Riches: Of your Battle Gear
Sufficiency of Christ: Walk through Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 21 viewsYour issued gear; Helps in spiritual battles and walking in victory
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Your Training
Your Training
(Insert a picture of basic training) = illustration boot camp
Paul, more than likely chained to soldier uses his armament to show you God’s armament that has been issued to you. In the Book he has already shown us some training materials
What we have in Christ
Eph1:
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight
How we came to have what we have
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Eph2:
Some of the power we have being in Christ
Eph3:16
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
The reason why
Eph3:17
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
How then we can be a cohesive unit, working together in unity
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
How about those training officers he told us about
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
EPh5
Why we need them
Eph4:12-13
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
When we are unified as a unit (or for us a church; body of believers) we start to be given our instructions
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
Then he went on to discuss relationships
husbands /wives contrasted with Christ and the Church (5:22-33)
Children (6:1-3)
Fathers (6:4)
Slaves (6:5-8)
Masters (6:9)
So in the training you received equipment to use, you did not need to make the equipment, purchase the equipment, you just had to receive it, put it on and then use it to fight the spiritual battles before us.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Eph6:12
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 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.
All this brings us to our passage for today; Eph6:13-17
I. God’s Armor
I. God’s Armor
14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
13 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.
Eph6:15
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Out of basic training, through advanced infantry training, now time to face the battles ahead. You are prepared, you are equipped but let’s do a check list of our battle gear so we know we will be able to STAND FIRM in the battle.
To stand firm is to stand through the battle to the victory. Our victory is in Christ Jesus. We need to stay the course knowing the victory. Our Christian lives should be a daily display of the victory we have and the proof of it (our spiritual armor that God gave us).
Interesting thing to note the words used after the imperative (stand)
Having girded (v.14) - belt of truth
Having put on (v.14) - Breast plate of righteousness
Having shod (v.15) -preparation of the gospel of peace
Having taken up (v.16) - some say taking up - shield of faith
These are all actions that we, as Christians must have taken if we are to stand firm (v.14)
Oh you may think I’m missing something, but hey we need to take that daily - our helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit the Word of God (v.17)
We need all of God’s equipment because the days are evil
16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
Paul said that here in Eph6 too
17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
13 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.
(Expand on how there is evil in the world; also spiritual evil trying to detour, distract, disarm, discourage and derail the Christian)
Girded with belt of Truth
You are surrounded by the Truth, Jesus is the Truth, His Word is the Truth and we need the Truth daily. Paul uses an inference to Jesus spoken of in Isaiah
4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.
ISa11:
This battle gear the Lord wears has been made available and issued to us. His righteousness saved us. We then are able to become His righteousness
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
when we have the truth, when we have God’s righteousness we are to walk in righteousness. We need to be sure to put or put in God’s righteousness daily!
Let me expand on the truth a little more since we are to be girded, surrounded by it.
It is the truth of God
24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Eph44:24
This is the truth you responded to when you responded to the Gospel
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
And this truth is apparent in the Christian
25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
Eph4:
Peter O’brian said it like this
“As believers buckle on this piece of the Messiah’s armour, they will be strengthened by God’s truth as revealed through the gospel. And will then display the characteristics of the Anointed One in attitudes, language and behaviour. This giving the devil no opportunity to gain an advantage over them. (see Eph4:27)”
Breastplate of Righteousness in place
Paul eludes again to Isaiah and the Lord’s righteousness
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
We are to be equipped, putting on the Lord’s righteousness, the Lord’s truth, remember it is the Lord who strengthens us.
Eph6:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
His strength to do His will to accomplish His purpose
That breastplate, yes it is the Lord’s righteousness and spiritually speaking it should be your ethical righteousness too
29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
We don’t let the things of the world come out from us but the things that build up, encourage, edify the body.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
When the spiritual battle is raging and Satan is accusing the believer, it is God’s righteousness through Christ that assures us where we stand!
Eph4:24
God’s righteousness, Ethical righteousness equates to practical righteousness
Feet Shod with the preparation of the Gospel
Believe it or not, we got through one verse, now let’s talk about the soldiers footwear. If we are to stand, if we are to withstand we need the shoes of the gospel of peace. Starting with peace and the peacemaker.
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Peace with God through Jesus. when we have peace with God we can then learn and walk in peace with each other. Satan wants to divide and conquer, but when you have your feet prepared, your beautiful feet as again there is an inference to Isaiah
Isa
7 How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Satan will have no power, for the God who can move mountains has given us the Good News, the Gospel and the results to Satan when we are prepared to use and walk in the Gospel
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
He will flee from you!
Taking up the shield of Faith
This is not the saving faith that brought you into the army of God, but the practical and living faith we practice together. (expand on Roman shield; interlocking to form a wall)
As Christians remember we are to be soldiers in an army not a gladiator fighting alone.
The shield is mentioned many times over in the O.T. and is the image of God’s protection.
12 For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.
God’s favor as a shield.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
He is the shield, and the horn of our salvation! Our Stronghold and deliverer
I could go on more and more on that but we still have more to cover.
This shield of faith; this faith that Paul has used time and time again in the book of Ephesians is where we get divine strength
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
It is faith that is given to us
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
It is faith that brings unity, knowledge of Jesus, so we can know the fullness of Christ!
Can you see how important that shield of faith is and it works with each of other together in our spiritual battles we face because the days are evil. God gave us a mind and expects us to use it. See Satan wants to attack our mind. Those fiery darts that are hurled at us that our faith defends want to chip away at our salvation. The helmet of salvation is needed.
And Take the Helmet of Salvation
It was in the mind that Eve was deceived.
1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
Gen3
what do you allow to control you mind? What do you allow to come into your mind? Do you have the mind of Christ?
16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
We are to fill our minds with the things that are above, that are praiseworthy
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
The Christian who has the helmet of salvation, and continues to grow in Chris is not easily swayed by false doctrine or the ways of the world.
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
Heard, taught both take the mind, taught heard of Him and heard as the truth that is in Him. we then are able to grow in grace
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Our mind is to be used, the Bible is a vital tool, it is a lifeline and life source to the Christian it is the sword.
The Sword of the Spirit
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Paul tells us what the sword is, it is the word of God.
The Hebrew writer likens it to a sword
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
It is the word that pierced the hearts on Pentecost
37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
33 But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them.
It is
It is the Word that convicted us of our sins. It is much more powerful than a material sword.
Material sword pierces the body; Word of God pierces the heart
The material sword gets dull with more use; the God’s word only sharpens our lives
Material sword requires a soldiers hand; the Word has it’s own power, the Spirit
The Spirit wrote the word; the Spirit wields the word as we take it by faith and use it. The material sword cuts to kill but the sword of the Spirit wounds, cuts to give life!
So we need all our battle gear; it was issued to you and you have training through the instruction manual so you can make full use of all the armor God has provided to you.
III. Conclusion
III. Conclusion
The whole armor of God is a picture of God the Son, Jesus Christ.
He is the truth (Jn14:6)
He is our righteousness (2Cor5:21)
He is our peace (Eph2:14)
By His faithfulness we are able to come to faith (Ga2:20
He is our salvation (Lk2:30)
And He is the Word of God (Jn1:1, 1:14)
So do as Paul instructed the Romans 13:11-14
Wake up - salvation is near (v.11)
Lay aside, cast off sin (v.12)
Put on Christ (v.14)
If you don’t have the armor of God (etc. lead to invitation)
Receive the armor
Remember the armor God issued you at salvation!