Topical - Armor of God
Introduction:
I. A Biblical Study in Ephesians 6:10-20
Introduction: The true Christian described in Ephesians 1-3 who lives the faithful life described in 4:1-6:9 can be sure that he will be involved in the spiritual warfare described in 6:10-20. The faithful Christian life is a Battle; it is Warfare on a grand scale-because when God begins to bless, Satan begins to attack.
1. No Believer is Exempt From Spiritual Warfare.
a) Jesus’ Encountered Warfare:
(1) Jesus’ ministry began with spiritual Warfare with a battle with Satan that lasted forty days
"Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry." (Luke 4:1-2, NKJV)
(2) Jesus’ ministry ended with spiritual warfare in the Garden of Gethsemane with such great force that He sweat great drops of blood (Luke 22:44). We must remember that Satan will intensify his efforts against those who continue to effectively serve the Lord. As, believers grow stronger, so will Satan’s attacks.
b) Christians Encounter Warfare:
(1) As Christians we must remember that we are in a battleground not a playground. We are in God’s Army and we are to be good soldiers suffering for Christ and as a soldier are job is to fight the enemy:
"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier." (2 Timothy 2:3-4, NKJV)
c) God’s Holy Angels Encounter Warfare:
(1) The Angels face opposition when they minister for Him:
"Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia." (Daniel 10:10-13, NKJV)
"Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”" (Jude 9)
2. The Christian Life is wonderful, but still has conflict.
a) Be aware of the conflict:
(1) Paul points out that he himself does not fight like someone who hits only the air (1 Cor. 9:26; he also likens himself to a runner at the games).
(2) In (1 Tim. 6:12), Paul exhorts Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith”.
(3) Paul reminded the Corinthians that we do not war according to the flesh” (2 Cor. 10:3).
(4) As Paul was near to the end of his life he said “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
(5) My Prayer is that we as Christians today living in a society that is corrupt, dead, immoral, insensitive to sin, and the such like, let us “Put on the whole armor of God” and “fight the good fight”, “laying aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” Amen!
B. The Christian Armor (Ephesian 6:10-20)
1. Getting Prepared: Whose strength are you using (v.10)?
a) “Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might!
(1) To be an effective Christian we must be a prepared Christian. Any believer who try’s to serve the Lord in his own strength will fail. This is why it is imperative that we as Christians rely on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit in our lives:
"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6, NKJV)
(2) Apart from Christ Christians can accomplish nothing at all (John 15:1-5)!
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:1-5, NKJV)
(3) With Christ, Christians “can do all things through Christ”.
"And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
"O, which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power." (Ephesians 3:7, NKJV)
b) “be strong in the Lord...” (v.10)
(1) endunamoo - “to strengthen, to enable, to empower.”
(2) Christ is the source of our strength (Phil. 4:13)
(3) The Lord enabled Paul with the inner strength (1 Tim. 1:12)
(4) (Eph. 6:10) is used to admonish the brethren to be prepared for spiritual warfare by being empowered in the Lord’s strength.
(5) Old Testament saints who were “made strong” in the midst of weakness (Heb. 11:34)
(6) Paul increased in strength (Acts 9:22), Abraham’s faith was strengthened (Rom. 4:20:22), Paul admonishes Timothy (2 Tim. 2:1). The Lord stood with Paul (2 Tim. 4:17).
(7) Jesus has destroyed Satan and his power of sin and death (Rom.5:18-21):
"The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:56-57, NKJV)
"Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil," (Hebrews 2:14, NKJV)
"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8, NKJV)
(a) Let us not fear since we are on the Lord’s side (2 Tim. 1:7).
(b) Put on the Lord! (Rom. 13:12-14).
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." (Romans 13:12-14, NKJV)
2. We Have The Power Of His Resurrection!
a) Through His death and resurrection Christ overcame:
(1) the world (John 16:33; Gal. 6:14).
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”" (John 16:33, NKJV)
"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6:14, NKJV)
(2) the Old Man (Rom. 6:1-6; Gal. 2:20).
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." (Romans 6:1-6, NKJV)
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20, NKJV)
(3) and the devil (Eph. 1:19-23).
"and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:19-23, NKJV)
(4) And that same power that “He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places”, is the same Power that “made us alive together”, “raised us up together”, and “made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ”. This is why Paul says: “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might”
The Provision: Suit up!
Verse 11, 16
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.... In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.”
Put- (enduo). Carries the idea of once and for all, of permanence. This is to be the Christians life long
companion. It provides believers with divine power from “Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy” (Jude 24).
whole armor of God - (panoplia).
This word means the complete armor of the fully armed warrior, offensive as well as defensive. Apart from the use of the word twice in this passage, it is found in the New Testament only in Luke 1:22, where it refers to the strong man, Satan, who is overcome by someone stronger. There the thought is of Satan in all his strength being unable to overcome Christ; here it is that the Christian, being fully armed by Christ, will be able to overcome all that Satan brings against him. Leon Morris, expository reflections on the letter to the Ephesians pg.201.
that you may be able to stand firm- (from histemi)
When used in a military sense, it had the idea of holding a critical position while under attack- It is living the obedient, Scripture-dominated, Spirit-empowered life that enables us to stand firm.
emphasis is placed on (not of taking the offensive side) but on “standing” (v. 1 3, 14; also “withstand” inv. 13).
The Enemy
“against the schemes (wiles) of the devil. . . in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one” (6:1 1 b. 1 6).
His Methods -(v. 10)
methodia (schemes, wiles), from which comes the English method. This carries the idea of craftiness, cunning, and deception (cf. 4:14). The term was used often used of a wild animal who cunningly stalked and then unexpectedly pounced on its prey. Satan’s evil schemes are built around stealth, (the act of moving, proceeding, or acting in a concealed, hidden, or secret way), and deception.
Scripture is very clear about Satan’s very real and personal existence
· He was the chief angel, the anointed cherub, the star of the morning until he rebelled against his Creator and tried to usurp His power and glory (Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:1-10; Rev. 12:7-9).
· The form of a serpent (Gen. 3:1 ).
· Jesus spoke about Satan (Luke 10:18; John 8:44, 12:31), and spoke with him (Matt. 4:3-10),
· Peter, Paul, James, John, and the writer of Hebrews all speak of him as a personal being (Rom. 16:20; 1 Thess. 2:18; Heb. 2:14; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8; Rev. 12:9).
2 Cor. 11:3 This is one of the problems, that we are ignorant to his schemes!
· He opposes God’s work (Zech. 3:1), perverting (to corrupt or debase) God’s word (Matt. 4:6), hinders God’s servent (1 Thess. 2:18), hinders the gospel (2 Cor. 4:4), snares the wicked (1 Tim. 3:7), holds them captive (2 Tim. 2:26), appears as an angel of light (2 Cor. 1 1 :13-14), and fought with the archangel Michael (Jude 9).
· He brought sin into the world and the whole world now lies in his power (1 John 5:1 9).
Personal names of Satan
· “the anointed cherub” -(Ezek. 28:14). • “the ruler of demons” -(Luke 11:15),
· “the prince of the
· “the ruler of this world” -(John 16:11), • “the god of this world” -(2 Cor. 4:4), power of the air” -(Eph. 2:2), and numerous others.
· Fifty-two times he is called Satan, which means “adversary,” Thirty-five times the devil, which, means “slanderer.”
All of these things are but manifestations of the schemes of the devil against mankind! In every confusing and deceptive way he can devise. “the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.” (Luke 8:12)
Jesus warned that “false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” (Matt. 24:24)
The points of attack: 1 John 2:15-16; Satan wants to use our external enemy, the world, and our internal enemy, the flesh, to defeat us. His weapons and battle plans are formidable.
The Wiles of the devil” and ‘The Flaming Missies {Fiery Darts) of the evil one.”
Satan, no doubt, attacks our mind and emotions, how he or his demonic hosts do this I do not know or understand, but, nevertheless it is true. Scripture clearly reveals this and by the testimony of many God’s servants.
· 1 Chronicles 21 :1 . “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. “
· Matthew 16:13-23. Jesus asked the disciples, “who do you say that I am?” Peter not understanding Christ’s rejection and execution rebukes the Lord saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” Jesus responded by saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mhdfulofthe things of God, but the things of men. “
Probably the most tragic of all is in John 13:2, “the devil put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. “
Now that we have established the fact that Satan is very real and has the ability to influence the way we think and feel, lets take a closer look at “wiles of the devil,” and “taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missies of the evil one.”
Condemnation
1 . It is important to distinguish between conviction and condemnation.
A. Conviction is from the Spirit, and draws us closer to the Cross of Jesus.
B. Condemnation is from Satan, produces guilt and leaves you with a sense of hopelessness.
2. What should I do if I sin against God?
A. Confess you sins to God (1 John 1 :9). Do not be driven away from the cross of Christ bySatan.
B. Remember these comforting verses (Romans 8:1 ; 31 , 33-34).
Doubt
1. Satan tempted Adam and Eve to doubt God and to put their trust in him (Gen. 3:1).
2. Satan tempted God’s own Son to distrust Him (Matt. 4:3-9).
3. Recognize the difference between temptation to doubt and the sin of unbelief. Doubt only becomes sin when we act upon it and allow it to control us!
4. Doubting God is to disbelieve God, makes a liar of Him cannot lie (1 John 5:10; cf. Titus 1:2).
What should I Do?
A. Recognize the fact that this is a spiritual battle!
B. Refuse the attacks of the enemy, by trusting God!
C. Remember Scripture.
1. The devil roams like a roaing lion (1 Peter 5:8-9).
2. Satan at times comes as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14-15).
3. At times, Satan uses others to entice us (Prov. 1:10).
4. God tempts no one (James 1:13-15).
5. Resist the devil (James 4:7).
6. Jesus won by using the Word of God (Matt. 4:4,7,10).
7. Take heed (1 Cor. 10:12).
8. Refuse to sin against God (Gen. 39:6-20).
But the most important of all is to take up the shield of faith,
Faith
The faith to which Paul refers here is not the body of Christian belief (for which the term is used in 4:13), but basic trust in God - the faith in Christ that appropriates salvation and continues to bring blessing and strength as it trusts Him for daily provision and help.
1. The substance of faith (Heb. 11:6)
2. The application of faith (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11)
3. Remember Christian faith never fails, because the One in whom that faith is placed never fails; Jesus Christ!
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him”
Psalm 18:30 “The word of the Lord is proven; he is a shield to all who trust in Him”
1 John 5:4 “And this is the victory that god has overcome the world- our faith
Fear
1. Don’t let the enemy keep you ought of the will of God through the flaming missile of fear.
a. 1 John 4:4; Romans 8:31; 2 Tim. 1:7; Heb. 13:5-6; Ps. 27:1; 56:10-11; Matt. 10:28; 1 John 4:18.
Evil Thoughts and Imaginations
blasphemous thoughts in prayer; pornographic images; thoughts that sicken and oppress you; thoughts of sexual immorality, murder, or suicide. These are all manifestations of flaming missies, fiery darts.
How can I tell the difference between the flaming missies, arrows of the wicked one and the sin of evil surmising?
1. Evil surmising originates from within -(Matt. 15:19). Evil surmising is within your power to control and has an element of delight in it.
2. Flaming arrows come from outside of you and are to a certain degree beyond your power to control, and offensive to you.
What should I do?
1. Have nothing to do with them, do not own them because they are not yours, but the devil’s! It has been said that, “you cant keep a bird from flying over your head but you can keep it from building a nest in it.”
2. Turn the enemy’s weapons back upon him by using those occasions as an opportunity for prayer and worship (2 Samuel 23:21 ).
3. Good thoughts leave no room for bad thoughts (Phil. 4:8).
Temptation
Temptation is an enticement or solicitation or invitation to do evil, with the implied promise of greater good to be derived from following the way of disobedience, and is the common experience of all people whether they are Christians or not.
Why does Satan tempt us?
1. To bring reproach upon the name of the Lord -(His sin with Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 1 2:1 3-1 4).
2. Because he hates you and wants to destroy you -(James 1 : 1 5, 1 6) .
As Christians we need to recognize when we are being Tempted because Satan know’s our areas of weakness and will tempt us according to that area 2 Cor. 11:3
You can be sure you are being tempted when you:
1. Rationalize the situation, comprise, or in any way disobey the Word of God!
2. To do any one of these is to sin and to sin is to believe Satan,and to follow Righteousness is to believe God.
What must I do when I am being tempted?
1. Make every effort to avoid the situation (Example of the donut shop).
2. Pray (Matt. 26:41).
3. Have a realistic view of yourself, recognizing your weaknesses.
4. Make every effort to stay away from those things that pose a special problem:
a. Sexual sin - stay away from certain people, entertainment (movies, etc), even the magazine rack in the local store.
b. Alcohol or Drug related –stay away from people, places, and or situations (1 Tim. 6:11-12 cf. 2 Tim. 2:22; 1 Cor. 10:12-13; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 6:6; 11-14, 18; 1 Cor. 6:19-20)
Do not think that you can never have victory over a certain area in your life, because this is not true and the enemy wants you to think this. Just remember (1Cor. 15:57; 1 John 2:1; James 4:7-8)
Victory:
1 Cor. 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it”
Hebrews 4:14-16, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”
The Battle in the unseen world.
Verse 12:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Since Satan is a created being, he is not like God in being all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere-present (omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence.) Satan appears to be omnipresent because he has a demonic army assisting him in his warfare. There is only one devil, but there are many demons. There are some basic facts we need to know about demons.
Their Origin
1. Demons are likely those angels who revolted with Lucifer and fell with him (Isa. 14:12-15; Rev. 12:3,4).
2. Jesus spoke of "the devil and his" in Matthew 25:41.
3. The Bible does not teach that demons are spirits of the wicked dead returned to earth!
Their Description
1. Unclean spirits (Matt. 10:1) -Moral filth, pornography, sex worship.
2. Wicked spirits (Matt. 12:45)-degrees of wickedness.
3. Evil spirits - This word evil carries the meaning of "base, worthless, vicious (savage and dangerous, spiteful, malicious, violent, intense, marked by a tendency to worsen), degenerate."
4. Satan himself is called "the evil one" (Matt. 13:19).
5. Demons even have faith in God, NOT SAVING FAITH! (James 2:19).
6. They believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Luke 8:28), and that there is a future judgment awaiting for them (Luke 8:31).
They are Organized
Satan is not reigning in hell in which all of his agents are sent forth from the pit to do his work (Eph. 2:2; 1 Pet. 5:8cf. Job 1:7)
The Struggle
Pale (struggle) was used of hand-to-hand combat and especially of wrestling. Any wrestler is well aware that a variety of skills is necessary if victory is to be won. Here Paul reminds us that our struggle is not only against Satan himself, but also against a host of demons, who like the devil, are not flesh and blood. This is why Paul instructs us to not fight against "flesh and blood."
Satan works in and through unsaved people (Eph. 2:1-3), and he can work in and through saved people (Matthew 16:21-23).
Lets take a look at a passage that we are all familiar with and see how Satan has angels assigned to the nations of the earth.
Daniel 10:10-14-
Here we see that the answer to Daniel's prayer was delayed because God's angel had a battle with "the prince of the kingdom of Persia."
This account reveals the importance of:
· prayer in the accomplishing of God's will in this world
· the opposition of Satan when the believer prayers
A spiritual battle is going on in this world, and in the sphere of "the heavenlies," and you and I are a part of this battle. Sad to say, Christians too often are so busy fighting one another that they have no time for fighting the devil. Remember our greatest enemy is not the world we see but the world we cannot see.
against- The mention of each of these supernatural powers is preceded by against, and each seems to represent a particular category of demon activity and level of authority.
rulers (principalities) - A high order of demons (linked with "authorities" in Col. 2:15). powers- Another order of rank (1 Peter 3:22).
rulers of the darkness of this age - Demons who have infiltrated various political systems of the world, attempting to pattern them after Satan's realm of darkness (Dan. 10:13; Col. 1:13).
spiritual hosts of wickedness - Possibly Demons who are involved in the most wretched and vile immoralities - such as extremely perverse sexual practices, the occult, Satan worship, and the like.
in the heavenly places - "The supernatural realm" "the celestial sphere." These two terms cannot have precisely the same meaning as elsewhere in Scripture.
· (1:3), indicates the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places where the blessings descend.
· (1:20), is where Christ sits enthroned at the Father's right hand.
· (2:6), where the redeemed are seated with Christ.
· (3:10), where the good angels have their abode.
· (6:12), must refer to the region above the earth but below the heaven of the redeemed; in other words, it must here indicate what in 2:2 is called "the power of the air."
Their Operation
Like their Master, demons are deceivers and destroyers (John 8:44), and teachers of false doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1 ff.). Not all sickness is demonic. Jesus commissioned His disciples to "heal the sick.. . cast out demons..." (Matt. 10:8), making a distinction between the two.
But they can cause physical affliction:
• they can make people dumb (Matt. 9:32). • blind (Matt. 12:22). • crippled (Luke 13:11). • torment (Matt. 15:22). • commit suicide (Matt. 17:14ff.). • promoters of the occult and various forms of divination (Acts 16:16-18). the force behind idolatry (1 Cor. 10:14-22).
Can a Christian be Demon Possessed?
The word translated "demon-possessed" (Matt. 4:24; 8:16, 28, 33; 9:32; 12:22; 15:22) means "demonized." Rituals of exorcism are foreign to the Bible, and does not record a single instance of a demon being cast out of a believer, or does the Bible give any type of formula to do so (2 Cor. 6:14-16).
The problem is with the definition of “possess”
The terms "demonic influence" or "demonic obsession" would be better translated. Then what is true?
Then what is true?
Demons can and do use people who are saved (see page 4 in this study).
What is going to happen to Satan and his army?
Satan is a defeated foe and he knows it. In 2 Thess. 2:1-12, the "mystery of lawlessness" is being restrained by the Holy Spirit working in and through the church. After the rapture Satan is cast out of heaven and will have a short time on earth to destroy everything he can (Rev. 12). But he and his angels will be cast into a place of eternal fire (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:1-3)!
Remember that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God…(2 Cor. 10:4-5). And that our strength is not in ourselves, but in the Lord, “thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15)
The power that raised Jesus from the dead and exalted Him in heaven is our power, given to us (Eph. 1:19-20). The only formula for deliverance from the demons or the devil himself is to “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7), and every believer has God’s Holy Spirit in him to free himself from any demonic entanglement. Jesus defeated demons by the Spirit of God (Matt. 12:28) and so may we.
“Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” 1 John 4:4
Take It up and Stand!
Verse 13;
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
As Christians, we must not allow the enemy to find us defenseless, we must "take up the whole armor of God, leaving nothing out. We must realize that we will need every weapon that God has given us and not try to advance against the devil and his host with our own arsenal, but rather with the arsenal that God had given us! Remember that God is our strength and this strength is appropriated in us only through obedience, and because we have been "blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."
Therefore- This indicates that since we are opposed by such powerful forces of evil that we must take advantage of the weapons God supplies.
Take up- This can be used in a variety of ways:
1. Christ's ascension (Acts 1:11)
2. Taking up of a tent (Acts 7:43)
3. Here this seems to mean that Christians are to involve themselves actively in the struggle, not leaving the armor lying down, but taking it up for use.
Essentially the whole armor of God is an understanding and application of the Word of God, the Scriptures. Withstand in the evil day
“set oneself against, oppose, holding ones position against strong opposition."
Evil day -
This is an expression found only in the New Testament. It appears to mean that no matter how evil the times get, God has given us the arsenal to withstand against the onslaughts of the devil.
Our Responsibility
1. Having done all. Some believers have done everything well in the Lord's work but some will not continue in the Lord's work.
2. Stand. After the battle is over its not what we have done but if we are still standing (2 Tim 4:7-8).
The Arsenal!
Verse 14;
“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness”
having girded your waist with truth
I Girding the loins is a mark of preparedness, in relation to the soldier who was serious about fighting, he was to secure his tunic with his belt. Other examples of girding:
• concerning the Passover meal before the children of Israel left Egypt (Ex. 12:11)
• concerning Christ's second coming (Luke 12:35)
• concerning the mind (1 Peter 1 :13)
Aletheia (truth). Refers to the content of that which is true. The truths of the Word of God are the foundation from which this warfare is waged. To be girded with the truth means to have knowledge of and belief in the truth. We must be prepared with the Word of God and this comes by being immersed in the Word of God.
• God's Word is truth (John 17:3), • Jesus is truth (John 14:6; Eph. 4:21), • a summary of the Christian way (2 Thess. 2:10, 12), • The truth of the Gospel (Col. 1 :5), • God desires "truth in the inward parts (Ps. 51 :6), • The truth shall make you free (John 8:31 -32, 36).
What happens if someone does not have a knowledge of Biblical teaching?
· "carried away" (Eph. 4:14; 5:6)
· "doctrines of demons" (1 Tim 4:1 cf. Eph. 6:12)
What must I do to be prepared?
· Just as a soldier is committed to his commanding officer (2 Tim. 2:3:4), and an athlete is committed to winning the race (1 Cor. 9:24-27), Christians must be committed to giving the Maximum Effort (2 Tim. 2:15), by renewing their mind (Rom. 12:2)
Remember Satan is a liar (John 8:44). He is the serpent, the deceiver, and he always masquerades his lies as God's truth (2 Cor. 1 1 :1 3, 14).
· counterfeit Christians (2 Cor. 11:26; Matt. 13:38)
· counterfeit gospel- (Gal. 1:8)
· counterfeit ministers of the gospel- (2 Cor. 11:14-15)
· counterfeit doctrines- (1 Tim. 4:1)
· even a counterfeit Christ the antichrist- (2 Thess. 2:8-10)
breastplate of righteousness –
The purpose
· (Physically)- To protect the heart, lungs, intestines, and other vital organs
· (Spiritually)- To protect us in the realm of our emotions.
Satan often attacks our minds and emotions by creating a world system, and a sinful environment by which he tempts us to think wrong thoughts and to feel wrong emotions and gives us a feeling that God is against us, Not So (Rom. 8:31).
The breastplate is not our own righteousness (Matt. 5:20; Is. 64:6).
It is Christ's righteousness imputed to us (Rom. 4:1 -8,11, 22-24) (Phil. 3:9)
God made Christ "to be sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21)
We are accepted "in the beloved" (Eph. 1:6)
Imputed Righteousness - The word imputed literally means "credited to one's account" and shows that the righteousness of Christ has been credited to the believer's account!
Illustration of Justification (Zech. 3:1) -This is a picture of a court of Law
A. The Root Meaning: The word itself means, “to declare righteousness" The word justification was used in a court of Law to declare a person righteous, not guilty or to declare as innocent.
B. The Definition: An act of God, where He declares a person to be righteous due to the fact they have placed their faith in Christ.
Secondarily, to “put on the breastplate of righteousness” is:
· the practical righteousness of a life lived in obedience to God's Word and our Heavenly Father. (Eph. 4:24-27) (Col. 3:9-14)
· But remember in order for me to live a life of obedience to God's Word and a daily moment-by-moment obedience to our heavenly Father, I must first have the Imputed righteousness of Christ. Satan can demolish my breastplate, but the breastplate of righteousness that is given to me from Christ, Satan can’t touch!
· Holy Living (1 John 2:6) (1 Peter 1:13-16) (2 Tim. 1:9)
· We must "work it out" (Phil. 2:12-13)
· Obedience brings Joy (1 John 1:4)
· Disobedience robs us of joy (Ps. 51:12)
Holy living makes it a little more difficult for the devil to lay a guilt trip on us so let us:
-take every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:5)
-set our minds on things above (Col. 3:2)
-put on the Lord Jesus (Rom. 13:12,14)
-put on the breastplate of faith and love (1 Thess. 5:8)
-the armor of righteousness (2 Cor. 6:7)
-walk worthy of the calling of which we were called (Eph. 4:1)
-let our light shine (Matt. 5:16 cf. Phil. 2:14-16)
Verse 15;
“and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace”
The Roman soldier wore sandals with hobnails in the soles to give him better footing for the battle. If we are going to "stand" and "withstand" then we are going to need the proper shoes to wage in this warfare! The Christian with solid footing is going to have confidence as he faces the enemy.
(preparation) Hetoimasia "readiness." (cf. Titus 3:1). Just as a soldier needs to be ready at all times, Christ demands the same readiness of His believer's. It also means that the believer is prepared for the devil's attacks. He stands, and therefore he is able to fight. His Savior has already won the victory, and he stands in that victory (1 Cor. 1 5:3-5).
(shod) "bind under," "bound under."
In order for a person to "bring glad tidings of good things" (Rom, 10:15 cf. Is. 52:7) he must first be "reconciled" with God "at peace with God."
--(Rom. 5:1; Col. 1:21-22).
The unsaved are at war with God.
—(Rom. 5:6-10).
The context
1. Not preaching or teaching but fighting spiritual battles
2. Not traveling but "standing" (v. 1 1 , 1 3, 14).
3. Not evangelizing the lost but "fighting the devil."
- When are feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace we are standing in the fact that God loves us supremely, we are at peace with God, and our God is for us (Rom. 8:31 , 37-39).
But we must be prepared each day to share the Gospel of Peace with a lost world!
. The most victorious Christian is a witnessing Christian. If we wear the shoes of the Gospel, then we have the feet mentioned in Is. 52:7 cf Rom. 10:15. Satan has declared war, but you and I are ambassadors of peace (2 Cor. 5:18-21), and we must take the gospel of peace wherever we go.
Verse 17;
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”
Helmet of salvation
- the helmet protects our minds from attacks against the assurance of our salvation from the devil.
- Satan uses your own sins in a hateful way, and seeks to make you feel helpless and hopeless, when you think you have gone to far and the Lord will not forgive you, you can be sure that Satan is right there accusing you.
-He wants to keep accusing you so that you focus your attention on yourself and your sins. Satan seeks to make you move farther from the Lord, but The Holy Spirit will mover you closer to the Lord.
-Satan will accuse you of not doing enough for God, trying to maintain your salvation by works!
- We must understand and apply the doctrine of salvation by grace alone!
- Salvation is by faith (Eph. 2:8-9) (Titus 3:5) (Rom. 3:20) (Gal. 6:20)
- Salvation is by grace (Rom. 3:24, Titus 3:7) By the blood of Jesus (Rom. 5:9)
- Salvation takes place instantly (Rom. 4:2; 5:1)
The helmet is our hope of our final salvation -
(1 Thess. 5:8-11; Rom. 8:23-24, 30; John 6:39-40; John 10:27-30; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Heb. 6:19; Jude 1, 24)
No matter what accusations Satan throws at us, we can be assured that when we “confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
The Sword of the Spirit
machaira (sword) this varied in length from six to eighteen inches and was the principal weapon in hand-to-hand combat
tou pmeumatos (of the Spirit) - "by the Spirit" or as "spiritual," referring to the nature of the sword rather than its source also used in (Eph. 1:3 and 5:19). This indicates that the Holy Spirit is the origin of the sword. He is our teacher (John 14:17) and brings God's Word to our remembrance (John 14:26).
Scripture teaches:
- God is the author (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
- Contains no errors or mistakes (Ps. 19:7-8; Prov. 30:5-6).
- Its authoritative (Is. 1:2); sufficient for our needs (2 Tim: 3:16).
- It is effective (Is. 55:11); and the source of all happiness (Prov. 8:34; Luke 11:28). '
- It is the source of spiritual growth (1 Peter 2:2).
Man’s wisdom is no match for Satan’s cunning. Our only defense is the inspired word of God
Examples of its use in battle.
§ (Matt. 4:4, 7,10) -confrontation between Christ and Satan.
§ (Matt. 21:15) -between Christ and the religious leaders.
§ (Luke 20:27-38) -between Christ and the Sadducees.
Our Lord did not use His divine power to defeat Satan or the religious leaders. He used the same weapon that is available to us today: the Word of God. Jesus was led by the Spirit of God and filled with the Word of God. If you and I are going to defeat Satan's lies, we must depend on the Word of God. This gives us several responsibilities:
[1] We must know God's Word! (Ps. 119:7,12,18, 26-27; 2Tim. 2:15).
Any intelligent believer today who does not know his or her Bible, is his or her own fault. This means we must "Make time" not "find time" to read and study the Bible.
[2] We must memorize it! (Ps.119:11; Ps. 37:31; Ps. 40:8; Joshua 1:8).
In 1 John 2:14, he states that the strength of the young men and their victory over the devil was the result of the Word of God abiding in them! (Jesus did not have a concordance with him in the wilderness! He reached back into the books of Moses, selected Deuteronomy, and quoted three verses from that book to silence Satan).
[3] We must meditate on God's Word! (Ps. 119:15, 23, 48, 78, 97, 99,148; Ps. 1:2).
Warren Wiersbe says; "Meditation is to the inner man what digestion is to the outer man. If you did not digest your food, you would sicken and die." Meditation is impossible without memorization.
[4] A physical sword requires the hand of a soldier, but the Sword of the Spirit has its own power, because its "living and active" (Heb. 4:12).
[5] The Word of God can also be used as a offensive weapon as well in witnessing to unbelievers!
The Whole Armor is a picture of Jesus Christ
Having girded your waist with truth
Having put on the breastplate of righteousness
Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace
The shield of faith
The Sword of the Spirit
Christ is truth (John 14:6)
Christ is our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21)
Christ is our peace (Eph. 2:1)
Christ faithfulness makes possible our faith (Gal. 2:20, 2 Tim. 2:13)
Christ is the “Word of God” (John 1:1, 14)
Verse 18;
“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”
Fit for the fight
Prayer is the final piece of the Christian's soldier's armor. Prayer is the assurance that the Christian
soldier is fit for the fight!
- Exhortations (Rom. 12:12; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17).
Prayer should be as natural as breathing is to the body.
Praying always -
This means that we are to lift our hearts to God in prayer through out the day.
Praying in the Spirit -
This means that we are to be led by the Spirit in prayer (Jude 20).
Being watchful in prayer -
Pay attention and always be ready to do battle in prayer.
Perseverance in prayer -
Jesus spoke a parable about this (Luke 18:2-8)
Don't give up! (Matt. 7:7).
Supplication for all the saints -
We need to pray for all the ministries, and to not lose heart. When one member of the Body is weak, wounded, or cannot function, the other members compensate by supporting and helping strengthen it by prayer. (1 Sam. 12:23).
Don't forget we also have the Holy Spirit to help us even when we don't know what to pray for (Rom.8:26).