The Armor of God, 30 June 2019
01 07 19 Filed in: Sermons
The Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10-18
Big Idea: We’ve been given armor to equip us for the everyday battle between good and evil.
War. There are few words more chilling to ponder. Ever since Cain killed his brother Abel in the first pages of the book of Genesis, our world has been filled with conflict, violence, and war.
Although our country has had numerous wars, we have enjoyed peace on our soil for many years, praise God. Nevertheless, wars are raging all over our planet today. One website, warsintheworld.com, states presently there are 69 countries involved in wars.
Jesus taught is to not only love God, but our neighbor. He went further and instructed us to even love our enemies as we love ourselves. I don’t know of any other person, religion, or teaching like that! So when we talk about war today, we’re not talking about harming people. Humans are never the real enemy. Our enemy is satan and his demons.
Before we dive into today’s text, let me set the context. Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus, a city in Turkey. All of the language in the original Greek is in the plural. He’s writing to God’s people, to early Christians. He’s been writing about how they are to relate to one another and to God, including instructions to parents and children, slaves and masters, all of whom are to be treated with dignity and respect.
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. (Ephesians 6:10-11)
C.S. Lewis wrote, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve their existence. The other is to believe and feel an unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors....”
There are people today who ignore the existence of satan, demons, and evil. They never stop to realize they are real and must be opposed. Others are obsessed with darkness, either fascinated with the occult and sin or filled with fear.
The devil is real. The devil’s schemes are real. Our enemy is real.
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)
We’re in a war! It’s not against flesh and blood, so we don’t see tanks and guns in this battle, but there is evidence of it every day in the news. Our very real enemy entices men, women and children into greed, pride, selfishness,
But we’ve been given armor. This is God’s armor, not ours. God takes His armor and places it on us. We are His children. We don’t have much to offer God, yet He gives us everything that belongs to Him.
Story A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art. The young man held out his package. “I know this isn’t much. “I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.” The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir. I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.” The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings! Skip this one!” But the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?” Another voice shouted angrily, “We didn’t come to see this painting! We came to see the Van Gogh’s, the Rembrandt’s! Get on with the real bids!” But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?” Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. “We have $10, who will bid $20?” “Give it to him for $10! Let’s see the masters!” “$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?” The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!” A man sitting in the second row shouted, “Now, let’s get on with the collection!” The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.” “What about the paintings?” “I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!” God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, “The son, the son, who’ll take the son?” Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything. We also get God’s armor. We have access to God’s power. We’ve been given God’s authority. As God’s kids, we have been adopted into His family and have been given so much!
Sadly, many of the King’s kids live in fear and defeat. They blame everything on the devil and live weak, powerless lives.
Family, we’ve been given power and authority, not to use selfishly, but to serve Jesus. Last Sunday we looked again at a passage known as The Great Commission where Jesus said,
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus has all authority, He sent His friends to go and make disciples, and He promised His presence, which has included the Holy Spirit since a day called Pentecost which you can read about in the second chapter of the book of Acts.
We have access to all of God’s power.
We have access to all of God’s provision.
We have access to all of God’s protection.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)
We are to put on God’s armor. The enemy sees the LORD because we wear His armor.
Paul was writing in the midst of the Roman empire. Their great armies had taken conquest over much of the world. When they entered a territory, they were immovable.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, (Ephesians 6:14a)
This is not merely a belt to hold up one’s pants, but a belt that holds a soldier together, like a weightlifter’s belt. Truth will hold us together.
Truth seems to be an endangered species in our world today. Postmodern philosophers have said, “There’s no such thing as absolute truth,” but that statement is contradictory!
We need to know the truth and stand up for what is right, even when our culture is following lies of idolatry, lust, pride, and selfishness.
Perhaps the best question in the Bible was from Pilate. Standing before Jesus, he asked,
“What is truth?” (John 18:38a)
Earlier in his book, John quoted Jesus, who said,
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
John wrote a lot about truth, which is so important in our culture where the only truth seems to be what makes people happy for the moment, regardless of the consequences.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:13)
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)
The next piece of armor is
with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (Ephesians 6:14b)
Righteousness is doing the right thing, maintaining right relationships—with God and others. Matthew 18 gives us instructions on how to maintain these relationships.
If you have a problem, don’t tell me…unless it’s with me. Go to the person with whom you have a problem. If that doesn’t work, take someone else. If that doesn’t work, bring it before the elders.
Righteousness is being honest, humble, good, and fair to others. It may also mean standing up for the weak. It is being morally right, virtuous, goodness, and integrity. Servants of God seek to do the will of the Father. Jesus is not just Savior, but LORD. They obey. They love God and others. They make disciples.
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:15)
I don’t think this is a reference to flip flops…or even shoes. I envision boots! You need sturdy footwear to stand firm. The Greek here for peace also means unity or blessing. Jesus said,
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)
This is not only peace with one another, but peace with God.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16)
A shield protects the front of a soldier. Note there is nothing for the back of this soldier. Running away is not an option. We are to stand firm. Our enemy loves to attack with flaming arrows. We might call this temptation. Every day we face lies of the enemy trying to deceive us and cause us to sin.
Our shield is a shield of faith. Faith is being sure God will keep His promises. It protects us when we are tempted to fear and doubt.
We often think of shields as something an individual uses, but the Roman soldiers would gather together and make a wall of shields that was almost impossible to penetrate. The Roman shield wall conquered the world.
When our faith connects with others, the flaming arrows of temptation and sin are extinguished. This is why we need one another. We need to pray for one another. We need to confess our sins to one another—not to receive shame, but grace; not judgment, but forgiveness.
People often ask if you can follow Jesus and not go to church. First, I tell them you don’t go to church. You’re a part of the church. You don’t say you go to family. You’re a part of a family, and that’s what the church is, a family. But this photo illustrates how important it is to have family, to have church, to have brothers and sisters with whom to journey through life. We need one another. Forget the cultural lies of rugged individualism. We need one another. I need you. You need me. That’s family. It’s God’s design. We need to lock our shields together to both defend ourselves from satan and also to advance, taking new territory for King Jesus.
Take the helmet of salvation…(Ephesians 6:17a)
Our salvation comes because of the historical events of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Our head, our mind is protected by the helmet of salvation, keeping our priorities in order and reminding us of our position in Christ with a hope, a future, eternity with God.
…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17b)
This is our only offensive weapon, the word of God, the Holy scriptures. We must know the Bible. Our enemy does, and he tries to twist it and deceive us. We fight by knowing God and His word. We’re even told…
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
We have power in the name of Jesus, in the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:18)
We are the only army advancing on our knees, engaging in spiritual warfare through prayer. God has all power, all authority, all protection. We do not fight with our own strength, but His. We must seek Him in prayer. We must listen to Him in prayer. We must pray blessings and peace over others. We are to pray for one another, all the Lord’s people.
I often say the most important event on our weekly church calendar might not be this gathering or small groups or Dinner Church…but our three prayer gatherings. Sundays at 9 AM, Tuesday morning for men at 8:30 AM, and Thursdays at 7 PM. Prayer is the fuel that propels us forward. The Alliance says, “Prayer is the primary work of God’s people.”
Prayer is the primary means of communication during spiritual conflict. We pray to the King of kings, seeking orders, asking for wisdom and reinforcements, expressing to Him our fears, and celebrating our victories. When we pray, we reaffirm our allegiance to and declare our dependence on Him. When we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit expresses our incoherent thoughts, desires, and needs. It’s quite amazing.
So What?
Family, we are in the midst of a war. Our city is being ravaged by poverty and homelessness. The opioid epidemic is literally killing people. Families are crumbling. Violence is reported daily in the news. People are divided about so many things. Chaos is all around us.
But there’s no need to worry. Fear not. God is in control…and He wants us involved. We are to be soldiers, standing up to the death and lies and evil of satan, battling with faith, hope, and love. We’re seeing victories all over…in every salvation, every baptism, every answered prayer, every act of kindness, every meal delivered, every child taught, every word of encouragement spoken, every dollar invested in God’s Kingdom, every Bible studied, every song sung, …every masterpiece restored.
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. (Ephesians 6:10-11)
And never fear. The God of angel’s armies is always by our side.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Big Idea: We’ve been given armor to equip us for the everyday battle between good and evil.
War. There are few words more chilling to ponder. Ever since Cain killed his brother Abel in the first pages of the book of Genesis, our world has been filled with conflict, violence, and war.
Although our country has had numerous wars, we have enjoyed peace on our soil for many years, praise God. Nevertheless, wars are raging all over our planet today. One website, warsintheworld.com, states presently there are 69 countries involved in wars.
Jesus taught is to not only love God, but our neighbor. He went further and instructed us to even love our enemies as we love ourselves. I don’t know of any other person, religion, or teaching like that! So when we talk about war today, we’re not talking about harming people. Humans are never the real enemy. Our enemy is satan and his demons.
Before we dive into today’s text, let me set the context. Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus, a city in Turkey. All of the language in the original Greek is in the plural. He’s writing to God’s people, to early Christians. He’s been writing about how they are to relate to one another and to God, including instructions to parents and children, slaves and masters, all of whom are to be treated with dignity and respect.
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. (Ephesians 6:10-11)
C.S. Lewis wrote, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve their existence. The other is to believe and feel an unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors....”
There are people today who ignore the existence of satan, demons, and evil. They never stop to realize they are real and must be opposed. Others are obsessed with darkness, either fascinated with the occult and sin or filled with fear.
The devil is real. The devil’s schemes are real. Our enemy is real.
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)
We’re in a war! It’s not against flesh and blood, so we don’t see tanks and guns in this battle, but there is evidence of it every day in the news. Our very real enemy entices men, women and children into greed, pride, selfishness,
But we’ve been given armor. This is God’s armor, not ours. God takes His armor and places it on us. We are His children. We don’t have much to offer God, yet He gives us everything that belongs to Him.
Story A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art. The young man held out his package. “I know this isn’t much. “I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.” The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir. I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.” The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings! Skip this one!” But the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?” Another voice shouted angrily, “We didn’t come to see this painting! We came to see the Van Gogh’s, the Rembrandt’s! Get on with the real bids!” But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?” Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. “We have $10, who will bid $20?” “Give it to him for $10! Let’s see the masters!” “$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?” The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!” A man sitting in the second row shouted, “Now, let’s get on with the collection!” The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.” “What about the paintings?” “I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!” God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, “The son, the son, who’ll take the son?” Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything. We also get God’s armor. We have access to God’s power. We’ve been given God’s authority. As God’s kids, we have been adopted into His family and have been given so much!
Sadly, many of the King’s kids live in fear and defeat. They blame everything on the devil and live weak, powerless lives.
Family, we’ve been given power and authority, not to use selfishly, but to serve Jesus. Last Sunday we looked again at a passage known as The Great Commission where Jesus said,
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus has all authority, He sent His friends to go and make disciples, and He promised His presence, which has included the Holy Spirit since a day called Pentecost which you can read about in the second chapter of the book of Acts.
We have access to all of God’s power.
We have access to all of God’s provision.
We have access to all of God’s protection.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)
We are to put on God’s armor. The enemy sees the LORD because we wear His armor.
Paul was writing in the midst of the Roman empire. Their great armies had taken conquest over much of the world. When they entered a territory, they were immovable.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, (Ephesians 6:14a)
This is not merely a belt to hold up one’s pants, but a belt that holds a soldier together, like a weightlifter’s belt. Truth will hold us together.
Truth seems to be an endangered species in our world today. Postmodern philosophers have said, “There’s no such thing as absolute truth,” but that statement is contradictory!
We need to know the truth and stand up for what is right, even when our culture is following lies of idolatry, lust, pride, and selfishness.
Perhaps the best question in the Bible was from Pilate. Standing before Jesus, he asked,
“What is truth?” (John 18:38a)
Earlier in his book, John quoted Jesus, who said,
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
John wrote a lot about truth, which is so important in our culture where the only truth seems to be what makes people happy for the moment, regardless of the consequences.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:13)
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)
The next piece of armor is
with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (Ephesians 6:14b)
Righteousness is doing the right thing, maintaining right relationships—with God and others. Matthew 18 gives us instructions on how to maintain these relationships.
If you have a problem, don’t tell me…unless it’s with me. Go to the person with whom you have a problem. If that doesn’t work, take someone else. If that doesn’t work, bring it before the elders.
Righteousness is being honest, humble, good, and fair to others. It may also mean standing up for the weak. It is being morally right, virtuous, goodness, and integrity. Servants of God seek to do the will of the Father. Jesus is not just Savior, but LORD. They obey. They love God and others. They make disciples.
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:15)
I don’t think this is a reference to flip flops…or even shoes. I envision boots! You need sturdy footwear to stand firm. The Greek here for peace also means unity or blessing. Jesus said,
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)
This is not only peace with one another, but peace with God.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16)
A shield protects the front of a soldier. Note there is nothing for the back of this soldier. Running away is not an option. We are to stand firm. Our enemy loves to attack with flaming arrows. We might call this temptation. Every day we face lies of the enemy trying to deceive us and cause us to sin.
Our shield is a shield of faith. Faith is being sure God will keep His promises. It protects us when we are tempted to fear and doubt.
We often think of shields as something an individual uses, but the Roman soldiers would gather together and make a wall of shields that was almost impossible to penetrate. The Roman shield wall conquered the world.
When our faith connects with others, the flaming arrows of temptation and sin are extinguished. This is why we need one another. We need to pray for one another. We need to confess our sins to one another—not to receive shame, but grace; not judgment, but forgiveness.
People often ask if you can follow Jesus and not go to church. First, I tell them you don’t go to church. You’re a part of the church. You don’t say you go to family. You’re a part of a family, and that’s what the church is, a family. But this photo illustrates how important it is to have family, to have church, to have brothers and sisters with whom to journey through life. We need one another. Forget the cultural lies of rugged individualism. We need one another. I need you. You need me. That’s family. It’s God’s design. We need to lock our shields together to both defend ourselves from satan and also to advance, taking new territory for King Jesus.
Take the helmet of salvation…(Ephesians 6:17a)
Our salvation comes because of the historical events of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Our head, our mind is protected by the helmet of salvation, keeping our priorities in order and reminding us of our position in Christ with a hope, a future, eternity with God.
…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17b)
This is our only offensive weapon, the word of God, the Holy scriptures. We must know the Bible. Our enemy does, and he tries to twist it and deceive us. We fight by knowing God and His word. We’re even told…
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
We have power in the name of Jesus, in the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:18)
We are the only army advancing on our knees, engaging in spiritual warfare through prayer. God has all power, all authority, all protection. We do not fight with our own strength, but His. We must seek Him in prayer. We must listen to Him in prayer. We must pray blessings and peace over others. We are to pray for one another, all the Lord’s people.
I often say the most important event on our weekly church calendar might not be this gathering or small groups or Dinner Church…but our three prayer gatherings. Sundays at 9 AM, Tuesday morning for men at 8:30 AM, and Thursdays at 7 PM. Prayer is the fuel that propels us forward. The Alliance says, “Prayer is the primary work of God’s people.”
Prayer is the primary means of communication during spiritual conflict. We pray to the King of kings, seeking orders, asking for wisdom and reinforcements, expressing to Him our fears, and celebrating our victories. When we pray, we reaffirm our allegiance to and declare our dependence on Him. When we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit expresses our incoherent thoughts, desires, and needs. It’s quite amazing.
So What?
Family, we are in the midst of a war. Our city is being ravaged by poverty and homelessness. The opioid epidemic is literally killing people. Families are crumbling. Violence is reported daily in the news. People are divided about so many things. Chaos is all around us.
But there’s no need to worry. Fear not. God is in control…and He wants us involved. We are to be soldiers, standing up to the death and lies and evil of satan, battling with faith, hope, and love. We’re seeing victories all over…in every salvation, every baptism, every answered prayer, every act of kindness, every meal delivered, every child taught, every word of encouragement spoken, every dollar invested in God’s Kingdom, every Bible studied, every song sung, …every masterpiece restored.
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. (Ephesians 6:10-11)
And never fear. The God of angel’s armies is always by our side.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.