Fighting To Win

INTRODUCTION:

What if I told you that the devil really does exist and the thing he’s after is NOT your recognition but instead your total destruction.

If that’s true, would that explain why we don’t see the manifestation of Satan and demons in our culture today?

What if, instead of manifesting themselves in exorcisms and supernatural freak shows they were subtly showing up in the movies we watch, the music we listen to and the news we read?

What if Satan and demons were the animating force behind the assumptions

that sexual pleasure and romantic love will be the solution to all of our problems?

that money and reaching the American dream is the key to success and happiness?

That God is nice and all but the real hope in life is found apart from God? Jesus is okay but I need Jesus plus X,Y, Z to really be whole?

As we’ve seen the past few weeks, Satan and demons do in fact exists and they have interwoven their strategies of darkness at every level of our culture and society.

They are at work in the family. Trying to tear apart what God wants to keep together. He uses anger, bitterness, unforgiveness and sexual temptation.

They are at work in our culture. They’re in our politics. They are the ones responsible for the widespread belief that the right kind of government or politician will be the solution to all of our problems.

They are at work in our churches. Sowing division and dissension. They are the ones responsible for the false teaching coming out of pulpits across America that

life is ultimately about YOU and not God.

God wants to make YOU healthy and wealthy if you’ll but have faith.

Hell isn’t real and the standards of the Bible aren’t relevant for today.

Think about it: He’s not after your recognition. He’s after your destruction. And if that was true, would you think differently about the presence of Satan and demons in your life today?

That’s been the assumption behind this series. Satan and demons are real. We daily battle against their schemes. And the inability to see this will create failure in the Christian life.

The passage we’ve been looking at is Ephesians 6:10-20 and it’s the final words in his letter to the church at Ephesus.

Ephesians 6:10-20

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. 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 firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

STANDING STRONG IN JESUS:

Before we dive into where we’re going to focus this morning. Let me give us a quick review of where we’ve been.

In week one of this series we looked at this passage from a bird eye view to see how all the individual parts all fit together.

The basic truth that Paul wants to establish in our minds is that “we are at war.” The Christian life is war. We need a wartime mentality.

To support that thesis he gives three basic battle strategies: (1) understand your enemy, (2) be strong in the Lord and (3) suit up in God’s armor.

As to our enemy Paul explains (1) that it isn’t human. Not flesh and blood. It’s a spiritual darkness that has unleashed schemes through rulers, authorities, cosmic powers of darkness and spiritual forces in the heavenly places.

This enemy is incredibly powerful and multifaceted. It’s at work at every level of our society at a macro level and a micro level. Visible and invisible. We don’t stand a chance if we stand in our own power according to our weapons.

Which is why Paul says we need to be strong in the Lord. And the way to have our self strengthen by the Lord is to suit up in the armor of God. The belt, the breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, sword and prayer.

Last week we took a deep dive into how the enemy fights. We don’t battle against Satan himself but rather Satan’s schemes. His plans. His strategies.

Generally speaking his strategy is to tear apart what God wants to keep together. He wants to dissolve what God wants to sustain, he disintegrates what God integrates. He has various ways of going about this.

He does it through things like (1) lies and deception. He does it through (2) temptation to sin. Through (3) doubt and discouragement. Through (4) opposition to advancing the Gospel and most importantly through (5) condemnation and shame.

How is he working right now? How might he be at work in your life? Depends on who you are. He’s a master strategist. He takes notes of what does and doesn’t work and invests the greatest amount of energy into the most effective lines of attack.

Some of you know Satan and demons exist because you’ve been losing your fight against Satan’s schemes. Why? Because you took mop to a gun fight.

Some of you have had an anger problem for years. And you keep trying to fix yourself up and do better but it never changes. You keep on doing the same things making the same mistakes.

Some of you struggle with anxiety or depression. You’ve read all the power of positive thinking books, you’ve gone to 4 or 5 different psychologists, you’ve taken different kinds of medications but the battle still rages. Why won’t it?

You’ve been an addict for years. You’ll stay sober for a few months or even a few years but you keep relapsing and can’t understand why.

So how do we win? If we’re in a battle and these are the schemes of Satan, how do we win the invisible war? The answer may surprise you.

According to Paul, the way we are to fight in this battle is to STAND. We are to be strengthened by the Lord and STAND FIRM.

Did you circle how many times Paul uses the word stand in this little section?

v 11 “put on the armor that you might stand…"

v 13 “take up the whole armor that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."

v 14 “STAND therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth…"

Why would Paul say our job is to stand? Why not go out and fight? Cast out demons? Do exorcisms? It’s not like Jesus didn’t do that kind of ministry. Certainly we see stuff like this in the book of Acts.

The reason we’re called to STAND FIRM is because Jesus has already accomplished the offensive victory.

Jesus has already embarrassed the principalities and powers. He’s defeated them. So what do you have to do? You have to stand firm.

Paul writes about this in Colossians 2:13-15

"And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."

ILLUSTRATION: We’re like a football team where our team is already up seventy-two to nothing. We don’t have to score anymore points; we just have to stand firm. We just have to keep the other team from doing what they want to do. Why? Because the victory has already been won by Jesus on Calvary.

Satan’s goal is to try and blind us to the spiritual blessings we already have. He’s trying to blind us to a reality and power that we already possess in Christ.

In Ephesians 1:3 Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed (aorist) us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…”

Everything God is ever going to do for you, He’s already done for you in Christ. So if you’re going out to try and find blessings it means you’re blind to the blessings you already have.

That’s why Paul prays NOT that we would receive more and more of the Love of God but that we might COMPREHEND more and more the reality of God’s love that is already ours in Christ.

“...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehendwith all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)

So if the game plan for winning the invisible war is to STAND firm in Jesus how does this spiritual armor relate to that enterprise?

Everything that Paul says about the armor of God is another way of saying “be strong and Jesus."

To put on the armor of God is simply to possess a day by day abiding faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Put the good news of the Gospel around your waist, in your hands and over your chest. From the top of your head to the tips of your shoes (and everywhere in-between) ground yourself and stand strong in the Gospel.

When we put on the armor of God we are putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul basically says this outright in Romans 13:12-13

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

In other words… “putting on the armor IS putting on the Lord Jesus.” That’s the game plan. No life hacks. No do this and not this. Put on the Lord and avoid the darkness. Put on the light and the darkness will flee. Put on Jesus and make no provision for the flesh in your life.

How do we “put on Christ?” (He’s in heaven so we can’t wear him like a halloween costume. Right?) We put on Christ through an abiding faith in the Gospel. To live as if you are in Him and he is in you.

We put on Christ by living by faith. By living as if it really is true that God has forgiven us of all of our sin. To live as if it really is true that in Christ everything is “yes and amen.” To live as if there really is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus.

As Paul said in Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.”

It sounds simplistic but it really is true. The Gospel is the power of God. If you’ll just receive the Gospel. Believe in the Gospel. Live in light of the Gospel. Fight the flesh with the truth of the Gospel then everything else will organically flow from there.

The Gospel is the power of God in your life. It’s the way God reverses the corruption and brokenness of sin and the means through which we repel the power of Satan from our life.

If you want to keep the corrupting influence of our enemy out of your life then establish every part of your life on the Gospel.

Every part. Your hopes, your dreams, your failures, your successes, your worries, your fears, your relationships, everything needs to be grounded in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

The reverse of this is also true. Any part of your life that is NOT grounded in the Gospel and surrendered to the Lordship of Christ will the domain in which you start to lose ground and experience hardship.

Any arena of your life that isn’t surrendered to Christ and shaped by the Gospel will be open to Satanic attack and exploitation.

I said last week I don’t believe in demonic possession but I do believe in demonic oppression. You can be influenced by demons and the schemes of Satan FOR SURE. It’s happening right now all around us.

Remember last week when Paul was warning the church in Corinth that their legalistic and unforgiving Spirit was opening them up demonic influence? They were being outwitted by Satan. Why? They forgot the Gospel. “Certain sins can’t be forgiven… bridge too far.”

If there’s one thing that Satan wants to stop more than anything else it’s an increase in your understanding, application & amplification of the Gospel.

Remember earlier in the book of Ephesians Paul gives a warning about anger.

He says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)

If you believe the Gospel you know you can’t harbor unforgiveness in your heart. It’s the opposite of a Gospel mindset.

Do you remember when Jesus said to Peter “Get behind me Satan…” (Matthew 16:21-23)

It was because Peter was unwilling to believe the Gospel.

"From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

In 2 Timothy 2 Paul gives this beautiful summary of the Gospel and encourages Timothy to preach this Gospel to his church (the Church in Ephesus!).

Remind them of these things. But don’t get caught up in quarreling. Why? It distracts from the Gospel

He points out a group in the church who were creating quarrels with false teaching saying the resurrection of the dead had already happened. And Timothy says don’t get caught up in the controversies. Preach the truth and correct your opponents with gentleness.

“25...God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

What was the devil trying to do in this church and through these false teachers creating all of the controversies? Point people away from the truth of the Gospel.

For the next few minutes, let’s think about the armor of God and how it relates to standing strong in Jesus by rooting our heart and life in the Gospel.

GOSPEL ARMOR:

When Paul talks about the armor of God he mentions six different pieces. (Belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet and sword.)

Something I didn’t notice until this week was the transition in verbs that Paul uses.

For the first three elements Paul uses the verb “to have or to be…” Having fastened the belt, having put on the breastplate, having put on the readiness...

On the next three elements Paul uses the verb “to take…” Take up the shield of faith… take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit.

In other words, some of these thing you always have on… the others you take up as needed. As the occasion arises. (Like gloves and bats when playing baseball)

Truth and righteousness and shoes ready to preach the Gospel are always on. From time to time you take up the shield, you take up the sword and you take up the helmet.

The first piece Paul mentions is the belt of truth. If you’re going to stand strong and dress up in Jesus then you’re going to need a belt. A truth belt.

And since the focus of the armor is putting on the Lord Jesus. The particular truth we need on is the truth about Christ.

Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life. No-one come to the Father except through me.”

John 8:31–32 “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The most important truth you could ever learn is truth about the Lord Jesus. Satan lies about God. He lies about mankind. But he has a particular desire to lie and deceive us about the Lord Jesus.

Knowing the truth about Jesus is what holds everything else together. (ILLUSTRATION: Roman Soldier)

For the Roman soldier, his belt held everything else in place. It was the most fundamental element to the armor. Most soldiers wore long tunics that flowed to the ground. When it came time to fight they would tuck their tunics into their belt.

It had loops on it that attached the breastplate and held the belt. It’s ties everything else together. If he didn’t have his belt then he would hold anything else together.

In the same way - the belt of truth holds everything together in our life. Jesus holds the universe together by the power of his Word. Everything else fits together because you know the truth about him.

Making sense of this world from a distinctively Christian point of view begins and ends with truth about the Lord Jesus Christ.

He was the cause of creation. In the beginning was the Word and all things that were created were created by him and for him.

He was the promised cure for sin and the brokenness that sin has caused. From early in the Old Testament to the death of Jesus on the cross he makes sense out of what’s wrong in this world and how it can be made whole.

He’s the answer to what’s next and how this broken world finally fits back together. Upon his glorious return the dead in Christ will rise and we will receive new bodies, a new heaven a new earth. There will be no Sun or moon for the Lord Jesus will be the light.

The next thing Paul mentions is the breastplate of Righteousness. And it’s not just any righteousness we put on. We put on the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Remember, righteousness isn’t just a moral lifestyle. It’s a state of being in “right relationship.” It’s the end of striving and the beginning of rest can only be found in Jesus righteousness.

There are many places people try and find righteousness. Some people try and attain it through moral effort and success in accomplishments.

Some people try and attain it through human relationships and acceptance from the “right people.” Some try and attain it through self-medication and substance abuse.

They’re just trying to be whole. They’re seeking righteousness. Your righteousness is whatever you use to cover the gap between who you are and who you know you need to be.

But for Christians our righteousness is the Lord Jesus Christ. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly trust in Jesus Name. On CHRIST the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.

There are so many other ways people try and attain right standing before God and man. But anything or anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ will leave you lacking.

He’s the strong man. He’s the only one who can clean your house and keep it clean. Not because of who you are or what you can do. But because of who HE is and what only HE can accomplish.

The shoes we wear on our feet is the readiness given by the Gospel of Peace. No guess here how this piece relates to the Gospel.

Roman soldiers wore shoes with cleats on them. Why? Sure-footedness. Gospel-ready shoes keep us from slipping in the Christian life.

Some of us have a Christian life that is marked by slipping and sliding. You’ve heard of the phrase “backslidden Christian.” How does that happen? It happens when we take of the shoes of peace.

Every time you fall into sin and say, “Opps! I did it again.” What you need in that moment is some cleats on your shoes to keep you from slipping further. Those cleats are the Gospel.

When you wear the shoes of the Gospel then your life will be characterized by peace.

That doesn’t mean you never have any troubles or hardships. It just means even in your hardships you have a peace that passes human understanding. Why? Because as hard as things are there’s one thing that’ll never be taken from you.

Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. No hardship. Nothing in heaven. Nothing on earth. You’re encouraged to cast your anxieties on him because he cares for you. How do you know he cares? Because of the Gospel!

By the way, it’s not just the peace OF God that you have in your life. You have peace WITH God because of the Gospel. There was once enmity between you and God but that enmity has been removed.

The next three elements aren’t things “we have…” on all the time but things “we take up” as we need them. The first of which is the shield of faith.

Roman soldiers didn’t walk around with a shield. They took it up as needed. During a fight. The same is true with faith. Faith is ACTINGon the truth of God.

Faith is acting on the truth that you know. It doesn’t do you much good if you know the truth but you don’t put it into action when the time comes.

We don’t just need faith when it’s time to act. We also need it when the enemy shoots flaming darts our way. The darts of temptation. The darts of unbelief. The darts of opposition and condemnation. In those moments we need the shield.

The thing about Satan’s arrows is he never just shoots one at a time. On the EVIL day it’s raining arrows of fire.

There’s fire everywhere. How are you going to put it out? You can’t put it out yourself. So in that day you put up your shield to protect your body.

That’s the way that faith works. It’s doesn’t make the arrows stop flying. It doesn’t make a bad day and good day. It just makes a bad day bearable. You are able to walk and not faint. You’re able to persevere even through the valley low.

What is your faith in? It’s in the Lord Jesus Christ. The armor is being strong in Jesus. That he is who he promised to be. He will do what he promised to do.

In addition to the shield of faith you take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.

Football players wear helmets to absorb the shock that intense collisions have on their heads. The helmet of salvation absorbs the shock of Satan’s blows.

Satan is going to throw some blows. Blows of condemnation. Blows of shame. Blows of suffering and pain. But how you process and think about those circumstances are of upmost importance.

Instead of losing your mind and focusing solely on your circumstances and how bad things are and how miserable you are and so forth. You put on the helmet and remind yourself of your position in Christ.

If God be for me who can be against me. Who is the one who condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who justifies. The day you forget who you are in Christ is the day you’ll start losing the battle for your soul.

Husband getting on your nerves? Child? Co-Worker? Boss? Put on the helmet and absorb it. Don’t focus on them focus on your inheritance in Christ. Body broken for me. Blood that was shed for me.

The sword is the Word of God. But it’s not just knowing what the Bible says. It’s being able to HEAR God speak through his Word.

The Roman sword was a a super sharp double edged dagger. The focus is not on a big book of text but a specific and personalized word to you.

It’s the Greek word “rhema” not “logos” or “graphe.” The logos often refers to the objective exhaustive complete written word of God. It’s always true always the same never changing etc.

The rhema of God is a particular word at a particular time for a particular purpose. One of my favorite analogies is that of a lake of water versus a bowl of water. The logos is the lake of water. The rhema is a bowl of water drawn from the lake.

So you take up the sword when it’s needed. You receive the particular word of God to you for this time for this circumstance at this time. What you’re receiving in this sermon is a rhema from God. Are you going to take it up?

To put these together - It’s one thing to know the Gospel - it’s another thing to apply the truth of the Gospel to your particular circumstances.

It’s one thing to know that God is holy, we are sinful, Christ died for our sins and we must receive him. It’s another thing to apply those truths to your particular circumstances in the home, at the office or whatever challenge your facing.

It’s one thing to know that God created everything good but the deviation from his good design produced brokenness in our culture and our individual lives. But, if we will trust in Christ and recover his design for all of life then we can recapture the blessing and grace of God in our day to day life.

It’s another thing to apply from that where in your life you’ve deviated from God’s good design and then draw the courage you need to repent of your sin and embrace God’s good design for your life moving forward.

CONCLUSION:

The word of God to us this morning is to STAND STRONG in the Lord Jesus by putting on the GOSPEL ARMOR and having our lives shaped by His Truth.

In this warfare we’re not attempting to gain new ground. We are attempted to claim the ground that’s already by won by the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we would just open our eyes to what’s really true of us and true in Christ then so much of our discouragement and shame would cease. Our bad attitudes and constant disappointments would be replaced by faith, hope and love.

Are you feeling strong in the Lord this morning? If not, why not? It’s merely a change in perspective. It’s repenting of living your life in the flesh and surrendering your heart and mind to the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you’re not a Christian then the way to put on this armor in your life is through repentance and faith.

It’s coming to realize you can't and never could save yourself. You are dead in your trespasses and sins but because of God’s great love for you he sent Christ to die for your sins and three days later God raised him from the dead.

If you’ll confess your sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord then you will be saved! You’ll be putting on Christ and making him your truth and righteousness and steady foundation.

You’ll be adopted into a new family full of people who protect one another with the shield of faith and fight off the devil with the truth of God’s word. Its’ a much better life than is living under the control of your enemy.

More than anything else he wants you to reject this message. To never hear it. And, if you do, to want to reject it. Why would you reject the greatest news in the world?