Our service for today, with its hymns and its scripture readings, all remind us of the importance of God’s Word in our lives, and encourage us to put on the full amour of God. One of the hymns that we sing, that talks about the importance of God’s Word, is one that was written by a gentleman whose name is Nikolai Grundtvig. It is a one verse hymn that says this.

God’s Word is our great heritage

and shall be ours forever.

To spread its light from age to age

shall be our chief endeavor.

Through life, it guides our way.

In death, it is our stay.

Lord grant while worlds endure,

we keep its teachings pure,

throughout all generations.

As we see the importance of God’s Word in our life, it is first of all important to know

➢ who it is that is our enemy and

➢ who it is that we are struggling against.

For those of you who are sci-phi lovers, you may remember a TV show at the end of the 1950’s and into the earlier1960’s called the "Twilight Zone." One of the episodes was entitled the Howling Man. In that show, there was an American who was on a walking tour of Europe, when a sudden storm popped up and he needed to seek refuge. The only place that was around was a castle, in which monks lived. The monks eventually welcomed him into their castle.

During the course of the night, he kept hearing a howling sound. He asked the monks about it, but they claimed they couldn’t hear it.

Later on, he followed that howling sound, until he found an old man, who was locked up in a prison cell. The man seemed very nice. He seemed very sincere. The old man locked in the prison cell told the American that the head monk, Brother Jerome, was insane.

So, the American went and talked to Brother Jerome. He said that old man was more than just an old man. "He is the devil, himself. Keep him in that prison cell!"

The American went back, and again, that elderly gentleman seemed very nice, so he opened the door. Instantly, that man turned into a hideous, horned, creature! And, he disappeared into a puff of smoke.

Brother Jerome said, "You are going to remember this night for the rest of life, because you let the devil go free." To which the American said, "I saw him, but I didn't recognize him.

"I saw him, but I didn't recognize him."

That man didn’t recognize that the devil was his enemy.

That is our weakness, and that is the devil’s strength, because there are many times in our lives, when we see the devil, and yet we don’t recognize him. That is one of the tools that the devil uses against us. He uses deception. He used that deception in the Garden of Eden, as he told Adam and Eve, "Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit?’ Don't you know that when you eat of it, you will be like God, knowing good and evil?"

So the devil comes to us in our life. He tempts us to live contrary to God’s Word and he comes to us in very subtle ways. The devil tempts us by saying, "It is ok to live together before we are married, because we are saving money."

Or, the devil comes to us and tempts us by saying, "It is ok for me to get a better grade in this class by cheating on a test, because I am not as bright as the other students in the classroom, or I really need this good grade."

The devil tempts us to say 'little white lies' or just partial truths, instead of the whole truth, as the devil did with Ananias and Sapphira. They brought an offering to God, claiming it was the whole thing, but in reality, it was just part. To which Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart, that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?"

The devil also comes to us, trying to destroy the unity that we have, by sowing seeds of discord, in our midst.

Our enemy is the devil.

The Scriptures say, "Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."

Today, we know who our enemy is, and yet, we cannot defeat him, by our self. That is why it is so important to put on the amour that God has given to us, and equips us with.

You saw the brave youth, this morning, putting on the whole amour of God. He was a picture of a Roman soldier, with the breastplate of righteousness protecting his heart and organs, with the belt of truth, protecting his legs, with the shield of faith, with the helmet of salvation, and with feet, fitted with readiness. God equips us with armor to overcome our enemy, the devil.

And, God does not just leave us with those defensive tools only. God also gives us His Word. He gives us the Sword of the Spirit, so that we can also go on the attack against the devil, himself. We know who our enemy is, and yet we cannot defeat him, by ourselves. That is why God has given to us equipment to stand up against the devil’s attack.

And now, God encourages us to stand in our faith in Jesus, as our Savior, against the devil’s wiles and attacks. Therefore we must stand our ground. We must resolve, by God’s grace, not to give in to the devil, but to resist him, and he will flee from us.

If we give in, the devil will gain ground. If we distrust our cause, if we distrust our Leader, if we distrust the armor that God has given to us, then the devil does have the foothold, and he does have the advantage.

Our present business is to withstand the assault of the devil and to stand it out. And then, having done all that is incumbent on the good soldiers of Jesus Christ, our work here will be accomplished, and we shall be, finally, victorious!

The victory that we have is a victory that Christ won for us, on the cross. Christ defeated our greatest enemy the devil, when He died, paying for all of our sins. Jesus even descended into Hell, to proclaim victory over the devil, to proclaim victory over death, and to proclaim victory over our sin.

Then, what is written will come true. Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, oh death is your victory? Where oh death is your sting? The sting of death is sin. And the power of sin is the Law. But, thanks be to God, He gives us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, today, let us stand in our faith in Jesus as our Savior, equipped with the armor that God has given to us, to defend ourselves against our enemy, the devil. But, also, let us go on the attack. Let us also take that gospel of peace, the truth of God’s Word, and with those feet fitted with readiness, share that Word with others.

"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."

Amen.