About

God’s Double Whammy Defense Various Passages May 23, 2021 Introduction A. No soldier would ever go to battle without their defensive armor or their offensive weapons 1. Today we are going to look at our defensive armor 2. Next week we will look at our key offensive weapon! • This morning I want to share with you two strong defensive resources that God gives us in standing firm against Satan’s attacks to hold our ground. The first is… I. The armor of God A. God has provided His armor for the very purpose that we might be able to stand firm against Satan’s attacks turn to Ephesians 6 1. Read v11 put on the full armor … “that” you may be able to stand firm. 2. Read v 13, take up the full armor …“that” you may be able to resist... and... Stand firm. B. What is the armor? 1. Read v14-17 2. Bottom line - truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. C. I want to share with you in a very practical way, how I put on the armor! 1. I put on the armor through believing prayer. 2. I start by thanking God for the foundation that by His doings, I am in Christ and Christ is in me. When I pray about: a. I in Christ I am claiming all the gifts and rights that God has given to me in Christ. b. Christ in me I am praying that the life of Jesus within would grow in me and take greater possession of my life in these particular ways! 3. You will note as I describe what I do that when it comes to what I am in Christ it is always in the context of thanking God for that because it is already done. But when it comes to Christ in me, I am always asking for something because it has to do with what God needs to do in my life. D. Describe what the armor is like that we wear. 1. Belt = truth – the belt is so important because it is the piece of the armor that holds all the other pieces in place. a. Satan’s primary tool is the lie. He was a liar from the beginning, he is the father of lies and he works through the lie. Much of spiritual warfare rages in the mind and it is a battle between the truth and lies. b. In Christ – thank Him that I am in the truth and associated with the truth. c. Christ in me – ask 1) His spirit to move the truth from my head to my heart. That He would cause truth to fill the innermost part of my being. 2) Holy Spirit to shine His light of truth on and expose any darkness, lies, ground, denial, deception, doubt, strongholds (mindsets contrary to truth) strategies that Satan is working against me, my family and MVC. 2. Breastplate = righteousness a. Satan is constantly attacking believers in this area. 1) He accuses us of sin and tries to convince us that deep inside there is something wrong with us, and that we are dirty and not good. He also is looking for ground in our life from which he can work! 2) We need to stand firm in the truth that we are righteousness in Christ. b. In Christ – thank that in Christ I am righteousness. Nothing to do with my performance or any righteousness of my own. Thank you that I stand before you today with Jesus righteousness and not my own. c. Christ in me – ask Jesus to fill me with His righteousness in such a way that I live a righteous life. Would He make righteousness the delight and desire of my heart? And make me more righteous so Satan has less he can grab onto! 3. Shoes = peace a. I believe this applies to both the peace with other brothers and sisters in Christ and proclaiming of the good news to the lost of peace with God through Jesus. b. When we are under attack by Satan, we feel like God is displeased with us because not everything is in order in our lives. In the midst of the battle, you need to stand on firm on the fact that you are at peace with God. c. A key theme in Ephesians is the peace that comes between the believing Jew and Gentile and that Jesus has already broken down the dividing wall. 1) Nothing that I know of better causes a place for Satan to attack than in the area of divided relationships between believers. When we have something in our hearts against one another, Satan notices that and causes it to come out in such a way as to ruin relationships and churches. 2) We need to be ready to make peace with one another. d. So when I pray I pray regarding both peace in my relationships and spreading the gospel of peace. 1) In Christ – thank Him that I am one with Him and we are at peace with one another! 2) Christ in me • Ask Him to grant me every grace that I need to be at peace with those who struggle with me and I pray for blessings upon those with whom I struggle. • I also ask Him that as an ambassador He would give me the heart of Jesus towards the lost and a readiness in my heart to share the gospel. Pray that He would open a door for me to share the gospel 4. Shield = faith a. When Satan’s lies, doubts, and temptations come flying over at us, it will require the shield of faith to extinguish them. 1) Without faith then Satan’s flames begin to burn and destruction of our lives is the result; and we are distracted from the real enemy as we are busy putting out the fires that Satan has started. 2) Like the Roman soldier, we must also at all times crouch behind that shield when we are fighting. Whenever we take on the enemy from a stance other than by faith we leave ourselves open to be struck by his arrows. b. In Christ – thank Him that I am in the faith. c. Christ in me – ask that His Spirit would fill me with His faith, His expectancy and His dependency. I ask that my faith will not come from me but from Him. And that He would make me sensitive to the flaming darts coming my way! 5. Helmet = salvation a. In Christ – thank Him that I am already saved, already a new creature, already dead to sin and alive to God, already delivered from authority of Satan and transferred to kingdom of His son. That I am no longer a victim but now a victor! I declare that I am fighting today from a position of victory and not trying to get victory b. Christ in me – ask Him to work in particular strongholds in my life. Break, transform and control. I also ask Him to work in areas of sin and ground in my life that I am not even aware of. I particularly ask Him to make me aware of my own thoughts and that by His grace I would bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ 6. Sword = word - a. We will look at this one next week in more depth as part of our offensive weapon. b. It is sufficient to say today that I pray the Spirit of God will speak the word to my heart, bring the word to me through others, and through me to others! • So the first defensive gift that God gives us is the armor of God. The second one is … II. God himself as our refuge! A. Read Psalm 18:30 1. A refuge is a place that provides shelter or protection from danger or distress. 2. Illustrate it by running to Kim’s porch during a rainstorm when we were dating. 3. God is saying here that His word is tried, proven and certain. If you trust Him to be your protection from danger, He will be a shield to you. 4. Remember in Job 1:10 Satan complained to God that he could not get at Job because God had put a hedge about him, his house and all that he had. B. Turn and read Psalm 91:9-11. 1. By faith, he trusted God to be his refuge as a result God gave his angels a charge/command concerning him to guard him in all his ways. 2. Picture this for them. Me praying and God calling the angels at the café. C. Does this really work? I wondered that myself and began to ask God if this was real or was I just making it up in my head. Within 2 weeks 1. Story of Courtney and the school kids egging her on to involve herself in a séance. Felt like something one was telling her no in her heart. 2. Story of me working for Dave and painting a front window when woman came out fully naked. 3. Did not think but rather God whispered that into my heart • So III. Application A. Simply start daily and at special times of trial or ministry to pray on this armor through believing prayer, declare to God you are trusting Him to be your refuge, your spiritual protection, then ban Satan from your life and ministry by the blood, authority and name of Jesus B. Resource of my warfare prayer C. Pray