The war rages on. Like it or not, there is no escaping the fact of the matter.  Attacks come from various sides: encroachment of secular worldviews; attempts to redefine marriage; sexual immorality; false prophets and pretend saviors promising health, wealth and happiness. War wages against the unborn as millions are killed each year through the abomination of abortion. The list could go on and on concerning the present darkness that seeks nothing else than to extinguish the light of Christ. One fights either for sin or for God. There is no middle ground. No one is neutral in this war over souls.  And you and I are on the frontlines.

Every moment of our lives, from conception to death, this war rages in our midst.  The principalities and powers—the agents of Satan— lurk in the sinful darkness of this world and scheme to take our souls.  Satan, the sinister Ruler of Darkness himself extends his reach to the highest of places.  Through lying, deceit, temptation, and sin, they seek to ruin our lives and destroy our souls.  There is no place on earth where the devil does not engage in a battle for the souls of God’s saints.

Teachers from Zion Christian School are here. You are engaged with the enemy at our school.  Not only do you teach math and science, reading and writing, you bring the love of Christ into the classroom to fight off the devil’s attacks on these children.  Frankly, that’s the best thing about our school: Jesus is present.  The loving, caring shepherd of tender youth, who is also the Divine Warrior commanding legions of angelic armies.

But it’s not just you. We have public school teachers and staff with us who face the onslaught every day.  Sometimes it’s easy for them in the public school to profess their faith, other times it’s difficult.  Either way, the war wages on.

But it’s not just them. As a Christian, baptized into Christ, we have been drafted into the army of God. The war goes on in our own lives, in our families, at our jobs, in our hearts and minds. Every one of us bears scars from this war.  Sin is an equal opportunity offender, and it takes no prisoners. Sometimes we shoot ourselves in the foot. We don’t take sin seriously, or we justify our sinful actions as not really that bad, in essence stripping off the armor God has given, leaving a vulnerable spot.  How deeply we are wounded, and wound each other, by our thoughts, words, and deeds; by what we have done and by what we have left undone.  We are brothers and sisters in Christ, and yet all too often we fall because of friendly fire, whether intentional or not. There’s only one way to survive this war.  We are called to fight not with our own strength or might, but armored with the might and power of Almighty God. 

In light of the spiritual battle against the forces of darkness into which every Christian is thrust by Baptism into Christ, Paul entreats us to put on the whole armor of God.  Like a belt wrapped round our waist, we fight surrounded by God's truth in Christ Jesus our Lord.  As the battle wages, Christ's righteousness protects us like a breastplate, strong enough to shield us from the blows of the evil one.  On our feet we wear the good news of the gospel of Christ, ready to go where we are needed and proclaim victory over the devil in Christ our Lord.  When the battle is engaged we use the shield of our faith – our worship, our use of the Sacraments, our devotions, our piety – to quench the fiery arrows of the devil and his evil angels. Throughout the battle we wear on our heads the helmet of our salvation in Christ.  And by faithful hearing of the Word of God we wield the sword of the Spirit.

The list of armor isn’t some sort of spiritual shopping list for Christians to seek out and obtain.  The Lord provides the armor. The armor belongs to Christ, and we share it as we live in God’s baptismal promises.  The call to put on the full armor of God is a summons to become like the Divine Warrior. And this armor is complete, it is whole, it encompasses every aspect of your life.  Through Holy Baptism, we are soldiers in the divine battle and stand with Christ, our Victor. He overcame the forces of hell, not by human might or power, but by the weakness and foolishness of the cross.  United with Him, our strength comes by His grace.  Our forgiveness comes by His mercy so that daily we can keep alert with all perseverance.

And so, repent of trying to survive the war without Christ. Repent of removing His armor from yourself by persisting in sinful actions.  Repent of your attacks against others.  Repent and stand at attention, for the Lord of Hosts, the Divine Warrior and General comes to lift you up out of your sin, to invade the domain of Satan and break his hold on sinners, to heal the broken spirit, and to throw you back into the ranks of His army.

This is what the battle looks like each and every day for us dressed in Divine armor.  It looks a life of repentance and forgiveness.  Of receiving God’s forgiveness, enabled to go and sin no more.  It looks like devotions prayed at your kitchen table.  Prayers said at your bedside.  Regular worship.  Faithful Christian witness and confession whenever the opportunity presents itself.  Resisting temptation by the Spirit of God.  With every act of faith the devil suffers loss.  With every act of devotion the devil loses ground.  With every moment of worship and confession the devil must retreat and the Church of God—you and me and all the saints—we hold the field in faith. Yet, we neither wait for Christ to win the battle nor fight the fight for Him. Christ is not an absent warrior.  Christ has already won the war.  “It is finished” our Lord declares.  The Father has raised Him to the heavenly throne and put our spiritual enemies under His feet.

We may as well paint a bullseye on our back for the devil to fire his arrows at our back.  Just as well.  All the enemies of God can do it attack. And the worst they can do is kill us.  But Christ has defeated death as well, so it has no power over us. If the battle is the Lord’s, if Christ is truly still with us, if He has won the victory, if we are armored by God, the outcome of the war is certain. We fight with His victory, assured of final victory. 

Stand your ground. And make no concession.  You have been armored for war by virtue of your baptism, strengthened by His body and blood in the Sacrament. Stand firm in the faith, for Christ is victorious over sin, death, and the devil. For Christ has risen, He has risen indeed. Alleluia. Amen.