Sermon Notes
Sermon: Armor of God by Rev. Jessica Johnson
Date: August 26, 2018
Scripture Passage: Ephesians 6:10-20
Key Points:
Ephesians 6:11 (ESV) states, “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.” The Greek word for armor is “panoply” which means whole armor or fully-armored. It is only used one other time in the New Testament, in Luke 11:21-22, which is the parable of the strong man. We should not be wearing bits and pieces of the armor, but rather, we are to put on the whole armor of God to give us a chance to stand against evil and darkness. What is God’s armor? There are 5 defensive pieces and 1 offensive piece. Pay particular attention to the order that they are put on in the passage.
Defensive
Offensive
Prayer
In Ephesians 6:18-20, Paul closes his passage on spiritual warfare with a note about prayer. Prayer is to undergird all that we do. It is what provides the energy or sustenance in order to wear the armor of God and engage in spiritual battle. D.A. Carson points out: “Prayer warriors with no real grasp of what the gospel is all about (the gospel of peace and cosmic restoration in Christ), may be spirited, but no more useful on the field than a soldier without weapons.” Prayer, in and of itself, should not be an attack, but rather it provides the strategy and direction of how we live life under Christ and engage in spiritual warfare.
Paul asked for prayer so that he may proclaim the Gospel boldly. He wanted to be able to say the right thing to the right people in the right way at the right time and to do so without inhibitions or hesitancy. I have a very simple prayer that I pray frequently when I am about to have a conversation or I’m writing a sermon, blog post, or whatever. It can be used in a variety of situations. That prayer is this: “God give me the words.”
The Enemy and Their Tactics
These evil forces and principalities are very real. Now while Satan is not ever-present or all-knowing like God is, he has an army of demons that do his bidding. That is why so much evil can happen at once in a multitude of places. D.A. Carson states: “The fiery darts Paul has in mind would include anything from direct occult attack to devilish persecution, but above all the steady rain of temptations to fear, bitterness, anger, and division that could break up the unity of the church. These darts are to be countered with faith…the radical openness to God that allows Christ’s full indwelling, and brings a deeper grasp of his unfathomable love.” Even though the spiritual world is relatively unseen to us, it is still very real and happening all around us. While we should not overestimate Satan’s abilities, we should not underestimate him either.
Final Thoughts
In regards to the evil principalities and forces of this world, F.F. Bruce states, “The answer is that they constitute no threat to those who are united by faith to the victorious Christ and avail themselves to his resources, the resources which are here described metaphorically as ‘the panoply of God’. But to those who neglect those resources, and especially to those who are disposed to give them some room in their lives, they continue to present a threat.” Christ defeated Satan through the resurrection and defeat of death. But Satan is still the prince of this world. He is still causing problems. It is critical that Christians stand their ground against the evil in the world. Christians should be alert and be watchman that boldly proclaim the Gospel to the fallen world.
Further Suggested Study:
Suggested Reading:
Sermon: Armor of God by Rev. Jessica Johnson
Date: August 26, 2018
Scripture Passage: Ephesians 6:10-20
Key Points:
Ephesians 6:11 (ESV) states, “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.” The Greek word for armor is “panoply” which means whole armor or fully-armored. It is only used one other time in the New Testament, in Luke 11:21-22, which is the parable of the strong man. We should not be wearing bits and pieces of the armor, but rather, we are to put on the whole armor of God to give us a chance to stand against evil and darkness. What is God’s armor? There are 5 defensive pieces and 1 offensive piece. Pay particular attention to the order that they are put on in the passage.
Defensive
- Belt of Truth – We discover God’s Truth through the Bible and prayer.
- Breastplate of Righteousness – We need the Holy Spirit to empower and equip us.
- Sandals of the Gospel – We need to have solid footing on the foundation of the Gospel. D.A. Carson states, “Paradoxically, it is a deep spiritual understanding of the gospel of peace that provides the church with this firm grip that is the ‘preparation’ or ‘readiness’ for the battle Paul has in mind.”
- Shield of Faith – The shield Paul references here is large, oblong, and measures four feet by two and a half feet. Often the shield would be doused in water as added protection against fiery arrows. The shields could be connected together to form a protective wall. Paul uses the analogy to allude to corporate as well as individual faith.
- Helmet of Salvation – Our minds and intellect need to be under Christ’s guidance. With Christ guarding our minds, we can counter lies, false teachings, and twisted theologies.
- Final thought on Defense - Bunyan points out that there was no armor protecting the back of the soldier. They had no choice but to stand their ground or to move forward.
Offensive
- Sword of the Spirit (Word of God) – God revealed His Word to us in two ways. First, we have Christ, the embodiment of God’s Word. Second, we have the written Word, otherwise known as the Bible. To use a sword, one has to learn how to use it through training and practice. Learning how to use the Bible in our lives is the same way. It requires learning how to read and understand the Bible. It requires engaging with it on a regular basis (preferably every day). Training requires a purposeful plan.
Prayer
In Ephesians 6:18-20, Paul closes his passage on spiritual warfare with a note about prayer. Prayer is to undergird all that we do. It is what provides the energy or sustenance in order to wear the armor of God and engage in spiritual battle. D.A. Carson points out: “Prayer warriors with no real grasp of what the gospel is all about (the gospel of peace and cosmic restoration in Christ), may be spirited, but no more useful on the field than a soldier without weapons.” Prayer, in and of itself, should not be an attack, but rather it provides the strategy and direction of how we live life under Christ and engage in spiritual warfare.
Paul asked for prayer so that he may proclaim the Gospel boldly. He wanted to be able to say the right thing to the right people in the right way at the right time and to do so without inhibitions or hesitancy. I have a very simple prayer that I pray frequently when I am about to have a conversation or I’m writing a sermon, blog post, or whatever. It can be used in a variety of situations. That prayer is this: “God give me the words.”
The Enemy and Their Tactics
These evil forces and principalities are very real. Now while Satan is not ever-present or all-knowing like God is, he has an army of demons that do his bidding. That is why so much evil can happen at once in a multitude of places. D.A. Carson states: “The fiery darts Paul has in mind would include anything from direct occult attack to devilish persecution, but above all the steady rain of temptations to fear, bitterness, anger, and division that could break up the unity of the church. These darts are to be countered with faith…the radical openness to God that allows Christ’s full indwelling, and brings a deeper grasp of his unfathomable love.” Even though the spiritual world is relatively unseen to us, it is still very real and happening all around us. While we should not overestimate Satan’s abilities, we should not underestimate him either.
Final Thoughts
In regards to the evil principalities and forces of this world, F.F. Bruce states, “The answer is that they constitute no threat to those who are united by faith to the victorious Christ and avail themselves to his resources, the resources which are here described metaphorically as ‘the panoply of God’. But to those who neglect those resources, and especially to those who are disposed to give them some room in their lives, they continue to present a threat.” Christ defeated Satan through the resurrection and defeat of death. But Satan is still the prince of this world. He is still causing problems. It is critical that Christians stand their ground against the evil in the world. Christians should be alert and be watchman that boldly proclaim the Gospel to the fallen world.
Further Suggested Study:
- Ephesians 6
- 1 Peter 3:15
Suggested Reading:
- The Holy War by John Bunyan
- This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
- Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti
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