Identity 6 - I Fight To Be

This is the last message in a series that we've called "Identity" here at Cross Connection. We have been studying through the book of Ephesians, considering who we are in Christ, who we were before Christ, and who we will be in eternity. We have also looked at our purpose and what we are to be doing.

Today, we are in Ephesians chapter 6, and we will consider how we are to put on the whole armor of God so that we may be able to stand in a spiritual battle. Would you open to Ephesians chapter 6 and follow along with us?

The following is based on a true story. There is something compelling about movies that begin with that little tagline at the very beginning. There is something even more compelling about stories that involve a main character facing insurmountable odds—things that seem impossible to tackle. When it is a true story and not just something that someone made up, it becomes even more gripping.

That was the case with the 1993 film "Rudy." How many of you remember Rudy? The film is based on a true-life character named Daniel Eugene Ruettiger, who grew up in Southern Illinois. From the time he was just a little kid, his aim and ambition were to go to Notre Dame University. But not just to attend Notre Dame; he wanted to play football for the Fighting Irish. That was his goal.

The problem for Rudy was, first and foremost, that he had a learning disability and did not do very well in school. He was dyslexic, and his grades were not exactly where they needed to be to get into a university like Notre Dame. On top of that, he was a wee little lad; he was not a big guy. Everyone always told him, "You'll never be able to do that. There's no way you can do that. You're just too little. You're just too small. You're not smart enough."

Even though Rudy was dyslexic and, at his biggest, stood 5'6" and weighed 165 pounds, if you watch the movie, you know that in the 1970s, Rudy Ruettiger made it into that school. He attended community college for a couple of years and got his grades up.

Ultimately, he got accepted to Notre Dame, that top university. He fought hard to overcome all the obstacles related to his size and weight, as well as the big guys on the team. He worked diligently to make the team, and ultimately, in the last home game of his last season at Notre Dame, he played three plays and also got a sack. On his team that day was the great Joe Montana, who speaks very highly of Rudy Ruettiger. If you've seen that story, you followed along with what took place there as Sean Astin plays the character Rudy Ruettiger.

At one point in the film, he is sitting down and wanting to get into the university. He is talking with the priest at the university, and Rudy says to him, "Everyone said it couldn't be done. My whole life, people have been telling me what I could do and what I couldn't do, and I've always believed them. I listened to what they've said, and I don't want to do that anymore." He fought hard to overcome a learning disability, and he fought hard to get on the team. Ultimately, he achieved that dream; he overcame the insurmountable odds.

Over the last five studies together in the book of Ephesians, we have been considering the identity of the Christian. We have been looking at where we came from. If you are a believer today, if your identity is found in Christ, we have seen our origin. In Ephesians chapter 2, it is revealed that we were dead in trespasses and sins. Not only were we dead in trespasses and sins, but prior to the work of God's grace in our lives, we were separated from God, alienated from Him because of disobedience and opposition to Him. We stood in the position of being His enemies, standing against the holy God.

In former times, Ephesians chapter 2:2 tells us, we were under the sway of the wicked one. We were directed by another spirit to do those things that were in opposition to the holy God. Furthermore, we found that we were in open rebellion to Him, walking in uncleanness, lewdness, and greediness, walking according to the lusts of our flesh and of our minds. We were under the wrath of God as children of disobedience, appointed to His wrath because of our actions.

Ignorance because of blindness—those are the weighty things that the Scriptures in the book of Ephesians describe the non-believer as being in. But God, who is rich in mercy because of His great love, as Ephesians chapter 2, verse 4 tells us, reached out to us when we were dead in trespasses and sins. He has made us alive.

So, if you're a Christian today, that is, if you have put your faith, your trust, and your confidence in Jesus for salvation, then your identity has changed. You are no longer in the position of being dead in trespasses and sins, nor are you in the position of being an enemy of God. Instead, He has placed you in Christ. Those are the key words that the Apostle Paul uses to identify the Christian: they are those who are in Christ. Because they are in Christ, they are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places.

Not only are they blessed, but Ephesians chapter 1 also says that they have been chosen by God, predestined, adopted into His family, and accepted. We have been redeemed by God, forgiven by God, and given revelation from God. We have been given an incorruptible inheritance that does not fade away, and we have been given an eternal future. That is the identity of the Christian. They were formerly dead in trespasses and sins, but now they are in Christ—blessed, redeemed, and forgiven. Their destiny, where they are headed, has changed as well.

We are no longer headed to an eternity without God, separated from Him in what the Scriptures describe as hell. We will actually be doing a series on this topic beginning just two weeks from today. We are going to start a three-week series called "What the Bible Says About Hell." We are no longer headed in that direction as we formerly were, under God's wrath. Now, we are headed in a direction to be with Him for eternity, to be in His presence.

The Scriptures describe in the Old Testament, in the book of Psalms, that in His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. So now we have a new destiny in Christ: to be with Him eternally and to receive the riches of His great grace. Ephesians 2:7 says that in the ages to come, God will be revealing to us the riches of the glory of His grace. Not only that, but our destiny is to come into the full comprehension, the knowledge of the width, depth, length, and height of the love of God.

In the future, we will come to a place where we fully comprehend just how awesome and great God's love is. We will be discovering that love forevermore. We have a new identity in Christ; we were dead in trespasses and sins, but we shall be with Him for eternity. This new identity, as we've considered in our two previous studies and will look at a little bit more today, changes our purpose. Our new "I am" in Christ affects our "I do." Our identity alters our activity.

This was true in the life of the Apostle Paul. After he put his faith in Jesus Christ, he came to know the true "I am." Everything changed for him. He became a sent one of Jesus Christ, an apostle to those who did not know Him. His purpose changed. This transformation was not just for the Apostle Paul but also for the very people to whom this letter was written—the people in Ephesus. Paul says in Ephesians chapter 1 that he calls them saints: "You that are saints and faithful in Christ Jesus." Their position as saints in Christ Jesus changed their purpose; they became faithful.

The same thing is what God wants to do in our lives today. If you are in Christ, He wants to change your purpose. We see this in Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in." A couple of weeks ago, we saw the Christian ethic—the ethical responsibility of the Christian. We should walk in those good works that God created beforehand. We should no longer walk as the rest of the world walks; we should walk worthy of the calling wherewith we have been called.

Because of our new identity in Christ, because we are no longer dead in trespasses and sins, and because we are headed toward heaven, we should walk worthy of the calling. Paul says it like this in Ephesians 5:8: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." In that verse, we see our origin—who we were. We were in darkness, but now we are in light. Therefore, our purpose is to walk as children of light.

We discussed this a couple of weeks ago, and then last week we considered together what we can be in Christ. We should be those who walk in humility. Ephesians 4 speaks of gentleness, meekness, patience, and forgiveness, seeking unity and pressing on to maturity.

And now, because of the work that Christ has done in us, we can be these things. Our purpose to walk in these things can be fulfilled as we imitate God as dear children. Ephesians 5:1 says that as we walk in love, as children of light, and as we walk circumspectly in wisdom, this is possible. Paul says in Ephesians chapter 5 that we are to be saturated with the Spirit of God. He instructs us not to be drunk with wine, which is dissipation, but to be filled with the Spirit.

As we are saturated by the Spirit of God, with Christ dwelling in us, we are given the hope of glory. We are also sanctified by the Scriptures. Ephesians 5:26 states that God wants to wash and cleanse us by the washing of the water of His Word. Therefore, we who find our identity in Christ can be the things that we should be, as He sanctifies us by the Scriptures and saturates us with His Spirit.

Because all of this is true, we now come to the last study in our series called "Identity," where we move from what we should be to what we can be. If you have your sermon guide handy, point number one is that what we should be and can be is the very thing that we must fight to be.

We are turning our attention to the things that we should fight to be, even though others may say we can't do it. Even though the odds may seem insurmountable for us, just like in the story with Rudy, those things that our flesh says are impossible—those things that tell us we are too little, our stature is too small, or we are too weak—are the very things we still need to fight to achieve.

We see this very clearly in Ephesians chapter 6. Would you open your Bibles to the book of Ephesians? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one. Ephesians is right after the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians and Galatians, just before the book of Philippians.

Ephesians chapter 6, the last chapter, verse 10. Let's stand together. In Ephesians chapter 6:1, Paul is finishing up his discourse to the Christians there in Ephesus, and he says, "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 do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

Therefore, take up 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 girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Take up 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, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Father, I ask today, as we look at this passage of Scripture, that You would strengthen the hearts of Your people here. If there are any here today who have not put their faith in You, who are still, as the Scriptures describe, dead in sins, Lord, would You make them alive as they put their faith in You? Draw them by Your Spirit to come into the place where they trust You for their salvation—not their good works, not their church attendance, not their giving, nor any other thing, but You.

For Your people, those who find their identity in You today, Lord, help us to be what we should be, knowing that we can be by Your work at work in us. As we considered a little bit last week together that You are working, Lord, help us to fight to do these things that You have enabled us to do as we fight from a position of victory. The battle is ultimately won by You, Jesus, on the cross. You said, "It is finished." Help us to walk in that victory and to experience that victory in our lives, for we ask this in Jesus' name.

And all God's people said, "Amen." Amen. You can be seated.

As I've said every week over the last five weeks leading up to today in our series here in the book of Ephesians, Christianity answers the questions of identity, origin, destiny, and purpose better than any other worldview.

There is a compelling answer in the pages of Scripture, specifically in the book of Ephesians, regarding our origin, identity, destiny, and purpose. That is why we have been spending the bulk of our time on our purpose, because that is what we need to focus on.

When you became a Christian, if you are a Christian today, when you prayed to receive Christ and put your confidence in Him for salvation, He didn't immediately pull you out of here and say, "All right, come home." He left you here. Even though the victory is won and Jesus said, "It is finished" on the cross, He has us here to live out our faith and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that God is working in us to will and to do His good pleasure.

The sad reality, as we survey the church in America today, is that many Christians live a defeated and deflated Christian life. Many Christians are in Christ; they find their identity with Him and know their destiny is set with Him. However, all they are really looking for is the day when they finally get to be with Him. Right now, it feels like a kind of defeated, deflated Christianity. But God wants us to walk in victory, and I would suggest to you that there are some keys to victorious living here in Ephesians chapter 6 that are exceedingly important.

Point number two on your outline: the Christian's identity is certain, and their destiny is set, but there is still a battle to fight. We need to be aware of this; we need to be cognizant of the fact that there is a battle to fight and that there are keys to victory in this. Before we look at those keys, we need to consider the reality that there is a battle. Amen.

There are plenty of Christians who don't recognize that when they became a Christian, they were conscripted into a battle. This battle exists, as the Bible describes it, on three fronts. We battle as Christians against the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are in a fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil. I would suggest to you that it looks like this: the enemy, our adversary, the devil, as Paul describes it here in Ephesians 6, consists of principalities and powers, the rulers of...

The darkness of this age is filled with spiritual hosts of wickedness, the devil, and these spiritual entities that we cannot perceive with our senses. We can't see, smell, taste, or touch these things, but they are really real; they are there. These entities use the trappings and temptations of this world to get at our flesh. Let me clue you into a reality: they are very good at this and very effective at using the things of this world to stumble and tempt us.

There are lustful desires in our sinful nature, in this body, things that are desiring. There are desires within us that are contrary to the nature of God and the law of God. Our adversary, the devil, uses the world to tempt us to fall into those things and to be entangled by them. They are very effective in this.

However, in this battle, as I shared just a minute ago, we need to recognize that ultimately the victory is won. Jesus declared victory on the cross 2,000 years ago when He said, "It is finished." He defeated sin and death; He defeated Satan. Yet, we are still in occupied territory. The people of God are still in the midst of occupied territory because this is a world under the sway of the wicked one, as found in Ephesians chapter 2.

So here we are. If you're a Christian today, you are in occupied territory and in a battle. Before you were a Christian, there was never a battle. For lack of a better way of saying it, before you were a Christian, you were on team Lucifer, and he didn't fight against you. The person who is not a Christian, if you're not a Christian today and I'm talking about spiritual warfare, you might say this makes no sense to you. You might think this is goofy and that we are all nuts if we really believe there are things happening in another realm fighting against us.

But if you're not a Christian, you don't know that because there is no fight coming against you. You are on the opposing team, doing everything he wants you to do. Even in your doubt, as you sit there and think, "Oh, that's just foolishness," that is exactly what the enemy would want you to do. As it was said in a popular movie years ago, the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. The sad reality is that even in the church, only one-third of Christians believe that the devil is real.

A real study was done in 2009 by Barner Research, and it revealed that only one-third of Christians believe that the devil is real. The majority of Christians think that the devil in the Bible is just a symbol for wickedness and evil present in the world. They do not believe in an actual entity of spiritual hosts of wickedness.

Let me tell you something: Jesus did, and so did the Apostle Paul. He spoke very clearly about spiritual hosts of wickedness, and these things actually exist. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he did not exist. When you find that only one-third of Christians actually believe that there is a devil, it means that if there is no devil, then there is no spiritual battle. If there is no spiritual battle, then there is no reason to prepare or fight for that battle.

This reality explains why many Christians live deflated Christian lives. There is a battle going on, but they do not even recognize it. They think, "It's not there; I don't see it." However, it is foolishness to live your life in that way. The devil is real, and the battle is on. Yet, the ultimate victory is won, and there is still a fight to engage in.

How do we know that? Throughout the Scriptures, we find exhortations to Christians to stand, to fight, to have courage, and to put on the full armor of God. In many places, we see the call to exercise our bodies as soldiers in this battle. Even though the victory is won—when Jesus said, "It is finished"—we are still called to stand and engage in this fight.

The first key to victory is found in Ephesians 6:10-11. Paul says, "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."

Point number three on your outline is that our strength to fight is found in the Lord. The first key to victory is this: our strength to fight is found in the Lord. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on His whole armor so that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. If your identity is in Christ today and you are seeking to walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called, then the only way you are going to be able to walk in that is through His strength.

To be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, you must stand in the strength of the Lord and not in your own strength. You may be physically fit; you might even be a CrossFitter, wearing tight, stretchy pants and able to do cleans and burpees. The only thing I know about burpees is what little kids do, but here's the thing: you may be able to do all that and be physically strong. You might be intellectually quick and savvy. You might even have stellar church attendance and have been baptized many years ago. However, none of that will stand for you against the foe that is coming against us in the battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil, specifically the enemy who seeks to come against the Christian.

If you are going to stand, it will only be as you do so in the power of the Lord, by His might, and with His armor. The first key to victory in this battle is that it is God's strength and not ours. We need to constantly be in the place where we are confessing, "God, I cannot do this on my own." This is clearly seen in the Apostle Paul, especially in his second letter to the Corinthians. He constantly reminds the church that we are not sufficient in and of ourselves to think anything is of ourselves. Our sufficiency, our strength, our power, our authority—everything comes from God. He is the one who makes us able.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul confesses his weakness. He says, "I am weak and have no strength," yet he also states, "When I am weak, then I am strong," because it is the power of His might that is evident in his life. We need to first confess our weakness as Christians, acknowledging that we cannot do this on our own. Then we should ask God, "Enable me by Your strength to face this foe that I am fighting against." As the enemy comes against us with temptations and sins that so easily ensnare us, we must ask for help to stand strong.

The first key to victory in this battle is to confess your weakness and ask for and receive His strength and might. The second key is found in verse 12, which I alluded to a moment ago. Ephesians 6:12 was the first Bible verse I remember memorizing as a kid: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers..."

The rulers of the darkness of this age are against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. Point number four on your outline: our fight is spiritual and not physical. We need to make sure that we grasp this because, as I mentioned a moment ago, only a third of Christians in America believe that the devil is real. They do not believe that this verse is true when it says, "For we wrestle not," notice Paul says it in the negative and then in the positive, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual hosts of wickedness, principalities, and powers." He is emphasizing this important truth that many American Christians have disregarded. The devil has been very effective in convincing the world, including the Christian world, that he does not exist.

If you do not think he exists, then there is no reason to get ready, no reason to stand, and no reason to try to fight. We need to recognize that this battle we are in, this fight we are engaged in, is not physical; it is spiritual. There is a very real foe, and he uses very real ammunition against us as believers.

Now, I realize if you are not a Christian today, you might think this is wacky or that this stuff is nuts. Yes, we really believe this. You will not perceive this, and you will not know this until you put your faith in Christ. But let me guarantee you, as soon as you put your faith in Christ and say, "I want to follow Jesus," you will experience opposition. You will experience the enemy coming against you like you never imagined. Every Christian here knows that this is true, and you have experienced it.

Any time you stand up in your Christian faith and say, "No, I want to follow the Lord faithfully. I want to serve Him. I want to represent Him well," you know that there is a force, an enemy, that comes against you. Many Christians, because of that, just retreat and say, "Forget it. I'm not even going to try anymore." They think, "Every time I step out to invite my friend or neighbor to come to church, I know there is opposition, so I just won't do that anymore." They feel that when they do not do it, there is no opposition, and it's okay. But no, it is not okay because the Lord has called us to fight. Paul says that we need to stand strong against the wiles of the devil because we are wrestling against a spiritual foe. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but we do wrestle against a spiritual entity.

Now, if it were a physical foe, a physical entity that we were fighting with, I will admit that it...

It would be a lot easier if we knew exactly where this enemy was coming from. If we knew what he looked like and all the sorts of things we could prepare for, the attack would not be as subtle, and our response would be far more sensible and practical. But the reality is that he comes to us slyly, and that is a greatly descriptive word. It probably reminds every single one of us of Wile E. Coyote.

Now, the problem is that Wile E. Coyote was terrible at subtlety and traps; he always trapped himself. When we think of the ways of the devil, we conjure up this little picture of Wile E. Coyote and think, "That's so funny; he's not going to get me. Look how stupid he is." But the reality is that the Bible shows he is subtle. Remember the cunning serpent, which is the representation of the enemy given to us in Genesis chapter 3? He came in subtly, with cunning and craftiness, and he deceived and ensnared humanity into sin. He has been doing this for thousands of years, and let me tell you, he is very good at it.

I highly recommend the book "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. It’s an allegory in which one demon writes to his nephew, telling him how to ensnare and tempt his client, who is a Christian. As you read these short letters in "The Screwtape Letters," you may find yourself thinking, "I have fallen into that time and time again."

Here’s one of the pieces of advice that Wormwood, the uncle, gives to his younger nephew, who is trying to tempt a Christian client. He says, "Listen, every single time your client decides he wants to do something spiritual—read the Bible, pray, go to church—remind him of his natural tiredness. Just remind him, 'Oh, you're really tired,' or 'No, you're really busy.' Oh, you can't do that."

Has anyone ever experienced that before? That is subtlety. You say, "I'm going to spend 15 minutes praying," and you close your eyes, and instantly you think, "I'm tired." Or you sit down and say, "I'm going to read my Bible," and then your stomach starts growling. You think, "I'm really hungry. Oh, you know, I'll do this later. I'm going to go make myself a sandwich."

That is deceptive subtlety. We wrestle against a spiritual foe, and if it were a physical foe, it would be much easier to confront.

It would be easier, but we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. This battle comes against a foe that is otherworldly and very experienced. Therefore, we need to make sure that we are ready to stand.

Ephesians 2:2 says, "You once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air." But now you are no longer under that. This opposition is coming against you, and notice he is called the Prince of the Power of the Air. You can't see the air, and you can't see him, but the effects are there. When you stand to fight against him, the first thing you need to recognize is that you are doing so by the strength of the Lord. Secondly, you need to recognize that this is a spiritual battle and not a physical one.

The next key is found in verse 13 of Ephesians 6:13. It says, "Therefore, because this is true, because we are doing this not in our own might but in the strength of the Lord, and because this is not a physical battle but a spiritual battle, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Verse 14 begins, "Stand therefore." This fight is spiritual, and in the same way, our armor and weapons are spiritual and not physical. This is another key to the battle. The first key is to recognize that this is not our strength but the Lord's strength. The second is to know that this is not a physical battle but a spiritual battle. The third key is to note that these are not physical weapons but spiritual weapons.

Now, all the guys in the room would confess that if this were an actual physical battle, we would be all over picking up some physical, tangible weapon. It's like, "Yeah, give me the AR-15 lower build kit, and let's put this sucker together!" But this is not a physical battle, and we are not using physical, tangible weapons.

Yet, 2 Corinthians 10:4 tells us, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal; they are not physical, but they are mighty in God for the tearing down of strongholds." They are more powerful than missiles and guns and all the other things that we could come up with. This spiritual battle involves...

These spiritual weapons are mighty. Therefore, if you're going to be victorious in this battle, you need to take up the whole armor of God. You cannot hope to survive in this onslaught from the enemy in your own strength or by just taking up one or two pieces of the armor. We need the complete armor of God, which is given to us in verses 4-8 of Ephesians chapter 6. Paul speaks of the Christian in complete armor and mentions seven armaments that we have as Christians. I love that it's the number seven; it adds to the completeness of it.

So, look at verses 14-18 of Ephesians chapter 6. We are going to read through it, and then we will look at each one of these seven things quickly because we only have 12 minutes and 38 seconds.

"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with the truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, and praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

The complete armor begins with the belt of truth. He says, "Christian, if you're going to survive and thrive in this battle, you need to recognize that there is a battle. You need to recognize that you can't do it in your own strength. You need to recognize that you need to do it in the strength of the Lord, by the power of the Lord, against the spiritual enemy with spiritual weapons." Therefore, put on the belt of truth.

Now, what's a belt? It's obvious; it's that which holds everything together and keeps it up. He says that what is going to hold everything together and keep it on in this battle is truth. We are told in John 14:6 that Jesus is the truth. In this battle, the only way that you're going to be victorious is if Jesus is holding everything together in your life. If He is that which you are relying on to keep you held together and keep your things up and ready to go, why is this so important? Because in John chapter 8, the devil is revealed as the father of lies.

Lies. He is the father of lies, and he is very effective at subtle lies. When he comes in and says, "You will not surely die," he uses his cunning to deceive. He might say, "Listen, just cast yourself off this temple here, and the Lord is going to protect you; He’s going to raise you up."

When he lies to you and to me, he says, "No one’s going to find out. This is done in secret; this is quiet." He tells you that you can cover this over, that no one will ever see. When he comes and lies to you to justify the wrong behavior you’re engaging in, he seeks to lead you away with these temptations. His lies go on and on. He is the father of lies, so you need the truth of Christ holding everything together when you are confronted by these deceptions.

He says, "Christian, if you’re going to stand, you need to make sure that you’ve got everything held together by the truth. You need to get to know Jesus, and He needs to be that on which you are completely relying to keep everything held up and held together."

Secondly, he says to put on the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness is the only thing that can truly protect your vital organs of faith. What does this speak to? I would suggest that it speaks to the fact that you and I stand in this battle against the enemy not in our own righteousness, because we have none, but we stand protected by the righteousness of Christ.

Why is this important? Every Christian has experienced this: the enemy comes in, and you’ve just erred. You’ve just sinned; you’ve just done something wrong. He says, "You’re not good enough. He’s never going to accept you. Look how terrible you are. Look how weak you are. Look how quickly you fall into temptation. You’re so bad; you’re so unrighteous."

In that moment, the Christian needs to confess, "You’re right; I’m unrighteous. I don’t stand in my own goodness. I don’t stand in my own righteousness. I stand clothed in the righteousness of Christ." He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might be the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that we are righteous in Him, not in our own righteousness. You will never be good enough to withstand the onslaught of the enemy. You’ll never be righteous enough to hold strong.

When the enemy comes in, the prophet Isaiah says that the follower of God is clothed in a robe of righteousness. I like that metaphor; the Lord has given us a robe of His righteousness, and that's the only way we are protected when the enemy comes in like a flood. It is by the robe of righteousness and the breastplate of righteousness.

We need to put on the belt of Truth and the breastplate of righteousness. Thirdly, he says that we need to shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We need to have the shoes, if you will, of the preparation of the gospel of peace. What does this speak of? I suggest that it speaks of a sure foundation. The gospel is the only thing that can keep us sure and steadfast when the enemy comes in. The finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross needs to be the foundation upon which we stand.

No other thing can take its place. We can't have Jesus plus anything else. We trust completely in Him to be the one that keeps us steadfast when the enemy comes in. We are not saying that we trust in Jesus and our good works, or in the fact that we were baptized when we were kids, or in the fact that we serve or tithe. It is Jesus plus nothing. He and He alone is that upon which we stand in our salvation.

So, we have the belt of Truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and we shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. He goes on to say, "Take up the shield of Faith." Notice that he says, "above all." There seems to be an essential nature to the shield of Faith. We have the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel, and the belt of Truth, but he emphasizes that above all, we should take up the shield of Faith.

With that shield, you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. If you are going to be protected in this battle against the enemy, this air assault of fiery darts, then we need to have complete, total, utter dependence, trust, and confidence upon Jesus and Jesus alone.

I don't know if you see the underlying theme of each of these things so far, but each of them points to the fact that we are trusting completely and implicitly in God and not in ourselves. Put on the whole armor of God. Stand in the power of His might, or else you will fall. It is His righteousness, His truth, His finished work on the cross, and our trust and dependence upon Him.

Alone, when the enemy comes in against us, he moves from the Shield of Faith to number five: the helmet of salvation. We need to put on our heads the helmet of salvation. In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Paul uses the very same metaphor when he says, "But let us who are of the day, walking in light, be sober." This means we should walk circumspectly and be aware of what's going on in the battle, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of our salvation.

What is this? I think that it is absolute and certain trust in the finished work of Jesus. I am saved not because of anything I have done, but because of what He has done for me. That guards my head; it guards my mind. When the enemy comes in, he says, "You'll never be good enough." And it's true. He tries to deceive you with things that are partially true. You might say, "You're right, I'll never be good enough." But it's not my work; it's the finished work of Jesus that has brought salvation. He accomplished it when He said, "It is finished."

Number six: he says to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The book of Hebrews states that the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It cuts deep; it's effective. In this list, the sword seems to be the only offensive weapon. Everything else is defensive, but this is an offensive weapon with which we can fight against the enemy, and it is effective.

How do we know it's effective? Well, what did Jesus use when the enemy came in against Him? Matthew 4 records the temptation of Jesus. Three times, the devil came and tempted Him while He was fasting. He said, "You're hungry; change these stones into bread." What did Jesus say? "It is written: man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." Three times, Jesus responds to the temptation of the enemy and says, "It is written, it is written, it is written."

I would suggest that many Christians live a defeated life because they don't know what is written and they haven't taken the time to learn how to.

Use the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The only time that many people hear the Word of God is on a Sunday morning. In over 50% of churches in America today, the average length of a service, specifically the teaching time, is only 25 to 28 minutes. Some of you might be thinking, "I really hope you only go 25 to 28 minutes." However, we are not going to do that.

Statistically, we know that most Christians only receive the Word of God during those 25 to 28 minutes each week, and they often feel defeated in their battle against the enemy because they do not know how to use the sword. Although our teaching time lasts for 45 minutes, the little red clock reminds me that you need more than that. You need to open the Word of God yourself on Monday morning, read it on Tuesday morning, and continue throughout the week, meditating on it day and night. Hide God's Word in your heart so that you might not sin against Him, for it is a light unto your path and a lamp unto your feet.

You may say, "I don't really know how to do that; every time I open it, I'm confused." That's okay; these things are spiritually discerned. The first thing you need to do is pray, "God, give me insight. Enlighten my eyes that I may understand Your truth." The psalmist expressed this need.

As we have been sharing with you, on March 21st, just a few Saturdays from now, we will have a free seminar here at the church. You can register for it on the church's website, events.cesco.com. Join us for our "Reading the Bible with Purpose" seminar. It lasts three hours, is free, and will encourage and train you on how to use the Scripture. This way, when the enemy comes in, you can confidently say, "It is written." The amazing thing is that the enemy instantly flees when the sword of the Spirit is presented.

Lastly, Paul says to pray with all prayer and supplication with the saints, being watchful. How can you know that an enemy is coming at you when he is spiritual and you cannot perceive him with your senses? You need to be watchful in prayer, praying always. In battle, you must always be in communication with headquarters. The best way to do that in this spiritual battle is to pray continually.

The day when you sit down to eat a meal, just say, "Thank you, Lord, for the food. Let's eat." However, we should be praying always throughout the day, in every circumstance and in every situation. Praying always connects us with the Lord, and we are on the rampart, watchful.

It is very clear how we can be winners in this spiritual battle. First, we need to recognize that there is a battle that is spiritual and not physical. We must understand that we cannot stand in our own strength but in the strength of the Lord. We need to put on all of His armor to be effective in this: the belt of Truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the sword of the Spirit, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and prayer. In these things, I suggest that you and I will find victory.

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer?

Father, we fight in a battle from a position of victory because You said it is finished. Yet, we still fight. So, God, I pray that You would enable us by Your Truth, by Your righteousness, and by the good news of the Gospel. With the sword of the Spirit, with faith and total confidence in You, and through prayer, enable us to be victorious, to see victory in our lives, and to express it in the way that we live. May all of this be done ultimately for Your glory. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all God's people said.