Sermon Pent 14, year B, 2024

“For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

So, I thought we’d look at something lite today, “standing against the wiles of the devil.”

We don’t talk about the devil really outside of baptism…and even then, unless you are in my baptismal classes it’s simply listed amongst the ‘I will with God’s help’ part.  Anglicans don’t really do the devil…In today’s service there is not a single mention.

We speak of sin, the lord’s prayer asks for deliverance from evil, the Eucharistic prayer mentions shattering the chains of evil and death, but I think that is it.

However, in day to day life and subconsciously we each have some nebulous concept of evil, devil, sin.  I know this because it comes out in the conversations I have with people.  discussing the paper or watching the news people comment on the evil in this world.  When life is really tough, horrific, or traumatic it’s very common for people to blame themselves…presume they have committed some sin or error to deserve their circumstances. (just to be clear, that is not how it works…please come talk to me later)  Then there is the famous classic, the devil made me do it…for everything from murder to devils’ food cake.

However, in the letter to the Ephesians today the wiley ol’ devil and the spiritual forces of Evil take center stage.   There are many, many interpretations of the devil in popular culture, in faith traditions and the same goes for the devil biblically.  There are different roles, explanations and origins for this figure and in some biblical contexts the devil isn’t even a bad guy.  Once again the biblical texts are confusing and contradictory, which make sense considering the millennia of time spanned in the bible, the evolution of religion and belief and the huge geographic area covered.  We should expect some diversity.   But what then, as Pilate so famous said, is Truth?

I do not believe there is a red creature with a pointy beard, cloven hooves and a cigar.  I do believe that there is evil, and the devil as we generally imagine is a personification of that evil.  

So, what are the forces of evil?  The simplest explanation I can thin of is that the forces of evil are those which cause you to sin.

Great, so what is sin?

Sin is anything…anything…that causes you to turn away from your relationship with God.  Sin is a self created wall between you and your creator, and in that case, I would say the devil or evil is what inspired you do it.

  1. S. Lewis wrote a charming and Imaginative book that consisted of letters between a senior and apprentice devil on how to capture a human soul. In many quirky ways Lewis expresses several insights about evil. At one point the senior devil writes to the younger…

“But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy (which in a devil’s view point would be God). It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,”

Wiles of the devil indeed.  The most important thing we need to know about sin is that is separates us from God.  How do we know if that is happening?  By the effect or result that the thought, word or deed may have.  I have one question to ask...will this damage or strengthen relationship? Either between, you and God, you and another, you and creation and indeed between you and yourself.  If your stream of thought is making you belittle another…that damages your relationship with them, it is sinful.  If your actions are damaging creation…it is sinful.  If your view of yourself is cruel or self deprecating … it is sinful.

So, which of us could possibly be without sin?!  None of us, that is why Jesus was incarnate, died and rose. 

“we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under God’s table, but God’s nature is always to have mercy”  “”Almighty God, who in his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sin”

We are not without sin.   We are full up with sin.  From the moment I wake and think how I despise my partners snores.  To the glance in the mirror when I see nothing but flaws in the reflection of God in front of me.  To the continual purchase of starbucks in a paper cup because I was too lazy to look for my reusable mug. To the annoyance I feel at being interrupted when preparing for worship and I’m sure there were more and will be throughout the day.  Full of sin, that’s us.  That is the human condition…that is why our world is broken and in need of healing.

So, what do we do?  The people of Ephesus, were people like us.  They too were full of sin and their world to was full of brokenness.  From multiple cults of worship, to Roman oppression, to slavery and a highly limited view of personhood. 

Therefore, the author of Ephesians exhorts the hearer

 “be strong in the Lord…put on the whole armour of God, so you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”.  

So what does this armour represent?  The armour Christians are called to put on are Truth.  Righteousness. Proclamation of peace.  Faith. Salvation. The word of God.  This is what will protect us.  This is what gives us God’s strength to keep from sin and keep repenting when we do.

TRUTH:  Realization that we have done harm, by thought, word, or deed.  Realization that we are not perfect, and that everyone including me, is in need of repentance and that repentance takes work.  Realizing that while we struggle through that hard work of repentance, we are loved and already forgiven.

RIGHTEOUSNESS: which means a solid relationship with God.  Knowing God, knowing God’s mercy.  Striving to do our flawed best to always keep improving our relationship with God, with neighbour, with creation and with ourself…as each of the above are a reflection of the God who created all.  By working on those relationships we improve the relationship we have with God.

PROCLAIM  GOD’S PEACE:  Even in the midst of the forces that inspire us to sin, in the midst of a world full of brokenness we are called to preach and promote peace.  A healing and reconciling of relationships, an active work of peacemaking.  We are to pull up our bootstraps and work hard to bring God’s kingdom to birth in every relationship we have. To repair relationships and be a force for peace and wholeness.

FAITH: Fatih is knowing that you are forgiven.  Knowing that God is a God of mercy and grace.  Knowing that Christ died …and rose…for you.   And when certainty wavers and doubt creeps in…having faith means knowing this is still true despite everything.

SALVATION: We are already saved.  This armour against evil is merely a reminder, we can be strong in the Lord because God is already the victor.  Christ has prevailed, sin and death are not the end. Health, healing and wholeness will be the order of the day when God’s kingdom reigns on earth.

SCRIPTURE: The word of God, as messy as it is, contains everything we need to learn of this munificent, magnanimous  and awesome God.  How God has fought for us since we first turned away, entreating, begging, threatening, cajoling, sacrificing and blessing us in an effort to see us turn back to the one who loves us, warts and all.

Therefore, we pray; at all times.   Fully aware of our inequities.  Grateful and embracing of God loving forgiveness.  Boldly speaking aloud our sins, admitting our failures without shame, hearings others sins without judgement, knowing that God knows all and loves us anyway.

Therefore, we pray: looking at the world around us and all our relationship in it and praying for reconciliation.  Then being intentional in mending relationships, and reconciling when we are the cause of the rupture.

Therefore, we pray with all the strength of the Lord that we can get up in the morning and put on that armour of God so that we can stand against the wiley one who makes us think that there is nothing we can do.  We pray for strength to stand strong in the Lord and be a person of faith on all the days we doubt and all the days we feel the Holy Spirit coursing through our veins.

Therefore, we pray that we can follow God’s will and obey Gods commandments in everything we do.  Always striving, always sinning, always repenting and always forgiving and grateful.

This is how we stand in the Lord.  As C.S. Lewis’ characters put it:

“Do not be deceived, …. (the devil’s) cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do (God’s) will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of (God) seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken,…… and still obeys.”

Therefore, Be strong in the Lord.  Clothe yourself in truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and scripture and thus dressed for the day walk into the world that makes you doubt…and turn faith into action.  In a world that seems full of evil, sin and the devil … chose God, believe in love, act in reconciliation and live each moment knowing that we are all forgiven.

amen