Armor of GodEphesians 6:10-20

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NLT)

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:14-17 (NLT)

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

Ephesians 6:18-20 (NLT)

The Good, The Bad & the Ugly

Part 1

Five Main Areas of Life

Church Life (Eph 4:1-11)

Christian Life (Eph 4:12-5:20)

Marriage Life(Eph 5:21-33)

Parental Life (Eph 6:1-4)

Business Life (Eph 6:5-9)

The Good

The Good

Who is the Lord? (Eph 6:10)

Gr.: Kyrios => King JHWH God of the OT & NT

The Good

The King is …

• God > Father, Son & Holy Spirit

• Conquerer & law-giver of the OT

• Son-giver & Redeemer of the NT

The Good

Ephesians 1:19 mentions the “incredible greatness of God”.

God has given us everything we need to be godly (2 Peter 1:3-5)

The Bad

The Bad“Our battle is not against flesh and blood” (Eph 6:12)

Satans power is limited (Job 1-2 / Mat 4),

yet he tries his best to make us sin.

The BadWhat is Satan up to?

Eph 4:4 Toss us in teachings & trick us with lies

2 Pet 1:8. Make us unproductive & unfruitful

1 Pet 5:6-8 Devour us in our worries

Mt 13:1-9 Rob, tremble, choke

John 10:10 Rob, destroy, kill

The Bad

Jesus destroyed deaths grip (Hebr. 2:14-15)

Jesus disarmed the spiritual rulers (Col 2:13-15)

Satans defeat and punishment is certain (Rev. 20:7-15)

The Bad

Satan is yet a force to be reckoned with!

The Ugly

The UglyLives battles are not just in the obvious areas of temptations, they are in every area of every day life.

Church Life (Eph 4:1-11)

Christian Life (Eph 4:12-5:20)

Marriage Life(Eph 5:21-33)

Parental Life (Eph 6:1-4)

Business Life (Eph 6:5-9)

The UglyAreas of Temptation:

• Worry 60%

• Procrastination 55%

• Eating too much 44%

• Being lazy 41%

• Viewing porn 18%

Shocking news: 50% are not sure why they do it!

The UglyFeeling bad & sad about sin is a good thing (2 Cor 7:8-10)

Temptation is not sin

Temptation shows your hearts deepest desire

What is your deepest desire?

What should be your deepest desire?

The Ugly

How can God be the center of your hearts desire?

The Armor of God is exactly about this:

How God can be central, around and within your life!

Part 2 Our Protective Gear

The Protective Gear

Knowing that it is a spiritual war, what kind of protection and weapon are we to expect?

Spiritual war => Spiritual Weapon

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:14-17 (NLT)

Tactical Belt of Truth

Truth has to do with my foundation.

Jesus based Standards!

Bullet prove vest of Righteousness

Righteousness requires a Value System.

Jesus based Values!

Boots of readiness of the Gospel

R e a d i n e s s o f t h e Gospel.

Jesus driven Actions!

Shield of Faith

Faith is Trust and yield.

Jesus based Submission!

Helmet of Salvation

S a l v a t i o n i s a destination & reward.

Jesus generated Hope!

Cloak of Zeal

Z e a l d i s p l a y s perseverance & grit .

Jesus driven Passion!

– 2 Peter 1:3

“By his devine power, God has given us everything we need

for living a godly life.”

In the trenches

Part 3

My Weapon

My WeaponKnow the Areas of your struggles,

and choose your ammunition wisely.

Jesus “shot” back…

• When he was tempted

• Against the pharisees

• Used scripture in the Sermon on the Mount

My WeaponBible Study vs. Book Study

How do I make the weapon MY weapon?

Reading the Bible regularly

Memorizing Scripture

Use frequently, e.g. parenting, decision making,…

– Bruce Lee

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who

has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

My Commander

My CommanderIf God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)

Flee temptation (2 Tim 2:22),

and run towards God (Jam 4:7 / 1 Pet 5:8-9)

Prayer is the life-line for leadership!

My CommanderLeading up & down the chain:

• Report the danger

• Maintain communication

• Brief on developments

• Call in [air]-support if necessary

My CommanderExtra instruction: Stay alert!

Why?

Mat 26:41 so we don’t give in to temptation Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

2 Pet 5:8-9 Satan wants to devour us

My Brotherhood

My BrotherhoodWho is my Brother in Arms?

=> The one that is fighting on the same side.

Don’t team up with someone who doesn’t belong to God’s team.

Together is the key!

My BrotherhoodDear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

Galatians 6:1-3 (NLT)

My Brotherhood

Mission

Win the battle you are facing & support each other in every ones battle.

My Brotherhood

The importance of “stacking up”:

Working together

Communication

One leader, but everyone can lead

My Brotherhood

The mighty men were David’s Band of Brothers

2 Sam 23:8-39

– Joshua 1:9

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or

discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”