Are You Ready for Battle?

Ephesians 6:10-20

[Some time ago] NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ran an article about the Alaskan bull moose. The males of the species battle for dominance during the fall breeding season, literally going head-to-head with antlers crunching together as they collide.

Often the antlers, their only weapon, are broken. That ensures defeat. The heftiest moose, with the largest and strongest antlers, triumphs. Therefore, the battle fought in the fall is really won during the summer, when the moose eat continually.

The one that consumes the best diet for growing antlers and gaining weight will be the heavyweight in the fight. Those that eat inadequately sport weaker antlers and less bulk.

There is a lesson here for us. Spiritual battles await. Satan will choose a season to attack. Will we be victorious, or will we fall? Much depends on what we do now—before the wars begin.

(Craig Brian Larson quoted in [10000 Sermon Illustrations. Dallas: Biblical Studies Press](http://www.logos.com/products/details/1480) )

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Are you ready for battle?

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This letter to the church in Ephesus was written by Paul while he was in prison.

“Ephesians gives a cosmic view of God’s plans for the world, explaining the mystery of the gospel. Because of Jesus’ death, all people can receive the gift of forgiveness for their trespasses against God and others (Eph 1:3–10; 2:1–8). Through the sacrifice of Christ, God has brought believers in Jesus—Jews and non-Jews alike—together as one new humanity (2:11-18).” /(Faithlife Study Bible/)

Our text is taken from the very end of his letter, his concluding practical exhortations about how to live the Christian life.

In this passage, Paul instructed the believers in the spiritual warfare of those who follow Jesus. Interestingly, Paul chose to use the imagery of the Roman soldier to describe this spiritual reality.

It is intriguing to consider that Paul may have written these words as he watched guards in their rotations from his prison cell, maybe even watching squadrons of soldiers marching on the parade grounds.

Like those soldiers had to be dressed and ready for battle, so the Christian must be ready! This is the central thought of our text.

Big Idea: We must prepare for spiritual battle as soldiers for Christ.

Ephesians 6:10 ESV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

This is no time for wimps and cowards. This is no time to be wishy-washy in our commitment. It is time for battle! We are soldiers for Jesus Christ!

1. We are in a battle - we must get prepared!, vv. 11-12.

Ephesians 6:11–12 ESV

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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.

Notice, firstly, that we must get dressed for battle. Over the years, the lines have been blurred a bit about what is appropriate dress.

Still, I believe that dressing appropriately helps us to get in the mindset of what we are to be doing.

Spiritually, the same holds true. You don’t go to war dressed in pajamas. You need the right outfit for war! And so, Paul tells us that we must put on ”the whole armor of God.”

We will focus more on this aspect of the ”whole armor of God” in a moment. But notice why we need this armor. We need to be prepared so that we can stand - we can be victorious - against the wiles, the trickery and schemes - of the devil.

Verse 12 tells us more about what our fight is against - principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of the world, spiritual wickedness in high places.

Some may speculate and make various conclusions about these different descriptions of evil spiritual forces, but Paul’s point is simply this: we are fighting a spiritual battle, not a physical battle.

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This principle is incredibly important. So often, the battles we fight tend to be “physical” battles. We fight the wrong enemy and we fight in the wrong realm.

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We sometimes regard our enemy as our argumentative spouse, our disobedient kids, other family members whose political and religious beliefs are different than ours.

Or, we think the enemy is our annoying neighbor, the crooked politician, evil legislation, or a corrupt judiciary.

We fight with human reasoning, philosophy, powers of persuasion, etc. We fight politically, or even with our fists. But the real war Christ calls the Christian to wage is spiritual!

Therefore, we must don the armor of God.

2. We are in a battle - we must be fully prepared!, vv. 13-17.

Ephesians 6:13–17 ESV

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. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

What do we need in order to stand in the evil day?

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The whole… the entire… armor of God!

Consider Paul’s metaphor of the Christian armor.

The first piece of armor we are to put on is the belt of Truth. The KJV is maybe a bit more picturesque than the ESV in its rendering of the Greek.

Ephesians 6:14 KJV

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

The Roman soldier would gather up his long robe and tuck in the ends in his belt so that he could move about more freely.

But the belt also held the breastplate tight to his chest and his sword would be sheathed on his belt.

Ephesians 6:14 (Courson’s Commentary): Loins speak of the personal area of one’s life. The private life of a spiritual man is surrounded by truth. He will do well who determines to put away lying.

In other words, a personal life of integrity is the foundational piece of all the Christian’s armor.

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If our interior life is hollow spiritually, eventually the facade is going to cave in. Take, for example, a wooden wall eaten up by termites. All that remains is a thin coat of dried paint. If any force is put against it, it will give way.

The same is true of a life based on dishonesty and a lack of integrity.

The second piece is the breastplate of righteousness. This breastplate may refer to our blameless character as followers of Christ and it may refer to our holy heart.

We are made righteous by the blood of Jesus, but we have a responsibility to live holy. If we are living consistently guided by the Word and will of God, our righteous testimony will ward off blows to our vital organs.

Thirdly, we must wear the shoes of the readiness given by the gospel of peace. The sandal of the Roman soldier, with its spikes, was essential equipment to help him stand in whatever terrain he found himself.

So the Good News of Jesus Christ gives us a solid foundation in all times and environments. We go into our world sharing good news, seeking to extend the peace of God to a world at war with God and itself.

This message of love and peace gives us solid footing no matter where we are or to what culture or people we are with.

Fourthly, we must wear the helmet of salvation. The confidence of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ protects us - our mind, our spirit - from enemy attack.

If we do not have confidence of salvation, we easily find ourselves doubting God’s goodness, God’s Word, and God’s will. But having received the assurance of the Spirit that we are God’s children, we need not fear or be dismayed.

Fifthly, we take up the shield of faith. Our confident trust in Christ is able to stop all the fiery darts of temptation, discouragement, and doubt. Archers of that time would often dip their arrows in poison or set the arrows aflame.

Can you imagine how painful it would be to be struck with a burning arrow? Can you imagine getting struck in the arm by a poisonous dart, and the numbness that would begin in that limb, but spreading throughout one’s body?

The soldier’s shield was covered with materials and substances designed to put out fires. Our enemy knows how to shoot darks of insidious temptation and doubt at us that, without this shield of faith, will burn away or spread poison in our spiritual life.

By our confident trust in Christ, we are protected from all such fiery darts. And, as you may be aware, the shield to which Paul referred was a shield that was used along with the shields of other soldiers to provide a mobile fortress from a barrage of enemy arrows.

In the community of faith, we are better protected from the onslaught of the enemy!

Finally, we must pick up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The Word of God is powerful. Hebrews 4:12

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

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.

Truly, as Christian soldiers, we must be familiar with God’s Word, meditating upon it, memorizing it, applying it to our lives.

God’s Word is our offensive weapon in this spiritual battle. We do not fight by pure logic alone. We do not fight with our hands and feet. We fight by the Word of God.

Someone has written…

In the New Testament “the word of God” is never a general reference to “the Holy Scriptures.” It means the word which God gives us to speak.

We must be rooted in Scripture, for the Scripture is the primary source of God’s Word. But the challenge of Paul’s suggestion is that the Christian may be open to and can always depend on receiving the needed word from God.

It may be a word of comfort for one’s emotional turmoil, a word of hope for one’s quivering soul, a word of courage for trembling knees, a word of challenge to one’s apathy, a word of condemnation for one’s sin, a word of prophetic judgment for one’s uninvolvement and insensitivity.

It may also be the word which the Christian is to speak—witness to be made, judgment to be shouted, prophecy to be uttered, teaching to be shared.

Our sword, then, is the Bible, but it is more. It is the word of the Bible made alive by the Spirit for our edification and for witness, admonition, and exhortation with others.

It is also the inbreaking of God by His Spirit, speaking to our spirits, and through our spirits to others. (/Preacher’s Commentary/)

3. We are in a battle - we must stay mentally prepared!, v. 18.

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

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,

Keep alert with all perseverance - we must stay awake and alert, as soldiers of Jesus Christ!

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How do we stay alert?

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. …

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What does it mean to be praying always?

We obviously recognize this does not mean that we are praying 24/7. Yet it would suggest a constancy in prayer. It suggests that we are quick to pray about anything and everything.

John C. Maxwell is a well known leadership expert and former pastor. After Maxwell’s father passed away, he shared some lessons of life he had learned from his father.

The second lesson Maxwell shared from his father was that of praying constantly. Maxwell explained that his father practiced having an ongoing conversation with Jesus throughout the day.

He challenged people to think about it. In a real friendship, you don’t have conversations with your friend only in formal situations. You talk to them all the time.

And so, Maxwell’s father would stop and speak to God at various times throughout the day, just to share what he was thinking, ask God for help, to praise God and more.

I believe this should challenge all of us. Let’s not think of prayer as only certain times of the day or the week. Instead, let us practice having an ongoing conversation with God, and by so doing, stay alert, watching for any attack of our enemy.

Our text we have studied this evening is a call to battle!

Big Idea: We must prepare for spiritual battle as soldiers for Christ.

We are in a battle - we must get prepared! We cannot act as if this is downtime. The fight is on!

We are in a battle - we must be fully prepared. We must put on each piece of God’s armor.

We are in a battle - we must stay mentally prepared, watching and praying.

We truly are in a battle today. We see the battle here in the cultural wars that have been waged over the years.

But our battle is much more personal than some political issues argued in Jefferson City or Washington, D.C. Satan barrages us with temptation from every avenue - TV, internet, radio, friends, and more.

Demonic forces seek to discourage us. We may feel discouragement in living a holy life. We may feel discouraged in sharing our faith and serving others in Christ’s name.

The battle is extensive, but we can be victorious in Christ!

The question is: are you ready for spiritual warfare?

Is your inner, private life marked by integrity? Is your character one of blameless integrity? Is the message you share with others one of the Good News of Jesus?

Do you have confidence of your salvation? Are you shielded by faith - trust in Jesus? Are you wielding the Word of God in this spiritual battle?

Are you prepared for battle?

As we quiet our hearts and minds right now, I urge you to ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Is everything right between you and Jesus? Are you prepared for battle?

If the Holy Spirit reveals any lack to you, ask Him for forgiveness, for cleansing, for faith, for grace so that you can be prepared for battle as a soldier of Jesus!