Many Post Offices have a bulletin board that shows pictures of these criminals so that we will know what they look like if we come into contact with them.
But consider our greatest enemy:
• You will not hear a thing about our greatest enemy on the police band
• You will not find a picture of our greatest enemy in the Post Office
Our greatest enemy is THE DEVIL.
Illus: He is more dangerous then Nero, Hitler, Asama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and every serial killer that ever existed all put together.
WHY IS HE OUR GREATEST ENEMY? Because he is the ultimate evil.
• You could take all the evil people on death row and put them together and they are not as evil as Satan is
• Because the evil they possess comes from him. He is the ULTIMATE EVIL
• We cannot see him
• He has a very distinct advantage over every one of us. He can whisper an evil thought into your mind, and you are not even aware he is there
• He also has a distinct advantage of having thousands of years of experience of knowing how to trap us
HE HAS MANY ADVANTAGES OVER US, and he will use every advantage he has at his disposal to defeat us daily if we allow him to do so.
But there is good news. Every Christian here can put a licking on that rascal any day of the week if they are clothed with the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD.
But if we are not clothed with the armor of God, you might as well get ready for a whipping, because he is going to put one on you.
The Lord has provided a suit of armor to protect us. We have already discovered that we must put on the girdle of truth.
If you do not have the GIRDLE OF TRUTH, you are taking a licking from Satan. The Word of God says, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth…”
Let’s look at some more pieces of armor that we should “put on” so that we can defeat the devil. We must put on the -
I. BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Look at Eph. 6:14b, we read, “…and having on the breastplate of righteousness.”
The breastplate was composed of metal plates as a covering for the heart and vital organs. It normally extended from the neck to the waist area, and covered both the front and back of the soldier. The breastplate primarily was to protect the heart.
Notice, it is called the "breastplate of righteousness" for it speaks of the Christ-like conduct of the believer.
• The girdle of truth speaks of CHRIST-LIKE CHARACTER. This is INWARD!
• The breastplate of righteousness speaks of CHRIST-LIKE CONDUCT. This is OUTWARD!
In the Scripture, the BREAST PLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS for the believer may be generally summarized in two ways:
(1) RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS IMPUTED
This is the righteousness that we obtain from God as a gift at the moment of salvation (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 5:17). We would consider this righteousness POSITIONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS.
(2) RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ALSO PICTURED AS A GARMENT
As a garment, righteousness is a picture of right living or PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Rev. 19:8; Isa. 59:17; 61:10).
When Paul spoke of the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, he was speaking of the latter.
That is, if we are going to live a victorious life over Satan, we have to LIVE RIGHT! We have to practice righteousness every day!
It is something that Christ did daily. He said in John 8:29, "I do always those things that please him."
WHY SHOULD WE PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS DAILY? Practical righteousness keeps us from the temptation of sin.
If we are CONSISTENTLY and CONSTANTLY doing that which is right, we will not have time to do that which is wrong.
Some of the Christians today that are living the most defeated Christian lives are those who have too much idle time on their hands. Idleness is a devastating thing in the life of a Christian.
Illus: David got in the biggest trouble of his life when he became idle.
Look at 2 Samuel 11:1, we read, “And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.”
Notice, when King David should have been off to battle, he sent Joab in his place. The Bible says, “…But David tarried still at Jerusalem.”
In other words, rather than put his armor on and go off to war, he decided he would just lay around and rest.
DID YOU KNOW THAT SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS TIMES IN OUR LIFE ARE DUE TO IDLE TIME?
• For example, when people go on vacation they have idle time on their hands. Many of them will do things on their vacation they would not do any other time. Why? Because they let their guard down when they have this idle time on their hands.
• It is interesting that nowhere in the Scriptures do we read about retirement. God has so designed these lives that we need to be busy doing something for Him, because if we are not busy for Him, we will find ourselves doing something for Satan.
The idle time in our life is the most dangerous time of our life.
And David, rather than go off to battle, decided he wanted to just lay around and rest. It was during this time that David was looking out from the palace and saw this beautiful woman, Bathsheba, bathing. During this time of idleness in his life, he LOOKED, LUSTED and HE SOON PARTOOK!
This never would have happened to this great king had he been involved in the battle, instead of sending someone to do his job.
Have you noticed that if Christians in the church are not spending their time building the church up, the devil will see to it that they spend their time tearing it down.
If we are going to live a victorious life, we have got to put on the breast plate of righteousness and practice righteousness every day.
Illus: Warren Wiesbe said, "The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s attacks, or makes it easier for him to defeat us (II Cor. 6:1 10)." (Warren Wiersbe, Be Rich, pg. 167).
Let’s look at the next piece of armor that we should put on. God’s Word states He has provided some -
II. SHOES FOR OUR FEET
Look at Eph. 6:15, we read, “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
WHAT KIND OF SHOES SHOULD WE PUT ON?
Notice, he talks about the GOSPEL OF PEACE.
Though the word "GOSPEL" is mentioned over 100 times in the New Testament, we should trace the eight significant phrases in the New Testament which describe the Gospel. For example:
a. In Acts 20:24, we read "gospel of the grace of God"
b. In Rom. 1:1; 15:16; 2 Cor. 11:7; 1 Thess. 2:2, we read about the "gospel of God"
c. In Romans 1:9, we read, "gospel of his Son"
d. In Rom. 1:16; 2 Cor. 4:4; Phil. 1:27, we read about the "gospel of Christ"
e. In Eph. 1:13, we read, "gospel of your salvation"
f. In 2 Thess 1:8, we read about the "gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ"
g. In 1 Tim. 1:11, we read about the "glorious gospel of the blessed God"
h. In Rom. 10:15; Eph. 6:15, we read, "gospel of peace"
In Ephesians 6, when it speaks about us putting on the whole armor of God, Paul is talking about the "GOSPEL OF PEACE".
Notice what kind of gospel God provides for us. It is a -
A. STANDING IN THE GOSPEL
Look again at verse 14, we read, “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."
Perhaps no other piece of armor effects our literal "standing" in the battle as much as these gospel boots.
WHY DOES HE TALK ABOUT THE GOSPEL OF PEACE WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT THE ARMOR OF GOD?
Because it is critical if we are going to STAND and WITHSTAND the attacks of Satan. We must have the gospel of Peace.
When we receive the GOSPEL OF SALVATION God provides for us also the GOSPEL OF PEACE.
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL OF PEACE? It is something that the world craves but only the children of God possess.
Look at John 14:27, we read, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
He said, “…My peace I give unto you…”
Notice, it is a gift! But a gift can be RECEIVED or it can be REJECTED.
Many have been saved by the gospel of salvation, but they do not possess the gospel of peace.
But if we are going to STAND and WITHSTAND the attacks of Satan, we have to receive the GOSPEL OF SALVATION and also receive the GOSPEL OF PEACE that he gives his soldiers.
We, the soldiers of God, can be in the heat of the battle but all the time be experiencing the gospel of peace.
The Lord said, “My peace I leave with you.” But this Gospel of Peace must be received.
Illus: Many Christians are getting the stuffings beat out of them because they have never appropriated the gospel of Peace that the Lord wants them to have.
This is why you find many Christians in the midst of the battle reacting to the battle the same way the lost people react when they are in the heat of the battle.
Illus: For example, let’s look at two people. One is a professing Christian and the other one is not. But they both face severe trials in their life and they both respond to those trials the same way.
WHICH ONE IS THE BETTER OFF?
Neither one!
Since the Saint has not appropriated the GOSPEL OF PEACE in his life, he is no better off in this situation than the lost person.
There are too many Christians who do not have their feet shod with the GOSPEL OF PEACE, and they sit around and moan and groan the same way the lost world moans and groans.
There should be a difference between us and them.
The GOSPEL OF PEACE is available to all of God’s children that are tired of sitting around letting the devil beat the stuffings out of them.
We looked at STANDING IN THE GOSPEL, but let us see something else that happens to us when we have our feet “…shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
B. SHARING IN THE GOSPEL
Notice, our "feet shod". Something every one of us does before we go out into the world each day is PUT OUR SHOES ON!
Yet many Christians each day go out into the world without having their feet shod with the GOSPEL OF PEACE.
We are to be prepared to take this gospel to the four corners of the earth, because we believe the only hope for the world is in the "hope of the gospel".
Look at Colossians 1:23, we read, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the HOPE OF THE GOSPEL, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”
Many Christians consider soul winning as an option. It is not an OPTION it is a NECESSITY.
If you do not have the whole armor of God, which includes being shod with the GOSPEL OF PEACE, the devil is beating the stuffings out of you.
The soldier’s feet must be, "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."
Illus: Those who are not doing this, remind us of a child who goes to school and leaves their school books home.
There is no possible way that God can use those who go out into the lost world and do not have their feet shod with the gospel of peace, to lead men to Christ.
Illus: George Whitfield said, "God forbid that I should travel with anybody a quarter of an hour without speaking of Christ to them."
Look at Romans 10:14-15 before we close, we read, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
Conclusion:
I. BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
II. SHOES FOR OUR FEET
