Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,  praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

–Ephesians 6.10-20–

When my oldest son gets ready for trick or treating on Halloween (Yes, we allow our children to dress up, have fun with their imaginations, and collect candy from neighbors, without fear that they will grow up to bow down to the evils forces of the world and sacrifice infants on an altar dedicated to Satan), something in his brain is triggered that makes his imagination run wild.

He becomes convinced that he is actually the character the costume depicts. One of his favorite outfits and constant go-tos over the years has been Iron Man.

With each piece of Iron Man’s armor that my son puts onto his body, he is truly believing that he is suiting up to join his teammates in the Avengers to participate in an intergalactic battle between the forces of good and evil.

When he is dressed up as Iron Man, wearing his full suit of armor, my son believes that he is unstoppable, that he is able to stand up to every and any bad guy or destructive force that he encounters while out in the world.

Most of us begin our day with the same excitement and gusto as a child on Halloween.

We get out of bed, grab a cup (or pot) of coffee, take a shower, pick out an outfit (costume) and get dressed, fully believing that we are unstoppable and able to stand strong against every thought, word, and deed from every person and place that we will encounter during our waking hours.

However, as the day goes on and we come up against,

• whiny, cranky, and always demanding kids
• whiny, cranky, and demanding spouses
• whiny, cranky, and demanding bosses
• images that tell you that you are not thin enough
• images that tell you that you are not muscular enough
• the lies that tell you to work harder, put in more hours, in order to collect more earthly possessions
• feelings and thoughts that tell you that you are not good enough
• feelings and thoughts that tell you that you are not lovable
• feelings and thought that tell you that you are not valuable

we come to a place of realizing that we are not as ready as we thought we were to face the day we have been given.

A new record that I have been listening to on repeat recently, has the following lyrical advice,

What are you waiting for?

You gotta get yourself alright!

(Rex Brown, Get Yourself Alright, 2017)

Sayings, such as those found melodically offered up here, are common advice that we will hear throughout our days on earth.

You are told that you are on your own and that in your power you have to get yourself ready to face the world and the challenges it will offer up.

However, the truth of the matter is that when left alone to get ready for the day, you are not properly dressed to face the many battles that will come your way during your waking hours.

The good news is that you are not alone.

The good news is that God, the Creator of all that exists, gives you the outfit you need to face the day and that He helps you put it on.

When God stepped into the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, He suited up to participate in a spiritual battle between the forces of good and evil.

When Jesus wore the armor of God and wielded the sword of truth, the Word of God, the Bible, He was unstoppable and He was able to stand up to every and any scheme of the evil one that he encountered while out and about in the physical world.

Being protected by God’s armor, Jesus stood firm in the face of danger and defeated the power of sin and death that could separate you from God forever.

Through faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God puts His own armor on you, getting you ready for the day.

The same armor that Jesus Christ wore in life, in death, and in the resurrection, is the exact protective gear that God dresses you with on a daily basis.

With God’s armor on, you are unstoppable, you able to stand up to every and any scheme and destructive force that you encounter while out in the world.

That is God’s promise to you.

You will be comforted by God’s truth in the face of lies.

You will be discerning when it comes to right and wrong.

You will bend toward the will of God and not away from it.

You will never be destroyed.

In the end, on the last day, God will look at you and not judge you based on your own life, but God will look at you and judge you based on Jesus’ perfect life lived for you.

In Christ, you have the strength of God.

In Christ, you can stand up against the lies, the lies that you whisper to yourself internally and the lies that others speak at you and about you externally.

In Christ, you can be confident that God speaks to you through His Word, the Bible, and that God hears you and answers you when you pray.

In Christ, and only in Christ, can you live every second of everyday with hope—a hope that you are the recipient of God’s promise, to protect you and provide for you until your last breath on earth and then eternally after that.

Stand confident today.

No matter what comes your way.

No matter how you are treated.

No matter what is said about you.

No matter what is given to you or taken from you.

No matter what you are thinking about yourself.

Without Christ, you are not ready for the day.

In Christ, you are fully dressed for battle.

I want to leave you with the lyrics to another song, a song that reminds you of your weakness but of Jesus’ strength for you,

“The arm of flesh will fail you,

Ye dare not trust your own.

Put on the Gospel armor;

Each piece put on with prayer.

Where duty calls or danger,

Be never wanting there.”

(Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, LSB 660: 3)

Amen.

Pastor Fred.

August 6, 2017