Ephesians 6:10

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto yourself the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. And having done all to stand, stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.

Let's pray. Father, Your word is clear; it's practical. You desire, Lord, that we would know You by Your word. You've revealed Yourself in Your word. Lord, You've also given us Your word as truth, and Lord, as a way to live by. This really is our manual from the Creator, from our Maker, to guide us and to direct us. I pray that by Your Spirit tonight, You would teach us through Your word and give us understanding into this passage. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

You can be seated. This passage of Scripture is often associated with the topic of spiritual warfare. It is not the only topic in the New Testament that deals with it, but it may be one of the clearest passages addressing spiritual warfare. As Paul is finishing up his letter and coming to the final exhortations of this epistle written to a group of believers in the city of Ephesus, he says to them, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord." We know very clearly that someone's parting words are oftentimes the most important words.

We see Jesus' parting words to His disciples, not just His last sayings as they were gathered on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, preparing for His ascension, but really the last words of Jesus in the last week of His life. This is what we call the Olivet Discourse, where Jesus speaks about His second coming to His disciples in Matthew 24 and 25. We also refer to the Upper Room Discourse in the Gospel of John, starting from chapter 14. All these different passages contain the last sayings of Jesus, which are so powerful. You could spend years going through the teachings He gives because those final words are incredibly important.

Similarly, these would be Paul's final exhortations to the church at Ephesus as he writes this letter to them. He is finishing it all up, and the book of Ephesians is such a powerful work. It shows us who we are in Christ. The first three chapters deal with the position we have, having been saved by His grace through faith, and all the blessings He has given to us. The position we have in Christ, seated in Him, is covered in those first three chapters.

Then we move from sitting to walking in Christ in chapters 4 and 5. However, we come to this passage in chapter 6, which talks about standing and the importance of standing with the Lord. It emphasizes that we are in the midst of an onslaught from the enemy. This battle does not often come in the form of a physical foe; in fact, there is no physical foe mentioned in this passage. It is very clearly a spiritual battle that we are in. Paul says, "Be strong in the Lord." The exhortation to be strong is not a new one in the Bible.

In fact, Moses, all the way back in the fifth book of the Bible, in the book of Deuteronomy, gave an exhortation to the children of Israel to be strong. If you want to turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 11, Moses is giving his final discourse to the nation of Israel. You may think that some of my sermons are a little long on Sunday morning or Wednesday night, but the entire book of Deuteronomy, all 30-plus chapters, is his sermon to the children of Israel as he prepares to part from them.

In Deuteronomy chapter 11, these are Moses' parting words. Look at what he says there in Deuteronomy chapter 11, verse 8. Then, after that, in chapter 31, just several chapters to the right,

In Deuteronomy chapter 31, verse 6, God gives a strong exhortation to the nation of Israel. He says, "Be strong and of good courage. Fear not, nor be afraid of them. For the Lord your God, He it is that does go with thee. He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

Not only in chapter 31, verse 6, but also in verse 7, Moses turns his attention to the leader of the nation, Joshua. Moses calls unto Joshua and says in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage. For you must go with this people unto the land which the Lord has sworn unto their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it."

Later, in verse 23, it says that Moses gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, saying, "Be strong and of good courage. For you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore unto them, and I will be with you."

Not only did Moses speak these words to Joshua, but God Himself also spoke the same words to this young leader. In Joshua chapter 1, just one book to the right of Deuteronomy, God addresses Joshua, who has just taken over the leadership of the nation of Israel after Moses' death. God says to him, "Be strong and of good courage. For unto this people shall you divide for an inheritance the land which I swore unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right hand, nor to the left, that you may prosper whithersoever thou goest."

God continues, "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success. Have I not commanded thee, be strong and of good courage? Be not afraid, neither be dismayed. For the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest."

This was God's word to Joshua as he takes over the nation and prepares for battle. In the very last verse of chapter 1, verse 18, it states, "Whosoever he be that does rebel against your commandments, and will not hearken unto your words, and all that you command him, he shall be put to death."

Only be strong and of good courage. We see this exhortation three times in chapter 1 of Joshua, where God encourages Joshua with the same words that came from Moses: "Be strong." This is also the same exhortation that Joshua gave to the children of Israel ten chapters later. In Joshua chapter 10, verse 25, the nation of Israel had moved into the promised land and was fighting against a very fierce foe. A league of nations or cities had gathered against them, seeking to destroy them. Yet, they were victorious over their enemies.

In Joshua chapter 10, verse 25, it says, "Joshua said unto them, 'Fear not, nor be dismayed. Be strong and of good courage, for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom you fight.'" God was the one who would win that battle on that day. In fact, He caused the sun to stand still in Joshua chapter 10. As you go through the book of Joshua, you see a victorious life as these people enter in victory, with God dispelling their enemies.

These Old Testament exhortations were given to men as they prepared to fight other men and nations. However, the passage before us in Ephesians chapter 6 is uniquely different because Paul speaks about our battle against a spiritual foe. If you look closely at the passages in Deuteronomy and Joshua, and then compare them with what we read in Ephesians chapter 6, you see that this spiritual battle relies upon the same strength as the physical battle that Joshua and the children of Israel faced in the book of Joshua. They had to rely upon the Lord.

Remember, in Deuteronomy, God said to them, "Be strong because the Lord is the one who will go before you, and He will not forsake you." Moses told the children of Israel, "Be strong because the Lord has sworn to your fathers to give you this land." God spoke to Joshua in Joshua chapter 1, saying, "Be strong because I am with you." So, God's strength and power were what enabled the children of Israel to be victorious over their physical foes.

Notice what Paul says in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord." We need to recognize the source of our strength as being from God. He is the one who strengthens us in every battle we will face. The battle that we face as believers, as followers of Jesus, is not a physical battle. As we see in verse 12,

We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. We'll get into that more in depth in just a moment. As believers and followers of Jesus, we fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil. It's not a physical foe that we are faced with. Yet, we need to recognize that the same strength the children of Israel relied upon to subdue Jericho, Ai, and the nations they fought against in the land of Canaan is the same power we have to fight against this spiritual foe.

Notice what Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus. In Ephesians chapter 3, verse 14, Paul begins his beautiful prayer for this church. He says, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and in earth is named." Here is his prayer for them in verse 16: "That he would grant unto you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man." Would you highlight that in verse 16? Paul's prayer for this church was that they would be strengthened with might by God's Spirit in the inner man.

When we fast forward a few chapters to chapter 6, we see that he says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might." A lot of times, you will run into, or maybe you've experienced this in your own life, the defeated believer. The Christian who is downcast, who seems like he has just been completely beat up by the world, the flesh, and the devil. He is discouraged and in despair, not fully knowing what to do. Very likely, the cause of this is that he has been seeking to fight in his own strength. Here, Paul says, "Brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might."

As the children of Israel returned from their Babylonian captivity about 500 years before Jesus came on the scene, they entered the city of Jerusalem, which was in complete disrepair. The city had been destroyed, and there was a man by the name of Zerubbabel who was given charge over the rebuilding of the temple and the city. God spoke to him through Zechariah the prophet, saying, "It's not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord."

This physical thing that was standing before him, this obstacle, was only going to be overcome by the Spirit of God. In the same way, we need to recognize that the spiritual things we face in our lives can only be overcome by the Spirit of God. That's why Paul, in his parting words to the church at Ephesus, says, "Listen, this is important. Come near. You need to hear what I have to say. Finally, brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."

His exhortations continue in verse 11, where he says, "Put on the whole armor of God." Would you circle the word "whole" in that first part of verse 11? Put on the whole armor of God. This will become more important as we go through and consider the different pieces of the armor that Paul is going to speak of. We need to recognize that a lot of times we partially put on the power of God and the armor of God, but we're not fully relying upon Him. In some way, in some fashion, we're trusting in ourselves to overcome.

It's the same thing we experienced as young children when we first learned to ride a bike. The training wheels come off, and Dad is still holding on to the back, enabling us to balance. It's his power, his strength, and yet we want to do it on our own. We want to be able to stretch out and say, "I can do this." How many of you still remember falling when you tried to do that? I remember it well. We see that we need to rely completely upon the Lord in this battle.

Put on the whole armor of God. Continuing in the vein of God's strength, His might, and His power, Paul says we need to use what God has given us in this battle. Why? Well, that you may be able to stand. Verse 11 states, "Put on the whole armor of God that will enable you to be able to stand." Obedience to Paul's exhortation in this passage is imperative if you and I are going to stand in this battle. If we don't fulfill what he's telling us to do, we will be overcome. We will fail.

Even those we look up to in the faith as the strongest, when they rely upon themselves, falter and fail. I think of the Apostle Peter. As you read through the Gospels, we often think of Peter as being this strong, mighty man, and yet he failed. Even after the Holy Spirit was poured out upon him, he failed to the point...

Paul the Apostle talks about this in Galatians chapter 1, where he had to withstand Peter to his face. He said to him, "Listen, you're doing something wrong." Paul rebuked the Apostle Peter, as he speaks about in Galatians chapter 1, I believe verse 14, somewhere around there. Paul would rebuke Peter, and he even failed when relying upon himself.

If we want to be able to stand, we must completely rely upon the Lord. This is not just in a spiritual battle; we have already seen the physical context in the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Zechariah. Whether facing a physical foe or an obstacle in this life, we need to rely upon the Lord. When facing something much greater, the spiritual things that come against us in this life, we must lean upon God completely, or we will fall.

He says that you may be able to stand against what? The wiles of the devil. There was a movie a number of years ago—I don't recommend this movie—but one of the lines from it said, "The greatest trick that the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn't exist." The greatest trick that the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn't exist, and then he's gone. Nobody believes.

In 2002, Barna Research conducted a study and found that 59% of Americans reject the existence of Satan. They indicated that the devil or Satan is merely a symbol of evil. Catholics in our nation in 2002 were much more likely than Protestants to hold this view. Seventy-five percent of Catholics believed that Satan is not real, that he's just the embodiment of evil. Fifty-five percent of Protestants in 2002 shared this perspective.

Things haven't changed much, as Barna just finished another research statistical analysis in April of this year. They found that again, 4 out of 10 Christians, or 40% of Christians, strongly agreed that Satan is not a living being; he's just a symbol of evil. An additional 19% of Christians said that they somewhat agreed with that perspective. So again, 59% of Protestant Christians in America say, "I don't believe that Satan is real; he's just the symbol of evil."

This is not just a cross-section of the entire population of the United States; this is the Christian church that says, "No, we don't really believe that Satan is real." What does the Bible have to say about that? This only reveals a person's ignorance about the Scriptures. Because the Scriptures...

Make it very clear that Satan is a being created by God. He started as an angel called Lucifer. We can read about his fall in the book of Isaiah, chapter 14, and also in the book of Ezekiel. He possesses intellect; he is not foolish. If you're taking notes, you might want to write down these verse references.

Satan possesses intellect. In 2 Corinthians 11, verse 3, Paul says, "I fear, lest by any means, that as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, your mind should be corrupted through the simplicity that is in Christ." This shows that Satan is able to corrupt. He is able to come in and seduce people, just as he did Eve back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 3.

Satan also possesses emotions. In Revelation chapter 12, verse 17, it says, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman." He was angry with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. So, Satan has intellect, emotions, and a will. In 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 26, it says, "And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive of him by his will."

These are the three things that make up a person: intellect, emotions, and will. We see the person of Satan found throughout the scriptures. He is named with many different names. He is called Satan, or the adversary, in a number of different passages in the scripture. He is called the devil, or the slanderer, in Revelation chapter 12, verse 9. In Luke chapter 4, verse 2, he is called Lucifer, or the bright and shining one. He is also called Beelzebub, the god, the lord of the flies. He is referred to as Belial, or the worthless one, the evil one, the tempter, the prince of this world, the god of this age, the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the prince of the power of the air, the accuser of the brethren, the destroyer, and the deceiver.

He is embodied in several different representations in the scripture, such as a serpent, a dragon, or an angel of light. He is a creature that was created by God first as an angel, but he was proud and arrogant. He was perhaps the most beautiful angelic being that God ever created. He was an awesome creature that God had made, and he became proud.

In Isaiah chapter 14, you can read about his five "I wills" and how he intended to exalt himself above God. As a result, he has fallen. In his fall, he also took with him a third of the angelic hosts of heaven, a third of the other angels. We don't know how many that is, but that's an awful lot when you begin to look at what the Scriptures say about the numbers of angels. Those fallen angels are called demons.

He is a murderer, as the Scriptures say in John chapter 8. He is a liar, also in John chapter 8. He is a confirmed sinner in 1 John chapter 3. He is the accuser in Revelation chapter 12 and an adversary in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 8.

One of the problems that many Christians who believe in Satan have is that they seem to think he is equally as powerful as God. This dualistic view, which posits that there is a good God and a bad Satan who are equally powerful, is not true. We must recognize that God is all-powerful. He is all-knowing; He is omniscient. We know His omni-attributes. Satan, on the other hand, is a created being. He is not omniscient; he cannot read your thoughts. He is not infinite. As we will see tonight, he can be resisted by you and me. That's an awesome thing to consider. God has placed limitations on him.

Read the book of Job, chapters 1 and 2, and you will see these limitations imposed upon him. He is the first to sin. Let me read to you his "I wills" again from Isaiah chapter 14. He said, "I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." The stars of God represent the angels. He continued, "I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds to usurp God's glory. I will be like the Most High." This was the declaration of Lucifer before he fell.

Interestingly, in that last statement where he says, "I will be like the Most High," remember what he said to Eve in the garden while seducing and tempting her. He said, "If you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will be like God." You can read much about Satan and his works in the Scriptures. Personally, I don't want to get to know Satan.

I want to get to know God, but I do recognize His tactics. Even Paul says we're not ignorant of his devices, the way that he works. More than getting to know Satan, and we could spend days studying who Satan is and his characteristics, we need to recognize that 60% of Christians who say he is just the embodiment of evil do not understand the Scriptures. They don't know. It is no wonder that so many within the Christian church are overtaken by sin. If you don't believe in the truck, you have no problem playing on the freeway. It is foolishness to say, "I just don't believe in it." You will be overtaken so quickly.

Paul says to put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The word "wiles" in the Greek is "methodia," from which we get our English word "method." It means cunning arts, deceitful crafts, or trickery. The devil is clearly not a weakling. Yet, if we do what this passage says, we can actually stand and resist his methods and trickery.

Continuing in verse 12, Paul says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Notice, first, that Paul does not say, "Let's go out and wrestle." He doesn't say, "Let's go out and pick a fight." We are not looking for a fight with the enemy as believers; the fight has come to us whether we want it or not.

Some Christians say, "I believe that Satan is real, but I don't want anything to do with him, so I'm not going to pick a fight with him." Listen, the day you said, "I want to follow Jesus," you picked a fight with him, or he picked a fight with you, however you want to look at it. You became the friend of God and the enemy of the devil, which is a good place to be. You do not want to be the enemy of God.

And the friend of the devil. It's a precarious position to be in, especially considering the Bible tells us of Satan's end. I don't think any of you want to be a part of the end of Satan. That place we call hell was actually created for Satan as a place of punishment for him and his demons, his devils that are with him. He is not there yet.

You see, the common misconception among a lot of people is that Satan is fake. They have this picture of Satan as if he is already down in hell, and that is his place. I've had people tell me before that they are going to hell and don't care because they are going to have a party with their friends down there. No, it's not a party. Satan is not down there, acting as the MC of the party or DJing the whole thing. That is not the picture at all. In fact, Satan is here upon the earth; he goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

But one day, the Scriptures make it very clear that at the end of the millennial reign of Christ, he will raise up an army against God one last time. He will be defeated, and then he will be cast, bound, into the lake that burns with fire, a place that was created for him. So, we are not out looking to pick a fight with Satan; he is already fighting against us.

The question is, are you ready for the fight? Because it's going to come whether you like it or not. It says there, we wrestle. Therefore, we must proactively put on God's armor and be able to stand and effectively wrestle against these principalities, these powers, and so on.

This whole idea of principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness, and spiritual wickedness—these entities that are spoken of in this passage, Ephesians 6:12—seems to reveal a hierarchy within the spiritual realm. They may not all have the same office, these demons that are with Satan, but they all have the same goal: to destroy. He is a thief; he has come to steal, to kill, and to destroy. He is a murderer, a liar, and a deceiver. All those that are with him, the third of the angels that fell with him, are also involved in this work against God and God's people.

There is some sort of hierarchy: these principalities, then powers, and then rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness. Principalities are really like the chief officers or the chief rulers among them. Powers is translated from the Greek word "exousia," which means authorities.

There are jurisdictions, another level it seems, of these fallen angelic beings. The rulers of the darkness of this world literally means the lord of this world or the prince of this age. I believe those are the ones that are actively involved here upon the earth, constantly seeking to deceive man and destroy.

Then we see these spiritual wickedness in high places, literally deprived or depraved wicked spirits. I would think that those we read about in Genesis chapter 6 a few weeks ago seem to be these fallen angels that appeared as men upon the earth and procreated with women. They have been cast down, bound in chains in the abuso and the abyss. They would be these depraved, wicked spirits.

I don't know about you, but when I read through the list in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12, I don't think that these things sound good at all: principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places. But these are the things that you and I are in a battle against. We wrestle against these things. We have a struggle against them.

Now knowing that, verse 13 becomes very clear to us. Wherefore, because of this, take unto you the whole armor of God. In the previous verse, verse 11, it says to put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against these spiritual entities. Then it tells us a little bit about these spiritual entities. It says, "Hey, listen, because of that, you better take up the whole armor of God and be ready that you may be able to withstand in the evil day."

Having done all to stand, it says, "Stand therefore," in verse 14. Because we wrestle against these spiritual things, we must be arrayed spiritually. You cannot fight against these spiritual beings in a physical way. Hollywood has a real hard time with this because every depiction of the battle between these demons in Hollywood always has to do with physical things. Sometimes it's as simple as a crucifix. Sometimes it's as simple as holy water. Sometimes it's some guy like Arnold with big guns, and he's going to blow away the devil with his big guns.

You cannot defeat Satan, a spiritual being, and these demonic entities with him using physical armaments. Therefore, you must rely upon the spiritual weapons and armor that God has given to us. Yes, I did say that the crucifix and holy water have nothing to do with the whole thing.

It has to do with the name of Jesus and His word. Nowhere in this passage does Paul say to take up the crucifix or take up holy water in fighting against the enemy, our adversary, the devil. He says to take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. Now, underline, if you would, the words "evil day." I believe this to be very important.

Again, we are not picking a fight with the devil and his demons; rather, we should be ready for the evil day when it comes against us, when they come against us to fight. There is a passage in Matthew 16, verse 18, that causes a lot of people to get mixed up about this sometimes. Remember when Peter makes that great declaration to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"? Jesus responds, "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father which is in heaven." He then says, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I shall build my church."

Now, it is not Jesus, nor is it Peter being the rock; He is not going to build His church upon Peter, but rather upon the statement that Jesus is the Christ. At the end of verse 18, Jesus says something very interesting: "And the gates of hell will not prevail against the church." How many of you have read that verse before? In many people's minds, when they read that verse or think about it, they envision the church taking up arms and storming the gates of hell, like going against the gates of Mordor in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, trying to take down the enemy.

That is the picture that a lot of times we get, but it is the wrong understanding; it is the wrong interpretation of the passage. In ancient times, the idea of the gates of the city was where the leaders and the elders would gather. That is where judgments would be made, where strategy would be formed, and where plans would be devised. So, when it says the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, it means that the strategies and the plans, the wiles of the devil, will not prevail against God's people.

The picture is not us taking up arms and storming the gates of hell. The picture is that as we go about our life and walk with the Lord as disciples of Christ, we are ready when the plans and strategies of the enemy come against us. We can withstand in the evil day when that day comes, and it will. In His ministry in the Gospels, you do not see Jesus going and looking for demons to cast out.

As Jesus was going about His routine, ministering and preaching the Gospel, He encountered a demon-possessed man who cried out, "Son of David, what have you to do with us?" During His ministry, Jesus faced spiritual wickedness in high places, and when He did, He withstood them. However, He did not go out looking for a fight.

Some Christians in various parts of the church believe it is time for us to take up arms and confront the devil. That is not what Scripture teaches. I know someone will likely cut that out of the message and use it as a sound bite later. I can see Pat laughing because we used to do that to him.

The idea is that the strategies and plans of the devil will not overcome the church. Amen? How many of you are thankful for that? I certainly am. The enemy, the adversary, the devil, is full of bluster. He comes at us with all kinds of oomph and power, a shock-and-awe campaign seeking to scare us. However, the Scriptures reveal in the book of Isaiah that there is coming a day when we will look upon him and say, "This is the one who deceived the nations?" We will behold him and think, "You've got to be kidding me."

Every time I read this, I am reminded of something I used to experience when I was running a lot. I need to run more now than I used to, but I used to run five to seven miles a day. I remember one of the routes I would take, where I would run past a house that had a chihuahua. How many of you have chihuahuas? God bless you; you need a real dog.

As I would run past the chihuahua, it would come out barking and running along the fence, acting like the toughest dog you've ever seen. It would try to get to me, and as I continued running, I seriously think that because I ran past its house and kept going, it thought it had won. It would walk away like, "Yeah, got that one."

I have a feeling that someday, when we are able to see Satan for who he really is, that is what it will be like. "You've got to be kidding me. This is the one who scared so many into a corner?" This little thing. Now, that does not mean he is weak, and we need to recognize that the Scriptures make it clear.

It is very clear that he obviously has power and strength that God has allowed him to have. He has jurisdiction over this realm that we call Earth because of the fall; man handed it over to him at the fall. We also need to recognize that he is a defeated foe, and there is coming a day when he will be cast and bound into the lake that burns with fire.

But until that day, we, as the church, need to be ready when he comes against us with his schemes and his wiles. Paul says in verse 14, "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, and taking the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Paul emphasizes that the only way you can stand is if you have done what the previous verse says: put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand. Having the armor of God is not a given that you will be able to stand. As a believer and a follower of Christ, the Scriptures say in Ephesians chapter 1 that we have been given every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. You already possess the sword of the Spirit, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, and the belt of truth.

However, we need to put on the whole armor of God so that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. As we consider some of these individual pieces of the armor, Paul instructs us to put on the belt of truth. It is no accident that the first thing Paul zeroes in on is the belt, referring to it as the belt of truth.

While it may not seem like a piece of armor that guards you in any way, it is very important because it gathers together your garments that would be underneath your armor. These gathered garments would make it easier for you to move in battle. Remember that Paul was writing this during the heyday of the Roman Empire, which had become the greatest known empire of that day due to its military prowess. They studied war, and their whole armament was designed for effectiveness in battle.

That they would wear when they would go into battle was crafted for a specific purpose. In fact, I had read in one book years ago, though I don't remember where it was, that one of the reasons the Romans were able to overcome the Greeks was that the helmet the Greeks wore enclosed their ears in such a way that they could not hear the call of the generals behind them. They really couldn't hear much of the battle. If you were to put your hands over your ears and breathe heavily in a battle, all you can hear is your breathing. As a result, they couldn't hear what was happening and were not prepared. They were not circumspect in the battle.

The Romans, on the other hand, had made a way for their helmets to expose their ears. This design allowed them to be protected while still hearing the call of the generals and what was happening in the battle. They were circumspect. They had studied war and had a belt that gathered their clothes together. Not only did it enable them to move easily in battle, but it also served as the very support and foundation for the rest of the armor. Everything else would be tied into this belt. Paul calls this the belt of truth.

Truth is significant. Dozens of times, 26 times, I believe in the Gospel of John, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth." In John chapter 14, He stated, "I am the truth." The question of Pontius Pilate in John chapter 19 is the same question that rings through all the halls of the universities in America today and throughout the West: What is truth? The Scriptures are the only place that give us truth according to reality. It is upon that truth that everything holds together. Without truth, everything flies apart, doesn't it?

We look at our nation and society today and see the lack of truth. Many people believe they have a truth or possess the truth, but there are so many hundreds and thousands of supposed truths out there. There is no real moral ground, no real foundation gathering everything together. Truth has been thrown out the window. Yet, Paul calls the belt in this armor the belt of truth, and I believe that to be greatly important.

The next thing he mentions is the breastplate of righteousness. I marvel at the intellect of God, and we are supposed to...

I marvel at the intellect of God, which is so far beyond our own. I see the foolishness of man in the presumption that this body, which God created for us, just happened. The way God designed us is remarkable; He created us with a ribcage and all these muscles surrounding it to protect our vital organs. He is so smart. He gave us a really hard head—some harder than others—to protect our brains.

It's amazing. Those of you who have had little kids know that when they come out, their heads can squish and turn into little cones; they are all soft. But after a little while, everything comes together, and they develop a really hard head. My son has been demonstrating his hard head to me recently. He crawls over to me and headbutts me. He definitely has a hard head.

God is smart. He created us with a natural breastplate, so to speak, that covers our vital organs. However, if you went into battle with this just exposed, and you were going to fight, that would not be a smart idea, would it? The Romans, like many before them, developed a very effective breastplate. It allowed them to move and breathe while protecting them against the onslaught of the enemy.

Here, Jesus says through the Apostle Paul that we need to put on the breastplate of righteousness. The muscles and ribs that you and I have are not sufficient protection if we are going into battle today. The same is true in our walk as believers. My righteousness is not sufficient protection, and your righteousness will not stand up on the day of Christ Jesus. We have to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Isaiah tells us this in Isaiah chapter 61. In Isaiah 61:10, he says, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God." Why? Because He has clothed me with the garments of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousness. We do not stand before God in our own righteousness. No one ever will stand before God in their own righteousness and say, "Well, I'm a pretty good person." That would be foolish; it would be like going into battle without a breastplate. You would be destroyed.

In this life and in this spiritual battle that you and I are in, we need to be clothed with the breastplate of righteousness. Whose breastplate of righteousness? Well, turn over to Isaiah chapter 59. You have to see.

What the prophet Isaiah speaks of Jesus here in Isaiah chapter 59, verse 16, is a prophecy about the Messiah, Jesus, 700 years before He came. Isaiah 59:16 states, "And He, the Messiah, saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor, nobody to stand in the gap. Therefore, His arm brought salvation unto Him, and His righteousness sustained Him."

We see that salvation comes by the strength of the arm of the Messiah; it comes by His righteousness. Look at verse 17: "For He put on righteousness as a breastplate." Paul, where did he pick up this idea of the breastplate of righteousness? I am absolutely certain that he came up with it from God's Word through the prophet Isaiah and the scroll of Isaiah.

When Jesus came to bring about our redemption, He knew that there was no man who could accomplish this, so God became a man and wore the breastplate of righteousness. It was His righteousness that sustained Him. He put on the breastplate of righteousness and, notice this, a helmet of salvation upon His head. He also put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

Now, I want you to notice two things. Jesus had the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation, but He also had something that is not mentioned in Ephesians chapter 6. It is not a part of the garments or the armor that you and I wear, and that is the garments of vengeance, number one, and the clothing or the cloak of zeal, the robe of zeal.

We are not the ones who bring about vengeance with zealous passion here upon the earth. Jesus is the one who will do that in the future. We see Him clothed in that cloak of zeal in Isaiah chapter 63 and in Revelation chapter 19, where He goes and treads the winepress of the wrath of God, and the blood splatters upon His cloak of zeal. He is wearing the garments of vengeance, but that is not something that the Christian wears.

I believe it is very important that we see this in Ephesians chapter 6. We are not commissioned by God to go out into this world with vengeance and zeal to take on the heathen. That is not what we are called to do, but we are called to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Clothed with the breastplate of righteousness, whose righteousness is it? It is Jesus' righteousness. Whose breastplate is it? Ultimately, it is His. He has given it to us. It is the armor of God, the whole armor of God. So, He says to put on the breastplate of righteousness. Jesus' righteousness protects all the vital parts of our spiritual life.

Thirdly, we are to shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. When you look at it in the original language, it literally means that we must have a prepared foundation. We shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. One of the things that brought about victory for the armies of Greece under Alexander the Great was that they developed sandals with studs on the bottom, allowing them to advance in battle much easier and over rugged terrain. The Romans also employed similar footwear; they had a sturdy and steadfast foundation.

What is our foundation? Paul tells us here that the foundation is the gospel of peace. That is what we are built upon. There is no other sure foundation than Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In fact, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:11, "For there is no other foundation that a man can lay than that which is Jesus Christ." No other foundation than Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He is the steadfast foundation. On Christ, the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand. Therefore, He says to shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Next, he tells us about the shield of faith. A Roman soldier had two different kinds of shields. One was a small round shield called a buckler, which he would carry on his left arm in close quarter combat while fighting sword to sword with someone. However, the shield spoken of here is not that shield. This one is a tall, oblong or rectangle-shaped shield, about four feet tall and about two and a half feet wide. It was designed to protect the entire soldier against a distant attack.

We must keep the shield of faith and recognize that the enemy often comes at us from an unseen distance or an unseen position.

We are often taken by surprise by the attack of the enemy from a distance, so we need to make sure that we have the shield of faith. It says that we may be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. The term "fiery dart" here could be literally translated as missile or burning javelin. It is probable that the apostle is alluding to one of the instruments of war that the Romans had developed. This was a long javelin, a long stick, and on the end of it was a lead dart that was hollowed out in the middle. They would put some sort of flammable tar or whatever it was, so that when they threw this at the enemy, it would go into their shield and explode, sending fire all over the soldiers.

This fiery dart, this missile, is significant. The shield of faith not only blocks the fiery darts of the wicked one; it also quenchs them. It extinguishes those fiery darts, causing the enemy to move into close combat, where we can fight him with the sword of the Spirit. Not only that, we are told to take up the shield of faith, but we also need the helmet of salvation. We already read about the helmet of salvation in Isaiah 59:17. The helmet of the hope of our salvation is also seen in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, where Paul refers to it as "the hope of our salvation."

This helmet that God has given to us in Christ Jesus protects our minds from the discouragement of the enemy. There are so many people who have been broken from the battle by discouragement and despair. However, the hope of our salvation, fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God, can restore our souls in the midst of despair.

The helmet of salvation is so very important. But we move from these defensive armaments to the offensive weapons. I don't know about you, but I prefer offensive weapons, like the sword of the Spirit.

Take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. You see, just like a real sword in battle, the Word of God must be wielded. It is not enough just to carry it around with you as a deterrent to the enemy.

I think about this in a very practical sense. At this current time, our nation has over 1,800 strategic nuclear missiles. They are pretty powerful missiles that can destroy whole cities. Yet, having those was not much of a deterrent on 9/11, was it? Just having the weapon, the sword of the Spirit, is not a deterrent against the enemy when he comes against us. We must wield the sword of the Spirit.

We need to recognize that the enemy wields the sword, the Word of God, as well. In Genesis chapter 3, Satan, appearing as a serpent, sought to use the Word of God and was effective in his battle against Adam and Eve. When he tempted Jesus in Matthew chapter 4, he also used the Word of God. However, he always uses it out of context; he adds to it, takes away from it, or lies about it. Still, he seeks to use the Word of God against you and me.

I believe that the enemy knows the Bible very well, and so we ought to know the Word of God and how to use it. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 15, to study to show yourself approved unto God as a workman or workwoman, not ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. We must sharpen our sword and take good care of it. We must be ready and know how to use the Word of God, as well as the ways that the enemy might use it against us.

Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12, says that the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. We recognize that the Word of God is sharp already, but we need to know how to use it in the right way in battle. The Greek word translated as "sword" here speaks of the short two-edged sword.

The Roman soldiers carried two different kinds of swords. One was a very long broadsword, and the other was a small, dagger-like sword about two feet in length. This smaller sword was used for very close-quarter combat and was the Roman soldier's most important weapon. It wasn't only used for fighting in battle; they used it every single day while they were at their camp. They utilized it in many different ways.

We need to recognize that the Word of God is effective against the onslaught of the enemy, but we must know how to use it. I would suggest that there are many fallen Christians—Christians who have fallen by the wayside because of sin, as a result of the work of the enemy in their lives and the temptations they faced—because they did not know how to use the sword of the Spirit or did not take up the whole armor of God. They have it, but they haven't used it. They haven't been ready for the evil day.

Now, we're not talking about getting together, calling out the armies, and storming the gates of hell. We are saying that we must be ready when the attack comes to us, because it will. A lot of times, people end their study of the sword or their study of the armor of God with verse 17, which mentions the sword of the Spirit. However, Paul doesn't stop there. In verse 18, he gives us what I believe is another very effective weapon in our arsenal. He says, "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

Paul told the church at Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. Here, once again, he emphasizes praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. This is an effective weapon. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Paul states, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

I firmly believe that prayer is somewhat like an air assault in our fight against the enemy. The weapon of prayer is powerful. E.M. Bounds wrote a great book called The Weapon of Prayer, which I believe we have in our bookstore.

If you can't find it in our bookstore, you can find it for free on the internet. It's not a very long book, but I highly recommend you read The Weapon of Prayer by E.M. Bounds. A lot of times, we think of prayer in the context of asking God for things like good weather, a parking space, or healing from a toothache. However, we need to recognize that God reveals in the Word that prayer is a powerful weapon, casting down imaginations of every high thing that exalts itself. It is not carnal; it is mighty in God for the tearing down of strongholds. Prayer calls to our Father in Heaven and asks Him to act.

We see this practically illustrated in Joshua chapter 10 when the battle was fierce against the ten nations that came against the nation of Israel. Joshua called out to God and said, "God, cause the sun to stand still." In a miraculous way, God caused the sun to stop and stand still, giving them more time to pursue their enemies. Not only that, it says that God hurled down rocks from Heaven, which we call meteors, and destroyed more of the enemy than the children of Israel did. That's pretty remarkable.

Now, do you see that the weapon of prayer is extremely important? This is not the only time in the Scriptures that we see this. Another example comes to mind in 2 Chronicles chapter 20. Three nations were coming against the children of Israel: Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir. They gathered together, fasted, and prayed. While they were calling out to God, He said, "Go out to the battle tomorrow and stand and see the salvation of the Lord." They stood and watched as these three nations that came against them killed one another. That is the power of prayer.

Paul says to the church at Ephesus, "Do not neglect this fierce weapon." In the book of Jude, Jude references a very interesting story from the Old Testament, something that is not in our Bibles but was a text that the Jews of his day knew and understood. It's called The Assumption of Moses. There, he talks about the death and burial of Moses. Moses was told by God that he would not enter the promised land and that God was going to take him. So, he went up on Mount Nebo. Jude says that when Michael the archangel contended with Satan for the body of Moses, he did not bring any reviling accusation against him. Instead, he said, "The Lord rebuke you." You see,

Michael the Archangel is a formidable figure, and if Lucifer is tough, Michael is equally as powerful. In the midst of the battle with Lucifer, he says, "Lord, rebuke him." And the Lord did. The Lord is the one who rebukes the enemy.

I have been very concerned, and I have participated in a number of prayer meetings with different people where they are rebuking the enemy. I rebuke the enemy, but I don't see that in the Scriptures. I see Michael the Archangel saying, "The Lord rebuke you." He calls out to God, and God rebukes him. The weapon of prayer is extremely effective. James tells us in his letter, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." We are called to resist the enemy.

The only way we can stand against him is if we heed the exhortation of Paul to put on the whole armor of God proactively, daily, checking it throughout the day. We must ask ourselves: Have I been founded? Have my feet been shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace? Am I standing upon the gospel? Do I have on the breastplate of righteousness?

When Satan comes against us with reviling accusations, saying that we are sinners, that we are wicked, and that God will never accept us, he seeks to discourage and destroy us. In those moments, we can respond, "You're absolutely right, but I am clothed in the righteousness of Christ. It's not my work; it's His work." When he comes against you, seeking to discourage you with all the wicked things you have done, remember that you have the hope of salvation, the helmet of salvation, because of what God did for you.

Jesus put on the helmet of salvation. Jesus put on the breastplate of righteousness. One day, Jesus will don the garments of vengeance and will destroy the enemy once and for all. But until then, we must not allow the gates of hell to prevail against the church.

We must recognize his schemes, his devices, and his strategies. The first step is to acknowledge that there is a devil, an enemy, an adversary. The devil goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He is the destroyer, the liar, and the murderer. He seeks to destroy everything that is of God and is God. However, he is a defeated foe, and we can resist him, and he will flee from us.

This is so important, yet 60% of the church says, "No, he doesn't exist." They choose to close their eyes and pretend he is not there.

Not there. Oh, goodness. He's not there. It's foolishness. Foolishness. Paul tells the church in Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 5, that we need to walk circumspectly, understanding the times. Eyes wide open. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the times, for the days are evil.

Just as we see in Ephesians chapter 6, we need to get ready for the evil day. Well, here it is, right here. Are we ready? Are we circumspect? Are we listening to our commander, our general, our Lord, the commander of the army of the Lord, Jesus? Are we standing against the wiles of the devil, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, having on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, taking up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, and praying always?

Constant communication with our commander is essential. If not, we just may fall down. We just may fail. We just may be discouraged and despair. If that's you today, it's time to stand up and put on the armor so that you may be able to stand and do all that you can to stand. Be strengthened in the Lord, not in your own strength, but in the power of His might. And you will see victory. I guarantee it. God doesn't lie. He speaks truth. Amen?

Let's stand and pray. Father, I thank You that You desire for us to be victorious, and You have given us the instruction on how to be victorious. Lord, I pray that we would take heed to the exhortation of our brother Paul and stand in the evil day, understanding that the days are evil. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Lord, Heavenly Father, we pray that we could take heed to the truth through our daily contact. Amen.