Armed Soldiers of Christ

Armed For Warfare

Ephesians 6:10-20 (NIV)

Introduction

Understanding the invasion of the enemy, the battle instructions from God and the equipment in your inventory to defeat the enemy.

The NT does have a developed doctrine of Satan, and he comes with a whole list of names: Satan (Hebrew for “accuser”), devil (the Greek translation of Satan), Beliar, Beelzebul, the Adversary, the Dragon, the Enemy, the Serpent, the Tester, and the Wicked One. Satan is pictured as the ruler of a host of angels (Mt 25:41) and the controller of the world (Lk 4:6; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor 4:4), who especially governs all who are not Christians (Mk 4:15; Jn 8:44; Acts 13:10; Col 1:13). He is opposed to God and seeks to alienate all men from God; therefore he is a specially dangerous foe of Christians (Lk 8:33; 1 Cor 7:5; 1 Pt 5:8) who must steadfastly resist him and see through his cunning (2 Cor 2:11; Eph 6:11; Jas 4:7). Satan works his evil will by tempting persons (Jn 13:2; Acts 5:3), by hindering God’s workers (1 Thes 2:18), by accusing Christians before God (Rv 12:10), and by controlling the evil persons who resist the gospel, (Rv 2:9, 13 esp. the anti-Christ, 2 Thes 2:9; Rv 13:2).

Most importantly, however, the NT teaches us that this being who has been evil from the beginning (1 Jn 3:8) has now been bound and cast out of heaven through the ministry of Jesus (Lk 10:18; Rv 12). While Satan is still a dangerous enemy, Jesus himself prays for us and has given us the powerful weapons of prayer, faith, and his blood. Satan can still cause physical illness when allowed by God (2 Cor 12:7) and persons can be delivered over to him for chastening (1 Cor 5:5; 1 Tm 1:20), but that can be for our good in God’s providence. Satan’s end is sure (Rom 16:20; Rv 20:10).

The Allurement of the Enemy

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ~Ephesians 6:12~

When the apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church at Ephesus, he was being held prisoner in Rome for proclaiming his faith. In fact, in verse twenty Paul calls himself, "an ambassador in chains." Paul was placed under arrest by the roman government. He was permitted to receive guests and to correspond with his friends, many of whom were members of house churches he had planted. Ephesus was one of those churches.

As he wrote his letter to his friends he could peer through the whole in the roof of his cell and see his captors. He could hear the guard's conversations with each other and the "war stories" they would tell. And every so often he would see their armor as a bit of light would shine on the metal covered soldier.

To convey his message of encouragement, Paul warns his readers about an spiritual attack. But he is not talking about a human army. However, he uses the Roman soldier as an analogy. His readers would immediately be able to understand the intended message because they were accustomed to seeing Roman soldiers in their midst. For us to gain a better appreciation of his message it will be necessary for us to explore the armor he describes and what each piece was intended for.

He had a choice to make. He could allow himself to become overwhelmed and talk himself into deep depression or he could allow God to speak to him in the midst of his struggle. Paul choose the latter for he reminds the Ephesians and himself that no matter what problem he faces, no matter what others may do to him:

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Too often, the believer convinces himself there is no hope, no way out, and they'd might as well just except their lot in life as being a life going from one crisis to the next. We slip into the attitude of the Old Hee Haw song:

Gloom, despair and agony on me.
Deep, dark depression and excessive misery.
If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all!

Paul would say, no. No. No. "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Pay attention, Paul did not say put on one or two pieces of your spiritual armor. A soldier's protection would be incomplete if he entered battle with only part of the resources that were available to him. If just one piece of armor was missing that would be the area he would be vulnerable in and you can bet his enemy would strike that area. It is no different for us today.

Today the believer must recognize that we are involved in spiritual battle. We too have an enemy! If we are not careful we will dismiss the spiritual dimension of some of our struggles. If we are not sensitive we will discount all of our problems as "the way the cookie crumbles" or "just part of life." Paul recognized that evil and a deceiver existed. We tend to view:

family strife as a result of personality differences
see dishonest business practices as just part of doing business in America
espouse moral lapse and failure in government & church as routine occupational hazards
attribute violence in our schools & workplaces as a result of stress and poor role models
excuse diminished vitality and lack of growth in church due to the competing activities that via for our time

Paul would warn us about such resignations and beliefs. He would exhort us to examine the spiritual dimension of our struggles and battles and not just blame our coworkers, relatives and friends for the problems we encounter. And at the same time he would encourage us not to blame everything on the devil by saying, "the devil made me do it."

Illustration: driving to church!

Paul warns us that we must beware of the devil's schemes. The KJV calls it the wiles of the devil. The word used in this verse to describe the schemes of the enemy is from the same word we get the English word "schematic" or "blueprint."

Electrical Circuit Schematic

According to Paul, what are the schemes of the devil? Paul suggests there are four prime methods of attacking the Christian? First, he tries to get into your head. Second, If he can't get into your head he will try to seduce your heart. If this fails his third scheme is to turn up the heat. And last, he will attempt to knock you off your feet.

We do not need to be fearful or allow ourselves to become overwhelmed, but we need to realize the enemy has a plot, blueprint or scheme to destroy your life. He will look for any weakness and use it to its fullest! As a soldier of the Lord you must keep yourself in spiritual shape. You must keep your armor in good working order.

The enemy has come to "steal, kill and destroy." His goal is to destroy your family, to work on your emotions, and to cause you to estrange yourself from God. He wants to use every situation possible, every argument in the church, every problem on the job, every spat with your spouse and children to get you to throw in the towel and:

quit messing with that church or synagogue
get a divorce, get out of this marriage

run to another job, they do not pay you enough to put up with this stuff quit giving to charity

give in to hardship and struggle
end the friendship

We are not just contending or struggling with people. Our fight isn't really with flesh and blood, relatives, coworkers or the people at the church! Many times there is a spiritual dimension to our battle that we overlook. Paul offers his friends some instructions about conquering the attacking army. Their assignment is to do three things when they are attacked.

The Assignment of the Soldier

~Ephesians 6: 10, 11 & 13~

Although our enemy thinks he has a plan that will destroy us, Christians are not to run, hide or retreat from spiritual battles and conflict. Just the opposite, our assignment is to storm the gates of hell. We are to stand and fight.

All soldiers are given orders or instructions to follow before they engage in battle. Paul reminds us that God gives us three orders:

Be strong in the Lord - don't try and do it in your own strength.
Put on the full armor of God - equip yourself with all of God's resources... don't allow yourself to become vulnerable in any area of your spiritual life
Stand in place - don't run or retreat... deal with the problem until you have defeated it and become an over comer.

When we encounter problems in the church, our family, on the job; when we our faith is questioned and our integrity is assaulted ... that's when we must:

draw a circle around us
dig in and stand firm
don't let anything persuade you to give up
set our hearts toward what is right
don't give in to temptation
hold on to your convictions
engage the enemy of our soul head on
forge through that problem all the way to victory

Remember. Do not do battle in your flesh. Be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. And the reason why you can be strong in the Lord is because he equips us with the right armor for the battle.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then.

The Armor Provided the Soldier

Ephesians 6:14-18

To better understand the armor God provides for the personal struggles we encounter in our daily lives; it will be necessary to explore the military use of each piece of equipment Paul describes.

BELT OF TRUTH
... with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,

MILITARY USE OF THE BELT

keep loose tunic from getting in the way
attach & secure sword
keep the breastplate held in place
facilitate swift movement or vigorous activity by tucking/girding tunic to prevent stumbling
protected lower abdomen (vulnerable area) from sword strokes to that part of the body and knees

PAUL'S DESCRIPTION

"truth" (aletheia)
truthfulness
non-hypocritical
honesty
sincerity
fidelity

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

The Christian can protect himself from the lures and deceptive schemes of the enemy by remaining true to their convictions and moral compass. In Ephesians 4:25 Paul exhorts the believers to put away all lying and falsehood. We cannot defeat Satan without first being honest about our own moral bankruptcy. We need God! We need to know what the truth from God's word says about our behavior. Truth will keep us from stumbling.

In the heat of temptation or personal struggles we must stand firm on what the truth is. When we face ethical dilemmas in business or on the job we must allow truth to be our guide and not what is status quo. Remain true to God and be genuine. Avoid scheming and scamming your way through. Stick to your convictions.

Illustration: Grandmother - steal a nickel and it will cost you a dollar down the road.

*** Note: armor protects the privates - If there was ever a time we needed to hear the message of sexual purity and fidelity it is now.

BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

MILITARY USE OF THE BREASTPLATE (THORAX)

· protect the vital organs from serious injury - heart & lungs and intestines

· deflected arrows and sword thrusts

· expensive often given as a gift by family members

· not till the end of the 2nd century did the Government Issue armor for those who could not afford it... to be deducted from their pay of course! PAUL'S DESCRIPTION

"righteousness" - (dikaiosune)
righteous in ethical sense rather than salvation
better understood as integrity
denotes acting fair, just, straight
we must be people of integrity - not mixed devotion
moral rectitude - character

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

We must strive to maintain a sense of moral and personal integrity in a culture that is counter to the gospel. We cannot give our heart over to just anything. Matthew says that the pure in heart shall see God.

In the ancient world of the Bible the heart represented the mind and the will and the intestines were considered the seat of the emotions.

mind, emotions & feelings 2 areas many are fiercely attacked
often get feelings hurt in church
experience roller coaster of emotions with family

* When you receive a blow to the heart remain a person of character!

MILITARY BOOTS OR SANDALS
... and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

MILITARY USE OF THE BOOT/SANDAL

provided stability - steadfastness
leather bound by thongs wrapped around instep & ankle
hobnails driven into soles for traction
functioned like cleated shoes
proper traction made it more difficult for the enemy to push or knock the soldier off balance even on slippery terrain
during the winter months the straps were tied around leather leggings for warmth
shod like this a soldier could quickly traverse different kinds of ground
Roman legions were notorious for their ability to quick-march fifty miles in one day.

PAUL'S DESCRIPTION

"readiness" (hetoimasia)
firmness
denotes solid foundation
preparation
"gospel" (euangelion) } Bible
good news
"peace" (eirene)
peace
harmonious relationship
without strife

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
As believers our foundation must be laid upon the scriptures and Jesus Christ! We need not fear spiritual battles or conflicts because the good news is we are at peace with God and nothing can knock us off our course. Paul wrote to the Romans:

No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 8:37-39

In spiritual battles we are able to remain rooted and grounded. We can stand firm because we are on solid ground. We do not slip and fall with every problem or temptation that comes our way. The gospel prepares or readies us to do battle. Even if we are diagnosed with cancer, or we loose our job or all hell breaks out in the world... we can have a peace about us that passes all understanding! A peace the world cannot understand!

SHIELD OF FAITH
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

MILITARYUSE OF THE SHIELD (THUREOS)

chief defensive weapon
protected soldier from unexpected arrows and provided broad coverage of body
sometimes layers of water soaked leather were placed over the front to extinguish incendiary missiles and arrows dipped in pitch
wet leather harder to penetrate because it draws tight
often stood side by side with shields together to provide a phalanx (see below)
soldiers who normally carried these door-shaped shields were on the front lines of the battle to provide a barrier between the oncoming enemy and the regular foot soldier 4' x 2'
calvary would use the small round shield

PAUL'S DESCRIPTION

"faith" (pistis)
does not mean your denominational type of faith
belief or trust in God
trust or confidence in
conviction based upon hearing
firm persuasion

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
The faith or trust the believer places in God protects us from many "fiery arrows" that come our way. When we put our trust in God we are able to quench or extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy. We do not walk alone. As believers:

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ~ Romans 8:28

The Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials. ~ 2 Peter 2:9

God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to endure and that he will also make a way of escape. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13

When we unite our faith with our brothers and sisters in the Lord we become stronger. The shield was used in another battle technique. As soldiers would approach the enemy's ramparts they would be pelted with arrows, rocks, spears and every other kind of missile the enemy had at his disposal. In such circumstances, the soldiers would form phalanx, sometimes called the "movement of the tortoise."

Closing the ranks and locking the shields together in the front, side and top of the formation formed the tortoise. The shields had hooks at the top, bottom and sides that allowed them to be locked together. When the soldiers were in the formation of the turtle they were protected from all sides and were practically invulnerable. They could slowly move forward unharmed until they reached their objective. The shields would absorb all the blows of the enemy.

When soldiers of the Lord lock their shields of faith together in spiritual combat, we are more than conquers and nothing can separate us from the love of God. To believe we do not need each other is mistaken. When the body of Christ is united and is functioning properly - my spiritual gift assists you in your time of need and vice versa.

HELMET OF SALVATION
...Take the helmet of salvation.

MILITARY USE OF THE HELMET

protect head and eyes from injury
flared out in back and sides to protect neck as well as the head
if soldier got weary or let guard down helmet design would protect from sword stroke meant to be fatal
soldiers would place plumage on tops of their helmets and when observed by the enemy from a distance make them appear even taller than normal
many adversaries were known to have fled just at the sight of the Roman Legion formations and armor with helmets decorated with feathers

PAUL'S DESCRIPTION

helmet of salvation - (soteria)
denotes deliverance, preservation
salvation

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
It is possible that Paul has in mind Isaiah 59:7. Here it is the "helmet of victory." It is more ornate than the regular helmet and is warn during the victory parade when the battle has already been won.

Paul says, "Take the helmet of salvation.." A better way to translate this word is "grasp" (dechomai) meaning to heartily receive the helmet. When our problems and spiritual struggles bring us down and discouragement and doubt attempts to settle in remember, use your brain - the victory has already been won! Deliverance and salvation is already yours.

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
...wtih the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

MILITARY USE OF THE SWORD (MACHAIRA)

only offensive weapon Paul mentions
two-edged sword used as a thrusting weapon rather than a slashing motion
designed to penetrate between the links of armor or into the armpit of his opponent
short sword of 2' long and 2" wide - different from the longer sword of the calvary

PAUL'S DESCRIPTION

"the sword provided by the spirit" (tou pneumatos - genative of origin)
"Word of God" - (rhema not logos)
revelation
specifically weighty or binding pronouncement
spoken prophetic word through minister
specific message or word to your specific situation from God to you at a specific time

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
When you are in a spiritual struggle needing assurance from God he may use a sermon, Bible verse, or a conversation to speak to you about a specific situation in your life. He may reveal something to you in your prayer time that is just for you. You know it is from God whether any one else does or not.

Remember, the sword was use in close, hand-to-hand combat. No other weapon would work on close quarters. God will provide courage and strength in the midst of your personal battle. He will speak to your heart in the heat of the conflict.

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NT New Testament