Necessary Preparations For Standing In Battle

Ephesians 6:10-20

Introduction:

A group of academics and historians has compiled this startling information: Since 3600 B.C., the world has known only 292 years of peace! During this period there have been 14,351 wars large and small, in which 3.64 billion people have been killed.

These statistics are true, if all we are referring to are physical wars. The fact is, for God’s people, we have always been at war and there have been zero years in which we have enjoyed no conflict. We are at war right now! We face a perilous war zone each and every day—it’s a spiritual war zone. It’s not a fight in the world out there—it is rather a battle within us. We fight to avoid falling into anger, jealousy, sexual temptation, unforgiveness, the temptation to cheat or be dishonest to get ahead, the desire for more stuff to satisfy us—there is a battle raging inside us.

For as long as we live on this earth, we will be in a constant, unrelenting, and ceaseless battle with Satan and the demons he leads. Every child of God has been called by Him to fight as soldiers in a lifelong battle. No believer is exempt. Satan’s desire in battle is to discredit and destroy us; whereas, God’s desire is that in the midst of spiritual conflict we depend on Him for protection and strength to stand firm as opposed to falling down in defeat.

The hymn writer asked the question, “Am I a soldier of a cross?” Wrong question. The question is, “What kind of soldier are we?” Are we the kind of soldiers that recognize the real threat of the adversary and avail ourselves of the provisions God has given us for victory?

Prepare For Battle! (Ephesians 6:10-13)

            Be strengthened in the Lord continuously (6:10)

Ephesians 6:10- “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

The word translated “be strong” does not mean that we are to flex our muscles or exercise ourselves until we have become powerful fighting machines. Our victory in battle does not depend on how much manpower we have.

“Be strong” is better translated, “continually be strengthened.” We do not war in our own power, but rather we war in the power given to us by another. We do battle in the power we receive in the Lord Jesus Christ— in the strength of His might. Because the spiritual conflict we have with Satan is relentless and on going, we need to depend on the provision of power from the Lord on a continual basis.

Soldiers are reluctant to enter into the fray of battle if they are not confident their commander can lead them into victory. In the Lord Jesus Christ, our Commander, we can have full confidence. He provides all we need.

Consider how ample His supply of power is for us in the trenches of spiritual battle. Earlier in the book of Ephesians, Paul made reference to the power of God that is available to us– “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know........his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:18-21).

The same power that brought Jesus Christ out of physical death, raised Him, and seated Him at the right hand of the Father in glory is the same power that is available to us to give us victory. Notice also that the place to which Jesus was raised by the power of God is a position of unrivaled power and authority. No one can overpower or overthrow our Commander. We can be confident in Him.

Whose strength are we counting on? Are we are relying on the Lord for strength or are we trying to muster it up from within ourselves? Only in His mighty power will be able to remain standing in battle!

            Put on the full armor of God (6:11a)

A soldier will not remain standing in battle for very long if he doesn’t put on his protective military equipment. In the same way, we will not stand firm and victorious in spiritual battle if we don’t put on the full armor of God that He has provided for our protection.

Remember that when Paul wrote Ephesians, he penned the book while in prison. It is likely that Paul had a Roman soldier by his side as he was writing. If not, at least a picture of what one looked like was fresh in his mind. Paul used the armor of a Roman soldier to illustrate for us the protective armor we need to put on in our spiritual conflict.

Considering the unceasing, relentless duration of our spiritual battle and the wiles of the foe we are up against, God’s armor needs to be our permanent attire. It needs to be put on once and for all, never to be taken off. Our battle is not a brief skirmish here and there after which we can return to casual attire and a life of ease. When Satan gives us the impression that he has issued a cease fire, don’t trust him. We are in a continual fight and in constant need of God’s protection.

As we put on God’s armor, we need to be careful that no piece is missing. Satan brings attacks from all directions and is looking for an unguarded area of our life. We leave ourselves vulnerable to enemy attack if we put on part of God’s armor and not all of it.

The purpose of God’s armor: To stand firm against Satan’s attacks (6:11b)

When we put to use the provisions of God–His power and His armor–we will be able to stand firm against Satan’s attacks. Let’s not allow Satan to deceive us into thinking that we can somehow resist him without God’s strength and protective armor.

The devil is a schemer–he is clever, cunning, and deceitful. He’s been at what he does for a long time and has learned how to get us to fall into his traps. He’s an expert at causing us to distrust God’s Word and His character; at causing us to believe doctrinal confusion or falsehood; at bringing division between us and other believers; at causing us to become self-reliant; at leading us to live hypocritically, saying one thing and doing another; at influencing us to become lethargic, lazy, apathetic, and indifferent about spiritual things; at keeping us so preoccupied with our business that we neglect what is really important; at focusing our attention on lust for sensual pleasure, power, and money.

Satan’s schemes are numerous, his attacks unrelenting, and his appetite to discredit and destroy God’s people insatiable, but just the same, God has equipped us with all we need to stand firm in battle. No matter when or in what area Satan attacks, if we are depending on God’s provisions for our protection, we will be able to stand. Not one of us will ever go down in battle because of the failure of our Commander to provide all we need. If we fall down in defeat, it is because we failed to appropriate the provisions of God for the fight we are in.

The reason we need God’s armor: We aren’t fighting a flesh and blood enemy like us (6:12)

Paul had plenty of human enemies. In 1 Corinthians 16:8-9, he refers to there being many adversaries in Ephesus. In Acts 19:23-41, we see how the Ephesians rose up to throw Paul out of the city and try to put him to death because of how he spoke against their goddess Diana. While it might have looked like Paul’s chief enemies were flesh and blood human beings like him, the true enemies of Paul were the rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

In a battle with human adversaries with flesh and blood like us, they have strength like us, they think like us, they use similar devices to the ones we use, and we know how to fight them because we have some kind of idea what he will do next on the basis of what we might do in a similar situation. Because we are flesh and blood, we feel we can handle an adversary of flesh and blood.

However, like Paul, we are not fighting a flesh and blood, physical adversary. We are not at war against people, but against spiritual powers. We cannot handle fighting this enemy on our own. We won’t take the time today to define the difference between what Paul refers to as rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We will say this, Satan has a very organized group of demonic creatures he has put together to assist him in his attacks of God’s children and his attempts to make us fall. Our enemy is not only well organized, but also powerful.

Knowing that we are involved in a superhuman battle against powerful, deceptive, and thoroughly evil enemies, we need to understand that it can’t be fought in our flesh. We can’t fight the spiritual battle and remain victorious by our own best effort. If we try, we will fail. We need to take full advantage of God’s provision.

            Warning: Put on ALL of God’s armor (6:13)

            Purpose: So we can resist the attack and stand our ground

In our old house, we had a window that had a tiny little opening into the wall. Even though the opening was quite small, it was all that was needed to give a group of bees an entrance to get in and form their hive. Likewise, Satan does not need a wide open door to enter our lives. If one piece of all the armor of God is missing, he can make his way in. When we put all of God’s armor on and fully rely on his strength, Satan is prevented from obtaining an entrance into our lives.

In the military, ample time is spent training soldiers in the use of their weapons. What good are weapons of defense if a soldier doesn’t know what they are or how to effectively use them in battle? In the same way, how can we effectively use the armor of God to resist Satan’s attacks if we don’t even know what each part of the armor is and how it is to be used in spiritual warfare?

Our Armor: Six Pieces of Equipment God Provides For Our Defense (6:14-20)

1. Belt of truth

Before a Roman soldier put on his armor, he put a belt around his waist. Without this belt, his tunic would pose a real problem–similar to the problems ladies face in trying to climb stairs in a long dress. A long flowing garment will easily trip a person up.

The belt enabled the soldier to tuck everything in and get it out of the way so he could move about with freedom and ease on the battlefield.

Spiritually, the belt which pulls the loose ends together so we are not tripped up is truth or truthfulness. The idea is to have a life characterized by integrity, honesty, and sincerity as opposed to one full of deceit, lies, and hypocrisy. Our character and life should exude truth with the result that we enjoy a clear conscience before God. With a clear conscience, Satan is prevented from accusing us and we are able to face him without fear.

Consider the example of Daniel. A group of jealous men around him looked for a flaw in his character—they were looking for any basis they could find for accusing him and tripping him up. They found none as Daniel was a man of integrity.

Consider also the supreme example of Christ in the area of truthfulness. During His entire earthly ministry, the Pharisees dogged his steps, hanging on His every word and watching His every action in hopes of finding some flaw, some basis for attack. They found none. Daniel and Jesus were both men of integrity—they had nothing to hide and therefore had nothing to fear in the face of enemy attack.

Why does the lack of truthfulness leave us so vulnerable to attack? When a lie gets into our lives that we try to protect for fear of exposure, we are in trouble. Our attempts to hide our lack of truthfulness lead us deeper into sin and make us even more vulnerable to enemy attack. We become cowards, doing whatever we can to prevent exposure. Think about for example all of the negative effects of David’s attempts to cover up his sin with Bathsheba.

I remember my uncle’s example as a chaplain in the United States Army. There was a time when he was approached by fellow chaplains and encouraged to handle some funds dishonestly. He was encouraged to join a good old boys network and essentially threatened that he would not advance in rank if he refused to play their game. Being a man of truthfulness and integrity, my uncle refused. While it did cost him his promotion and he was forced into early retirement, imagine how much more dearly he would have had to pay if he had compromised his integrity and was dishonest. Think of all of the evil practices he might have been tempted into doing for fear of accusation and exposure.

When the enemy has a hold on us and a place to accuse us because of our lack of truthfulness, he has a means of dragging us deeper and deeper into sin and causing us to fall.

Let us buckle up with the belt of truth, allowing the Spirit of God to form in us a reputation for sincerity and integrity. May our lips and our life be truthful through and through and may our consciences be clear.

2.   Breastplate of righteousness

This piece of armor, made of metal plates or chains, covered the body from the neck to the waist, both front and back. Its purpose was to guard the vulnerable area of the chest and the abdomen. It protected the soldier from the small dagger that was used in battle at short range to “go for the heart.”

Spiritually, the breastplate of righteousness is the personal righteousness or the Christ-like character that the Holy Spirit produces in us as we depend on Him. Without personal righteousness, we are left with no protection against Satan’s accusatory attacks.

In the spiritual battle, we need to make sure our breastplate is complete and sound. A dagger doesn’t need much of an opening to pierce a soldier’s body and cause its destruction. In a similar way, sins in the life of a child of God that remain unconfessed are like defects in our breastplate through which the enemy can thrust his sword.

Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that our only concern needs to be avoiding “big sins.” It is our tendency to exercise great care about the “big things”—the flagrant violations of righteousness—while at the same time becoming lax about the “little things”—the little and secret sins. Where in the Bible do we see God ranking sin? Yes, there are different consequences for sin, but sin is sin to God. He would have us to stop our sin whatever it may be. One of Satan’s tactics is to take a hold of “little sins” in our life and use them as a base of operation through which he works to bring more sin and defeat in our lives. Many a person will tell you when they have been caught in blatant, “big” sin that it was not a “sudden blowout” but a “slow leak” that led to it.

Any departure from the righteousness of Christ gives Satan an opportunity to attack us and cause us to fall in battle. Satan just loves to entice us into sin and then club us when we do. That’s why he’s called the “accuser of the brethren.”

What protects us spiritually from taking a sword in the heart? We need to allow the Spirit of God to produce the practical or personal righteousness of Christ in us. When the Spirit produces Christ-like character in us, we are protected.

What do we do when we become aware of unrighteousness in our lives? We need to keep our confession of sin up to date. We need to acknowledge our sins, seeing them as God does with a view towards being restored to close fellowship with Him. When we confess our sin in this way, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us (1 John 1:9). Forgiven and cleansed, we continue to remain protected from enemy attack.

3.    Ready Feet: Gospel of Peace

Today, companies produce a different kind of shoe for just about every activity. For example, athletes have shoes specially designed for their particular sport—there are soccer shoes, tennis shoes, basketball shoes, etc. In athletics, in order to do well, it is important to have the right equipment. Having the right shoe can be critical to winning. How much more important was it for the soldier to have the right shoes on his feet. Having the right equipment was not only a matter of winning or loosing, but of life and death. Roman soldiers wore thick soled battle boots that protected their feet from heat, thorns, and stones. Their shoes were embedded with hobnails in them to grip the ground in combat and give them a firm, sure footing.

In the spiritual battle, we need to have our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. The gospel of peace is the good news that, through faith in Christ, believers are at peace with God. Romans 5:1 reminds us, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Confident that faith in Christ in response to the good news of salvation has provided peace with God, the believer is ready to march unafraid into spiritual warfare. Grounded in our sense of well-being with Christ, assured that He is with us and on our side, and knowing that all is well with our soul, we are given a sure foothold in battle and remain protected from Satanic attack.

Too many times in the fray of battle, in the midst of the darkest hours of war, Christians conclude, God must be against me. Friends, as believers in Jesus Christ, God is for us. He is on our side. We are at peace with Him. Never allow Satan to deceive you into thinking that God is somehow against you.

4. The Shield of Faith

The Roman shield was 2 ½ X 4 feet in its dimensions. It consisted of two layers of wood glued together, covered with linen and hide, and bound with iron. The shields were an effective defense against flaming arrows shot by the enemy. In Paul’s day, archers would put a cotton-like material on the tip of their arrows and soak it in pitch. Before the archers shot an arrow, they would light it. It would burn slowly and very hot. When the arrow hit its target, the pitch would spatter and start little fires on the clothing of a soldier. The shield was critical for protection against flaming arrows as it not only deflected them, but also had specially treated leather to distinguish their fiery pitch.

Spiritually, the shield of faith refers to the believer’s trust in God. Faith is resting the whole weight of our lives on God, fully trusting that He will be faithful to perform for us all that He has promised. Hebrews 11:1 teaches that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith is trusting in God even though we can’t presently see what He is doing or where He is taking us.

The same principle that saved us, the faith principle, is the same principle by which we are able to triumph in the Christian life. We were saved by faith and as soldiers of Christ, we will win the battle when we fight by faith.

Do we trust God’s faithfulness? Do we trust that God will keep His promises and that He is powerful enough to enable us to withstand Satan’s attacks and triumph?

Are we prepared for the fiery darts Satan will shoot our way? What do the flaming arrows of Satan look like? Here are some examples:

“If God didn’t want you to have this, then why did He make you the way He did, putting in you such a strong desire for the very thing He forbids? He must really want you to have it.”

“Look at that person. He isn’t doing what pleases God and it doesn’t seem to be hurting him any. Why don’t you do the same? Sin isn’t really as big of a deal as God makes it out to be.”

“God is so demanding and asks too much of you. It’s too hard to stay on the path of God. Why don’t you take the easier way? You’ll have a lot more fun doing what you want to do!”

“Why would a good and loving God allow you to go through such hard things? Is God really a good God as He says He is? Is there even a God out there?”

“Why don’t you help God out a little and do something to help yourself for once? After all, God helps those who help themselves?”

“How can you claim to be a Christian? Look at all you have done. God could never accept a sinner like you?”

“If God really cared, why did He allow you to experience that illness, tragedy, or death of a family member?”

“If you insist on being faithful to Christ, have it your way. However, be warned, I will do whatever I can to bring you persecution and difficulty. You’ll be sorry you ever messed with me. I’ll win.”

No he won’t—Not when we trust God no matter what comes our way and no matter how dark life’s circumstances might be. The shield of faith will enable us to stand firm and victorious.

5. Helmet of Salvation

The helmet of course protected the head from the skull splitting blows of a broadsword in combat. Spiritually, the helmet of salvation refers to our assurance and hope of salvation. What “salvation” is Paul referring to here? By salvation, Paul means the past, present, and future aspects of our deliverance from sin’s penalty, power, and presence.

In the past, the moment we trusted Christ, we were forever delivered from sin’s penalty. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Satan wants to deceive us into thinking that we are somehow still under condemnation and judgment.

Presently, we know that sin does not have the power and mastery over us that it once did before our salvation. We are identified with Christ and are therefore dead to sin and alive in Him. Satan doesn’t want to us believe this. He would have us believe that sin will always get the upper hand and that there is nothing we can do to resist its power in our lives.

In the future, we will be delivered from the presence of sin and will be able to enjoy being with our Savior in glory forever and ever. Satan would desire to use discouragement and doubt to destroy our assurance of final and full salvation.

God would have us to be confident and assured of our salvation from sin’s penalty, from sin’s dominion and power and from sin’s presence in the future. He wants us to remain confident that salvation is a sure reality that is provided by Him, protected by Him, promised by Him, and eternally possessed by us.

Paul spoke elsewhere of the protection provided to the believer by the hope of salvation. He writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:8-9- “But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Because we are in Christ, we are securely saved for eternity. This assurance protects us in the battle from the blows of fear and discouragement leveled at us by Satan. We are protected as we continually remember that salvation is a present possession and a future certainty that cannot be taken away. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Since God is for us, it doesn’t matter who is against us—not even Satan and all of the forces he can muster can threaten our salvation in Christ.

6. Sword of the Spirit: God’s Word

The Roman sword was a short, two-edged one that the soldier carried as a side arm for close combat. Spiritually, the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, given to us by the Spirit of God. Jesus Christ’s use of the Word while He was being tempted directly by Satan gives us sufficient illustration as to how to defend ourselves against Satan’s attacks using the Sword of the Spirit. Jesus’ use of the Word also provides incentive for us to take up God’s Word for our defense (i.e.-He is the perfect Son of God and we of course are not perfect--How much more do we need the help of the Word of God).

Just as the Roman sword was an instrument of precision, we need to implement God’s Word in a precise manner to be able to stand against Satan’s attacks. We need to know the specifics of God’s Word if we are to know how it defends us against specific temptations. Jesus was precise in His use of the Word when tempted by Satan. Satan tempted Jesus to supply His own needs and take the initiative to grab what He wanted. Christ responded with Deuteronomy 8:3. Satan tried to tempt Jesus to put God’s promises to the test. Christ quoted Deut. 6:16. Satan tried to tempt Satan to skip the cross and rule right away. Christ responded with Deut. 6:13. When Jesus used specific scriptural principles that applied to the specific temptations of Satan-Satan left. Satan has no defense against the Sword of the Spirit.

We too need to know the specifics of God’s Word if we are to effectively use it to ward off Satan’s specific attacks. We need to daily study the principles of God’s Word and hide God’s Word in our heart. The sword of the Spirit is only of use when we have transferred that which God has spoken to our hearts and minds.

The Main Defense That Accompanies God’s Armor: Prayer (6:18-20)

As we arm ourselves for spiritual warfare and undergo the demands of the battle, it is essential that we always be engaged in prayer. Prayer is not an addition to the other pieces of the armor of God. Rather, it is the atmosphere in which our putting on God’s armor and fighting must be done. Prayer is vital to spiritual warfare as it is our means of seeking God’s help and demonstrating our dependence on Him in battle.

While the armor of God is an impressive defense system, it is not to be used in a self-reliant manner. We need to seek God’s help and depend on Him in prayer.

Ephesians 6:18- “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Notice the “all’s” of prayer.

Pray in the Spirit all the time, with all kinds of prayers, and for all the saints.

Pray in the Spirit

What does it mean to pray in the Spirit? I believe it means relying on His strength and making our prayers consistent with His mind and will. Our prayers need to be both directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Pray all the time

Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that we are to “pray continually.” David writes in Psalm 55:17- “Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.”

Is this to say that we are to spend all day on our knees in our prayer closets saying prayers and doing nothing else? Of course not. But we are to continually live our lives conscious of God, practicing His presence through prayer, continually directing our thoughts upwards in ongoing communion with Him.

John Wesley wrote about the persistent prayer:

“His heart is ever lifted up to God, at all times and in all places. In this he is never hindered, much less interrupted, by any person or thing. In retirement or company, in leisure, business, or conversation, his heart is ever with the Lord. Whether he lie down or rise up, God is in all his thoughts; he walks with God continually, having the loving eye of his mind still fixed upon Him, and everywhere ‘seeing him that is invisible.’”

Is the phone of our life always off the hook with the line buzzing from your continual thoughts expressed God-ward? Are we prayerful right now? Will we be prayerful tonight, tomorrow, next week, next month–always? Are we always practicing the presence of God and in continual communion with Him?

Pray all kinds of prayers

We need to pray both general (proseuche-general requests- “to speak to God about”) and specific prayers (deesis-specific requests- “to express need”). We need to speak to God about all kinds of things, expressing to Him all kinds of needs in all kinds of prayers.

Pray persistently for all the saints

We need to pray for one another in the midst of the spiritual warfare we all encounter. Are we praying for one another? It’s so easy to forget how important our prayers are? Are we persistent? We too often throw in the towel and give up? Are we thorough? All the saints need our prayers. Don’t pray for only a few and leave everyone else out. Pray for everyone as the Lord brings various people to mind.

John Piper writes, “Life is a war. That’s not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need…”

Conclusion:

Are we prepared to fight the battle? Do we have God’s armor on?

We are in a battle. Our Commander has given us all we need for victory. His provisions are the only means through which we can remain standing and not fall. Be continuously strengthened by the Lord. Put on all of His armor, and pray in the Spirit all the time, with all kinds of prayers, for all of the saints.