The Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity
Grant, we beseech thee merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Isaiah lix. 15b, Psalm 76, Ephesians vi. 10 & St. John iv. 46
This passage is probably one of my favorites from Paul... Ephesians 6:10ff. For those of you who are old soldiers, this verse probably has the same effect on you. For those who have never put on the full armor for combat, the image is still quite meaningful. The Roman soldier of that day, of whom Paul was speaking, was quite well armed as the picture below shows:
Legionary with pilus, gladius, dagger, shield, helmet, belt, body armour
Paul's exhortation is a formula for God's protection in our time. Those who are in Christ have been equipped, they have put on the might of Christ. As the Lord said, "take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak." We, of ourselves, can never be strong enough to fight against the Evil that pervades this world. That is why men, before coming to Christ, serve Sin. They are in bondage to sin. However, after being justified, they are Christ's own and of his Church Militant. They are the elect in Christ. They serve Christ alone (one cannot have two masters he said) as Soldiers of Christ. As Martin Luther said, we exchange our Bondage to Sin to Bondage of the Will to God.
As a parallel I think of our military men today. What good US commander would send his men into the thick of it unarmed, unprotected, untrained? No, rather in every case, our men are well trained, motivated, armed, and with a mission, knowing in their hearts the Commander's Intent so that they may carry on even when seemingly alone. Upon that day of Evil we can resist in the Strength of the Lord. Now it is true that some might fail to exercise all their defensive armour and weapons of spiritual war. They might be led astray, and tricked by a savvy demon. They might fall in battle. When going through my training, I remember another great maxim -- Marines don't leave anybody behind. That is exactly what I think of our Lord, that he would never leave one of his own to the enemy. A soldier might be beaten, knocked down, dragged out, wounded, even physically dead, but with that seed of the Holy in his soul that can never be extinguished, stolen, or surrendered, there is the invisible mark of Christ on him. It is a mark that may never be removed. By that holy mark shall Christ claim his own of which none shall he suffer loss at the hand of the likes of Satan. It is a mark we symbolize in baptism, just like the tattoo given to the Roman soldier that day upon enlistment and taking the military oath.
But one may object and say, "Look, there is one of his soldiers that Christ left to Satan; one that has gone over to the other side. He has abandoned the faith.", and I should answer...."If he is truly gone over, then God knew it from the beginning of time; just as he knew that traitor Judas, and like Judas, this one was none of his. That traitor over there was a tare that grew up amongst the wheat, but God knew him a tare before he ever sprouted, and he was never one of his. There will always be both tares and wheat in the Church Militant - and one will either be of the wheat and God's or of the tares and Satan's; there are none other."
But one may complain that God's provision is insufficient for the battle and that the Devil is too strong. Paul said, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. [1co 10:13].
Another may say that our faith is weak, and we cannot resist the Evil. Paul said, "and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. [2Th 3:2]
When you are of Christ's elect, he will equip you. When you are dedicated to him, he will enable you to "endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." [2Ti 2:3]
Do you hear God's call to service? Have you answered your Lord? Do you have God's full armour to carry you in the day of Evil? Will you be able to withstand the Evil one? The Captain of the Host is calling his faithful to join him in this great battle against evil. The term is eternity, and to his chosen he will be always faithful... semper fidelis
The Reverend Mark Carroll 2006
Isaiah lix. 15b
The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there
was no judgment.
And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no
intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his
righteousness, it sustained him.
For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of
salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for
clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.
According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his
adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay
recompence.
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his
glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a
flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn
from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My
spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth,
shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed,
nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from
henceforth and for ever.
Ephesians vi. 10 MY brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Faying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
St. John iv. 46
THERE was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.
Scripture from 1928 Book of Common Prayer