Putting On God’s Armor
Ephesians 6:10-18
November 14, 2021
Do you believe that satan is real? Yup, a week off and we come back hitting it hard. This is the last day of this series, and we need to get after it. And an advent plug . . . since I think I have a needed series for advent. It’s about the fact that God is with us in the struggles of life. I think it’s going to be pretty good if I don’t say so myself.
So, let’s hit it today. We’ve talked about the fact that satan is real. His purpose is to steal and kill and destroy our spirits, hopes, and dreams. He masquerades as an angel of light in this world seeking to deceive us every chance he has.
I believe the greatest way he tries to mess with us is in the simplest of ways. He wants us to take him lightly, to not really believe he’s real, to believe he has no power, and that we can resist on our own, believing we are the masters of our own destiny and have full control.
He wants us to believe what he set out to do with Adam and Eve . . . to believe we’re gods. After all, if we’re gods, then we don’t need THE GOD. In the end, if we don’t believe, he’s real, then we won’t be prepared for battle . . . because we don’t believe there’s a battle.
Among the many weaknesses in the universal church, not believing satan is real, may be the greatest weaknesses in the church. It leads us to reject commitment, to reject giving, to reject theology, to reject the need grow in Christ, to not help and care for others, to believe sin is acceptable and ultimately to reject God.
We need to be ready for the attacks. Again, if we’re not prepared, we will lose the battle, and not even know we were in a battle. Think about what Peter said - - -
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
The devil’s hungry - - - and not to make this scary, but we’re on the menu. Peter’s telling us to be awake, be alert. Be attentive to the fact that satan is real. Be on high alert at the watch tower.
The word adversary literally means a “prosecuting attorney.” It means satan is trying to convict us in God’s courtroom. He’s pleading with God that you’re no good, you’re not worth saving. He can’t wait to devour someone - - - - which means to destroy or swallow up . . . and that’s every Christ follower. We’re his target. That’s what we’re up against. I really hope you believe that.
As you know, I don’t preach hell fire and brimstone and this part may be as close as I come to that. But we really need to believe this is real. That we’re at war, because if we don’t believe it, we’re in trouble.
Peter then adds - - -
9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. - 1 Peter 5:8-9
Resist him, we do it by being firm in our faith. It’s our faith which holds us up. Not a belief in the world, but a belief in Jesus Christ and we gain comfort knowing we’re not the only ones at war.
We will be attacked when we least expect it. Sometimes it comes after a great accomplishment, because we’re vulnerable. It also comes when we’re struggling - physically, emotionally and mentally. We are attacked by satan. In those valleys, it can be hard to recover. We believe the devils lies, - - - - which by the way is what we’re going to talk about over the next 4 weeks.
Know that satan doesn’t fight fair. He doesn’t knock on your door or send you an email or text, saying . . . “hey there, I’m satan, I wanted to steal a piece of you today, is that okay?” That’s not how he fights. He’s a chicken. Scripture tells us that. He’s actually afraid of us, if we would believe that. James tells us - - -
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. - James 4:7-8
Do you see that. Submit to God, surrender our control to God. Resist the devil. In Greek it’s a military term which means to make a strong stand against your enemy. And what does he do? He runs from you! Do you get that? Intentionally move towards God and God will come closer to you!
Remember, satan is a liar, he’s a deceiver, a deceptive angel of light, a wolf in sheeps clothing.
So, Paul gives us some help, actually lots of help. As he comes to the end of his letter in Ephesians 6, he wrote - -
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Focus on that one statement from Paul. What are we to do? Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. I love what Paul’s doing. He uses 3 different Greek words to express how we should be. Strong - - strength - - might. Use God’s strength, not ours. That’s how we fight the battle. God’s already won the battle. He’s already defeated satan.
Let me put it this way . . . The Chicago Bears won the 1986 Super Bowl. Hey, I have to bask in that glory, since we’re not going this year. So, let me ask you . . . which team would you want to be on the Bears or the New England Patriots? Remember, the Bears destroyed them - 46-10. You’d want to be on the Bears for that game at least.
It’s the same with God, I want to be on God’s team. Because I know, I trust, I believe God wins! I want to use God’s power and strength and wisdom to win the war over sin, temptation and satan.
Paul now adds - - -
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
This is really, really hard . . . because we think our battles are against one another. We want them to be because we can make it personal. I can say ‘it’s you against me.’ That’s personal, but we don’t know or understand what’s at work in the spiritual world.
We can focus on all the people out there in the world we don’t agree with. We can say it’s all the politicians who are messing up the world. We can blame Biden, we can blame Trump, we can blame the sex industry, the drugs that freely flow, the merchants who are selling their goods, the corrupt business leaders, and more . . . we can say they’re the problem . . . . . . and we’d be partly right . . . .
BUT - - - - those people are unwitting dupes of powerful spiritual forces they know nothing about. Our struggle is not with flesh and blood — even though it seems that way most of the time. We are fighting a spiritual battle against the devil and his demons. satan wants us to compromise our faith, to give in to temptation and sin. He will do it in various ways . . . We may be - -
attacked from an unexpected source.
Led to doubt God’s Word.
Tempted to sin
Have long times of discouragement.
Have worries that consume us.
Be seduced to compromise our values
Bitterness toward others
Desires to give up on the Christian life
Temptation to turn away from grace.
Excuses for lack of spiritual growth.
Attempts to hide your behavior from others.
These are some of the ways satan attacks us. Paul realized that and told us - -
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Three times Paul tells us to stand firm!! And this is really cool . . . when James said to resist the devil, that’s the same Greek word as stand firm. Again, we’re called to make a stand . . . in a sense to become a wall against satan!
When Paul said to take up or put on the whole armor of God, and notice he doesn’t just say ‘put on the armor of God’ because he doesn’t want us to miss any pieces of that armor. It’s a military term. It’s the last thing you do before going into battle. It’s checking to make sure you have all of your equipment before you step into battle. You put on the whole armor, not just what feels good. It’s God’s armor, not yours, because I really believe God’s armor gives us more protection than any of our armor ever could.
Now, Paul tells us what to specifically put on - -
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
Paul paints a picture of the Christian in complete armor, ready to go into battle. Each piece of armor describes a spiritual trait we need in order to survive the attacks of the devil.
#1: Put on the Belt of Truth
The belt held the soldier’s uniform in place. Without the belt he couldn’t move quickly, and if he could not move, he could not fight. The “belt of truth” refers to the truth God has revealed in His Word. When we’re under attack, we must go back to what we know and believe is true - - -
God is holy.
God is righteous.
God is perfect.
All His ways are right.
His mercy endures forever.
Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
We are loved.
The Holy Spirit has sealed us.
Jesus died and rose again.
He now intercedes for us in heaven.
We are redeemed and forgiven.
When you’re struggling — recall scripture or sing a song, or listen to a song which holds those promises you believe in. Talk to a friend who is also in Christ, ask them to share Bible truths.
As you put on the belt of truth, remind yourself of what you already know is true.
#2: Put on the Breastplate of Righteousness
The breastplate covered the vital organs, especially the heart. It was like an ancient bulletproof vest. The righteousness Paul is talking about comes through the cross of Christ. God declares us righteous in Christ and because of this we now pursue being righteous in the choices we make. Paul told Timothy ---
11 Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. - 1 Timothy 6:11
I like what we read in Proverbs 28:1
1 The wicked flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. - Proverbs 28:1
When we know we are redeemed, worth dying for, called righteous because of what Jesus did for us, we can stand firm, bold in the power and strength of Christ.
#3: Next we put on the Shoes of the Gospel Peace
Imagine going to battle and slipping and not having good footing. Roman soldiers wore sandals with stubs on them, which gave them traction on any surface. You can’t fight very well if your feet are slipping out from under you.
When Paul speaks of the “gospel of peace,” he’s referring to the peace we gain through the power of the Holy Spirit. Think about what Paul says in Romans 5:1 -
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 5:1
And again in Philippians 4:6-7 -
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7
You see that? We have peace with God because we have been justified, that is, forgiven, declared righteous by God and we have the peace of God which can’t be explained away, but is always available to us -- in Christ.
God is a God of peace. There is no panic in God’s vocabulary. We panic. But remember, God is in control. There is no panic in heaven no matter what happens on earth.
The devil will do all he can to distract and tempt us through control, fear, pride and discouragement. But God helps us stand firm in the midst of the battle.
#4: Now we put on the Shield of Faith
The shield of faith helps protect us. We must be dependent upon God to experience the power of His protection. When satan is shooting those fiery darts at us, they can be anything, but most likely they are attacks and temptations that can lead us down a very dangerous path.
I like that Paul said in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES put on the shield of faith. Always, always grab that shield because the devil is crafty and will attack us when we’re not prepared.
It may be a temptation to lust, bitterness, control, anger, greed, doubt, selfishness, a lack of humility or a hundred negative emotions and actions.
The devil’s “darts” come in a 1000 varieties. They catch us off guard and throw us off balance. We can and will get blind-sided, so we need to be prepared and protect ourselves with Christ’s shield.
What do we do in the moment of attack? We must call on God for help. Cry out – “Lord, I can’t handle this alone. Help me!” Don’t be afraid to go to God again and again. When Satan hits us with a “fiery dart,” we must call on the Lord.
Pastor F. B Meyer said that when he felt himself getting angry or irritable, he asked the Lord for the quality most needed at that moment. Lord Jesus give me ---
Your patience.
Your kindness.
Your love.
Your courage.
Your wisdom.
Your joy.
Your purity.
Those prayers go straight from our heart to God’s heart. Pick up the shield of faith, and utilize the faith you already have in God to snuff out those fiery darts.
#5: Now, put on the Helmet of Salvation
The helmet obviously protects the soldier’s head. You would never go into battle without a helmet. The helmet of salvation speaks of our security in Christ. We know and trust we have eternal life. Jesus died and shed His blood so that we could have eternal life, so we could experience salvation. Luke tells us in Acts 16 -
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. - Acts 16:31
That’s why Paul can say in Romans 8:38-39 - - nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We can’t downplay the danger we face every day in our warfare against the devil. We can withstand his attacks, because we know and trust that we are children of God - that we are saved by grace through Christ. When we put on the helmet of salvation, we can boldly declare, “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).
#6: Finally, we take hold of the Sword of the Spirit of the Word of God.
That’s the only weapon we get. It’s the only one we need. All the other armor protects us. The Word of God cuts like a double-edged sword, laying everything bare so that nothing is hidden (Hebrews 4:12-13).
That’s why, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He responded to the devil by quoting Scripture. Nothing defeats the devil like the Word of God. Our clever arguments mean nothing to him. He brushes aside our self-confidence, pride and arrogance. But when we stand on the Word, he has no answer.
This is why knowing the Bible is so important. We can read it and remember it, and hold tight to the Word of God. It brings us joy, correction and confidence to continue in our journey. The Word gives life.
Finally, Paul tells us to pray in the Spirit
Prayer is our ultimate weapon in spiritual warfare. Maybe we can look at it this way. Prayer is not part of our spiritual armor, but prayer is what makes our armor come alive and protect us.
We can pray in so many different ways. We can stand, sit, kneel, or lay down. You can pray with your eyes open or closed. You can pray out loud or silently. You can cry out, you can have deep sighs. You can simply talk to the Lord. You can sing your prayers to the Lord, you can write them down in a journal. The key is to approach the throne of grace so you can receive that very grace from God.
Put it all together and you have a picture of the Christian soldier fully armed for combat. Putting on the whole armor of God means living . . .
Truthfully,
Righteously,
Peacefully,
Dependently,
Confidently,
Biblically,
Prayerfully.
Our greatest problems are spiritual, not financial or intellectual or emotional.
Our one hope — our only hope — is to put on the whole armor of God and draw closer and closer to God.
No believer is safe who faces Satan in his own strength. But no believer is more secure than he who goes into battle wearing the whole armor of God.
Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. It’s God’s armor, not ours. Everything we need, we already have in Jesus Christ. Christ is our armor!
