PREPARING FOR BATTLE – PART 2

3 – Put On The Armour:

Most likely, as Paul was writing our text in Ephesus, he was chained to a Roman soldier, as he wrote of the spiritual armour YHVH has provided for us, he was looking at the armour of the man chained to him and uses that armour as symbolism for the armour that each of us must put on if we are to win the battle, we are in. During the time of the twelve Caesars, the Roman army would conduct morning inspections. As the inspecting Centurion would come in front of each legionnaire, the soldier would strike with his right fist the armour breastplate that covered his heart. The armour had to be strongest there in order to protect the heart from the sword thrusts and from arrow strikes. As the soldier struck his armour, he would shout [integritas], which in Latin means material wholeness, completeness and entirety. The inspecting Centurion would listen closely for this affirmation and also for the ring that well kept armour would give off. Satisfied that the armour was sound and that the soldier beneath it was protected, he would then move on to the next man. At about the same time, the Praetorians or imperial bodyguard were ascending into power and influence; drawn from the best soldiers of the legions, they received the finest equipment and armour. They no longer had to shout [integritas] to signify that their armour was sound. Instead, as they struck their breastplate, they would shout [Hail Caesar,] to signify that their heart belonged to the imperial personage, not to their unit, not to an institution and not to a code of ideals.

They armoured themselves to serve the cause of a single man. A century passed and the rift between the legion and the imperial bodyguard and its excesses grew larger. To signify the difference between the two organizations, the legionnaire, upon striking his armour would no longer shout [integritas,] but instead would shout [integer]. Integer means undiminished, complete and perfect. It not only indicated that the armour was sound, it also indicated that the soldier wearing the armour was sound of character. He was complete in his integrity… his heart was in the right place… his standards and morals were high. He was not associated with the immoral conduct that was rapidly becoming the signature of the Praetorian Guards. The armour of integrity continued to serve the legion well. For over four centuries they held the line against the marauding Goths and Vandals, but by 383 A.D., the social decline that infected the republic and the Praetorian Guard had its effects upon the legion. As a 4th century Roman general wrote: [When because of negligence and laziness, parade ground drills were abandoned, the customary armour began to feel heavy since the soldiers rarely, if ever, wore it. Therefore, they first asked the emperor to set aside the breastplates and mail and then the helmets. So, our soldiers fought the Goths without any protection for the heart and head and were often beaten by archers. Although there were many disasters, which led to the loss of great cities, no one tried to restore the armour to the infantry. They took their armour off and when the armour came off, so too did their integrity.] It was only a matter of a few years until the legion rotted from within and was unable to hold the frontiers. The barbarians were at the gates. We can learn a lesson from the Roman guard about the importance of armour; if we are to keep our integrity as believers, we will wear the armour YHVH has provided and never take it off.

A -- Truth: Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth… -- Ephesians 6:14. Satan’s very first spiritual attack came in the form of deception. He came to Adam and Eve and persuaded them that YHVH’s Word to them was not accurate and that they needed to make their own decisions outside of YHVH’s Will. The Truth that we wear as armour is that of candour, sincerity and truthfulness rooted in the objective reality of YHVH’s Word, but the reference is to more than intellectual truth. We not only want to know YHVH’s Truth, we must live YHVH’s Truth. In other words, one of my greatest weapons against satanic attack is to live my life as a person of integrity, a person whose word is always true and a person who cannot be rightfully accused of being dishonest in any way, shape or form. The weapon of truth is word when I have opened up my heart to YHVH and allowed Him to form me, shape me by allowing Him to come to me and transform me. Search me, O YHVH, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. -- Psalms 139:23-24. It is this kind of prayer, said in sincerity that leads to the kind of life that can withstand Satan’s attacks. When we live a life of Truth, we cannot be deceived by Satan’s lies, because we have become so in touch with the revelation YHVH has given to us about ourselves, about our world and about our future, that we cannot be dissuaded from it.

B – Righteousness: …and having on the breastplate of righteousness. -- Ephesians 6:14. Those of us who are Moshiach followers have been given the righteousness of YHVH Himself, when YHVH looks upon us; He sees the sinless-ness of His Son. But there is also a righteousness that we are called to live by, it is a righteousness that acknowledges we are pure in Moshiach, but also that we are going to live our lives under Adonai Yeshua. In other words, because we have been made righteous, we will live righteously. The body armour is what protects our heart and it is by living a life of holiness and purity that our heart is guarded from satanic attack. I cannot possibly expect to win the battle if I am going over to the other side now and then and engaging in sin. When we wilfully turn away from what we know is YHVH’s Will, we open ourselves up to demonic attack. For instance, let us say that I knowingly go out and get drunk, even though I know that it is a sin. Two weeks later Satan tempts me to go get drunk again and I wonder why I am having such trouble resisting. If I decide today that I will live my life like Yeshua lived His life I will be armoured against those kinds of attacks.

C -- Peace: and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. -- Ephesians 6:15. It seems kind of strange to tell someone engaging in battle to put on peace, but that is exactly the kind of weaponry we need. You will notice that the peace He refers to is the peace that comes from the Good News of Yeshua Moshiach. On one hand we could say that this is the peace that we share with others, but I think more than that is meant here. He is talking about doing battle from the perspective of one who lives in peace. No matter what Satan throws our way we have the peace that comes from knowing that we are in a secure relationship with Yeshua Moshiach and there is nothing he can attack us with that will change that. Our victory has already been won at the cross and we stand firm, resisting everything the devil can throw at us, because we have that peace that passes all understanding as our present possession.

YHVH has objectively defeated Satan and his agenda. He has delivered us from sin’s penalty and power and ultimately will deliver us from sin’s very presence. In the interim, we are involved in guerrilla warfare with demonic forces. As believers, we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light, with all the rights, privileges, and position that being a child of YHVH entails. The spiritual battle we fight involves a responsibility on our part to [put on] the spiritual protection that YHVH has provided for us. It is up to you and up to me to put on that armour, my hope and prayer is that you will be equipping yourself today.