of Almighty God and put on the full armor of God to resist evil assaults, being strong in the Lord.

As Isaiah 11:5 describes the symbolic clothing of the Messiah, where “Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist”, likewise, it is character of the Christian soldier, not brute force, that is our defense and wins the battle. Conduct reveals the true self because, when no one is watching, we live like we really, truly are. “Truth” wraps itself around the Believer as a belt of protection. “Righteousness” protects our vital innocence from sin, which God set us free from through atonement and redemption in Jesus. We guard our hearts by learning and knowing right from wrong, and choosing to do “right” in the eyes of Lord God as we walk in His goodness and mercy all our days. “Peace” is the protective and supportive footwear of the Christian. Peace with God is the harmony within us, knowing that Jesus gives us something that we can grab onto in life and stand firm with confidence in the peace of His strength and His peace – the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. “Faith”, in battles against the world forces of darkness and spiritual force of wickedness, shields us from doubt, fear, discouragement, guilt, shame, lust, pride, and et cetera thrown at us and the church of Christ like flaming arrows as we stand upon the promises of God in faith as our refuge and shelter in the mêlée of spiritual combat. “Salvation” protects our minds with assurance on Christ and the Cross. We know that Jesus died for our sins and trust that His blood covers all our future sins. Our offensive and defensive weapon is “the Word of God”, knowing, understanding and using Holy Scripture in the struggles against God and His children by the adversary. We need to train ourselves, practice, and hone our skills to feint, lunge, thrust and parry “the sword of the Spirit” to counter attack the tactics of the enemy.

Philippians 1:27-28 “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.

It’s up to us to put on the full armor of God. Without them, we are defenseless. But we must never forget that we have the power of the “living” God with us. We have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior today. So faithfully, put on the full armor of God. You’re gonna like the way you look. I guarantee it!

In Christ, Brian