Our Battle Gear, Part Two

No one is immune from the deceitful lies of the evil one.  Try as we might, we cannot escape from the schemes of the devil that are meant to destroy our faith.  One such lie, almost took down my father-in-law many years ago.  Just a few months before Becky and I tied the knot, her father told me the story about the brother Becky never got to know.  A couple of years before Becky was born, her parents had a baby boy they named Mark.  Mark was born with a hole in his heart.  Because of his condition, Mark was unable to lie down and sleep like a normal baby.  He had to be held.  So, Bob told me of how he and Deanna spent many nights hold Mark upright so he could sleep.  Back then, there wasn’t much more that could be done for Mark, so after six months, Mark passed away. But if that wasn’t hard enough on them, Bob’s pastor told him that the reason Mark died was because Bob must’ve done something wrong, and God was punishing him.  Can you imagine?

Well, the good news is that the story didn’t end there.  On the day my father-in-law was grieving over the loss of Mark and reeling from what his pastor had told him… another Pastor was visiting the hospital, saw Bob in his grief and reached out to him. This Pastor came alongside Bob, listened to his story, and then asked Bob to come with him. So, Bob did.  He took him to a cemetery and showed him the tombstone of the infant child he and his wife had lost just a few years previous. He then told Bob that what his Pastor had said was not of God. He told him that the God of grace does not dole out cruel punishments like this upon His children.  Then he told him one more thing. He told Bob that he and Deanna needed to not wait but have another child right away.  And so, they did.  That child grew up to become my wife, Becky.

You see, “no one is immune from the deceitful lies of the evil one.” No one is immune from the troubles, trials, insults, suffering, temptations and lies thrown at us by the one who wants to deceive and destroy us.  But as we’ve been learning from God’s Word these past few weeks, we need not stand defenseless against his wicked schemes.  And one of those schemes – this lie that God is punishing you – is one of the devils most insidious attacks and therefore reminds us that we need to be diligent about protecting our hearts and minds with the armor of God.

So, if you brought your Bible with you today, let me encourage you to find Ephesians 6:16-17, where God’s Word reveals three more pieces of the battle gear that God gives us so we can stand our ground against the attacks of the evil one.  Now, before we look at what God has given us to protect ourselves, let me remind us of the battle gear we looked into last week.  To do that, let me read Ephesians 6:14-15, Stand firm, therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:14-15

God gave us the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the readiness of the gospel to put on so we can stand firm together against the attacks of the evil one.  As we put on the belt of truth, we can stand confidently against the lies of the devil.  As we put on the breastplate of righteousness, we can stand in the righteousness of Christ and resist the attacks of the accuser who wants to shame us and guilt us.  And as we strap on our gospel boots, we can stand ready to share the gospel of peace with people who have no peace.

Now, this morning, we’re going to see how God helps us to stand our ground against further attacks of the father of lies, by taking up the shield of faith, putting on the helmet of salvation, and by taking up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  So, let’s get to it.  Let’s look at the battle gear God would have us take up:

1. Take up the Shield of Faith: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” Ephesians 6:16 Here, God gives us a word picture of how He would have us defend ourselves against the arrows of the evil one. The shield in ancient warfare was the soldier’s best defensive piece of armor. Shields were four feet tall and two and a half feet wide and were constructed of leather stretched over wood, reinforced with metal at the top and bottom. If soaked in water, they were very effective in stopping the burning arrows of their enemies.

Paul calls this piece of armor, “the shield of faith.” This faith is not so much our human belief, but God’s faithfulness to us. It is our knowledge of God’s faithfulness to us that will help us resist when we’re attacked by the arrows of the evil one.

Now, let me take a moment to familiarize us with the nature of these flaming arrows: Most of the time, these arrows are temptations. Our enemy continually bombards us with temptations to immorality, hatred, envy, anger, covetousness, pride, fear, distrust, and every other sin.

His goal is to get you to distrust God.  So let me give you few examples, of how he will tempt you to distrust God:  Our enemy will say, “God has abandoned you. He’s given up on you.” But God is faithful. He says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

The slanderer will say, “God is punishing you.” “You deserve what’s happening to you.” But God is faithful. His Word says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Our adversary will say, “God doesn’t really love you. He doesn’t really care about your little life.  He’s got bigger fish to fry.” But again, God is faithful. His Word says, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 Our adversary hates us.  But our God is for us. And nothing can ever separate you from His love. So, let us take up the shield of faith and stand firm in the faithfulness of God. And stand together…

For this is what the ancient soldiers did with their shields. Those soldiers who carried these shields were in the front lines of battle, and stood side by side with their shields together, forming a huge phalanx extending as long as a mile or more. And anyone who stood or crouched behind such shields were protected from the barrage of enemy arrows and spears!  You see, in one sense, God’s Church is the shield that protect us from the arrows of the evil one, when we stand together.  That’s quite a piece of armor that God gives us.  So, let’s take up our shield and stand protected with God’s people. That’s fourth piece of battle gear.  Now, let’s look at the next piece:

2. Take Up the Helmet of Salvation: “and take the helmet of salvation,” Eph 6:17a Now ancient helmets were made of leather and brass, or sometimes bronze and iron – and no enemy sword could pierce a good helmet. The dressed soldier would take his helmet and sword from an armor bearer. In the same way, as believers, we are to take this helmet of salvation, as it is given to us by God Himself.

The devil wants you to doubt God, Jesus, and your salvation. The devil doesn’t want you to rest in the certainty of your salvation. He wants to rob you of your hope of salvation.  He wants to convince you that you do not belong to Jesus, and that you are not truly forgiven. And he wants you to think that you have to keep earning God’s approval.  These are his tactics.  He wants you to live as if your salvation is up to you, what you do, not what God has done.  He doesn’t want you to rest in God’s finished work.  He wants you to live in constant fear of judgment.  You see, the devil is the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy.  But when you put on the helmet of salvation, given to you from God, you will stand confidently and secure in your salvation. For God’s salvation has nothing to do with what you do for God but has everything to do with what Jesus has done for you.  Salvation has always been Gods idea, God’s plan and God’s gift to anyone who will receive it.

Here’s the good news of God’s salvation: Your salvation was secured on the cross at the moment Jesus said, “It is finished.” At that moment, every sin of every person was paid for once and for all and forever.  That’s what the Greek Word “tetelesti” means. It means the debt of all sin was paid in full.  The blood Jesus shed for your sin and the sin of the world was sufficient to pay the penalty for all sin.  And now, because Jesus paid that penalty, God offers salvation as a gift to anyone who is willing to turn from their sin and trust in Jesus. The Bible says it this way: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Here’s the good news found in Jesus. Here’s why your salvation is secure in Jesus. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned.  For he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24. This crossing over from death to life is a permanent, irreversible relocation promised by Jesus.  This is why the gift of salvation is secure.  It’s not based on how you feel.  It’s not based on what you do or don’t do for God.  It’s based entirely on what God has done for you. And when you put on the helmet of salvation, God’s gift of eternal life secured by Jesus, you no longer have to fear judgment or worry if you’re saved.  Because your salvation is not based on what you have done, but on what Jesus Christ has done for you.

Let me tell you how this became real for me. I’d only been a believer for a few weeks when I came home and started reading this little green book that I had found in my desk. It had Bible verses in it, but these verses were all twisted and confusing. And as I read them, I began to be filled with a fear and dread that I wasn’t really saved.  Doubts filled my mind.  All of a sudden, I lost the peace that had filled me when I believed in Jesus. So, what did I do? I put the book down and opened my Bible. I just happened to open the Bible to John 6 and read this verse: “No one can come to me unless the Father draws him, and I will raise him up the last day.” John 6:44 There it was. My salvation wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about how I felt. It wasn’t about what I did or didn’t do. It was about what God had done. He’s the one who initiated my salvation. He’s the one who drew me to Jesus, and right there in John 6:44, Jesus promised to complete my salvation. From start to finish, my salvation was complete in what God had done and promised to do.  It didn’t earn it. I didn’t’ deserve it. And I didn’t have to do anything to keep it. It’s a done deal. At that very moment that truth of God’s gift of salvation sank in and I just exhaled the biggest sigh of relief.  And I could say with David, “Truly, my soul finds rest in God; for my salvation comes from Him.” Psalm 62:1

Let me ask you: Do you know this rest?  Do you have this sense of security in your salvation? Some of you came here today restless, anxious, and even insecure about your salvation. God doesn’t want you to live this way. He’s completed your salvation. His work is finished. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Salvation is His gift to you.  So, if you’ve received His gift, this helmet of Salvation, take it and put it on.  Rest in the finished work of Jesus.  For God protects you with His salvation. So put on the helmet of salvation and stand secure with Jesus.  And rest in God’s grace to you.  And finally,

3. Take up the Sword of the Spirit: “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” Ephesians 6:17b The sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon we are given. Most people in Ephesus were familiar with the metaphor of the sword. This particular sword was a short sword that was often the main weapon used in hand-to-hand combat. Its double edges made it ideal for a “cut and thrust” strategy.  So, it was quite effective in winning battles because of its quick penetrating power.

Here, Paul identifies this sword with the word of God.  Now, normally when Paul speaks of the Word of God, he uses a different word, the term logos.  Here he uses the term “rehem,” which refers to the spoken word. If that is the case here, then he is referring to speaking the gospel, which is made powerful and effective by the Spirit of God.

In other words, our best defense against the realm of darkness is speaking the gospel.  The truth of the gospel can penetrate the darkness, free those enslaved to sin. This is precisely how God’s Word is described in Hebrews: For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Heb. 4:12

The evil one has no power over the gospel. That’s why one of the devil’s strategies is to keep you from sharing the good news. Why? For there is power in the gospel. Let me give you an example from the book of Acts. Because Peter and John had just healed a man, God gave them an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with the people.  But this didn’t sit well with the religious leaders.  We pick up the story in Acts 4:1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed; so, the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand. Acts 4:1-4

The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them, saying: “By what power or what name did you do this?”  Acts 4:5-7

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’  Acts 4:8-11There it is!  The power by which they healed the man was found in the resurrected Jesus.

So now Peter speaks the good news: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12 There is power in the name of Jesus. There’s power to heal.  There’s power to save.  There’s power to rescue people from the dominion of darkness and bring them into the kingdom of light.  That’s why Paul would later write to the Romans and say, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.  Romans 1:16

So, what happened next?  When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.  So, they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. Acts 4:13-15

“What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:16-20 Do you see what happened here?  The religious leaders wanted to silence the gospel. Why? Because there was power in the gospel. And they didn’t want it to spread.  So, they warned them to no longer speak to anyone in the name of Jesus.

That’s what Satan wants today. He doesn’t want us to wield the sword of the Spirit.  He doesn’t want us to speak the name of Jesus.  He doesn’t want us to use our best offensive weapon – the gospel. He wants us to be ashamed of the gospel. For he knows if we tell others the good news of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God will rescue people from the dominion of darkness and bring them into the kingdom of the Son He loves.  But here’s the good news: Satan has no power over Jesus.  When Jesus rose from the grave, he not only defeated sin and death, but He also defeated the devil.  And now, God has given us the best weapon we can wield to resist the devil – the sword of the Spirit, which is the good news of Jesus Christ, the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.

So there you have it.  This is how God would have us hold our ground and stand firm against the forces of darkness. God has given us His battle gear to help us stand. So,  let’s put on the full armor of God:

Let us stand confidently in God’s Truth.                                                                                     Let us stand strong in the righteousness of Christ.                                                             Let us stand ready with the Gospel of peace.                                                                           Let us stand firm in God’s faithfulness to us.                                                                        Let us stand secure in our salvation. And…                                                                                   Let us stand unmovable in the power of the gospel.

And may we all stand together!