Everyday Battles

“I’m In” - Eph 6:10-20

A New York Times Article states:

What is a war? War is defined as an active conflict that has claimed more than 1,000 lives.

Has the world ever been at peace?

Of the past 4000 years, humans have been entirely at peace for 268 of them, or just 8 percent of recorded history.

How many people have died in war?

At least 108 million people were killed in wars in the twentieth century. Estimates for the total number killed in wars throughout all of human history range from 150 million to 1 billion.

While physical battles are happening in several places on the globe right NOW, the Christian is in a spiritual battle NOW on a daily basis.

“I’m In!” our study of Ephesians has one more message following this one.

Eph 6:1-20

As Paul write this letter, he is under house arrest in Rome. He looks over, as God gives this concept of Spiritual Battle, and as he peers to his side, a Roman Soldier is standing their with his armor on.

God Helps Us Overcome Everyday “Battles.

You have Responsibilities and Promises from God to His Children in this passage:

While “the Battle Belongs to the Lord,” We are His People on The Spiritual Battlefield.

Strength is Available. 10

God has Unlimited Power, Ability, and Strengthen.

Be Strengthened By the Lord.

Strength is Available. 10

Schemes Abound. 11-12

Wiles = schemes, craftiness, methods.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (μεθ-οδεία)

μεθ-οδεία (T WH μεθοδία, see Ι, ι,), -ας, ἡ, (fr. μεθοδεύω i.e.1. to follow up or investigate by method and settled plan;2. to follow craftily, frame devices, deceive. “Methods”

Satan is as a roaring lion, using his hunting methods to capture, kill, and destroy. These Seagulls are no lions, but they have a method they use to seek and devour fish…

1 Peter 5:8 KJV 1900

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Some things are of a Spiritual Nature! Not everything is a physical, biological problem.

Matthew 16:17 KJV 1900

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Demons Stand Against the Practicing Christian.

Darkness Surrounds the Faithful Believer.

Devil himself is in “High Places” Shooting at You.

Revelation 12:10 KJV 1900

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Discouragement, disillusionment, defeat, can all be darts shot by Satan at your spirit and will.

Lies, half truths, wrong thinking, assumptions, and more can be darts to destroy you.

Satan is locked and loaded with ammunition, personalized to take you down.

10,000 Sermon Illustrations Fighting in the Barracks

Christians are often likened to an army: we sing “Onward Christian Soldiers” and read, “Put on the whole armor of God.” Imagine Christ reviewing the troops, who are supposed to be fresh and ready for battle. But some have fairly recent wounds, nicks in their armor, arms in slings, casts, etc.

He asks, “What’s the matter here? Why are they wounded already?”

“Oh, they’ve been fighting in the barracks again.”

WHAT ARE THE BATTLES?

Temptation to Sin.

Today's Best Illustrations, Volume 5 Dealing with Common Temptation

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, the apostle is talking about temptation. “No temptation has seized you except what is common.” …

Satan says, “It’s just you. You’ve been a Christian how long and you still struggle with that?”

Against that voice comes the voice of God: “Listen, child, you’re experiencing what millions of Christians through the centuries and across the world have struggled with. They have found some measure of victory, and you can too. It’s not just you.”

Being tempted is not a sin - it is a call to battle!

-Erwin Lutzer

Distractions to Sanctification.

Today's Best Illustrations, Volume 5 Fishing with Lures

Some of you fish with lures. A lure is designed to look like the real thing. You throw out the lure and you wiggle it. You want it to move like it’s the real thing.

Once the fish takes it, he will find that it is a substitute for the real thing, but it will be too late because he will find a hook. Temptation is the same way. It’s a lure that Satan throws out. He jiggles it to see if he can get you to hit. He won’t make it so obvious that you’ll look and say, “That isn’t anything.” He knows you won’t bother it if you know there’s nothing to it. He’ll make it look real.

in the film, Sergent York, outdoorsman York is at a county shooting match. He makes a turkey goble sound and the turkey raises its head up and York takes a clean shot. Satan will get your head up, tempt you to not be on guard or aware and pull the trigger on you.

Direct Assaults on Your Spirit.

God Helps Us Overcome Everyday “Battles.

WHAT DO WE DO???

Strength is Available. 10

Schemes Abound. 11-12

Suit Up! 13-20

6 components of Suiting Up with God’s Armor...

TRUTH - The Belt of Truth surrounds the core of the Christian.

1 Peter 1:13 KJV 1900

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Putting Truth in Your Mind affects the protection of Truth in your CORE. TRUTH Holds it all together.

RIGHTEOUSNESS - Body Armor covers the Heart of FAITH and LOVE in the Christian.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 KJV 1900

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Faith and Love are affected by Righteousness.

What is Righteousness? “in the broad sense, the state of him who is such as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God.”

Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm’s Wilke's Clavis Novi Testamenti (New York: Harper & Brothers., 1889), 149.

This means two things:

PRESENT STANDING BEFORE GOD:

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV 1900

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

PRESENT LIVING WITH GOD:

1 John 3:7 KJV 1900

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

choose to do right.

choose the right thing, no matter the cost.

choose the moral, ethical, what would Jesus do thing.

PEACE - Gospel Shoes are Ready to Run to Peace and Have Peace.

Preparation = “preparedness or readiness." Preparedness to do and suffer all that God wills; readiness for march, as a Christian soldier.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 357.

NOT, Ready to FIGHT. READY FOR PEACE!

This is an everyday battle. Some of us are “Quick to anger, fast to fight, first to flare up.“ Not good.

FAITH - This Shield of Faith Repels the Darts, Retards the Fire on those darts, and absorbs the ammo fired at you.

What is Your Faith Like?

Are your nurturing Faith? Into Bible Reading, Scatter Groups?

Does Faith Affect and Protect your choices and issues each day?

The Shield is not fixed. It is moveable. Move the Shield of Faith around in the midst of battle!

Baseball team, the boys protect the plate with their bat. Move the bat, get it off your shoulder, swing early.

SALVATION - The Helmet of Salvation protects the head from mental attacks and mind games from the evil one.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 KJV 1900

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

6,000 Plus Illustrations for Communicating Biblical Truths The Mind Is a Garden

The mind is a garden that could be cultivated to produce the harvest that we desire.

The mind is a workshop where the important decisions of life and eternity are made.

The mind is an armory where we forge the weapons for our victory or our destruction.

The mind is a battlefield where all the decisive battles of life are won or lost.

Most Battles are won or lost here - the head.

Most battles are won or lost in the head.

BIBLE - Sword of the Spirit. The Bible is a Sharp Weapon.

Hebrews 4:12 KJV 1900

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.

ADD to the 6 components of Armour, 2 Practices: Prayer and Watching. 18

Add 2 habits to the 6 pieces of armor…

Practice PRAYING - Cover it all with Prayer.

Prayer for the Saints, Other Christians.

Prayers for the preachers/missionaries.

Prayers for Gospel Boldness.

Practice WATCHING:

Watch for others.

See how you can help.

Pull up a wounded soldier.

Lend a helping hand.

CONCLUSION:

Practical Illustrations: 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude 12-216: Ready, Willing, and Able (Spiritual Warfare)

The believer simply cannot ignore this one fact: the devil will attack, wherever and whenever he can. No one is exempt. Preparation for battle is the only sensible option.

At the battle of Gettysburg, a general reported to Longstreet, the commanding officer, that he could not bring his men up again. Longstreet answered sarcastically, “Very well; never mind, then; just let them stay where they are; the enemy’s going to advance, and that will spare you the trouble.”

Be ready. Spiritual battles will come. As Jesus said,

“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

You are not alone in the everyday battles of life…

Today's Best Illustrations, Volumes 1-4 (We Do Not Fight Alone)

… Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Helper, he uses a Greek word, paraclete, that was an ancient warrior’s term. “Greek soldiers went into battle in pairs,” says Dalbey, “so when the enemy attacked, they could draw together back-to-back, covering each other’s blind side. One’s battle partner was the paraclete.” Our Lord does not send us to fight the good fight alone. The Holy Spirit is our battle partner who covers our blind side and fights for our well being.

you have other Christians to encourage you.

make sure you are also encouraging other in the battle.

God Helps Us Overcome Everyday “Battles.

What Do We do? Suit Up!

RESPONSE:

Pick up and put on the Armor with daily Bible Reading.

Pray over everything Consistently.

Watch to Help Others in the Everyday Battles.

I need to enlist! I Want to be saved today, become a Christian.