Answering the Call

Adapted from a sermon by Robert Tom Weaver

Copyright 1996

Are You a Veteran of War?

Our country has been involved in many wars

From the American Revolution

to the Civil War to World War I and II

To Korea, Vietnam, The Persian Gulf, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom which spanned 20 years.

Brave men have Answered the Call to fight

If you are a veteran, would you stand and tells the branch of the military, the dates of the service, and what your main position was?

Turn in Your Bibles with me to Eph. 6:10-18

As we look at another War which is raging on

One that seems to be as old as history itself

Paul spoke of Answering the Call to fight

1 Timothy 6:12 NASB95

Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

A call which he had already answered himself

2 Timothy 4:7 NASB95

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;

Read Eph. 6:10-18

There is a War Declared

Use the whole armor of God

Eph. 6:11; 13

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God,

Therefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day

Notice whose armor it is

If you put on your armor, it will

Fail you every time

When the enemy challenges you

God wants you to stand ready to fight

Know Your Enemy

He is a Trickster

He is cunning and clever

Vs. 11

The Wiles of the devil

wiles literally, "schemes sought out" for deceiving

2 Corinthians 11:13–15 NASB95

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

False apostles in Corinth are trying to seduce the Corinthians away from their commitment to Christ.

As their spiritual father, Paul attempts to keep the Corinthians from sin.

SLIDE

The false apostles teach a different Jesus, a different spirit and a different gospel—all false.

Satan is your enemy

Satan also disguises himself as an angel of light.

The Devil's greatest weapon has always been deception.

The most effective deception is to convince people that what is evil is actually good, that what is dark is actually light.

We are in a spiritual warfare

for the Souls of men, women and Children

Don’t under estimate the Strength of your enemy.

Men who have underestimated their enemy

Have fallen in battle

Don’t be taken in by his deceptive devices

Ours is a powerful enemy.

Eph 6:12

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Be a Good Soldier of the Lord

Eph 6:13, 14

having done all, to stand. Stand therefore,

Standing your Ground

Saving Private Ryan

They Stood their Ground

To prevent the tanks from

Going across the bridge

To the point of Tom Hanks

Shooting at the Tanks with a 45 cal.

SLIDE

When you think you don’t have any fight left...Stand and fight anyway

Some have dropped out of the battle

Some have turn tale and ran, they are AWOL

Some have been consorting with the enemy

Protect Yourself

Eph 6:14

having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness,

Gird yourself with truth.

Notice that righteousness rests upon truth

John 14:6 NASB95

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 17:17 NASB95

“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

The breast plate protects your heart

and other vital organs

Protect it with truth in righteousness

The Soldiers Shield protected him from arrows

Eph. 6:16

Above all, take the shield of faith

Hebrews 11:6 NASB95

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Without faith it is impossible to please God

Believe that God will protect you

This shield will quench all the fiery darts

Making yourself a target

Because you know God is protecting you

Karate Kid III

Miyagi catches an arrow with his hands

SLIDE

Faith is that God will catch that arrow

Know Your Mission

It is hard to fight when you don’t understand your mission.

Eph. 6:15

and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.

The Mission is the spreading of the Gospel.

It needs to be a prepared mission

Acts 1:8 NASB95

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Matthew 28:18–20 NASB95

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Go On the Offensive

SLIDE The First Requirement to do battle against satan is to be saved yourself

Acts 19:13–17 NASB95

But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.

Eph. 6:17-18

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

The helmet protects the head.

Must be a reason God wants

To protect our head

Our mind is contained within it.

We must fill our mind with the Word of God

rather than the word of the world

Get in the battle and swing the sword.

This is a sword that has been fired and tempered

in the fiery furnace of God - The Bible

Do battle with the Word of God

Jesus showed us how when He would say,

“It is written”

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The other Weapon is Prayer

Be praying for yourself to stand strong

And for others to stand Strong

Matt 16:18

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Show of Force in Iraq.