The Full Armor of God
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Read Eph 6:10-24
Prayer
Major-General Ernest Swinton, used to speak on the radio once each week as a military commentator from September 1939 onwards. Nothing seemed to be happening, no guns were being fired, there had been no clash of arms, no air-raids had taken place, the war seemed dead. But Swinton kept on saying each week, ‘We are fighting for our lives.’ He seemed to many to be a pessimist; but he kept on saying it. ‘Make no mistake about it,’ he used to say, ‘we are fighting for our very lives.’ And he continued to say it though nothing was happening. The fact was that he knew something about the power and the subtlety of the enemy; he knew what was happening. He knew that this apparent lull was most deceptive, and that if we were wise we would be preparing with all our might and main. He knew that the terrible onslaught was bound to come. And of course warfare did come!
The true Christian described in Ephesians 1–3 who lives the faithful life described in 4:1—6:9 can be sure that they will be involved in the spiritual warfare described in 6:10–20. The faithful Christian life is a battle; it is warfare on a grand scale—because when God begins to bless, Satan begins to attack. In this letter, Paul explained the need for unity in the body of believers; here he further explained the need for that unity—there will be inevitable clashes with evil, and the church must be ready to stand and fight
If we are walking worthy of our calling, in humility rather than pride, in unity rather than divisiveness, in the new self rather than the old, in love rather than lust, in light rather than darkness, in wisdom rather than foolishness, in the fullness of the Spirit rather than the drunkenness of wine, and in mutual submission rather than self–serving independence, then we can be absolutely certain we will have opposition and conflict.
Recognizing Satan’s schemes, Paul closes his letter to Ephesus by giving his brothers and sisters there both encouragement and warning, much as Jesus did in His letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor over 30 years later. In Ephesians 6:10–13 the apostle outlines the necessary information in regard to 1) The Preparation (Ephesians 6:10), 2) Armor (Ephesians 6:11a), 3) Enemy (Ephesians 6:11b), 4) Battle (Ephesians 6:12), and 5) The Victory of the Believer’s Warfare (Ephesians 6:13).
1) The Preparation: Strength in the Lord
Ephesians 6:10 [10]Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. (ESV)
Basic to the effective Christian life is preparation. The unprepared believer becomes the defeated believer who seeks to serve the Lord in their own wisdom and power. The strength of the Christian life is dependence on God, being strong.
We are to be strong: in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Any other strength proves to be impotent. meaning be made strong and strengthened by christ himself
We are not to be reacting to the attacks of the The devil we should be preparing for them. By seeking God daily
Furthermore, he says, not ‘by the Lord’, though that would be true enough, but again in the Lord.
When life is lived in union with him, within the orbit of his will and so of his grace, there need not be failure due to powerlessness
1 John 2:14
I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Apart from him the Christian can do nothing
John 15:1–5 (NASB95)
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
but there is available all the strength of his might
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
The cardinal reality presented in the book of Ephesians is that, as believers, we are in Christ and are one with Him. His life is our life, His power our power,
, and, as Paul goes on to say here, His strength is our strength. The Lord’s strength is always more than sufficient for the battle.
When Jesus told the church at Philadelphia,
‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
He was affirming that even a little power was enough to preserve them, because it was the Lord’s supernatural power. Our own strength is never strong enough to oppose Satan, but when we are strong in the Lord, even a little of His strength is sufficient to win any battle.
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me,” Paul said (Phil. 4:13). It is not the amount of the strength we have that is important—only its source.
Please turn over to 2 Timothy 1
After several years of ministry, Timothy became fearful and timid. He faced stronger temptations than he had expected and considerably more opposition.
Paul wrote to him:
2 Timothy 1:6–8 (NASB95)
For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,
Spiritual gifts from God tend to fade in strength when they are not used and encouraged. We are commanded here not to be fearful or cowardly by fleeing the battle but
to use the weapons provided for us by God.
In the ultimate sense, the church’s battles with Satan are already won.
In his crucifixion and resurrection Jesus destroyed Satan and his power of sin and death (Rom. 5:18–21; 1 Cor. 15:56–57; Heb. 2:14).
Trust in Jesus Christ initiates a person into that victory. To the extent that a Christian is strong in the Lord, their victory over the worst that Satan has to offer is guaranteed.
We are in a war—a fierce and terrible war—but we have no reason to be afraid if we are on the Lord’s side
Appropriation of that strength comes through the means of grace
—prayer, knowledge of and obedience to the Word, and faith in the promises of God.
Illustration: The story has been told of a mental hospital that many years ago devised an unusual test to determine when their patients were ready to go back into the world. They brought a candidate for release to a room where a water faucet was left on so that the sink overflowed and was pouring water all over the floor. Then they handed the patient a mop and told him to mop up the water. If the patient had enough sense to turn off the faucet before mopping up the water, he was ready to be released. But if, as in the case of many, the patient started mopping while the water was still flowing, they kept the patient for more treatment.
As Christians, all of us face the world in which we live and are confronted with the need to do battle with the evil that dominates it.
But, like the patients in the mental hospital, until we realize where the source of that evil is, we will make no real contribution.
To see less evil in the world means that we must conquer the evil that is pouring forth from our own heart. That is conversion. shutting off the tap
Then, to deal with the evil around us, we need a “mop and bucket,” the spiritual armor that God has provided for us
2) The Provision: The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:11a)
Ephesians 6:11 [11]Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand (against the schemes of the devil). (ESV)
In order to take advantage of the strength of God’s might, a believer must also put on the whole/full spiritual armor. The ‘armour of God’ can be understood as the armour that God supplies, his own armour which he wears, or even the armour that is God himself
Put on (Enduô) carries the idea of once and for all, of permanence.
The whole/full armor of God is not something to be put on and taken off occasionally but is something to be put on permanently.
It is not a uniform to wear only while playing a game and then to remove when the game is over.
The armor of God is to be the Christian’s lifelong companion. It provides believers with divine power from
Jude 24 (NASB95)
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
Please turn to 2 Corinthians 10
Paul was probably chained to a Roman soldier when he penned the words of Ephesians, and looking at the soldier’s armor, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to see in it the analogy of God’s spiritual provision for our battle with Satan and his angels
What is this war that Christians are in? Paul explains to the Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (NASB95)
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
•As he just explained in Eph. 6:10, believers battle through the means of grace—prayer, knowledge of and obedience to the Word, and faith in the promises of God.
As we study, mediate on and proclaim the word of truth, we use the God provided spiritual weapons to destroy false teaching that wages war on the truth and cloud the mind of the deceived.
As the apostle explains the believer’s armor equips them beyond the initial facts of the gospel
. It is living the obedient, Scripture–dominated, Spirit–empowered life that enables us to stand firm. nothing less
To stand firm , when used in a military sense, had the idea of holding a critical position while under attack.
The intent of the exhortation here is not unlike that of our Lord to the embattled church at Thyatira, whom He commanded,
“hold fast until I come” (Rev. 2:25).
Referring to the daily struggle, not one decisive “battle” or temptation
Believers are not summoned to attack the powers but instead to defend themselves. Thus the equipment God supplies for the struggle is essentially defensive. In keeping with this believers are not ordered to advance but to stand firm, that is, they are to hold the position which had been won for them.
While they live there is no end to the need to hold their position
Our habitual godliness is a means that the Holy Spirit uses to increase our faith, inform our minds, and strengthen our wills for God’s purposes. We cannot neglect the daily disciplines of holiness and expect to be well muscled for spiritual warfare
So stay stong in the Lord
we are in a battle a battle for your very lives a fierce battle one for your soul
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.
So you must stand steadfast be vigilant be a man be a woman be a child of God not just hearing the word but living the word
remain in him
Remain
enduring the pain of this world and attacks and temptation of the devil resisting him
if you resist the devil he shall flee from you
So stay vigilant keep that armor on don't you get comfortable we are in a battle
and church more than ever we need to be united
evil is all around us its got us surrounded He is trying to cut us off one at a time so he can devour you
me must be unified in all things
the roman armor was a thing to see the military advantage when they stood shoulder to shoulder shields up each covering another so no weapons could enter this is the way it must be for the children of God
If you feel like you are on the outside.
come home your brothers and sisters are ready to receive you. More importantly God is ready to receive you let us be on high alert
the evil one never rests let us remain in God with our armor on fixed shoulder to shoulder that we may be able to withstand the fiery darts of the evil one.
3) The Enemy: Satan (Ephesians 6:11b)
Ephesians 6:11
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
The enemy against which we need God’s strength and armor is Satan, the devil. Because he is God’s enemy, he is our enemy, and the only way he can attack God is through us.
We can therefore be sure that he will seek us out and attack us with his schemes.
Scripture is clear about the devil, Satan’s very real and personal existence.
He was once the chief angel, the anointed cherub, the star of the morning, who sparkled with all the jewels of created beauty—until he rebelled against his Creator and tried to usurp His power and glory (see Isa. 14:12–17; Ezek. 28:1–10; Rev. 12:7–9).
He first appears in Scripture in the form of a serpent, as he tempted Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1). Jesus not only spoke about Satan (Luke 10:18; John 8:44; 12:31) but spoke with him (Matt. 4:3–10). Paul, Peter, James, John, and the writer of Hebrews all speak of him as a personal being (Rom. 16:20; 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Thess. 2:18; Heb. 2:14; James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:9). We see him opposing God’s work (Zech. 3:1), perverting God’s Word (Matt. 4:6), hindering God’s servant (1 Thess. 2:18), hindering the gospel (2 Cor. 4:4), snaring the wicked (1 Tim. 3:7), appearing as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), and fighting with the archangel Michael (Jude 9).
He brought sin into the world and the whole world now lies in his power (1 John 5:19).
Please turn to 1 John 2
The schemes of the devil include the propagation of individual beliefs and life–styles that corrupt and damn. They include evil national and international policies and practices that deceive and destroy. They include the doubts placed in believers’ minds to lead them away from trust in their holy and loving Father. They include temptations of God’s children to immorality, worldliness, pride, self–reliance, and self–satisfaction. They include slander, ridicule, and persecution of His saints.
The apostle John summarizes the attack points of the devil with the exhortation in his first epistle:
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
Illustration: In her autobiography, Agatha Christie described a trip she made in northern Iraq where she came across some conclusive evidence of the Yezidee people. She described them as a people who worshipped the ‘peacock angel Lucifer’. That is a marvellous name for him because it emphasises his strutting arrogance and theatrical attractiveness with which he has deceived so many. That is how he comes to us today—his breathtaking beauty is a major part of the charm offensive technique of deception.
The devil’s ability to imitate and impersonate many of the gifts God gives to his children is something we need to also take into serious account when we find ourselves battling against him
4) The Battle: Against Demons (Ephesians 6:12)
Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Paul’s purpose in this section is not to explain the details of the demonic hierarchy but to give us some idea of its sophistication and power.
We are pitted against an incredibly evil and potent enemy. But our need is not to specifically recognize every feature of our adversary
but to turn to God, who is our powerful and trustworthy source of protection and victory.
Wrestle/struggle was used of hand–to–hand combat. It was characterized by trickery and deception. The fights in ancient Rome was real and often a matter of life for the winner and death for the loser.
Though Satan and his minions know they are sentenced eternally to the bottomless pit prepared in hell for them, they seek desperately to change that fate if they can—warring ceaselessly to break the power of God and destroy the things of God,
especially the church. Paul here reminds his readers , that Christians wrestle/struggle not only against Satan himself but also against a host of his demon subordinates, a vast array of adversaries who, like the devil, are not flesh and blood. Our greatest enemy is not the world we see, corrupt and wicked as it is, but the world we cannot see. Awareness that we are involved in a cosmic battle which is supernatural, personal, and futile if fought with natural weapons is the beginning of conquering wisdom
He describes the battle against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil. These describe the different strata and rankings of those demons and the evil, supernatural empire in which they operate.
Satan’s forces of darkness are highly organized and structured for the most destructive warfare possible. Like the unfallen holy angels, demons do not procreate and their number is fixed. But they are a great and ancient multitude and constitute a formidable and highly experienced supernatural enemy.
We have no way of absolutely identifying the networking of the various schemes of Satan and should be wary of those who claim to do so. But we can be certain that he is active behind the scenes of Christless human endeavors—both in the overt, obviously evil works of people as well as in the many covert and seemingly innocent and good works of humanistic endeavors. if its not done for God its done for satan. It may start for the right reasons but the enemy wiggles his way in and takes it over.
happens in Churches, ministries , all over the world
The spiritual forces of evil/wickedness are possibly those demons who are involved in the most wretched and vile immoralities—such as extremely perverse sexual practices, the occult, Satan worship, and the like. The picture of warfare here implies that we do not face a physical army. We face a spiritual army. Therefore our weapons must be spiritual.
•Human beings who promote paganism, the occult, and various other ungodly and immoral movements and programs are but dupes of Satan and his demons—trapped by sin into unwittingly helping to fulfill his schemes.
So be Strong In The Lord
Ephesians 6:10-13
Please turn to Colossians 1
Dealing with demons in one’s Christian life is not a matter of finding the technique to send them away, but of being committed to the spiritual means of grace that purifies the soul, so that there is no unclean place that demons could occupy or by which they might gain advantage. James gives the only formula for deliverance from the demons or the devil himself:
“Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Paul prayed for the Colossians:
Colossians 1:11–13 (NASB95)
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
•No Christian is any longer in Satan’s domain, and every Christian has the resources of God’s own Holy Spirit within them to free themselves from any demonic entanglement, no matter how severe.
Where sin is confessed and put away, Satan and his demons are expelled.
Hymn: Thank God, there is victory in Jesus.
Paul says elsewhere that ‘we are more than conquerors through him who loved us’ (Romans 8:37)
. Martin Luther, in his hymn, "A Mighty Fortress", reminds us: "The Prince of Darkness grim, We tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure; One little word shall fell him".
Even though we may be caught in the crossfire, it is quietly reassuring to know that the battle is the Lord’s.
Sure, there are times when it is extremely hard to tell who the real enemy is and where he is firing from but, even then, our hopes and our sights are pinned on Jesus
5) The Victory: In Standing Firm (Ephesians 6:13)
So Be Strong In The Lord
Ephesians 6:10-13
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
God gives no deferments or exemptions. His people are at war and will continue to be at war until He returns and takes charge of earth. But even the most willing and eager soldier of Christ is helpless without God’s provision.
That is Paul’s point here: take up the whole/full armor of God. The verb in "take up" is aorist imperative... a command to be obeyed at once and once for all.
Thus, the Christian is to take up and put on all the armor of God as a once-for-all act and keep that armor on during the entire course of their life, not relaxing the discipline necessary for the constant use of such protection
The command to take up the whole/full armor represents a single Greek word, panoplia, that word is itself a compound of two words: all or whole + tool or weapon. Its common meaning is “the full equipment of the heavily armored foot-soldier.”
In this Armor, we have God's continual provision in being His children, in having His Word, in possessing His indwelling Holy Spirit, of having every resource of our heavenly Father. God is our strength, but His strength is appropriated only through obedience;
We must remember that the first “real enemy” in your life is always your own unsubmitted self-life
James 4:1–10 (NASB95)
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
To struggle against your own agendas and passions is at the heart of spiritual warfare.
The second “real enemy” is Satan. The one who hates you without compromise is always the power of darkness (Eph. 6:12).
Wherever there is self-praising pride the Devil has much, much influence
Every day since the Fall has been an evil day for humanity, and every day will continue to be evil until the usurper and his forces are thrown forever into the bottomless pit.
In the meanwhile the Lord makes us able to withstand/resist in the evil day as we take advantage of the armor He supplies. Our responsibility is to withstand/resist and stand firm. Every believer who is faithful to God’s Word cannot do otherwise than stand firm.
Some believers are having done all/everything well in the Lord’s work, but they do not continue to stand firm. The issue is not in what a believer has done, but, when the battle is over and the smoke clears, whether one is found standing true to the Savior. Paul’s one great fear was that, “possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27). He was not afraid of losing his salvation but his reward and, even more importantly, his usefulness to the Lord.
Countless men and women have faithfully taught Sunday school for years, led many people to Jesus Christ, even pastored a church, led Bible studies, ministered to the sick, and done every sort of service in the Lord’s name—only to one day give up, turn their backs on His work, fall into moral failure Adultery money scandals and so much more then just disappear into the world. The circumstances differ, but the underlying reason is always the same: they took God’s armor off and thereby lost the courage, the power, and the desire to stand firm.
WE have to do it Gods Way not our Way
Please turn to 1 Peter 5
and we will close
So Stay Strong In The Lord
Ephesians 6:10-13
In the great spiritual warfare in which we do battle, we are only called to withstand/resist and to stand firm. As noted earlier,
James says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Peter counsels us to:
1 Peter 5:8-9
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Satan is hoping that believers will be terrified in their hardship and persecutions, or that they will be deceived and fall into sin We are called to be spiritually vigilant, watching for attacks.
With trusting in God’s promises, believers know that suffering is not the final word and that ultimately they will be exalted (cf. James 4:7) (
‘Make no mistake about it,’ as the general said, ‘we are fighting for our very lives.’
greatest Joys come to us in the greatest victories, and the greatest victories come from the greatest battles—when they are fought in the power and with the armor of the Lord.
