A good warrior knows his weaknesses. Superman is defeated by Kryptonite; Aquaman needs water to remain at full strength; Vision is lifeless without the Mind Stone. No matter how indestructible Iron Man’s armor seems to be, Tony Stark knows that the arc reactor powering his suit is also protecting his heart. If he runs out of power, his heart will fail along with his suit. Iron Man’s armor was never enough, and Tony knew it every time he went into battle. As a Christian young man who is making war on sin and the flesh (Gal. 5:16-18; Rom. 7:23; 1 Cor. 9:27) you need to know your weaknesses too. Like your favorite hero, you have vulnerabilities too. Most of these vulnerabilities are common for all Christians, while some are specific to you as a young adult. There are even some weaknesses that you have that many others will not struggle with.
In this article, I talk about what God has provided to help you make war on your sinful nature as you seek to draw closer to Him. Iron Man said, “In a world this vulnerable, we need something more powerful than any of us.”That’s exactly what we talk about in this article!
God Says You Need Armor
If you’ve been around Christianity, you may have already read Ephesians 6:10-20, which talks about the Armor of God. This passage gives several means of grace God has given you to protect you throughout your Christian life. Each means of grace is compared to a piece of Roman armor. An important thing we should note from this passage is that God knows you have weakness, and he provided spiritual armor to protect you. If God recognizes that you have weaknesses, shouldn’t you too?
Another important thing we need to note is that God’s armor is sufficient. Iron Man’s armor may have had its inefficiencies, but God’s armor is sufficient for everything you need! The Scriptures provide an amazing promise: God’s “divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3). When God’s armor seems to fail, we should remember that it is not God who has failed, it is we who have failed to take up the armor of God.
The Enemy is Without and Within
The Bible makes it clear that you have enemies! Satan is a roaring lion, and he wants to destroy you (1 Pet. 5:8; 2 Cor. 2:11; Mat. 4:1). The world’s philosophy is all around you, and it is opposed to the ways of God (Col. 2:8; 2 Cor. 10:5; 1 Tim. 6:20; Rom. 12:2; Phil. 3:18). Both the world and the Devil want to find the weak spot in your armor and exploit it. It is for this reason that you must be on guard. How foolish would it be to go out into battle with no armor and no weapons when your opposition wants nothing more than to destroy you (John 10:10).
The Apostle James gives us a clue about another great foe. He says, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (Jam. 1:14). It’s interesting that this time, the Devil isn’t mounting a sneak attack against you, although he certainly does this; the world is not distracting you during battle, although it indeed may at times. No! You are being led away from your relationship with God by your own desires. You are your own worst enemy. While the world and the Devil want to penetrate your armor from the outside, you are your own enemy from within the armor. Like Tony Stark, the problem is in your chest.
Let’s Get Practical
The Bible talks a lot about a daily renewal that starts from the inside with your mind and heart and then spreads to the outside with your words and actions (Rom. 12:2; Phil. 4:6-8; 2 Cor. 4:16, 10:4-5; Eph. 4:23). This is called sanctification—the process by which you become holy through the means of grace that God has given you. This is God’s work; it isn’t something you can accomplish by yourself or manufacture on your own. Sanctification is a work of the Spirit that you surrender to daily. Tony Stark said, “In a world this vulnerable, we need something more powerful than any of us.” You have that power, but it is God’s power, not yours.
While God does his part of sanctification, you must contribute as well. Are there a group of friends that you need to dump? Is there an app on your phone that is causing you to stumble? Is there a place that you need to avoid? You need to recognize your weaknesses, surrender them to the Spirit’s control, and then make an effort to protect this vulnerability.
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