Put On The Full Armor Of God

Eph 6:10-18

The world & the Devil are at war with true Christians. (Eph 6:10-13)

· World, everything that doesn’t submit to God, is realm in which Satan temp reigns…

· The life of a Christian in this world is a life of conflict… a tremendous spiritual battle.

· Satan is at war with God to dishonor Him (e.g. Job), & destroy His believers.

· The world hates believers because it hated Jesus. (Jn 15:18)

· All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2Tim 3:12)

· The Devil is roaming around seeking whom he can devour. (1Pet 5:8)

· Be strong in the Lord (Phil 4:13), Satan’s power is broken, & war for our souls has been won thru Christ’s crucifixion & resurrection. (Col 2:13-15; 1Cor 15:56-57)

· In life on earth, battles of temptation go on… therefore, the Lord’s power & armor, are still required for victory. (2Cor 10:3-5)

· The true believer (described in Eph 1-3) who is Spirit-filled & controlled (Eph 4-6:8) is alone able to put on the full armor of God & stand against Satan.

· Being a spirit-filled true believer is necessary prerequisite to win the spiritual war.

· Paul closes Eph letter with warning about spiritual war, & instructions to put on God’s armor so that believers could resist & defeat the enemy.

· Christians are exhorted to put on the whole armor of God… (Eph 6:10-18)

Put on the whole armor of God. (Eph 6:10-18)

· Finally, he can tell us what he wanted to tell us… how to fight in spiritual warfare.

· But first, he had to get us spiritually mature & ready for the armor of God. (Eph 1-5)

· Don’t grieve the Spirit (Eph 4), & be filled with Spirit (Eph 5) are necessary preparation.

· Bringing our lives are under control of Spirit is necessary to fight & stand in victory.

· Each day, put on the full armor of God thru prayer one piece at a time… here are some ideas to help you put on the armor of God:

The belt of truth: only way to stand against a liar is with the truth.

· Reject any thought that doesn’t line up with God’s Truth. Thank God you have come to know the truth about Him & yourself.

· The Truth must be illuminated & applied by the Spirit. (Jn 14:26)

· Ask for a fresh anointing of the Spirit’s gifts & fruit. (1Cor 12:7-11; Gal 5:22-23)

The breastplate of righteousness: we’re totally dependent on God for true righteousness.

· All my righteousness acts are like filthy rags (Isa 64:6), in me dwells no good. (Rm 7:18)

· Do what ever in takes in me to live the life of Christ thru me. (fill me with Spirit)

· Protect me from impure thoughts, etc. Set your mind on what is pure & good. (Phil 4:8)

The sandals of the gospel of peace: Pray you’ll display God’s peace wherever you go.

· My peace I give to you… God cares & knows your trials & temptations.

· May we be vessels of His peace & love as we go… sharing the gospel with those we meet.

The shield of faith: your faith is in Jesus Christ’s authority & victory… He is faithful.

· Pray His will be done & His kingdom established. Ask for His protection for your loved ones, church family, etc. Pray too that they’ll be truly saved & sanctified to maturity.

The helmet of salvation: hope & assurance of God’s deliverance & salvation.

· To live is Christ, to die is gain. (Phil 1:21) No worry, you are in His mighty hands.

The sword of the Spirit: thank God for His living Word & that He gives light to your path.

· Create in me a pure heart, & renew a steadfast spirit… (Ps 51:10-12)

· Determine to spend time in His Word today seeking God & His will.

· Emphasis is on memorized Word. Select versus for temptations in 1Jn 2:16.

Pray in the Spirit: pray for your prayer targets… people God has put on your heart.

· Pray Scripture God has given you to memorize for you & prayer targets.

The cloak of zeal (Isa 59:17): wrap yourself in cloak of zeal… love God with all you heart.

· Love God & seek first His kingdom & His righteousness. (Mt 22:37-40; 6:33)

Do you have a hot heart for God? (Lk 24:32)

· Does your heart burn when He speaks to you & opens Scripture for you? (Lk 24:32)

· Appearances can be deceiving… What is your secret spiritual life like?

· Are you passionate when it comes to study of God’s Word… His love letter to you?

· Sin will keep you from God’s Word, or God’s Word will keep you from sin.

· Do you have a hot heart for God… are you fervent when it comes to your prayer life?

· Prayer moves the heart of the One who moves the world.

· Fervent prayer of righteous man is powerful (Ja 5:16)… do you really believe that?

· Evangelism is not an option… Are you zealous when it comes to sharing your faith?

· Make the most of every opportunity… the days are evil. (Eph 5:15-16)

· You need to take action… get back in the Word, begin to spend more time with Father in prayer, & start sharing your faith. Ask for heart that is passionate (hot) for things of God.