Like It or Not, We’re at War – Dress Accordingly

Some weeks ago, I wrote about our common preoccupation with outward appearances. Statements such as “dress for success” and “clothes make the man” have reflected efforts to ensure making the best visual impressions. I pointed out, however, that such things are irrelevant in God’s point of view. As the apostle Paul wrote, “God does not judge by eternal appearance” (Galatians 2:6).

 

But there are times when clothing choices are designed not for visible impact but for something more practical – protection. For example, workers on construction sites wear hardhats. Firefighters wear special head gear, boots and outerwear. Soldiers in battle wear helmets and other protective equipment. And police officers are issued bulletproof vests to protect in the event of gunfire.

 

Whenever we’re engaged in pursuits that pose physical danger, it’s wise to wear protective clothes. But what about the spiritual danger we confront every day?

  

For followers of Jesus Christ, there’s a different form of attire intended to protect as we engage in the unseen spiritual war all around us. Ephesians 6:10-11 calls it “the full armor of God.” Whether we want to admit it or not – and often we don’t – we’re at war against a devious enemy and should be wary of his strategies.

 

Jesus Himself had to face opposition from Satan, and many times referred to the master of evil. The Lord described him this way in John 10:10, “The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy….” Jesus quickly offered the contrast when He added, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” 

 

Elsewhere in the New Testament, we find this warning: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Sounds like it would be wise not only to be aware, but also to safeguard ourselves from evil onslaughts.

 

In the early 1980s, several Christian denominations openly expressed a desire to remove the beloved hymn, “Onward Christian Soldiers,” from their hymnbooks. Another hymn facing similar opposition was “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Detractors claimed the ‘militaristic overtones’ of these hymns were unacceptable for peaceful worship.

 

However, the Scriptures offer no such misgivings. In 2 Timothy 2:3-4, the apostle Paul urged his protégé to “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer.”

 

This is one reason Paul provided imagery of the aforementioned “full armor of God.” He wrote:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the 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” (Ephesians 6:13).

 

The apostle proceeded to describe elements of this spiritual armor: “the belt of truth…breastplate of righteousness…the gospel of peace…shield of faith…helmet of salvation…sword of the Spirit (the word of God)” and prayer. 

 

Undergirding this admonition is a reminder that in ourselves – our own power – we’re unable to ward off evil advances. However, being “strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” we can emerge victorious, not only surviving but also thriving as we persevere in our walk with the Lord.

 

Even though the United States was founded within a context of Judeo-Christian principles, people of faith are encountering opposition unprecedented in the history of our nation. Although written nearly 2,000 years ago, words from the opening chapter of the book of Romans aptly describe where we are today: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator…” (Romans 1:25).

 

And there’s no sign of things getting better. So, as we strive to remain faithful and strong in living for Christ, we’d be wise to conscientiously don the full armor of God as part of our daily “wardrobe.” 

The Most Under-used, Underappreciated Tool in the Toolbox

Since I’m not a handyman in even the most generous sense of the word, I feel perfectly objective in asking this question: What’s the most important tool in the toolbox? Is it the hammer? The screwdriver? The wrench? The crowbar? The saw? Reminds me of the story about the blind man who picked up the hammer and saw.

My reason for asking isn’t to solicit advice on a do-it-yourself project. I learned the futility of trying to do those kinds of things long ago. No, I’m thinking about an entirely different realm – the spiritual. Because God has entrusted us with a variety of “tools,” but I think there’s one that’s conspicuously under-used, underappreciated and undervalued. 

 

First, let’s look at some of the tools the Lord has put at our disposal. We find a handy list in Ephesians 6:13-20, which describes “the full armor of God.” This includes “the belt of truth buckled around your waist,” the breastplate of righteousness,” “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace,” the “shield of faith,” the “helmet of salvation,” and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” 

 

We could examine each one of these in detail, but then one more “tool” is cited that’s sometimes overlooked in this whole “armor of God” discussion. The apostle Paul gives it the greatest attention in this passage:

“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 saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

 

All the other parts of the “full armor of God” seem suited for a proper uniform of one going into battle – a belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet and sword. Most are used for defensive purposes, and the sword for taking the offensive. But prayer, somehow it doesn’t seem to fit on this list. But it should.

 

Some of us might regard prayer as a kind of last resort. When all else fails, pray. But we never see it viewed in that way in the Scriptures. In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we’re to “pray without ceasing.” I’m no expert on the original Greek, but I think that means “all the time.” Or as I like to consider it, we’re to maintain a continual attitude of prayer. 

 

Basically, it’s similar to calling someone but never hanging up. We go about our daily activities, and whenever we feel the inclination, pick up the phone, talk a little bit, resume what we were doing, stop and talk some more, and so on. So we can start the day, our first waking moments, with prayer. We can pray while brushing our teeth, shaving, showering, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and driving to work (just don’t lower your head and close your eyes). 

 

We can even pray while we’re in the midst of the most riveting – or boring – meeting we’ve ever been a part of. Who’s to say we can’t? Again, bowing our heads and closing our eyes isn’t necessary. Do you typically bow your head and close your eyes when you talk with your spouse, child, or friend? In God’s point of view, it’s not the posture but the attitude of the heart that matters.

 

And when we pray, it isn’t only asking for stuff, like reading off a grocery list. Actually, that’s only a small part of it. I’ve always like the acronym for prayer: ACTS. It stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Lots of times we’re in a hurry to get to whatever we need or want, but following this simple model helps us to keep a proper perspective.

 

When we pause to pray, we need to remind ourselves of whom we’re addressing – the God of all eternity, the Creator of the universe. Sounds kind of important, doesn’t it? So adoration – or praise – is a good place to start. I suspect this isn’t original with me, but the one who prays to God also gives praise to God.

 

Confession is a way of making sure our prayer connection is clear, that there’s no static on the line. We don’t want any kind of interference when our desire is to communicate with the Lord.

 

Thanksgiving essentially is remembering who He is, as well as all that He’s already done for us, before we dive into our “shopping list.” There’s lots to thank him for, starting with a night’s rest, the fact we woke up to a new day with unlimited opportunities and potential, answers to prayers uttered in the past. The list could go on.

 

Then, finally, we can move on to supplications – our requests – whether they’re for ourselves or others. Philippians 4:6-7 wraps this up into a handy little bundle: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Which leads to one additional benefit: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

The tools God has provided for us – truth, righteousness, the gospel of Christ, faith, salvation, and His Word – are all wonderful. But let’s not neglect the tool of prayer. It just might be the cog that enables us to implement the other tools most effectively. 

The Great Peril of Denying the Presence of Evil

When you read or hear the word “evil,” what comes to mind? How about the word, “sin”? In popular culture, both have taken on almost salacious connotations. Rather than being perceived as wickedness or wrongdoing, including those terms in a movie title or book description typically serves to pique the interest of potential viewers or readers. 

 

This is to society’s detriment. Evil and sin are hopelessly, and eternally, intertwined. We seem to have lost a sense of transcendent virtue, as well as its antithesis, pure evil. Many people chuckle at the mention of Satan or the devil, whom the Bible describes as the “prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). When mentioned, folks envision some little guy in a red suit with a pitchfork. A reference to sin also is likely to elicit giggles. As someone has accurately said, “If sin wasn’t any fun, we wouldn’t want to do it.”

 

But to shrug our shoulders, diminishing or even denying the pervasiveness of evil is to our great peril. Evidence of it is everywhere. We don’t have to look hard. Violence, sensationalized by TV, movies and electronic media, is being played out across our nation. Domestic abuse is rampant. People are held captive to many forms of destructive addiction. Hatred and vitriol is spewed across social media, rather than respectful, reasonable communications.

 

Recently I finished editing a trilogy of novels written by a friend, drawn from real-life experience – hers and those of women she has worked with as a professional counselor. Her books focus on three terrifying years as a young girl subjected to satanic ritual abuse. Reading them brought to mind the horror novels I used to read, until I realized they were pointing me away from God, rather than toward Him.

 

What makes her story so horrific, so mind-boggling, is that it’s not the product of the twisted imagination of some weird author, but an account of the depths of evil that few of us can fathom.

 

Years ago, one-time atheist turned Christian apologist and author C.S. Lewis wrote: “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”

 

Then there are the words of the late commentator Paul Harvey, first aired on his ABC Radio program on April 3, 1965, called “If I Were the Devil.” I won’t present its entirety here – you can find the full transcript as well as audio and video versions of it online. But many of his observations – made more than 55 years ago – seem hauntingly familiar.

 

Harvey said, “If I were the Devil…I mean, if I were the Prince of Darkness…I should set about however necessary to take over the United States. I would begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.’… To the young I would whisper, ‘The Bible is a myth.’ I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around….

 

“I would caution them not to be extreme in religion, in patriotism, in moral conduct. And the old, I would teach to pray. I would teach them to say after me: ‘Our Father, which art in Washington.’… I would evict God from the courthouse, and then from the school house, and then from the houses of Congress and then, in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and I would deify science because that way men would become smart enough to create super weapons but not wise enough to control them….

 

“If I were the devil, I would take from those who have and I would give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious…. Then, I could separate families…. In other words, if I were Satan, I’d just keep on doing what he’s doing.”

 

As followers of Jesus, we should not be at all surprised, shocked, or dismayed. In fact, the Scriptures repeatedly warn that is the way things will be. This is why Ephesians 6:10-13 helps us to understand what’s happening and how we should respond: 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and 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 rules, 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.”

 

We find this encouragement in 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.”

 

There’s this assurance from Jesus Himself, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We also have Christ’s promise that we are never alone or abandoned. His last recorded words were, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Be aware - but do not fear.