How To Use 10 Weapons To Disarm The Devil In Your Life

"How To Use 10 Weapons That Can Disarm the Devil in Your Life":

"Putting on God’s Armor Protects You From The Devil"

(Many of ideas in this series are from Chuck Lawless’s book The Discipled Warrior, (Grand Rapids, MI, Kregal Publications) 2002.

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Eph. 6:10-18 (NIV) October 12, 2003

Chester’s First Baptist Church, Chester, Illinois Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

*Clip of "Black Hawk Down" of men getting ready for combat.

Leave integral items (body armor, night vision, water, etc.)

They later missed the armament in the heat of battle against the Somalian War Lords.

A Today, we are continuing our "How To Use 10 Weapons That Can Disarm the Devil in Your Life" with Putting on God’s Armor Protects You From The Devil.

(Last week, Be Strong, Put ON, Stand Firm)

EPH 6:10 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,

B Paul told the believer at Ephesians how to stand firm against God’s enemy. (ETS)

a We are called to withstand the devil’s daily attacks on God’s kingdom. (ESS)

b I hope you will see the need to stand side-by-side with other believers against the enemy. (Objective)

C How are you fighting the enemy?

a Let’s look at two questions that must be answered before we can successfully disarm the devil in our lives.

b Pray

I What does the enemy want? (v. 13-14a)

[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,. . ."

A Paul warned the believer at Ephesus to put on the all the armor of God’s they could. (They were fighting an extreme enemy of the first century church.)

a "Therefore" (Points to v.11b &12) ...against the devil’s schemes. 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.

*Because the church IS NOT fighting flesh & blood, fair combatant. . .

THEREFORE...PUT ON ALL THE ARMOR GOD HAS MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU!

b Stand firm!!!

B Hadn’t the devil already been defeated?

a (Wasn’t that what the cross was all about?)

GE 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

LK 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."

18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

HEB 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--

[20] which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, [21] far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. [22] And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, [23] which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

*Yes! We don’t have to defeat the devil. . .Jesus has already defeated him!

b We must stand, side-by-side, so the devil doesn’t retake territory that’s no longer his and to defame Christ & his kingdom by. . .

aa Making us fight each other & not the enemy.

bb Encouraging us to make peace with the enemies of God instead of waging war against them.

*Giving up your marriage, *Refusing to call sin a sin, *Hell isn’t real

cc Plenty of time to do what needs to be done for the Kingdom.

RO 13:11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. [12] The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.