Prepare for Battle!

1. Prepare for Battle! 2 Timothy 2:1-7

2. Amazing d-day facts • Until the very last minute, the place of invasion - Normandy - was the most heavily guarded secret on the planet. • Even the units conducting the initial assaults did not know the locations of their landings. • It is estimated that nearly 2 million soldiers, sailors and airmen were involved in Operation Overlord, including U.S., British, and Canadians who were scheduled to fight after men on the ground secured a Normandy bridgehead. • 195,000 naval personnel manned 6,939 naval vessels (including 1,200 warships and 15 hospital ships). • About 17 million maps supported the mission. •  Between the 1st of April and the 5th of June, 1944, the Allies flew 14,000 missions losing 12,000 airmen and 2,000 aircraft. • There are 9,386 graves in the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. Each grave faces west, toward America. • 307 of those graves contain the remains of "unknown" soldiers. • 1,557 names are listed in The Garden of the Missing for those who were never found.

4. 2 Timothy 2:1-7 • You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

5. First, be enlisted • In order to fight the good fight, you’ve got to be in the Army • That means placing your faith in Christ • Pope Francis “Pope Francis “Truth, according to the Christian faith, is God's love for us in Jesus Christ. Therefore, truth is a relationship.”

6. Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” • Eph 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.” • You’ve got to be a smart Caterpillar!

7. Secondly, Remember that you are not alone • Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! • You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

8. Remember that you are not alone • God promises that we will never march alone • Eph 4: 15-16 “we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” • Ecc 4:9-12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” • Heb 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,”

9. You are not alone! • Let’s take a Test: • Name the 10 wealthiest people in the world • Name the last 10 Heisman winners • Last 5 Academy Awards for Best Picture • Last 10 World Series Winners

10. Now try this • Can you: • Think of 3 people you enjoy spending time with • Name 10 people who’ve taught you something worthwile • Name 5 friends who’ve helped you through a difficult time • List 3 Teachers who aided your journey through school

11. Thirdly, It will not be easy • Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely. But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man.

12. It will not be easy • We too are facing a well trained, well equipped enemy who is very battle hardened • John 10:10 ““The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” • 1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” • We do not need to fear Satan, but we do need to be on guard against him

13. It will not be easy • Japanese Proverb “fall down seven times, get up eight.” • Dr Seuss ““I learned there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead, others come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready, you see. Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me.”

14. Good news, we are armed for battle • Eph 6:10-18 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

15. Armed for battle • Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

16. Our armor • Belt of Truth- we aren’t to just point people to it, we are to wear it • Breastplate of Righteousness- We are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. • Shield of Faith- These were made to deflect arrows • Helmet of Salvation- we need to guard our minds/ tongues • Gospel Shoes- feet represent our walk • Sword of the Word- only offensive weapon • Prayer- being spiritually awake

17. God will not leave you behind on the battlefield • “Marines like to retire in front of the monument because, for many, it represents their own experience when they were injured on the field of battle,” said Craig Stephens, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel and command adviser to the Wounded Warrior Battalion-East at Lejeune. “Someone carried them off the battlefield.”

18. My upmost for his highest • What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). • “I will never leave you…”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again. • “I will never…forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me. When there is no major difficulty to overcome, no vision from God, nothing wonderful or beautiful— just the everyday activities of life— do I hear God’s assurance even in these? • We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing— that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.

19. Conclusion • In [Paul's] mind is the picture of a Roman Triumph and of Christ as a universal conqueror. … In a Triumph the procession of the victorious general marched through the streets of Rome to the Capitol in the following order. First came the state officials and the senate. Then came the trumpeters. Then were carried the spoils taken from the conquered land. … Then came pictures of the conquered land and models of conquered citadels and ships. … Then there walked the captive princes, leaders and generals in chains, shortly to be flung into prison and in all probability almost immediately to be executed. Then came the victors bearing their rods, followed by the musicians with their lyres; then the priests swinging their censers with the sweet-smelling incense burning in them. After that came the general himself. He stood in a chariot drawn by four horses. … After him rode his family; and finally came the army wearing all their decorations and shouting their cry of triumph.