INTRODUCTION
• Today we are going to finish our look at the full armor of God. Over the last couple of weeks we have seen who our enemy is and we started to look at some of the equipment that God has given to us so that we can win the battle we fight with the enemy each and every day.
• The U.S. Military has some of the most sophisticated equipment the world has ever seen. It amazes me to see how the military can have a line of 7 cars and they can take out the second and fifth car in the line without hitting any of the other ones.
• What would happen if our military had all of these fabulous weapons, but did not know how to use them? The weapons would be useless. God gives us some wonderful weapons so that we can successful conquer the enemy. We need to know what we have and how to use it. I believe as I said before that we do not take the enemy as seriously as we should. I believe we do not spend the proper amount of time learning how to use the weapons that are at our disposal. Then we get mad at God when we struggle and fail.
• Aqaba in 1917 seemed impregnable. Any enemy vessel approaching the port would have to face the battery of huge naval guns above the town. Behind Aqaba in every direction lay barren, waterless, inhospitable desert. To the east lay the deadly "anvil of the sun." The Turks believed Aqaba to be safe from any attack. But they were wrong. Lawrence of Arabia led a force of irregular Arab cavalry across the "anvil of the sun." Together, they rallied support among the local people. On July 6, 1917, the Arab forces swept into Aqaba from the north, from the blind side. A climactic moment of the magnificent film Lawrence of Arabia is the long, panning shot of the Arabs on their camels and horses, with Lawrence at their head, galloping past the gigantic naval guns that are completely powerless to stop them. The guns were facing in the wrong direction. Aqaba fell, and the Turkish hold on Palestine was broken, to be replaced by the British mandate and eventually by the State of Israel. The Turks failed to defend Aqaba because they made two mistakes. They did not know their enemy, and they did not have the right weapons. We must be careful not to make the same mistakes. Ephesians 6:12 makes it very clear who our enemy is: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world."
• Today we are going to learn about taking up our shield, protecting our head and we will look at the offensive weapon we have to fight with!
• READ EPHESIANS 6:16-17
SERMON
I. GRAB YOUR SHIELD
• Verse 16 says that will all the other armor of God we are given, in addition to the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of the gospel of peace, we are to take up some additional items.
• The first of these is the shield of faith!
• If you remember, last week I said that the vast majority of combat in the days of Paul was hand to hand. No soldier would want to engage the enemy without a shield.
• There were a couple of different types of shields used by the soldier. One was a small one that attached to the arm that was used to deflect the blows of an enemy soldier at close range. The other one was a large one that was as wide as a soldier and about 4 feet high.
• They were made out of leather many times and before battle they were soaked in water so that when the enemy would fire flaming arrows at them, the flame would not burn through the leather.
• This type of shield was more than just a piece of personal protection. The shield was made to interlock with the shields of other soldiers. The shields formed a “portable wall” for the protection of the whole army, when soldiers stood side by side. This made a wall of protection for all the soldiers.
• In verse 16 this is the type of shield Paul speaks of.
• When an army was approaching the people would take arrows and dip them in a pitch solution and fire flaming arrows at approaching army. The wetted shields would extinguish the flaming arrows. The wall of shields would also protect the army.
• What do was use to deflect the flaming arrows of the evil one? What kind of arrows does he shoot at us?
• He shoots arrows of doubt, pain, anguish, persecution, greed, lust, envy, along with many other kinds of arrows.
• When do we have the most trouble extinguishing the flaming arrows of the enemy? When our faith is lacking, when we are in the midst of doubt about God.
• We can repel the arrows of the enemy with our shield of faith. This shield protects us from long range attacks!
• 1 JOHN 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith.
• The Christian soldier is defended by the shield of his faith. Whatever Satan throws at us can be successfully deflected by complete trust in God. Whether the onslaught comes in a heavy barrage of temptation or as an isolated dart of discouragement, depression, or despair, faith is our victory (1 John 5:4). Though Satan would have us throw down our shields and flee in panic, we can have utter confidence that God is able to protect and provide in all circumstances. (College Press Commentary, Ephesians)
• As your faith gets stronger, your ability to fend off the attacks of the enemy gets stronger also!
• As we saw last week, Satan used the flaming arrow of doubt when he attacked Eve in the garden. Had Eve had more faith in the one who created her, she would have been able to extinguish the flaming dart of doubt that was shot at her.
• I said the shield Paul spoke of was made to interlock with the shield of other soldiers.
• Think this one out. When you are being attacked, which would be stronger; you fighting the enemy alone or you fighting with brothers and sisters in Christ who are fellow soldiers of God’s army?
• Unless you are Arnold you will be stronger fighting along side the brethren. Remember, you do not have to engage the enemy alone, let other Christians lock shields with you!
II. DON’T FORGET YOUR HELMET
• Verse 17 reminds us to take up the helmet of salvation!
• A helmet protected the head from any injury that would hamper your ability to fight or live!
• Cecil Conrad was a farm boy, tired of waking up at the crack of dawn to clean up after cows. He lied about his age, joined the Army and helped free Asia from the Axis. But it was in the next war, battling Communists in Korea, that Conrad might truly have regretted his change of career. In a too-shallow foxhole, somewhere north of Seoul, the 188th Airborne Division soldier held his gun close to his head, trying to shield himself from fast-flying ordnance that "whistled through the air like birds tweeting," he said. Then the world exploded in his face. "It was like being smacked with a baseball bat. It knocked me backwards," Conrad said. Dirt had hit him, a chunk of sod flung up by a shell, Conrad thought, as he gradually accepted the fact that he was still alive. Then he touched his helmet, and felt the hole that a shell had torn out of the steel. "I knew a piece of sod couldn’t do that," he said. By the laws of nature, that big bullet ought to have kept on going, making a fatal journey through his skull and brain. Instead, it struck the steel at such an angle that it cut through the metal and then arced away. He had a bruise and a headache, but he would live to tell the story. Conrad still has that old helmet, with its tell-tale furrow in the brow. A Korean vet thankful for the helmet that saved his life. (www.sermoncentral.com)
• We need to remember the battle with the enemy is a battle for the mind. We need something to protect the mind from being attacked.
• 1 THESS 5:8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
• The helmet of the legionnaire was made of bronze, often with two hinged cheek-pieces fastened by a chin-band. On marches the helmet was not worn, but slung on a strap. Putting on the helmet marked the beginning of battle. The Christian soldier is protected by the helmet of salvation. It is this hope (1 Thess 5:8) of eternal life, in one sense already a present reality (Eph 2:8), that gives assurance of final victory.
• Verse 17 tells us to “take up” or helmet of salvation. This phrase means to accept it. When the enemy is trying to fill your head with lies concerning God’s love for you and for the salvation we have received, we need to continually accept our salvation as a fact.
• Many times Satan will attack our position in Christ. Most of us realize we do not deserve the salvation we have, and Satan plays on that every time we make a mistake or whenever we sin and realize we need to repent.
• We do that a lot. Make sure you go into battle with your helmet of salvation!
III. LEARN HOW TO USE YOUR SWORD.
• The last piece of the armor of God we are going to look at is the sword. Now we have something to fight with!
• All the other armor was for our protection. The sword is also, but with the sword we can attack the enemy also!
• The sword was important to the survival of the soldier because it how you would fend off the enemy combatant.
• The sword of the Spirit is the word of God.
• The word, “word” means more than general statements it deals with individual words or particular statements.
• What does that mean? What is means is that we are to know God’s Word in a very deep way. We are to be able to precisely handle the Word.
• I wish I could get everyone to understand just how important it is for us to KNOW God’s word. If in six months you were to put you on deserted island with NOTHING, and the only way you would survive is to read a certain book, I bet all of us would read it carefully and study it.
• 2 TIMOTHY 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
• How many of us can accurately handle the Word of God? I still have a lot to learn.
• I went from knowing NOTHING other than what I saw on TV to preaching within a few years of being a Christian. I did this even before I went to Bible College.
• It happened because I took the time to read and study. We can all do that!
• Well, if you are going to be victorious, you need to know the Word of God.
• The Word of God is powerful! ROMANS 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
• It has the power of cut through to the truth! HEBREWS 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
• 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
• When Jesus was being tempted by Satan in the wilderness, how did He fight off the attacks of the enemy? Did He is use philosophical arguments? Did He shot him or stab him or punch him in the mouth?
• NO, Jesus used the sword of the Word! I believe if that was good enough for Jesus to fight off the enemy, it is good enough for me.
• Notice when you read in Matthew 4, that Satan tried to take passages out of context to trick Jesus, but since Jesus could accurately handle to word of truth, He was able to defeat enemy. Jesus was a better swordsman than the devil.
• When you go out to battle, the way you will win is to be a better swordsman than your opponent!
CONCLUSION
• We are in a battle for the soul. Are you prepared to win the battle? If not, today is the day to begin getting ready.
• The first thing you need to do is to enlist in the winning army, the army of God!
• We offer you that today!
• Learn to use your armor, learn how to fight with your sword and you will be ready for what ever the enemy throws at you!
