“THE ARMOR WE WEAR” Eph. 6:14-18
FBCF – 8/22/21
Jon Daniels
INTRO - I'd like to begin this sermon by reading a prayer:
“The dragon was enraged at the woman & went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands & hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17)
Heavenly Father, I’ve never been more aware of how much Satan hates the Bride of Jesus—your called out, beloved people. Having lost your sons & daughters for eternity, he will do anything & everything he can, overtly & covertly, to wage war against (& in) the church. We come to you today interceding for churches in the pernicious crosshairs & ugly vortex of Satan’s rage and schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11).
Father, we praise you for what Satan knows. “He is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short” (Revelation 12:12). He knows Jesus has already defeated him. He’s the mortally wounded dragon, whose head has been crushed (Genesis 3:15), whose works have been destroyed (1 John 3:1-10) & whose destiny has been sealed (Revelation 20:10). “Hallelujah!”, we shout with joy and confidence.
Though we “tremble not for him,” knowing that one word from Jesus “will fell him” (“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”) nonetheless, we are aware that he is constantly threatening to “undo us”.
So, hear our prayers for our church families: We pray for a fresh work of the Spirit in the hearts of our leaders—pastors, elders, deacons & staff. One of the most effective ways Satan attacks a church is by injecting the venom of distrust, divisiveness & disunity among its leaders. If leaders bite & devour one another, before long the whole church will follow suit.
Father, smite the hearts of our leaders with fresh gospel astonishment. Bring back convictability, humility, civility & charity. May the leaders of our church families be the ones most obviously committed to keeping & guarding “the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). May they be the ones most obviously committed to keeping God’s commands, especially the great commandment (Matthew 22:36-40) & the new commandment (John 13:34).
Father, we also pray for renewed gospel-centrality in every ministry of our local churches—in the children’s, youth, adult, preaching/teaching & worship ministries, in every ministry of the church. Because when a church ceases to “hold fast their testimony about Jesus” (Revelation 12:17) —cherishing, applying & defending the gospel of God’s grace, it becomes vulnerable to every scheme of Satan. No gospel? Then no center, no heart, no love, no sanity, no God-honoring witness to the community. Rescue our churches from pettiness and petulance.
Bring our churches back to the life-giving lyric & the heart-transforming music of the gospel, Father. A hypothetical gospel only works for hypothetical sinners. Let us once again know that we are much more broken & in need of your grace than we presently realize. And also convince us that we are much more accepted & loved by you, than we ever dreamed or imagined. For the glory of your name, Father, be swift & sure in answering our cry. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ exalted & triumphant name. (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scotty-smith/a-prayer-for-churches-experiencing-intense-spiritual-warfare/)
EXPLANATION – Ephesians 6:14-18 – Taliban in Afghanistan this week – stark reality that war still exists in our world. It strikes terror into the hearts of all those who are caught in it. Men, women, & children running for their lives & falling from airplanes – War is real & it’s deadly.
Spiritual warfare – real & deadly (Tony Evans sermon this week on armor of God; opened email from Sermon Central: “Spiritual Warfare: Armor of God").
Spiritual warfare is real & it’s deadly. Paul knew this. Sat in Roman prison cell, his own life endangered. Saw Roman soldiers in their armor every day. Spirit prompted him to write these words & make this analogy. “The very fact that we are told to clothe ourselves in the armor, that we have to put on each piece, & are more or less told how to use each piece, brings home again that part of the teaching which emphasizes that everyone of us is engaged in this battle, & that the 1st thing we have to learn as Xns is how to ‘fight the good fight of the faith.’” (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
APPLICATION – God, in His grace, has given us the armor we need to stand against the enemy’s attacks.
BUCKLE YOUR BELT – “truth” – Holds everything together. Gather robe & tuck into belt. Able to move freely & have hands free for shield & sword in order to fight.
Today – combat harness – hang equipment/weapons
When enemy’s attacking, remind yourself of the TRUTH about who God is, what salvation is all about, & who you are in Christ.
POSITION YOUR BREASTPLATE – Chose the word “position” b/c that’s who we are. Our position is righteousness.
- Pronounced righteous by faith in Jesus – Romans 5:1 – “…we have been made right in God’s sight by faith…” (NLT)
- Pursue righteousness in our daily lives – 1 Timothy 6:11
TIE YOUR SHOES – If there was ever a time in our lives when we need to be proclaiming & living in peace, it’s now. And the Gospel of Jesus is the ONLY source of true, lasting peace. Through Jesus, we have peace WITH God & the peace OF God. That’s where we plant our feet. And that’s what we take into the world to tell others. ONLY JESUS! Use your feet to take the Gospel of peace from the Prince of Peace to a lost world!
RAISE YOUR SHIELD – Not little round shield, but large to cover entire body when flaming darts/arrows are shot at soldier.
- Satan constantly shooting darts at us.
WEAR YOUR HELMET – inside & outside – Unending assurance of salvation – Mind is battlefield – Anxious thoughts…lustful…hateful…vengeful…racist…vulgar…bitter…prideful…covetous…self-righteous…unbelieving…Satan wants us to THINK we aren’t saved. Wear your helmet! Not a floppy beach hat, old cap, sombrero – a HELMET!
DRAW YOUR SWORD – Gk word not sword like we would think about today. Referring to a dagger for close, hand-to-hand combat.
- Reason Scripture memory so important
SPEAK YOUR PRAYER
- “all the time” - "w/out ceasing"
- “in the Spirit” - in accordance w/ the Spirit's leadership
- “alert” & persevering - persistent - no "hit & miss" praying
- “[praying] for all the saints” - We MUST pray for each other! Got a text this week: "I hope you know that I pray for you every day."
CONCLUSION/TAKEAWAYS: “That is what we have to do: we are to resist him by all means. Let us do this bravely, and tell him to his teeth that we are not afraid of him. Tell him to recollect his bruised head, which he tries to cover with a crown of pride, or with a popish cowl, or with an infidel doctor's hood. We know him, and see the deadly wound he bears. His power is gone; he is fighting a lost battle; he is contending against omnipotence. He has set himself against the oath of the Father; against the blood of the incarnate Son; against the eternal power and Godhead of the blessed Spirit, all of which are engaged in the defence of the seed of the woman in the day of battle. Therefore, brethren, be ye steadfast in resisting the evil one being strong in faith, giving glory to God.” (Spurgeon)
