Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

We saw in our very first time together that in order to stand in the midst of conflict, we must first obey the commands given to us by our commanding officer through His orders, the Word of God.

These commands as we saw were first, “to be strong in the Lord”, which means our strength is not within us, but comes from Him.

Then secondly, we were commanded to “put on the whole armor of God”, which, by its very description is supernatural and not of this world.

But why do we need the Armor of God?

We saw that it is because of our enemy Satan who is supernatural, seeking to destroy us at every turn of our lives, and that in order to stand, we must have a supernatural armor given to us by the one one who can destroy to power of Satan.

As a result, we have the assurance that we will be able to stand and win the battle!

Then the last time we were together, we looked at some of the details of this supernatural armor, in particular, the armor of defense.

We saw the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness are that part of the armor of defense that helps us stand.

And the shoes on our feet and the gospel of peace help us move.

Then finally we saw that the shield of faith protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy.

But is that all we do, live in a continual defensive mode?

Is there any armor of offense?

Yes, praise the Lord there is, and we will look at this offensive armor this morning.

Text: Ephesians 6:17-18

Note as we look at each of these parts of the armor that there is a physical part that any soldier would identify with, but that this physical part correlates to a spiritual counterpart since this is a spiritual battle after all.

1. Armor to Prepare: Helmet of Salvation (17)

A. Helmet

A protective headgear made of hard material to resist blows.

Since a person cannot live without their head, the helmet was one of the most import pieces of the armor

This helmet is particularly import in that it is the helmet of:

B Salvation

Just like a physical helmet protects the most important part of our body, and we can do nothing without it, we cannot resist or win the battle over Satan unless we are truly born again

Our salvation, like a clear thinking head, directs us in our offensive stance

2. Armor to Fight: Sword of the Spirit (17)

A. Sword

This short dagger like sword was the deadliest of weapons in that it was used for close hand-to-hand combat where each opponent sought to kill the other not just injure him.

It is also used symbolically in scripture of one’s words which are meant to injure and destroy.

B. Word of God

The Word of God first of all changes and transforms us since it knows what is in the deepest part of our hearts.

The Word of God is our deadliest weapon against Satan and his army.

It is meant to be used when we go head-to-head with our enemy.

Jesus is our perfect example of how to do this when he was tempted in the wilderness.

3. Armor to Commune: Prayer and Supplication (18)

Without a doubt, communications in the heat of battle is one of the most important ingredients in warfare.

Without which the soldier would not know how to best use his energies and time in the fight.

Only our commanding officer knows the battle plan, so it is to him we communicate...note the phrase in the Spirit.

A. Prayer

This word is used as a general speaking to God and could involve not just requests, but worship and praise.

This is modeled in an answer to a question posed to Jesus by his disciples in Matthew 6:9-13

In this model we see worship, submission, confession, and request.

B. Supplication

To that end, keep alert with all perseverance: This word is more about urgency, to the sense that the person bring the supplication can see no way out apart from God.

Thus the command to keep alert with perseverance.

Note that we keep alert and persevere by...

making supplication for all the saints: Note also that this pray is to be given not just on our behalf, but on behalf of our fellow soldiers.

A great example of persevering prayer is in a parable that Jesus told regarding praying fervently from Luke 18:

So What?

Are you trying to fight life’s battles on your own just by being strong in your own abilities?

Have you truly taken the Helmet of Salvation by repenting of your sin and placing you faith in Jesus alone for your salvation?

Do you spend time reading and memorizing the Word of God so that you are ready to fight offensively when Satan attacks?

How much time do you spend in fervent prayer for yourself and those around you that you know are also in the battle?