Saints & Aints: Armor Up

Finally

Eph 6:10 “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.”

What have we covered to lead up to “finally”?

God is a loving Father, so RICH and GENEROUS in blessing, Whose will was accomplished through His Son, Jesus Christ, having chose us in order to “see us holy and blameless in love before Him, even prior to the foundations of the world.

He predetermined that we would be adopted, grafted in, according to the good pleasure of His will, to be His sons and daughters.

Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”

Glorified in Christ Jesus as God exercised His power in Christ Jesus having raised Him from the dead and seating Him at the Father’s right hand in the heavens with all Heaven and Earth subject to Christ’s authority.

And by God’s grace, we who believe and claim His Lordship in our lives have been SAVED, with His life transmuted into us and thus are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.

We are seated with Him as his workmanship, a new Creation in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKS, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

And having been seated with Him, we also have unity together in Christ - no longer identified by our physical appearance or circumstances. We who believe have been reclassified as SAINTS recognized as friends of God with a covenant of a promise.

He gave us His Peace - the peace of God - to live out a life worthy of the calling:

-to do the good works He called us to do, -to live and serve in ministry -to reject darkness and evil -to live in the light and love -to be imitators of God and follow the example of Jesus Christ -to be wise and humble in submission to one another in the fear of Christ

-to contend with your own flesh remembering you USED TO BE one way, but now you’re a completely NEW way

Christian Warfare

And here in Chapter 6, starting with verse 10, Paul warns us there’s more to be concerned about - there is a struggle you will endure and a resistance you must put in place to an enemy who is strategic and pointed right at you and me.

He says: Eph 6:10-13 “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.

—There is an active plan of attack on your faith and on your life. A strategy designed to derail and destroy your faith in Christ - to get you focused on circumstances and inability rather than a focus on Jesus.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

— These rulers, authorities, cosmic powers of darkness, evil spiritual forces; in the original Greek text refers to a spiritual realm of demonic forces active on this earth and are completely opposed to Christ Jesus, His Word, and His kingdom (which includes the saints of God). Paul referenced earlier in Eph 2:2 we lived a life “in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.”

1 John 5:19 “We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.”

Ephesians 6 goes on to continue:

For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.”

-The FULL ARMOR OF GOD, referenced twice in the same paragraph is an emphasis on doing just that. Too many Saints today are living with partial armor, and are easily tripped up in their walk with the Lord with an incomplete ability to resist the devil.

The Full Armor of God

STAND, THEREFORE

With Truth like a belt around your waist

-There are many reasons for wearing a belt – mostly for support and utility

-But here we are looking at a support system of Truth or sincerity.

-It was prophesied of Jesus in Isaiah 11 that righteousness and faithfulness will be his belt. “That which Christ was girded with all Christians must be girded with.”

-God desires Truth, that is, sincerity in the inward parts.

-Truth are the strength and central piece that holds the rest of our armor system holds together.

-Jesus is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life

Righteousness like armor on your chest

-The breast-plate secures the vital organs, and it shelters the heart.

-It fortifies the heart to withstand the attacks of the enemy.

-How many of you have known someone who lives in truth but has no heart in anything they do?

-1 Thes 5:8 says this: “But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love.”

-This whole religion thing we like to preach about and talk application – it’s all a matter of the Heart, and just like in real life – the Heart MUST be protected.

-Prov 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”

-God has prepared for you and me good works - acts of righteousness to live out here in Aviano. We MUST protect our hearts

Who here has heard of the term, “gut feeling”? Or has received the advise to “listen to your gut”....

-“Greek poets, from Aeschylus down, regarded the bowels as the seat of the more violent passions such as anger and love, but by the Hebrews they were seen as the seat of tender affections, especially kindness, benevolence, and compassion.”

(From etymonline.com)

-Some early English bibles used the word bowels to mean pity or compassion. Later it was retranslated as heart. So the heart and gut have some relation. They’re both internal organs associated with feelings and human depth.

Feelings are physical. When we are “moved” by something those physical feelings manifest in our organs such as our heart or gut. We really feel them.

-The things you commit to and trust in. They affect the mind, the will, and what you believe as well as your emotions.

-JC Ryle: “The heart that has really tasted the grace of Christ will instinctively hate sin.”

And your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace

-Having solid foot protection aids in walking the path of peace as our enemy has laid many traps and thorned hedges along our way.

-Having the gospel of peace prepared and ready shows a frame of heart that is resolute and unwavering.

-Having our feet prepared as such allows for us to walk with a steady pace and sure footing no matter what our enemy will bring our way.

-Wearing footwear means you’re going places, to take this gospel of peace wherever we go.

In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

-Faith must be our shield – it must be our key defense.

-We have our breastplate that’s protecting our heart and vital organs, but the shield of faith enables us to be mobile and guard against every attack.

-What is Faith? Faith is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for. Its acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God and remembering the benefits of having been redeemed!

-The evil one is the devil. His darts are his lies, temptations, and entrapments designed to keep us distracted.

-He uses darts for a couple reasons – mostly because we can’t see them coming. They just happen upon us. So we must be prepared at all times.

-He also uses darts because he is cowardly. The enemy cannot stand to be face-to-face with the Truth, the Way, and the Life. Standing firm and abiding in Christ allows us to have the upper hand.

Take the helmet of salvation

-The helmet secures the head.

-Head represents authority. This remembrance of our salvation is key in remembering we are no longer bound to our old self, but are free indeed.

-We hear a lot of common uses for our head in battle:

-Keep your head in the game! Keep focused on the mission at hand.

-Keep your head down! So as not to be taken out with a cheap shot.

-Don’t lose your head! As in keep your cool – stay calm and collected.

-Our constant minding our salvation purifies our soul and keeps it from being defiled by Satan. To remember you’ve been chosen; to remember from where you’ve come; and to know Whose you are!

-Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.”

-2 Tim 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound mind.”

And the sword of the Spirit - which is the Word of God.

-When we remember Jesus in the wilderness, as He was going through His 40 days and fasting – we remember that He too was tempted. Even though he had all authority in Heaven to lay a divine smack-down on Satan himself, how did Jesus respond? With the Word!

-The Word of God is the necessary tool to the Christian in order to successfully manage spiritual warfare.

-It is sharper than a two-edged sword.

-Psalm 119:11 says “Thy word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

-If you have a struggle with temptation and sin in your life, I presume that you may not be in Scripture enough.

-You see scripture – I like the way Henry’s commentary puts it – the sword of the Spirit – the Scriptures - will MORTIFY and KILL those lusts and corruptions that potential await you.

-Your enemy - the one that wants you to spiritually die and be separated from God for all eternity wants you to be and stay ignorant of God’s Word.

PRAY and STAY ALERT

Eph 6:18 “Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”

You and I are on mission.

-The Air Force was the vehicle that God strategically used to place you and me here for this community and this people. For such a time as this.

In our mission of Connecting, Equipping, Empowering, and Sending:

-We must wear daily, the FULL armor of God, and intercede for your brothers and sisters here today, those that are not here, and those in the community.

-Look out for one another – identify who might be the sick, the hopeless, and the downhearted.

-Support the gathering of the saints – holding true to your commitments to one another.

-Support your Pastors and teachers and get involved with the work of the ministry.

-Uphold your integrity and live a life pleasing and holy to the Lord, as Christ gave the example - a life worthy of God’s choosing you.

-Call on your brother and sister and show them an act of service in love.

-Abandon the mentality of “Making it on my own with my own way of doing things”.

-Here you have godly people who have studied the scriptures and have gained wisdom and knowledge on how to approach all aspects of life.

-Sow and glean here in this family and in this community and see how God will bless this house and the people of this community.

-Let’s together, as the saints of God, leave an eternal impact on the people that God loves so dearly.

-Let’s teach, inspire, and challenge the BC ways of living. Living in love and in truth.

CLOSING

Isaiah 59:16-20 “He saw that there was no man— he was amazed that there was no one interceding; so his own arm brought salvation, and his own righteousness supported him. He put on righteousness as body armor, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. So he will repay according to their deeds: fury to his enemies, retribution to his foes, and he will repay the coasts and islands. They will fear the name of the Lord in the west and his glory in the east; for he will come like a rushing stream driven by the wind of the Lord. “The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.” This is the Lord’s declaration.”

Altar call:

Any unsaved?

Any oppressed by the enemy?

Any wrestles and weak from previous battles?

Any that would desire prayer?