Spiritual Soldier.

Soldier!

Me?

Yes, you, soldier, front and center!

Really, you mean me?

Yes! I mean you!

I'm not a soldier, you must have mistaken me for someone else.

Are you a Christ follower?

Yes.

Then you are a soldier.

Yeah, well…sure, maybe, I mean not a real soldier.

Not a real soldier?! Then maybe I was mistaken, because all true Christ followers are soldiers.

Wait, a second. I am a true Christ follower, I'm just not a…you know, a military soldier. You know what I mean.

No, I don't know what you mean. Every true Christ follow is a soldier, a real soldier. That's the trouble with people today they are pretending to be true Christ followers not giving a single thought to the Spiritual warfare taking place all around them. They are unconcerned with their spiritual armor, not giving it a second thought when it should be something they put on before they even get out of bed.

Wait, you expect people to lay in bed and pretend to put on…

Did I say anything about pretending!? Did I!? There is no pretending involved unless your entire relationship with Jesus Christ is make believe!

What? No! My relationship with Jesus isn't make believe!

So why would your spiritual armor be make believe?

It wouldn't, I just meant that pretending to…

There you go again.

I…

You?

I just…

What? You never put on your spiritual armor?

It's not real how can I put it on!?

You're unbelievable! If Jesus is real then your spiritual armor is real too. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there! You put it on spiritually!

Let me get this straight, I have to put on spiritual armor that I can't see?

Yes, because if you don't you'll never get through this spiritual warfare, never.

Okay, so this armor - where do I get it from- spiritually of course.

Of course.  You get it from God, through Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit. Go ahead, open your Bible app.

Uh… what am I looking for?

Ephesians 6 verse 11.

Got it… Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

What did I tell you, you need to put on the armor of God because soldier, we are in a battle with the devil!

I am? I mean, yeah I am, I just…well, I never know when I'm battling him.
Hah! You are battling him all the time! He never stops, never.

Uh, but I don't feel like I'm battling him all the time. I have good times, I laugh, and have fun, and…

Let me ask you something. Is Christ with you in those good times and laughter, when you are having fun? If He is that's great, but even then the devil isn't stopping his assault he's preparing you for that inevitable turn for the worse, the downer from your high, he's strategizing. 

And this armor helps?

God just told you in His word to put on the armor, what do you think? Of course it helps. Go on read more.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

That's what I'm talking about! You are a spiritual soldier in a spiritual battle! It's real, don't for one moment doubt it.

But my life is ordinary, I don't know of anyone really fighting spiritual wickedness and…

Ordinary? No one really fighting?! Are you serious? You are, aren't you? Every single day you have ups and downs, right? Little things, annoyances. Or maybe big things, that you want to call ordinary, but in truth they’ve been orchestrated to gauge your spiritual connection to Christ. Every single upset, every little nagging thing is an attempt to get through your spiritual armor and get your mind off Christ and your need of Him in all things, yes, all things.  Don’t you see it? People call it ordinary and natural, and just the way of things, they call it 'life'. Then they say we're crazy when we blame the devil for his instigating tactics.  People have to realize that the devil is behind all evil!

Okay, okay, calm down!

Calm down?! Sure, I'll calm down.
Good, because you know God allows the evil.

Hah! Now you're talking! Yes! God allows it because we chose it, and we are being refined, soldier! We are being honed! We are being thrown in fires to test our metal! And we only survive all of it by having our armor on!

Wait.. Wait..

No, I don't want to wait, read more of it, go on.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Praise God! That's what I'm talking about!

Seriously, you need to calm dow…

I don't think so, this is truth, soldier, truth! Read more!

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints

Yes! That's it! That's the armor!
Wow, I mean, just wow, all that ….

Yes, all that. The girt loins, a breastplate, boots, a shield, a helmet and a sword! Now tell me that's not real!
Well, it's really spiritual.

Yes, soldier, it's a spiritual battle and spiritual armor, spiritual weapons… all REAL. Do you know these verses….

Joh_4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Joh_4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

I think I heard before, maybe…

Well, now you've heard it again! God is a Spirit and we have to worship Him in spirit and truth! Our entire relationship with Christ is spiritual, and there is a lot of spiritually stuff going on all around us, all the time. Anyway, I just wanted to say, God be with you, soldier, wear that armor always.
 

Mat 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 

'Could our eyes be opened, we should see forms of evil angels around us, trying to invent some new way to annoy and destroy us. And we should also see angels of God guarding us from their power; for God’s watchful eye is ever over Israel for good, and He will protect and save His people, if they put their trust in Him. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.'    Early Writings EGW page 33

2Ki 6:15  And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 

2Ki 6:16  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 

2Ki 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, OPEN HIS EYES, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 

2Ch 32:7  Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: 

2Ch 32:8  With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Mat 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 

1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 

1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.