To live in this world of evil, sin, and temptation you need all the protection and help you can get. The bible says we need the whole armor of God. The spiritual warfare that we face day in and day out can ware down your defenses. Spiritual strength and courage are needed for our spiritual warfare and suffering. The Christian armor is made to be worn; daily in all life’s situations. There is no putting on our armor until we have planned our warfare, and finished our course. No soldier puts on his armor after the battle and after everything has been thrown at him. That’s as bad as putting on the suntan lotion after you already have been sunburned and have been in the sun for hours.
Let’s Pray
Ephesians 6:11-18
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
I. In the battlefield that we go in to every day we need all the protection we can get
A. We must take a stand for our faith and our beliefs (11-12)
1. We cannot depend on other to stand of us
2. Other may be by your side
3. Once you relax you are fair game
4. The major breakthroughs in faith are during life’s battles.
B. You need to put on the “full armor of God”
1. One missing piece can be a disaster
2. You cannot pick and chose
3. A missing piece leaves a weak spot in your defense
4. The enemy never attacks a strong point of defense; only the weak
5. He only goes for the weakest link
C. Individually your parts are weak
1. All parts together make a stronger defense
a. If you only had a shield
b. If you only had a spear
2. It is a unique armor not every day defenses
3. It is a spiritual battle
a. It is a battle of the heart and soul
b. It is mental not physical
c. If that were the case we would go to the gym
d. In this case we need the word and the Holy Spirit of strength
D. Verse 13 says that “will be able to resist in the evil day”
1. “Will be able” means it will come not that it might
a. There will be tough days ahead
b. Struggles of the Cocoon (Story)
c. Evil will come your way
2. Each of us fight different types of battles daily
a. Often time the battle happens unexpectedly
b. It comes from time to time like when Jesus was tempted
1. Luke 1:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
2. The evil one will return from time to time
c. We fight battles from unexpected sources
1. People you we thought were friends
E. We must resist all the advances each day of evil to give us strength
1. Daily battles gives us the conditioning to fight daily
2. Just as a baseball player practices (hitters)
a. Becomes natural
b. Becomes automatic as a reflex
F. We must resolve by God’s grace, not to yield to Satan.
1. The devil must flee
a. James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you
2. If we give way, he will get ground.
3. Give Satan an inch and he wants to be a ruler
4. Always be prepared with God’s word
a. 2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction
b. Always be prepared to defend yourself and your beliefs
II. Let’s look at our defensive Items
A. “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist”
1. Belt of truth of the Lord
2. The truth needs no other defense
3. The belt of truth holds your garment together
a. You will not falter and expose your flesh of weakness
4. It holds the sheath of your sword
5. It keeps you from injury in walking in lies and deception
B. “with the breastplate of righteousness in place”
1. Truth and righteousness go hand in hand. As Solomon wrote in Proverbs
b. Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
2. Some people will not understand how you can depend so much on your armor
c. John 1:5 The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.
1. They don’t understand how to defeat your defenses or why
3. The breastplate protects the heart
a. Your heart is one of the weakest points
b. By working on your heart evil can cloud your way and vision
c. When your heart is not right you are vulnerable
4. The breastplate also covers your back as well.
a. Evil will attack from any direction
b. It will sneak up on you when you least expect it
C. “and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace”
1. A firm footing and foundation is vital
2. Be steadfast and unmovable in the stance of your faith
a. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
b. 2 Peter 3:17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,
D. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,
1. The firm foundation of faith is the most critical of all
2. Your shield is what you use to deflect the items “fiery darts”
a. The testing of your faith give you strength as James wrote
b. James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
c. Like the athlete or runner that practices
3. Like many miracles in the bible “your faith has made you whole”.
E. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”
1. Helmet guards our minds and thought process
2. Spiritual battles take place in our minds
3. Fight the fight daily as Paul wrote to Timothy
a. 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
4. Be like Paul when he wrote to Timothy
a. 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
b. You cannot fight without all the proper armor
F. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions all kinds of prayers and requests.
1. Prayer is your communication of the battle plan and supply line with the Lord
2. God is the master strategist
3. His plan is always perfect; His support without failure
a. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing;
Put on the full armor
Belt of Truth – reflects your lifestyle and the strength of your faith and your walk in the spirit
Breastplate of Righteousness – when you’re in Christ you look, live, and act like Christ
Shoes of readiness – always be ready; 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you………….
Shield of faith – don’t lapse into fear; Isaiah 35:4 Say to those with anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you."
Helmet of Salvation – stand firm in what you know that are the promises and grace of God
Sword of the Spirit – wield it skillfully; Use the word of God to skillfully defending yourself in battle of evil
What shape is your armor in? Is your sword of the word in sharp and ready for battle? Is your foundation of faith grounded and firmly rooted? Can you stand up to the force of evil that seeks you every day? Do you have an open line of communication to your support and master strategist? Once you get in to battle and need prayer that is no time to have to introduce yourself to God. How far do you think you will get asking a stranger for help in battle? 2 Chronicles 20:15…….Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.
