"Battle Ready" Pt.6

Hi, this is John O'Zanting, lead pastor of Evolve Church, and this is the Evolve Church Podcast.

Thanks so much for tuning in.

We hope that you find today's message encouraging and full of hope for wherever you're at.

We are so excited to be back together in person soon.

We've seen God move this past week, miracles.

Our Father is out there, battle ready, fighting on our behalf, preparing a way for us to just walk in his provision, walk in his favor, walk in his will.

This building is a miracle.

We've seen so many beautiful things take place.

And that's our prayer for you, for all of you watching, whether you're watching Church Online or YouTube or Facebook or listening to our podcast this week.

That's our prayer as we put on the armor, the well-prepared, well-made weapons that God's made in advance for us, as we learn to operate these weapons that God's prepared, that we would just continue to feel strengthened and encouraged in community, in relationships, in home, in workplace, as we see God move and work with us.

Listen, our recap from last week, if you missed the message on peace shoes, you can always go back and watch that.

But our big question was: are you anchored?

Are you grounded, supported, and preparing for his perfect peace in order that you might also be a bringer of peace to someone else?

We talked about how resting well and experiencing peace go hand in hand.

I want you to know I've experienced the peace of God in my life this week.

I was at the hospital earlier this week, just going through some medical stuff and just at home resting and just sensing that God is near.

And rest and peace go hand in hand.

In this faith journey, some of us are wearing big, heavy boots.

They're frustrating us, causing us pain.

Instead of wearing the well-designed, lightweight shoes that the Father's laid out for us, peace shoes.

If the enemy can steal your peace, then you can't share your peace.

There's an attack from the enemy on our peace as God's sons and daughters.

Are you under the heavy weight of anxiety, stress, fear, depression?

We actually push back against the kingdom of darkness when we take steps forward in ministering peace to those who are broken.

Peace shoes are an offensive weapon.

They require us to move forward, take new ground, take new territory, not only carry the peace of Christ, but bring it wherever we go.

This is our ministry, all of us.

We just get to own our story of being at peace with God and then carry his unanxious presence with us everywhere we go.

So a quick recap from last week.

As we look at this next piece of armor that you've laid out, we just want to pause, open up our hearts today, and say, Father, would you change us?

Change us from the inside out.

What growth do you want to see happen in our lives today?

What area of our inner heart can we open up to your word and to your spirit to become new today, to change, to grow?

We want to hear your voice, Father, in Jesus' name.

Ephesians 6, 10, verse 13.

Let's get going.

Now, my beloved ones, I've saved these most important truths for last.

Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life union with Jesus.

Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.

Put on God's complete set of armor, the complete set, not just one or two pieces, all of it.

Provided for us so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies.

Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, right?

But with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms.

Verse 13.

For you are destined for all things.

You will rise victorious.

That's a word for someone today.

You are destined for all things.

You're destined to rise victorious.

Question, have you been distracted?

Maybe this week, maybe today, maybe right now, maybe you're distracted watching this.

Maybe during the last eight months, you've just felt a constant sense of being distracted.

This week, was anybody else distracted by the U.S.

election drama?

Whew, give me a thumbs up if you're with me.

How many times did you uh Google U.S.

election results uh over those last few days?

Have you been distracted?

What's distracting you right now?

Even as I was working at home this week preparing on today's message, I found myself getting distracted by emails and text message notifications.

Sheesh, like we've had lots going on, time-sensitive stuff, but I found myself distracted.

I'm like, oh look, a squirrel.

Yeah.

Come on, Xanting.

Focus, right?

Focus.

Have you been distracted?

The average person picks up their smartphone 47 times every day.

That's average.

Some people are way higher than that, but we're talking chatty coworkers are a distraction.

Email, web browsing, snap breaks, snack breaks, Amazon, social media, instant messaging, gossip, Facebook marketplace, games and puzzles on your device, distraction, distraction, distraction, distraction.

Have you ever been distracted?

So many things to distract us from what is most important.

2 Timothy 2, verse 4 says, for every soldier called to active duty, and that's not in a wartime, but in a spiritual sense, you are a soldier called to active duty.

2 Timothy 2:4

Every soldier called to active duty must divorce himself or herself from the distractions of this world so that they may fully satisfy the one who chose them.

In this fight, the spiritual battle that we're engaged in, there's an invitation from Jesus to divorce ourselves, separate ourselves from the distractions of this world as an obedient response to the Father who chose you.

I like 2 Timothy 2, verse 4 in the message translation.

2 Timothy 2:4

A soldier on duty doesn't get caught up in making deals at the marketplace, the Facebook marketplace, or the Amazon marketplace.

You don't get distracted.

They concentrate on carrying out orders, okay?

Just how distracted are you right now?

In a series earlier this year, I quoted Corey Tenboom.

She said, if the devil can't make us bad, he'll make us busy.

And sometimes distraction and busyness look like the same thing.

How are you distracted right now?

At work, at home, in being a parent to your kids, are you distracted or are you present?

In your marriage, are you present with your spouse or are you distracted?

In your faith journey, are you present with God?

Or are you distracted?

If the devil cannot make us bad, he'll make us busy.

For every soldier called to active duty must divorce himself from the distractions of this world.

Today, as we look at uh the next piece of armor, I want to just start by saying, let that just settle over you for a second.

A call to action to divorce yourself from the distractions of this world as an obedient response to the mission that you're on as a Jesus follower.

If you're brand new today watching this, there's a next step you can take.

That you don't have to get caught up in the distractions of the world.

You can be laser focused in the mission, the purpose for that which you were created, that God knit into you.

We're gonna talk more about that, but I've been serving as a leader in Jesus' church for almost 25 years.

I've walked alongside homes, families, marriages, seniors, young couples, young adults, teenagers, kids.

I've seen a lot of people get upset and angry at God over the last 24, almost 25 years.

I've seen a lot of people get distracted in their faith journey and get ticked off at God.

I've seen people set back in their faith, discouraged, disappointed with Jesus because of a challenging circumstance.

Have you ever been tempted to give up on your faith because of a challenging circumstance?

Have you ever been distracted in your faith journey because of something going on?

Or you just felt like throwing in the towel with a heavy heart?

I I've borne witness to beautiful sons and daughters laying down and walking away from their faith in an eternally good and faithful God simply because of something temporal, something secondary.

I've seen it.

I've seen it too much.

I've seen beautiful sons and daughters lay down, walk away from their faith in an eternally good and faithful God because of something temporal.

If the devil can't make us bad, he'll make us busy.

So how does the devil make us busy?

Distraction through temptation.

That's how the devil distracts us by tempting us the same way the devil tempted Jesus.

And the Bible we read about in Luke 4 how Satan, the accuser, came to tempt Jesus.

And he tempted him through provision, through property, through priority, and through protection.

Four P's.

I worked hard at that, just so that you could remember the four P's.

Provision, property, protection, and priority.

That's how the enemy tempts and distracts you.

Luke 4, verse 3, it was then the devil said to Jesus, If you're really the Son of God, command these stones to turn into bread.

Luke 4:3

The enemy tempted Jesus through provision, through food.

Verse 5, the devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms and regions of the world.

Verse 6 and 7, then the devil, the devil said, All of this, all of its power, all of its authority, all of its splendor, it's mine to give to whomever.

Just worship me and you can have it.

Jesus was being tempted with his property and with priorities, with his priorities and with property.

Okay?

Provision, property, priority.

Verse 9, the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, set him on the highest point of the temple, tempted him there, saying, If you're really the Son of God, jump down in front of all these people.

Protection.

He was tempted with provisions, property, priorities, and protection.

It's the same way the enemy's trying to distract you by tempting you in one of those four areas: provision, protection, priorities, and your property.

Okay?

I want to talk for a minute about thermal weapons, incendiary devices.

Come on, track with me.

If there's any like military buffs watching, I want to talk about thermal weapons and incendiary devices.

This is an age-old practice in warfare dating way back to the 8th century BC, long time ago.

People have been using thermal weapons or incendiary devices in war for a long, long, long, long time.

I know this feels like a massive shift of gears, but track with me, it'll all work itself out.

It's a main function of a thermal weapon or an incendiary device was to destroy enemy provisions and property, and to distract the enemy by threatening and diminishing their resources.

Picture an old school battlefield, and you've got the front line of warriors prepared to go toe-to-toe with their enemy, and all of a sudden, flaming arrows are shooting over their head.

They're hitting wagons, they're hitting carts, they're hitting tents, they're lighting fires.

Why?

Because the enemy is shooting incendiary devices to take out their opponents' provisions and their protection and their property.

What a distraction, right?

You're ready to head into war, and all of a sudden your tents and your wagons and your provisions are on fire.

How do you not turn your back on the front line to go put out that fire, right?

In the case of Roman warfare, uh you could lay fire and flame to your enemy's tents and storehouses, then you could cause panic and distraction and force your enemy to pull away from the priority of the front lines.

If you could pierce your enemy's shield with a fire-tipped arrow, you could potentially light that wooden shield on fire, causing your enemy to panic, cast his shield aside, leaving him vulnerable and compromising his protection.

For years and years and years, thermal weapons or incendiary devices have been used in warfare.

To sum up, in other words, in warfare, blazing arrows are fired as an attack on your provisions, your property, your protection, and your priorities.

A flaming arrow is shot to distract you and to tempt you from turning away from the front line.

Ephesians 6:16, here it is.

Ephesians 6:16

In every battle, take faith as your wraparound shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the evil one.

Check that out.

God has given you a weapon called faith to grip as a wraparound shield, and that shield is able to extinguish the attack of the enemy.

What does the attack of the enemy look like?

Blazing arrows, thermal weapons, incendiary devices.

The attack coming at you from the evil one comes as a blazing arrow.

Blazing arrows fired as an attack on your provisions, on your property, on your protection, and on your priorities.

With a heavy heart, I have borne witness to beautiful sons and daughters laying down and walking away from their faith, their faith in an eternally good and faithful God.

Why?

Because of a distraction, because of something temporal.

Something happened to their provisions, something happened to their property, something happened to their protection, something happened to their priorities.

And they dropped their shield and walked away.

If the devil can't make us bad, he'll make us busy.

He'll tempt us through distraction.

And that distraction comes as a flaming arrow.

So today's big question what is it?

What is it that's tempting or distracting you right now from holding tightly to, growing in, and lifting high your faith?

What is it right now?

We're gonna name it later on.

You're gonna have some homework this week, but what is it right now that's tempting you or distracting you from holding tightly to, from growing in and lifting high your faith?

Be it through an attack against your provision or property or protection or priorities, causing you to get distracted, turn your back on what's most important.

Or maybe through panic, putting out fires where you lower, drop your guard.

Either way, the enemy wants us to abandon our faith.

Ephesians 6, 16, in every battle, take faith as your wraparound shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the evil one.

Faith, beautiful faith, like a wraparound shield to extinguish temptation, distraction, the flaming arrows of the evil one.

The Romans uh had a very special shield called a scucum, and it was uh four feet tall and two and a half feet wide and slightly curved.

It's a massive shield, and they would carry these shields into battle.

And uh in they they used to carry a smaller round shield, and then they upgraded to these scuums, four feet, two and a half feet wide, and they would carry these into battle.

And the Romans had a beautiful military tactic where they would form what was called a shield wall, or the word that they would shout was testuto.

They would shout the word testuto when they needed to form a shield wall, and testuto was Latin for tortoise.

Interesting.

Um I saw this video clip this week of a tortoise winning a fight against an alligator.

Take a look at this real quick.

A tortoise inside of an alligator's mouth.

But that shell, come on, was that a crazy crazy design or what?

Like that that that alligator loses the fight against a tortoise.

Why?

Because of the shell.

So the Romans would take their scucums and uh and they would make a shield wall.

In the front, they would hold them, they would get down on one knee, they would hold them, and if the second row would hold them overheads, and the back row would hold them overheads, and they would create a tortoise shell out of shields.

I love this.

The Plutarch, the Greek philosopher, observed this about the Testudo.

He said, Then the shield bearers wheeled round and enclosed the light armed troops within their ranks, dropped to one knee and held their shields out as a defensive barrier.

The men behind them held their shields over the heads of the first rank, while the third rank did the same for the second rank.

The resulting shape, which is a remarkable sight, looks very like a roof or a turtle shell, and is the surest protection against arrows which just glance off it.

If that isn't a posture of faith, I don't know what is.

Track with me for a second.

We're talking about thermal weapons and incendiary devices and Roman battle strategies and tortoise shells and testuto.

But faith begins with you dropping to one knee.

Come on, that that's a good picture.

Hang on to that.

When's the last time in the middle of a fight you just got down on your knees and prayed?

Faith begins with you dropping to your knee, lifting up your shield of faith.

And then other sons and daughters before you, behind you, beside you, they lift up their shields.

What I want to teach more than anything today about the shield of faith is this the shield of faith at its finest is a team sport.

If you write anything down today, if you if you tweet anything, if you write in the comments about anything, the shield of faith at its finest is a team sport.

Hebrews 11, 33, through faith's power they conquered kingdoms and established true justice.

Their faith fastened onto their promises, pulled them into reality.

It was faith that shut the mouth of lions, put out the power of raging fire, caused many to escape certain death by the sword.

Although weak, their faith imparted power to make them strong.

Faith sparked courage within them, and they became mighty warriors in battle, pulling armies from another realm into battle array.

I love this picture.

Why?

Listen again.

Here's why.

Listen.

Through faith's power, they conquered kingdoms and established true justice.

Their faith fastened onto their promises and pulled them into reality.

It was faith that shut the mouth of lions, put out the power of raging fire, and caused many to escape certain death by the sword.

Although weak, their faith imparted power to make them strong.

Faith sparked courage within them, and they became mighty warriors in battle, pulling armies from another realm into battle array.

The shield of faith at its finest is a team sport.

Not just your individual faith journey, but your collective, one another, other sons and daughters, your family, your community, your tribe, your church.

It's a team sport.

Taking up our faith shield is an invitation to hold on tightly to our good and faithful God who is revealed in the Bible through Jesus.

We see God through Jesus.

And then it's choosing to walk.

In a firm and unwavering dependence on the Lord, regardless of our circumstances.

And we do this best together.

This is how we quench the fiery arrows of the enemy.

But how do we hold on tightly to a good and faithful God when there's an attack on our circumstances?

How do we do that when there's an attack on our provisions and our property and our priorities and our protection?

How do we hold on tightly?

How do we walk in a firm and unwavering dependence on our Savior, on Jesus, when there's an attack on our circumstances, on our provisions, on our property, on our protection, on our priorities?

Well, the shield of faith at its finest is a team sport.

It's best accomplished through the gift of the church, of Jesus' church.

Other sons and daughters before you, behind you, beside you, standing with you when the blazing arrows try to come against your provisions and protection and property and priorities.

They're with you.

Testuto.

Tortoise shell, collectively holding up our shields of faith.

And yet, what's the first thing that we do when we're under attack?

We back away from community.

I'm guilty of it.

I'm sure some of you watching have done the same thing.

When a blazing arrow has been launched against my mental health, I back away from community.

When a blazing arrow has been launched against my finances and things are hard, I'm embarrassed, I'm ashamed, so I back away from community.

When a blazing arrow has been launched against my marriage, things are really difficult.

I hide.

I back away.

Earlier this year, on September 20th, in our coming home series, I shared this thought.

Taking up our faith shield is an invitation to hold on tightly to our good and faithful God revealed in the Bible through Jesus.

And then choosing to walk in a firm and unwavering dependence on the Lord, regardless of our circumstances, regardless of the attack that's come.

And we do this how?

Together.

We do this together.

Testuto, this faith shield.

Don't just hoist yours alone.

You're going to get tired.

Yes, drop to your knee.

Yes, seek the Father's presence.

Yes, pray.

But involve the community of this faith shield, those around you.

And so I'm giving you homework this week.

I'm going to take the last few minutes remaining to talk about homework.

In your small group this week, I want to encourage some open, honest, and vulnerable conversation.

That's where the growth is.

That's where relationships deepen.

That's where the real life happens.

If you're not a part of a small group, then that's your homework.

Get in a group.

You've got extra work.

You've got bonus work.

If you're not a part of a small group, get in a group.

It's not too late.

Do it this week.

Guys, join us for coffee on Thursday.

Ladies, get out to flourish on Tuesday night.

Get in a group.

And then in your group, I want to encourage some open and honest and vulnerable conversation.

The shield of faith is a team sport.

Stop trying to hoist yours alone.

In your small group this week, here's what I want to encourage you to be open and honest and vulnerable about.

In your life right now, perhaps a blazing arrow has been fired at your provisions or your property or your priorities or your protection.

What is it?

Name it.

Be honest.

Where are you struggling?

Where are you distracted?

Where are you tempted right now?

Is it your finances?

Is it a relationship?

Is it your physical health or your mental health?

Is it your home or your family?

Is it your trust in a good and faithful God?

What is it?

Name it.

Share it with the right people.

Share it with your small group this week.

Talk about it.

Get it out there.

And then, because faith always requires action, how can you practically choose to walk in a firm and unwavering dependence on the Lord regardless of the circumstance, regardless of what's happening?

How can you take steps forward in dependence on the Savior as you lift high your faith shield?

I want you to journal about this.

I want you to brainstorm this.

I want you to share in your small group this week.

For example, when I'm when I'm under attack in my finances, walking in a firm and unwavering dependence on Jesus in faith sees me giving money away.

That's counterintuitive and countercultural.

But don't stop giving.

That's kingdom living.

Your church family, your community, they'll encourage you in this.

They'll help you with this.

They'll help illuminate this.

When you're under attack in a relationship, walking in a firm and unwavering dependence on Jesus in faith, will see you praying and then see you reaching out in humility.

Don't stop reaching out.

Don't stop humbling your heart in relationships.

Keep reaching out.

That's kingdom living.

Come on.

Somebody needs that this week.

Your church family, your community, your small group, they can help you with this.

They can walk this through with you.

Name it, write about it, share about it, and then put some action to it.

When you're under attack in a trust for the Father, maybe you're second guessing.

Maybe you've been tempted to drop your faith shield, walk away.

Well then walking in a firm and unwavering dependence on Jesus in faith actually has you leaning in, spending time with the Father, sitting at his feet, resting in your identity as a son, as a daughter, letting his voice, his word, his spirit speak to your heart.

Don't stop spending time with God.

That's kingdom living.

Your small group, your community, your church family, they're going to help you with this this week.

Why?

Because in every battle, we take faith as our wraparound shield.

Four feet high, two and a half feet wide, slightly curved.

That shield's able to extinguish the blazing arrows that are coming at us from the evil one.

But the shield of faith at its finest is a team sport.

Stop trying to hoist yours alone.

Taking up our faith shield is an invitation to hold on tightly to our good and faithful God, who's revealed in the Bible through his son, through Jesus, and then choosing to walk in a firm and unwavering dependence on the Lord, regardless of our circumstances, regardless of the attack that might come against our provisions, our property, our protection, our priorities, testudo together.

Work this out, walk this through this week, take some time, journal, dig deep, pray, and then lift high that shield of faith.

God's given it to you, it's well made, well designed to extinguish the flames of the enemy.

And like Plutarch observed observed in Greek philosophy, when the Romans coupled their shields together, all the arrows could do was glance off.

If you're feeling like you're under attack, maybe it's because you're you're too isolated.

You need to get back in formation.

You need to get back with your with your tribe, you need to get back with your people.

The gift of other sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, beside you, before you, behind you.

Testuto.

Let's raise up our faith shields together.

We're better together.

You're not designed to hoist it alone.

Can I pray?

Father, in Jesus' name, you see, you see every person.

I just know this week, God, some people have been so distracted by what's going on in the world that they've begun to question.

Does God even see what's going on?

Does God even care?

Does God even know?

And so today we just declare, as a community of faith, we declare our faith in you, our trust in you, that you are a good and faithful Father.

Not only do you love us and care for us, but you see the need.

You see what's going on in our life.

The enemy has come to steal and to kill and to destroy.

He's trying to take out our provisions, he's trying to take out our property, he's trying to take out our protection, he's trying to take out our priorities.

But God, today we raise up high our shield of faith in relationship with others, in relationship with your church, through the gift of online community, through the gift of in-person small groups, through the gift of just time spent with one another.

God, we're not alone.

The gift of your spirit, the life that you've given us, but the gift of other people, your church.

Let's shield faith.

It's a team sport.

God, we invite you to help us this week as we do the homework, as we take an honest look at where we're tempted and distracted right now.

And then as we put a game plan together, action items of dependence on you, kingdom living to move things forward.

Testuto in Jesus' name.

And if you're watching today, maybe this is your very first time tuning in to Evolve.

Maybe it's your first time participating in any kind of online church experience.

Man, you've made it this far.

We're just so grateful that you would invite us to be a part of your home, of your life this week.

I hope this message has encouraged you.

And if it's done anything, I hope it's done this.

God knows you, God sees you, God loves you, and you were designed for relationship with him and with his church.

In a moment, we're going to pray a simple prayer all together.

A prayer of invitation, a prayer of faith.

A prayer with your mouth where you will declare and invite Jesus to be Lord of your life, to surrender every part of your life to him, to come under his leadership, where you can experience the gift of right relationship with God, restored.

Maybe this week you'll go back and revisit the last five messages as we've talked from Ephesians 6 about the armor, and you can learn about the other pieces of armor that God's laid out for you.

But it begins with you desiring to be in relationship with God.

You don't have to do the work.

Jesus did that for you.

Jesus paid for that in full.

And so would you pray with us as we close out our time together today?

All of you watching from home, watching with friends, watching with family, maybe you're watching by yourself today, but within your heart is this desire to begin serving God.

Jesus makes that possible.

So would you just pray this simple prayer?

Dear God, thank you that Jesus did the work of making things right between me and you.

Today I receive your infinite love, your forgiveness, your grace, your mercy.

I want to serve you with my whole life, every part that's yours today.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thank you so much for listening to today's message.

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