Ephesians 6 v 10-20

Paul teaches us, as he has in many other places, that the christian life is a battle. The moment a person receives Christ they are pitched into the battle of their lives.

So much contemporary christian teaching not only leaves this out but actually teaches something quite different. If many modern preachers are to be believed becoming a christian is like winning the lottery, all your dreams will now come true!! You’ll be rich and comfortable, successful and popular!!

This was clearly not the case for those early disciples, the first to follow Jesus. In fact their experience was much more as Paul is now describing. Andrew and Peter were first to be called by Jesus.

Their battle started immediately, the cost of following Jesus was high. For them it meant…

1.Leaving family traditions.
2.Leaving financial security.
3.Leaving their family business.
4.Leaving home.
5.Leaving everything that was familiar.
6.Attracting attention of authorities.
7.Being confronted with their own shortcomings.
8.Spending long periods of time not really sure what was happening.
9.Seeing friends mistreated and killed.
10.Crossing impossible cultural boundaries.
11.Being imprisoned.
12.Both killed on crosses.

It is safe to deduce that this is a model for all who would follow in their footsteps, and so it has been down the centuries.

Next time we will begin to look at the armor and equipment God has given us to fight and win.