I. We taught the kids in Vacation Bible School this week that we all need put on and wear armor in order to be protected and safe in life. And I got to thinking, this is sad, don't you think? Isn't it sad that we have to teach our children that they need to protect themselves just to be safe in this world? But we do. Now, for those who do not know me, I am not a hell fire and damnation and preacher. I do not believe in scaring people into belief. But... there comes a time when a preacher has to preach a message of warning about real dangers that we all had better take seriously. Yes, sometimes warnings need to be given, even if those warnings are a bit scary and even if the warnings get a bit personal and strike close to home.

1. The fact is this, our children need armor because there are enemies in this world that can and will attack them, hurt them, and, if given the chance, even kill their very souls. The Bible tells us this, but we only need to open our eyes to see that there is a war going on in this world. And I am not talking about the kind of war that is in Afghanistan. No. This war is a war that is going on a lot closer to home. This war is all around us, in our neighborhoods, in the schools that our children attend and on the streets we and our children walk down. The war that I am warning us about is the war between the forces of evil and the forces of good in this world. This war is a spiritual war with spiritual forces at work. There is a spiritual force of evil and a spiritual force of good. And the Bible tells us that these two forces have been at war in heaven and on earth ever since human life began.

2. Yes there is a war going on and we need to know the enemy we are facing. The enemy we are facing is an evil spiritual force led by the Enemy of God. This Enemy of God is the enemy of all that is good and right and true. He goes by many names. He has been called Satan, the devil, Beelzebub, the adversary, the prince of demons, the ruler of darkness and the father of lies. And let no one tell you otherwise, this Enemy is real and his power is great. And you do not need to be a preacher, in fact, you do not even need to be a Christian to know how real this Enemy is. For all we need do is look around us at the dark and evil things going on in this world and we can see how real this Enemy is. And forget any thoughts you have about what this Enemy looks like. You will not see the real face of the Devil in his true ugliness. He is gruesome and frightening indeed, but the only ones who see his true face are the souls of those he has captured and imprisoned forever in his domain of hell.

3. Here in the world, however, Satan's face is much different. Here in the world the only way to recognize the Enemy is in the evil works he does and in the faces of the souls he has claimed. For instance in this world, we see Satan's face in the sharply dressed drug dealer offering our children meth and pills, telling them it will feel good to get high. That is the face Satan shows in this world. We see him in the popular pop stars and country music singers who sing about having "good times" by having sex and getting drunk. That is the Enemy's face in this world. We see him too, in the movie and sports stars that the world treats as idols as they live lives of adultery, fornication, addiction and spew foul language. That too is Satan's face in out world. And that is not all. We see him in certain crowds of "friends" that our children know and go to school with and maybe even sometimes hang out with. Youth who do not think twice about shoplifting and stealing and lying. That is the Enemy's face in this world. We see him too in the predators who prey upon the weak and the helpless, looking for victims on the internet and in the park and where ever they can find someone who is unprotected and defenseless. That is him, that the face of the Enemy we are at war with. And that is not all. We even see this Enemy's face on TV, in the unending stream of commercials and television shows that preach to us constantly the message that having a good character and a pure soul does not matter. Instead the Enemy preaches to us and our children constantly that it is all right to live any lifestyle that makes us feel good. And in reality show after reality show he tries to convince us that the only thing that matters is having money, lots of things and perfect makeup and hair.

4. We need to know and be warned that these are the faces of the Enemy in our world. In many forms and with many faces, he wages war with God and the prize in our human soul. And do not think for a moment that you can escape this war. Everyone of us who lives in this world, lives on the battlefield. It is all around us. There is no safe place. Many people like to think they are safe. People like to tell themselves that they are protected by the police, or by human laws, or by where they live. Yes, many people fool themselves by imagining that all these bad things and evil influences happen somewhere else. We think that because we live in a certain neighborhood, or because our children go to a certain school or because we live in Springfield and not St. Louis that the Enemy will not reach us or our children here. But telling ourselves that is one of the Enemy's lies. For if he can convince you that you are safe, then you become vulnerable. For the battle is all around us.

5. There is a story from a Civil War soldier's diary. It tells how this Union soldier from Ohio was shot in the arm during of the battle of Shiloh. His captain saw he was wounded and gave him an order: "Give me your gun, private, and get to the rear!" The private did so. He handed over his rifle and ran toward the north, seeking safety. But after covering two or three hundred yards, he came upon another skirmish. Then he ran to the east and ran into another part of the battle. Then he ran west but encountered more fighting there. Finally, the private ran back to the front line and shouted "Gimme back my gun, captain. There ain't no rear to this battle!" This is the truth of the war we are in. We cannot fool ourselves into thinking we can avoid the battle. We cannot afford to think our children will somehow be lucky and not fall for the evil influences that there are out there. Because the war is all around us. There ain't no rear to this battle.

6. This is the warning we need to hear. Even those of us who believe in God and are church members need to hear and heed this warning that the Enemy we face is real and his power is great. Because too many of us who call ourselves believers and church members treat our belief and our commitment to the church as a "playground" instead of a "battleground". That is, too many of us do not take our faith and worship seriously. Instead, too many play at faith and play at worship. We come to church when it does not interfere with something else we want to do. Many of us have children, but we do not bring them to Sunday School on any regular basis. And then when our children get in trouble, make wrong decisions, fall under the influence of the wrong crowd, we wonder why. Well the answer is because we gravely underestimate the Enemy and we are not equipping our children with the whole armor of God they need. For how can we expect our children to be able to battle all the bad influences and temptations they face, with maybe an hour's worth of Godly training per month.

7. This week at VBS we told the children that they need armor in order to be protected and safe in this world. This is sad but it is true. Just as what I am about to say is sad, but it is also the truth. Some of us and our children will lose the battle with the forces of evil, if, all we have to fight with are pieces of armor.

Yes, we and our children will not be able to stop the Enemy's attacks, if all we have to defend themselves is half a shield of faith because we neglect worship and the good influence and example of other believers.

We and our children will fall for all the lies out there, if all we have is a belt of truth that we tighten only one Sunday a month.

We and our children will be defeated by temptation to do wrong when confronted with that temptation, if our sword of knowing God's Word in the Bible is dull.

And we and, more painfully, our children's souls will be lost, if wearing a ball cap is more important than wearing the helmet of salvation.

Sad as it is, and as much as we wish and pray it were not so, we and our children need armor in order to be protected and safe in this world. Let us and our children put on the full armor of God, so that in every battle against the Enemy, we and our children may stand. Amen.