Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.48UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.16UNLIKELY
Fear
0.58LIKELY
Joy
0.54LIKELY
Sadness
0.5LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.51LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.47UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.92LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.71LIKELY
Extraversion
0.05UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.08UNLIKELY
Emotional Range
0.67LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Realize the Enemy's Strength
Like a general preparing his troops for the big battle, Paul stirs up the field-soldiers of faith with a vision of the larger picture.
This is what the real battle is about, the true enemy.
Key please elaborate - So often Christians struggle against the wrong thing or we stand firmly against the lesser things.
Not that they are bad things, but we need to see clearly who or what is trying to destroy our faith.
Putting on the full armor of God begins with understanding what is really going on.
Nothing worse than putting on your sports equipment before asking which game we are going to play.
That hockey equipment is not much help if you are entering a swimming contest.
We need to understand the nature of the ultimate enemy, and let that knowledge determine the kind of defenses we need.
For Christians the enemy is the devil, a real, personal entity.
He goes by many names: Lucifer, Satan, the father of lies, the accuser of the brethren, Beelzebub.
The enemy is not a neighbor who plays loud music, or the member of the board who always wants his own way.
It is not cancer, or diabetes, or MS, or a congenital abnormality.
It is not the drunk driver who takes your child’s life, the boss who fires you, or the Christian who opposes you.
Your sworn enemy is Satan and the forces at his disposal, and he has declared war on the people of God.
His armies are not physical like an earthly army.
These are formidable foes and we cannot afford to treat their existence lightly.
As any general would know, the more you know about your enemy and his ways, the more you are able to counter-act his offensives.
However, we must remember verse 10, to be strong in the might of the Lord.
We must stand firm and not shrink back.
Fears must be overcome, the fear of failure, criticism, doubts, weakness, insignificance.
We need to train ourselves to understand the darts and shots of our enemy.
I Put on the Armour
As Paul wrote this he was chained to a Roman soldier.
He had been in the company of soldiers, centurions, and tribunes for years, so he knew all about armor.
No doubt his familiarity with Roman armor gave him the idea of using the imagery of Christian armor.
Roman armor was designed to protect the soldier’s body from the enemy’s weapons.
Christian armor is designed to protect the soul.
God does not throw us unprotected into the battle against Satan’s empire.
God has provided all that we need for complete protection of mind, heart, soul, spirit, conscience, and will.
But we must put that armor on piece by piece—deliberately, thoughtfully, and intelligently.
The key is to stands against the schemes of the devil.
What are his schemes?
deception
discouragement
incremental slow burning sin
The sight life
We must stand firm and not be moved.
Illustration
Christians are not to attack Satan, or advance against him; they are only to “stand” or hold the territory Christ and His body, the church, have conquered.
Without God’s armor believers will be defeated by the “schemes” of the devil which have been effective for thousands of years[1]
You must believe it will work
[
You must also put on the right armour
You must not advance but stand
Without the Armour you will be defeated
Illustration - ski ing
Binding for boots, coat, helmet,
Deception: (It’s number one for a reason.)
It’s Satan’s most successful tool.
It has devastating results.
Doubt: Makes us question God’s word, His love and His goodness.
(See: Eve)
Discouragement: Keeping us disheartened or in paralyzing despair.
Diversion: Makes the wrong things seem attractive and harmless.
You may want them more than the right things.
Defeat: By using shame, guilt or self-doubt, you feel like a failure, so you don’t even try.
II Ponder the Enemy
eph 6.12
The struggle is not physical (against flesh and blood); it is a spiritual conflict against the spiritual “Mafia.”
Though the ranks of satanic forces cannot be fully categorized, the first two (rulers and authorities) have already been mentioned in 1:21 and 3:10.
Paul added the powers of this dark world (cf.
2:2; 4:18; 5:8) and the spiritual forces of evil.
Their sphere of activity is in the heavenly realms, the fifth occurrence of this phrase, which is mentioned in the New Testament only in 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12.
Satan, who is in the heavens (2:2) until he will be cast out in the middle of the Tribulation (Rev.
12:9–10), is trying to rob believers of the spiritual blessings God has given them (Eph.
1:3).
The struggle is not physical (against flesh and blood); it is a spiritual conflict against the spiritual “Mafia.”
Though the ranks of satanic forces cannot be fully categorized, the first two (rulers and authorities) have already been mentioned in 1:21 and 3:10.
Paul added the powers of this dark world (cf.
2:2; 4:18; 5:8) and the spiritual forces of evil.
Their sphere of activity is in the heavenly realms, the fifth occurrence of this phrase, which is mentioned in the New Testament only in 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12.
Satan, who is in the heavens (2:2) until he will be cast out in the middle of the Tribulation (), is trying to rob believers of the spiritual blessings God has given them ().
This warfare is not a matter of contending against godless philosophers, crafty priests, Christ-denying cultists, or infidel rulers.
The battle is against demonic forces, against battalions of fallen angels, against evil spirits who wield tremendous power.
Though we cannot see them, we are constantly surrounded by wicked spirit-beings.
While it is true that they cannot indwell a true believer, they can oppress and harass him.
The Christian should not be morbidly occupied with the subject of demonism; neither should he live in fear of demons.
In the armor of God, he has all he needs to hold his ground against their onslaughts.
This famous verse describes the spiritual battle that exists in the lives of believers.
It does so perhaps better than any other words in Scripture.
First, Paul affirms our battle is indeed spiritual, not physical.
The enemies we face, ultimately, are not people or objects.
The Devil may use those as part of his attack, but our true opponent is not other people: it is sin.
Second, Paul identifies our spiritual enemies.
This list is commonly interpreted as a vague listing of the "ranks" within the demonic armies.
"Rulers" seem to indicate a top level of evil spiritual forces.
"Authorities" refer to general forces of evil attacking believers.
"Cosmic powers" seems to refer to the worldwide nature of this spiritual battle.
"Evil in the heavenly places" again emphasizes a battle beyond this world.
Here are four ways that the enemy will try to use your weakness against you and how to counter by standing on God's original design.
Fear Over Faith
Where there is limitation, Satan will often try to lure us into fear when facing uncertainty.
Many times when the early disciples would allow fear to take the better of them, Jesus would correct them lovingly by pointing out their "little faith."
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.
For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."
Failure Over Freedom
Weakness will very often lead to a mistake or even a failure.
In my personal life, I have always seen my inabilities to cause mishaps at work or even in my family.
But in the midst of failure, I am assured that God can and will turn situations around.
But sometimes, we are tricked into thinking that God cannot conquer our failures.
This causes us to live in bondage instead of freedom.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9