Drink from The Well

In the ancient world, Rome was well known for its advanced military, which pretty much was the best in the world. Roman soldiers had special “attire” they would wear as part of their tactical defense before going into battle. This was very important because it provided them with the protection they needed against their enemies. The makeup of their ensemble included: a helmet, body armor (with cloaks or tunics) held together with a belt, a military sandal (cut from animal hide that was thick enough to provide protection against sharp objects), a shield, and a weapon (typically a sword), to name a few. These were all required for a soldier to be deemed “battle ready.”

When the Bible speaks of Christ winning the war, it refers to his victory over sin and death through his sacrifice on the cross. Jesus’s death and resurrection defeated the power of sin and death, offering humanity a path to salvation and eternal life. This victory, however, is not automatically experienced by all (Jn 3:16). The Bible teaches that believers are engaged in a spiritual battle against the forces of evil, including temptation, sin, and the influence of Satan. We are called to live out that victory in our daily lives, and we find ourselves in the spiritual battle against evil, this side of heaven. And this ongoing battle is not a physical conflict, but rather a spiritual one (Eph. 6:12).

We live in countries where most of us will never have to join in an armed battle. So, if this does not apply to us in the physical sense, what about the spiritual? Would you consider yourself battle ready? How often do you think of your faith in this way – as a daily battle? And if you do, do you think you are on the defensive, offensive or both? According to the apostle Paul, we are on both sides of the battle. And he tells us that this is what normal Christian life looks like. Paul says that our new life in Christ is not just a passive endeavor, but also an active one. This is where we get to participate in our sanctification process. In case you didn’t know, the enemy hates us. Yes–you and me. He is always working in subtle ways, to destroy us (Jn. 10:10). This can slowly come in various forms, some of which include but is not limited to condemnation, shame, bitterness, etc. [C.S. Lewis’s book, The Screwtape Letters, is a great book to read in reference to this topic.]

Just as you wouldn’t leave the house without clothes on (and if you would, I don’t want to know but I’m sure you’ll probably get arrested), we shouldn’t leave our spiritual clothes behind, either. Instead, we should “put on” the armor (our spiritual clothes) that God has made available to us through Christ. Paul, being a Roman citizen, was very knowledgeable about a soldier’s armory for battle. After all he spent quite some time around them, especially when he was under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:16-31). Therefore, he used it as an illustration to our faith when writing to the church in Ephesus. In his teaching about spiritual warfare, he wrote to them by saying: 

“¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² 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. 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. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 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. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” – {Ephesians 6:10-18}

I have to admit that sometimes I forget that I have access to this armor of God, and I need to be reminded. But one thing I try not to forget is to carry my sword (God’s Word) with me wherever I go. I have found that memorizing scripture helps greatly in this regard. So, I invite you to join me in being intentional in using this means of grace that God has given us. And when the devil comes with his cunning ways, we will have the ability to stand (Jas 4:7). By all means, this is not something we do in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord. He equips us and empowers us. And this is definitely encouraging to know that we are not fighting alone. He is with us! Ultimately, this ongoing battle isn’t fought to achieve victory, but rather from a position that has already been won through Christ. Those of us who trust in Jesus are called to live out this reality of Christ’s victory in our lives by resisting temptation (Jas. 4:7), engaging in the fight against sin (Col. 3:5), and telling others about the good news (1 Pet. 3:15). We should be mindful that God also allows this ongoing struggle because of free will, his greater purposes (Rom. 11:33), and the goal of perseverance in the Christian journey (Jas. 1:2-4). We persevere through hardship while learning to rely on God, as we grow in faith and character (2 Pet. 1:5-9, 2 Pet. 3:18).

Recently, I’ve been studying the “armor of God” passage in Ephesians 6, and realized I’ve been misreading this passage for years (and you might be too). When most of us read the armor of God passage, we focus so much on what it means to live out these virtues. We ask good questions about how we can “put on the armor of God” by growing in righteousness, peace, faith, etc. But here’s the thing… This passage is NOT about us putting on virtues; it’s about putting on CHRIST. Isaiah 59:15-17 describes Christ putting on the armor of God in order to step into our broken condition and save us. This isn’t our armor, it’s still the armor of God. Putting on the armor of God is NOT a call to bring your life in line with these virtues so that Satan will have a harder time dismantling your life. Instead, putting on the armor is about attaching yourself to The only One who can actually save you. So, press into your union with Christ through faith, and depend on him always. To fasten on the belt of truth, we need to know The One who is the Truth (Jn. 14:6). To put on the breastplate of righteousness, we need to know that Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30). To put on the gospel of peace, we need to know the peace of God which only comes from Christ (Eph. 2:14). To take up the shield of faith, we need to have faith in The One who came to save (Jn 3:17-18). Christian, if your confidence before God is in your own spiritual activity, you haven’t put on the armor of God. You’ve put on the armor of you. It might seem impressive, but it won’t count for anything on the last day. So, how can we truly persevere? Exactly how we began — by clinging to Jesus, who rose from the dead. And if you’re not a Christian, what is stopping you from trusting in Jesus? You will not be able to stand in this battle without him. Do you know when you will take your last breath? This is a matter of life and death my friend; do you see it? Like the father in the story of the lost sons (Lk.15:11-32) who was keeping watch for his son’s return, God is waiting for you to return to him. If you confess your sin, declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 10:9). God has promised that if you call on the name of the Lord, you will be saved (Rom. 10:13). Today is the day for salvation, so come to the Father!

“O Lord, come quickly and reign on your throne, for now often something rises up within me, and tries to take possession of your throne: pride, covetousness, uncleanness, and sloth want to be my kings, and then evil-speaking, anger, hatred, and the whole train of vices join with me in warring against myself, and try to reign over me. I resist them; I cry out against them, and say, “I have no other king than Christ.” O King of peace, come and reign in me, for I will have no king but you! Amen.” – {Bernard of Clairvaux}

Battle Belongs by Phil Wickham