Last Week:

  1. We are in a war against an enemy that resist God, what he is trying to do in the world.
  2. We are told to be strong “in” (walk with)
  3. The Lord (The disposer of all things, the one who is in control)

Now it Continues

  1. Stand

Ephesians 6: 13 – 17

VS 13 resist or withstand used 12 times in the bible but two really relate to the topic of spiritual warfare

1 Peter 5: 8, 9 Stay Alert Watch out for your great enemy, the devil, He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

James 4: 7 humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Only attack we are told to run from is sexual immorality, otherwise we are told to resist

When?

The time of evil (Last days with an emphasis of it getting worse and more intense as the end gets closer) Revelation 12: 12 devil raging because he knows his time is short.

Not only withstand, but stand

stand = firm fixed foundation, know as a fact, ready prepared, not hesitating.

How?

2. God’s Armor

Vs 11 it is God’s armor not ours

Armor of God is mentioned other places

Isaiah 59: 15 – 18 armor already exists and God himself put it on.

Romans 12: 12 …put on the shining armor of light.

1 Thessalonians 5: 8 ..protected by the armor of faith and love, wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

IT IS NOT OUR ARMOR IT IS GOD’S.

  1. BELT OF TRUTH

Thing that holds everything else together.

Not just telling truth, but put on truth. What is truth? John 14: 6 I am the way, the truth and the life, No one comes to the father but by me.

1 John 2: 20 – 22 truth is Jesus has come in the flesh and he is God our only hope.

That’s the truth, be firm in that fact.

2. BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Isaiah 64: 6 our righteous works like filthy rags and that is not much of a breastplate.

Isaiah 61: 10 God has clothed me in righteousness

Phil 1: 9 – 11 filled with righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 6: 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense.

  1. place to do good (Romans 6: 13 use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.)
  2. Defense I am right before God. (2 Corinthians 5: 21 He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we would become the righteousness of God)

3. FEET WITH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.

PREPARED HAS TWO MEANINGS

  1. Ephesians 2: 17 He is our peace and has destroyed the wall between us and him. FOUNDATION FOR OUR RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE IN THIS WORLD WE WILL HAVE TROUBLE, BUT GOD HAS GIVEN US PEACE. JOHN 16: 33
  2. God of peace will soon crush satan under our feet Romans 16: 20 We go out and share peace.

4. SHIELD OF FAITH.

Sermons on faith, sum it up that this is part of the armor that is outward from our heart.

God is our shield

  1. Genesis 15: 1
  2. Psalm 3: 3
  3. Psalm 5: 12

5. HELMET OF SALVATION.

More than just being saved, but I will be delivered from this situation

back to 1 Thessalonians 5; 8 helmet as a confidence of our salvation.

We can cast down those thoughts that try to set themselves up against the knowledge of God.

6. SWORD OF THE SPIRIT.

Word of God.

3. SECURITY IN GOD

KEY POINT; ONLY WAY TO STAND IS TO BE ARMED WITH GOD.

Isaiah 8: 12 – 14

Make our God holy in our lives He will keep you safe.