Putting on the full armor

It’s a scary thing to be in a state of open war; it’s unsettling to think that you might be under attack but quite unaware of what’s taking place.  It’s no secret that warfare today is undergoing rapid change. There are still live fronts with soldiers and military hardware in many places.  But there is a whole new aspect to it – the silent, the covert, the electronic.  Hardly a day now goes by when we don’t read of another suspected cyber attack on a Western government or institution by a foreign power.  In recent years, it is reported that the Canadian government has been experiencing about 2,500 state-sponsored cyber attacks each year.  That’s the new reality; that’s our brave new world.

At the close of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul highlights that we are in the midst of a mighty but largely invisible battle.  He warns in chapter 6, “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.” (v. 12).  We are in the depths of a great war, and for much of the time it is an unseen battle.  There is no flash of artillery nor thunder of bombs nor clash of weapons. But Paul wants us to know that the enemy is fierce and the danger is real.  That enemy is called Satan—a spiritual being, an angel, who at some point in the distant past led a heavenly rebellion against God.  Satan is not God’s equal by any means (God could destroy him and his minions at any moment) but God has allowed him to continue his rebellious work for a time. 

 In the midst of this great spiritual battle, we are to put on the “whole armor of God” (vv. 11, 13) so that we can “stand against the schemes of the devil” (v. 12) and “withstand in the evil day” (v. 13).  Mediaeval castles in Europe often contain grand “war rooms” that display impressive collections of shields, swords, and other armor.  Paul welcomes us into the spiritual war room—the weapon store—of the heavenly citadel itself.   He urges us to put on “the belt of truth…the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, the readiness given by the gospel of peace…the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one…the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (vv. 14-18)

The final element in our spiritual armory isn’t given a military picture, but it is a powerful tool--mightier than any weapon of war.  That tool is prayer.  Paul encourages us to “keep alert” (v. 18) and pray “at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (v. 18).  In a sense, prayer seems like the least intuitive thing to do in a battle.  It feels passive and not active—not the thing to do when the enemy comes knocking.  But in prayer we express our dependency upon God.  In prayer, we acknowledge before God that we are powerless to save ourselves.  Today, you may feel as though the weapon room is bare and the enemy is at the gates.  But there are resources available to you.  The battle belongs to the Lord.  And your strength for battle comes from Him.  Even as the Spirit gives words to your wordless cries, pray and wait to see the Lord’s salvation.  You will be well-equipped for the battle for you will “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (v. 10).