“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”                      (Matthew 24:5-13)

That is the explanation that Christ gave to the disciples about all the terrible things that would befall them and the rest of the church. What those words do not tell us, is how we to endure in such a world as this? In such lives as we live? For in today’s world the lies of the devil have convinced so many that what we see with our eyes is all that really is.

But as Christians we confess the truth each week.

“I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible.” (Nicene Creed)

In truth, a war rages right now, all around us, for the soul of every man and woman. Let us not forget that even the twelve disciples, who saw what “many prophets and righteous men desired to see” and did not (Matthew 13:17), also were plagued with faithlessness and temptation. Christ told Peter, that famed Apostle, directly that “behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:” (Luke 22:31)

Just as you know that we are more than mere bodies – indeed we are living souls – know also that the devil seeks to exploit every failing within us. To tempt us where we are most vulnerable. Whether we be covetous, wrathful, prideful, or gluttonous, every person maintains some concupiscence, even after their baptism. Commonly we talk of concupiscence as our sinful desires. Though recently I heard a priest explain it as “our love for our own sin”. That part of sin that we do not want to give up. For in our corruption, it is dear to us.

It is here that we are most vulnerable. You may say, “well I am not that bad, really.” That is exactly where the piercing stings of temptation will come. For it is in those places that we are all weak. It is where our secret and most beloved sins reside. For we have all “left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no [spiritual] health in us.” (General Confession, Morning and Evening Prayer)

“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.” (Ephesians 6:12)

And it may come in many forms. Even the actions of other sinful men and women who are around us. That is why we must put on the Armor of God each day. For there is no other way we can ever truly be safe.

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” (1Thessalonians 5:9-10)

And this is the Armor of God we all must put on.

1)    The Belt of Truth. We must wrap ourselves in truth each day, that we may withstand the falsehoods all around. For no darkness of falsehood can ever overcome the light of truth. It will help us see clearly in all times and all places.

 

2)    The Breastplate of Righteousness. These are the virtuous and moral actions that guide us and protect our hearts from temptation. For “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it” (Jeremiah 17:9). With but the smallest temptation, it will lead you out of paradise. But when our actions are guided by virtue, our heart is protected.

 

3)    The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace. When we wear these to walk in, our feet are kept steady, and we do not faulter by any slight or temptation. For by them the peace of God establishes our every step. We walk in the ways of God, which is to “seek peace, and ensue it” (1 Peter 3:11).

 

4)    The Shield of Fatih. It is this shield that protects us from every attack of the world, the flesh, and the devil. With it we trust fully in our God to deliver us ultimately from all danger. For though in this world we will have trouble, he has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

 

5)    The Helmet of Salvation. This is what keeps our mind from all manner of doubt and faithlessness. It is our constant hope in our own salvation. That our faithful God will give us all we need to obtain his promises, and as long as we hope and truth in him, we cannot be plagued by any fear about the eternal victory that is to come.

 

6)    The Sword of the Spirit. That is the word of God, with which we can fight back every attack. For the inspired word of God, cannot be destroyed. As Christ said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) And by it we shall “tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt [us].” (Luke 10:19

We are to wear this armor every minute of every day. And if we ever find ourselves without any part of it, we must remember to straightway put it on.

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:18)

Remembering, each one of us, that we do not fight alone. We fight beside one another. Clad in the Armor of God, we will fight as one. That we may overcome every temptation we face in this world.

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Amen.