Sermon Info
Summary
We are in a spiritual battle. Most of the time we only focus on what we can see, but there is a battle that rages between Good vs. Evil, that we cannot see, and impacts all of us. We have an enemy who does not want us to succeed in life. The devil endeavors to keep people from God and schemes against those who seek to follow Jesus. Yet, God is more powerful than our enemy and gives us the armor to succeed in the battle. Put on the full armor of God and live for the glory of God. The devil will be defeated, so let’s not let him get a foothold in our minds, homes, and lives. Let’s stand for Jesus and know that the battle belongs to the Lord!
Content
Our Spiritual Battle
Are you aware of the spiritual battle that's going on around you each day? As we walk into our workplaces or at-home offices, our classrooms or kid's schools, our homes or apartments, restaurants or coffee shops, there is a battle for our souls. The Enemy wants to discourage, destroy, and defeat us – and some days, it can feel like we are fighting alone.
But, you are not alone. Our God, every single day, is fighting for us. And He's given us armor to fight against the lies and temptations that we face – the Armor of God. Our Everyday Armor.
When we become a Christian, not only do we gain the incredible gifts of forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life, but we also gain an Enemy. He knows the power of God, and he will do everything he can to fight against Christ. There is an active and daily battle for our souls. Though this can sound alarming and scary, it’s so essential for us as Christ-followers to recognize this so that we can be resisting the devil’s schemes each day. That’s why we need the Armor of God.
What the Bible Says about our Spiritual Battle
In this series, we’re diving into Ephesians 6, where Paul describes for us what the Armor of God is. At the very beginning of this passage, Paul tells us what the reason is for us to have this armor: Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11). The reason for this armor is so that we can take a stand against our Enemy. Paul doesn’t write this to ignite fear in our hearts, but he does want us to know about our Enemy and know how to fight against him because our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
Though we tangibly see “battles” in life, whether that’s an argument between nations or people groups or even families or friends, this passage also informs us that, as Christ-followers, these are not our primary struggles or battles. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood – it’s in our mind, in our home, in our workplaces, and even in our church. We need this armor that God designed for us, so that we can fight.
In Ephesians 6:13, we are told to “put on” the Armor of God. One doesn’t passively put something on. No, it’s an active decision to pray for God’s help and to take up the armor that will help us stand strong in our beliefs, our values, our convictions, and our faith.
How will you take a stand to fight against our spiritual battles?
We’ll face battles each day, and we will be tempted time and time again. Temptation, however, is not a sin. We will be tempted, but it’s when those temptations come that we need to take up and put on the Armor of God. The battle that rages impacts all of us. Our Enemy does not want us to succeed. He wants to thwart our successes and keep us from growing in our faith.
Yet, God is more powerful than our Enemy and gives us the armor to succeed in the battle. The armor is there for us to fight again the devil’s schemes, but we also must know that we are not fighting alone. We know how the story ends – our God wins every time! He fights our battles, He goes before us, and He’s stronger than any enemy or struggle we will ever face.
But, we must continue to fight. We must not let the devil get a foothold in our minds, homes, and lives. We must fight our battle starting on our knees, bringing our deepest struggles and battles to Him. He will never leave us to fight alone, so we can cling to Him in the middle of any challenge that life throws our way.
Are you going to fight? Are you going to say, “Not today, Satan!”? We are on the winning side, friends. If God is for us, WHO can be against us? Through Christ, we are more than conquerors. He will defeat Satan once and for all in the days to come, but now we are called to fight in such a time as this. Let’s stand for Jesus and know that the battle belongs to the Lord!
