Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Into Ephesians 6 - we looked at it last week
• Often we look at it on an individual level
• Can we look at it on a corporate level (for the Church)?
• Jesus is our Captain
• Our fight is not against people but against Satan
• There are many attacks upon us
• The Bible
• The moral law/code
• We are called to stand as a Church
• v18-19 - we stand together
• We need to pray as a Church for those who are at the forefront of battle
• Paul was in prison, under house arrest, probably chained to a Roman soldier
• The Holy Spirit inspires Paul to write about this
• Paul writes about the whole armour of God we need to stand against the evil one
• Whilst the Church is attacked, ultimately Satan wants to put down the name of Jesus
• We are not to take things personally when people are against us
• It is because the enemy is against Jesus Christ
• Paul had known many spiritual attacks and that many would come upon the Ephesian Church
• He knew that some of these attacks would come from within the Church
• A tactic of the evil one is to divide the Church of Jesus Christ
• Church splits happen because of this
• The devil is very wiley
• The parable of the wheat and tears also applies to the Church
• In Paul's letter to Timothy [1 Tim 1:20]:
• Hymenaeus
• Alexander
• Paul wanted to remind us that there is a real enemy and real principalities and powers that rail against us
• Temptations come to Christians
• Attacks on relationships
• Attacks on the Church
• Attacks on our assurance
• We need to stand
• Overview: mainly v11-13

We do need to engage in the battle

• Simon Peter was not engaged in the Garden of Gethsemane
• He followed his flesh and fell
• There are times when the Christian needs to wrestle
• 6:12
• What does the image of wrestling conjure in your mind?
• Close combat
• Some would say this is when you are engaged in direct onslaught from the evil one
• Perhaps demon possession - though this is extremely rare
• He is not talking about engaged those in dark practices
• The day of opportunity
• Jesus in Gethsemane - The hour and the power of darkness
• Think of Jesus sweating drops of blood - engaging in prayer and in battle
• On the cross and in the wilderness - 'If you are the Son of God?'
• Jesus wears armour - Isa 11:5, 59:17
• Christ put on the armour
• Evil pours railed against Him but He trusted in God
• Twice we are reminded to put on the whole armour of God
• Did Christ face the evil day?
• The angels twice ministered to Him
• Luke - "the devil left Him for a more opportune time"
• The general tenure is a walk with God but there are times when the evil day comes
• We are to wear our armour all the time
• We need to have assurance in our salvations
• We need to continually confess our sins
• We need to continually trust the blood of Christ
• We need to be in the word of God daily
• Jesus was wearing His armour
• He knew the word of God and meditated upon it
• He was able to discern that the devil was mis-using the word of God
• There are many who miss out or distort words of the Bible
• We must have our mind in the word of God so when Satan comes we can defend
• What are these principalities and powers? (v12)
• Peter Masters in the Sword and Trowels
• Principalities - the first rank of evil spirits - the arch demons
• Powers - the second rank of demons - the evil spirits that administer the plans of the generals (to blind the minds of unbelievers)
• The rulers of the darkness of this age - the third level demons who attack Christians with temptations
• Whilst such a scheme is plausible we can't be sure
• The main teaching is that there is an array of hosts to deceive the masses
• The battle is in the mind and only the truth of Jesus can set you free
• Men are in ignorance of the Scriptures but are full of
  twisted ideas of darkness
• Why are satan and his hosts so opposed to the Church?
• Men are made a little lower than angels
• Satan and the evil spirits were cast out of heaven
• Men and women are being restored into the image of God
• Satan and the evil spirits are jealous of this transformation
• We need to be real, but ought not to fear
• We must not be asleep
• We can stand but we must put the armour on

The Armour of God

• Metaphors representing important realities (v14-17)
• An order to the armour
• The first thing that is needed is the Word of God
• The belt of truth and the sword of the Spirit
• One for defence and one for attack
• How would you respond to a Jehovah's witness who says that Jesus is not God?
• Would you know when to join in something or when to say no?
• Are you prepared to say no?
• Is your mind up to these attacks?
• Are we reading God's word?
• The breastplate of righteousness
• Have you put this on?
• The devil nags at you
• God probes you through His word and convicts you of sin
• The devil is the accuser of the brethren
• We rely on the righteousness of Jesus Christ - this is our breastplate
• The imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ
• Standing - not engaging in battle but to stand
• Are you standing?
• Think of our political leaders at the moment
• We are not to be like this
• We are to love God and stand on His truth
• There are some Christians who do not survive the onslaughts of the devil
• Christians are vulnerable
• We can fall - we need to come back to the Lord in repentance
• In our strength we will fail but in God's power and might we can stand
• Remember David and Goliath
• In the name of the Lord we will do great exploits