ARMOR UP! (part 2)
PREPARING FOR SATANIC ATTACKS
Raymond Johns
Standing for Christ in our culture is getting harder and harder.
“The Idea of a Christian Society”, “ the problem of leading a Christian life in a non-Christian society is now very present to us…. and as for the Christian, who is not conscious of his dilemma – and he is in the majority – he is becoming more and more de-Christianized, by all sorts of unconscious pressure: paganism holds all the most viable advertising space.-TS Elliot
Ephesians 6:13-15 On this account, take to yourself at once and once for all, the complete armor of God in order that you may be able to resist in the evil day, the wicked one, and having accomplished all things, to stand. Stand therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waste, and having clothed yourself with the breastplate of righteousness, and having sandalled your feet with a firm foundation of the good news of peace
Biblical Truth: We Do Not Fight for Victory; We Fight from Victory
Though the victory is won, it has not yet been completely enforced.
One day Jesus will come again and do that finally and completely, and evil will be completely done away with.
God in Christ and through the Holy Spirit wants to equip us and prepare us to walk in his strength so that we can withstand the enemy’s schemes and fend off his multifaceted attacks.
Becoming aware of the invisible war is the first step in winning it.
Remember that this armor is just a metaphor.
It’s a picture—a familiar picture to Paul’s readers—to help us understand the general thinking of how we can guard our lives and prepare ourselves for battle.
It’s also important to remember that the armor is a description of how we are to live out a dynamic relationship with Jesus.
This is a lifestyle, not a checklist.
When Paul tells his readers to take up their full armor so that they will be able to resist in the evil day, he is preparing them for the difficult times he knows are coming.
This term, the evil day, is an interesting phrase; it means “on a particular day at a particular time.”
There are specific opportunities when the enemy will try to deceive you, discourage you, or turn you away from your Commander-in-chief, the Lord Jesus.
We need to be prepared not just to resist when we are strong, confident, and on guard but also to resist when we are least able to do it.
The enemies goals are: to deceive, accuse, and discourage us.
We must not give up what we have already gained through our relationship with Jesus.
When we stand firm, we are holding on to our position, the area we already possess.
In order to hold our position, we need to be able to oppose and resist the enemy in the evil day—in other words, to stand firm.
We must learn how to guard the territory that has been entrusted to us and not let our new position in Christ get undermined by our thinking, speech, and lifestyle.
14 Stand therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waste,
The word “Truth” used here has the meaning of sincerity, truthfulness, rooted in the objective reality of the truth of God’s Word
It refers to the subjective, practical application of openness and honesty in all things with God and man.
Application:
Psalm 139:23–24. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
“and having clothed yourself with the breastplate of righteousness,”
It was also called a “heart protector.”
“Righteousness” is seen as uprightness, right living, integrity in one’s lifestyle and character; conforming our will with God’s will.
This breastplate of righteousness is the practical application of the truth to our lives. In other words, it’s the Lordship of Christ.
When we willfully turn away from what we know is God’s will, we open ourselves to demonic influence in our lives.
James 4:17. “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
“15 and having sandalled your feet with a firm foundation of the good news of peace”
“firm foundation”: established on firm ground and also expresses the idea of readiness to share the gospel, which brings peace between people and God.
Satan attacks grace.
2 Corinthians 11:2–4 (NLT) For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. 3 But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. 4 You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.
Know and understand the content of the gospel
1 Corinthians 15:1–4 (CSB) Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, th
e gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Ephesians 2:1–9 (CSB) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. Know the basis for your eternal security and the assurance of your salvation.”
Security:
Romans 8:38–39 (CSB) For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 1:13–14 (CSB)In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.
Assurance:
1 John 5:11–13 (CSB) And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Faith is based on facts, not feelings.
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