Battle Armor/ Fighting the enemy

Shiew Finding His Shoe...

Some of you today will love the idea of the illustration found in this passage. Armor.. its like sweet yeah! WAR!!! You like Fortnite, Call of Duty… Movies like The Patriot..

Some of you are like.. mmm yeah.. I dont do war.

BUT this gives us the perfect pitcure tonight.. that when we prepare for the battle we prepare to win.

- If we do not....... we are prepared to LOSE.

Our identity is a Disciple in Christ… if it is.... we MUST put on the armor of God.

Satan will defeat you… He will tempt you over and over… until you fail.

He will take your mind off of what God can do, and put it on what you CAN do.

Don’t listen to him… put on the armor and fight with the Lord.

WE- Will find ourselves in situations where Satan is tempting us so hard to sin… and if we are not ready for that “BATTLE” our sin nature just might kick in… and then we deal with the consequences for our actions.

The other big thing we need to think about tonight is that we can not fight the battles on our own. Like Peter when he cut the guys ear off in Gethsmane… or Moses when he killed the Egyptian.

We will face times in our lives that are battles spiritually and physically … and what it truly comes to is… us simply trusting /believing in the Lord.

Can I give you guys an example from our personal lives… As you all know by now.. we have to move out of our rent house on the Loop. Finding another place has presented it self to be insanely difficult. BUT Meagan and I are choosing to not lose faith.

Example of that! Meag and I, had an amazing talk the other night … hey lets stop worrying.. God has promised He will provide for us… lets just trust … Then she said.. Jonathan the more we worry and try to fix it ourselves.. its only going to get worse. There are zero rent homes… and we are not in a position right now to buy… so obviously its in God’s hands.

Man I really dont want to be homeless.... but she’s right. So.... later that night Meag is at Heart to home… and by the time she comes back home at 10pm.. There were two homes in our price range for rent…

HELLO God! I need to spend more time putting that Armor on Correctly! I’m sorry for not trusting you.

Just the other day even my parents gave us financial help that we were not expecting.

What I’m saying to you tonight… the second you think you have it under control… YOU DONT!

ONLY when you put your full faith in the Lord, and the armor of God is placed on you… do you start to see and understand HE IS AT WORK. I cant do anything but be faithful serving the Lord.

GOD- Read Ephesians 6:10-20

1. We Have to be ready. Vs 10-11

Check it: Before Paul tells us to stand he commands us to be strong.

How do we have the strength to stand?

By realizing that we are seated with Christ in Heaven far above Satan, and away from anything that Satan can throw at you to bring you down!

“Guys we will find ourselves in impossible situations.. where NOTHING makes sense on paper…

BUT God promises to provide.

“He shows us how He’ll provide only when we are fully equipping ourselves in Himself. We are His… “

We can not get caught up in the worries of this world. When NOTHING else makes sense… it is in God’s hands.

Without the armor of God the Devil will make you think the worst.. and you will believe it.

Like… wow… they told me I’m ugly and no one likes me. So did that other “friend” … maybe there is some truth to it. Oh .. that Margret girl.. she’s so much better loooking than me. … BETTY SUE! Wow.. all the boys like her so much.. why not me!

Trust me when I say… God has bigger and better things for you. YOU have to find your true love for your self. The way you do it… is by loving God more than you love anything else. You are His.

Man they don’t invite me to anything… they must not like me… they are always with BoB! Not me… maybe there is something wrong with me!

I’m not near as good as Watson… I must not be good enough......

Tell the Story of Jonathan Watson and I.

I mess up things so much… I have so many issues....

Man all this acne on my face… I’m an outcast. Tanner Fox has nothing on me…

I’ve never had a GF I’m unloveable. Feel you bro ...

I’m failing a class… how can I ever succeed....

Mom and Dad yelling at each other.. and it hurts.. my life stinks!

I have all these unreasonable rules… I cant even deal.

That friend spread some BAD rumors about me… and now everyone at school thinks I’m someone that I’m not.

STOP!!!!!!! If Jesus is your savior....You are a CHILD of the King. You may think you are a failure… but in GOD’s eyes you are a deeply loved! Deeply cherished! Deeply desired!

What I want you to take away is that yes Life will get you down… but that honestly Satan getting at you.

Put the Whole Armor of God.. so that when these battles of life hit.. you can face them head strong! They might sting a little.. but with God you will make it through them.

I love being reminded of Paul. He was lower than low… yet he kept his eyes on the Lord.

I love seeing how Daniel was told not to pray yet he did.. was arrested… thrown in a pit of lions yet God delivered....

I love how we see Joseph being thrown into a pit almost was murdered but instead sold into slavery for his brothers selfish gain…

The Bible is full of these REAL testimonies of even when we see no way out.. He has a plan… and even though we don’t understand… He’s working it all out.. BUT you have to trust in Him… and put on the armor every single day.

DO NOT go a day not being ready for battle. The day you do.. is the day SATAN will attack you… and you have no “SWORD” to fight back with.

Think about Proverbs 7.. You know she’s a temptress.. and wanting to lure you in.. yet the guy unguards himself and goes over to her to where she was and allowed to go into sin.

Our weakness will cause us to lose the battle.

A Youth pastor friend this morning! Sent me a message and said pray for me man… I’m really dealing with lust… and I dont know what to do.

He want on to tell me how he allows himself to be vulnerable.

Students.. I’m telling you.. without being ready for the battle of Sin… we will lose.

ANYONE can lose. Anyone can fail… We all can fall short… WE HAVE SIN.

Students don’t even entertain sin in your minds. Jesus is better. The more you think about it.. the more it may become a reality.

Bad sinful people do not just evolve over night.

Neither will your armor be put on over night. Be constantly putting it on!

2. WE are NOT of this world. It is NOT our Home baby! Verse 12

We are made for Jesus… we live for Him… we get our identity in Him.

Your identity is not what your BF or GF says about you.

Your identity is not what the other girls on the cheer squad say about you.

Your identity is not found in how much you can deadlift. (for some .. thats where you find it)

Your identity is not found in your talents.. or hobbies… IF you are a saved person tonight.... Brothers and sisters your identity is in JESUS. YOU are Christ child. YOU find your hope in Jesus.

Not in the temporariness of this world.

Listen that BF/GF probably not going to last.

That figure you have now… guys that freshman 15 is for REAL! That never ending buffet in the College cafeteria will get you every time. Boys gotta eat! I speak from experience! WHOOOOO!!!! WOW!!! anyway its real!

The world says you have to look a certain way… make a certain amount of money… eat a certain way....spend your time doing certian things....

Jesus says look like me… and I’ll take care of the rest.

OUR Central focus belongs to Jesus. Not this world.

3. Put on the Armor(Bring out the Sword) Vs. 13-17

Take up the whole Armor (remember to make it practical… do you do it)

Stand. fasten the Belt of truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. Means-

Shoes on your feet.. Gospel of Peace

Shield of Faith always - flaming darts coming at you…(You know)

Helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the spirit- The Word.

PRAY at ALL times… Supplication?!

4. Guidelines from the Scripture Verses 18-20

- Stay ALERT! With perseverance.. never stop being Praying!

- PROCLAIM JESUS! Boldly!

Pray and Proclaim Jesus.... if you are a saved person this is now your life. Never let up! Never stop! Go and Go and Go.

YOU- God does not want to break us… but He does want to bend us in ways that we fully trust in Him.

The way we do it is put on the armor.

WE- Who Tonight Needs help with Putting on the Full Armor of God?