September 2, 2018 Text: Ephesians 6:10-20
Dear Friends in Christ,
One of my favorite commentators of all-time was Paul Harvey who died in 2009. Back in 1964 he gave a radio commentary entitled, “If I Were The Devil.” Here is just a portion of that. “I would evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, then from the Houses of Congress. Then in his own churches I’d substitute psychology for religion and deify science. If I were Satan I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle. If I were Satan I’d just keep doing what I’m doing.”
We face many struggles in our life from “Is my paycheck big enough for these expenses?” “Do we have enough health insurance?” “Can the family get along?” Add to that cancer that invades your life, depression that you keep hidden and guilt that you just can’t seem to shake. Life is a struggle in this fallen world.
Those struggles are hard but we face an even greater struggle when we see evil on the loose in our world. Is the devil having his way? At times we think he is. Paul describes this tug-o-war as a wrestling match. Satan and the Lord going at it for your soul. Place your bets…you know who wins.
“THE STRENGTH OF THE LORD PREVAILS”
We know the outcome so should we just end the sermon there? It is not quite that simple and we need some guidance while living the struggle.
Satan is wily and crafty. He is so proficient in his attacks on us that we hardly notice when we are led astray. Peter calls him a “roaring lion.” Jesus describes him as “the father of lies.” What is Satan telling you? What path of destruction would he like you to walk down? How can we battle back?
We first admit that we don’t have the strength or the moves to get out of Satan’s headlock. We are easy prey as we stumble into his trap of selfishness and greed. We are not equipped for such brutality as he flings us off the ropes. We need to be strengthened in the Lord in order to face the devil’s wiles day by day.
While Jesus came in humility and weakness, he alone is our refuge and strength. He conquered sin by keeping the law perfectly. He buried death by his death and resurrection. God’s Son came to crush the head of Satan.
Even in a world of coexist bumper stickers and intolerant demands for tolerance, we can stand for and by the truth of God’s Word. We put on Jesus Christ in our baptism. The full armor of God was given in the one garment through the water and the Word. We are clothed in Christ and He wrestles for us so that we might be saved.
August 14, 1945 marked the end of World War II as Japan surrendered to the United States. There was one problem. No one told Hiroo Onada. When they did tell him, he didn’t believe them. Hiroo Onada was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Japanese Army. He was stationed in the Philippines and his orders were to fight until the end. When Japan surrendered there were only four survivors in his unit. They kept fighting because they thought it was American propaganda. One soldier was killed, two surrendered but Onada kept up the battle. It wasn’t until his brother and commanding officer went to the Philippines and they convinced him the war was over. That was in 1974 – 29 years after the Japanese had lost the war!
Satan continues the fight. He will not be convinced otherwise, like Hiroo Onada eventually was. His attacks will become more and more desperate as we get closer to the Lord’s return. He is seeking to destroy as many of God’s saints as he can. Satan will continue to work in our courthouses and schoolhouses and state houses and our houses.
The wonderful Gospel I share with you today is that when Christ Jesus emerged from the tomb on that first Easter morn, He had triumphed over sin, and death, and the devil. The Valiant one has won the war. Be strengthened by Word and Sacrament. Be strengthened through the power of the Holy Spirit. Be strengthened through prayer. We are strengthened to stand firm to the end. All because our strength is not found in our knowledge, our effort, or even our faith, but in Christ alone.
Amen.