We must have all of the Armor
- The girdle of truth
- Satan called the father of lies (John 8:44)
- The girdle of truth to oppose him
- The girdle to keep flowing robes from tangling
- Israel on the first Passover night (Exod. 12:11)
- Dishonesty trips us up
- No one has a good enough memory to be a successful liar
- Truthful about ourselves in dealing with sin (1 John 1:7–9)
- Truthful with God (Ps. 51:9)
- Truthful with others
- The Breastplate of righteousness
- We are not saved by our righteousness
- Once converted, it is God’s purpose to produce His righteousness in us
- The righteousness of Christ is ours through faith
- His righteousness showing through us
- Both of these are needed
- I need to have Christ’s righteousness
- Others need to see Christ’s righteousness in me
- This is both positional and practical
- Do right! And right things will follow
- We cannot do wrong and expect spiritual victory
- The Preparation of the Gospel of Peace
- What is the gospel?
- When did you hear it first?
- The preparation of the gospel of peace: being able to share the gospel with others
- Why it is called the gospel of peace (Rom. 5:1)
- Feet shod with the gospel of peace: moving out to others with the gospel
- The best defense is a good offense
- As long as we are standing still, we are easy targets
- Take the gospel to others and experience victory[2]
- The Shield of Faith (v. 16)
- Two things strike us immediately
- We are under attack by fiery darts
- Faith is the most important part of the armor (above all)
- Two types of shields used in that day
- A large shield to hide behind (thereos)
- A small shield to move about (aspis)
- It is the large one indicated here
- Satan sends fiery darts
- The shield of faith is so effective it will quench them all
- Faith can overcome every attack of the enemy
- Darts of pride, envy, worry, fear, lust
- The power of faith. See Hebrews 11
- The Helmet of Salvation (v. 17)
- We know this has to do with the head
- The home of the mind
- A “know-so” salvation
- The assurance of salvation enables us to stand against the enemy
- Consider Paul’s assurance:
- Speaking boldly (v. 20)
- “I know whom I have believed” (2 Tim. 1:12)
- Moody: “I never knew a person who was effective in the Lord’s service who did not have assurance of his salvation”
- The Sword of the Spirit (v. 17)
- The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God
- The one offensive weapon in the armor
- The weapon Jesus used against Satan in the temptation (Matthew 4)
- To be used to conflict with the devil
- David’s weapon for keeping a clean life (Ps. 119:9–11)
- We never know the impact of even one text
- The power of God’s Word over the enemy[1]
- The Associates in this battle (v. 10)
- “Finally, my brethren” (Eph. 6:10)
- You are not in this battle alone
- Others have to face the same foe
- At salvation, you are born into this fighting fellowship
- Let us be sure that we fight the foe … not each other
- Let us learn to help in this battle with the adversary
- Is another Christian struggling with temptation?
- Is a brother or sister discouraged?
- Is a fellow Christian passing through difficulty?
- You are a pilgrim … but not the only pilgrim
- Rush to the aid of those in the conflict
- Quickly to your knees in prayer
- Words of encouragement to those in need
- The available resources in this battle (v. 10)
- “Be strong”
- You may feel weak
- But you can draw on God’s strength
- “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might”
- The power of the Holy Spirit within each believer
- The power of prayer and fasting available to all
- The power of the Word of God
- The power of the blood of Christ
- The power of a conquering Savior
III. Conclusion
- Truth, Righteousness, Soul Winning
- What Part do These Play in your Daily Battle?
- Get them in Place and Begin to Win[3]
- Know that you are born to win
- You do not have to be defeated
- Make use of your resources and keep growing[4]
***Recommended Reading for This Study***
The Christian In Complete Armour Vol 1
The Christian In Complete Armour Vol 2
