THE CALL TO BATTLE
Ephesians 6: 10-11. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God,
that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
There is nothing that is more urgently important for all who
claim the name Christian, than to grasp and to understand the
teaching of this particular section of Scripture. I say those
"who claim the name Christian," because the Apostle's words are
obviously addressed to Christian people, and to Christian people
only. They have no message for those who are not Christians;
indeed nobody else can understand them.
The world today ridicules this kind of statement.
It does not believe in a spiritual realm
at all. It is even doubtful about the being of God; it has no
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; still less, therefore, does it
believe that there are "principalities and powers, the rulers of
the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness even high (or in
heavenly) places." Such words are meaningless to the world; it
has no appreciation of their value and importance.
But to the Christian the statement is not only full of
significance, it is also full of help and of real encouragement.
Let me repeat. There is surely no theme more urgently important
to all Christians at the present time than just this. I refer, of
course, to the whole state of life, the whole state of the world,
and to all the difficulty of living, and especially living the
Christian life in these confused times in which we find
ourselves.
Not that I suggest that life has ever been easy in this world
for the Christian. It was not so for the early Christians. And
today, in some respects, the problem is more severe and more
urgent, perhaps, than it has ever been. There was a time, until
comparatively recently, when at least a man's home was more or
less shut off from the world; but now the world comes into the
home in many different ways, not only with newspapers but
with television and radio and other media. Thus, the
fight of faith becomes particularly difficult and strenuous for
the Christian at such a time. In addition to all this there is
the general strain of the times and anxiety of the hour.
It is because of such considerations that I want to analyze
and consider Paul's great statement. A man who does not
understand the nature of the problem he is confronting is a man
who is already doomed to failure. Christian people are like a
first-year college student - they think at first that every
subject is quite simple, there is no difficulty. Well, we know
what is likely to happen to such when they face an examination!
The first thing you have to do is to understand the nature and
the character of your problem. So we have to realize that we are
called, in the Christian life, to a battle, not to a life of
ease; to a battle, to a warfare, to a wrestle, to a struggle.
Already we have looked in detail at the varied, almost endless
ways in which the devil in his wiliness and cunning tries to trap
and to ensnare, to confuse and to confound the Christian. For
strategy of the enemy is absolutely essential, for to be
forewarned is to be forearmed, and that in itself is half the
battle.
But let us remember that it is only half the battle. Were we
to leave it at that we should all undoubtedly be depressed. We
would say, "Life is sufficient enough as it is without your
dragging out all these things. You show us that the problem is
such that no man is adequate to deal with it. You emphasize that
we wrestle against terrible powers and principalities. Who is
sufficient for these things? Who can stand against such massed
multitudes of evil, with all their cunning and malign power?" To
consider the problem in isolation, even though absolutely
essential, could lead to no result except that we should all feel
depressed and completely and entirely hopeless. But, thank God,
the Gospel is always realistic. It never hides any of the truth.
It never gives a false impression. It is not a true Gospel that
gives us the impression that the Christian life is easy, and that
there are no problems to be faced. That is not the New Testament
teaching. The New Testament is most alarming at first, indeed
terrifying, as it shows us the problems by which we are
confronted. But follow it - go on! It does not stop halfway, it
goes on to show us the way in which, though that is the truth
concerning the battle, we can be enabled to carry on, and not
only to carry on, but to triumph in it. It shows us that we are
meant to be "more than conquerors."
So the Apostle goes on to show us this in his own
characteristic manner. He even puts this before he states the
problem. He says, "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His
might. Put on the whole armor of God, - then he introduces the
problem. Here is something for which we should thank God always.
Here, we are told that, despite all that is against us, whether
in realms above or in the world in which we live with all its
strains and stresses, as Christian people we can be enabled to
triumph, to rejoice in the midst of it all, and to know that
victory is assured. That is the matter to which we now turn.
What is offered us as we find ourselves, as Christian people,
facing all this - this wrestling, this struggling, this combat?
You notice that there are just two things. First, "Be strong in
the Lord, and in the power of His might"; second, "Take unto you
the whole armor of God."
As we look at these two things there are some preliminary
comments that I have to make. The first is that both these are
necessary. We are not to take one without the other. The Apostle
says both, and we have to do both. We shall have occasion to
repeat that constantly as we go along. But notice the order in
which he puts them. He does not tell you to put the armor on
first, and then be strong in the Lord. No, it is the other way
around: "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might";
then, "Take unto you the whole armor of God." There is a very
real significance in the order. I will have occasion later to
show its significance and the importance of following it as a
practical issue.
There is clearly a relationship between the two factors. Let
me just hint at what will be developed as we proceed. It is this:
that so often people take just one or the other of these factors
and therefore make shipwreck of their faith. There are some who
say, "All you need to do is to hand it over to the Lord and rely
on His strength." They never say anything about the whole armor
of God - that is left out completely. There are others who put
their whole emphasis on the putting on of the armor of God, as if
they could wield it themselves. They forget their absolute
dependence upon the power of the Lord, and His might and His
strength. We see then that there are several interesting matters
in the mere presentation of the two things which are essential to
a triumphant living of the Christian life.
Let us start, then, with the first - "Be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of His might." Here is a great order issued my
the mighty Apostle Paul. Here is a word sent out to the Christian
army gathered together, with the enemy there in position facing
it. Here is the word that comes from this great leader who
himself had had long experience in warfare personally, and who,
as he reminds us so often, had the care of all the churches upon
him, and had seen at first hand the plot of the evil one against
God's people. Here then is a great order for the day - "Be strong
in the Lord, and in the power of His might." Hold on to this, do
not forget it. In the heat and the thick of the battle later on
in the day, whatever happens, never forget, never lose sight of,
this great guiding and controlling principle.
But what does it mean, and how are we to do it? It is a
resounding phrase. To read it, to repeat it, is not enough. We
like singing the words of the hymn, "Put on the Gospel Armor."
But what does it mean to practice it? Christianity is not a form
of psychology. You do not just walk along the road saying, "Be
strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might," using it as
some kind of incantation, or auto-suggestion, repeating the
phrases to yourself. That is not Christianity at all! It is true
of the cults, it is the psychological method.
But in any case, it is not the Christian message. So often we are
in danger of abusing the Scriptures in this way. We use them as
mere phrases in that manner, or light-heartedly we sing our hymns,
and we feel better for the time. But the question is , How do we
stand up to temptations when we are in the street, and what are
we like at home? When you turn Scripture into a drug, into
something which gives you a temporary relief without your knowing
why or how, the effect does no last. It gives a temporary feeling
of exhilaration, but fails you when you are in the struggle and
in the heat of battle.
What, then, is the true application of the Apostle's precept?
The first thing to realize is the need to be strong because of
the power of the devil. Never underestimate that power. The Bible
always calls us to face the enemy and to realize that he is, as
peter says, "as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."The
devil is terribly powerful and full of wiles and of subtlety and
of guile, he can even "transform himself into an angel of light"
(2 Cor. 11: 14).
Another reason, and a very practical one from the human side,
is that if you are to be able to stand, and withstand in the evil
day, you need this strength. Though the Christian life in one
sense is always the same kind of life, there are variations,
there are evil days, some days are worse than others, they are
exceptionally bad. In general at the present time we are living
in a very evil day. It is evil in every respect. It is an evil
day because evil and sin are so powerfully organized, so deeply
entrenched; it is an evil day because of the confusion in the
Church. It is not easy to be a Christian at a time like this when
you have men in positions of high authority talking about meeting
atheists in heaven. Christians are being confused by these
things, particularly, young Christians. The devil is unusually
busy and active, creating this uncertainty about the essentials
of the faith and producing this utter confusion - "What is the
Gospel? What is not the Gospel?" Undoubtedly we live in a very
evil day; and if we are to withstand at such as time as this,
there is only one way; and it is the way the Apostle teaches us
here. We need this power, and the whole armor of God; and then we
shall be able to stand. Thank God that this is so. Though the
confusion is terrible, those who believe the truth still can
stand. Do not be disheartened, do not be discouraged, do not be
misled, do not be put off. You may be standing alone, but you can
still be enabled to stand though the days are cruelly evil and
vile and foul.
But there are other reasons which should encourage us all to
seek this strength and this power. Why should I be "Strong in the
Lord, and in the power of His might"? Is it not because I must be
strong in order to avoid personal failure; for I know that, when
I do fail and fall into sin, I become miserable and unhappy.
Isn't this true of all Christians? So, to save yourself from the
misery that is the inevitable consequence of any failure in the
Christian life, "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His
might."
But I will give you a much bigger reason than the fear of
personal failure. "Be strong" because you are who you are,
because you are what you are. We are individuals in this matter
of salvation but we are not isolated units. We are members of the
body of Christ; we belong to Him; to God's family. Remember this
always, that our Lord is "not ashamed to call us brethren" (Heb.
2: 11). Remember also that "God is not ashamed to be called
(your) God" (Heb. 11: 16). The name of God is upon us, the name
of Christ is upon us. Why should I be strong? For His sake even
more than for my own sake. In a sense this is an alarming
thought, and yet it is one of the most glorious truths we can
ever realize about ourselves - that the reputation of Almighty
God, his Son and the Holy Spirit, is in our hands, and any
failure in us brings the great and holy Name into disrepute. We
are not isolated individuals, we are one in this great and mighty
army.
It is not only that we may live a happier life that I am
calling your attention to this text. Let us look at the things
from the standpoint of the Church of the living God, this great
army with banners; let us think of Him who is the Captain and
Leader of our salvation. And let us remember that we belong to
Him, and that anything that happens to us inevitably involves Him
also.
There is no better way of giving proof of the truth of the
Gospel than that we should "be strong in the Lord, and in the
power of His might," than that we should triumph and prevail. To
live aright is difficult, and when we see someone who is
succeeding, someone who can stand against the enticements and the
insinuations of evil, someone who is not carried away off his
feet by the popular thing, someone who stands steadfastly for
truth and for everything that is worthy, we are greatly
encouraged. It undoubtedly has a great effect on those who are
looking on.
We are all being watched at the present time. The world is the
most unhappy, men and women do not know what to do, they do not
know where to turn. When they see someone who seems to be calm
and steadfast, someone who is not bewildered at a time like this,
someone who seems to have an insight into it all, and who can see
beyond it all, they look and they say, "What is this? What is
that person's secret?" And so you become an evangelist by just
standing and being "strong in the Lord, and in the power of His
might." You are not carried away by the flood, you do not do
things because everyone is doing them, you have principles of
your own, and you are ready to stand for them and to suffer for
them. That has often been the means, under God's blessing, of
awakening others and convicting them of sin, and causing them to
begin to inquire after God.
In our daily lives, whatever our calling, we all live in some
kind of circle; we are surrounded by people who are blinded by
the devil and carried along in evil ways by him at his will. You
never know when the mere fact that you are "standing' may arrest
attention and open a door of opportunity for the saving Gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
These are some of the reasons why we must be strong in the
Lord, and in the power of His might.
