“DRESSED TO KILL #2”
What the Bible says about spiritual warfare and the armor of God.
Text: Ephesians 6:10-18
Watchman Nee: We SIT in heavenly places with Christ -we WALK in a worthy manner in love, light, and wisdom, and we STAND against the scheme of the evil one.
1 Peter 5:8
POINT: Spiritual warfare is way more than fighting temptation. If you never get past temptation, you’ll never understand the concept of doing spiritual battle.
- Spiritual warfare is not an option in the Christian life. If you are a believer you are involved in the struggle.
I. The STRUGGLE in Spiritual Warfare.
Ephesians 6:10-12
A. Our Struggle is REAL.
We could accurately translate that: “From now on brothers and sisters…”
People’s ideas about Satan usually fall in one of two extremes.
- Those who do not believe in the supernatural.
- Those who blame the devil for everything.
Satan is the enemy of God. He cannot do anything to God, however, he chooses to attack what is precious to God… us.
B. Our Struggle is PERSONAL.
“Wrestle” or “struggle” in vs. 12 = “hand to hand combat”.
Re: The picture of swaying back and forth locked in mortal combat. This is a personal fight for each of us.
C. Our Struggle is SUPERNATURAL.
Paul further says that our fight is not “against flesh and blood.” This hand to hand combat is not fought by conventional means. We cannot fight the enemy like we would fight a mere man.
v. 10 -“be strong IN THE LORD and in THE POWER of His MIGHT.”
II Corinthians 10:3,4
POINT: “Fleshly weapons are not suited to fight spiritual adversaries.”
Spiritual Weapons without a Battle Plan will ensure a defeat.
D. Our Struggle is against POWERFUL Enemies.
Our struggle is not against “flesh and blood” rather it is against even more powerful enemies.
Vs.12-“spiritual hosts of wickedness” the invisible but deadly army of Satan.
These designations of ranks suggest that lucifer’s forces are well organized in a vast, effective hierarchy. “Powers” = “kosmokratos” or cosmocrat meaning “world rulers.”
Daniel 10:12-13,20
E. Our Struggle has SERIOUS Implications.
Satan temporarily dominates the world.
Unlike God, he can only be in one place at a time.
1 John 5:19; John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; Acts 26:18
Revelation 9:11 – Satan is described by the Hebrew word “Abaddon“, and in Greek as “Apollyon.” =”destroyer.”
Satan is terribly cunning.
Vs. 11 speaks of the “wiles” or schemes of the devil. Methodia = ”methods, strategies.”
- Scheme #1: DIVERSION. The devil is a master at hiding behind the scenes.
- Scheme #2: DIVISION. His motto is divide and conquer. We need each other to defeat him.
- Scheme #3: DECEPTION. He changes truth into falsehood.
2 Corinthians 11:14
II. Our POWER in Spiritual Warfare. (vs. 10)
A. The Enemy defeats us when we rely on OUR Power.
If you are trusting in your own power and strength, you are issuing the devil an invitation to beat you up!
B. We defeat the enemy when we rely on GOD’S Power.
The admonition: “Be strong IN THE LORD.”
Satan is powerful, but he is not even in the same class as God! 1 John 4:4
Colossians 2:14-15
III. Our PROTECTION in Spiritual Warfare. (v. 11)
A. Our Protection Requires PUTTING ON the Armor of God.
The “armor of God” is a metaphor of the components of the spirit-filled life.
B. Our Protection Requires MAKING a Stand.
This is a military term that refers to holding a critical position in a battle… making a stand.
Remember that we have been delivered. Colossians 1:13
The only hold Satan has on you is what you give him. James 4:7
POINT: Remember we are strongest when we are weakest. When we rest in the Lord we are the most secure.
2 Corinthians 12:9
IV. The Belt of Truth. (v. 14a)
A. Truth is ESSENTIAL.
Truth is the essential centerpiece of the Christian’s armor.
We must be rooted and grounded in truth, else our lives are meaningless.
The Bible continually speaks of the indispensable nature of the truth.
Proverbs 23:23; 1 Corinthians 13:6
B. Truth is PRACTICAL.
We are to be known as truth-tellers.
John 8:44- When we tell lies, any lie we are imitating and acting on the behalf of the prince of darkness.
POINT: People who are apt to lie, apt to stretch the truth, embellish the truth, gossip will struggle in what they believe.
POINT: When we lie we take off the belt of truth and drop it in the dirt. Satan encourages us to lie and then laughs at us when the consequences of our deceit come out in our lives.
Telling the truth does not come easy to us. Legend says the father of our country said, “I cannot tell a lie” when questioned about a certain cherry tree.
Want to win your personal battle against the devil? The first step is to put on the belt on the truth and immerse yourself in the truth of God’s Word.
C. Truth is UNCHANGING.
Immutable =”not subject to change” or “changeless.”
Hebrews 13:8; Hebrews 1:11-12
All truth is God’s truth. Truth is immutable because God is immutable.
POINT: Unchanging means “cannot be improved or perfected.” We often use this word in a negative sense speaking of an incorrigible criminal who cannot be rehabilitated.
Matthew 24:35
Are you making your stand?
Romans 16:20 -“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”