“Dressed to Kill”

TITLE “DRESSED TO KILL”

What the Bible says about spiritual warfare and the armor of God.

This series will help us understand our role as a Christian soldier. We will discuss our ability and responsibility as a soldier, warrior and fighter in Spiritual Warfare.

Text: Ephesians 6:10-18

Spiritual Armor of God [Helmet of Salvation; Breastplate of Righteousness; Belt of Truth, Shield of Faith, Sword of the Spirit, Feet protected by the gospel]

Learning WHO God says we are in Christ is the greatest revelation we can ever have. Many teach that Jesus’ blood saves us, but that the cross really didn’t free us. This kind of teaching is short-sighted and legalistic.

The cross is a finished work. Many teach that Jesus’ death was not enough, and we have to “do” something to gain additional freedom from the devil’s control.

Make no mistake man-made weapons and fleshly techniques will never suffice:

II Cor. 10:3,4 “For though we walk in the flesh; we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”

“I live, I habituate in the flesh.”

Paraphrase: “Nearly everything I do is in the realm of the flesh; I eat in the flesh; I recreate in the flesh; I sleep in the flesh; I think in the flesh; I study in the flesh. My life primarily consists of an earthly realm.”

EVEN THOUGH WE ARE IN THE FLESH-WE DO NOT WAR IN THE FLESH.

POINT: “Fleshly weapons are not suited to fight spiritual adversaries.”

You will lose every time. In order for spiritual weapons to work effectively, there needs to be a divine strategy on how to use them.

 II Cor. 10:3-6, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

I want to begin this series, discussing temptation as a spiritual battle.

Spiritual warfare is way more than fighting temptation. If you never get past temptation, you’ll never understand the concept of doing spiritual battle.

Most Bible teachers use Jesus’ tempting in the wilderness as the greatest spiritual battle that Jesus suffered. He is lead into the wilderness; He is about to start His ministry. After fasting 40 days/ 40 nights. No food. It is a total food fast;

The devil shows up as a spirit (not a person). This is why: Behind every temptation there is a spirit, there is a demon.

There are 3 temptations:

1) Turn the stones into bread. 2) Jump from the pinnacle of the temple.

3) The devil took Jesus to a high mountain. He showed him all the kingdoms of the world.

Jesus never prayed…Lord if it is possible, let this cup pass. This temptation is too strong. I can’t handle it. Jesus never prayed that. The greatest spiritual battle was the cross. When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane. It was a battle of Epic proportions.

ILLUS.: Roman historians will tell you that a legion is 6,500 soldiers. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus and Simon Peter cut off a soldier’s ear, and Jesus rebuked him, and healed the ear.

He made this statement: “Do you not understand that I could call 12 legions of angels. [which is 78,000 angels] They are at my instant disposal. All I have to do is ask the Father. {Jesus was either lying or telling the truth-I believe He was telling the truth.}

Think of this: 1 angel in Hezekiah’s day killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. There’s no telling what 78,000 of the mightiest angels of heaven could have done.

The single greatest spiritual battle of Jesus’ life was the Garden of Gethsemane. This is why -the weight of the world -The weight of sin caused such unbearable physical stress in the life of Jesus.

He could have gotten out of it. He could have called 78,000 angels. However, he chose to forge ahead in Spiritual warfare and utter the famous prayer: “Father, nevertheless thy will be done.”

The greatest spiritual battles come when you feel the most justified.

However, the greatest temptations come when the greatest justification exists because of the potential for the greatest spiritual victory. The greatest spiritual warfare you and I will experience is when we can justify something.

When people would say, “I don’t blame you.” Those are the moments of the greatest warfare. The greatest spiritual battles come when you try and justify why you don’t want to pray, why you don’t want to stand, why you don’t want to hold up the shield of faith. I am going to bring this home right where we live.

I. The story of Joseph

Eph. 6:10-11, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

The small battles of spiritual warfare are defined as: “Doing the right thing.”

If anyone could justify being mad and bitter, and if anyone could justify getting back at someone because of what was done wrong to them……it was Joseph.

Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery 20 years earlier. They are about to find out that the 2^nd in command of Egypt wants to see them. One of the brothers said: “God is getting us back for what we did 20 years ago.” One brother said: “This is the vengeance of God.”

(Joseph was releasing 20 years of pain. 20 years of incredible Spiritual, Emotional and mental battles)

Genesis 39:5 “The Lord was with Joseph.”

This was a wile of the devil: A Strategy, a scheme, a blue print, a tactic.

If you don’t get past the spiritual battle of temptations, you’ll understand how to use the ARMOR of God in Ephesians 6.

V. 11 (AMP)- “Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.”

This was a huge temptation for Joseph.

The times you are tempted the most is when you feel justified in your actions to pay somebody back. When you can justify being ugly to somebody; you can justify giving it to them as good as they gave it to you. You can justify being sorry for yourself being down & out & depressed, hopeless and helpless.

If you pass the test of Spiritual warfare – God will bless you in ways, you never dreamed possible!

When you feel justified for your actions – It is a great temptation.

II. THE LIFE OF DAVID

David’s greatest temptation was King Saul – who made his life “A LIVING HELL.”King Saul, the man David fought wars for, the man David fought a giant for, the man David risked his life for. That same man took a Javelin, and tried to pin David to a wall; Saul chased him like a dog in the countryside.

One day when Saul went into a cave….”He told his men…wait here…while I go in and relieve myself.” Saul goes into the cave; guess who is in the shadows of the cave hiding? David, Abishai, and Joab.

LISTEN TO WHAT’S IN THE BIBLE (WHAT A TEMPTATION):

“Behold, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will hand over your enemy to you, and you shall do to him as seems good to you.’”

All of heaven was watching…David remembered that OT scripture: “Touch not my anointed….vengeance is my saith the Lord, and I will repay.” I could do it, and be justified. God said: “Don’t touch him.” I am the one….who exalts.”

Two things belongs to God: The Tithe and Vengeance. God says in both cases “I will repay.”

Tithing was established in the creation account long before the law – It is God’s plan. “Pressed down, shaken together and running over.” If you let God fight your battles, rather than you trying to get someone because you feel justified. God will give it back to you.

Ladies & gentlemen God watches the little things: Our heart, our attitude-You can disguise it. You can try and fool people, and hide bad attitudes, and cutting remarks with all kinds of spiritual jargon, big sayings and even quoting scripting. God gets down to the nitty-gritty of our soul.

If you never get past temptation, you’ll never understand spiritual warfare. The greater the temptation, the greater the justification.

CONCLUSION: If you can’t deal with your heart; if you can’t deal with temptation you’ll never be able to successfully put on the armor of God and truly have spiritual victory.