This is part two, and the last one, of the message “The Never-ending Contest”. In the first message, I said for many Christians standing for the Lord day after day, month after month, and year after year is very difficult. And it’s due primarily because they don’t have a true biblical foundation on which to stand.
We took a quick look at Ephesians 6:10-14a which uses the words “stand” and “withstand” four times. Let’s read these verses again.
(10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
(11) Put on the whole armor 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 armor of God, that ye may be able to WITHSTAND in the evil day, and having done all, to STAND.
(14) STAND therefore, having hour loins girt about with truth … And I stopped right here.
I also gave several reasons why many Christians fail to stand.
? We don’t take the time to build a clear picture of the hope in our minds.
? We don’t mentally prepare ourselves for the long and difficult fight with evil.
? We see the path to God requiring a price that we are not willing to pay. And I gave the example of Jesus telling His followers that to be a true disciple they must eat his flesh and drink his blood. He was not telling them this is literally what they had to do. He was teaching them about total and uncompromising commitment.
? We’ve been taught doctrines of devils about the Christian life which have been developed by seducing spirits and delivered by preachers who actually believe they are preaching sound doctrine.
? And the final reason I mentioned for why Christians fail to stand is because they have taken their eyes off of Jesus.
Now, look at verse 10 and the first part of 11 again. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God.”
Do you realize that even if we have on the whole armor of God, it is useless unless we put it on according to verse 10. Let’s read that again. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in yourself and the power of yourself.” No. We have to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. If that is not in place first, then verses 11, 12, 13, and 14 don’t matter.
God is making a point to us. He says “I want you to be strong in me.” In other words, I want you to do something that common sense will tell you not to do. Are you ready for this? God is saying “I want you to put all of your eggs in one basket.”
Common sense says you don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. But that is exactly what God is saying. And if you are willing to do this then verses 11, 12, 13 and 14 are going to jump off the page and you’ll know that you know that you know that God is fighting with you and for you!
Let’s read verse 11 again. “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
Do you see where it says “Put on the whole armor of God”? That is not a suggestion. That is not something for you to consider. When God says “Put on the whole armor” it is a command!
I’m going to pick on Barry again. Putting on the whole armor of God is like Doris laying out my clothes so that I can put on things that look good so that I don’t leave the house and embarrass her. The “armor” is laid out and if Barry doesn’t want to embarrass Doris then he will pick up the shirt, the tie, the pants, the socks and the shoes and put them on.
Now listen to what I’m saying. God has laid out the armor for us. He has laid out the armor that we need for the battles that we’ll face. No other armor will do. No other armor has God’s anointing. All we have to do is pick it up and put it on.
Verse 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.”
The Bible says “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood.”
The people of Ephesus were familiar with wrestling due to the popularity of athletic games throughout the Greco Roman world. Archaeologists have uncovered three gymnasiums in Ephesus, and the main theater, occasionally used for gladiatorial games, seated 24,000 people. Many of the contestants were professional athletes who made their living by traveling around from game to game, living off sponsorships and winnings.
When Paul gave this analogy about wrestling, he gave it to people who would understand clearly what that meant.
Let’s look at the life of a wrestler and the life of a Christian.
Ladies and gentlemen, the first point I’m going to make will change the way you view spiritual warfare – the way you view how the enemy constant comes at us. Remember how we’re told that we can win THE BATTLE, like there’s just one battle to win?
Paul doesn’t look at his life as a battle. He views it as a contest. Remember how he talks about “finishing his race”? Remember he talks about “running his course”?
Notice the first thing we must understand, and notice I titled the message “The Never Ending Contest”, and I hope you really get this: the wrestler did not kill his opponent. Do you hear me? The wrestler did not kill his opponent. He beat the opponent he was facing at the time. If he won, he had to face another opponent.
If you expect to beat the enemy of the soul once and then you’re done in life, it’s not going to happen. The wrestlers never killed their opponents. That’s the first thing. However, let me say that they did do a great deal of physical damage to their opponents – broken arms, broken legs, broken ribs, serious eye damage. Except in the rarest of cases, the defeated foe lived.
The second thing: the games went on place after place, and year after year, and although today’s match might be over, another would come next week, or next month.The contests, plural, never ended.
So we see that the wrestler never kills his opponent and he’s always preparing for another contest. Let that sink in.
In your faith walk, when you defeat a spiritual attack at level one of your faith walk there will be another spiritual attack waiting for you at level two of your faith walk. When you are victorious here, then there’s going to be another contest and another contest and another. They will never end.
You’re never going to stop fighting the devil. His name in the Greek is diabolos because he keeps coming and coming and coming. You will always, always, always have to fight. There will be only one time when you won’t have to fight – when you’re no longer on this side of glory.
So get it settled in your heart that you will always be in a spiritual battle, a spiritual contest and don’t get frustrated. As Galatians 6:9 says “don’t get weary in well doing.” The enemy is simply doing what he does.
We cannot beat the devil once and for all. It’s not going to happen. Remember the word devil is diabolos. His attacks never stop.
This can be discouraging and that’s why it’s important to understand that God doesn’t ask us to “win” THE CONTEST but to put on His armor and then “stand” and “withstand” the enemy and win because of this win contest after contest!
Look at verse 13. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
“Wherefore take unto you” is a command.
Look at the first part of verse 14: “Stand therefore, having your loins girted about with truth.”
We know that the loins is the area of reproduction. So when Paul says have your “loins girt about with truth” what is he talking about? He’s saying you’re either going to be telling the truth or you’re not. If your loins are girt about with truth that’s all you will speak. God is saying “truth is what I want you to reproduce in your life”.
When you reproduce truth in your life, you’re going to defeat the enemy in contest after contest after contest. And that is the goal.
Truth is what we’re supposed to be reproducing. Why is this so important? Look at Ephesians 4 and let’s pick it up in verse 21.
(21) If so be that ye have heart him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
(22) That ye put off concerting the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
(23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
(24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
The first thing he tells us to do is put off the old man – how we used to live. Why? Because we now have a new life.
(25) Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
What is the first thing we’re told, commanded, to do after putting off the old man? We’re told to stop lying! In other words, do not reproduce lies in your life. Who is the father of lies? Satan.
It’s interesting to me that Paul says we have to put away lying. Getting born again does not automatically do this for us. The new birth gives us the ability not to lie. The important thing ladies and gentlemen in all of this: what you say reproduces.
If you’re going to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, he says put the armor on and his first instruction he gives us is gird our loins with truth. That’s the first piece of armor he wants us to put on because that will be what we will be reproducing.
Some Christians are going to have a problem with this because there will be times when not telling the truth can be to your advantage. Or leaving a little something out can be to your advantage. God says I want you reproducing truth no matter what.
The moment you are willing to compromise on truth then you are compromised everywhere. Everywhere. If you are willing to compromise the truth, it will be impossible for you to put on the armor of God. If you are willing to compromise, then you are the wrestler who has been pinned for the third time. You’ve already lost the contest.
I want to end with what the Lord shared with me about all of this.
“You can confess the word, which is truth, but it will not produce in your life if your life contains lies and misrepresentations. It will not produce. That’s one of the reasons that the things Jesus says you are to do seem out of reach. The lies and misrepresentations in your life keep them promises at a distance.”
All of you have watched enough courtroom dramas where you stand and you’re asked “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?” Christians must tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth or God can’t help them.
The never ending contest. Satan is always coming after you over and over and over. Don’t get upset. Don’t get frustrated. You know what he does. Now you must know how to respond. It is written. It is written. It is written.
