Ephesians 6: 10 – 18

The true Christian described in the first 3 chapters of Ephesians who lives the faithful life which is described in Ephesians 4:1-6:9 will be involved in the spiritual warfare described in our text for this morning. The Christian life is a battle because when God begins to bless, Satan begins to attack.

In our lesson from 1st Peter Satan is identified as our enemy and we are told Satan’s objective is to devour us. In the Bible Satan is referred to as the devil, the evil one, schemer, the power of darkness, the adversary, the accuser, the slanderer, and the deceiver.

Satan is real and there is a demonic world all around us. The evidence is quite clear. We live in a world filled with evil. All you have to do is watch the evening news. There are even temples of Satan in the U. S. where blood sacrifices are made. Yes, Satan is alive and working all around us. But we are not here to talk about the evil world, what we want to talk about this morning is the spiritual assault that Satan wages against all faithful believers.

Jesus’ ministry began with a battle with Satan and it lasted 40 days. In the Garden of Gethsemane Satan was trying to convince Jesus not to go to the cross and die for the sins of the world. If Satan had succeeded you and I would be dead in sin throughout eternity. Thank God that Jesus withstood the temptation of Satan. These two accounts teach us that our spiritual battles do not get any easier as we grow in obedience to God. Satan intensifies his attacks on those who continue to effectively serve the Lord. If you are not wholeheartedly and single-mindedly serving the Lord, Satan does not need to worry about you. He has already defeated you.

In our text Paul is trying to prepare the church at Ephesus for spiritual attacks. However, sadly 30 some years later we read in Revelation that while the church at Ephesus was active, opposing false teaching, and successfully enduring hardship, as a church they had lost the passionate love for the Lord.

I don’t think Satan spends much time at the bars and the racetracks on Saturday night. I think Satan concentrates on churches on Sunday morning. It only takes one sharp critical word for us to lose our focus. If Satan can cause a diversion or start a rumor, he can disrupt the service. If one disgruntled person speaks out, many others are affected. If the pastor is tired or sleepy the message is not as effective as it should be.

Whether we want to be or whether we admit it, we as individuals and we as a church are in the middle of a spiritual battle. Satan is on the attack. Fortunately Paul tells us how to prepare and how to win the battle.

The first thing we need to grasp is that we are in a spiritual battle. If we are in denial we will be defeated before we even know it. Next, our enemy, Satan’s sole purpose is to destroy you. Satan is trying to keep you from being the person God created you to be, trying to keep you from God’s blessings, and trying to keep you from doing the job that God has given you to do.

The third thing is that we are no match for Satan. If we depend upon our own resources we will be defeated.

The fourth thing is good news. God will fight for us if we will follow His instruction. Look at verse 10 with me. "Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." Notice in verse 11 we are not told to fight. We are told to stand firm. To stand firm in a military sense means to hold a critical position while under attack. Protect what is vitally important. In Revelation 2:25 the Lord told the church at Thyatira to "hold fast until I come."

In order for us to be protected and for us to take advantage of the power of Almighty God we must put on the spiritual armor that He supplies to us as believers. The full armor of God is not something to be put on and taken off occasionally, but rather the full armor of God is to be put on permanently. The full armor of God is not a uniform we put on to play a game and take off at the end of the game. The full armor of God is the Christian’s life-long companion. It is to be a vital part of us because it provides us with divine power to keep us from stumbling, to keep us blameless, and to keep us from being defeated.

In verse 11 we are told to take a stand against the devil’s schemes. Throughout the Bible we are told about the devil’s schemes. Satan does not have horns and a pointed tail, carry a pitchfork, or dressed up in a red suit. Satan does not come up to you and say, "I am Satan and I am here to destroy you today." Satan is a master of disguise, a deceiver, a liar, and a truth twister. Satan casts doubts, deception, and division everywhere he goes. Remember Satan quoted scripture to Jesus; Satan created doubt in Eve’s mind about the goodness of God. Satan put fear into Jonah’s heart. Satan created false pride in King Saul. Satan tempted King David with a beautiful woman. Peer pressure got the best of Peter. And Satan blinded Judas’ eyes so that Judas did not know Jesus was the Son of God.

One of Satan’s most effective strategies is the delusion that there is not a war between good and evil going on in the believer’s life. And I am sure someone here this morning has been tricked into believing that Satan is not real or that Satan is not a real threat to you

The word Satan means "adversary" and the word devil means, "slanderer". The fallen archangel Lucifer and his fallen angels who became demons have been tempting, tricking, and corrupting mankind since the fall in the Garden of Eden.

In all likelihood Paul was in prison and chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote these words. As Paul looked at the Roman soldier the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use the analogy of armor we have here. Just as the Roman soldier was equipped for battle, God has equipped us for our spiritual battles against Satan and his forces.

Paul describes the full armor of God as truth, righteousness, peace, faith, the assurance of salvation, the Word of God, and prayer. Every part of the armor of God speaks about Jesus Christ.

In verse 14 – "Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist." In Paul’s day a soldier’s belt was essential to hold every other part of the soldier’s equipment in place. Even today a soldier’s belt is used to hold a lot of combat equipment. Jesus said "I am The Truth" Satan is just the opposite. Jesus identified Satan as "The Father of Lies."

Righteousness denotes moral integrity. Our righteousness comes from Jesus. We are not righteous but as believers we have been declared righteous by Christ. The breastplate of righteousness protects the believer’s heart.

Next, we have the shoes of peace. We need a good foundation, one that is firm and not slippery. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. It is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ that enables us to stand firm in difficult circumstances.

In verse 16 we are told to take up the shield of faith. The soldiers on the front lines in Paul’s day carried large shields that were big enough to crouch behind and protect their whole body. The shield was essential to keep the soldier safe. We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, believing that Jesus is God and trusting Jesus alone for our salvation. Our faith protects our whole being. The writer of Proverbs tells us, "God is a shield to those who take refuge in Him." (30:5). We are covered with armor to protect us but the flaming arrows of Satan will be stopped before they hit us if we carry the shield of faith. Belief in God’s promises keeps Satan’s tactics from getting through to us. When faith in God claims victory we are not effected by Satan’s fiery darts of disappointment, discouragement, diversion, and / division.

In verse 17 it says, "take the helmet of salvation". To take, as used here, means to receive something that is offered. Salvation is a gift from God. Jesus is our salvation. Helmets protect our heads. One of Satan’s greatest weapons is to deceive, cast doubts in our minds, discourage, to question God’s goodness, and to question our salvation. Satan tries to mess with our minds. If we lose hope for the present there is no security in the future. The helmet of salvation assures us that our present struggles will not last forever and that we will be victorious.

Notice the first 5 pieces of armor are purely defensive. Then in verse 17 we are told to take the "Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." In John 1 we are told that Jesus is The Word. The Sword of the Spirit is the only piece of offensive equipment. In Hebrews 4:12-13 we read, "The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword". We are given the Word and the Good News of Jesus is to be used with care and skill. The Word is so powerful that Satan will go to any length to keep God’s Word from being preached and taught. None of us have an excuse for not reading and understanding God’s Word. We have Bibles and we have been given the Holy Spirit to teach us. Sunday School is so important because we come together around God’s Word and as a group we share the truth that God has revealed to us. While the sword is offensive it is also a defensive weapon. A sword is capable of deflecting the blows of an opponent. Remember Jesus used scripture to rebuke Satan.

Prayer is the greatest privilege we as Christians have been given. Praying is not giving God our Christmas list of wants. Notice verse 18 says, "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." Praying in the Spirit describes the true character of prayer. It is offered with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and in dependence upon the Holy Spirit. We need to be in constant close communication with our Commander in Chief if we are to be effective soldiers of Jesus Christ.

Notice the last instructions Paul gives us. "Always keep praying for all the saints." We are to pray for each other and encourage each other for all faithful Christians are all under attack by Satan.

God’s Word is crystal clear. Satan and his invisible demons are continually at work in the world. We are no match for Satan. But we are told to put on the armor of God and to stand firm against the devil’s schemes. If we put on the full armor of God and depend upon the Lord Almighty we will successfully withstand any and all of Satan’s assaults. In 1st John 4:4 we are given this assurance. "Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world." Our victory comes from wearing the full armor of God, resisting the schemes of the devil, and depending upon the unlimited power of the Lord.

The biggest victories come out of the biggest battles. But victory only comes when we are protected by God’s armor. Every piece of armor speaks of Christ; Truth righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the spirit. We are to be surrounded by Christ in every aspect of our life if we are to be victorious.

Will you bow your head in prayer?