10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
…13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God…
Dear saints, dears soldiers,
What all affects your morale?
That’s term used for soldiers. Soldier morale.
If it’s low then the soldiers don’t want to perform their duties, they don’t want to do their daily tasks, maybe they don’t respect the chain of commands, the authorities,
Maybe they don’t believe in the cause,
Maybe they don’t care about the brotherhood who are fellow soldiers,
if they were needed to do so, they don’t want to fight.
The drive is gone. The enthusiasm is gone.
The Holy Spirit through St. Paul today tells us that we are soldiers as Christians and tells us to put on the armor of God,
Elsewhere he says to Timothy –
3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
Elsewhere he says to fight the good fight of faith.
So, what affects your soldier morale?
Have you lost your drive?
Do you find yourself getting tangled up in the world?
Do you still have the love of the One who enlisted you that you once did?
Today, we’ll consider two things that may affect our morale, our enthusiasm, and how Jesus addresses those with His grace.
The first is boredom.
An enemies attack is most effective when it comes by surprise.
So, our enemies, the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh, constantly tempt to be lulled in some sleep of security.
The two most effective attacks against our country were effective because we felt secure. It couldn’t possibly happen to us. No one hates us that much. But yet, Pearl Harbor and September 11, 2001 live as days of infamy for all Americans.
To this, our Lord Jesus calls us today, “Wake up!”
To stand firm in the Lord and in stand in strength of His might,
to be aware of the schemes of the devil,
To know that we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,
So put on the whole armor of God.
Why in the world would you need to put armor on unless you are in a battle?
Armor is heavy and annoying and is just inconvenient unless you realize that it will protect your very life.
If you’re getting ready to jump out of an airplane, you don’t think, “Ehh, this parachute is kinda heavy, kinda annoying.”
You triple check it’s on right you know which cord to pull.
If Jesus reminds you again the battle is coming, the battle is here and you realize who the battle is against – then you thank Him that He protects.
Not, do I have to go to church? Do I really need the Lord’s Supper that often? Can’t I skip my prayers for the day?
Not, I think I know what the Bible says.
No, we say, “Thank you, Jesus for protecting me.”
Against myself, against the devil and his schemes and his darts.
Even if we get bored and don’t really want to put on the armor that the Lord Himself provides for us, we ought remember that the devil is never getting board trying to get us.
We’re enlisted! We’re baptized!
“Do you renounce the devil, all his works and all his ways? Yes, I renounce them!”
I want to love God because His love for me.
I want to love my neighbor God’s commands for me.
We don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, we wrestle against the cosmic forces over this present darkness.
The Lord gives us armor because we need His protection every minute, every hour, every day.
Luther says you can begin your day with two options: 1.) Either I’m going to read a small portion of the Bible today and pray or 2.) I’m going to be chewed up and spit up by the devil.
Now that is the call to wake up.
But it’s not a call to fear.
That’s another thing that affects our morale a Christian soldiers: fear.
We considered that last week, and we’ll consider it more again this week.
If we’re not being lulled to sleep by the our enemies of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh, then we are tempted to think that they will win and there’s nothing that can defeat them.
Death is too strong.
We are too bad.
Consider the world,
consider the church,
consider your life – your holy living and the state of your conscience (guilt, despair, and anger)
and ask, “Who seems to be winning?”
There are powerful signs with decrease of sexual morality, the increase of divorce, the reality of a hostile Islam and the terror attached to it, the truth of racism in institutions and personal lives, less order in the family and thus as a result, less order in the schools, the workplace and government, and that’s just a start.]
There are powerful signs seem to indicate that the Christian faith is losing and will lose in the world, in the Church, and in your own personal life. With the signs comes Satan’s only tool in the toolbox, though it’s used in multiple ways, his lies.
Thus, the first defensive weapon in the armor of God which protects us from boredom and fear and all things is God’s full truth., Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth
God reveals the truth, the full truth in His Word.
The only offensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
The Truth is revealed, not felt, not perceived,
It’s revealed by God in His Word – not your eyes, not your feelings, not the world.
Christ has promised that He has overcome the world, that He has bound the strong man and has the devil under His authority. 15 God disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Christ (Colossians 2).
Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
God protects you, every part of you,
Your heart, your head,
Your conscience, your emotion,
He clothes you. He equips you.
You have nothing to fear.
The Son of God was willing to be stripped for you and clothed with a robe of mockery so that He might cover your shame.
28 The soldiers stripped Jesus and put a scarlet robe on Him. (Matthew 27)
Mark 15:20
After they had mocked Him, they removed the purple robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.
So crucify your sinful flesh.
You are baptized.
Don’t be bored and don’t be afraid.
Don’t be angry and don’t despair.
You are clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covers all your sin.
He has stripped you of your pride and of your fear.
And He has clothed you with Himself.
You have His armor – the armor of God.
The call to put it on is the call to remember your baptism and God’s daily protection and love for you.
Whatever is affecting your morale – other people, your own emotions, the state of the world.
If you have lost your first love for Him who enlisted you and find yourself getting tangled up again in the worlds ways of thinking –
If you failing to love and pray for your fellow Christian soldiers who are this battle too, and have their own personal battles –
be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Your Jesus fights for you.
Your Jesus has won you.
Your Jesus clothes you.
The devil is a liar and Jesus gives you the truth of His Word again.