Bird sighting on a recent walk.

This post is an excerpt from a recent sermon preached at Cooks Point Methodist Church. I’ve been thinking and praying a lot about spiritual warfare lately, and especially since the murder of Charlie Kirk. I’ve been surprised and heartbroken over the celebration of the murder, over the mocking cartoons posted online by people who are normally caring. Kirk’s two children will probably see the murder online someday. Such mocking or celebrating of such brutality shows our dehumanization, and proves a point: evil is real; sin is real; your sin is real, and so is mine.

Recently we talked about how Jesus restored Peter after the Resurrection.  Peter denied he knew Jesus, denied Him three times, even after Jesus told Peter just a few hours ahead of time that it would happen.  Jesus restored Peter gently and clearly, and gave Peter a renewed sense of ministry, telling Peter to “feed my sheep”.  Do the work I’ve called you to do, Peter.

Peter and the rest of the disciples expected a battle, expected a revolution, a coming kingdom.  

In Matthew 16 Simon professed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God.  Jesus told him he was blessed by God, and that God had revealed that truth to him.  “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  (Matthew 16: 18)

So there will be a revolution.  There will be a battle; there will be a coming kingdom.  Gates are a defensive weapon, the gates of hell will not prevail against the church of God, and the church of God is built on the profession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God.  Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”   

The Kingdom of God is a kingdom like no other.  And the battles for the kingdom take place differently than the battles going on in the world now.  

Actually, there are many that think the battles going on right now are part of the larger battles going on in a larger realm.  There are some fascinating Scriptures from the prophet Daniel and also in Jude in the New Testament, that give us hints of something larger going on that we can only imagine.  

Next week I hope to begin a sermon series on 1 and 2nd Peter, the letters from the first leader of the church, but today I want to talk about the armor of God, written in this beautiful letter to the Ephesians by the apostle Paul.  

Why do we need armor?  

Because we called to go into battle.  

Peter writes this in Chapter 5: 8 —  Be sober-minded, be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of sufferings are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Peter warns us that our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour…

Why do we need armor?  

Because evil is real. Satan is real.  Sin is real.  Your sin is real — and so is mine.   The battle with evil is real.

Do you believe that? Think back to the last time you severely overreacted, what you said and how you behaved.

EVIL IS REAL

But not everyone believes that. 

Check yourself.

Do you believe in God?

Do you believe in Jesus?

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?  

Do you believe in demons?  

Do demons exist?  

I don’t remember demons being talked about in my seminary, and I imagine they are not talked about much in many of the more liberal seminaries except in a mocking tone.  

But Jesus cast out demons, according to the Bible.  

Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?  

Then demons are real.

Then Satan is real.

Just because the Bible tells me so.

The Bible also tells me something else:  that Jesus loves me.  And you too.  

(more to come)