Message of the Week

The Little White Community Church

Scripture: Eph. 6:10-18   March 17, 2024

Message: “The Armor of God!”      

by Pastor George Gnade

Intro.: 1. Today we are considering Eph. 6:10-18 concerning the armor of God.

2. But the battles we are fighting are not ordinary battles; nor is the armor we are told to wear ordinary armor.

a. Paul describes the battles in Eph. 6: 12: He writes: “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers…, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realms.” 

b. This battle is going on around us. At first it appears we are fighting against people. But the Bible says we are fighting against evil forces that we can’t even see. 

3. That is why we are told in vs. 10 to “be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might.” There is no way we can defeat Satan and his demons in our own strength.

a. In fact, how should we fight this kind of a war? What kind of armor can protect us from demonic forces?

b. Obviously swords and spears would not help; neither will airplanes and missiles. Can you imagine trying to shoot a demon? Of course not. It obviously requires a special kind of armor to fight a spiritual war.

4. So Paul writes in vs. 11 to “put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…”    and again in vs. 13: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day, having done all to stand.”

a. Twice we are told how important it is to wear all the armor, not just one piece or another. 

b. That is because the attack is often so vicious that to survive we must be thoroughly prepared.  As Paul put it, it will often take all the spiritual energy we have, doing all we know how to do, to stand.

5. That is why we must learn from the Lord how to receive His help and His strength because we will never succeed doing it our way or the world’s way. Let us consider, there-fore, the spiritual armor that works and how to put it on.

A. In vs. 14, Paul mentions our first piece of armor. He tells us to “gird your waist with truth.”  

1. This has two applications. First, as Christians, we must learn to speak the truth, and when we speak, to speak the truth in love. 

a. Our world teaches people to lie to get what they want. Of course, that is what Satan wants us to do so you are defeated already! 

b. As Christians we must learn to stop lying and have the courage to speak truthfully. God promises us truth always will win in the end. Otherwise one lie will lead to another. Your situation will just keep getting worse.

2. Secondly,” to gird your loins with truth” means that you  seek to obey God’s Word. Jesus said: “Thy Word is truth.”  That starts with the faith to believe God knows what is best. But through prayer and grace, you set your mind to do whatever you have to do to do it God’s way.

B. Our second piece of armor is found in vs. 14 where we are told to put on “the breastplate of righteousness.”

1. In Roman warfare, the breastplate would protect the heart. In spiritual warfare, the breastplate of righteousness

protects our spiritual heart, the heart of our emotions.

a. When we sin, our hearts are attacked by guilt and shame. Our conscience troubles us. 

b. When we ask Jesus to be our Savior and ask for help doing things His way, then He forgives us and takes away our shame and quiets our hearts.

2. In II Cor. 5:17, Paul describes it this way: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old is passed away, and the new has come.” In what way? The passage explains it in vs. 21: “He who knew no sin (Jesus), became sin for us so that we might become (receive ) the righteousness of God in Him. That is God’s way of protecting our hearts.

a. It takes faith to keep reminding ourselves of that.

b. It takes humility to keep on asking for God’s forgiveness while we prayfully keep improving.

C. Then in vs. 15, we are told “to shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”

1. Spiritually speaking, before Satan attacks us and gets us upset and angry, get prepared before that happens and be ready to share Christ and His gospel of peace instead. 

2. Ask God to help you to “seek peace and pursue it.” Just as Jesus, while we were still sinners and enemies of God, willingly gave His life for us, so we need to prepare our minds to respond in a loving way and to seek to be like Christ to them, offering the gospel of peace to them.

a. Only Jesus can teach us and help us to do things His way.  Otherwise we will be like the world and get even instead, or strike out in anger, or hurt them back.

b. But if we shod our feet in preparation, Jesus will help us to offer peace and kindness instead.

D.  Then in Eph. 6: 16, we are told to “take the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the evil one.”

1. Satan is cruel; he wants to hurt us. It takes faith to trust God anyway.  Faith in God can remove mountains. 

2. Faith in God can surround our hearts with His peace. If God allows it, then He will give us grace to go through it. Many people only think of God’s power as a way to healing. The Bible teaches us to trust in His power to endure hardship (Col. 1: 10-11).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   E. Fifthly, in vs. 17, we are told to “take the helmet of salvation.”

1. This is God’s protection for our minds. In Rom. 12: 1-2, we are told to “not be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is the good… and perfect will of God.”

2. It takes prayer and time to learn to think like Jesus and to ask for grace to believe and do what Jesus would do. Just as most sin originates in the mind first, so retraining our minds to think and act like Jesus enables us to win the battle for our minds.  

3. Of course, that begins by accepting God’s gift of salvation by faith and not trying to work for it to prove you are good enough to get in on your own efforts. The only way to be saved is simply through forgiveness and faith in Christ.

F. Sixthly, in vs. 17-18, we are told to “take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, praying always… being watchful… with all perseverance for all the saints.”

1. The Word of God protects us and teaches us God’s truth. It truly pays to hide His Word in our hearts. But God’s Word is also our sharp two-edged sword which has the power to cut through all arguments and even pierce the heart, dividing the soul and the spirit (Heb. 4:12).

2. Jesus regularly quoted God’s Word. His answers amazed everyone. He spoke with authority. I highly recommend that we do the same. 

In conclusion: May God teach us to win this spiritual war.