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
So, really that should be the first part of what we put on in the morning. Can I call that our under clothes? Put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, have a forgiving heart and spirit, then above all that . . . put on love, which will bind all this together. That should be our start!!
Then, we put on our spiritual armor!
We’ve already put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the shoes of the gospel of peace. NOW, let’s look at the rest of our protection —
The Shield of Faith
The shield for a Roman soldier was vital. Their normal battle shield was about 2½ feet wide by 4½ feet high. It was a solid piece of wood, covered with metal, then a final layer of leather, soaked in water.
The only real long range weapon in those days were arrows and often times the enemy would set the tips of the arrows on fire and these flaming missiles could kill or seriously wound unprotected troops. However, when the arrows would strike the wet leather, they would be extinguished.
The shields were also made to interlock with the shields of other soldiers. The shields formed a portable wall for the protection of the whole army. When the soldiers stood side by side, this made a wall of protection for all the soldiers.
When satan shoots his flaming arrows at us, what do we use to deflect them away? And what kind of arrows does he shoot at us? He shoots arrows of temptation, doubt, pain, discouragement, depression, fear, hopelessness, guilt, shame, greed, addiction, stubbornness, trustlessness, lust, envy, bitterness, pride, ego, unforgiving hearts, gracelessness, and judgment along with a multitude of other flaming arrows.
When do we have the most trouble extinguishing the flaming arrows of the enemy? When our faith is lacking, when we’re in the midst of doubt about God. Not only do we struggle with doubts regarding our faith, but we also question ourselves and our faith, and we question others as well.
Yet, Paul tells us, it’s our faith which sustains us so that we can repel the arrows of the enemy with our shield of faith. This shield protects us!
When we say we have faith in someone, we’re really saying we believe in them and we trust them. The same is true about our relationship with God. The shield of faith is a shield of trust, belief, and confidence in God. We’re to put our trust in the Lord. Believing in God to take care of our every need.
We have faith that no matter what happens to us, God will be there. He doesn’t abandon us, but He promises to be with us through any storm of life. By using the shield of faith, we’re able to extinguish the flaming arrows of Satan.
This shield must be deliberately taken up and used, stand behind the strength of your faith. satan will try to drive wedges (flaming missiles) between believers, to disrupt unity, harmony and fellowship.
In order to prevent those arrows from driving us apart we need to remember what Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:4-5, We are one! As the church we’re called to be unified, not separated, not fighting with one another, not being petty with one another. Because that is exactly what satan wants!!
As I mentioned, the Romans soldiers would hook their shields together arrows couldn’t come between them. In the same way we’re called to link arms in unity to prevent satan from destroying what God has created in the church. satan’s greatest victories come when he can destroy the unity of the church. We must fight (not one another) but fight and stand firm -- to protect and preserve the unity
Next comes the Helmet of Salvation
The helmet was designed like our bicycle helmets. There was protective padding on the inside to shield the soldier from a blow to the head. Most helmets looked like the one on the screen, those fancy helmets with feathers on them were reserved for the commanders or centurions. Some which were taller, was not only for decoration, but it made the soldiers appear taller, and more imposing.
How does the helmet of salvation protect us?
Your knowledge of who you are in Christ should protect your mind from lies, doubt and deception. satan’s greatest weapons are his lies. He’s the architect of lies. He will attempt to fill your mind with rationalizations of why you can sin and why you can engage in acts that are obviously contrary to the Bible.
He loves to point out our failures and faults and anything else that seems negative. He wants us to doubt our salvation, to doubt God’s goodness, to doubt God’s word. satan will try by every means at his disposal to discourage and defeat us.
He wants us to believe that we really aren’t saved by the death of Jesus. He wants us to believe that we’ve committed too many unforgivable sins – – that we will fall under God’s judgment. Yet, listen to what Jesus said in John 5 -- 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life.
Stop there for a moment - - what did Jesus say? Whoever hears the word of Jesus and believes in Him, has eternal life. You can take that to the bank! Jesus doesn’t lie - so believe that you have eternal life. But satan wants you to disbelieve that. He wants you to doubt that salvation. He wants you to believe that you’re not good enough, or you haven’t done enough to earn God’s grace.
But then Jesus added to that statement, saying -- He does NOT come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. - John 5:24
That adds to the joy and power of what Jesus is saying. So, not only do you have eternal life, when it comes time to stand before Jesus on that last day. He tells us, you’re not going to come into judgment. That you pass from life to death to eternal life. All those sins we’ve committed, they are washed away, we’re cleansed, we’re made whiter than snow. That’s God’s gift to us.
Don’t believe the lies satan throws at you! We all have our struggles and our bad days when we tend to doubt ourselves and our faith. Don’t give in to the lies! You are chosen, you are loved, you are His child, you are worth dying for!
When the enemy is trying to fill your head with lies concerning God’s love for us and for the salvation we’ve received, we need to believe and trust in our salvation as a fact.
The helmet of salvation gives us confidence in Christ. We’ve been saved by what Christ did for us on the cross. No one can take that away. The helmet of salvation protects our minds from the attacks of our enemy.
Remember who you are in Christ when you wear that helmet, because at the time this scripture was written, only Kings and nobles were issued helmets to wear. In God’s eyes, you are royalty. As Peter said, you are a royal priesthood!!
The final piece of equipment is the Sword of the Spirit
This is the only offensive weapon we are given. This sword was not the long type seen in the days of the knights. This sword was about 20" long. It was the same type of sword Peter used to cut off the ear of the high priests servant when Jesus was being arrested.
All the other armor was for our protection. The sword is also, but with the sword we can attack the enemy also! The sword was important to the survival of the soldier. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God.
Paul told Timothy -- 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
How many of us can accurately handle the Word of God? If you’re going to be victorious, you need to know the Word of God. If you wanted to survive the battle, then you had to know how to handle your sword. You knew how to care for it and how to use it to defeat your enemy.
The Word of God is powerful! The writer of Hebrews tells us --
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword,
and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (4:12)
The word of God is living and active. It’s not some old archaic, dusty out of date book. That Word which was written thousands of years ago, is still alive and active! It’s so sharp it can penetrate into the deepest parts of our being.
In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul reminds us --
16 All Scripture is INSPIRED by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
When Jesus was in the desert and being tempted by satan, what weapon did Jesus use? Philosophical arguments? Violence? NO! Each time satan attempted to deliver a blow, Jesus blocked the attack by quoting scripture.
In every encounter He went on the offensive, speaking the word of God. If that was good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for me.
Using a sword is something that takes time and practice. A soldier must practice using his sword, practice the defensive and offensive moves to defeat his enemy. In order to use our sword, we must practice using it. That means being in the word and knowing and understanding the Bible.
Becoming familiar with the Word of God, you are storing away spiritual weapons for the Spirit to use. He will bring to your mind those passages which apply to the situation you are facing. Your mind will be trained to think like God thinks. You will be able to pierce through the lies and deceptions of the enemy. Jesus knew the word of God and was able to defend and attack the devil, using the scriptures to attack and drive His enemy away.
Going back to the Maginot Line - - it’s been said that while it was a great idea, the fortification was strategically ineffective, as the Germans invaded through Belgium, outflanking the Maginot Line. The Maginot Line gave the people of France, especially the military leaders a false sense of security.
The same can be said for us - - we may put on the full armor of God, but have no idea how to use the armor. We may put the armor on, but have no clue what the gifts are that God is giving to us. We may not understand what it means
to know God’s truth
His righteousness
God’s peace
Salvation
Faith in Christ
God’s Word
Without knowing these, we will not be strong enough to fight off our enemy and ultimately win the battle. This is why it’s so important to be ready, to be prepared, to put on the full armor of God . . . so when that day comes, and it will, we will be prepared for battle and will be victorious!
Put on the whole armor, and experience the protection of the mighty One, Jesus the Christ, our Savior, our Lord.
He is the Lord of Hosts - - the God of the heavenly armies. That’s who I want with me when I fight my battles! Don’t you!?
