thechristiansoldier

nullnullThe Christian SoldiernullEphesians 6:10-18aThis passage teaches us that God supplies us with spiritual weapons for spiritual foes. So let’s give some specific attention to this armor and to each of these weapons.http://www.tianjintianfu.com 夹桶器 汽车尾板 升降平台 http://www.u51688.com http://www.qiwhy.comnullBe strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.nullStand therefore having girded your loins with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.nullTHE EXHORTATION Be Strong (10a) and Stand (v. 14a)!nullBE STRONG! Passive Imperative: Let Jesus make you strong. Strong is from the original word for dynamite.nullSTAND! Active Imperative: Maintain Your Ground! Stand is from a word often rendered establish.So… nullTHE EXHORTATION LET THE LORD MAKE YOU STRONG LIKE DYAMITE, THEN STAND … FIRMLY ESTABLISHED!And how would this happen? By putting on the whole armor of God (v. 11), of course.nullTHE EQUIPMENT The Belt of Truth (v. 14a) The Breastplate of Righteousness (v. 14b) The Greaves of the Gospel (v. 15) The Shield of Faith (v. 16) The Helmet of Salvation (v. 17a) The Sword of God’s Word (v. 17b) The Prayerful Mind (v. 18a)nullTHE BELT OF TRUTH Physically … it enabled freedom of movement. Physically … it protected the loins.nullTHE BELT OF TRUTH Spiritually … truth liberates (John 8:32)Jesus said, The truth shall make you free. Free of what? Free of sin.nullTHE BELT OF TRUTH Spiritually … truth liberates (John 8:32) Spiritually … truth emboldens (Jn. 7:26 & 46)Look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him…. The officers said, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”nullTHE BELT OF TRUTH Spiritually … truth liberates (John 8:32) Spiritually … truth emboldens (Mat. 7:28-29)The people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority.nullTHE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Physically … it guarded vital organs. Physically … it provided confidence.nullTHE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Spiritually … righteousness provides confidence against internal accusations (1 John 3:20-21).If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.nullTHE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Spiritually … righteousness provides confidence against internal accusations (1 John 3:20-21). Spiritually … righteousness provides confidence against external accusations (John 8:46).Jesus asked the Jews, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?”nullTHE GREAVES AND SANDALS OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE Physically … greaves protected the legs (cf. 1 Sam. 17:6). Physically … sandals provided protection (while traveling) and power for the feet (while fighting).nullTHE GREAVES AND SANDALS OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE Spiritually … the Gospel gives us peace with God, providing us with protection from His wrath (2 The. 1:7-9).Paul told some first century Christians that when the Lord is revealed from Heaven He would take vengeance on those … who do not obey the Gospel and that they would be punished with everlasting destruction.nullTHE GREAVES AND SANDALS OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE Spiritually … the Gospel gives us peace with God, providing us with protection from His wrath. Spiritually … the Gospel gives us a firm footing (1 Cor. 15:1-2a).I declare to you the Gospel … in which you stand, by which also you are saved.nullTHE GREAVES AND SANDALS OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE Spiritually … the Gospel gives us peace with God, providing us with protection from His wrath. Spiritually … the Gospel gives us a firm footing as well as the power to save others (Rom. 1:16).I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power [dynamite] of God to salvation for everyone who believes.Besides…nullTHE GREAVES AND SANDALS OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE Spiritually … the Gospel gives us peace with God, providing us with protection from His wrath. Spiritually … the Gospel gives us a firm footing as well as the power to save others.Paul did quote God saying to Isaiah, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things (Rom. 10:15).nullTHE SHIELD OF FAITH Physically … it provided confidence against thrusting (expected) weapons. Physically … it provided confidence against flying (unexpected) weapons.Before we apply this spiritually, we must re-member that faith comes by hearing … the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).nullTHE SHIELD OF FAITH Spiritually … faith provides protection for expect-ed temptations.Paul taught that we may need to rebuke one another from time to time (2 Tim. 4:2). To re-buke someone essentially means to chastise him for doing what he knows is wrong and to encourage him to make it right and/or not repeat it. Now would Paul have demanded this if we could not receive forgiveness for sins committed on purpose? Certainly Not! So the point is … knowledge of ourselves and God’s Word gives us the faith to avoid those temptations that we know will come our way.nullTHE SHIELD OF FAITH Spiritually … faith provides protection for expect-ed temptations. Spiritually … faith provides protection for unex-pected temptations.Paul also taught that we may need to reprove one another from time to time (2 Tim. 4:2). To reprove someone essentially means to ex-plain to him from God’s Word that what he’s doing is wrong. So the point is … if we learn God’s Word, then we’ll see the temptation for what it is before it overtakes us (Gal. 6:1).nullTHE SHIELD OF FAITH Spiritually … faith provides protection for expect-ed temptations. Spiritually … faith provides protection for unex-pected temptations.David once said to God, Your Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You (Psa. 119:11).nullTHE HELMET OF SALVATION Physically … the helmet protected the head. Physically … the helmet often symbolized authority and/or to whom one belonged.nullTHE HELMET OF SALVATION Spiritually … having salvation encourages us against apostatizing and losing it.Speaking of punishment for desertion, Paul asked the Hebrew Christians, How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation (Heb. 2:3)?nullTHE HELMET OF SALVATION Spiritually … having salvation encourages us against apostatizing and losing it. Spiritually … our salvation is our crown, indicat-ing both who we belong to and our authority.Paul spoke of Jesus as being the captain of our salvation (Heb. 2:10). So He, who has led the way before us, has saved us to reign with Him over the Earth (Rev. 5:10), giving us crowns to indicate that we belong to Him (1 Pet. 5:4) and therefore have authority to increase His army.nullTHE SWORD OF GOD’S WORD Physically … it was used offensively. Physically … it was also used defensively.It’s interesting that Rome didn’t conquer the world with the spear or the bow and arrow, but with the sword—this was the weapon that the Roman soldier had to master.nullTHE SWORD OF GOD’S WORD Spiritually … God expects His Word to be wielded offensively.Jesus perfectly exemplified this when He preached His first recorded lesson— The Sermon on the Mount (Mat. 5—7): In this lengthy talk He masterfully wielded the sword of God’s Word by preaching numerous dos and do nots.nullTHE SWORD OF GOD’S WORD Spiritually … God expects His Word to be wielded offensively. Spiritually … God also expects His Word to be wielded defensively.Jesus perfectly exemplified this as well when He was directly tempted by Satan (Mat. 4:1-11): Every time Satan attacked Him with a temptation, Jesus masterfully wielded the sword of God’s Word to dice to pieces the power of those enticements.nullSO LET’S GET A PICTURE OF THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD.nullBUT, TO TOP IT ALL OFF, PAUL CONCLUDED BY SAYING… Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all persever-ance and supplication for the saints.