Can you imagine an Australian Defence Soldier going to war in Afghanistan or Iraq without protective clothing or weaponry? Can you imagine our Police men and women not being in uniform and carrying arms? Can you imaging going to the beach in summer without protective clothing, hat and sun scream? The answer is no! Yet we Christians are involved in a spiritual battle that rages day and night! What protection do we have available to withstand the battle? What armory do we have to not only hold our line but to march on to victory? It would be stupid for us to be unprepared for any battle or war. Paul in his final instruction in his letter to the Ephesians provides all that we need to not only survive the battle but to win it!
We have witnessed Paul’s teaching concerning the slow, deliberate and careful building of God’s church with Christ as its head. It is time for God’s church to realise that it will more than likely be under siege from the powers o evil. In fact, Paul says that it is inevitable. We need to be prepared and ready for action.
Spiritual warfare is a reality for every follower of Christ. It is not fanciful. It is very serious and we need to be spiritually prepared otherwise we will become yet another statistic – another casualty – another wounded servant taken out of the mission we have been assigned. Sadly, the church is littered with wounded people who have failed to take heed of the call to battle. The spiritual armory that has been prepared for us has not been put on or not been put on fully. Paul is adamant that we must “Put on the full armour of God so that we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes.” It is a call to battle!
The armour is named for us – the belt of truth; the breastplate of righteousness; the boots of the gospel of peace; the shield of faith; the helmet of salvation and the sword of the word of God! This is the armory! These are the tools that we have been given by the Commander-in-Chief! These are the weapons we need, to not only stand, but to win! You will be victorious only if you put in to action the divine strategy of what has been laid out for us in these magnificent verses of Scripture! Let us therefore, go to battle, front our enemy together and knowing that we will gain the sweetest of all victories!