Armor On

John 16:1-4 “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.”
 
WHAT would you think if your pastor preached these warning words? Would you think, “That’s crazy talk.” Or would you think, “I need to be prepared.”
   Jesus wants you prepared. The Bible warns and promises throughout that God’s chosen messengers have and will encounter various degrees and types of persecution. Jesus spoke these hard truths to his disciples, so they would be prepared for the opposition that would soon confront them.
    To help them stand up for Jesus, the Lord urged his disciples to remember he had predicted his own persecution. When the disciples experienced the terrible cross and the joyous resurrection, they would suddenly see Jesus’ had spoken of his own suffering and victory: Luke 18:32 “The Son of Man will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. 33 On the third day he will rise again.” This real-life demonstration of Jesus’ victory over the evil against him would fortify the apostles for the difficult days to mark the remainder of their lives.
   How easy it is to tell ourselves, “It’s too much.” when hardships arise. Many people quit a cause and even “quit” life when unprepared for obstacles. If we anticipate struggles, though, we become emotionally and spiritually ready. That’s why we need to know the Bible. God’s Story instructs us to move toward God’s strength, so we know his eternal victory over death belongs to we who believe. We can also learn from others godly people who have overcome barriers and stayed the course. That’s why Jesus pointed his disciples to, “All this I have told you.” His life-over-death struggle would increase their trust in his teaching. Stand against persecution. Know you are in God’s protection.
   Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. 19 With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying. 
          Yes. Always keep on praying.