This Armor is Special

Ephesians 6:10-18a
January 19, 2020
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

Dear brothers and sisters, as we begin this new week together with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let us remember that we are in the middle of a war between Jesus and the devil. This war has already been won by Jesus. But this war is not yet over for us. Our enemy hates us and he attacks us with his schemes.

The war is real and the war is now. But Jesus loves you. And he gives you armor.

First, this is so profound and heartwarming. This is so profound because Jesus wore armor too. The Bible vividly describes Jesus as a king who wears and uses a heavenly armor in order to save his people from sin and death. In the book of Isaiah, our Lord and Savior is described as a victorious warrior who wears a belt of faithfulness (Isaiah 11:5) and puts on a breastplate of righteousness and a helmet of salvation (Isaiah 59:17) and readies his feet with the good news of peace (Isaiah 52:7). In the book of Genesis, the Lord said to Abraham, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield…” (Genesis 15:1). And in the book of Revelation, Jesus is envisioned as a glorious champion with a sharp two-edged sword coming out of his mouth (Revelation 1:16).

Brothers and sisters, Jesus went to war for you. And when he went to war for you, he went with armor.

This is so profound and heartwarming. The armor of God that you have now is so profound and heartwarming because it reflects your union with Christ. You have armor just as he had armor. And your armor is poetically patterned after his armor. This means that you have a special bond and connection with your Savior. This is a testament to the unbreakable relationship that you have with your King. The armor of God allows us to declare that Jesus is our God, that we are his people, that we are on the winning team, that we are a part of his everlasting kingdom. Praise the Lord! This is the profound and heartwarming meaning of the armor of God.

The war is real and the war is now. But Jesus loves you. And he gives you armor.

Second, this is so reassuring and comforting. This is so reassuring because this armor has been battle-tested. And this armor has never ever failed. Everyone who put this armor on has safely made it to heaven. Abraham used it. David put it on. Daniel used it. Your grandparents who believed in Christ put it on. And now this armor is yours.

Brothers and sisters, many saints before you have stood firm in this war. The armor of God has been battle-tested.

This is so reassuring and comforting. The armor of God that you have now is so reassuring  and comforting because it is all about the strength and the might of Christ. Our own strength is not very reassuring. Left to our own strength, the schemes of the devil would crush us. Left to our own strength, we could never grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Left to our own strength, we will not stand. But your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is strong and mighty. He is the basis of all truth. He credits you with his perfect righteousness. He readies you to share the gospel. He sustains your faith. He holds your salvation. He speaks his holy Word to you with the illuminating work of the Spirit. He calls you to pray. All of this happens by the strength and might of Christ. Praise the Lord! This is the reassurance and comfort of the armor of God.

The war is real and the war is now. But Jesus loves you. And he gives you armor.

Third and finally, this armor is so humbling and motivating. This armor is so humbling because all you have to do, once you put it on, is stand. Standing does not seem very impressive or victorious. Why not fight? Why not advance? The answer is simple but profound. Jesus won the war. He did it all. And now all we have to do is stand and stand firm and wait for his return. The battle belongs to the Lord and the victory has been won by him. Now all we have to do is hold onto the victory that he has won for us. All we have to do is stand. That is the correct Christian life. And this armor is so motivating because it belongs to Jesus and he’s the one giving it to you. It’s one thing if you’re in the state championship basketball game and you lace up in a brand new pair of Nike Lebrons. It’s a whole different thing if you’re in the state championship basketball game and Lebron James himself sits down next to you and shows you a pair of Nike Lebrons and says to you, “See these pair of shoes? I wore them when I won my last championship. Now I’m giving them to you. Put them on. Let’s do this.” How would you feel if that happened to you? How do you feel knowing that Jesus gives you his armor? Knowing that Jesus loves you like this? It motivates us. And it’s an amazing way to live as a Christian. Praise the Lord! This is the humility and the motivation that comes from the armor of God.

Jesus loves you. He gives you armor. And his armor is special. Our King has not left us without protection as we wait for his return. Put on the armor of God. The enemy trembles at the sight of it. Jesus has won the war, and Jesus will end it soon. And when that day comes, you will have no more need for the armor. The battle armor will be removed. And we will be clothed with victory glory. But until then, put on the special armor of God.

Soli Deo Gloria