The whole armor of God
Armor All • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Anyone who knows anything about me knows I love Star Wars. One of the latest series Star Wars has created is called “The Mandalorian” in Star Wars the Mandolorians are a race of people that are known for 2 major things. The first is their warrior's creed they must follow, a creed which states they may never remove their helmet in the presence of other people. This leads directly into the second thing they know for; their armor, which is the envy of the galaxy. Their armor is made from a material called Beskar, which is the strongest metal in known space. When a Mandolorian is wearing this armor they are nearly impossible. Which is why they are a people who value their armor above all else, so much so they are never allowed to remove their helmet in the presence of other people.
Transition: In Ephesians chapter six Paul reveals that Christians are likewise defined by their armor. This armor Paul speaks of is built from the strongest material in the world, it equips us to be fully protected from the schemes of Satan, and it’s something we should value above all else. Today we are starting a new series called Armor all, and it’s a study of Ephesians chapter 6. So let’s get started by reading our scripture
Read Ephesians 6:10-20
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil 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 firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
In this passage we begin to see a change in Paul's tone. In Ephesians 5 and the beginning of verse 6 Paul talks about the keys to creating a Godly, peaceful and prosperous household. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church, wives respect your husbands. Children listen to your parents, and parents don’t become a burden to your children. For many Christians these are some of their favorite passages in the bible. Why wouldn’t they be? They are practical, and they make us feel good. In verse 10 however Paul’s attention turns away from a godly prosperous household, and turns towards Satan and his demons and their schemes. This transition is painfully abrupt, but completely necessary. If we want Godly, peaceful and prosperous households, we MUST recognize there are forces at foot which want nothing more than to destroy our households. Spiritual warfare is real and relevant, and if we do not constantly remind ourselves of the threat Satan possesses, we are in real danger of suffering greatly at his hand.
The people of Ephesus would not need to be reminded of the presence of spiritual warfare. When you study one of Paul's letters, it’s always helpful to read about Paul's initial visit to the city where his letter is addressed. In Acts 19 Paul visits the city of Ephesus, and things get really interesting very quickly. While Paul was in Ephesus there was a demon possessed man who was in need of an exorcism. The seven sons of the Jewish high priest Sceva tried to perform the exorcism. When they attempted the exorcism the demon told them “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you? The demon then attacked the seven sons of Sceva and they fled naked and bleeding. This would have sent ripples through the city of Ephesus and served as a reminder that Paul's warning about spiritual warfare was true. The early Christians would readily realize the importance of being protected against Satan and his army. Which is exactly why Paul would use this as a transition. Paul wanted people to remember the armor of God was something they needed.
We can easily forget the importance of the armor of God in our lives, since the reality of spiritual warfare is not as present as it was in Ephesus. However it’s no less relevant. We may not see people possessed by Satan's demons. People today are far more likely to be possessed by Satan's ideas. Ideas that place us and our experience as the ultimate authority of truth. Ideas that tell us we are already pure as we are, and we should accept who WE want to be.These abominable ideas target our children most of all. The confusion that is rampant in this world is a clear indication that spiritual war has not only been declared on the nations, but in our homes, communities, and churches as well.
The Usual Suspects is one of my favorite movies. I particularly enjoy one of the movie's characters, Verbal Kent. He was speaking about the devil. He said “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Much of the world has bought into this lie, and they are unequipped to defend against Satan's schemes. We must ensure we are protected against Satan's schemes by putting on the whole Armor of God. Notice the very clear intentionality in Paul’s words. We must put on the whole armor of God. It’s not enough to put on 2/3rds of the armor, or even 5 of 6 pieces. We must equip ALL of it, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel shoes, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, and the sword of the spirit. We are going to spend the next 6 weeks talking about all the pieces of this armor, why they are important, and what function they serve. However, today I can tell you this about the armor of God. If we lack any of these items, we know where Satan will attack us, let us ensure we put on the whole armor of God. An armor that was made possible because of the saving grace of Jesus, without the redemptive work on the cross, no part of this armor remaining. The grace of Jesus defines the armor, and so the armor defines us. Let us be like the Mandolorians in Star Wars and have the highest dedication to the armor that was gifted to us. Let us not fall prey to Satan’s greatest trick, let us acknowledge his existence by being ready for his attacks. Let us put on the whole armor of God.