Don't Bring A Rubber Knife To A Gun Fight

Don’t bring a rubber knife to a gunfight (Eph.6:10-18)

Illustration: My life fell apart in the summer of ‘68. One minute I was the happiest man in the world then wham! It was all over. My countenance changed from a look of total contentment into one filled with agony and anguish. Here I was living in total rapture, married to the woman of my dreams. It’s hard to believe that a thing as simple as a letter in a mailbox could shatter my world. Here I was on top of my world, and then I get this letter saying “Greetings from Uncle Sam“.

A few days later I join a motley crew of depressed youth, headed for Basic Training at Fort Campbell, Ky.

I’ll never forget the first words we heard upon arrival, “welcome to the U.S. Army “. It was here that we were whipped into shape and taught the art of war. We were taught about survival and how to overcome the enemy.

After Basic Training we proceeded to Advanced Infantry Training, where we learned more about killing and how to survive in a hostile environment.

All of my training and all of the Comic Books that I’d read , like Sgt. Rock and easy Co. ;Sgt. Fury; The Haunted Tank; and even my favorite TV show Combat; didn’t prepare me for the horrors of WAR.

The blood of America’s youth soaked the ground of Vietnam. Fear became a tangible thing that you could smell. The smell of fear filled the air of Camp Evans as 8 Battalions of NVA were sighted heading our way. Our destruction was a hand, but the mercy of God intervened.

Today there is still a war raging, the enemy is more diabolic than any communist threat we have ever encountered, more evil that Hitler or Stalin of ww2, more crazy than Sadam Husain.

We are facing the most deadly enemy in the universe. You could drop a million atomic bombs on him and he would feel no effect of it. This enemy is not flesh and blood, so physical weapon don’t harm him. His name is Satan and to defeat him we must use the Spiritual weapons in God’s Arsenal.

To attempt to fight in our own strength would be like attacking a forest fire with a squirt gun. It would be like attempting to slay a lion with a fly swatter. To attempt to defeat the devil in our own strength is like attempting to catch an elephant with a

Butterfly net.

Spiritual warfare needs spiritual weapons. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of

fortresses.” We must fight spiritual forces with spiritual weapons. We must put on the armor of God and use the weapons of the Spirit. By understanding how to use this armor and weaponry, we will be able to be protected from the attack of the enemy and enabled to deal a deathblow to his advance.

Text: Eph 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Eph 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

Eph 6:12 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.

Eph 6:13 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.

Eph 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

Eph 6:15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Eph 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Eph 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Eph 6:18 And 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 saints.

It is essential for us to see the importance of this armor. We are required to put on this armor and understand how to use it. The alternative is that we go down to defeat. Without this armor we are in danger. With this armor we emerge victorious.

1. The Belt of Truth

(1)A Roman soldier found his belt to be an essential part of his armor. His belt gathered his armor together and secured his sword to his side. The belt also served to secure long garments so that they would not interfere with fighting. The belt tied it all together.