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“The Full Armor Of God” • 9.29.13 •
Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- Paul has shown us our wealth as believers,
when he gave us a glimpse of heaven's activities in our salvation, the
innumerable blessings that God has showered upon us.
- He has spent the last two chapters dealing
with how our wealth translates into our walk. We're to walk equal to our
confession, in love, as children of light and circumspectly.
- He has shown us that our Christian faith extends
publically in our business practices and privately in the confines of our home.
Christianity changes everything about us!
- All of that change, all of that
re-orientation, all of that role acceptance comes at a cost, which leads us to
this final section in the book of Ephesians, which details our warfare!
Text
• Ephesians
6:10,11 : "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of
His might. Put on
the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil." : The church is to be strong in the
Lord. We're to be resolved in our position with the Lord. Strong in Him and in
the force of His ability.
- Some will say "I can't submit to my
husband!" Resolve yourself in His strength and His ability to help!
"But you don't know my wife!" God's strength trumps every difficulty!
- You are going out into a daily war, so put on
the whole armor, the full battle outfit of God!
- Paul penned this Epistle while in prison.
Every few hours, a new group of soldiers would take their watch positions.
These soldiers were remarkable.
- Most Roman soldiers were over 6 feet tall and
were armed to the teeth. The physical imagery of the soldiers provided Paul with
excellent spiritual material.
- The soldiers came into the prison wearing
their complete armor implements. Imagine that. They are guarding prisoners, a
menial but necessary task.
- But they did not "dress down" or
take a "casual" approach to their work. They came in prepared for any
contingency that could go down in that prison, no matter how remote the
possibility.
- Consider how cumbersome and uncomfortable
this must have been for the soldiers, not to mention how hot this would have
made them, yet, they never wore less.
- You and I need to wear the spiritual armor
that we are issued with more diligence than what was employed for their
physical armor. Why? So you'll be able to stand against the wiles of the devil!
- Notice that this is the goal. To be able to
stand. To be able to hold our position. To have what we have without
surrendering it to an invading enemy.
- Paul has laid out a firm foundation for a
wonderful relationship with God, who has done everything to secure our position
in Him. Our chief goal is to remain in that place of victory.
- Who threatens that stationary position? The
enemy of our souls, Satan himself! In this room, I don't have to convince you
that there is a real devil, who is really opposed to God's work in our lives.
- However, many who identify themselves as
Christians in the world doubt his existence, much less his subversive activity.
- Before I move on, I want to clear just a few
things up. First, Satan himself is not likely working on you personally. He's
not omnipresent and we are not important enough for a personal visitation.
- Satan however, IS after you through other
agencies, other spiritual forces which are extensions of his work. It's not
Satan personally, but Satan Incorporated!
- For now, understand that we are to stand
opposed to the methods or schemes of the devil! There are overt, obvious
methods that he employs, which exploit our base natures.
- Sex, drugs, rock and roll. These have been
time tested and Satan approved. However, there are covert schemes which are
less familiar to us immediately.
- He uses but it not limited to depression,
anxiety, doubt, confusion, fear and imaginations. He has other weapons at his
disposal, which he uses to derail us from our position.
- He doesn't fight fair, but he fights
predictably. Listen to Paul's description of his army.
• Ephesians
6:12,13 : "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor
of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all,
to stand." : We need the armor of God because
we are wrestling or struggling with non-human entities, sent to move us off of
our mark.
- Principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness,
spiritual hosts of wickedness! These are all Satanically inspired forces, part
of an organized structure that we know little about.
- These are created fallen angels who have
served in an active rebellion against God since the beginning, who hold sway over
people, cities and nations biblically speaking.
- They are not able to possess Christians, but they
are able to influence and promote their leader's evil agenda!
- They are the ones who influence a lie upon us
when we know to do the right thing. You look at your husband and think,
"Why should I submit to him? I'm smarter and more spiritual!"
- "Why should I love my wife when she
never thinks about my needs?" "Why should I obey my parents when they
aren't perfect?"
- These attitudes already exist in our flesh.
The enemy just amplifies them loudly!
- This why we need the God's armor, that we
might be able to withstand in the evil day.
- When is that season of time when hardships,
trials and testing will come upon us to move us toward an evil end? That is
every day that we live in this world!
- This is the day that we are called to live
in, to stand against the flow of a world system that is bent upon our
compromise, Satan standing behind as the puppeteer.
- That's why the people in our lives are not
the problem! We're not fighting with them, so we need spiritual armament! This
is what Paul addresses next.
• Ephesians
6:14-16 : "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put
on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of
peace; above all, taking the shield of
faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked
one." : Paul calls the Christian to
attention: STAND UP! This is no suggestion, but a command!
- There are no suggestions in the military.
There are no votes taken. There are no contrary voices. There is the command of
the superior officer and we are called to one action.
- Beyond the visually imposing soldiers that he
saw every day, Paul must also have been meditating on Isaiah 59:17, which lists two of the 5 defensive armor pieces.
- He begins where the Roman solider began. Stand
there with your truth belt on! Truth is the first line defense that we have
against the enemy who is the Father, the originator, of lies!
- The belt held the soldier's weapon and often
hung strips of leather to protect his lower extremities from glancing and
direct blows.
- Most importantly however, is that the belt
secured the other pieces of armor and held them in place as the soldier ran out
into battle. It was central to his ability to defend himself.
- This is why Paul lists it first. The
knowledge of the truth of scripture is indispensable. Too often, Christians
wear the belt of their feelings, which is far more fashionable!
- "I don't feel like loving." "I
can't feel His presence." "I don't like this about
Christianity." Truth centers us and keeps us from the worst of the enemy's
attacks!
- Above the belt, the Roman soldier wore a
breastplate, from the neck to the navel, guarding all of the vital organs. Paul
equates this with the believer's righteousness.
- When you acknowledged Jesus Christ, you were
clothed with His righteousness. His righteousness was imputed to you, so that
you are treated as He is.
- This righteousness here refers to our
activities connected to that righteousness, living rightly before the Lord and
before people.
- The enemy will still accuse you, but you will
stand assured when you know that you have done right to the best of your ability!
- Next, get your feet bound to the readiness to
proclaim the gospel of peace! The soldier's boots covered their feet and their
shins. The proper footware was critical to the ancient soldier.
- This advance in technology allowed Alexander
the Great, a Greek, to march farther and longer, surprising his conquests with
his legion's steady progress.
- Additionally, beyond taking ground, the boots
kept the soldier moving solidly over the debris that would clutter his path in
battle.
- The soldier could walk resolutely toward his
designated spot, not fearing injury to his feet or easily tripping up! Our
shoes are the preparation of the gospel of peace!
- We are walking toward what can be called the
only effective peacemaking weaponry in this world! When Christ takes a life, that
life is changed from wickedness to righteousness.
- That person goes from hating to loving. He
goes from being an enemy to being a brother or a sister! What else has this
type of permanent effect? Paul says next, "Above all!"
- Please don't forget to hold the shield of
faith, trust in God, that extinguishes all the missiles of the enemy.
- A soldiers shield was a huge piece of brass,
often covered with leather. Before battle the shield would be soaked in water
causing the leather to be even more effective against fiery arrows.
- The Roman's shield also interlocked with
their units, so that the Romans could move about the battlefield protected as
long as they remained in formation.
- What an appropriate illustration! Our faith
in Christ covers us when the enemy employs air warfare, when his darts come
flying at us out of the air.
- And how is our faith strengthened? As we
gather together, supporting one another, surrounding each other from all sides!
- Church and fellowship meetings are not just
good ideas! We need to surround each other often and be a part of the faith
that God is building in us!
- People tell me often how they are struggling
with their faith and how they are teetering on the edge. When I ask where they have
been or which group they attend weekly, they have no answer!
- Your personal faith is fed through the
preaching of God's Word and your faith is shared when we fellowship weekly
together! Please don't forget the shield of faith!
• Ephesians
6:17-20 : "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the
saints—and for
me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make
known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak
boldly, as I ought to speak." : Paul
continues his description of our armor with the helmet of salvation.
- It's no small thing, as a head injury is the
quickest way to down an opponent.
- The helmut which covers our head is the
assurance of the hope of our salvation. It's a reminder that we have been
saved, are being saved and will be saved, all in one!
- Our heads are covered with this thought
process, our minds are protected as we view all of life through the lens of His
salvation.
- No matter what comes against us in our minds,
His salvation comforts us and reminds us that this battle field vision will one
day give way to a peaceful, eternal state of being!
- At last, Paul brings us to the sole piece of
armor that is offensive in nature: The sword of the Spirit! This is a short
sword or maybe a long knife.
- It was meant for close contact, hand to hand
battle, which is always the final line of defense. This sword represents God's
Word.
- How vital is His Word? How great is our need
for it and yet, how dispensably we treat it! How are we to treat the Word?
- First and foremost, we must read it to
understand the heart of God. Second, and right next to it, we are to pray it
into our lives, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
- If the sword of the Spirit is our hand to
hand combat, then the long range warfare that we are capable of launching comes
from our prayers!
- We are actively pursuing, asking out of need,
for the Spirit to take His Word and make it our practice! It's our prayer for
our own walks but also for all the saints around us and the world!
- Paul calls them to be "watchful" in
their prayers for all the saints. The word relates to a sleeplessness, an apt
concept for what we should be doing when we wake up at night!
- Lord would you apply this Word that I have
read today to this person's situation. Paul asks that for himself! He says,
"Let me give you an example of what I mean!"
- We shouldn't pray for Paul, but this would be
a good prayer to pray for each other! He asked for prayer that utterance would
be given to him. "Lord, speak your Word to Him!"
- How we need to pray this! Before you
confront, before you deal with a person on something, please pray that God
would communicate His Word to them! This way, you are only confirming!
- Second, Paul asks that they would pray for
him to open his mouth boldly! He's not saying, "Let me be bold for the
sake of boldness, but for the sake of the gospel message!"
- "Lord, would you open their mouth and
let the gospel come out!" This was why Paul was prisoner. He was the
Lord's Ambassador, even if he was wearing the chains of a prisoner!
- Even there, he wanted to be bold and clear as
he spoke for the Lord Almighty.
• Ephesians
6:21,22 : "But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing,
Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things
known to you; whom
I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and
that he may comfort your hearts." : Paul
wraps up this letter with these notes. Tychicus is coming to them to report to
them of what Paul had been doing.
- It's likely that Tychicus carried Paul's
letter to the Ephesians, which is why Paul introduces him as a beloved brother
and a faithful minister in the Lord.
- I don't often crave much from anyone, but boy
would I love Paul to say of me that I was a beloved brother and a faithful
minister. Even more, would I love Jesus to say this of me!
- How about you? What epithet would you wish
for? He wants them to be aware, up to date and encouraged that this season was
not out of God's sovereign control.
- It's interesting to me that this seemingly
unrelated piece is placed here, but here is a major part of warfare that gets
left out: Communication!
- Paul is giving them an accurate view of what
is happening with him so that they know how to deploy their prayers most
effectively for him.
- Note Paul's generality in having them pray
for the Word and for boldness to share it. Here we see that he also shared
specifically with them, that they might pray correctly.
- Additionally, Paul's communication to them
would guard their hearts and give them confidence that he was doing well, a
much needed psychological part of our warfare.
• Ephesians
6:23,24 : "Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in
sincerity. Amen." : The final lines of the book
of Ephesians are filled with peace, love and grace!
- Who is this peace from? Who gives this love?
God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the centerpieces of this entire work!
- Paul adds this final verse: Grace, God's
favor and goodness, be with all those, including ourselves, who love our Lord
Jesus Christ in sincerity or in purity.
- Purity does not refer to sinlessness. It
refers to wholeness! You love the Lord with Your whole heart and nothing comes
between you and Him! There's grace for people like that!
- And all of God's people said,
"Amen!"
Conclusion
Pray
Pray