EPH.6:10-18 “HOW TO WHOOP THE DEVIL!”
A) There can be no permanent victory in the lives of God’s children until they see the fact
that Satan was defeated at Calvary! * He’s already been whooped!
* John 12:31-32 “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast
out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
* Believers will not be able to face the satanic floodtide by which they are confronted unless we
learn to use the power and victory that Calvary gives us to defeat Satan!
* Isa.59:19b “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift .......”
B) What is that standard? * CALVARY! * We must proclaim this boldly!
* Look at Heb.2:14-15 “... destroy him ...” * Can you have anything stronger than that?
* The Greek word means: “rendered powerless, put out of action.” * The cross does that!
* The Bible says that “we are buried with Him,” and the devil can’t follow you there!
* Paul tells us how we can defeat the devil in our own lives, and here it is!
(1) PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD! * This is a warrior’s armour!
* We need to realize that we are Christian Soldiers ... We are on a battlefield, not a playground!
* Remember ... Paul was in prison and under constant guard when writing to the Ephesian church!
* He was forced to stare at the soldier’s armour day in and day out! * He had an ideal picture of
the armour needed by the Christian soldier to combat the forces of evil.
A) v.14 “Having you loins girt about with truth.” * The belt of truth!
* The belt was used to hold the soldier’s clothing next to his body!
* This would keep his clothing from flapping about and allowed him freedom of movement!
* The belt was also used to strengthen and support the body!
* What specifically is the belt of truth? * What is God’s truth that the believer is to put on?
B) First: Christ is truth - John 14:6! * The believer is to put on Christ! * Look at Eph.4:24
* What that means is, “The new man is Christ formed in the believer!”
* Gal.3:27 “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
* Rom.13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the .......”
* Second: The Word of God is truth - John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word ...”
* The Psalmist said in Psa.119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin .......”
* Third: Speaking and living a life of truthfulness is the truth! * Eph.4:25 .......
* Truth does several things for the Christian soldier!
* It keeps him from flapping about from one thing to another ... From being tossed to and fro by
every attack of the enemy – Eph.4:14 “That we henceforth be no more .......”
* It keeps him from becoming entangled with the affairs of this life – 2Tim.2:3-4 “Thou therefore
endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth .......”
* It supports him in the battles and trials of life - Heb.2:17-18 “Wherefore in all things it behoved
him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in
things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself
hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”
* Succour – To aid or relieve or to help a person in time of need, distress, or danger!
C) v.14 “And having on the breastplate of righteousness!”
* The breastplate covered the body of the soldier from the neck to the thighs!
* It was used to protect the most vital organ ... The heart!
D) The believer’s heart is focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness, and that
focus must be protected! * The sign of the Christian soldier is righteousness!
* When a man is saved, God imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to him!
* Or to say it another way, God counts him righteous!
* However, it is not enough to stand in the righteousness of Christ!
* The Christian soldier must protect his heart! * This he does by living righteously!
* Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath ... Teaching us .......”
* Righteousness keeps the heart from ever being wounded and losing its focus!
E) v.15 “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”
* The word shod means to put on shoes or sandals! * Sandals were part of a soldier’s armour!
* The sandals were a sign of readiness - readiness to march and to do battle!
* The Roman sandals were made with nails that gripped the ground firmly even when it was
sloping and slippery! * The sign of the Christian soldier is readiness .......
* A readiness to march and bear witness to the gospel, and to be firmly grounded!
* A Soldier can’t fight without sure footing, so that he can move forward in battle!
* Heb.2:1 “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which .......”
* Oh, by the way ... The soldier’s shoes are not the dancing slippers of the world, or the lounging
slippers of the slothful .......
* But the shoes of the Christian warrior who knows Christ and makes Him known! * GO YE ...
F) v.16 “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all .......”
* This shield was not a small round shield, but a huge oblong shield where the soldier could
literally hide behind! * It would protect him from the fiery darts thrown by the enemy!
* The darts were dipped in pitch or some other kind of combustible material and set afire.
* When they struck, they served the purpose of small fiery bombs!
* Satan has his fiery darts, but we can quench them with our faith in God!
G) This is the only part of the armour that is mobile! * This protects the parts not covered!
* The only part of the body not covered is your back! * The last thing you want to do is turn your
back on the enemy! * We must face him head on! * Depend on your shield of faith!
* Faith says, “Christ’s victory on Calvary is mine, therefore Satan must bow to Jesus Christ!”
H) v.17 “And take the helmet of salvation,” * The need for the helmet is obvious!
* You can survive the loss of a limb ... Certain organs can be repaired or replaced!
* But nobody can survive the loss of a brain!
* The helmet covered the head and the mind of the soldier!
* The head, of course, was the core of the soldier’s power to wage war!
I) His thinking ability was the most important factor in determining his victory or defeat!
* Therefore, the soldier needed a helmet to protect his head and mind!
* The devil really wants to attack us through our minds! * GUARD IT!
* We must have self control of our thoughts instead of our thoughts over us!
* A man who has no self control is easily influenced by satanic power!
J) v.17 “And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”
* The sword was a weapon used for both offense and defense!
* The sword was used both to protect and to fight off and slay the enemy!
* I like what Dr. Wilton says ... “The Bible is our playbook!”
* Imagine the Carolina Panthers not having a playbook .......!
K) If you read and study the Bible, you’ll know the plays to run to score!
* Dusty Bibles mean dirty lives! * You will not do what is right if you are not aware of what
is right! * You’ve got to know the playbook!
* When you have God’s Word in your life, you’re ready to get it on with the devil, even if it’s on
his own turf! * Without God’s Word, we are in trouble!
* One of the reasons you learn the Word of God is so that you can have Bible studies with the
devil! * Satan can handle you ... But he can’t handle the Word of God!
* Jesus proved that in Matt.4:1-11! * Hunger ... Pinnacle (Jump) ... Kingdoms ... (3 strikes)
L) God told us in order to defeat the devil, we must put on the whole armour of God!
* How do we put it on? * You can’t go to K-Mart or WalMart and pick this armour up!
* Paul says in v.18, we put it on through prayer!
* How do we defeat the devil? * By putting on the whole armour of God!
(2) KNOW HIS DEVISES! * 2Cor.2:11 “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we ...”
* Any power, influence, or doctrine that is contrary to the Scriptures is not of God!
A) God’s Spirit ALWAYS works in accordance to the Scriptures!
* Satan’s plans are subtle and cunning ... He attacks at unexpected times and forms!
* 1 Pet.5:8 “ ... a roaring lion ...” * But he doesn’t always come in that form!
* Turn to 2Cor.11:13-15 * Satan will use anything and everything to make the Christian Stumble!
* He will even use other Christians to make you stumble and fall!
* Such as: Fault finding, whispering, gossiping, or slander to anyone, judging or seeking to hurt
someone! * Christians ... Learn his devises!
(3) GIVE HIM NO PLACE! * Eph.4:27 “Neither give ...” * Satan is known as the prince of .......
* A prince is a ruler and he wants to rule in our lives and he won’t quit trying!
* The more God’s children recognize that the devil has no rights to our lives, the more aggressive
they will be against him! * At home this past Tuesday, I ran the devil out of my house!
* Satan has no claim over you, and when he comes against you, give him no place!
(4) LAST: RESIST HIM! * James 4:7 “Submit .......” * There are 2 things in this verse ...
A) First: “Submit!” * To be under obedience! * “God, here I am at Your disposal!”
* Second: “Resist!” * To stand against, oppose! * The devil is a liar!
* We can’t resist the devil if we’re not submitting ourselves to God!
CLOSE:
A) Satan’s plan is to deceive you! * He deceives people about salvation!
* Satan says to you, “You’re not such a bad person.”
* You’re a Christ rejecter, and you say you’re not a bad person?
* Remember the story of Pharaoh and Moses ... After the plague of flies, Pharaoh said ...
* “I’ll let you go, but stay in Egypt and sacrifice to your God.”
* The devil tells people, “You can be saved and still live like the world.”
* That’s a lie! * NO YOU CAN’T!!! * The Bible says, “Be ye holy ...”
B) Exo.8:28 “I’ll let you go, but don’t go far away.” * Total commitment!
* Exo.10:24-26 “Go serve the Lord, but take no sacrifices.” * Sell out ... Forsake all for Christ!
