There's a war going on. Always. Oh, it may not be armed conflict between opposing armies, but there's always conflict. Conflict is an unavoidable part of life. Nations and neighborhoods are divided. There's distance and discord within families. Even within church families there's disagreement. External conflict is inevitable, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the root of conflict. I'm talking about the fact that we're not of one mind or one heart even within ourselves. There's an internal war going on, a spiritual war raging in which the stakes are nothing less than our hearts and our souls. All the external wars of the world, no matter what their magnitude or scale, are reflections of the war within the human heart and soul.

Paul addresses this theme in terms that are both cosmic and mundane. On the one hand he recognizes the spiritual dimension of the war when he talks about doing battle against "the devices of the devil," but then he goes directly into a description of a first century soldier’s armor. At the time he wrote these words Paul was a prisoner for Christ, literally chained by the wrist to a Roman soldier for his preaching of the Gospel. The imagery he uses to describe our resources for spiritual warfare is inspired by the dress of his guard, but it's important to remember that the language is symbolic. Paul's talking about doing battle with the temptations we all struggle with, the internal forces of darkness and disintegration, deceit and distrust, as well as the spiritual and psychological tendencies that many of us wrestle with, such as insecurity and low self-esteem. He's also talking about those personal and emotional self-delusions we project onto others through complaining, blaming and accusation, justifying our attack and excusing ourselves with catch-phrases like "the devil made me do it."

Each of us does battle with demons, and each of us has certain spiritual tools and resources available to us as we face our demons. Paul ticks off the items he sees on the soldier and calls them "the whole armor of God." Now, I doubt that many of us have a suit of armor hanging in our closet. Anybody got a spare breastplate or helmet, a shield or a sword I can borrow? Nevertheless, each of us has these same resources, although we might describe them in different terms. They're tools for war, for doing battle with our demons, but they're also tools for worship, for drawing us into communion with God. What is your "belt of truth?" What's your "shield of faith?" Each of you will have your own associations with the various elements of the armor of God. I'd like to tell you just two of mine.

The Belt of Truth: The Word of God is Truth with a capital "T," and that Truth is contained in the Bible. Obviously, the Bible is not a belt, although certain geographical regions of the United States have been described using that terminology. My personal association with the term is deceptively simple. When I was in seminary in New York City I spent the entire last year working on my thesis. It was a stressful time in the sense that only another graduate student would understand as stressful. I spent hours every day reading the Bible and various historical works and commentaries on the scriptures. I loved the study, but the writing was hard for me. I'd write and rewrite, edit and erase and wrestle with the demons of worry and intellectual insecurity about whether I would ever be able to communicate anything. For study breaks I took walks in Riverside Park, which was right across the street. Those walks were essential for emotional relaxation and spiritual refreshment. They're what kept me sane as I wrestled with student stress. Now, here's the story. In New York City people put stuff out on the sidewalk to be picked up, either as garbage or by someone looking for a bargain. One day on my way to the park I spied a discarded trunk and within was a very old and worn, small leather-bound Bible. I instinctively stuck it in my belt and almost immediately discovered something amazing. The pressure of it there against my waist was a constant reminder of God's word, like something I carried around in my gut. For months I stuck the Bible in my belt when I went for my walk. Later I learned that the Japanese actually have a word for the pressure point near the navel, it's called the "hara," and it's a spiritual center. That was in 1972. Nearly thirty years later, I have to tell you that I've forgotten most of what I learned during that year of diligently studying the scriptures in order to write my thesis, but I've never forgotten the feel of the Bible in my belt. As important as it is to read the Bible, it's also important to "feel the truth of the Bible in your gut." That memory, that feeling, still warms a certain spiritual center for me. It's my "belt of truth."

How many of you used to play gladiator as a kid, using as I used to use a garbage can lid for a shield? Since I have no personal experience with a real shield, that’s the first image that came to mind when I thought of Paul's "shield of faith" although I realize he’s talking about something far more sophisticated. One of the most dangerous weapons in ancient warfare was the arrow dipped in pitch and set afire. For defense the Romans developed a large oblong shield, made of two sections of wood glued together, then covered with leather that could be soaked in water. The shield protected nearly the entire body of the soldier, and when the arrows sank in they were quickly extinguished. Now think metaphorically. Paul calls upon us to have a "shield of faith." Flaming arrows are continually coming at us, from both within and without. What's your shield of faith? In Proverbs 15:1 we read: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverb 15:18 reads: "Those who are hot tempered stir up strife, but those who are slow to anger calm contention." The Bible is full of faith-words that shield us from the fiery arrows of conflict. But look also within. Do you ever find yourself getting stuck with the fiery arrows of jealousy or greed? How about insecurity, impatience, or the nagging dissatisfaction of just wanting things to be somehow different than they are? Paul writes in Philippians 4:11: "I have learned, in whatever state I am in, to be content . . . I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me." In First Timothy we read: "Godliness with contentment is great gain" and, finally, in Hebrews 13:5 we read: "Be content with such things as ye have." These words of wisdom are faith shields against the fiery arrows of stress and discontent, in whatever form they present themselves. Do you see how they're tools for war, and for worship? What are some of your personal faith shields that offer protection and bring you peace?

You get the drift of how Paul is using the imagery of the whole armor of God. I won't go through the whole list but I challenge you to reflect upon your own breastplate of righteousness, helmet of salvation and sword of the spirit.

I'll close with the most important tool. "Pray at all times in the Spirit," Paul says. Prayer is the ultimate weapon as we do battle with the forces of darkness, and it's the ultimate tool for connecting us to God through worship. Paul ends on a personal note, a plea to those who listened to his sermons and read his writings. It's a personal request, which I readily echo: "Keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel . . . pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak."

We need each other. We need each other's prayers, both for protection and for peace. We are the Body of Christ, and our spiritual warfare is to personally strive to incarnate the Good News of God's love in everything we say and do. That's what makes us the church. Lord, help us to be faithful. Help us to help one another, and to reach out to a world longing for the touch of peace, through Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.