The Full Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10-20
Good Morning
Please open your Bibles to Ephesians 6 as we look at the pieces of the Armor of God which are essential for Christian warfare…
In the first three chapters of the Book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul writes about all that God has done for us through Jesus and how spiritually rich we all are in Christ.
Then, beginning in Ephesians 4 through Ephesians 6:9 Paul tells his readers who are in Christ, how we are to live as Christ followers, as a proper response.
Finally, In Ephesians 6:10, Paul tells his readers how we live for Jesus in this broken world, as we will always be met with real spiritual opposition.
So today, we are going to talk about how to stand strong for Jesus during spiritual attacks.
I. We need His Strength.
Read Ephesians 6:10
Notice vs. 10, “Finally”; based upon our position in Christ, now in order to walk worthy of the call with which we are called…Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Our Christian walk is not a playground; it is a battleground, and we must be on our guard at all times.
Christians do not fight for victory, we fight because we already have the victory; our victory is already won because of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Be strong means that the Christian, is to strengthen themselves in the Lord!
The strange thing in Christianity is that we are told in order to be strong in the Lord; we must become weak in our own abilities.
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
2 Corinthians 12:8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. NKJV
The Lord did not give this thorn in the flesh to punish Paul;
He allowed this thorn in the flesh to show Paul the divine strength he could have by relying on Jesus.
Paul was a very strong man; but he was only strong when he was weak in his own flesh, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
If we want lives of strength, we must recognize and admit our weaknesses, as we receive God’s grace to strengthen us.
II. Our power source.
Read Ephesians 6:11
We can access our power source by getting dressed with the right clothes… vs. 11, Put on the whole armor of God!
As a Christian soldier, the Lord has dressed us for success for spiritual battles; as we put on the whole armor of God!
Paul wrote this letter while he was in prison, so he had an example of the Armor, a Roman soldier would wear, as he was actually chained to a Roman soldier.
Satan’s power is limited; but the Lord’s power is limitless and as His children, we share in the Lord’s power.
1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. NKJV
Whether we need power to fight the temptation of sin, or the power to submit to one another, or the power to resist the schemes of the evil one; we should rely upon the Lord.
We are told to put on the armor…“That we may be able to stand
Stand means to place, to put, to set; to fix or establish. Some versions of the Bible say to stand firm.
Many Christians are defeated in their Christian lives because they are not seriously engaged in the warfare to which the Lord has called us.
The Apostle Paul is encouraging the soldiers of Christ to take courage and to hold our ground against the plans of the devil; because of our allegiance to King Jesus.
And we Stand against the wiles of the devil. The word wiles is like the word method; or to lie in wait and use trickery.
What are the schemes of the devil towards Christ followers? Jesus told us what the devil’s schemes are in John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.
We need to be aware of Satan's schemes so he won’t outwit us.
1. The enemy wants to fool us into living in our own strength rather than living in our new identity in Christ.
The enemy cannot rob us of our New Identity, but he can try to prevent us from living in the Lord’s power
2. The enemy wants to lie to us and have us rely on our own feelings rather than trust and faith in Christ.
All the enemy can do is to deceive us into doing things that harm us or things that go against our New Identity in Christ.
3. The enemy wants to do all he can to prevent love and unity within the body of Christ.
We should know the ways Satan can trip us up; but concentrate on the ways the Holy Spirit wants to work through you.
III. The Spiritual battle.
Read Ephesians 6:12
We should not battle co-workers, family, neighbors, or even the enemies we see; our ultimate battle is for Souls and our greatest victory is when a person comes to a new life in Christ.
There is a spiritual realm going on behind the scenes.
In Daniel 10, Daniel was fasting and praying for 21 days, so he could understand a vision the Lord had already given him.
Daniel 10:10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands.
Daniel 10:11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
Daniel 10:12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.
Daniel 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. NKJV
As Christians, we need to remember, there is a fierce battle raging in the realm of the spirit between the forces of God and the forces of evil.
Warfare happens every day, all the time. Whether you believe it or not, you are in a spiritual battle.
If we use all of our energy fighting and struggling in the flesh, then we are already defeated.
• Spiritual battles can never be won on natural grounds
• Spiritual battles can’t be won with physical weapons.
Your enemy is not your neighbor or the person who makes your life miserable, not the government or the guy who cut you off.
We live in a fallen world, man has free-will, and there are cause and effect laws in the universe which bring consequences in life.
Key: As Christ Followers…Our battles start and need to be fought within the Spiritual realm
Most of the fights and battles we experience are the result of spiritual warfare, where the enemy fights like a secret insurgent.
Our enemy is an expert at getting us to focus on the natural world, so we won’t use the full armor of God to fight the battle.
But Romans 8:38 tells us that principalities cannot keep us from God’s love.
Our victories in Jesus come by humble obedience to the Lord and the Jesus-way is to humble yourself, die to yourself, and let God show His resurrection power through you.
When we fight with the Word of God, righteousness, faith, and prayer; no principalities or powers can stand against us.
The Apostle Paul gave a perfect lesson on Spiritual warfare in... 2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Strongholds in our life can be drugs, alcohol, love of money, sexual sins; but sometimes the strongholds are subtle, like apathy towards God; a cold heart, or even drifting away…
We need to be protected and armed because we engage in the battle through prayer and action.
In Ephesians 6:13, what is meant by the evil day?
“It is the moment, time, or day when one must do something particularly difficult, unpleasant, or stressful.”
There are moments in life when we are in the heat of a spiritual battle, more than other days.
It is during those times, that we are especially tempted and discouraged, that we need to be dressed form spiritual success.
For Christians, it is not if those days will come, but when those days come, we should already be dressed for the battle.
This exhortation from Paul is to be ready for the battle.
So Paul begins to give a description of what a soldier’s armor would look like.
IV. The Belt of Truth.
Read Ephesians 6:14a
The first piece of the Armor of God is the Belt of Truth. Why is the belt of truth foundational?The belt was important to the Roman soldier as the basis for the entire outfit for the soldier:
• The belt held the clothing up, but it also held clothing out of the way to enable the soldier to run and fight.
• The sword hung from the belt
• The bottom of the breastplate would rest on the belt
• There were plates that hung from the belt to protect the legs
How does the Belt of Truth relate to Christ followers?
First, the whole reason to put on the Belt of Truth is to stand against the schemes of the devil.
There is only one being in the entire universe who can stand against the devil and that is our Lord Jesus Christ.
The devil’s strategy is always done with fear and lies.
We know the Word of God is the ultimate truth and we need to put on Truth in order to stand against the schemes of the devil.
As Jesus was praying in John 17:17, He said to the Father; “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. NKJV
All things must conform to God’s truth; God is the creator of all things, and He only speaks the truth.
When the Bible says something is sin, but my flesh wants to continue doing that behavior, my flesh then says that thing may be truth for you, but not for me.
The enemy wants us to compartmentalize our lives; having a Sunday Christian me, verses a Monday through Saturday me.
Jesus said, John 8:31 "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." NKJV
It is the things that God has said in His bible that sets us free;
After Jesus faster 40 days in the desert and was tempted by Satan; Satan kept telling half truths to tempt Jesus, but Jesus answered him every time with God’s truth.
So the foundational piece of Armor is the Belt of Truth; and our faith, our hope, and the Promises of God all hinge on the Truth.
The Belt holds everything else in place and without Bible truth, all is lost; so the way we stand against the schemes of the devil begins with putting on the Belt of Truth.
V. The Breastplate of Righteousness.
Read Ephesians 6:14b
When a soldier went out to battle, he would need to be wearing his entire battle wardrobe in order to engage the enemy.
In the Tabernacle in the desert, the OT priests wore an Ephod.
God wanted Aaron to wear the “breast-piece” to symbolize that the high priest represented the people before God:
Exodus 28:29, “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart . . . as a continuing memorial before the Lord”
As Christians, we are called Priests unto God, representing the Lord to a lost world.
The breastplate for the Roman soldier was body armor worn mainly by the heavy infantry, and it was called a heart guard.
This breastplate served as protection for some of the most important parts of the body.
Underneath the breastplate is the heart, lungs and other organs necessary for life; if a soldier did not wear his breastplate, he was vulnerable to an attack that could result in instant death.
The breastplate of righteousness is so important for the life of a believer; so first let’s discuss what righteousness is.
Merriam Webster dictionary defines: righteousness = “Acting in accord with divine or moral law and free from guilt or sin.”
Jesus described righteousness in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. NKJV
The Bible’s standard of righteousness is God’s perfection.
There are some who read Matthew 5:48 and think that we have to try and live up to these standards in our own strength.
There are also some who say Christians have no obligation to live righteously, since we are saved by Grace and besides that, we are unable to live holy and righteous.
Like most things in Christianity, the truth lies within the middle.
If we do not protect ourselves with righteousness, we open ourselves up to attack from the enemy and can fall into temptation and sin.
To be righteous means to live our lives empowered by the Holy Spirit, this causes us to live in a way that is honorable to Him.
Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. NKJV
When we decide to live based on our own desires rather than God’s, we make decisions that are harmful to us and others.
There is a positional and a practical truth to righteousness.
1. There is a positional aspect of Christ’s righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. NKJV
For the Christ follower, at the moment we place our faith in Jesus Christ, our sins were instantly removed from us and His righteousness is instantly deposited into us.
By placing our faith, i/e. our trust in Christ; the Lord exchanges our sin for His righteousness as we receive the righteousness of God as a gift.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. NKJV
So since all of this is true and I have Christ’s righteousness living inside of me, why do I need a breastplate to protect me?
2. There is a practical side of Christ’s righteousness within the life of a believer; we are called to live it out.
The breastplate protected the vital organs of a soldier, the spiritual heart of a believer need to be protected as well.
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. NIV
The real person in us is made up of a mind, will and emotions and the heart is the centerpiece.
What weapons can we use for defense of our heart; the Word of God, prayer, obedience, and a surrendered life.
VI. The Shoes of peace.
Read Ephesians 6:15
Just as the Lord has given each of His followers His truth and righteousness; God also offers us the shoes of His peace.
Proper foot care has always really important. A soldier who does not take care of their feet will soon be out of commission and unable to fight properly.
The Roman infantry used swords, shields and many other kinds of hand to hand weapons; but if their feet were damaged, they would be out of the fight and usually killed.
Roman sandals were far superior to any other army and their technology surpassed any other sandal of their day.
The sole of these sandals were very thick and had long spikes on the bottoms which allowed him to have sure footing and dig into the ground so that they would not slip and fall during the fight.
Because of these sandals, while under attack, the Roman soldier would not be knocked over and would be able to stand firm.
Paul says having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. The word shod means to bind under.
These sandals were not loosely fitting flip flops but rather tight fitting shoes of battle.
Just as the shoes the Roman soldier wore protected him; when the peace of God is operating in the life of a believer, it protects and defends us from the assaults of the evil one.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. NKJV
The enemy will try to distract, disrupt and steal our peace whenever and however he can;
But we have the access to the equipment needed to live peaceably and be victorious.
1. The word preparation literally means, “A prepared foundation”.
A poorly constructed foundation can be dangerous to the occupants as well as the neighborhood around the building.
Well-built foundations keep the occupants of the building safe during calamities such as earthquake, floods, strong winds etc.
2. The Gospel.
The word Gospel means good tidings, good news, or the glad tidings of salvation through Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, NKJV
So the foundation that keeps us on solid ground is the Good news that though we were dead in our sins and trespasses, and God came as a man and made us alive together with Him.
Once we as believers trust in that truth, part of Christ’s commission is for us to share with those who don’t know.
God says those who share His good news and tell of His peace are beautiful.
The opposite of peace; the opposite of peace is fear, worry, and anxiety.
When we live in constant fear, worry or anxiety, it is a warning sign for believers that we have stepped onto the battle field barefoot.
The Lord offers us a peace that passes all human understanding
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. NKJV
The peace of God is available to all believers. As the evil one tries to push us around;
We can stand FIRM and even gain ground he has taken in the past.
This peace is available today! As Jesus was preparing to take the cross, He taught His followers about the upcoming events…
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. NKJV
Just hours before Jesus was crucified He was concerned for the peace and the joy of His followers.
VII. The Shield of Faith.
Read Ephesians 6:16
Archers during this time would sometimes use lit arrows in an attempt to set the wooden shields on fire; taking away any significant protection.
The "fiery darts" spoken of in this passage were made from a hollow reed; one end was stopped up and then the reed was filled with a flammable liquid.
So the Romans developed shields with a gap in-between the outer and inner plates which would extinguish the flame of the arrows due to the lack of oxygen in-between the wooden plates.
The shape of these shields allowed the soldiers to form a wall by overlapping their shields which also provided a barrier against arrows or other projectiles.
Soldiers used arrows with “fire” so the harm inflicted would continue after the initial attack.
Just as the Roman’s shield could stop flaming arrows; our faith extinguishes the flaming arrows of the evil one and prevents ongoing damage.
For a Christ follower, our faith in Christ has the power to stop or put out the fire from the enemy.
There are so many things that try and destroy our faith and open us up to attacks from the enemies flaming darts.
Darts; doubts from an unbelieving world, carnal behaviors, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
Our faith in Christ is not just getting a ticket to heaven; but a guard against the corrosive evil in the world.
VIII. The Helmet of Salvation.
Read Ephesians 6:17a
As a soldier was preparing for battle, the helmet was the last piece of armor they would put on while getting dressed.
The most common Roman soldier's helmet had bronze face masks and decorations. Some were made of leather covered with metal plates, and others were of heavy molded or beaten metal.
Because of the importance of the soldier’s ability to think, if his head was injured, the rest of the armor really didn’t matter.
The helmet would protect the head from injury, especially from the large sword used in the warfare of that day, which were able to split open any head of a soldier who was not fully protected.
Paul used the helmet to illustrate our salvation as a Christ follower who needs to protect their minds; because this is where the enemy tries to attack us with doubt and accusation.
To try and discourage us, the enemy will point to our failures, sins, and other negative things in our lives to make us lose confidence in the love of Jesus.
Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” NKJV
This verse is teaching the real person exists within their heart;
Ultimately, this Proverb clearly shows us the connection between our thought life and our very soul.
A helmet was used to protect the brain, which as Proverbs 23:7 says; directs the …soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
Trusting in what Jesus Christ accomplished on Calvary’s Cross, instantly saves us from the penalty of sin, so “Satan wants to attack our mind, and attach the Word of God.
The Helmet represents a mind controlled by the Lord;
When a Christian fails to surrender to God, allowing Him to control their heart and mind; they open themselves to spiritual attacks from the enemy.
As Christ followers, we need to be sure and guard our minds…
When the Lord controls the mind of a person, Satan cannot lead that person astray and that person enjoy God’s perfect peace.
IX. The Sword of the Spirit.
Read Ephesians 6:17b
The favored weapon of the Roman military was a sword called the gladius. This sword was designed for hand to hand combat and was between 14-18 inches in length.
This allowed the Romans to easily attack by moving their shields aside, quickly stabbing their opponent and then retracting to put their defenses right back into place.
The sword was used both as an offensive and defensive weapon by soldiers; but mainly the sword was used offensively in battle.
For a Christian soldier, our sharp two-edged sword that can be both an offensive and defensive weapon is the Word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. NKJV
The Word of God knows our motives, thoughts and intents of our heart it can help us discern our next move in Spiritual battles
In battles, we can use the Word of God to block and fight our enemy the same way Jesus fought the temptations of Satan
The Sword of the Spirit is not fought with a Bible which is left on the shelf; because dusty Bibles don’t scare the devil.
The Psalmist said in Psalm 119:11, Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. NKJV
When you commit scripture to memory and then find yourself in a spiritual battle, you will be able to use the Sword to defend yourself and even gain back, previously lost ground.
Like Roman soldiers, Christians need to be trained to know how to handle the Sword of the Spirit, “which is the word of God.”
Paul told his protégé Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. NKJV
Every Christ follower experiences spiritual battles from time to time so we need to know how to handle the Word of God.
The Sword enables us to withstand the schemes of our enemy.
The Bible is the written Word of God, while Jesus is the physical Word of God. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The more we know the written and physical Word of God, the more we will be able to do the will of God and be equipped in order to stand against the enemy of our souls.
X. Praying always.
Read Ephesians 6:18-20
Prayer is admitting we cannot go through life on our own and. Prayer is seeking God’s power and it is also a way of enjoying a relationship with Him.
Christianity is having a personal relationship with our Lord, not a list of rules and regulations.
How can you maintain a relationship with someone that you have not maintained an ongoing communication with?
“praying always with all prayer and supplication.”
Supplication can be translated as petitioning, which is the most common form of prayer where we ask the Lord to provide something either for ourselves or someone else.
To supplicate means to humbly and earnestly ask of the Lord.
Supplication is an attitude or spirit of prayer, where we bow our hearts to the Lord as we cry out to Him for an answer.
Next we see, Praying in the Spirit: Praying in the Spirit means to be aware and sensitive with submission to the Holy Spirit’s leading as we pray.
When we are unable to pray…The Holy Spirit intercedes for us. To intercede means to intervene on behalf of another.
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Romans 8:27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. NKJV
There are occasions when we don’t know what to pray or there are times we are too overwhelmed with a situation.
Maybe our hearts are burdened. I think of a two year old saying something to me and their mom has to interpret what they meant
This is the same idea when the Holy Spirit prays to the Father on our behalf.
He takes the burdens from our hearts and makes them a cohesive prayer as He takes them into the throne room of God for us.
But notice, the Holy Spirit is praying for the will of the Father. Prayer is meant to seek God’s will for the situation.
Just as the Sword of the Spirit was an offensive weapon; so is prayer. They are both to be used to further the Gospel of Christ.
Paul is often looked at as some sort of super saint who had super natural powers.
Paul was just a man, who was submitted to the Holy Spirit, who then did some super natural things through him.
Notice Paul says pray for me that I may be able to share the Gospel in such a way which will reveal the mystery of the Gospel to lost people.
The fact Paul was asking for prayer makes evident the fact, there were spiritual battles going on behind the scenes where the enemy was trying to prevent the Gospel from being heard.
Satan has a two-fold ministry;
a. Satan does not want anyone to come to a saving faith in Jesus as he desires to take as many people to hell with him.
b. If Satan fails from keeping someone from Faith in Christ; he then tries to render a believer useless by distracting them with things of the world and spiritual battles.
Prayer is our greatest offensive weapon and without it the Church fails to accomplish what we are called to do.
Our battles will not be won by the flesh.
We must be filled with the Spirit of God and trust in Him to get the job done.
We must have faith, not fear. We must pray, not panic.
We need to run toward the Lord, and follow Him.
And then we can depart in peace because we have the Lord’s armor on.
