Be Strong in the Lord

Introduction

Last week, Brandon opened our new series on being “unshakable” by referring to Joshua 1:9 ““Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be in dread or be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.””

We saw the importance of of fixing our eyes on the Lord as we go through all of life’s trials.

This week, we continue on the theme, but we are going to talk about being unshakable as we face spiritual warfare. We see this primarily in the Armor of God passage in Ephesians 6:10–13:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

Satan the Deceiver.

2 Corinthians 11:14 “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

John 8:44 ““You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Christ the Victor

Colossians 2:15 “Having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them in Him.”

1 Corinthians 15:57–58 “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

In Christ

Heavenly Places:

Every Spiritual Blessing: Ephesians 1:4

Christ is in the seat of power: Ephesians 1:20-23.

Those who believe in Him, are seated with HIm, and therefore share in the victory: Ephesians 2:6.

The Believer’s Armor

Our war is not against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12). We don’t wage war like the world (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

1. “The belt of truth” (v. 14a). “…having girded your loins with truth…”

A. In Roman armor they would wear a tunic, that could be cumbersome in battle. In order to prepare for battle, they would tuck the tunic into their belt to keep it out of the way.

i. To bring this illustration into the Spiritual warfare context, we must pull in all the loose areas of life that may hinder us in our spiritual warfare. Are their pet sins, hidden desires, life pursuits (etc..) that are hindering us from battling well? If there are we need to pull those in, so that we can be supremely devoted to victory in the spiritual battles.

ii. Rollercoaster: the belt secures us to the ride so we don’t fall out. We need the truth of God’s Word to reign in all our proclivities.

2. “The Breastplate of Righteousness” (v. 14b).

A. The breastplate is a piece of armor that covers the chest. It protects all of the vital organs in battles.

i. In the Christians battle, practical holiness, living in righteousness, acts as the spiritual breastplate. The commitment to leading a holy life in the midst of such filthiness and unrighteousness leaves the Christian in a firm stance against the schemes of the devil, as the one who is committed to holiness, will be firmly aware of the sin in their own heart.

ii. On the other hand, the lack of holiness, as John MacArthur puts it, “leaves them vulnerable to the great enemy of their souls.”

B. If you think about what we have seen and discussed over the last several months in our study of Ephesians, and what the Christian life looks like, we notice that much of the battle is against sin, and unrighteousness.

i. remember, our new lives are lived out in holiness and truth, not lies and deception (Ephesians 4:17-24).

3. “The shoes of the Gospel” (v. 15). “…and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace…”

A. In the Roman armor, their shoes, which we more or less sandals, had nails driven through the soles, so that they would grip the ground on which they were battling. Literally like Football, baseball, or soccer cleats. It provided them traction to stand their ground amidst the fray of battle.

i. The Christian likewise has been given grip and traction to stand our ground in the spiritual battle we are in; namely the Gospel.

a. What about the gospel gives us grip and traction to stand firm?

ii. The fact that we have peace with God gives us great courage to stand firm in battle, because we know that He is with us in the battle.

a. We were once at war with Him and now have been made His friends (Romans 5:8-11).

b. With God now as our “ally” in this war, our victory is assured (1 Corinthians 15:57, 58).

4. “The shield of faith.” (v.16).

A. This shield is a large, body-sized, shield. It was usually covered in a oily substance that would extinguish arrows that were on fire.

i. For the believer’s battle, the shield is our faith in God, or our trust in Him, that He is who He says He is, that what He says is best, is best. ii. As we actively trust God, the temptations we face are extinguished. Monetarily, marriage, future.

5. “The helmet of salvation” (v. 17a).

A. We all know what helmets are. They help protect the head in battle.

i. As for the believer, one of Satan’s greatest attacks is on assurance of salvation. This question can be devastating for the life of a person, to where they succumb to the lie, and then “leave the faith.”

ii. To put on our helmets of salvation, we should place our confidence in Christ, and His work on the Cross, knowing that our salvation is solely dependent upon Him, and not ourselves.

a. John 10:27-30.

b. Hebrews 7:25.

6. “The Sword of the Spirit” (v. 17b).

A. This sword is the Gladius, or the sword that is about 18 inches long. It is more of a quickly striking weapon, and it is the only offensive weapon mentioned in this list.

i. The word for “Word” here, in the Greek, is actually more of a spoken word, or a word that is preached to our hearts. Still understood as the Word of God, or the Bible, we begin to see, the way that we fight the Spiritual Battles is bringing the Word of God to bear on our or hearts.

a. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

b. Hebrews 4:12.

7. “Prayer and Petition” (v. 18).

A. While not necessarily noted as a piece of armor, it is still vital for the Spiritual Battle. A pastor I heard once, said that prayer is the energy of the solider in the battle. If a soldier goes into battle without energy, he is quickly going to be routed.

i. Notice, that we are to be praying “with this in view”. We are praying with the spiritual battle in mind.

ii. Notice that we are to be praying for “all the saints”.

a. If you look at the armor, there is nothing covering the back of this proverbial soldier.

b. As the saints come to prayer for each other, we are, in effect, covering each other’s backs in the battle.