Sunday February 23 2020

Lord's day beautiful sunny day is it is

we can enjoy being together in Dad's house in his presence. This morning. We're looking at taking a stand.

I heard it said growing up that if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything and it is so true. But in this time that we live in there is so much that is warring against the believer Christians are under attack. It comes in many forms in Media. in newspapers and books that are written and things that are said that in the past it was it was an honor. It was it was something that was almost expected that you would be a Christian that you'd be a child of God. You would go to church you would live a life. of Honor

but now we are finding ourselves in an ever-increasing way under attack. Have you found it? Are you seeing it and it's time for Christians the Church of God to stand up and make a difference stand. in the face of persecution stand and hold fast to the things that you believe in.

Because truly if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything and there are so many contradictory thoughts out there.

Good is is bad and bad is considered good then we wonder it's the world upside down.

But the Apostle Paul gave us encouragement from the Lord in Ephesians in chapter 6. And we are going to be looking at putting on the armor of God that we might be able to stand against The Wiles of the enemy. So if you would turn with me to Ephesians in chapter 6 beginning with verse 10.

Paul encourages encourages all of us to put on the whole armor of God. You can't just put on a piece you've got to put on the the whole thing that the background in Ephesians Paul has been writing about I'll walk as Christians. NR Are being rooted and grounded and growing up in our face? He's talked about the church as a body and how to walk in this world. Even he is talked about marriage being like Christ in the church

And he's talked about family relationships. parents and children It's all in there. and then he says finally he's finally got to this place. Finally and I underscore be strong in the Lord.

You don't get your strength from yourself.

But you find your true strength in Christ. hidden God finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his Bite Not Yours. The arms of manner are weak. I am weak, but he is strong.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me wee sing that song right?

Be strong in the strength of his might and then he says these words verse 11 put on the whole armor of God.

But you may be able to do what? spam So henceforth the stand up stand up for Jesus Standing on the Promises. We are standing on Holy Ground and I stand I stand in all of you. We need to make a stand against the schemes of the devil. Know who your enemy is. We have said before know who you are. And whose you are. But beyond that we need to know who we are fighting against. I have said this before. you know even in the pastor's home, there are times when when the pastor and his wife don't always agree and It could be me saying something they could be there, but I say I'm not the enemy.

Save your ammunition for theft.

But we need to know who the enemy is who it is who? Is coming against our church getting people discourage who it is coming against our families who get us discouraged and and sometimes bickering and infighting.

Paul the Apostle is writing this to the church at Ephesus since we get the letter to the Ephesians. The Ephesians the people who lived at Ephesus the church in Ephesus. It was a church then he planted.

And a little side note when John. the disciple the Apostle of God when he comes back from his

Being marooned in stranded on the Isle of Patmos as they couldn't kill him by boiling him and oil. It didn't work, you know all of the Apostles all of the disciples. Were persecuted and killed for their faith including Paul who was beheaded in Rome. But he wrote this before that happened, but the Apostle John when he comes back from his banishment on Patmos. He returns to the church that Paul planted the Isle of Patmos that are on this. Did the city beautiful trade City beautiful? Place where they had a church in Ephesus that he became the lead Pastor their Elder. But Paul is writing from prison and he is uniquely watched Day and Night by Roman soldiers who take turns guarding in. I'm sure they didn't exactly like that duty, but they were stationed by him. And so I'm sure that Paul not only tried to share the gospel with each one of these soldiers that he was with take every opportunity to share the Lord. But he studied them talked with them about what they were doing. In the Roman legion, and I've got this beautiful example. of a Roman soldiers armor there were many different forms of this armor, but for this they were looking at I'd like this to Have this visual in our mind as we talked about?

the armor of God because he says to us. Put on the whole armor of God that you might be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood Belle the enemy that we need to look at is not flesh and blood it's not your neighbor. It's not your family member the true enemy is not a flesh and blood but against rulers against all authorities against Cosmic Powers. There's a good term for you Cosmic Powers over this present darkness in our world. And if it was dark, then it is even darker now. And we are fighting against that I underscored against the spiritual forces of evil in Heavenly places. Daniel records that

the angel Gabriel was sent in answer to his prayers to the Lord.

Gabriel the messenger messenger angel came to Mary and Joseph to others in in our Bible. But Gabriel was was caught up in Warfare. The Demons of hell did not want the answers from God to get to Daniel to answer his prayers. So all the principalities of of Hades came forth and were fighting against Gabriel and The Archangel Michael came and interceded and did battle against. principalities against evil forces in Heavenly places Is it allowed Gabriel to get to Daniel and it says? and since recorded I was prevented from coming to you. But the moment you prayed God heard your prayer and answered and sent me to be the answer to your prayer. But I was Kinder by Warfare in Heavenly places. Tell Michael came and allowed me to come to you. There are battles going on all around you. Demonic forces you can't see I'm not trying to scare you. I'm trying to encourage you that you have strength in Christ in prayer.

therefore the Apostle says therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day.

not the sense of evil days that this approaching coming in some great future plan No, in fact the Apostle Paul, I believe was was warning us encouraging us and telling us that as we put on the whole armor of God we would be fitted and ready to do battle against a day that is coming in our near future when Satan is going to war against you Against your family against our church against our community and we need to be ready. We need to put on the full armor of God that we might be able to stand against the enemy having done all To stand firm do what? stand having done all to stand firm. Stand firm therefore having fastened the belt of Truth Now the belt of Truth was the girdle. That was put onto the the soldier. Bit his sword would hang on that the breastplate would hang into it held everything together for some ladies the girdle holds them all together.

Some guys I'll be wearing some girdles.

just saying

but it was referred to as a girdle. It was a leather belt and it was a it was a piece that you would put on that would hold everything else together. You can hang the breastplate on you can hang your sword upon.

Having girded your yourself.

with this belt of Truth, you know, we need truth. You cannot stand against the enemy if you have talked to a within you. if you're holding false teaching Or if there's a falsehood on your tongue. A lying tongue does you no good. You cannot be a righteous young woman righteous, man. You cannot be good. For the battle ahead of you. If you have fault to it. So Paul says put on the belt of Truth.

Wrap it around you surround yourself and pull it tight.

And having put on the breastplate of righteousness, not your own righteousness.

The word of God says there is none righteous. No, not one. in and up ourselves only righteousness that we we see in Hebrews chapter 11 in the Hall of faith. Is that those who trusted in God Abraham his trusting in God his faith in God was a portion to him as righteousness.

I am righteous because I have a right standing in God. I confess as 1st John.

1 verse 9 says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness unrighteousness that makes us righteous gives us good standing before him put on the breastplate of righteousness. Do you see the breastplate these? These have folds of steel or bronze that were across the chest so that if someone tried to hit them with a store shot an arrow at them would be reflected because they had the breastplate upon them. They had protection.

Been having put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Now that the heavy leather sandals that the trooper would wear as he went into battle was to keep his feet. From being pierced by any sharp stones or or things that might be lying on the ground.

And so it is when we have peace. on our feet We're protected but the piece on the on the shoes on the sandals makes me think that everywhere. We Steph we're bringing. Peace. You bring peace into your life. It's your family's life into your communities like where you're working. You bring peace. I hope that's true that you bring peace and not Discord the you bring peace wherever you go. Shod your feet with the gospel of peace in addition to all of these things that are defensive. protective he talks about taking on the shield of Faith. This is one big Shield. That terminology a shield in their language.

Could being a rounded wooden Shield or steel bronze shield and the Romans use those but they also had the larger. 4ft by 2ft vent Shield as you see here that was laminated or layers of of wood and a bronze.

Plate that went around the edges of it so that in case a stored hit it it would be protection.

This was so that they could hold it up. And if the enemy was shooting arrows or flaming darts, they would be reflected off of this and one thing you should know about. The the Roman army is that the shields would interlock with each other their best defense was as they went as a group and for you and I are best offense is when we are together with others of like mine other Christians when we can lock Shields together and when they are coming flying at us we can hold up our Shields and lock them together and protect the whole group.

So not only protected the one soldier but it protected the whole. platoon their group of soldiers together in addition to taking up everything else for defense for protection take with you the shield of faith our faith. Rebuke the enemy fights against the enemy protect says it's defensive. I'm sure you could use it offensively by taking it and funking somebody on the head with it.

But it was for defense in football as well as in our Christian walk. We need a strong defense. How many of your football fans? You need a strong defense.

49ers were known recently for their outstanding defense. But you have to have an offense to if you're going to make yardage and get that football down the field. You've got to have a good offensive team. And likewise as a Christian if we want to make Headway against the enemy if we want to really have a successful fight against the enemy we need to take it to the enemy and you take it to the enemy. by having the helmet of salvation on 417

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit.

the helmet is that which protects our mind in our head, you know, if you get hit in the head any race car driver right time you want you want a good helmet on Dale and I were watching the

recent the race that they had in Daytona 500 and bright at the end of the race going down to the finish line. A car that was trying to pass the lead car bumped it. And the lead car lost control and flip landing on its roof and hitting and catching fire and I thought to myself. Oh my God be with that driver protect him that he had a protective suit on it wasn't armor as we've been talking about. It was fireproof suits that if there was a fire in the car, which there was he was protected and he had a flame retardant and a well-made helmet on that protected his mind, but when when you're attacked by the enemy and they hit your helmet you want to protect your heads you want to protect your mind. You don't want to take cushon. There's been a lot of concussions lately. They had them probably for years, but they've been more aware of it recently in football having improved helmets down to protect the head from concussion from blows to protect the mind.

The mind is a terrible thing to have. Injured or wasted? That's true. So put on the helmet of salvation that you might be protected and have the sword of the spirit that you cannot pensively go against the enemy and cut both directions. You can slack and hash at our enemy who is the demon horde the Satan of this world you can go on the offensive against him. And the next thing that we can have to go against his prayer. In fact, I wasn't I hit my finger. I'm sorry.

Praying at all times in the spirit with all-purpose. How many of you have ever thought of prayer as an offensive weapon as a weapon at all? When you pray for yourself and pray for yourself and when you pray for your family your your wife your children And some of your grandchildren when you praying for your family, you are offensively going against the enemy and you are taking them captive by your attacks. in prayer praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication to the send keep alert with all perseverance making supplication for all of the Saints. Pray for me. pray for Dale Pray for the church body. Are Board of Trustees who make decisions for us on our finances pray for our spiritual life board leaders who are making decisions for us as we make plans for the future of this church pray for our church leaders. Pray for the families at this church, who are going through some hard times physically mentally emotionally. They need your prayers and you need our prayers praying for you be a Praying church. We need more Prayer Warriors and fewer prayer warriors. Amen.

Let us be a Praying church and take the offensive to the enemy not just sitting around waiting for him to attack, but go on the offencive take him down.

Identify him as you pray. God will reveal to you who the real enemy is and our enemy is not flesh and blood. Is spiritual powers in the heavenlies that we are praying against you be a prayer Warrior for this church for your family for your community. Would you stand with

Are gracious and loving Heavenly Father? We want to stand firm against the enemies that are trying to defeat us seeking to discourage us to take us out Lord help us to stand then stand firm with the convictions that we know whom we are trusting in we know who we are and whose we are and we know who the enemy is that we are going against father give us faith and trust and help us to put on the pool complete armor of God. That we might be able to stand firm and we're going to give you the praise for being with us. Encouraging us strengthen Us in every way. Thank you Lord for your presence your peace your provision for us as Believers in Jesus name and everyone said Amen, we're going to sing in key.