DETERMINING OUR DESTINY

(The Weapons of Heavenly Warfare)

There is a conflict going on around us that is much bigger than the global war on terror. It is mankind’s universal war on sin and the evil one.

(Ephesians 6:10-11) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (NIV)

(Ephesians 6:12) For we are not fighting (wrestling) against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies, the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings, and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world. (TLB)

Because the war you are in is spiritual, the weapons you use must be spiritual as well. They must be powerful enough to destroy the strongholds built by satan in us and in those around us.

1) We fight to keep satan from building fortresses in our own minds.

Because, even though satan’s power over you has been neutralized, if he can get you to believe otherwise he can have just as much power over you as if you had never accepted Christ’s triumph on the cross.

Remember…satan’s battle is for the control of your mind!

He doesn’t actually have to have the power to control your life…he just has to get you to think he does. If you ignore Christ triumph over satan on your behalf, give in to his mind games, follow his suggestions to sin… again and again. You will come to believe that you are powerless to resist him even when all the promises of Scripture say otherwise.

What kind of things in your life are functioning as defensive spiritual weapons?

You already know what one of these is because we’ve talked about it so much.

-Prayer_

(Ephesians 6:10-17) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore Because you are involved in this life and death struggle against the evil spirit forces of satan’s kingdom…. You owe it to yourself… You are required by God to put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes (and it will for absolutely everyone in this room!), you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (firm).

Listen to me carefully: If it hasn’t come to you yet…. The day will come! The time will come when you will be forced to confront the forces of evil… your faith will be challenged like never before…. A torrent of opposition and problems will be loosed in your direction.

Paul doesn’t even allow for the possibility that anyone will not face the “day of evil” He doesn’t say to put on the armor of God so that if the day comes….he says don the armor so when the day comes.

I have noticed since the hurricanes there is a different attitude in some people in this church. It’s like the storms acted like a catalyst in our lives. If some area of our lives was weak going in….that weakness seemed to rise to the surface in the wake of Frances and Jeanne. Some of you are right now facing your “day of evil” when you are facing temptation you never thought possible. Some are caught in a hurricane of conflicting thoughts that leave you just wanting out…. your not even sure what out means…“just get me out”.

(Ephesians 6:13) Therefore put on the complete armour of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground on the day of battle, and, having fought to the end, to remain victors on the field. (WNT) (Weymouth)

1) The girdle of truth

Here’s the question:; as you faced off with the forces of evil this week did you have on the girdle of truth and the breastplate of righteousness? How do you know if you do?

You can’t go to J.C. Penney’s and buy your girdle of truth. Modern day girdles are not designed to display the truth…quite the opposite. You need to erase that picture from your mind and replace it with a picture of a soldier in the first century. They didn’t use a girdle to hold in the effects of too many pop tarts. These tough men wore as their outer garment a tunic….. a dress… a frock. You all know how tough it can be to get in a sword fight with the enemy and have your frock getting all tangled up between your legs.

Their girdle was a wide belt that held their tunic tight around the waist during their afternoon tea… but when they went into battle they would tie up their skirt behind the belt to keep the folds of their dress from getting in the way.

Paul’s intent here is obvious. If you are going to be in hand to hand combat with the forces of evil, you had better get all the loose material in your life out of the way. The King James often call it “girding up your loins“….. getting ready for battle by removing the things that hinder you from winning the fight.

What things in your life serve as extra cloth around your legs and keep you from effectively fighting the enemy of your soul?

Paul calls it the “girdle of truth”.… apparently it’s always been a struggle for human beings to don this particular piece of defensive armor. It requires spiritual honesty, sincerity, frankness, integrity, openness and frankness. We can all come to church and put on our best religious face, but when we get in the trenches alone and the enemy of the universe comes after us with Gatlin guns blazing, we soon discover the effects of what is holding us back from being effective against him. And the excuses we make for our failures!!…. 9 times out of 10 when we fail against the enemy it’s because of the folds of all the extra material tripping us up, keeping us from being effective in the battle.

2) The Breastplate of Righteousness

The breastplate of the Roman soldier was a formed metal plate strapped around the chest to protect vital organs, particularly the heart. In Scripture, the heart represents the seat of the soul and we are repeatedly warned to protect it against the attempts of the evil one to pierce it with his arrows of temptation. This “breastplate of righteousness” was Paul’s way of saying; whatever you do…protect your heart!…..protect it with a shield of righteousness. how do you do that. Fortunately, this is not the only verse in the Bible using this imagery.

(1 Thessalonians 5:8) But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. (NIV)

It seems to be something we consciously put on as opposed to just hoping it is there.

What it isn’t though is a breastplate you can cook up in your garage workshop. It is a breastplate of faith.

If you are attempting to defeat satan in your life with a psuedo- salvation…where you are Christian in name, but your daily life is no different than when you were a sinner…If your relationship with God is just a mental acceptance that has never really made it to your heart and you try in your own righteousness to take on the master deceiver of the universe….. Houston, you’ve got yourself a problem!

(2 Corinthians 5:21) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (NIV)

In the first century, everyone wore sandals. The waterproof leather army boot hadn’t quite occurred to them and a soldier in sandals could be troublesome. The Roman soldiers had the mother of all sandals with laces that ties up the calf. A flopping sandal in the middle of a swordfight could cause as much problem as a skirt between the legs.

Paul says the Christian soldier is to be constantly shod with sandals that don’t come off who’s function it is to prepare for the spread of the Good News.

(Ephesians 6:14-15) Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (NIV)

Notice the recurring theme that the unready soldier is the defeated soldier! The same principle is drilled into our military today. In the fall of Bagdad a year ago, every soldier wore protective chemical clothing against a possible WMD attack. It would have been much easier to leave the hot, cumbersome suit off, but one chemical attack would have meant instant defeat.

Feet fitted with readiness

In the Greek language there are two different words used for shield. One is a small circular round shield held up against one to one combat. The other is taken from the Greek word door and literally is a full body shield with which a good soldier could keep his entire body from incoming missiles as well as hand to hand combat.

When you are fighting the evil one who is determined to destroy your soul, he will go after any part of you that he can reach. Your soul, your health, your finances,… if he can’t get to you he will go after those closest to you, your spouse, your children….You must carry a shield big enough to protect everything for which God has made you responsible.

(1 Thessalonians 5:8) But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. (NIV)

What does a helmet do…it protect your brain.. your mind. What is the primary strategy of satan? To defeat you in the battle for your mind! As a sinner you were lost in your sins…you were in bondage to whatever satan tossed at you. Not any more! Now you are a child of the King! You are free!….