Sermon Info
Summary
We are in a spiritual battle. Our enemy, the devil, longs to get a foothold in our mind, home, workplace, and church. As Christ-followers, we must resist the devil and put on the full armor of God. This week, will you put on the Belt of Truth as you evaluate the information you hear? Listen to what God says about you and the truth of Jesus Christ. Also, cover your heart in His Righteousness and put on the Sandals of Peace as you walk into every situation. We are soldiers of God, and we must take our stand. As His Church, let’s stand together for the glory of our God!
Content
Our Spiritual Battle
In most sports, the athletes are playing alongside a team. There’s a goal and a desired outcome, and in order to get to that specific goal or outcome, the team works together to strive towards that goal. As the team works towards that goal, they also realize that they’re working against a common opponent – an “enemy.”
Similar to this, in our walk as Christians, we have both a team and an enemy. We have a body of believers, our team, to walk with through the highs and lows of daily life. However, we, too, have an enemy who is working at all costs to keep us from being faithful to Christ and to His Church. As we read in Ephesians 6, we must suit up for battle because the day of evil will come (Ephesians 6:13). And we have to know how to stand against the battle that rages around us.
God has given us both a team, as well as His armor to help us to take a stand. We are not walking this road of life alone – He equips us with this armor that is composed of His truth, His righteousness, and His peace. These pieces of armor help us to be prepared in strength and wisdom to face our daily battles.
What the Bible Says about Suiting Up for Battle
As we read about the armor of God in Ephesians 6, the first piece of armor we learn about is the belt of truth. Ephesians 6:14 says to buckle this belt made up of the truth found in God’s Word. This first piece of armor teaches us that truth cannot be relative – we must put on the belt of truth so that we can know what the truth is. As we head into each day, the truth is what grounds us in what we believe and know to be what’s right.
The second piece of armor that we read about is the breastplate of righteousness. This piece of armor covers our heart, and Ephesians 6 tells us that this is important because it keeps sin from getting to the part of us that is most vulnerable to attack. Our heart is what drives our thoughts, our actions, or our words, which is why we must protect it everyday.
Then Paul writes about the sandals of peace. Our feet are what propel us forward into our battles. They are how we walk from one day, one challenge, one triumph to the next. Christ-followers should walk in peace, since as one body you were called to peace (Colossians 3:15). The Gospel is what allows us to have peace with God, with others, and with ourselves. So, as God’s Word instructs us, let’s put on our sandals in order for us to walk in peace.
The armor of God is what equips us to stand our ground against the attacks of the enemy. The armor is essential to the life of a believer, so we must know what this armor is and how God has created it for us to fight.
Are you ready to fight your battles?
So, we know we are going to face battles. We know that we have an enemy. And we know that we must fight. Now that we know those things to be true, we have a responsibility to put on the armor of God. The walk of a Christian is not going to be easy; however, we do not have to engage the devil. We are called to stand.
And this begins with our daily time alone with God. Your private time with God prepares you for the battle. When you spend time with Him, you’re able to know what the truth is so that you can stand firm on it. You’re able to cover your heart with the righteousness of Jesus, so that you can forge ahead in righteousness found in Christ alone. You’re able to walk in peace as Jesus gives you the strength to fight against fear and lies from the enemy.
We stand together as God’s Church – we stand firmly on God using His armor. We are fighting with Him, and He has given us armor to fight each and every day.
