In the Letter to the Ephesians Paul has revealed to us all that God has done. God has blessed us in the heavenly realms with Christ Jesus, raised us from spiritual death to a new life, and brought us into unity with all other Christians as we are in unity with Christ. We are called to reflect this true unity in a new enhanced way of living, full of good and respectful relationships. It sounds like heaven on earth.
And yet reality seems so different. Life is tough.
Does the faith work? We believe the right things, act the right way, and yet life seems to be a struggle. Why is this?
We need to understand that to follow Christ involves struggle. This is not a popular message.
For too many, the spiritual life is primarily an exercise in feeling better. By a combination of ethical choices, clean living, good friends, joining in with some hymns and prayers, we are seeking a quiet life, where we gradually improve, and gently become nicer to know and may hope to earn acceptance by God. Some people like to use the language of choice: I have chosen this style of worship and belief because it fits in with my values and aspirations.
The truth as revealed in the bible is rather different. Paul in Ephesians has revealed that we are beyond hope of improvement, “dead in our sins” (Eph. 2:1). God has picked us up out of the dirt, washed us off, and brought us into his family. He has used the same might, power and strength that brought Jesus back from the dead to make us alive in Christ.
Now in the passage before us, we are reminded that the same devil whose clutches we escaped in chapter two is still at work in the world and we must face him. Note the subtle shift in tone. In the first part of the letter the focus is on what God has already done in and for us. Here we are encouraged to be strong in the Lord, literally to ‘strengthen ourselves in him’. The power, the ability is all his, but we are to deliberately associate ourselves with and take advantage of the might, power and strength that brought Jesus back from the dead, that has given us new life, and now will enable us to live as Christ’s servants and soldiers.
Now note the two opposite extremes that we as Christians can go to. The one is to greatly exaggerate and over-emphasise the power of the devil; to see demonic influences everywhere and as responsible for the most trivial things. This echoes the ancient worldview, that heaven and earth are connected; this view is still held by many in the world today. It tends to be ridiculed in the west, viewed as simplistic and naïve.
There is an opposite and more dangerous view, however, that all this talk of the devil is made up and over the top. While there is obviously evil in the world, it can be characterised as psychological or sociological. There are material and scientific explanations for most things. In the church, this has led unconsciously to a world view that sees the material and the spiritual as being separate and unconnected. You can be spiritual, prayerful, serene, whatever takes your fancy, but do not expect it to have any impact on the ‘real world’ of ‘stuff’, where we all have to live. Thus Christians can live effectively as atheists who happen to go to church. (Story about two boys ..) This views leads ultimately to the ‘God Delusion’ view, which acknowledges that this world is full of struggle, but sees only random chaos, in the way that a squirrel caught in an artillery barrage may have no understanding of the two opposing forces at war.
The explanation that most obviously fits evidence, however unpalatable, is that life is a struggle. The bible has told a story from Genesis to Revelation, that we are part of a greater struggle between good and evil, God and the devil. It has not been explained to us how or why this might be; we must deal with it. The difference is that we are not involved in a struggle against flesh and blood, but against ‘the authorities, the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’
How many of us thought that heaven is white clouds, tranquillity, cream cheese? Actually, God in his heaven has always been interested in justice and peace here on earth. Our guaranteed home is in heaven, but that therefore means that we are mandated to take part in the struggle here on earth. But how?
We are to put on the armour that God supplies. The battle is his, but our response of faith means that we will strengthen ourselves in him, and be part of the army.
Paul wrote this from prison, and many a Sunday school class has been captivated by the story of Paul, chained to his desk and looking up at his Roman guard, taking inspiration from what he saw. Consider also that Paul will have known the scriptures:
Isaiah 11:5 (New International Version)
5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
Isaiah 59:17 (New International Version)
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,
and the helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
Isaiah 52:7 (New International Version)
7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
"Your God reigns!"
Isaiah 49:2 (New International Version)
2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
So consider a Roman soldier, wearing a tunic, something like a nightie coming down to his knees. He will have worn a belt of truth or faithfulness, to stop things flapping around in the battle. There needs to be integrity to the way that we live.
He has buckled on a breastplate of righteousness. For those of us who are waiting until we feel that we good enough to merit God’s love – stop waiting. God chooses to view us as righteous if we trust in his Son. It is something he gives us, just a Roman commander would have equipped his troops.
On his feet were sturdy, hobnailed sandals. They have been waxed and worn in, carefully prepared to carry a soldier over hundreds of miles and enable him to fight at the end. The difference is that instead of carrying the owner to warfare and killing, these boots are a readiness to carry the gospel of peace. Just as Paul knew chunks of Isaiah off by heart, so we can delight in the scriptures, become familiar with them, so that they will give us life and so we can share them appropriately with those who are seeking life.
The shield was covered in leather, and often soaked in water, so that flaming arrows were literally doused. It was large and covered the whole body. The technique was to link your shield with those on either side, forming a wall. We do not have to do this alone. In fact we are designed to function better, as people and as Christians, in relationship with others. That is why membership of an Encounter Group or something similar is so important. Soldiers who survived on the battlefield were not in the habit of wandering off to do their own thing.
The soldier wore on his head a ‘helmet of salvation’. Again, rejoice that you do not have to save yourself. And when doubts come, God gives you a helmet to protect you.
He is also equipped with the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. When tempted, Jesus was able to say ‘It is written …’ , taking God’s word and applying it to his present situation. This is something we all can and must do. And it can be a delight. Read the bible alone or in groups, with the help of books, websites, or local experts. Above all, pray for God’s help to understand and interpret it, and put it into practice in our lives.
Lastly, our weapon is prayer. We pray in the Spirit on all occasions, making all kinds of prayers and requests. We include prayers in our services, but the encouragement is to always have a line open, to be aware of God’s gracious presence with us at all times.
I have spoken to ex-servicemen. Many have told me of the monotony of service life. Many never see action, but everything is geared to preparing for that day, so that if and when it comes, they will be ready. When that day comes, Paul says, we want to be ready to stand. I pray that you are having a quiet, ordered, peaceful life and that everything is going well. We should be aware that to each one of us will come that day. It may be a redundancy letter or a worrying diagnosis from the doctor, or a relationship break up. For this church, it is the challenge to be truly open for all, to pay our way, and to be renewed, so that we will be effective servants of God here 50 or 100 years from now. The battle is raging now, and we must do our part. Every prayer that you say, every scripture that you read, every kind word that you speak or kind act that you bless another with, is an offensive act that is our part in answering the prayer ‘thy kingdom come’.
Remember, the battle is the Lord’s. The armour is the Lord’s. The victory is the Lord’s. Let us praise him and serve him together.
Questions for Discussion
1. Which of metaphorical items of armour seem most helpful and relevant to us, and why?
2. In what ways do we see the spiritual struggle as actual and not metaphorical? What examples can we give from our own lives?
3. How can members of the church help each other to wear the belt of truth? What place do ‘accountability partners’ or ‘soul friends’ have in this?
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