In the British animated movie "Flushed Away" there’s a scene in which the French mercenary, Le
Frog, gives orders for his Gallic henchfrogs to attack the British hero rat. Le Frog exclaims: "To
action!" His pack of French amphibians react by promptly throwing up their hands and chorusing:
"We surrender!" The exasperated Le Frog replies, “Not that action, you idiots! The kung fu thing!”
Well, my reason for mentioning this is not to rekindle ancient animosities between the English and
French, but to point out that this morning’s readings each have something to say about how we deal
with opposition. They each say something about standing firm, rather than surrendering. First we
have Joshua exhorting the Israelites, now living in the land of the Amorites, to put away their false
gods. He challenges them to “choose this day whom you will serve,” and he says, “As for me and
my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua stands firm.
And in the Gospel reading, people are falling away because of all these difficult things Jesus is
saying about himself, that He’s the bread of life, and that people must eat his flesh and drink his
blood, and his clear reference to having himself come down from heaven. So he asks his closest
disciples, “Do you also wish to go away?” And Simon Peter replies, “Lord, to whom can we go? You
have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of
God.” Peter stands firm.
And this morning I’m going to focus especially on Paul’s words to the Ephesians, in which he directly
admonishes them to put on the full armor of God, and to stand firm. Many of us feel a bit uneasy
with words like “evil” and “warfare.” If this is true for you, you’re not alone. But this morning I’d
like us to spend a few minutes considering just those concepts: evil and spiritual warfare.
Is evil real? Since the period known as the Enlightenment began in around the 17th Century, it has
become stylish to regard the idea of evil as a throwback to an earlier, more primitive, more naïve era
in which people feared ghosts or leprechauns behind every rock. We in the West decided there’s
no such thing as spirits, or demons, or a devil. At most, evil was seen as people’s passions
occasionally getting the better of them, and this was to be remedied by a dose of modern, rational
self control. But I think this illusion was largely shattered in the 20th and early 21st Centuries. The
murderous horrors of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and others stand as convincing testimony to the existence
of objective evil in the world.
And in a couple weeks we mark the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on civilians in N.Y. and
Washington. Sources as disparate as President Bush and rock singer Neil Young declared after
9/11 that we’d seen the real face of evil. So maybe the Bible and its assertion of the reality of
personified evil now don’t seem quite so naïve. I mean how else can we account for the venomous,
remorseless inhumanity we’ve seen in recent times and, for that matter, throughout human history?
And “warfare” is another word that people can be skittish about. After all, war, despite being
tragically necessary at times, tends to unleash horrific evil and suffering. Some people’s knuckles
even turn white as they’re asked to turn to “Onward Christian Soldiers” in the Hymnal. So what
about us followers of the Prince of Peace using war imagery? Interestingly, both Jesus and St. Paul
do that very thing. In fact, in talking about some of the dynamics of ushering in the kingdom of God,
Jesus, the Prince of Peace, once said, “I have come not to bring peace, but a sword.” And Paul
advises us to gear up for the battle against evil by putting on the whole armor of God.
I think both Jesus and Paul are flint-eyed realists. We really are in a war. But it’s a war not in the
conventional sense. Paul says we’re in a struggle not against enemies of flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this present darkness and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The unseen dimension that interfaces with our own dimension,
sometimes in dangerous ways. Both Jesus and Paul are using metaphor that appeals to the heart
of a warrior in the best sense of the word. One who courageously fights in this spiritual battle
against evil.
I’d like to spend a few minutes looking at Paul’s martial metaphors and seeing how they apply to us
as believers caught up in the struggle between good and evil, between right and wrong. I’d like to
start by pointing out something that’s absolutely critical in understanding Paul’s exhortation. He
begins our passage by saying, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the
whole armor of God…” Note that he doesn’t say something like, “Grit your teeth and summon all of
your strength.” It’s not about our capabilities. This is crucial.
Instead Paul is urging us to use the equipment that the Lord gives us. Just as a Marine wouldn’t go
dancing around in front of a bunch of Taliban without a flak jacket and helmet, we’re not to engage
in our struggle without the standard issue equipment that we have as believers. In our subtle but
real interface with the spiritual realm—a realm of temptation and danger, we need to be well-
equipped. Paul tells us how.
And the first piece of equipment specified by Paul is the belt of truth. In Bible times the belt was
what held the tunic so that one’s arms could swing freely in battle. This is a fitting image, as having
the truth frees us from wasting our energies fumbling with loose ends, if you like. When you have
the truth, you don’t have to keep groping around to deal with something that’s already been
secured. The belt of truth cinches the garment. It holds it all together. What a comfort it is that we
have a Savior and Captain who’s stated clearly that He is the truth! And He’s proven His assertion
by rising from the dead and ascending to the Father’s right hand. He fully embodies God’s truth with
joyful love and reassuring authority. We need search no further. We’re spiritually secured by the
belt of truth and now our arms are free to do the Lord’s work.
The second piece of gear Paul cites is the breastplate of righteousness. Righteousness is one of
those biblical sounding words that simply means being upright and virtuous. Living a life of moral
purity and justice. Thinking and doing the right thing in God’s eyes. Just as truth is God’s gift to His
people, righteousness is also His gift. We request it when we pray “Lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil,” and our Father is all too eager to clothe us with it. The breastplate of
righteousness is worn front and center as God’s identifying mark, emblazoned with the sign of the
Lamb who was slain in our place, and who through his death and resurrection, conquered death.
When God sees us in His ranks, He sees only the righteousness credited to us by His Son. And as
we accept this gift in its fullness, we pray that the world, when it watches us, sees a life of goodness
as well.
Next Paul encourages us to wear the shoes of the gospel of peace. There’s an irony here that Paul
undoubtedly intended. The irony is that the true Christian warrior is the bearer of peace among
people and with God. Fighting evil means bringing peace and the good news of redemption and new
life. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim
peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” Our
spiritual enemy likes nothing more than hate, rage and chaos. The true gospel brings love and
reconciliation, and these are met with intense resistance from the one who wants to see God’s good
creation and its crowning glory, humankind, distorted and deformed by evil and hate.
So what we need is good shoes to spread good news! We need Nike Air Jordans to help people
cross the Jordan! We need something that will help us run tirelessly and protect our feet from
tripping fouls by the opposing team. Did you know that nike, or nee-kay, means “victory” in Greek?
So with apologies to Adidas and Converse, let’s put on our Nikes and venture out to spread the
Good News of Jesus! This is the surest way to defeat the enemies of God’s kingdom.
The fourth piece of battle gear commended by Paul is the shield of faith. The shield of faith. This is
the gift of trusting obedience and utter dependence on God. In a way, the fact that faith is also a gift
is comforting to me. It means I don’t have to generate it all on my own, especially considering the
fickleness of my moods. Think about those times when your faith has flagged. Don’t you feel
especially vulnerable then? Unbelief and self-reliance are like twin targets painted on our bare flesh.
They make us very prone to spiritual attack. But the good news is that our Lord gives us what we
need and will provide us with the shield of faith if we will but ask Him. Then it’s just a matter of
claiming it, owning it, and holding it in position.
Our battle gear wouldn’t be complete without the helmet of salvation. A helmet protects the head—
the most important part of the body, and therefore a prime target. You see, salvation is the ultimate
protection for the Christian. It means that we no longer need fear anything, right up to death itself!
Fox’s Book of Martyrs is full of faithful Christians who literally went to their deaths with songs on their
lips or speaking courageous words of loyalty and praise. They had the assurance of salvation and
the gift of God’s words on their tongues. Paul wrote that nothing could separate us from the love of
Christ. He said we face death often, yet in all these things we’re more than conquerors through him
who loved us. The love of Christ in His promise of salvation to all who believe, protects us
completely from eternal harm, and assures each one of us of the ultimate safety that comes from
belonging to Him. I can’t imagine a sweeter comfort from our loving Father.
Finally, Paul encourages us to carry the sword of the Spirit. He defines this as the Word of God.
This is no narrow concept. It doesn’t simply mean The Bible, for instance. Rather, it’s more broadly
the word which God gives us to speak. It’s the Scriptures, but it’s also the words inspired by the
Spirit, which of course, if genuine, will never conflict with the Scriptures.
The words God gives us may be words of comfort or conviction, but will always be words of truth.
God’s words of truth have the power to cut through falsehood, equivocation and resistance.
The writer to the Hebrews puts it well: “The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword.” Again, please let me make clear that this is robust metaphor.
This isn’t about lopping off the noggins of infidels, OK? It’s not about putting to the sword any we
judge to be enemies of God. It’s about speaking God’s incisive truth with love, and allowing the
power of God’s word to unmask falsehood, bring people to repentance, and challenge the dark
powers of the spiritual realms with the authority of the Creator of all things, seen and unseen. The
sword of the Spirit is the most potent weapon in God’s armory and we should never forget its power.
I can’t leave this passage without pointing out one more very important feature. After giving us the
list of battle gear with which we should equip ourselves, Paul encourages us to pray. This is
incredibly important. Can you imagine the chaos on a battlefield if people didn’t stay in touch with
their commanding officer? There would be no coordination, no organization. It would quickly turn into
everyone for himself. The danger would be enormous. People might not even be able to tell their
allies from their enemies. So praying in the Spirit, keeping in touch with the Commanding Officer
often, is indispensable for both safety and success.
This prayer of course is not just for ourselves, but for each other. We’re in this together, and can
always use this kind of support. It’s very much like having our backs covered when we engage in
warfare against evil.
I pray that we never forget the importance of working together. Of meeting together, worshipping
together, praying together, encouraging each other, watching each others’ backs as we fight this
lifelong spiritual battle. As pleasant as our camaraderie is in the church community, even though we’
re Anglicans I think it’s safe to say that it’s more than just tea and crumpets. Our work is important
and the resistance to it is real. But the surpassing good news is that, as we faithfully serve the Lord
and His bride the church, we’re promised that the gates of hell will never prevail against it.
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that all good gifts come from you. Thank you that you
are truth, and you’ve given yourself to us in the person of your Son. Please equip us with your
breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Unite us in your Spirit, that we may serve you in unity and
constancy until that day in which your kingdom comes to its fullness All this we ask through your
Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Frog, gives orders for his Gallic henchfrogs to attack the British hero rat. Le Frog exclaims: "To
action!" His pack of French amphibians react by promptly throwing up their hands and chorusing:
"We surrender!" The exasperated Le Frog replies, “Not that action, you idiots! The kung fu thing!”
Well, my reason for mentioning this is not to rekindle ancient animosities between the English and
French, but to point out that this morning’s readings each have something to say about how we deal
with opposition. They each say something about standing firm, rather than surrendering. First we
have Joshua exhorting the Israelites, now living in the land of the Amorites, to put away their false
gods. He challenges them to “choose this day whom you will serve,” and he says, “As for me and
my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua stands firm.
And in the Gospel reading, people are falling away because of all these difficult things Jesus is
saying about himself, that He’s the bread of life, and that people must eat his flesh and drink his
blood, and his clear reference to having himself come down from heaven. So he asks his closest
disciples, “Do you also wish to go away?” And Simon Peter replies, “Lord, to whom can we go? You
have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of
God.” Peter stands firm.
And this morning I’m going to focus especially on Paul’s words to the Ephesians, in which he directly
admonishes them to put on the full armor of God, and to stand firm. Many of us feel a bit uneasy
with words like “evil” and “warfare.” If this is true for you, you’re not alone. But this morning I’d
like us to spend a few minutes considering just those concepts: evil and spiritual warfare.
Is evil real? Since the period known as the Enlightenment began in around the 17th Century, it has
become stylish to regard the idea of evil as a throwback to an earlier, more primitive, more naïve era
in which people feared ghosts or leprechauns behind every rock. We in the West decided there’s
no such thing as spirits, or demons, or a devil. At most, evil was seen as people’s passions
occasionally getting the better of them, and this was to be remedied by a dose of modern, rational
self control. But I think this illusion was largely shattered in the 20th and early 21st Centuries. The
murderous horrors of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and others stand as convincing testimony to the existence
of objective evil in the world.
And in a couple weeks we mark the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on civilians in N.Y. and
Washington. Sources as disparate as President Bush and rock singer Neil Young declared after
9/11 that we’d seen the real face of evil. So maybe the Bible and its assertion of the reality of
personified evil now don’t seem quite so naïve. I mean how else can we account for the venomous,
remorseless inhumanity we’ve seen in recent times and, for that matter, throughout human history?
And “warfare” is another word that people can be skittish about. After all, war, despite being
tragically necessary at times, tends to unleash horrific evil and suffering. Some people’s knuckles
even turn white as they’re asked to turn to “Onward Christian Soldiers” in the Hymnal. So what
about us followers of the Prince of Peace using war imagery? Interestingly, both Jesus and St. Paul
do that very thing. In fact, in talking about some of the dynamics of ushering in the kingdom of God,
Jesus, the Prince of Peace, once said, “I have come not to bring peace, but a sword.” And Paul
advises us to gear up for the battle against evil by putting on the whole armor of God.
I think both Jesus and Paul are flint-eyed realists. We really are in a war. But it’s a war not in the
conventional sense. Paul says we’re in a struggle not against enemies of flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this present darkness and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The unseen dimension that interfaces with our own dimension,
sometimes in dangerous ways. Both Jesus and Paul are using metaphor that appeals to the heart
of a warrior in the best sense of the word. One who courageously fights in this spiritual battle
against evil.
I’d like to spend a few minutes looking at Paul’s martial metaphors and seeing how they apply to us
as believers caught up in the struggle between good and evil, between right and wrong. I’d like to
start by pointing out something that’s absolutely critical in understanding Paul’s exhortation. He
begins our passage by saying, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the
whole armor of God…” Note that he doesn’t say something like, “Grit your teeth and summon all of
your strength.” It’s not about our capabilities. This is crucial.
Instead Paul is urging us to use the equipment that the Lord gives us. Just as a Marine wouldn’t go
dancing around in front of a bunch of Taliban without a flak jacket and helmet, we’re not to engage
in our struggle without the standard issue equipment that we have as believers. In our subtle but
real interface with the spiritual realm—a realm of temptation and danger, we need to be well-
equipped. Paul tells us how.
And the first piece of equipment specified by Paul is the belt of truth. In Bible times the belt was
what held the tunic so that one’s arms could swing freely in battle. This is a fitting image, as having
the truth frees us from wasting our energies fumbling with loose ends, if you like. When you have
the truth, you don’t have to keep groping around to deal with something that’s already been
secured. The belt of truth cinches the garment. It holds it all together. What a comfort it is that we
have a Savior and Captain who’s stated clearly that He is the truth! And He’s proven His assertion
by rising from the dead and ascending to the Father’s right hand. He fully embodies God’s truth with
joyful love and reassuring authority. We need search no further. We’re spiritually secured by the
belt of truth and now our arms are free to do the Lord’s work.
The second piece of gear Paul cites is the breastplate of righteousness. Righteousness is one of
those biblical sounding words that simply means being upright and virtuous. Living a life of moral
purity and justice. Thinking and doing the right thing in God’s eyes. Just as truth is God’s gift to His
people, righteousness is also His gift. We request it when we pray “Lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil,” and our Father is all too eager to clothe us with it. The breastplate of
righteousness is worn front and center as God’s identifying mark, emblazoned with the sign of the
Lamb who was slain in our place, and who through his death and resurrection, conquered death.
When God sees us in His ranks, He sees only the righteousness credited to us by His Son. And as
we accept this gift in its fullness, we pray that the world, when it watches us, sees a life of goodness
as well.
Next Paul encourages us to wear the shoes of the gospel of peace. There’s an irony here that Paul
undoubtedly intended. The irony is that the true Christian warrior is the bearer of peace among
people and with God. Fighting evil means bringing peace and the good news of redemption and new
life. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim
peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” Our
spiritual enemy likes nothing more than hate, rage and chaos. The true gospel brings love and
reconciliation, and these are met with intense resistance from the one who wants to see God’s good
creation and its crowning glory, humankind, distorted and deformed by evil and hate.
So what we need is good shoes to spread good news! We need Nike Air Jordans to help people
cross the Jordan! We need something that will help us run tirelessly and protect our feet from
tripping fouls by the opposing team. Did you know that nike, or nee-kay, means “victory” in Greek?
So with apologies to Adidas and Converse, let’s put on our Nikes and venture out to spread the
Good News of Jesus! This is the surest way to defeat the enemies of God’s kingdom.
The fourth piece of battle gear commended by Paul is the shield of faith. The shield of faith. This is
the gift of trusting obedience and utter dependence on God. In a way, the fact that faith is also a gift
is comforting to me. It means I don’t have to generate it all on my own, especially considering the
fickleness of my moods. Think about those times when your faith has flagged. Don’t you feel
especially vulnerable then? Unbelief and self-reliance are like twin targets painted on our bare flesh.
They make us very prone to spiritual attack. But the good news is that our Lord gives us what we
need and will provide us with the shield of faith if we will but ask Him. Then it’s just a matter of
claiming it, owning it, and holding it in position.
Our battle gear wouldn’t be complete without the helmet of salvation. A helmet protects the head—
the most important part of the body, and therefore a prime target. You see, salvation is the ultimate
protection for the Christian. It means that we no longer need fear anything, right up to death itself!
Fox’s Book of Martyrs is full of faithful Christians who literally went to their deaths with songs on their
lips or speaking courageous words of loyalty and praise. They had the assurance of salvation and
the gift of God’s words on their tongues. Paul wrote that nothing could separate us from the love of
Christ. He said we face death often, yet in all these things we’re more than conquerors through him
who loved us. The love of Christ in His promise of salvation to all who believe, protects us
completely from eternal harm, and assures each one of us of the ultimate safety that comes from
belonging to Him. I can’t imagine a sweeter comfort from our loving Father.
Finally, Paul encourages us to carry the sword of the Spirit. He defines this as the Word of God.
This is no narrow concept. It doesn’t simply mean The Bible, for instance. Rather, it’s more broadly
the word which God gives us to speak. It’s the Scriptures, but it’s also the words inspired by the
Spirit, which of course, if genuine, will never conflict with the Scriptures.
The words God gives us may be words of comfort or conviction, but will always be words of truth.
God’s words of truth have the power to cut through falsehood, equivocation and resistance.
The writer to the Hebrews puts it well: “The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword.” Again, please let me make clear that this is robust metaphor.
This isn’t about lopping off the noggins of infidels, OK? It’s not about putting to the sword any we
judge to be enemies of God. It’s about speaking God’s incisive truth with love, and allowing the
power of God’s word to unmask falsehood, bring people to repentance, and challenge the dark
powers of the spiritual realms with the authority of the Creator of all things, seen and unseen. The
sword of the Spirit is the most potent weapon in God’s armory and we should never forget its power.
I can’t leave this passage without pointing out one more very important feature. After giving us the
list of battle gear with which we should equip ourselves, Paul encourages us to pray. This is
incredibly important. Can you imagine the chaos on a battlefield if people didn’t stay in touch with
their commanding officer? There would be no coordination, no organization. It would quickly turn into
everyone for himself. The danger would be enormous. People might not even be able to tell their
allies from their enemies. So praying in the Spirit, keeping in touch with the Commanding Officer
often, is indispensable for both safety and success.
This prayer of course is not just for ourselves, but for each other. We’re in this together, and can
always use this kind of support. It’s very much like having our backs covered when we engage in
warfare against evil.
I pray that we never forget the importance of working together. Of meeting together, worshipping
together, praying together, encouraging each other, watching each others’ backs as we fight this
lifelong spiritual battle. As pleasant as our camaraderie is in the church community, even though we’
re Anglicans I think it’s safe to say that it’s more than just tea and crumpets. Our work is important
and the resistance to it is real. But the surpassing good news is that, as we faithfully serve the Lord
and His bride the church, we’re promised that the gates of hell will never prevail against it.
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that all good gifts come from you. Thank you that you
are truth, and you’ve given yourself to us in the person of your Son. Please equip us with your
breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Unite us in your Spirit, that we may serve you in unity and
constancy until that day in which your kingdom comes to its fullness All this we ask through your
Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Way of the Warrior
Ephesians 6: 10-20
Ephesians 6: 10-20
August 23, 2009
The Rev. Daniel Tuton
The Rev. Daniel Tuton
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