Ephesians 6:10-18 KJV Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
There is an exhortation to:
1. Be Strong. Not just to be strong alone, but to be strong in the LORD, to be strong in the power of His Might!
2. Put on the whole armor of God. Not just any armor but the armor of God. Not just a part but the whole armor.
3. Stand against the wiles of the devil. It cannot be done alone. It requires the armor of GOD! The whole armor of God!
We had better realize and believe that we are in a battle...an unceasing battle that requires continuous wearing of armor. Not just any armor but the one God designed for you. This battle rages all around us even though we do not often see it. It is the duty of the Christian warrior to be aware of the invisible war around him that requires a sober vigilance. Many of us are only aware of the world around us observed by the five senses.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9 KJV
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Romans 13:11-14 KJV
We are in a real war... a war made all the more dangerous in that we cannot see the enemy with our physical eyes. In order to mount a successful defense and counterattack we need to locate our enemy. We need to know who our enemy is. We need to properly utilize our resources.
In order to successfully stand against the enemy
1. WE NEED TO KNOW WHO OUR ENEMY IS AND HOW HE OPERATES.
Ephesians 6:12 KJV For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 KJV 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 KJV 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Satan operates in many areas. Briefly look at a few:
TEMPTATIONS: Genesis 3:1-7 KJV Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
James 1:12-16 KJV Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Judges 16:1-6 KJV Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her. 2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. 3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron. 4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. 6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
DECEPTION: 2 Peter 2:1-3 KJV But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 KJV 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
1 Timothy 4:1-3 KJV Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
He also uses such devices as fear, unbelief, worry, disobedience, rebellion, hardness of heart, and bringing lies and circumstances against you.
2. WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHERE OUR ENEMY IS LOCATED AND HOW TO DISCERN HIM
Matthew 16:21-23 KJV From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12 KJV
3. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT OUR RESOURCES ARE AND HOW TO USE THEM
Simply beating the air results in useless expending of energy without accomplishing anything. Much activity but no results.
Luke 10:19 KJV Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Ephesians 6:13-18 KJV Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
The battle cannot be won with a partial armor. We need to put on the whole armor. It's only when we wear the whole armor that we are able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
The parts of the Roman armor are used as an illustration depicting the qualities needed in a believer's life to defeat the enemy but are not an actual literal armor that you put on. These are not just our own inbred qualities but they are of God. Since it is the armor of God then all components are of God!
Truth
Righteousness
Preparation of the gospel of peace
Faith
Salvation
Word of God
Prayer
Depending on the place and item they occupy and represent in the whole picture, the components are used to counteract specific strategies and attacks of the enemy. (Truth against deceptive lies; Righteousness against discouraging accusations of unrighteousness; Preparation of the gospel of peace against unsureness and uncertainty of false theological beliefs and attacks; Faith against all attacks of unbelief and hopelessness; Salvation against strategic attempts to weaken our resolve; The Word of God against all doctrines and teachings contrary to the Spirit; Intercessory prayer as an enshrouding cloud of protection, and as a bell pull sounding the call for help from heaven)
God's armor unlike Saul's armor is adjusted to fit every believer and will not be a poor cumbersome fit for the saint of God!
In conclusion we need to remember:
1. We are in a real war against a real enemy whether we acknowledge it or not
2. We are not alone in this spiritual conflict.
3. Christ has already defeated the enemy
4. We are standing against the enemy based on what Christ has done.
5. We are assured of victory of we confront the enemy in the manner prescribed.
6. We need to ensure each and EVERY part of our armor is in place.
7. We should always seek to bring glory to Christ in our everyday stand
