Ephesians 6:10-17 Life is a Battlefield

Ephesians 6:10-17     Life is a Battlefield

• Background
• Paul’s letter to the Ephesians gives us a description of the life of a Christian - the wealth, the walk, and warfare.  We have studied the wealth and walk of a Christian and the last 2 lessons will look at the warfare and weapons we have.
• The description that could be placed upon a Christian is a warrior and fighter according to Paul.
• Satan has had Thousands of years to do battle against God and that battle still continues on daily.  When we become Christians we quit fighting God and we enter the battle scene as an enemy of Satan.   Satan wants us to doubt our commitment to God and he wants us to not be effective to the LORD.
• Paul was chained to a Roman while being held a prisoner, so he was familiar with the armor that was worn by the Roman soldiers.
• Review.
• Ephesians Chapters 1 through 3 -The wealth of a Christian through our LORD and savior Jesus Christ.
• Paul reminds us of who we are and what we have.  We have been seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenlies.   We have been given riches in Jesus Christ and we are now adopted children and part of the family of GOD.
• Chapters 4 and 5 - Walking in the Light of Jesus Christ and what we do through the power of Jesus Christ.
• Chapter 6 - The battle we face with Satan and the weapons GOD has armed us with.
• Main Theme.
• We are in a spiritual battle, a battle between good and evil, a battle that we cannot see that takes place in the spiritual realm.   Walking in sin is inviting trouble from Satan.
• The first thing a good army does in a battle is to learn about their enemy.  

• We must be aware that Satan has many helpers.

• Genesis 1:31, Hebrews 12:22, Revelation 12:3-9)
• The army must know who they are fighting, what the enemy is like, and finally what his strategy is.
• A Barna Poll indicates that 70% of Americans believe in a literal devil.   Half of these people believe that the Devil is just a principle or a symbol of evil, the other half believes the Devil is a real being created by GOD.
• Jesus tells us Satan is real.   (Luke 10:18, Luke 22:31)
• Lucifer translates to ‘Light Bearer’ in Hebrew.
• Devil translates to ‘Deceiver or Slanderer’.
• Charles Spurgeon made the comment that he is glad he knows Satan is his enemy, as a Christian, Satan fights against us.
• Paul says that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces in the heavenlies.
• Satan does not personally attack us as he is only one being.  Satan has organized demonic beings, and minions who attack us.
• The bad news is that one third of the original angels fell with Satan.  The good news is that two thirds of the remaining angels remain loyal to GOD who fights the battle for good.   (I John 4:4, II Samuel 6:15-18)
• Satan has studied and observed human beings for thousands of years.   He is a very clever foe who uses aggression and deception.
• Churches have blossomed because of persecution.   China now has 120 billion Christians since the Revolution.
• Satan has tried to pollute the Church with true and false believers.   (Matthew 13:24-30)
• Some versions mention ‘the wiles of Satan’.  A wile is translated to schemes, tactics, plotting, an animal who stalks and then pounces on its prey.
• Overview.
• Satan was defeated when Jesus was raised from the dead and by Jesus’s resurrection Satan has been rendered powerless.   Still Satan refuses to concede defeat, he refuses to accept his inevitable destruction.  He refuses to surrender by attacking and destroying lives.    
• Verse 6:10-12     On the Attack
• Satan wants us to accept the deception that he does not exist.  Satan wants us to believe he has no influence upon this world.  A Barna poll shows that 75% of Catholics and 55% of Protestants believe that Satan does not exist.  They believe he is a symbol and not a real being.   Many Christians also believe Satan does not exist even though the Bible warns us about him.
• We will be attacked by Satan regardless of who we are.    Satan and his minions are on attack every day, whether by direct assault or by plotting against us.
• The Good News is that we can be spiritually equipped for this battle to be victorious.  Demonic forces will fight dirty and look for our weaknesses and vulnerabilities and attack without warning.   Satan and his demons are ruthless, cunning, and conceited.
• Satan can pretend to be an angel of light which can lull us into a false sense of security.    (2 Corinthians 11: 12-15)
• Verse 6:13      The Armor of God.
• Jesus was attacked in while in the wilderness for 40 days and he was also attacked in the Garden of Gethsemane.   When Jesus came under attack by Satan he defeated him through the power of the Word of GOD.
• If we try to fight Satan on our own strength, wisdom and power, we will be defeated.  We need to be strong in the LORD and put on his armor.  We need to wear that armor 24/7.  Paul reminds us that our battles are not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual realm, the cosmic powers of the darkness.
• Paul says we need to put on the Spiritual Armor of GOD and to not give up.   When we give up, we give Satan an open door to walk into our family and our church.   Satan wants to destroy our families, churches, and testimonies.   The armor of GOD can help us to stand firm against Satan’s attacks and it also can help us to remain standing.   the greater the battle won, the sweeter the victory.
• Verse 6:14-17      An Inventory of your Armor.
• Gird your Waist with the Belt of Truth.
• On the Roman Soldier, was made of a wide leather strap that wrapped around the soldiers waist.  The Belt held everything together.  The Roman soldier would tuck the extra material from his Tunic (robe) under his belt to he was able to run and move freely in battle field.   The sheath was also hung from the belt.
• This comparison is telling us to be prepared with the Truth by encircling ourselves with the Word of GOD..
• Gird your Loins.
• This comparison is telling us to get our minds ready for action.  We should be prepared by living truthful and authentic lives by what we do and say.
• The Breastplate of Righteousness.
• On the Roman Soldier the Breastplate was a thick piece of leather or a thin metal which went from the neck to the waist.  Its purpose was to protect the vital organs such as the heart and lungs.
• Assure - shall persuade or set at rest, tranquilize the heart, conformed to Jesus Christ, heart-soothed.
• This comparison tells us that Righteousness guards our hearts and minds.   (I John 3:7-10)  We have been made Righteous through Jesus Christ and we can remind Satan and his demons of this fact when attacked.   Whenever Satan tries to make us doubt our salvation, we can confidently reply back, ‘We are covered by the righteousness of the LORD Jesus Christ as his word promises us.   (Romans 8:11)
• Our righteousness is shown by our obedience to GOD’s word.   We live in dependence of GOD’s word.   Living a righteous life involves more than being active in church.   (Ephesians 5:18)
• Feet Fitted with Readiness (The Gospel Boots).
• During Roman times, it was common to have stakes placed in the ground to trip up the enemy.   For this reason, Roman soldiers would wear Sandals with studs on the bottom to hold their feet to the ground.
• This comparison tells us to have a firm footing with good shoes.    We attain this by the effect the Gospel places upon our life and how we live it.   We have a Gospel of peace which means that we are at peace with GOD and one another.   Our feet need to be protected by tough and reliable boots.   The believer who stands firm in his boots is ready to battle.
• The Shield of Faith.
• A Roman soldier would use 2 different shields to do battle with.   The smaller shield, which was about 24” in diameter, which was used in hand to hand combat to deflect the enemies blows of the sword.   They also used a larger shield which they could interlock with one another as they marched in battle.   The larger shield was about 60” tall and about 30” wide and was able to protect the full body of the soldier.   The large shields were used in the first line of defense and the smaller shields were used in the second lines.   The larger shield was able to deflect the pitched soaked flaming arrows that were being fired upon them.
• This comparison tells us to live each day by trusting GOD to divert Satan’s arrows (fiery darts).    The arrows that Paul refers to are the temptations and doubts that Satan will fire at us.   If Satan’s arrows bit us, they can make us question our salvation and burn its way into our hearts.  Sin begins when we believe Satan’s lies and doubt GOD’s word.
• The Helmet of Salvation.
• The Roman soldier would wear a helmet to protect his head.
• This comparison tells us to protect our minds.   Satan tries to attack our thought life, our feelings and conviction toward GOD.   We need to accumulate Bible Knowledge and become familiar with GOD’s word when we are being attacked by Satan.   (Philippians 1:6)
• Satan’s most effective tool is to try and affect our mind.   If Satan can distort our thinking, he can convince us our salvation is not assured and he can make us doubt GOD’s love and Word.  He will now be able to lure us into sin easier.   We need to remind ourselves that we are saved by grace through faith alone.   When we trust in Jesus we can protect our minds from Satan’s attacks.
• The Sword of the Spirit   (The Word of GOD).
• A typical sword was around 16” to 18” long.  It was short so the soldier could make short and decisive stabs at the enemy.
• The above items are for defensive purposes where the Sword is used for offensive purposes primarily.   It is used to attack the enemy and to also fend off his blows as well.
• This comparison tells us that we are given an arsenal of truths through the scriptures to aid us in the battle against Satan.   We need to pull out Scriptures to use and stand upon it.   (Matthew 4:1-11)
• The Bible is authored by the Holy Spirit of GOD and the same Holy Spirit gives us power and words to say in battle.
• GOD’s Word is flawless, faultless, it is complete, and it is authoritative.   GOD’s Word is the source of all truth and it is a sword that slices through people’s defenses.  It pierces the conscience and it also awakens the spiritually dead.
• Conclusion.
• Life is a battleground and not a playground.
• Good shall prevail over evil.   (Matthew 6:18, Revelation 12:9)
• Without the armor of GOD, we are asking to be wounded by Satan in battle.
• Do not wander from the Word of GOD.
• Do not take chances with your Christian walk.  Take up the whole armor of GOD and wear it daily so that we can withstand Satan’s attacks.
• From Paul’s message we can feel that we are safe if we come under attack.
• Believers who run away from GOD are bringing peril and pain to themselves.  They are leaving themselves defenseless so when Satan does attack, he will show no mercy.
• The further one turns from GOD, the longer the trip home will be.   The enemy will take advantage of the situation and he will produce a vicious attack.