Rooster's Crow

Eph. 6:10-11 – “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.”

If you read the first chapter of Joshua, you see him as he has taken over as the leader of Israel after Moses died. Several times God tells him to be strong and courageous. Why? Because fear was a natural response to being put in charge of thousands of souls and with an order to wipe out a land of giants. But fear is not a godly response. 2 Timothy 1:7 – “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Being strong is not a matter of puffing up your chest and trying to control every situation you encounter. Our strength comes from fully surrendering every single situation in our lives to God, knowing that it is in His strength that we are strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God, and he goes on to describe the parts that provide defensive protection and the weapons to be used in offensive action. But the purpose of the armor is to stand against the schemes of the devil. I Peter 5:8 – “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” The devil is constantly on the prowl looking for a victim, and he will attack regardless of whether you are wanting to be in the fight or not.

The devil does not play fair, any more than a lion hunts with gentleman’s rules. He searches for the weak, the unprepared, the tired, the hurting, the hungry, and the lonely. It is in moments of weakness that he pounces to make sure that his victory is quick and easy. Putting on the armor does not prevent you from being attacked, but it allows you to stand against the attack. And it is the only way to withstand the devil’s schemes, and you can be assured that he is actively devising a scheme to snare you into a trap.

Surrender every area of your life to Jesus, putting your faith in His strength that will not fail. Put on all the armor God has provided so that you can withstand the devil’s attack – not if it comes, but when it comes.

Ephesians 6:12-13 – “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.”

One scheme of the devil is distraction. The devil will try to make you think that your struggles are horizontal rather than vertical, but they are distractions. What does that mean? Horizontal struggles are arguments with your spouse, unfair treatment at your job when someone else took credit for your work or someone less qualified was promoted instead of you, your car not starting or a tire being flat, your kids waking up in the middle of night sick, or a long list of ongoing projects that causes constant stress. Horizontal struggles are real and everyone deals with them, but these are not the fight at hand.

The vertical fight is with the demonic forces that are invisible to the physical eye. Anyone who does not believe that the devil and his minions are constantly at war with righteousness in the spiritual realm has already lost. They are focused on the “fight” that they can see, not realizing the horizontal struggles are distracting them from the reality of the vertical war. Colossians 3:2 – “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

The argument with your spouse is not about you two fighting each other, it is the devil trying to drive a wedge between you, to rip apart the God ordained union the devil hates. The injustice at work may simply be a test of your faith, but if the devil can keep you focused on the lack of fairness, you fail to grow your faith. When your car does not start or the tire is flat, the devil can trick you into an angry outburst rather than continual rejoicing and thanksgiving. The fight is not with the horizontal troubles, it is the response versus reaction in the vertical that matters.

James 1:2 – “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Do not allow the horizontal struggles to overcome the vertical battle. Use each one as an opportunity to fight the spiritual forces of evil and strengthen your faith and hone your ability to use God’s whole armor.

Ephesians 6:14 – “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness”

Before you put on the first piece of armor, you must gird up your undergarments with a belt to provide support for the weight of the armor like a suspension system. In the spiritual fight, the belt is truth. John 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Scripture is absolute truth as it is the word of God given to mankind.

Without understanding scripture to be truth, you will not have the belt required to support God’s armor. It is a foundational element essential to operating in battle. You could attempt to put on the other pieces of armor, but all the weight will be on your shoulders making it difficult to utilize your arms to defend or attack, and making it almost impossible to even breathe as the weight compresses your lungs. The belt disperses the weight to the hips held up by the legs, allowing the arms to move freely and the lungs to function without hinderance.

Once the belt is secure, the breastplate is donned. This vital piece of equipment protects all the internal vital organs. If its integrity is breached, a deathly blow from the enemy is imminent. In Romans 3:11, Paul tells us that “none is righteous” meaning that no individual has their own breastplate. Without the righteousness of God, death is certain as all the vital organs are exposed and unprotected.

Romans 3:21-26 – “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

We do not have any righteousness of our own accord, but we can put on the righteousness of Jesus. So, when the devil’s attack strikes at our heart with a death blow claiming that as a human, we are unrighteous, we can withstand the attack as redeemed children of God are protected by His righteousness. God sees us as righteous because we have been made righteous through Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

You may not feel righteous, but thank God His armor is not reliant on emotions. His armor is supported by truth, which clearly states that we are righteous. The devil wants to make us believe that we are not righteous, so he can attack our heart, but we can remain standfast in the knowledge that we are righteous because Jesus lived a sinless life and redeemed us!

Ephesians 6:15 – “and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”

One of the things that made the Roman legions so strong and effective was their footwear. Although leather sandals may seem very rudimentary to us, the special military sandals allowed soldiers to march over twenty miles a day. They had nails driven through the soles that protected the leather for hundreds of miles and worked as cleats in slick terrain. This important armor for their feet allowed massive forces to move quickly to defend or attack the enemy in strategic positions.

In a similar fashion, having the readiness of the gospel allows us to move swiftly into strategic positions with sure footing. When you are on your feet, you can fight effectively, but if you are unable to maintain a proper stance, you will quickly be knocked down and vulnerable to attack.

So how do you make yourself ready with the gospel? You have to know it! I Peter 3:15 tells us to always be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” The only way to be prepared is to have a clear understanding prior to being questioned, and preparation comes only from spending time in studying scripture. Joshua 1:8 – “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.”

Verse of the day apps are good, devotions are good, but neither should be a replacement of time spent studying the word. Ask God to give you wisdom and insight into His scriptures, and He will do it (James 1:5). Ask the Holy Spirit to “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18). Jesus told His disciples, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit will illuminate the scriptures to give you knowledge and wisdom to be ready for battle.

It would be ridiculous for a Roman Legionnaire to march twenty miles while carrying his sandals that he should be wearing to protect his feet. In the same way, it is ridiculous for you to have your Bible sitting around your house collecting dust and never studying the scriptures to gain the knowledge of the gospel that would protect your feet and make you ready for battle. Open your Bible today. Read the passages that have been referenced. Make yourself ready – because the devil is coming for your soul!

Ephesians 6:16 – “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one”

The shield was one of the most vital pieces of armor in the Roman Army. It was a large, curved defensive weapon that provided protection of almost the entire body from arrows, javelins, and swords. As a unit, soldiers would interlock their shields in front and overhead providing an almost impenetrable wall against enemy forces. But the shield could also be utilized as an offensive weapon – either shoving against an enemy with protected body-weight behind it or bashing with the edge of the shield. As a unit with locked shields, with feet secured by their cleated sandals, they could shove an entire enemy force backwards gaining valuable ground and unbalancing their opponents to make lethal strikes.

Our faith is as vital as the shield was to the Roman soldiers. The devil is constantly attacking with fiery arrows, but our faith provides a defense to that attack. Our faith counters doubt providing the assurance of things we cannot see. Heb 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is the belief in what is not visible to the human eye – such as salvation, victory over sin, and eternal life with Jesus.

The devil has to get through faith before he can successfully attack anything else. When we look at the horizontal struggles we face, faith provides the defense for every instance. Faith allows us to hold onto the promises from God. Faith holds fast to God being in control of all things, providing assurance that we do not have to stress anything in life. Matthew 10:29-30 – “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”

Use your shield of faith to protect yourself when the enemy attacks. If you do not have it, you are left open and vulnerable to attack. Use it to block the devil’s attacks, and then go on the offensive shoving back. Wield it to take back ground the devil has stolen from you!

Ephesians 6:17 – “and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”

The helmet protects your brain bucket, because without your brain, your body ceases to function as it is the central control mechanism for bodily operations. In I Thessalonians 5:8, Paul refers to the helmet as “the hope of salvation” furthering the depiction in not only the knowledge and assurance of our eternal salvation but also encouragement in future battles that God will always triumph. Thus, the helmet is a protection from discouragement, one of the devil’s most cunning attacks.

The sword is a weapon that is primarily an offensive tool, especially when used in conjunction with the shield. The shield blocks an attack, and the sword follows with an offensive strike. The same is true in spiritual warfare. The sword is the word; “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrew 4:12).

When Jesus was tempted in the desert, He utilized the sword as His weapon of choice. Matthew 4:3-10 – “And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

Jesus provided a clear example of how to utilize the sword. When the devil attacks, fight back with the word!

• You aren’t loved – “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)
• Nobody wants you – “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4)
• You aren’t special – “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14)
• You will always be alone – “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Study the word. Know the word. Don’t get caught with your sword in the sheath during the battle. Have it in your hand at the ready!

Ephesians 6:18a – “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

This is very similar to I Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing.” Praying at all times is a constant state of prayer. How can I possibly remain in prayer and be able to do anything else during the day? Prayer without ceasing is a heart posture of constant communion with God that includes the “rejoice always” and “give thanks in all circumstances” that accompanies “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18). Prayer is flanked by praise and gratitude. Prayer is not only an instance of asking God for a favor, but it is a consistent conversation with Him, talking and listening.

If you have ever had a “conversation” with someone, during which they talked incessantly and then they walked away without giving you the opportunity to speak, would you call that a conversation? Would you consider that being enjoyable? Would it not be even worse if that individual simply spouted off a list of requests and demands, with no other statements or questions? You would quickly try to avoid contact with that individual, because that is not a conversation. That is not a relationship. Prayer is supposed to be a conversation overflowing from our relationship with Jesus, not spewing a list of wants and desires. Psalm 25:14 – “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.”

Prayer brings the power of the Holy Spirit into battle. We can have all the armor attached properly, with shield and sword in hand, but without the power of Jesus, we are a mere mortal. Prayer is the final weapon that empowers us to utilize the whole armor of God the way He designed it be used – through His might and with His Spirit dwelling in us.

Supplication is a humble plea with reverence and dependance. Pride tells you that you are strong enough to fight on your own. You have all the armor of God, so you are ready. And you know what? You might get through a fight successfully; you may get through a couple, but you are going to get tired. Carrying all that armor on your own is going to become wearisome. What are you going to do when you cannot lift your shield or your sword?

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” (Isaiah 40:28-29).

Stay humble and pray at all times. Invoke God’s promise to strengthen you with His Spirit so you do not faint or grow weary. We are victorious because He was victorious, so do not be fooled into trying to go at it alone. Romans 8:31 – “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Ephesians 6:18b – “To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints”

“To that end” is a summary statement of everything Paul discussed since verse ten. Being strong, putting on the whole armor of God, and praying without ceasing. With everything he discussed, Paul says to “keep alert with all perseverance.” Alert refers to being on guard, constantly watching, being aware of your surroundings. The enemy cannot attack with surprise if you see him coming, and we know that the devil is on the prowl so you have to constantly be looking for his attack.

Being on full alert all the time is exhausting, which is why Paul made a point of qualifying the alertness with “all perseverance.” Paul talks about the spiritual life as a race requiring perseverance – the ability to keep pushing forward and through when it is difficult or success is delayed. So being on alert constantly requires perseverance because we do not know when the fight is coming or how long we have to be on guard. The devil is sly, because he will wait until he sees you start losing focus – that grip on your sword starts getting loose or you start resting your shield on the ground instead of carrying it up high. In that moment of inattention, he will strike in an effort to take advantage of the lack of readiness.

So how can we persevere to be alert all the time? By relying on our fellow warriors. “Making supplication for all the saints” refers to praying for all the other believers – lifting each other up in prayer to provide extra covering and protection. The Roman Legions used their shields as a unit to make an impenetrable wall. In the same way, believers should be alert for attacks but also the status of the warriors to their left and right.

At night time in the Army, we set security protocols based on the level of the enemy threat at the time. Sometimes, you knew the enemy was probing the defenses so every man was in his fighting position. But other times, you knew the threat was not as active, so you would reduce the number of fighters to allow part of the force to get some rest. This allowed a continual level of alertness – otherwise, after a couple of days, everyone would have been wiped out from exhaustion.

We are not designed to go through this life on our own. We have Jesus strengthening and walking with us, and we have our family on our Father’s side watching out for us. Ecclesiastes 4:12 – “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Lift each other up in prayer and support. Moses had men hold up his arms to make sure that battle was one. Even in verse 19, Paul asks for prayers for himself to continue his fight.

Be strong in the Lord. Keep your eyes on the real fight, not the distractions around you. Put on every piece of armor God has provided and learn how to use them well. Stay in constant communion with Him, so His power is with you continually. Stay vigilant because the fight is coming. And support your family with prayer and encouragement. We want to all go home together!