Understanding Spiritual Battle: Our weapons for battle
Text: Eph. 6:14-20
Big Idea: We have what it takes to take on the devil with God on our side and the weapons He supplies
Our culture is much like the man who asked his wife what she’d like for her birthday. "I’d love to be six again," she replied. On the morning of her birthday, he got her up bright and early and off they went to a local theme park. What a day! He put her on every ride in the park: the Death Slide, the Screaming Loop, the Wall of Fear, everything there was. Wow! Five hours later she staggered out of the theme park, her head reeling and her stomach upside down. Right to a McDonald’s they went, where her husband ordered her a Big Mac along with extra fries and a refreshing chocolate shake. Then it was off to a movie - the latest Star Wars epic, and hot dogs, popcorn, Pepsi Cola and M&M’s. What a fabulous adventure! Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed. He leaned over and lovingly asked, "Well, dear, what was it like being six again?"
One eye opened. "You dope, I meant my dress size."
This is what goes on with many of us. We have selective hearing don’t we? God word’s tells us main problem here with the world is spiritual but most of people seem to be stucked on the physical. Remember the time in which or historical context of Paul when he was writing this letter to the Ephesians.
See 6:20 – “an ambassador in chains.” I.e. He is in prison.
Is it not interesting that in his time of being in jail, he did not issue any command to strike down the evil Roman Empire? He did not incite others to open rebellion, organized terror campaigns, condone suicide attacks, or launch air strikes against the people who threatened him. He did not even go and rally his followers to set up public “peaceful” demonstrations, staged a walkout, or any goon tactics that so often is a prelude to rioting to intimidate the people who put him in jail. He recognizes the conflict goes beyond the earthly sphere; it is fought in the spiritual realm. Hence, no use trying to throw earth bound solutions to our mega problems. What we need is spiritual reformation, no overthrow of human political governments will offer lasting solutions. If it were so, Jesus would have said, my kingdom is of this world and I will see to it y’all die for this travesty of justice for putting me on trial for a crime I did not commit. On the cross he cried “father forgive them” rather than incinerate them, or a menacing “I’ll be back.” Jesus Himself knows the battle is spiritual, to defeat the evil forces of sin and death, darkness of the devil.
Always remember Jesus’ exact words as recorded in John 18:36 were: “Jesus said, "My kingdom IS NOT OF THIS WORLD. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." So it follows that Paul, looking around at the Roman soldier close by him, drew inspiration from the armor-clad soldier rather than planning overthrow of the Romans or just be down in the dumps, moping around, saying “poor-me” or spitting abuse at the poor guy who is following orders. God used Paul’s experience in jail to illustrate the spiritual conflict all Christians will face.
He looked at his own time in jail IN A REDEMPTIVE WAY and he sees it as a spiritual battle experience calling for prayer rather than a battle with his jailer (v.19-20). He sees that time as an opp for mission, his eyes are set on sp. Goal? What about you? What is your experience of prison? What do you confined by? Do you feel imprisoned by a lousy circumstance like Paul? What is it? Life can be nasty, can be overwhelming, can feel like a prison sentence? Are you overcome by it or have you learn to be an overcomer fuelled by God’s strength and mission?
But so often, in our culture that denies the supernatural, we are tempted to look for a physical solution to everything. Education – it appears, is the favorite answer to everything. It seems that no matter what the problem, whether it is AIDS, gun violence, school violence, teens speeding on the roads, domestic violence, rape, alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling, or anything else, the solution, in the mind of our culture, always involves more education. But are we not the most educated generation ever? Has it prevented war, given us peace, stopped bullies, reduced drug-use, led to better less corrupt government?
We also like to throw a lot of money and resources at our problems. We think that if a problem gets enough funding it will go away. Seen any improvement in health care ever since doctors got paid more? Seen any improvement in Quebec’s relationship with the rest of Canada because we are now hearing millions being poured into advertising by the Liberal government in Quebec due to the referendum held in Quebec several years? Our PM getting lot of heat about it, right? Seen any improvement in traffic, buses, because of the raise in prices of transit tickets? Seen any improvement in New York Rangers who threw money at the feet of hockey superstars? Seen any improvement in the quality of the dialogue in the Attack of the Clones because the creator of Star Wars have poured millions into his latest Star Wars adventure? Even the New York Yankees with the most money in baseball could not guarantee a win against the worst paid teams every time they meet, is that not true?
In a culture like ours today, it seems so easy for the church to begin to fall into a mentality that there is a physical solution for every problem. If that’s really the case, we would have the greatest revival in history, we are the richest most educated generation and it is still going haywire! But are we not jailed by what we can see by our physical eyes? What we see is what we think really happens. And are we ever so wrong!
To ensure victory, we need see beyond the physical, we need to see the spiritual side of things; Recognizing there is spiritual battle going on, which we cannot win by mere human resources.
We gotta have spiritual strategy equipped with spiritual weaponry to stand up against spiritual forces.
1. Imagery of war-cry given: Shout: v.10 “FINALLY BE STRONG IN THE LORD” - Stott’s “henceforth” explanation (last week’s sermon)
2. Instruction on preparation: Strategy: “Put on the full armor of God…”
3. Intention: Stand against the devil’s scheme, come up standing your ground, heroic imagery!
4. Invading forces: Strong, cannot defeat it by your self or earthly methods, need God’s full armor.
Question: what ‘s the full armor? Armor that u cannot see…
Details on what you need to be strong in the Lord…
A. TRUTH – trusting God to hold you up, not be ashamed. What is truth? Jn. 14:6 Jesus: I am… the Truth!
B. RIGHTEOUSNESS – trusting God to make you right, not your efforts
Christ’s righteousness, is given as free gift to us… trust in that.
Rom 3:10 - As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;…
Rom 3:21-24
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
C. PEACE READINESS – trusting God for peace protective support – from the gospel of peace. Trust God for protective support. Trials are there not to make us less peaceful, or just to have stress, just to trouble us, but for character development. Know in the heart, by the Spirit in you, you have peace with God, not your circumstance, God’s not at war with you, gain sense of support from that!
Rom 5:1-5 (NLT)
1Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
3We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. 4And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. 5And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
D. FAITH – trusting God when you can’t feel, sense or touch Him. In the dark when the flaming arrows hit. Heb.11 classic example of folks who did not get all that was promised but looked forward to another day.
E. SALVATION – trusting God for your eternal security, that you have been rescued from the dark side. Jesus death and resurrection is key to this!
F. WORD OF GOD – sword of spirit and PRAY IN THE SPIRIT – i.e. not a legalistic law, not words on a page but a living word that burns in the heart, it is in the spirit, i.e. sword of the spirit, living in you. it is relational… trusting in God’s personal word to you and being personal with God, touching the spiritual.
Heb. 4:12
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
If not speaking to air, wishful thinking. Jesus is the Word made flesh… so we can relate to God, not a word made law, not a word made idea, not a word made fast food, not a word made magical formula, but a word made flesh, to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him, to worship, to converse with Him in prayer in the spirit! Only two weapons of offense – word and prayer.
John Beck used to be a football star for the Univ. of KY. Later on he became a preacher & was named as Chaplain of the U.S. Olympic Teams. For a number of years he traveled with our Olympic Teams all over the world, leading in their devotions, counseling & praying with many of the athletes.
As he watched these young men & women train for the events in which they competed, he decided that this was a picture of what Christianity really ought to be. Here were people who were sincere & fervent & dedicated to the task before them. They were willing to pay any price, regardless of how much
suffering or pain they had to endure. They were willing to pay any price to be #1, to win.
Then one day John Beck was invited to visit the Special Olympics. Special Olympics, as you know, are made up of special athletes. All of them suffer from some kind of mental or physical impairment.
He watched them as 8 runners lined up for the 100-yard dash. They all took off when the starting gun fired, & he was amazed at how good they actually were. But as they reached halfway in the race, one of the boys fell down, skinned his knee on the track, & started to cry.
He said that what happened next was both beautiful & amazing. All 7 of the other runners stopped, & all 7 of them turned around & went to the boy who had fallen. Together they helped him to his feet. And the 8 walked to the finish line together. Beck said that he then realized that he had seen the true meaning of Christianity, not in the Olympics, but in the Special Olympics.
Our highly competitive world seems always to be saying that the only thing that counts is #1. I understand and appreciate the need for excellence, to be number one. But I know a better way. Will you pay the price to pick up the fallen especially when in the battle when falls?
Some of us have fallen… hear again Jesus picks us up… He races with us, walks with us, the Lord is there in our spills, when we skin our knees, when we cry, He is God with us! He paid the price of his blood spilled on the cross to pick us up… so that we can be co-heirs with Him, rule with Him, be winners, not losers, in the war, to cross the finish line. Also in this story, just as the 7 runners stopped to help the fallen boy, the Lord also sends his soldiers to pick up each other… our wounded… let’s not shoot the wounded, rather help another to the finish line! Say we will not leave the wounded behind…
In the illustration what’s beautiful is the imagery of team work to battle and win together.
That’s what is intended too in Eph. 6. “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Spiritual battle is not for one individual against Satan and his hordes. It is a team effort. Keep lifting up each other, esp. the wounded fallen one. They need prayer. We are in this together, under one Lord, one God, united in the Spirit.
Eph.4:1-6
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO KEEP the UNITY OF THE SPIRIT through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
So I want to ask is Spirit moving you towards deeper prayer, group prayer, prayer for one another, bearing with one another in love?
Will you say “Sign me up for small group prayer.” Note how the Apostle Paul needed it (v.19-20), for he senses fear too, in a world that looks like evil is winning. He too urges others to surround him with prayer, so must we sign up for prayer and be prayed for by others. This is how Christians stand firm!
Ample opportunities here Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays… I have office hours too, let’s work on this spiritual battling in strength and power of GOD not our own human efforts/resources. Glad some of you do this already… but some haven’t, do it will you?
Stand firm in the truth… your physical earthly circumstances may be rotten, but remind yourself that evil exists, it is not an illusion and the enemy is strong. This battle goes on, but the WAR is WON! You will need God’s armor, God’s strength and power and transform the seemingly dark moments of defeat in victory…
On January 9, 1985, a Congregational pastor in Bulgaria named Christo Kuleczef, was arrested and put in jail. His crime was preaching in his church, just like I am right now. It was a crime because the week before the village committee had appointed a new pastor. The secular committee who runs the village put a new pastor in even though the Congregational church doesn’t recognize any pastors but the ones they elect and install. So he preached, and they clamped him in jail immediately, and he immediately began to share Christ and make the truth known while he was in prison. He had a trial. It was a mockery of justice, and he was sentenced to eight months.
He did his eight months, got out, and wrote these words: "Both prisoners and jailers asked many questions, and we had a more fruitful ministry there than we could have expected in church. God was better served by our presence in prison than if we had been free."
There are a thousand stories like that in the world today, and there are more than a thousand from the centuries of church history. The lesson is simple. God uses what looked like defeat through the persecution and suffering to spread the winning truth of Christ and to bring blessing to the world if we can see the battle is spiritual not against flesh and blood.
1 Peter 5:6-9
6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Here is Jesus, a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Here is a friend who cares. He invites you and I to cast all our anxieties on him. Not letting them strangle the joy, the victory, the peace. He loved you with a passionate/undying love and died for your sins on the cross. He promises to never leave you and to take you to heaven.
Perhaps you have felt arrows of the devil hit you recently, feel like giving up on Christ, as you the pain of another person’s sin, or feel betrayed by God even? Hurt, because you trusted someone so much, let you down? You feel you can’t trust anyone anymore? Perhaps there other wars inside you?
Remember the enemy is vicious, looking to devour, he will take your anxieties and blow it out of proportion, to get to you. Don’t let him sabotage your faith, resist him with your spiritual armor. Let Christ’s word, his truth, righteousness, peace, live in you, let your faith arise in the ashes, let others pray for you?
Have you received Jesus as your friend? Saviour and Lord?
If not let me pray for you. Let us bow our heads in prayer…
