Prepared For War

The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-18

January 26, 2020

Prior to world war II, France believed they had a solution to a potential German invasion. They built what was called the Maginot line. The Maginot line was a defensive line built in the 1930’s that stretched for over 200 miles on the NE border of France. You can see on the map, the strongest fortifications were along the German border.

Military experts praised the Maginot Line as a work of genius, believing it would prevent any further invasions from the east. It was state-of-the-art, built of thick concrete with living quarters, heavy guns, store houses and underground rail lines. There were 45 main underground forts, 97 smaller underground forts, 352 large guns that could rise out of the ground. They were connected by underground railroad system and underground corridors. French soldiers had state-of-the-art living conditions: air-conditioning, dining facilities, and a power plant.

It was designed to hold off a German attack. However, the Germans defeated the French simply by going around it through Belgium and through the Ardennes forest, which the French considered impenetrable. The French weren’t prepared and had a false sense of security. This ultimately led to the Battle of the Bulge. In the end, the Maginot line didn’t fully serve its purpose.

France fell because they underestimated their enemy and relied on the wrong weapons. They didn’t anticipate the attack their enemy used. They thought they were protected, but weren’t. More about the Maginot Line at the end of the message.

We too are in a war. It’s not a war against one another, it’s a war against satan and his legions of demons. We must be careful to not make these same mistakes. In order to defeat the attacks of our enemy, we must be armed with more than just the right weapons.

We must not underestimate our enemy’s cleverness. And, we must not rely on our own weapons and armor. We need to rely on the armor and strength of God in order to defeat the attacks of satan.

Today, we’re going to look at the final 3 items we are to put on and use.

First, let’s look at what Paul told us in Ephesians 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, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 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. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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. - Ephesians 6:10-18

Remember, this is not a typical battle, it’s a spiritual battle and we must use spiritual weapons which God has placed at our disposal. We are called to be strong - - as we utilize God’s strength and mighty power.

Putting on the whole armor of God must become a natural act. As we get dressed everyday, we should put on Christ’s love and put on our spiritual armor so we can withstand satans attacks.

Last week we took a look at the first 3 items we are to put on to defend ourselves ~

The belt of truth

The breastplate of righteousness, and

the shoes of the gospel of peace.

Remember, Christ-followers can be satan’s tools to destroy other Christians and churches. That’s what satan lives for. That’s why it’s vital to put on the whole armor of God . . . everyday.

As we get dressed everyday, we should start with what Paul tells us in Colossians 3:12-15 --

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. - Colossians 3:12-14