Pastor Rev. Steven Wagner Telephone: 573-437-5190

Rt 3, Owensville MO. 65066

ARMOR OF GOD

Open Door Fellowship

4/28/96

Scripture: Eph. 6:10-18

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the of the devil.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

A. Final and most important thing you need to remember v:10 Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. WHY?

B. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

a. So what is a wile?

1. Movements are cunningly precisely made

2. Fraud, trick, cunning, deceitful, sham, cheating and craftiness

b. Evil spirits attack us in ambushes, impure imagination, flesh, carnal mind, people.

I. We Must Be Strong In The Lord

A. II Corn. 2:11 We are destroyed because lack of knowledge

Corinthians-2 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

a. The bible says to be strong in the Lord, but we can't be strong in the Lord unless we do two things.

1. Know what the bible says

2. Live what the bible says

B. We are fighting a spiritual battle against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places.

a. What is a principalities? Kingdoms, Nations, domain, dominion

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

b. So who is this prince of the air, this one called the devil.

1. He is nothing more than a fallen angel. He is not a monster, or some ugly scary looking thing oozing with slime and blood. That is what he wants to put into your mind.

2. Lets look at some scripture-

a. Isa. 14:12-14

Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

Isaiah 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Isaiah 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

b. Ezek. 28:12-15

Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

Ezekiel 28:14 Thou [art] the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee [so]: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Ezekiel 28:15 Thou [wast] perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

c. Satan caused the fall of the human race (Gen. 3). His judgment was predicted in Eden (Gen. 3:15) and this was accomplished at the cross (John 12:31-33).

d. He is nevertheless only a creature, a fallen angel, a sham, a trickster, a counterfiter etc.

e. But, he does operate in the spiritual relm dealing with us on a spiritual level so we have to fight his tricks, traps, wiles, etc., spiritually.

f. Eph. 6:12 says-

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

B. Put On The Whole Armor of God

a. V:11 put it on and then v:13 having done all to stand then take your stand.

b. But this is the big problem doing everything to stand. Have you?

c. Lets look at this armor

a. This was a girdle used to tie all the armor together bringing strength and flexibility.

b. Jesus holds the armor all together.

a. Covered the heart

b. II Corn. 6:7- Corinthians-2 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

c. Purity, Holiness of God, sinless life.

d. Matt:5:20- For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

e. Heb. 12:14- Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

a. Teaches us, Matures us in God, prepares us for battle, gives us the battle strategy.

b. Sandals for the armor where made for speed to carry the soldiers.

c. The Gospel gives us speed to carry the truth.

a. Full length of the body

b. Made only for the front of the body

c. Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

d. Satan shoots these fiery darts at us but the shield of Faith gives us the strength to stand up under the attach. (I mean under the attach not out of it)

e. We have faith in the power of the universe the one that every knee shall bow every tongue confess that he is Lord.

1. Faith- comes from hearing the word of God.

II Corn. 10:4- For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.

a. Protection of the head

b. Protects our minds from the attach of Satan on in our imaginations and thoughts.

c. Romans 7:23- But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

d. We must have our salvation through Jesus Christ to overcome Satan. Holy Spirit

e. Romans 8:6- For to be carnal minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace.

a. Heb. 4:12- For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

b. Jeremiah 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

1. This is our fighting weapon this is the weapon we move forward with in battle. Without it you can't defend yourselves.

2. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness-How did he defend himself by the word of God

a. This undergirds the armor of God

b. We need to pray and pray in the Spirit

c. Remember Daniel prayed 21 days and the spiritual battle that was going on.

d. Romans 8:26-28

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

Conclusion: I Peter 5:8-Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the Devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

1. But God said in II Chron. 16:9- For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

2. Hes just a roaring lion, he makes a lot of noise, but if your unprotected he can attach you and trick you into his ways and life style.

3. But if your heart is perfect toward God he is protecting you and you don't have to worry.