“VICTORY OVER SATAN” Through the Armor of God Ephesians 6:10-20

1 Peter 5:8 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Ephesians 1:1 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

I.Every believer is in a very real, invisible, daily SPRITUAL battle.

You can’t sing “A Mighty Fortress is our God” without realizing that we are in a fierce battle against a dreaded foe whose “craft and power are great, and who is armed with cruel hate.” “prince of darkness grim.”

“The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground, and we must be on our guard at all times.” The Bumps Are What You Climb on.

2 Timothy 2:3–4 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

A.We are commanded to be STRONG in the Lord and in the power of HIS might. (6:10)

2 Corinthians 3:5 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

* How do we keep on being strengthened in the Lord? God’s strength comes to us by ABIDING in Christ, RESTING in Christ, TRUSTING His great and precious promises, and PUTTING ON the armor that He has provided.

* Where is our strength to come from? “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

* Is the Lord strong enough to fight our battles?

1 Corinthians 15:57 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:37 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

B.We are commanded to PUT ON the whole ARMOR OF GOD. (6:11a)

* Why do we need to put on the whole armor of God? The Purpose – “that you may be able to STAND against the WILES of the DEVIL.” (Eph. 11b)

* Why do we need to put on the whole armor of God? The Reason – “for we DO NOT wrestle against flesh and blood, BUT against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

* What does it mean to “take up” the whole armor of God?

II.The Believer’s EQUIPMENT/ARMOR The whole armor of God that He has provided for every believer includes the … A.BELT OF TRUTH - which refers to having put on mentally the doctrines and truths of the Bible, especially given to the Church. (6:14a)

“Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor, and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure, and pays with pain; he promises profit, and pays with loss; he promises life, and pays with death”.

God is not really good! I’m not worth anything! God doesn’t love me! I just can’t take It anymore! God can’t forgive what I’ve done!

“BELT OF TRUTH”

II.The Believer’s EQUIPMENT/ARMOR The whole armor of God that He has provided for every believer includes the … B.BREASTPLATE of RIGHTEOUSNESS – which refers to having put on mentally the truth of the righteousness of God which is every believer’s possession in Christ. (6:14b)

II.The Believer’s EQUIPMENT/ARMOR The whole armor of God that He has provided for every believer includes the … C.SHOES of the GOSPEL of PEACE – which refers to having put on mentally the truth of the Gospel as it relates to the believer’s peace with God. (6:15)

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

Romans 5:1-2 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

“SHOES OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE “SHOES OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE”

II.The Believer’s EQUIPMENT/ARMOR The whole armor of God that He has provided for every believer includes the … D.SHIELD of FAITH – which refers to having put on mentally the importance of living by faith just as you have been justified by faith. (6:16)

1 John 5:4 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

II.The Believer’s EQUIPMENT/ARMOR The whole armor of God that He has provided for every believer includes the … E.HELMET of SALVATION – which refers to utilizing by faith the truths related to the assurance of salvation and the future hope every believer has in Christ. (6:17a)

“I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory. And I heard about the streets of gold Beyond the crystal sea; About the angels singing, And the old redemption story, And some sweet day I'll sing up there The song of victory.” (Victory in Jesus)

II.The Believer’s EQUIPMENT/ARMOR The whole armor of God that He has provided for every believer includes the … F.SWORD of the SPIRIT – which refers to using by faith the specific principles and promises of the Word of God when tempted to sin, compromise, or go astray. (6:17b)

III.The Believer’s RESOURCE We are commanded to PRAY continually in the Spirit for all the saints. (6:18-20) We are commanded to PRAY continually in the Spirit for all the saints. (6:18-20)

Crazy cake