B.We who are Christians are on the frontlines of a great war.
1.We must understand that this battle is not carnal but spiritual in nature.
a.This means that the battleground is within the hearts of men, including our own hearts.
b.Therefore, we must fight it with spiritual means.See 2Corinthians 10:3-4.
2.We must also understand that Satan and his forces are our adversaries in this battle.By now, Satan’s power and tactics should be well known to us, for he has afflicted man from the beginning.
C.God has provided the armor we need to fight and win the war, but we must decide to put it on.
1.Before we can “stand firm” (v. 14), we must take up the implements of war.The armor is freely given by God for our use, but we must choose to protect ourselves with it.
2.Notice that verse 10 is imperative – “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.”The same is true of verse 13 – “Therefore, take up the full armor of God…”
a.You choose either to be spiritually strong or to be spiritually weak.God has placed that choice in your hands alone, and no one else can decide for you.
b.Do you believe that you can be spiritually strong?Follow God’s formula for making yourself strong and you can be.
II.YOU MUST PUT THE ARMOR ON
A.Gird your loins with truth.
1.Remember that Satan is our adversary (1Pet. 5:8), and his weapon is deceit (John 8:44).Truth is the antidote for deceit, and God gives truth in great measure.
2.The truth of God has been given to us through His word (John 17:17).
a.God “has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2Pet. 1:3).Everything that we need to know to succeed spiritually has been told to us in God’s word.
b.The truth of God’s word acts as a mirror that reflects the truth about ourselves (Jas. 1:22-25).When we look into it, we see our strengths and our weaknesses, our successes and our failures.It shows us how we need to change in order to please God.
3.God’s truth is in your hands, but you must choose to gird it on in the battle against Satan through your own faith and belief.
a.You must obey God’s truth for yourself, for no one can obey it for you (1Pet. 1:22).
b.When the mirror of God’s word shows you that you need to change, you must make the change yourself.No one else can make the change for you.
B.Put on the breastplate of righteousness.
1.We have not always been righteous, but we must be now through Christ.
a.All of us have been guilty of sin (Rom. 3:10, 23), so none of us are righteous by our own merits.Our own righteousness is of no use in the battle with Satan.
b.However, Christians are justified (made right) with God through faith in Christ (Rom. 5:1).We are not sinless, but if we walk in the light as God is in the light, then the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (1John 1:5-10).
2.If you will not choose to be righteous in Christ, then Satan has already defeated you, for you are fighting on his side.
a.By choosing to sin, you choose to serve Satan, who is the very enemy that seeks to destroy you.
b.Therefore, “do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom. 6:13).
C.Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
1.A soldier of Christ is prepared for the battle with Satan by having a firm footing of peace with God.
a.Our success against Satan depends entirely upon our alliance with God, for we will not overcome Satan on our own (Heb. 2:14-15).
b.Whereas before we were enemies to God because of our sin, now through the gospel of Christ we have peace with Him (Eph. 2:11-22).This peace has to be established before we are prepared to stand against Satan.
2.You must prepare yourself through the gospel of peace before you can stand against Satan.
a.Even though you created the division between yourself and God (Isa. 59:2), He has offered reconciliation through Jesus Christ.You must decide to accept His offer, for no one else can decide for you.
b.If you do not prepare yourself with the gospel, then Satan will surely defeat you.
D.Take up the shield of faith.
1.It is faith that extinguishes the flaming missiles of Satan that would otherwise destroy us.
a.The flaming missiles of Satan come in the form of lies and influence to tempt us to sin.He still deceives us with the old lie, “You surely shall not die” (Gen. 3:4).
b.Faith allows us to see beyond Satan’s deceit to the invisible truth of God (Heb. 11:1).Such faith extinguishes Satan’s flaming missiles and renders him powerless against us.
2.You must cultivate your own faith to overcome Satan.
a.Once again, it is the word of God that supplies your need for the battle – “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
b.If you are faithless and unbelieving, then Satan will deceive you and thus defeat you by tempting you into sin.
E.Take the helmet of salvation.
1.Salvation is that which allows us to hold up our heads in the battle against Satan.
a.Salvation is what has prevented Satan’s previous wounds from being fatal.It is true that we all have sinned, and the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 3:23; 6:23).
b.Therefore, our salvation in Christ gives us great confidence that we can overcome Satan regardless of his schemes.
2.Salvation is freely offered to you through Christ, but you must take hold of it for yourself.
a.The Lord said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16).
b.Salvation is not received passively, but rather you must “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12).
F.Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
1.The only weapon given to a fully armed Christian for the battle with Satan is the word of God.
a.All of the other implements of the armor of God are given for defense, but the word of God is a Christian’s weapon to strike against Satan.
b.This sword is a tremendous weapon, “for the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).Remember that the heart of man is where this battle is fought.
2.God has given you His word, but you must take up the sword for yourself.
a.You must apply yourself to study so that you know the truth that is contained in God’s word, which is given by His Holy Spirit.
b.You must also learn how to use God’s word properly as a trained swordsman (2Tim. 2:15; Heb. 5:14).
c.When you know the truth of the word of God and what to do with it, you must decide to use it against Satan.No one else can choose to wield the sword of the Spirit for you.
III.CONCLUSION
A.If we fail to put on the full armor of God, then we lose this war with Satan like a soldier who dies in battle because he would not use the provisions given to him.How foolish it would be to perish needlessly when God has given us all we need to defeat our adversary.
B.“Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Eph. 6:13)
