The sermon emphasizes the importance of Christians equipping themselves with the full armor of God to stand firm against spiritual adversaries. Drawing parallels to a Civil War anecdote, the speaker warns against the naivety of living passively amidst spiritual warfare, urging believers to be proactive and alert. As 2025 approaches, Christians are called to live intentionally for God's glory, embracing the strength and victory found in Christ's triumph over sin and Satan. The message underscores the critical role of prayer and the gospel in daily life, encouraging believers to live in the truth of Christ's resurrection, ascension, and return. Through the metaphor of armor, the sermon highlights the need for truth, righteousness, faith, and salvation as defenses against spiritual forces. The speaker calls for a life of dedication to Christ, where mundane tasks and relationships are approached with gospel-centered intentionality, and prayer is central to spiritual resilience and growth.

Beginning in chapter six verse 10 finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God so that you will be able to resist in the evil day and having done everything to stand firm. Stand firm therefore having girded your loins with truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, in addition to all taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. May God bless the reading and now the preaching of His Word. He may be seated. In his book entitled When Sinners Say I Do, Pastor Dave Harvey recounts the following story from the American Civil War.

He writes, July 21st, 1861. The first major battle of the Civil War started before dawn. The roar of artillery seemed to awaken everyone in Virginia as the Union and Confederate armies clashed among the farms by a stream called Bull Run. But a strange thing happened as the battle intensified. Hundreds of Washingtonians, senators, representatives, government workers, and all their families, all dressed in leisure apparel and carrying picnic baskets, raced to the hill near Manassas to watch the battle unfold.

Armed with opera glasses to survey the fighting, they chatted peacefully as men were slaughtered just on the fields below. One northern sympathizer commented, that is splendid, oh my, is not that first rate. I guess we will be in Richmond this time tomorrow. Spirits were high, toasts were raised, all in all they thought it a superb way to spend a summer afternoon. But suddenly, a rebel counterattack, led by a hard charging cavalry, swept over the Union flank, putting the army to flight.

Even to untrained eyes the implications were obvious The serene picnic ground was about to become a battle zone. Mass confusion erupted as the spectators fled with their picnic baskets in hand, just moments before the Confederate wave washed over the hill. The entertainment was over. The battle was upon them. The picnickers discovered something about war that day.

You can't be close to it and safe from it at the same time. Only the naive think they can stand on the sidelines of warfare and merely be entertained. When war enters the scene, everything it touches becomes a battlefield." Brothers and sisters, if you and I aren't careful, if we are not alert, that will be exactly us. The naive thinking that we can stand on the sidelines of life being entertained with everything except the things that really matter Because we aren't ready to do battle, because we aren't willing to do hard things, because we are okay with wasting this vapor of our lives. Friends, Such things must not be true of us who name the name of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, 2025 is coming. And there is great battle to do in 2025. And my goal this morning is for you to think about the new year and what's left of this year and be resolved in your heart like Johnathan Edwards to live with all of your might for the glory of God in every single endeavor that you undertake. From feeding the chickens, to changing the diapers, to pouring the concrete, to loving your family, to loving this church. My goal this morning is to exhort you to no longer casually stroll through the minefield of life like you're on some kind of holiday, but to set your face like flint and say I am resolved that I will so live as I shall wish I had done when I come to die to be resolved To no longer frolic through war-torn meadows with your eyes glued to video screens oblivious to the reality that forces far more devastating than cannon fire and musket fire surrounds you every single day of your life.

That Satan is roaring around like a lion desiring to devour you. And that Christ Jesus and His gospel has triumphed and defeated Him. I am preaching this morning that you would live like all that I just said is true, Because it is. That you would live in the truth that there is battle to do over your sin. And that Satan, who wants to sift you like wheat, is real.

And even more real, even more, is that Christ is triumphed over him. You would live in light of the cross. You would live in light of the resurrection. You would live in light of the ascension and the second coming of Christ. All of that would be true as you set your sights on 2025.

Saints, my desire for you is that you would live like there is battle to do. Because there is battle to do now and in 2025. I want you to leave here recalibrated, transformed by the renewing of your mind. I want you to leave here strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. I want you to leave here having put on all of the gospel armor, prayerfully dependent on the work of God in your life, with a fervor to give yourself to the good works that God Himself has prepared for you in Christ Jesus.

To no longer be satisfied with merely being entertained through life by the latest flick and the latest lust, but to be satisfied, truly satisfied in the life that is spent on Christ Jesus. A life that will never be wasted. That's my goal. Chapters 1 through 5 of Ephesians. And you should read that today by the way.

You go home tonight, you wonder what should I do the rest of the day? Read the rest of Ephesians. Take you 15 minutes. In the first five chapters of Ephesians Paul reminds you that you used to belong to the old kingdom of darkness and then God showed up. God came And God did a miracle of justifying you, regenerating you in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

And He applied that work through the Holy Spirit to your life. He gave you, Christian, a new heart. He gave you faith in Christ. He gave you a new life. He gave you a new identity.

He gave you a new nature. He made you born again. He transferred you from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light in His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapters 1-5 live in light of that. Live in light of that miracle this New Year.

You're a walking miracle, Christian. And as you approach this New Year, don't be surprised. Ephesians 1-5, make it really clear. Don't be surprised that the kingdom of darkness isn't going away quietly. Don't be surprised that Satan, who has been plundered by Jesus Christ, Christ has redeemed your life and the life of your family and the life of this church from Satan's power.

Don't be surprised that Satan just won't let that plundering go on without a struggle There's war afoot there's battle to do And so my desire is the same desire that Paul has for His people as I have for my people this morning, that you would obey and listen and trust the end of the book of Ephesians. Number one, you'd be strong in the Lord. Number two, that you would put on the gospel armor of Jesus Christ. And number three, that in 2025 and all the days of your life, that you would stand firm in prayer. Being about the business that you were created to be about in every facet of life.

Honoring Christ at the computer, honoring Christ over the stove, honoring Christ over home repairs, honoring Christ as a husband by laying down your life for your wife, honoring Christ as a wife by submitting to your husband, honoring Christ in every area of life as Christ exalting theology comes out of your fingertips. That's what I'm asking God to do, and that's what Paul is pleading with you, exhorting you to do. Be strong in the Lord. Put on the gospel armor and pray that this would just come out of your fingertips in 2025. And I want to say before we begin on our first point, no matter what, no matter what comes in 2025.

2025 will be the opposite of a wasted year if you pay heed to what Paul says in these verses this morning. You want 2025 to count? Listen, please. So number one, there's battle to do in 2025. So Paul tells you, be strong in the Lord.

Be strong in the Lord. We see this in verse 10 very, very plainly. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. I want you to notice the absolute command there, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of whose might? His might.

It is God who has the power, friend. It is God who raises up kings. It is God who brings them low. It is God who brings kings to power. It is God who brings them to nothing.

It is God who has defeated Satan at the cross. It is God who rules over everyone and everything. And He holds all things together by the word of His power, including you. You need to hear it beloved, you need to hear it clear as day this morning. It is God who has defeated Satan at the cross.

It is God who gives you strength to withstand the evil one in this day as the evil one's defeat plays itself out till the day that Christ returned and vanquishes the evil one fully in the lake of fire. It is God who holds you in His hands. It is this almighty God who holds you. And in His hands, no one has ever been able to pluck someone from that grip. It's power.

That is the strength and might of God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, who came and bound and triumphed over sin and Satan. To such a degree, such was the triumph of Christ in His life, and in His death, and in His resurrection, and ascension. Such was the triumph that enemies of God, citizens of darkness, slaves of sin, slaves of Satan, who once hated God, would be so transformed that they would believe upon the name of Jesus and be rescued and be transferred from that pit out into the kingdom of light. That is the triumph of Christ. And that triumph is not just one person or two people, but for entire households.

It's for entire nations. It's for the entire world. It's a promise. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, That those who once were enemies of God, if they would call upon the name of Christ for salvation, they would not perish but have everlasting life. That's triumph.

That's gospel. You need to be strong in Him. You need to go into 2025 in Him. They love it. In Him.

He is your righteousness. Where is your righteousness found? In Him. He is your hope. Where is your hope found?

In Him. He is your peace. He is your joy. When failure comes knocking at the doorsteps of your life this afternoon, trust His perfection. When condemnation and despair threaten to overwhelm you as this new year starts, you haven't even got to 2025 yet and you already failed, you need to trust in His precious and very great and very mighty and very unbreakable promises like these ones.

That there is more righteousness in the Lord Jesus. That there is more faithfulness in the Lord Jesus. There is more forgiveness and newness and strength in the Lord Jesus than there is weakness, sin, failure, and fickleness in you. Trust in the Lord. Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

For Christian, you have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you. In the life you live now, you live by faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself for you. You battle because He's in there battling for you. And there's none mightier, none greater.

You need to hear this too. There's no sin in your life. No sin in your life in 2025 gets to have the final word when it is Jesus Christ who fights for you. No sin gets to have the final word in your life. None.

We're just saying time and time again this Christmas season, Christmas matters because Jesus came to set captives free. We just talked about that for three weeks. Jesus came to set captives free. How far? How far did Christ go to save the slave of sin?

How far does His salvation really stretch? As far as the curse is found. Some of you are battling with really hidden sins that if you are honest about, You can't even be honest about them, you don't think? Let me encourage you. Let me exhort you.

Drag those sins into the light this year. This day. Christ has triumphed. There is no sin that He will not triumph over. Bring your pornography.

Bring your gluttony. Bring whatever it is. Bring your gossip. Bring whatever it is before the throne of Christ. Christ hung on a cross.

He said, it is finished. And He put to death every single enemy, the last of which is death itself, will one day be put under His feet. There's no power of hell. There's no scheme of man. There is no sin that will pluck you from His hand.

Confess your sins, beloved, for He is faithful and righteous and almighty to forgive you of your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. As far as the curse is found, As far as the curse is found, Jesus is the victor. You can trust Him. Trust in His power to save. Cling to His word.

Cling to His promises. Cling to the hope of Christmas. God came. And when God came, God triumphed. Which means joy to the world for all of 2025 and all of eternity.

Paul says the same thing in Ephesians chapter 6 as he does in Ephesians chapter 1. Go ahead and turn there with me just a few pages back. Ephesians chapter 1, look in verse 18. Look in verse 18. Ephesians 1, 18-23.

He really says the same thing as he's saying in the end of his letter at the beginning of his letter. Emphasis. He says in verse 18, I pray, this is my prayer for you beloved, that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened. That you will know what is the hope of his calling. What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints?

And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe? These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might, which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him in His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. The power of God in the resurrection of Jesus is at work in you, Christian. That's the strength of God's might.

And that might is at work in you. So as Paul says in Philippians 2, you in 2025 are to work out what God has worked in. You are to work out with God in His almighty might, in His strength, the working of the strength of His might. You are to work out what He is working in. Live.

Really live this year. Live this year. Move. Have your being in the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust in the power of His might and beloved 2025 will not be wasted.

Number two, there's battle to do. So put on the gospel armor. Put on the armor of the Lord. See that in verses 11 through 17. In those verses, they indicate that the armor you need is God's armor.

Notice in verse 11, we're back in Ephesians chapter 6 now, notice that Paul uses the phrase full armor of God in verse 11. Why would he use the word full? Well it points to the totality of your need for the Lord Jesus Christ. You need Him to cover you fully. You need all of Him.

You really need all of Christ for all of life. And you put on all of the Lord's armor so that you can stand against what? We'll look at the end of verse 11. What are you standing against? The schemes of the devil.

Verse 12 communicates the same thing, the spiritual forces of wickedness. You'll remember this as Martin Luther says, our ancient foe Satan doth seek to work us woe, his craft and power are great and armed with cruel hate on earth is not his equal. And did we in our own strength confide? That's what we trusted. Our striving would be losing.

We're not the right man, the God man on our side. The man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be. Christ Jesus. It's He.

The Lord of hosts is named from age to age the same. And He must what? Win the battle. And indeed, He already has. We ought to take up the armor of God to withstand in the evil day because our foe, your foe is beyond you.

His craft and power are great, but not as mighty and not as great as the God man, King Jesus. Jesus is not as mighty as the one who you and I are united to by faith. The one who lives in us. Satan is not omnipresent. He's not everywhere.

But God is. Satan is not omniscient. He is not all knowing. But the Lord is. Satan is not omnipotent.

He's not all powerful, but God is. So fly to Him. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Put on Him who is greater. Put on Him who has triumphed over all of your enemies, Christian.

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. And of course, the question should be what? How do I do that? Trust Him. But these verses help us understand what that looks like.

How do I put on the Lord Jesus Christ? How do I do battle in 2025? Well, verse 14, Paul begins by first listing the belt of truth. Gerger loins with the truth. It's the belt that ties everything together.

I can't help but quote the story from James Montgomery Boyce. He tells of a Scottish pastor who tried to serve his congregation by teaching some of the illiterate members to read. And one was an older Scotsman to whom he had given a number of reading lessons helping him through easy portions of the Bible. He was teaching this older Scotsman how to read by going to simple passages in the scriptures. But circumstances called the pastor away and a few months later he came back again and he went to visit that same old Scotsman.

But he wasn't there. Only his wife was in the home and So the pastor went and asked her how her husband was coming along in his reading. He asked, is he getting through the Bible? And she replied, oh no. He got out of the Bible months ago and he's in the newspaper.

I wonder how many of us are potentially in that same camp. We know more about movies and novels and current events and the latest trends on social media and sports teams than we know about the doctrine of God, the doctrine of man, the doctrine of sin, the doctrine of salvation. Dear ones, let us decide today, let you decide today to no longer allow your spiritual pants to sag. Stop walking around like a gangster. Nobody likes it.

If you refuse to pick up the belt of truth, you will... I know it's kind of funny. I didn't intend for it to be, but here I am. I was serious. Don't let your pants sag in 2025.

It will. So don't let it happen. You know what I'm talking about. You're at the gas station. Dude pulls up behind you.

He gets out, his pants fall down, almost. You know, That's dumb. That's what you're doing. Don't use unequal weights and measures. Don't look at Him and say, well, that's silly of Him, when you are way worse.

Put on the belt of truth. In this new year, because of what Christ has accomplished on the cross and in His resurrection, fasten the belt of truth. Ready yourselves for battle. First by picking up the truth, strapping it on. First by grabbing a Bible reading plan on your way out this day.

Go grab one. On your way out there's like six of them. If you don't like one of those, come talk to me. I got six more. And I'm sure we can get six more if you don't like those.

Read your Bibles. Know the truth. The truth will set you free. As John Bunyan said, either this book will keep you from sin and the life not wasted, or sin will keep you from this book. Put on the truth.

Don't let your pants sag in 2025. Next, Paul mentions the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness. Consider the vision we are given in Zechariah chapter 3. You don't have to go there, but just try to remember.

I've preached on that passage before. Zechariah 3, perhaps you remember, where Joshua the High Priest is standing before God, and Joshua representing Israel, representing the people of God, is clothed with filthy garments. He's just covered in sin and Satan is standing right there and he's accusing Joshua. Rightly so, this man stands condemned. This man deserves condemnation.

Joshua's guilty. There's no denying that Joshua, that Israel, should be condemned and enter judgment. And Satan's weapon, his weapon of accusation, unforgiven sin, condemnation, that's his weapon. It seems in that passage in Zechariah 3, it seems to have won the day. Then you go to the next verse, what happens?

Immediately after the accusation, you see this man sinned God, you got to punish him. God rebukes Satan. It's my favorite passage in all the Old Testament, Zechariah 3, you go home and read that too, Another 10 minutes. I've saved this man, God says. I've snatched this people out of the fire.

I've given them clean clothes to wear. I've given this sinner my clothes, Satan. Rebuke you. Be quiet. He's pure.

He's righteous. The mouth of the lion. What happens to the mouth of that lousy lion Satan in that moment in Zechariah 3? Do you remember? It's shut.

It's Shut. God has the final word. His righteousness covers His people, and Satan cannot conflict with it. God has the final word. I want to ask you a question.

What covers you? What covers you front and back? Your only hope against the evil one is that the evil one's greatest weapon, condemnation, for unforgiven sin, would have no power over you. How can that happen? It takes an act of God for Him to come in and sever the power of sin in your life.

To sever sin. And God did it when He sent His Son to be the propitiation for your sins. And not just for yours only, but for the sins of the whole world. Your only hope is that Jesus would impute to you by grace through faith in Him the gift of His very own righteousness that would cover you front and back, top and bottom, side to side. That's the only hope you have against the power of Satan and the penalty of sin, that God would make you holy and blameless and present you before His throne with great joy.

And beloved, in Jesus Christ, in Jesus Christ, He has done just that. That is what it means to be a Christian. To be wrapped in robes of Christ's righteousness. To be clothed in God's garments of salvation. Satan cannot condemn you when your sin has been pardoned and your righteousness is forever flowing from Jesus.

His power is undone in your life when Christ is your righteousness. And Satan cannot have your heart when it is protected by the very righteousness of Jesus as the breastplate of righteousness. Verse 15. The shoes of gospel peace. The shoes of gospel peace.

R.C. Sproul points out that Paul elsewhere describes the mission of the church in similar language in Romans 10-15. Romans 10-15, I'm going to read that for you. And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.

R.C. Sproul comments, the gospel is the good news of the peace that we have with God having been reconciled to the Father by the work of Jesus. The gospel becomes that which protects our feet, covers our feet, and makes us mobile in the battle against cosmic evil. Paul has told us in Ephesians 6 to stand, to be alert and stand, and to now go forth with the Gospel message of peace. Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

That is how you and I must stand and press on and gain ground for the kingdom in 2025. Shout on, press on, we're gaining ground. Glory hallelujah because the dead's alive, the lost is found. How? Because the gospel is the power of God to salvation to any who believe.

That's how you gain ground for the kingdom of 2025 with the gospel of Jesus Christ. So do it. Make an aim this year. If my neighbor is to go to hell, they will have to leap into hell over my body. Do a little spurging.

I will give myself for Erlum, for this, for these loved ones in my life. Go with the Gospel of peace. Run with it. Verse 16. Paul uses the illustration of a shield.

The shield of faith. The Ephesians would potentially here in verse 16 think of phalanx shields. Those are the shields that would connect together, join together, which would mean that the main takeaway there would be that you are to stand together, believing on Christ together, standing together, church. You need one another. You need to do the one another's you need brothers and your sisters to remind you of the truth and you remind them and take responsibility over them You do a good job of that, beloved.

Keep going. Press on in that. Together, we need to recognize that we're in the foxholes of a battle, and we're feeding each other bullets called promises. And one of you is on the gun, and the other is just feeding you bullets against the enemy, pressing on, moving forward, gaining ground for the glory of Christ. That's part of the one another that we have to continue to give ourselves to, church, in 2025.

Remind one another of the promises of God. You hear it up here from your pastor every single Lord's Day on the market day of your soul and your job then is to take what you've received from the market of this pulpit and chop it up and cook it and serve what you've received on the Lord's Day to your family and your fellow churchmen and your neighbors throughout the week. That's actually why after every single sermon we as elders send out a post sermon guide. Brothers and sisters let me just exhort you, Go through that guide with your family in 2025. You've got six days to go through one guide.

Take up the shield of faith. Protect one another. Build one another up. Paul goes on in verse 17 to describe the helmet of salvation. What does the helmet protect?

Pretty obvious, right? The head. What's Paul getting at there? Well, he's getting at the mind. What's one of the names of Satan?

You remember? What's one of the names of Satan? Deceiver. There's lots of names. Deceiver's one.

He used to deceive you before you knew Christ. He used to be the great deceiver of the nations. And Paul says, but God has so saved you, and God has so come to redeem the world, that His salvation cuts through the deceitfulness of Satan. His lives don't get to have you anymore. God has cut through the fog in Christ Jesus and you've been saved beloved past, present and future.

I hope you get that. When the evil one one of his minions comes right after service, later today January 1, when the evil one comes and tries to take away your assurance of salvation because of what you did years ago in the past? Christ's past salvation reams true. Your sins are forgiven, He says. When the evil one comes to plant uncertainty within you because of what you wrestle with right now presently.

Now, Christ's present salvation protects you. It is finished, he cried. When the thoughts of potential future failure begin to cloud your mind, Christ's future salvation covers you all the more. I have lost none. I will never leave you nor forsake you.

He bellows from this His Word. You need to put on the helmet of salvation. You need to be transformed by the renewing of your mind in 2025. There's battle to do, And there's promises for the battle. They are yes and amen in Jesus Christ.

And if you need promises, one of the promises given to you beloved is that you have pastors. You can come talk to your pastors. You know how glorious it is when a saint comes and says, Pastor, I need you to help. Mmm! You want to make a guy's day?

Bring him to Chipotle or do that? Either way. Believe the promises. Renew your mind. Put on the helmet of salvation.

The final piece of armor that we're given is the sword of the spirit. And here we have an offensive weapon, don't we? We take up the sword, which we're told is the word of God. Oh, friends, I just need you to realize, I know you know it, I've got to say it again. You do realize, right, that God has spoken.

There are so many in our day that all the time I hear friends of mine, I just wish God would speak to me. If only God would speak. He has. And have you not read what happens when God speaks? Well, just go to the first chapter.

Genesis chapter 1, when God speaks, things obey. Let there be light, He says, and there was light. When God speaks, triumph ensues. Things happen. This is our sword, the Word of God.

Do you wield the sword of God's Word? Are you content with just keeping it sheathed? Amen. Amen. This is the weapon that God commands you to use, brothers and sisters.

It's the offensive weapon in God's arsenal. The very gates of hell cannot stand against the power of God's Word in the Gospel. Can't. So take it out. Advance, beloved.

Go to your neighbors, speak to them about the peace that Christ brings. Evangelize to them that it is peace with God that we just celebrated on Christmas. It's joy to the world that we just celebrated on Christmas. It's the irrefutable evidence that God keeps His promises because of Christmas. And tell them that those promises are true even in 2025 for them.

If they would repent and believe the gospel. Wield the sword. Tell the truth about sin. The Bible is really, really, really clear about sin and damnation. Tell the truth about sin and damnation.

And then proclaim the good news of salvation for those same sinners to be rescued from damnation and to be transferred to the kingdom of light. This is the power of God and Satan cannot withstand it. I just want you to think of our Savior's example for just a moment In the Gospel of Matthew. Three times Christ is tempted by Satan himself and each time how does Jesus move forward in his ministry? Satan's temptation, turn these stones into bread.

Jesus picks up the sword. It's written, he says, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Twice more, Satan tempts our Lord Jesus, and twice more, Jesus picks up the sword. It is written, He says. God has spoken, He says.

Brothers and sisters, shall we not endeavor to do the same as our Savior? Beloved, wield the sword of the Spirit. I will say it again, lest you were sleeping the first time. There are Bible reading plans right outside this door. Get a Bible reading plan.

Pick one up on your way out. If you don't pick one out today, I'm pretty sure it's not righteousness that's keeping your hand away. I'm pretty sure it's sin probably, unless you already got one. Okay? Don't put words in my mouth.

Pick a Bible reading plan up. Don't be the sluggard. You can't even get your hand out of the dish. Slap that thing and get one. Get a Bible reading plan.

There's battle to do in 2025. Strap on the sword, learn how to swing it, and you got two pastors that would love to help you wield that sword as we work to wield it ourselves. Love to do it. You know, Pastor Dave would too. Church and dear precious saints, I want to exhort you as we enter into 2025, put on the armor of God.

The whole of it. You need Him, holy and desperately. Gird yourself with His strength, His might. And having done all of that, stand firm. Stand firm in prayer.

That's our final characteristic of wartime living. Stand firm in prayer. I have prayed that 2025 would be a year that you stand firm, steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord as you pray. Look at verse 18. With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit.

And with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. Pray. Pray. Paul says, read God's word, get out the sword, wield it, read his word, that's God speaking to you, and then You pray in response to what you just read. That's one way to pray.

You hear from God. He speaks. Have a conversation with the Lord. Hear from His Word. God speaks to you clearly right here.

Read it and then respond to Him in prayer. And then come back to the Word, hear from God again directly in His Word, and then respond again in prayer. That would be a really good habit in 2025 to cultivate. Read your Bibles and pray in response to what God has said. But it's not just prayer for yourself.

It's also making petition, making supplication. It's going to battle for the saints of this church. It's going to battle for the nations of this world. Do you go to battle over people in your life? Do you go to battle on your knees over the people in this church?

Do you ever get a callus on your knees? Do you ever go to battle over Josh Wormley in Africa, our missionary, who just a few weeks ago, contacted me and said, He asked, Grant, if I am martyred, would you make sure my family is okay? I just get that email. Because death threats are coming out of him like nobody's business right now. Among that Somali people.

Reaching out, shaking. Would you take care of my family? You need to pray for Josh and Bethany Wormley and their children this year. Go to battle for their family, for that nation, for that people, the Somali people. Go to battle for our brothers and sisters in chains around the world for the sake of the gospel.

Pray that the nations would be glad in the Lord Jesus Christ. They would kiss the Son. And we would faithfully disciple the nations as we are called to do. There's battle to do in 2025. You need to be like Luther who would often say in the midst of his extremely taxing schedule, you know this phrase, don't you?

He would say all the time, I have so much to do today that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer. It need not be three hours, but it need be prayer. Pray. And if you can't pray, sing. Sing this altar.

Sing from the hymnal. Sing the battle cry of your faith. Declare the Gospel in song. Pray in song. Beloved, I can't tell you the amount of time it's been difficult for me to pray.

And yet I can sing from God's Book of Songs. And I can pray that way. Sing in 2025. Pray in 2025. And stand firm.

Let 2025 be your joyful, heart pounding, soul satisfying, kingdom building, revival inducing, triumphant battle. And let that revival start and end with prayers of pleading and thanksgiving for Jesus sake. Friends my final exhortation Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put him on and pray. If you do that 2025 will not be wasted, but to borrow a line, 2025 will echo into eternity.

Let's pray. Father, I ask that you would have your way in the hearts of your people. Rid us all of the sloth. Make us to rejoice and marvel at your loving kindness that you showed throughout 2024. Grant us resolve now, that As there are new mercies each morning, so too there is mercy for the year ahead.

Teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom. For Jesus' sake we pray, Amen.