Transcript The Christian Soldier

Tony E. Denton, 10/06.
ASiteForTheLord.com
The Christian Soldier
teaches us
that God
supplies us
with spiritual
weapons for
spiritual foes.
Ephesians 6:10-18a
This passage
So let’s give
some specific
attention to
this armor
and to each
of these
weapons.
Be 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.
Stand 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.
THE EXHORTATION
Be Strong (10a) and Stand (v. 14a)!
BE STRONG!
Passive Imperative: Let Jesus make you strong.
Strong is from the original word for dynamite.
STAND!
Active Imperative: Maintain Your Ground!
Stand is from a word often rendered establish.
So… 
THE 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.
THE 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)
THE BELT OF TRUTH
Physically … it enabled freedom of movement.
Physically … it protected the loins.
THE BELT OF TRUTH
Spiritually … truth liberates (John 8:32)
Jesus said, The truth shall make
you free. Free of what? Free of sin.
THE 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!”
THE 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.
THE BREASTPLATE
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Physically … it guarded vital organs.
Physically … it provided confidence.
THE 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.
THE 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?”
THE 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).
THE 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.
THE 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.
THE 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…
THE 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).
THE 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 remember that
faith comes by
hearing … the
Word of God
(Rom. 10:17).
THE SHIELD OF FAITH
Spiritually … faith provides protection for expected temptations.
Paul taught that we may need to rebuke one
another from time to time (2 Tim. 4:2). To rebuke 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.
THE SHIELD OF FAITH
Spiritually … faith provides protection for expected temptations.
Spiritually … faith provides protection for unexpected 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 explain 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).
THE SHIELD OF FAITH
Spiritually … faith provides protection for expected temptations.
Spiritually … faith provides protection for unexpected temptations.
David once said to God, Your Word have I
hidden in my heart that I might not sin
against You (Psa. 119:11).
THE HELMET OF SALVATION
Physically … the helmet protected the head.
Physically … the helmet often symbolized
authority and/or to whom one belonged.
THE 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)?
THE HELMET OF SALVATION
Spiritually … having salvation encourages us
against apostatizing and losing it.
Spiritually … our salvation is our crown, indicating 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.
THE 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.
THE 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.
THE 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.
SO LET’S GET A PICTURE OF
THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD.
Helmet of Salvation
Breastplate of
Righteousness
Belt of Truth
Greaves & Sandals of
the Gospel of Peace
Shield of Faith
BUT, 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 perseverance and supplication for the saints.