SERMON OUTLINE

The Full Armor of God        Ephesians 6.10-20

Put On the Full Armor of God    Ephesians 6.10-20

Introduction

-The Devil is a strong, deceptive, strategic enemy working to bring many to hell with him

-We are to be strengthened in our union with Christ

-We are to resist and stand against the Devil by putting on the armor of God.

The Full Armor of God

–panoplia ; Isaiah 59.17; God provides the armor we put on, and God in Christ is the armor we put on.

1) Belt of truth: Knowing truth and living truth. Ephesians 4.13-14; 25; 1 Peter 1.13-16.

2) Breastplate of righteousness: Justification and moral behavior. 1 Peter 2.11-12; Zechariah 3.1-7; Revelation 12.10-11.

3) Shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace: God’s peace and a readiness to share the gospel. 1 Peter 3.15; Colossians 4.6

4) Shield of faith: Faith in God that deflects the accusations of the Devil.

5) Helmet of salvation: The keeping power of the hope of eternal life. 1 Thessalonians 5.8; 2 Corinthians 4.16-18

6) Sword of the Spirit: logos and rhema. Isaiah 50.4 ___

7) Prayer: all kinds of prayer, on all occasions; with all perseverance, for all the saints. How we are to put all the armor on.

Conclusion

The armor of God is the life of Christ being lived through us.

SERMON NOTES

The Full Armor of God(3)     Put On the Armor    Ephesians 6.10-20

-On our first week we studied the power and the deceptive strategies of our enemy the Devil; his influence over the world; and his determination to attack God and take God’s creation to hell with him. The Devil is very successful in what he does. Many in Welland will go to hell and will never make it to heaven. God has provided a way to heaven through Jesus Christ so come to Christ now, today.

–Last week we studied the principle that we battle against the Devil from a position of victory in Christ but it is our responsibility to engage in the battle. We are to let ourself be strengthened in the Lord and then we are to go out and live the Christian life in that strength. We are to know who and what we are in Christ and then we are to go out and live in Christ to enlarge the kingdom of God.

–Today we will look at the armor of God and how to put the armor on so that we can resist the Devil and stand before him and against him.

-We are to put on the whole armor of God, the complete battle uniform. Paul uses the Greek word “panoplia” which described the full armor and weaponry of the Roman soldier. Paul’s picture of the Christian soldier came from both the OT and the Roman guards that he was chained to while under house arrest in Rome. In Isaiah 59.17 God is described as a warrior going to repay evil with justice. “And He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head.” God as a warrior reminded Paul of the Christian’s warfare against evil. Paul was also familiar with Roman soldiers dressed in their armor ready for warfare. Paul thought of himself as in a battle against evil and Devil each day and that kind of thinking should be prevalent in us as well.

-The phrase “the armor of God” reminds us that God provides this armor for His people, and that God in Christ is the armor that we are to put on ourself.

 -There are seven items listed under the armor of God.

1) v14, The first item is the belt of truth. A belt is not mentioned in the verse but a belt is what was used to gird up the loins. The belt is not a piece of armor but girding up the loins with a belt would be the first step before the armor was put on. A belt, usually made of leather, would be tied around the waist and the loose tunic would be pulled through the legs and tucked tightly into the belt to prevent tripping and to keep the tunic from getting in the way during battle. The belt also held the soldiers short sword. To “gird up the loins” was a call to prepare for battle. Paul calls the Christian to make sure he knows the truth and is living in truth so that he will not be tripped up or hindered in the battle against the Devil.

-The truth that keeps us from getting tripped up in the battle against the Devil is both knowledge of God’s teaching and living in the truth. In Ephesians 4.14. Paul writes, “As a result we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” “Children tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by trickery of men, and by craftiness in deceitful scheming” is not a picture of standing firm but of the instability that comes from not knowing God’s truth. Verse 13 tells us how this instability is eliminated, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ”. “The whole measure of the fullness of Christ” is understanding from the Word of God who we are in Christ and living from that understanding. That is what girding ourself with truth is. We are to know the truth of our life in Christ and to live by faith in that truth, so that we will be mature and stable Christians that stand whatever the strategy of the Devil throws against us.

-A knowledge of the truth should lead to true living. In 4.25 Paul exhorts the Christians, “Laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” We prevent the Devil from tripping us up and hindering us in the battle when we refuse to live in falsehood and determine to always speak the truth. We are to live honestly, in transparency, without lies or hypocrisy. Then we will be free from tripping and hindrance in the battle against evil and the Devil. When we lie, or live in an ongoing lie, live in hypocrisy, live dishonestly, we are fighting in a fast moving battle against a fierce enemy while wearing a long robe that is tangling up our feet. We will soon be worn out and we will be knocked down in the battle if we do not know the truth and live by that truth.

-In 1 Peter 1.13-16 we read, “Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’”. Stand firm in the battle against the Devil, having girded your loins with truth.

2) v14, Next we have the breastplate of righteousness. The leather breastplate of the Roman soldier covered both the front and back to provide some protection to the vital organs.

-The righteousness we are to put on as a breastplate is both our righteousness in Christ which the Bible calls Justification, and right actions, upright character, and moral behavior. True justification leads to moral behavior and holy living. When the Devil, the accuser of the brethren comes we can both claim our righteous standing before God and fight against evil with good works, which should be seen often in the Christian. Peter writes (1 Peter 2.11-12) “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, the may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

-There is a beautiful picture of the breastplate of righteousness as our justification and holy life in Christ in Zechariah 3.1-7. [Read]

-Joshua’s filthy garments were replaced with clean garments and then he was commanded to live a holy life.

-In Revelation 12.10-11 we read, “the accuser of the brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before God day and night. And they overcome him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.”

-We stand in the battle against the Devil by knowing we are justified in Christ and by living a holy life. The Devil cannot penetrate this breastplate of righteousness.

3) v15, The next piece of the armor of God are the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace. Shoes are not mentioned in the verse but we are commanded to shoe ourself. The Roman soldier wore an open-toed leather half boot tied to the ankles with straps. The boots had studs or ribs on the soul to grip the ground for marching and for solid footing in battle.

-The experience of the peace of the gospel in our own life keeps us standing firm in the confusion and conflict of battle. Being conscious of our responsibility to share the gospel message of peace with God with others keeps us alert to opportunities and to opposition as we move forward in the battle. When you are a conscious messenger for Christ you will keep your life free from sin and encumbrance so that you may fulfill your calling to make the gospel known. 1 Peter 3.15 says, “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to every one who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” Colossians 4.6 says, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.”

-The Christian who knows the gospel of peace and is ready to testify to the gospel of peace to others will stand firm in the battle against the Devil.

4) In verse 16 we are commanded to take up the shield of faith. Paul uses the Greek word for the large 4 foot x 2 foot shield used by the Roman phalanx. This shield was made of wood and covered with linen or leather with steel edges. It was designed to stuff out burning arrows. The Roman phalanx could put their shields above their heads and before them and march as an armored unit into enemy lines without being stopped by enemy arrows. So the shield would cover the soldier and deflect arrows and rocks hurled by the enemy.

-The arrows here represent the accusations and slanders of the Devil against Christians. The lies and deceptions of the Devil seek to produce guilt, pride, jealousy, accusations, doubts, fears, evil desires, anger, rebellion, mistrust, disunity. Faith in the truth of God’s Word and trust in God deflect the assaults of the Devil upon our mind, will and emotions. Through prayer we can also stand in faith in the defense of others against accusations and slanders.

-In the exercise of faith in the truth and promises of God, and trust in God we can stand against the enemy’s attacks and help others to stand as well.

5) v17, Then comes the helmet of salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5.8 can add to our understanding of this piece of God’s armor. It says, “Since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.” Our salvation in Jesus Christ generates the hope of eternal life, and the hope of eternal life protects us from rash, emotional, and wrong decisions. Salvation keeps us sober. Salvation focuses our decision making with the end of the journey in view. Salvation keeps our heads sane and serious in the midst of a crazy and turbulent world. Salvation gives us God’s perspective on life and not the world’s perspective, and that perspective keeps us out of trouble in this world and with the Devil. Salvation keeps us from getting knocked out when we are knocked down. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4.16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” [2 Corinthians 4.7-15 should be read]

-How great is God’s salvation which keeps us hopeful and sober in the battle.

6) v17, Sixth is the sword of the Spirit. Paul uses the Greek word for the short sword. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. There are two Greek words for word. One is logos which describes spoken words, and the recording of those words. Logos is also used to describe Jesus the living word. The other Greek word is rhema and means a saying. It describes words spoken at a specific occasion with a specific purpose in mind. Rhema is the application of the logos to a real life situation, a word appropriate and needed for that moment. So Paul describes the sword of the Spirit as the rhema of God. Like the sword in battle the soldier of Christ applies the appropriate word of God to the situation to defend or wound or kill as needed.

-An excellent example of the use of God’s Word in the battle against the Devil is the three temptations of Jesus Christ in the desert. Each time Jesus used the appropriate word of God for the situation to stand against the Devil.

-A verse that has been precious to me for many years is from Isaiah 50.4. “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.” God’s soldier knows the Word of God and by the leading of God’s Spirit appropriately applies that word to himself, to others, and to his present situation to stand in the battle against the Devil.

7) v18-20, Paul ends with a call to prayer. Prayer like the belt is not a piece of armor as such and yet is very much needed to stand against the Devil in battle. There are four alls in verse 18 which tell us how to pray in the battle against evil and the Devil. All kinds of prayers and petitions are to be made to God. We are to pray at all times and pray in the Spirit. We are to pray with all perseverance. Finally we are to pray for all the saints.

–Verses 14 to 20 is one long Greek sentence. Verse 18 continues the command to put on the armor of God with the words, “by means of all prayer and petition, praying at every moment in spirit, and to prayer watching in all perseverance, and petition concerning all the saints.” The armor of God is to be put on and to be worn with continuous, persevering, prayer for all the saints.

-The armor of God describes the life of Christ being lived out through us as we obey God and walk in the Spirit. The armor of God is living daily in the knowledge of who we are in our union with Christ, and what God has done for us in union with Christ, especially justification. The armor of God is living by the truth of God’s Word, putting our faith in God based on the promises of His Word, and applying God’s Word to our daily circumstances. The armor of God is living in the peace and hope of salvation with a readiness to share the gospel of peace with God with others as we go along our daily path. The armor of God is continuous and persevering prayer for all the saints.

-Put on the full armor that God has given to you in union with Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within you. Then you will both resist and stand against evil and the Devil to establish and enlarge the kingdom of God to the Glory of God.