Suit Up

Iron Man is the best super hero! Someone who really takes the entire worlds problems into consideration. What would be the best for the world. And with his great sacrifice in End Game. Just the best super hero ever. Here’s a cool quote from him: “Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” Or from Uncle Ben “With great Power comes great responsibility.” What is your favorite super hero OR super power?

Watching these people, with special abilities/super powers fight off evil & protect the world or their city from a villain. Theres something about it that is awesome. Inspiring.

After watching these movies, I always wondered about what it would be like to get super powers, or wonder what it would be like to suit up and be a super hero, save the day or even save the world.

Tension

But those are just movies right? Theres not actual super heroes flying around or super villian’s plotting to destroy the world?

There might not be a man in tights or a guy with an evil laugh, but let me tell you, there is there is spiritual warfare. Christian living is warfare.

There is an enemy that wants you to walk away from Jesus. Its nothing that we can see, but its something that is going on right now. As I am talking the enemy is working, trying to distract you or even distract me. We need to first realize that there is a spiritual battle going on. And it is real!

Truth

Open up with me to Ephesians 6:10-20.

Context of the entire book of Ephesians. The first 3 chapters is about all that God has done for us. This Spiritual blessing of being redeemed by Jesus’ actions on the cross. And its a gift from Him, chapter 2, and we are to be united with God in Christ. In Chapter 3 we are taught about the mystery of the Gospel revealed to Paul, that the world are now partakers in the same faith family, of the promise in Christ Jesus. Before it was only God’s chosen people, Israel that the promise of the messiah was for. But now it is for everyone!

AND WHAT DO WE DO WITHT THIS NOW?! It should change how we should live, transform us! First by uniting us (Chapter 4).Living differently than the world, (v17), walk in love just as Jesus loved us, He gave himself up for us. He tells us how our households should look. How a husband should love his wife, a wife should honor her husband, and children obey your parents. Even how we should work in the world. Employees, obey your managers! Managers/ Business owners, treat your employees with respect!

Then we come to Pauls final remarks. Answering everyones questions, “That is impossible for us to do all of this!” Yeah you’re right. Thats why this last part is important. Because the enemy is going to want us to be distracted in life, not obey what the word of God says. He doesn’t want us to do any of this so he makes us think its all on our shoulders, ITS NOT!

We have a super powerful God who we are to be strong in.

Ephesians 6:10–12 ESV

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Depend on God’s strength.

Be strong IN the Lord. Its the Lord that does all heavy lifting, or the fighting. We won’t be able to fight this battle on our own strength, we need to be strong in the Lord. HOW?

2. Put on the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD!

Ephesians 6:13–14 NIV

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may 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,

Stand strong in the Lord, because it is in Him where we have our strength. God clothes us in armor. The belt of truth is the first one.

a. Belt of truth is first because this is what one would put on first. Your pants. It gets you battle ready. And truth is important. Everyone thinks that they can have “their own truth”. False, there is only ONE truth and that is God’s Truth!

“The belt of truth puts on the Biblical beliefs of the Christians as a whole, what other passages call the faith. Many people believe that the church will never go forward until it takes off this belt of truth, but that is completely wrong. This is part of the armor to have, which is a foundation to live upon all the time, our understanding of and confidence in the basic doctrines of the faith.”

This is put first, because it is VITAL. With out truth, then its not stable.

b. Breastplate of Righteousness. Covering the vital organs, is righteousness. Not earned, but what we are given when we have trusted our lives in Jesus’ hands.

“We are sometimes tempted to say to the devil, “Look at all I’ve done for the Lord.” But that is shaky ground, though sometimes it feels good. It is shaky because feelings and experiences change quickly. God’s righteousness isn’t. The breastplate of righteousness is your best defense against the sense of spiritual depression and gloom that comes against us.”

c. Shoes of peace. It says Eph 6:15 “15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Readiness of taking the gospel of peace, everywhere. It is the goodnews of Jesus that we share and take with us and that in times of struggle or attacks from the enemy, you are able to have peace in the goodnews that Jesus won it already the battle already! He is the victor, not the devil. And we can trust in this!

Ephesians 6:13-14 tells us of armor to have. Some of the armor we must wear all the time and have as a standing foundation. Therefore having comes first. We must be rooted in the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the “combat boots” of the gospel. Yet now Paul will deal with aspects of the armor we are to take at the necessary moments of spiritual warfare and opportunity.

A. Shield of faith. Eph 6:16 “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.”

First one he gives us, faith which is represented by a shield. Protection from flaming arrows, those persistant attacks from satan himself to get us weaken with fear and unbelief. “Thoughts, feelings, imaginations, fears, and lies – all of these can be hurled at us by Satan as flaming arrows. Faith turns them back.”

B. Probably the most important the Helmet of Salvation! Protecting one vital piece of the body, the brain! You would be foolish to go into battle without a helmet. “The helmet of salvation protects us against discouragement, against the desire to give up, giving us hope not only in knowing that we are saved, but that we will be saved. It is the assurance that God will triumph.”

C. And last but certainly not least, the Sword of the Spirit. God’s word. To effectively use the sword of the Spirit, we can’t regard the Bible as a book of magic charms. To effectively use the sword you must use consider the word of God, THE VERY WORDS THAT GOD SPOKE!

“Think of a soldier or a gladiator in training, practicing sword thrusts and moves and positions. Now, he must practice them ahead of time and if he is a superior fighter and has a great fighting instinct, at the time of battle he will instantly recall which thrust, which position suits the precise moment. He will never be able to use the thrust in the fight if he has not first practiced it; but he still needs to make the move at the moment. Therefore, effectively using the sword takes practice.” Opening it up and reading God’s word for your self and letting God speak to you in those moments.

LANDING

But at the end of everything Paul says these words: Eph 6:18-20

Ephesians 6:18–20 NIV

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 Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Pray at all times. Prayer works in every single situation. There is not a moment that I do not want to go past without first praying. Thats how God heres us and knows what we desire and what we want. Doesn’t matter where you pray or how you pray or if you pray alone or with a group, just pray.