Spiritual PPE
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 211 viewsNotes
Transcript
intro
intro
6 months ago noone except a nurse or doctor could tell what PPE stood for. Now it is a part of our daily vocabulary.
You cannot do anything without PPE. You cannot go get food, you cannot use public transport, you cannot go to the bank, you cannot even go to church without PPE.
Why?
Because PPE does it it says: It is desinged to protect you from things that are out to harm you.
Noone bothered about maks or visors months ago because we diddnt beleieve that there was anything to worry about, but now as we all try to stop or hinder the spread of this flu, we know its out there, we know it could easily infect us, so we put on our Personal Protective equipment.
Whatever your personal opinion of the whole maks story may be, it is a very strange experience to go to the shops and see everyone wearing a mask.
And you know what? Good for them and good for you if you wear one. I understand, not only because you have to in some places but also because you are being cautious and careful.
There is a virus, getting it is a huge inconvience - you have to sit in your room for 10 days. and yes, there is an incredibly small chance that your preexisting conditions could prove to be fatal. There is 98,8% chance that you will be perfectly fine, but rather safe than sorry. So knowing its out there, you put on your PPE.
Well my frineds, as sure as COVID is out there, so to is another entity out there.
COVID is 98% harmnless, but this one has a 100% fatality rate. If this one gets you, you are truly and utterly finished. This one has killed not hundrens or thousands, not even tens of thousnads, not even millions, This dangerious entity has taken the lives of BILLIONS!
Just what am i talking about?
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Satan is deadly.
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
He is out there in force as surly as the sun rises. And so we are told to be sober minded and watchful - to be careful and cautions. And as you are diligent to put on your PPE to protect you from COVID, you should even more diligent to put on your SPIRITUAL PPE to protect you frm Satan.
What is out Spiritual PPE? The bible calls is the Armore of God.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Walking around with no mask, touching railings, putting your hands in your mouth - you are asking for trouble. And likewise, going out to work, hanging with your collegues, living your life without putting on the aermour of God - you are asking for even more trouble.
Remeber that COVID is not a person, it is a mindless virus. It has no agenda, no goal, no purpose - its just a virus.
satan on the other hand is not mindless, the bible says that he has Schemes. He has a plan and a purpose, he is wise and stragegic. He plans, he waits, he organises. And all his plans, all his purposes, his agenda is to detroy you, your life, your family, your marriage, your church, your faith.
Put on your PPE
The Belt of Truth
The Belt of Truth
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Satan is a liar, but the believer whose life is controlled by truth will defeat him.
The belt holds the other parts of the armor together, and truth is the integrating force in the life of the victorious Christian.
A man of integrity, with a clear conscience, can face the enemy without fear. The girdle also held the sword.
Unless we practice the truth, we cannot use the Word of truth.
Once a lie gets into the life of a believer, everything begins to fall apart.
For over a year, King David lied about his sin with Bathsheba, and nothing went right.
Psalms 32 and 51 tell of the price he paid.
The breastplate of righteousness
The breastplate of righteousness
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
This piece of armor, made of metal plates or chains, covered the body from the neck to the waist.
It symbolizes the believer’s righteousness in Christ.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Satan is the accuser, but he cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of the Spirit.
The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s attacks or makes it easier for him to defeat us.
When Satan accuses the Christian, it is the righteousness of Christ that assures the believer of his salvation.
The shoes of the Gospel
The shoes of the Gospel
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
If we are going to “stand” and “withstand,” then we need the shoes of the Gospel.
Because we have the peace with God (Rom. 5:1) that comes from the Gospel, we need not fear the attack of Satan or men.
We must be at peace with God and with each other if we are to defeat the devil (James 4:1–7).
The shield of faith
The shield of faith
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
Faith is a defensive weapon which protects us from Satan’s fiery darts.
In Paul’s day, arrows, dipped in some inflammable substance and ignited, were shot at the enemy.
Satan shoots “fiery darts” at our hearts and minds:
lies, blasphemous thoughts, hateful thoughts about others, doubts, and burning desires for sin.
If we do not by faith quench these darts, they will light a fire within and we will disobey God.
We never know when Satan will shoot a dart at us, so we must always walk by faith and use the shield of faith.
The helmet of salvation
The helmet of salvation
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
Satan wants to attack the mind, the way he defeated Eve.
The helmet refers to the mind controlled by God.
When God controls the mind, Satan cannot lead the believer astray.
The Christian who studies his Bible and learns the meaning of Bible doctrines is not going to be led astray too easily.
21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
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.
Wherever Paul ministered, he taught the new converts the truths of the Word of God, and this helmet protected them from Satan’s lies.
The sword of the Spirit
The sword of the Spirit
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
This sword is the offensive weapon God provides us.
The Roman soldier wore on his girdle a short sword which was used for close-in fighting.
A material sword pierces the body, but the Word of God pierces the heart. The more you use a physical sword, the duller it becomes; but using God’s Word only makes it sharper in our lives.
Let me tell you how the Sword of the Spirit works:
Top succsesfull weild the sword of the Spirit, in fact any offensive weapon 2 things are required for it to be effective:
Skill and Power.
The weapon must have power and it must be handled with skill.
The power of the Word comes from its own authority.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
But the skilful use of the word is the reponcibility of every believer:
13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.
One cannot utalise the power of the word without skill.
Its like a firearm: The power of a firearm is not dependant on the user - no matter how big, small, young old you are the firearm has the same power, but using that power is dependant on the skill and traing of the shooter.
A small petite woman and skilfull use the firreaem with more effect than a big stong man, if she has better training.
This matters, because it tells us that power of the Word of God is not dependant on you. A brand new beliver can use the Word with te same power and authority than a seasons christian.
So long as we use it skilfully. That why we are told:
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
There is another reason why we must be skilled in the Word:
Satan will try to use it against us.
When Jesus was temnpted in the desert, Satan tried to use the Word against Him:
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple
6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
If we use the firearm analogy again, a great many people who try to use a firaem in self defece have their attacker get the gun from them and use it against them. Satan will try the same thing. He will misquote or take context away from the Word to trick, deceave or fool you.
Once again proper training will eliminate this from happening.
The better you know the Word of God, the easier it will be for you to detect Satan’s lies and reject his offers.
What is the Armore of God actually?
What is the Armore of God actually?
In one sense, the “whole armor of God” is a picture of Jesus Christ.
Christ is the Truth (John 14:6),
and He is our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21)
and our peace (Eph. 2:14).
His faithfulness makes possible our faith (Gal. 2:20);
He is our salvation (Luke 2:30);
and He is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14).
This means that when we trusted Christ, we received the armor.
Putting on the Armor is in fact simply putting on Jesus.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
As we trust our physical PPE to protect us, by faith we put on the armor and trust God for the victory.
Once and for all, we have put on the armor at the moment of salvation. But there must be a daily appropriation.