INTRO
ƒ{ This summer was filled with movies of many of our favorite super heroes -- reinvented.
ƒ{ Maybe they were such hits because in Today's uncertain world
ƒ{ There is a certain make believe certainty and hop in these Super Heroes
Super = Superior
Maybe we are looking for something or someone superior to the world we live in.
ƒ{ The clip I showed you was from Iron Man
ƒ{ I got to watch it with Jenessa on an airplane ride from Atlanta to Seattle.
ƒ{ Here we see Tony Stark -- captured; going to be put to death
ƒ{ It reminds me of the armor that God has provided for us.
ƒ{ In order to be victorious over an enemy who want to
* Rob
* Kill
* Destroy
ƒ{ On December 7, 1941, the United States was attacked by a surprising blow from Japanese military forces.
ƒ{ President Roosevelt called it a "Day of Infamy".
ƒ{ The world found itself at war and nations prepared to send their armies into battle.
ƒ{ World War II finally ended years later at a great cost to life and property.
ƒ{ The world would never again be the same.
ƒ{ But has man learned from history?
ƒ{ Learned how to prevent wars?
ƒ{ No, history books are filled with wars and rumors of wars.
ƒ{ The fact is, war between men is inevitable, and it will be until Jesus returns.
ƒ{ As bad as World War II was, there was even a greater day of infamy many years ago.
ƒ{ Satan, in all of his deceptive cunning, convinced Adam and Eve to sin,
ƒ{ Breaking their fellowship with God
ƒ{ Here are many today who act like this war is over.
ƒ{ They do not believe that the devil is real.
ƒ{ They do not take the time to put on the armor of God.
ƒ{ They do not know how to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Vs 10
Finally = last but not least
Be = a command
Strong = you can't be week if you are going to do
something great.
ƒ{ I'm afraid we have a Christian generation that doesn't know how to be strong.
ƒ{ It might be a little embarrassing when we get to heaven and talk to the saints
„X Stoned
„X Hung-up-side-down
„X Boiled in oil
„X Skinned alive
ƒ{ They might ask us what we've been through
ƒ{ We've got to stop rebuking every battle and hardship
„X Isn't as interested in delivering you as He is in what you become through it.
ƒ{ Our strength isn't developed in a gym
ƒ{ It's developed through our relationship with God.
Vs 11
Put On = Command
Full = can't pick and choose
Stand = not progress / you're already there
Stand in your blessing
Don't give up ground
Don't back-up / back-down
ƒ{ Schemes
„X Deceit
„X Tricks
„X Plots
Vs 12
Struggle = Cocoon that makes wings strong
Flesh & Blood = Not people
Not Governments
Not Denominations
Vs 13
Full Armor = (Iron Man)
You're not strong
The Armor is!
When = the day of evil storms come
1. The Belt of Truth
* The belt of bible times armor
* Was like a heavy mail apron
* Meant to protect the reproductive area
ƒ{ Note that it's called the Belt of Truth
* Our world is filled with false teaching
Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
ƒ{ Only give birth to truth
ƒ{ Don't give birth to thoughts of
* What if
* Who said
* Past voices
ƒ{ We cannot have spiritual reproduction without truth
ƒ{ Faith comes by hearing
ƒ{ Hearing the Word of God
ƒ{ I want to challenge you to protect yourself against the lies of the enemy
ƒ{ Many times the enemy is
In-a-me
ƒ{ Don't reproduce / breed
* Past
* Gossip
* Worry
ƒ{ Produce truth
* What God says about you
* The head not the tail!
ƒ{ In Levitical law, the Bible says a strange thing
ƒ{ About when a husband and wife fight.
ƒ{ Says she shouldn't kick him in the privates.
ƒ{ Which means she shouldn't take advantage of his week areas
ƒ{ The fact is, we all have week areas
ƒ{ That must be protected / combated with the truth!
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness
* The breastplate was a rough sleeveless piece of leather
* Sharp animal bones attached to the front
* It protected the heart, lungs and vital organs
* Today I am protected by being in right standing with God
Righteousness = Right with God
EXPLAIN -Not by what I do
-But by what He has done
* Our righteousness is like filthy rags!
* Without holiness no man shall see God
* Holiness comes though salvation
* In Him we live (heart)
* And move (lungs)
* And have our being!
3. Shoes
ƒ{ There are different shoes for different events
* Military boots -- not for basketball court
* Nike has a shoe for every conceivable sport
ƒ{ The Roman soldier had shoes with spikes, laces, shin guards
ƒ{ They had to withstand combat so they wouldn't slip or be pushed down
The First Shoe
„X Is to stand
3 Hebrew children
EXAMPLE
Of a dear brother in the Lord
By the name of Mehdi Dibaj
* Mehdi Dibaj:
ƒ{ Is a brother in the Lord
ƒ{ Who was sentenced to be executed
ƒ{ In the country of Iran
* Certain Christians
ƒ{ In the western world
ƒ{ Picked up this story
ƒ{ Of the planned execution
ƒ{ Which was to punish Dibaj
ƒ{ This happened because he was born into a Muslim home, but had converted to Jesus Christ
* Then...
ƒ{ There was such pressure on the Iranians
ƒ{ That Iran, unaccustomed to reversing itself...
ƒ{ Changed its mind, and said:
ƒ{ That Mehdi Dibaj was never to have been executed and Iran was now studying his crime further
* The fact was...
ƒ{ An actual day of execution had been set
ƒ{ And they were going to execute Mehdi Dibaj.
ƒ{ Do you know what Mehdi Dibaj's crime is?
ƒ{ It is what is known as apostasy.
ƒ{ When you are born into a Muslim home
ƒ{ If you go into a non-Muslim faith
ƒ{ You will be executed for apostasy
* Do you know...
ƒ{ How they punished Dibaj?
ƒ{ 9 years in prison
ƒ{ Two of those years in solitary confinement
ƒ{ Absolutely no light at all
ƒ{ In a three foot by three foot cell
ƒ{ 9 years in a row
* Then...
ƒ{ When given the chance in open court
ƒ{ To die or to deny and disclaim Christ
ƒ{ Mehdi Dibaj said, "I am not afraid to die for Jesus Christ is with me."
ƒ{ That is sinking your spikes into the Gospel of peace
ƒ{ That is peace that passes all understanding
It is peace that comes from:
Romans 8:38-39
38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ƒ{ We've got people talking about living for God who never put on their shoes!
ƒ{ Someone once said that when a mouse laughs at a cat, you can be sure that there is a hole nearby
ƒ{ We need to re-sink our feet into the fact that we are bought with a price
ƒ{ And we have this peace that we are God's
The Second Shoe
* Being ready to share the Gospel of peace
* We step on the devil's bruised head every time we witness
* Let's not become ingrown so that we have to take off the battle boots and put on the sleepy slippers
4. Shield of Faith
* One of the most dangerous weapons of ancient warfare was finery arrows.
* The shield was 4 x 2
* Faith shields us
* Trust Him when you can't trace Him
* The church is the faith sore
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
* Job had faith:
Job 19:25
I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
Job 42:5
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
5. Helmet of Salvation
ƒ{ It protects the head
ƒ{ It protects your thought life
ƒ{ This is where the battle begins
ƒ{ Nobody FALLS into sin
2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
ƒ{ Temptation starts in the mind
ƒ{ Condemnation / fears / etc.
ƒ{ Protect your thoughts with
ƒ{ A constant knowledge that
o God so loved the world
o Gave salvation to you
6. The Sword of the Spirit
* Sword = The Bible
* The sword isn't meant to be used without the Spirit of God
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
EXPLAIN
