Spiritual Armor For A Spiritual Assault
[Editor's Note: Please see the information regarding this sermon and all those in the series entitled: How To Meet And Defeat The Enemy, at the end of this message.]
Introduction
"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 the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all 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..."(Ephesians 6:13-17, NKJV).
The Andy Griffith Show has always been one of my favorite television shows. One of my all-time favorite episodes was when Andy told his son, Opie, the electrifying story of the American Revolution. He shared with Opie how in the year 1775, a man by the name of Paul Revere made his perpetual mark in history by a single horse ride. He knew that his nation was on the brink of war, and he did not want them to be caught by surprise. He knew the enemy was coming; however, he didn't know whether it would be by land or by sea. But very late on a moonlit night, when he saw those lanterns burning in the tower of the old North Church in Boston, Massachusetts, he immediately knew that the enemy was coming by land. At that point, he jumped on his horse and began to fearlessly ride him from village to village, sounding an alarm that would not only wake up the nation, but would wake up the world as he cried out, "To arms! To arms! The British are coming."
Without delay, I am sounding another alarm to you so that you might awaken to the reality that there is a war going on and your enemy is advancing. I am calling you aggressively to arms, not because the British are coming, but because the devil is already here.
It is so fascinating that the devil is introduced in the book of Genesis as a serpent. In 1999, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study concerning people bitten by dead snakes. This study included comprehensive research from Drs. Jeffrey Suchard and Frank LoVecchio of the Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Both of these toxicologists suggested, "Education to prevent snakebites should include warnings against handling recently killed snakes."
In this remarkable study, Suchard and LoVecchio recounted the case of one such patient, who "shot a rattlesnake, striking the head several times, and observed no movement (in the snake) for 3 minutes." However, upon lifting the apparently "lifeless" creature, the man felt the snake sink its fangs deep into his right index finger.
The Phoenix researchers found that "rattlesnake heads are dangerous 20 to 60 minutes after decapitation." Based on their own experience in treating snakebite victims, the authors warned that "imminently fatal injuries do not prevent rattlesnakes from producing serious or even multiple envenomations."[1]
Now we know Lord Jesus dealt Satan a fatal blow at the cross of Calvary; however, he is still harmful, and we must continually be on our guard against him.
Just as Satan is a supernatural adversary, he requires supernatural artillery. Paul denotes in 2 Corinthians 10:4 that "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds." In other words, what Paul tells us is that Satan is not afraid of bullets or missiles. He is only afraid of those supernatural weapons that are found in the armor of God.
In Ephesians 6, Paul shares with us in detail what we are to arm ourselves with in this war that we fight everyday. There are six pieces of equipment that make up this armor: the first five are for our guard against Satan, but the sixth one is so that we might go on the attack and defeat Satan.
You need to understand that Satan is definitely on the attack, because Paul cautions us to beware of the "fiery darts of the wicked one" (Eph. 6:16, NKJV). Satan has a quiver full of fiery darts, flaming arrows that he fires at us every day from every imaginable angle. Now the good news is none of these can reach us or hurt us as long as we are equipped with the full armor of God because each piece of this armor is purposely designed to defend against any specific dart that Satan throws our way.
I. The Belt Of Truth Repels The Dart Of Deceit
The first piece of equipment that a Roman soldier would put on was what would be called a girdle or a belt. Paul wrote: "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth..." (Eph. 6:14, NKJV). The belt was not simply a strip of cloth around the waist, but rather was a leather apron that helped protect the lower part of the soldier's body. To this belt was fastened all of the other pieces of the armor. The soldier would then gather up the tunic, or long robe that he was wearing, and tuck it into this belt so he would not be stalled in the fight.
The belt of truth represents God's holy Word. In Ephesians 1:13 Paul refers to "the word of truth." As a matter of fact, Jesus said in John 17:17, "Your word is truth." In this case God's Word is a defensive weapon. It is to be used to repel the dart of deceit.
Jesus made a statement about the devil in the eighth chapter of John that is rather interesting. He said, "He is a liar and the father of it" (Jn. 8:44, NKJV). Satan is genuinely deceitful and is the master of deception. It was his deceit of Eve that fated the whole human race. In fact, Paul said in 1 Timothy 2:14, "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression." Therefore, the same devil that could deceive Eve in the Garden of Eden can deceive you and me where we are right now.
Think about this. Satan has his doctrines just as God has His doctrines. We are expressly cautioned in 1 Timothy 4:1, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." So take time to understand there is demonic doctrine just as there is divine doctrine. You are not affixed to God securely by the belt of His truth. If you are not extremely careful, you will be "tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine."
We are essentially living in a day and age where you had better be able to identify false doctrine. I have known many Christians throughout my ministry who have fallen prey to demonic cults because they could not properly identify false doctrine.
A Sunday school teacher once asked one of her pupils, "What is false doctrine?" A spirited little boy raised his hand and said, "It's when the doctor gives the wrong stuff to people when they're sick and they die." Now that is rather humorous; however, there is great truth to that because false doctrine will kill you.
You had better put on the belt of truth every single day, because just as soon as you take it off, you will be caught with your pants down. And that is when Satan will poke a pitchfork in you right where it hurts. The word of God is truth. The Bible is not God's Word because it is true; it is true because it is the Word of God. In fact, God does not say something because it is true; something is true because God says it is. Therefore, no matter what you hear from any pulpit, any professor or any preacher, if it does not line up with the Bible, it is not truth.
The reason the devil hates the Bible so much is because it is the word of truth. One Bible scholar made this incisive remark: "Satan does not waste his ammunition. Professors who are being paid to teach philosophy, English, biology, or mathematics often take time from their class periods to undermine the Bible and orthodox Christianity. Why are they not doing the same thing with the sacred books of other religions? The answer is that Satan, the original liar, is sympathetic with books that lie. His real enmity is directed against the book of truth, because it contains the dynamite for his defeat." Daily we must surround ourselves with the belt of truth, which is the Word of Almighty God. When we do that, we can fearlessly enter this spiritual conflict, knowing the devil is powerless against us.
II. The Breastplate Of Righteousness Repels The Dart Of Disgruntlement
After we equip ourselves with the belt of truth, we must "put on the breastplate of
righteousness" (Eph. 6:14b, NKJV). The breastplate was a coat of mail that covered the front and back of the soldier's body from the neck to the thighs. It was designed to protect the most vital organ of the body, the heart, from injury.
Your heart is the real "heart of the battle" in this war. Understand that in the Word of God, the heart represents the will, the emotions, and the mind. It is the core of what we are. As a matter of fact, your eternal destiny will be decided in your heart. Romans 10:9 says, "If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved."
How you think, how you act, the person you are, or the person you will soon become, is always decided in your heart. Psalms 23:7 states, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." So the heart of Satan's attack is the attack of the heart. Let me share with you how Satan works in this area of our warfare. Satan will come to your heart and try to tempt you to sin. The moment you do, he will point his bony finger of condemnation at you because you did. He is the "accuser of the brethren," and he loves to remind us of our sins. He loves to bring them up to our attention. He loves to dig up old dirt and throw it in our face. He loves to rattle the skeletons in our closet, and he does that until we become doubting Christians and then, finally, pouting Christians.
I cannot stress to you enough how vitally important it is that you put on the breastplate of righteousness. Because when you do, you can differentiate between Holy Spirit conviction and satanic accusation. Understand that the Holy Spirit will use the Scripture to convict us, but Satan will use feelings to condemn us. When the Spirit convicts us, it is to draw us closer to God and make us more like Christ; but when Satan condemns us, it is to steer us away from God and make us more like the world. Spiritual conviction leads to admission and adjustment, but satanic accusation leads to despair and disillusionment.
Notice the Spirit will convict you of unconfessed sin in your life so that you can get right with God, but Satan will charge you with sins you have already confessed so that you will not feel right with God. When this happens, and it happens to the best of us, you must take up the breastplate of righteousness. Now let me tell you what that implies. When the Word of God speaks of righteousness, it refers sometimes to positional righteousness, and it refers sometimes to practical righteousness. Moreover, we must note the difference. When God saves you, He declares you righteous once and for all. We call that justification. However, there is also the righteousness that God wants to manifest in your life daily. We call that sanctification. So we need both of these kinds of righteousness in order to repel the devil's dart of disgruntlement.
The Bible declares in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that we are "the righteousness of God in Christ." Therefore the next time Satan comes to you with the dagger of disgruntlement in his hand and tries make you think you are not right with God you make sure you are equipped with the breastplate of righteousness. You just simply say to him, "Satan, I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, and nothing you can say or do to me will ever change that." Do you know what will happen? The dagger of disgruntlement will shatter in his hand against the breastplate of God's righteousness on your heart.
III. The Gospel Of Peace Repels The Dart Of Discord
The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:15 to "shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace." One of the most significant pieces of equipment for a soldier was his boots. Without good boots he could not march, and without good boots he could not do battle. In Paul's day, the Roman soldier wore sandals that were firmly fastened to his feet by leather thongs. On the soles of these sandals were bits of metal, or hobnails, to give the soldier a firm footing on the ground. It was very important for a solider to keep his footing, because no soldier can wage war flat on his back.
That is why we are told that we must have our feet "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." This peace is the peace that comes from receiving the gospel and knowing that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Now ponder that verse for a moment. In truth, if you are at peace with God, you are at war with the devil. You should now understand why spiritual warfare is so different from natural warfare. For instance, in the natural world, when you discard war, you have peace. However, in the spiritual world you have peace only when you declare war. So the only way you can have peace with God is to declare war on the devil; and when you declare war on the devil, he declares war on you.
So that is why it is imperative to have good boots on; because as you walk through this life, you will walk through thorns of temptation and thistles of tribulation; you will step in landmines of lust; you will have to scale mountains of misery. But if you have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, you can remove every thorn and scale every mountain.
The word "preparation" literally means, "to be ready." Thus, when you are at peace with God, and you have the peace of God in your heart, you can deal with anything the devil throws your way.
Remember that it is not what happens to you in life that is important; it is how you respond to what happens to you that actually matters to God. If you are at peace with God, you can weather any storm that may come your way; for God's Word says in Isaiah 26:3, "God will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is fixed on Him." Charles Wesley, the great hymn writer, once wrote:
I rest beneath the Almighty's shade,
My griefs expire, my troubles cease;
Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,
Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.
Now his feet were evidently shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
IV. The Shield Of Faith Repels The Dart Of Doubt
We are instructed to take "the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Eph. 6:16, NKJV). The shield that Paul was referring to here was not the small, round shield that we usually picture in our mind. He was referring to the shield the Roman soldier would carry. This shield was very large-usually about two feet by four feet. It was made of wood that was covered with cloth and leather. Many times, this defensive weapon was dipped in water so that the fire-tipped arrows would be extinguished when they struck the soldier during battle.
I personally believe that this shield is to repel the dart of doubt. The Word of God says, "without faith it is impossible to please Him (God)" (Heb. 11:6, NKJV). Therefore, if faith is what pleases God, then doubt is what pleases the devil; and nothing thrills the devil more than to get Christians to doubt.
First, he will try to get you to doubt God's word. Then, he will try to get you to doubt God's will. Lastly, he will try to get you to doubt God's work.
I want you to know unapologetically that there is nothing sinful and nothing wrong with doubt. Some people and even some preachers of the Gospel think it's a sin if you doubt. However, faith assumes doubt. In other words, if there is no room for doubt, then there is no room for faith. Do not ever be ashamed if you have had doubts in your heart. In fact, let me be totally candid with you. I have doubted. I have even doubted my salvation at times.
I even know some Christians who profess that they have never doubted their salvation; and honestly, I do not understand it. I once heard about a woman who approached Dwight L. Moody and said, "Mr. Moody, I've been saved for 25 years and I've never had a single doubt." Dwight L. Moody replied, "Madam, I doubt you've been saved. That would be like somebody saying, 'We've been married 50 years and never had an argument.' I doubt if they've ever been married."
Understand that doubt, in and of itself, is not a sin. It is what you do with your doubt that establishes whether or not it becomes a sin. Let me ask you a question: Do you know what doubt is? Someone has defined doubt as "a cloud that stands before the sun, keeping it from shining its light." Yet, doubt is a chance to fortify your faith, and the way you starve your doubt is to feed your faith. For that reason, you need God's Word to feed your faith. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
When doubt travels down your road, you just plainly need to say, "I am going to take God at His word and live according to His truths and principles no matter what." What is wrong with many of God's children today is they take up the shield of feelings instead of taking up the shield of faith. Now the shield of feelings is fine provided that you feel good; but when you start to feel badly, the shield of feelings will crumble right before your very eyes. The only shield that will repel the dart of doubt is the shield of faith.
The very next time Satan tries to bring doubt into your heart, look him in the eye and say, "Do what you will, but regardless of the situation, I am going to trust God and confide in His Word." When you do that, you will have just put up a shield he cannot infiltrate. Faith is the victory that triumphs over the world.
V. The Helmet Of Salvation Repels The Dart Of Despair
Just as the breastplate was to protect the heart, the helmet was to protect the head. The Apostle Paul tells us to "take the helmet of salvation" (Eph. 6:17, NKJV). In a war the two most vulnerable targets for any enemy are your heart and your head. If a soldier is injured in either of these places, he will likely die. That is why a helmet has always been one of the most vital pieces of the armor.
If the devil cannot invade your heart, he will try to invade your head. He will try to play mind games with you. He will either try to make you think you're lost, or he will try to convince you that you can lose your salvation. Then the first time you sin, he will say to you, "See what I told you. You have lost your salvation. You might have been a Christian, but you're not now; you've completely lost it." There is not a more depressed man in the world than a Christian who thinks he has lost his salvation.
When that happens to you, you need to put on the helmet of salvation. What is this helmet? It is, initially, the fact that you are saved, and secondly, the certainty that you can never lose that salvation. Did you know the Word of God teaches two things about salvation? It teaches, first of all, that you can be sure of it; and number two, that you can be secure in it. The next time Satan gets you to doubt whether or not you are saved, let me give you a good piece of advice: don't look back at a past occurrence. Don't look at how you used to believe. Don't pull out a church membership card or baptismal certificate. Pull out God's inerrant Word. Just turn to John 5:24, which says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." In that one verse Jesus expresses two significant truths: You can be sure of your salvation, and you can be secure in that salvation. In other words, you can be certain you have eternal life, and you can be confident you will never come into judgment.
In his book, Light for Anxious Souls, George Cutting told about a farmer who lacked the assurance of salvation. He foolishly prayed that as evidence of his acceptance, the Lord would cause ten sheep of his flock-and only ten-to gather in a certain shed out in the pasture.
Later that day, when the farmer anxiously approached the shed, he was relieved to find exactly ten sheep. That gave him a temporary sense of peace. Doubt returned with the shocking thought that it may have been just a coincidence. So he asked the Lord that ten different sheep might gather in an opposite corner of the pasture. And they did!
When the farmer was asked, "Did this give you assurance?" he said, "No, nothing gave me certainty until I got the sure Word of God for it."
Cutting concluded, "He was all in a fog of uncertainty until he planted his foot firmly on the 'Thus saith the Lord.'"[2] That is truly taking up the helmet of salvation.
VI. The Sword Of The Spirit Repels The Dart Of Disbelief
Our final weapon is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Keep in mind that while armor is extremely crucial for the protection of the soldier, the warrior would be hopeless in battle if he had no weapon with which to attack the enemy and to defend himself. The first five weapons were defensive. The last one is offensive, for God does not always want us to be on the defense; He wants us to be on the offense as well. General George Patton once stated, "You fight a war attacking from the front, not defending from the rear."
We are specifically told to take the sword of the Spirit and go on the attack. The sword that Paul was referring to here was a short, straight sword that was used for close combat by the Roman soldier. It was about 14 inches long, sharp at the end and on both sides. It cut both ways, and this sword that we have is the Word of God. This makes us think about what the author of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
We all need to carefully understand that we have a defense for every weapon he has, but Satan has no defense for the one weapon we have. Therefore, when we put on the "whole" armor of God, we can shield ourselves against every attack of Satan. However, when we take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, he cannot shield himself against us.
Think about how Jesus defeated the devil when He was tempted in the wilderness. He only used one weapon-"It is written." He just took the sword of the Spirit and cut Satan through and through.
Our problem is, too many people keep their sword in the sheath and never pull it out. In a nationwide survey of Americans, the Barna Research Group found that 58% do not know who preached the Sermon on the Mount. Most Americans cannot identify the names of the first four books of the New Testament. Half of all adults (52%) did not know that the book of Jonah is in the Bible. Half of all adults (48%) did not know that the book of Thomas is not in the Bible. Seven out of ten adults did not know that the expression "God helps those that help themselves" is not contained within the Bible.[3]
So let me state the obvious. A sword must be removed from its sheath. It must be taken from its scabbard if it is going to be of any use. In fact, it has been said that a closed Bible is no better than no Bible at all.
Martin Luther preached a sermon in 1531; and although this message is over 400 years old, he said something in it that I want to convey to you as we think about this warfare:
"Christendom must have people who can beat down their adversaries and opponents and tear off the devil's equipment and armor, that he may be brought into disgrace. But for this work, powerful warriors are needed who are thoroughly familiar with the Scriptures, and can contradict all false interpretations and take the sword from false teachers-that is, those very verses which false teachers use, and turn them round upon them so that they fall back defeated. But as not all Christians can be so capable in defending the Word and articles of their creed, they must have teachers and preachers who study the Scriptures and have daily fellowship with it, so that they can fight for all the others. Yet each Christian should be so armed that he himself is sure of his belief and of the doctrine, and is so equipped with the sayings from the word of God, that he can stand up against the devil and defend himself when men seek to lead him astray."[4]
If you will take the armor of God daily, and from head to toe put it on, and then go do battle with the sword of the Spirit, I guarantee you that you will live a victorious life in Christ Jesus.
Endnotes:
[1] "The New England Journal of Medicine" 1999; 340: 1930.
[2] "Our Daily Bread," April 28.
[3] J. Kirk Johnston, "Why Christians Sin," (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 1992), p. 68. [4] Charles Swindoll, "Sanctity of Life," (Dallas: Word, 1990), pp. 101-102.
(PastorLife is pleased to offer you this important series of messages entitled "How To Meet and Defeat The Enemy: The Keys To Victory In Spiritual Warfare." We are grateful to Dr. Blake Carroll, President of Christ-Pointe Ministries, for his faithfulness to preaching God's word and for sharing this manuscript with PastorLife. We will include the forward to Dr. Carroll's "How To Meet and Defeat The Enemy," written by Dr. James T. (Jimmy) Draper, Jr. It is our prayer that PastorLife.com will continue to bless you in your sermon preparation and in your ministry.
Forward:
It has been my privilege to know Blake Carroll for several years now. I have spent time with him, been in his home and preached in his church. I have found him to be a young man of impeccable integrity, with a passionate love for the Word of God, a deep determination to see Christians grow in their faith, and a driving desire to see the lost come to faith in Christ. His preaching is solidly founded upon the Word of God. His warmth and genuine love for people comes across in his ministry.
This book that he has written deals with the battle that every Christian must engage in. We may not recognize it, but we are at war with Satan and his forces. Ephesians 6 gives us our battle plan and strategies. Blake Carroll has done a splendid job in opening this passage up for us to see the reality of the battle and the weapons of our engagement.
I commend these pages to you. Read them and you will be challenged and blessed. You will become equipped for the warfare that rages against us in our world today. And pass this on to others, as that is the specific command for us from God's Word: "What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2).
Jimmy Draper
President, LifeWay Christian Resources)