A Battle Worth Fighting

A BATTLE WORTH FIGHTING (Ephesians 6:10-18)

As I look back over my life, I thank God for the life that I have lived. God blessed me to have some wonderful parents, some wonderful grandparents, a wonderful rearing church family, and a reasonable portion of health and strength. God blessed me to have a little success in life to acquire three academic degrees and to purchase a few items of which I have always dreamed of owning. While looking back over my life I realized a troubling reality concerning my growth and development. I have always gotten into fights. I fought when I was in elementary school so many times that I cannot count them (often I got into fights because I was the only Black child at an all-White elementary school). I fought when I was in middle school because I felt like I had to defend myself from being teased for being too smart, too skinny, or too fat. I fought when I was high school a couple of times to prove to my peer group that I was not the class genius or class nerd. I thought that I could find my place in the popular crowd but I did not fit in that crowd. I even got into a few fights my freshman year in college. For a minute, I cared more for my designer shoes or designer clothes more than my life not realizing that I could have been killed over something so stupid as some clothes. I remember my grandfather telling me these words on my fifteenth birthday, “William, many of the battles you have fought were about nothing, one day you will fight a battle worth fighting.” Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, I present to you today from this biblical text a battle worth fighting. The title of today’s message is “A BATTLE WORTH FIGHTING.”

Today’s biblical text presents to us a battle worth fighting. Paul, the writer of this letter to the Ephesus, seeks to inspire the writing audience that this Christian battle is worth fighting. Paul, even though he is about to die or be killed while being jailed, takes time out to inspire others to go forward in the world in spite of their present day situation. In the world’s eyes this little group of scattered folks appears small, powerless, unimportant, outcastes, rejected, nerdy, and goofy. The apostle lets them know that it is okay to be different. It is okay to stick out like a sore thumb. It is okay if you are the “oddball” and that you do not fit in the “popular” crowd as long as you know that you are God’s children and that has the best crowd in which you could fit. Paul takes the time out to learn these folks know that little is much in GOD’S THE MASTER’S TOUCH. Paul takes the time to let this group know that even though it seems like no one wants to like you or be your friend God loves you and God is more than just a friend. God was/is/will be the best thing and best friend to you, with you, and for you. God’s standards are not like our standards. Paul takes the time out to let this group of scattered folks in Asia Minor know that they must see beyond what they presently see and stretch their views higher and wider than they ever have. Paul takes the time out to let this group of Christians know that they can truly change the world one step at a time if they only believe in God and exercise their faith. This group at Ephesus can celebrate in knowing that God provides greater security than the world could ever guarantee. God’s government is greater than the world’s government. In God we can have a hope to become and to dream that the impossible is possible and that we be what no one else say we can be because we rely on, have faith in, and trust in the Almighty God. Paul says that we can stand up and fight against the world. This battle is worth fighting. Now that our attention has been caught by us knowing that this Christian battle is worth fighting, let us consider whom we are fighting.

WHO ARE WE FIGHTING IN THIS BATTLE WORTH FIGHTING

Brothers and sisters, it is very important that we know whom we are fighting in this battle worth fighting. I want us to be informed about whom we are fighting. I am afraid that too many of us do not know whom we are supposed to be fighting in this Christian battlefield. Some folks think that we should be fighting their fellow schoolmates. Some folks think that we should be fighting their neighbors. Some folks think that we should be fighting folks who do not look like we do, dress like we do, or act we they do. Some folks think that we should be fighting folks who are not from the same economic level, neighborhood, country, or racial background as us. Some folks think that we should be fighting our pastors, our deacons, our deaconess, our trustees, our religious leaders and administrators. Some folks think that we should be fighting corporate America, our bosses, our husbands, our wives, our children, our boyfriends, our girlfriends, or even our own biological family members. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages I have some troubling news for you concerning this spiritual battle. We are not supposed to be fighting any of the above. I know whom we are supposed to be fighting. For those of you who know and for those of you who do not know who we are fighting let me tell you who were fighting. The enemy of us in this battle is Satan. Let me tell you about Satan.