Pastor Mike : THE FINAL COUNTDOWN : A Ministry of CHRIST-LIVES.ORG

Riches of Gods Grace - Power of Prayer

Intro: As we have moved through the final verses of the book of Ephesians, we have been dealing with the issue of spiritual warfare. I think most believers really don’t believe that we are engaged in battle with an unseen, yet very powerful enemy. It doesn’t change the fact that we are. Satan, the enemy of God, is also the enemy of the people of God. His desire for us is to defeat us, destroy us, and devour us. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8 KJV) Using what the Bible calls “wiles” (Ephesians 6:11), which speaks of “deceit and diabolical schemes”, he seeks to trick us. • James 1:14 reminds us, “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” • The words “drawn away” are taken from the world of hunting and fishing, where the hunter and the fisherman use various means to lure they prey from a place of safety. • The word “enticed” means, “to catch by a bait.” • Satan is like a master hunter, or a master fisherman, he sets his traps, and baits his hooks. He lies in wait to capture and destroy the unsuspecting Christian. • If we are not “sober” and “vigilant” as the Bible tells us to be, we will be assaulted, or worse. We do not have to become victims of Satan’s traps and devices. God has equipped us with everything we need to stand against the devil and attacks. If we use the means God has given us, we will not become casualties in this spiritual war in which we are engaged. That is the promise of God, Ephesians 6:13.

Riches of Gods Grace - Blade of the Spirit

Today, we will consider the final piece of “the whole armor of God.” Allow me to spend a moment reminding us of the other pieces of the armor and what they represent.

Riches of Gods Grace - Bonnet of Salvation

Once again we turn our attention to the pieces that make up “the whole armor of God.” Lets read from Gods word! Ephesians 6:13-18 King James Version 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Verses 10-13 teach us that the saints of God are engaged in a great spiritual conflict against a powerful, relentless enemy. Our enemy is identified in verse 11 as “the devil.” This “devil” comes against the people of God with various “wiles,” v. 11. He does everything in his power to destroy our faith and to draw attention away from the God of glory.

Riches of Gods Grace - The Buckler of Faith

Ephesians 6:16 SPIRIT-FILLED WARFARE PART 2c THE BUCKLER OF FAITH Intro: We are continuing to examine the various pieces that constitute “the whole armor of God.” I am taking my time and preaching on each piece of the armor because there is coming a day in each of our lives when we will need to know what “the whole armor of God” is, and we will need to know how to use it in our lives. The truth is, we need to know about and use the armor every day. We don’t always think about it, but it is vitally important in our spiritual lives. According to Verses 10-13 the saints of God are engaged in a great cosmic battle against a powerful, relentless enemy. Our enemy is “the devil,” v 11. He attacks us by using his “wiles,” v. 11. He employs “tricks, schemes, and methods” to undermine our faith, and to attack the glory of God. God desires that we be able to “stand” against the attacks of the enemy, vvs. 11, 13, 14. To “stand” means “to hold a critical position during a time of enemy attack.” Biblical standing is the image of “a soldier refusing to yield even one inch of ground to an attacking foe.” It is the image of a soldier on the defensive, protecting the ground that has already been taken from the enemy. God has blessed His people by giving us some very precious things. • We have truth. • We have His church. • We have His Word. • We have His grace. • We have His salvation. • We have His blessing. • We have so much more too. The problem is, our enemy, the devil, does not want us to have the things we have been given by the Lord. He will do everything in His power to strip all those things away from us. What he can’t take away from us, he will so everything in his power to nullify. If he can’t take it, he wants to strip it of its power in our lives. If we would keep what we have in the Lord, we are going to have to “stand” and hold the precious ground we have been given.

Richs of Gods Grace 0 Armor of God - Boots of Peace

As we continue to study “the whole armor of God,” we continually need to be reminded why this is such an important topic. Verses 10-13 introduce the subject of spiritual warfare. We are told that the saints of God are engaged in a great cosmic battle against a powerful, relentless enemy. Our enemy is called “the devil,” v 11. Our enemy is said to employ “wiles,” v. 11. This word refers to “the tricks, schemes, and methods” the devil uses to undermine the faith of the saints, and to attack the glory of God. God’s command to His people is that they “stand” against the attacks of the enemy, vvs. 11, 13, 14. The word “stand” is a military term. It means “to hold a critical position during a time of enemy attack.” It is the image of “a soldier refusing to yield even one inch of ground to an attacking foe.” It is not the image of someone on the offensive, but rather, it is the picture of a soldier on the defensive, protecting the ground that has already been won.