Title Ephesians 06:14-17 Preparing for Battle
Contents
'Ready for battle!' (Ephesians 6:14-17)
It's amazing to see the armed forces of today's modern warfare soldiers.
Each helmet worn by combat soldiers has a transmitter and receiver, can be seen at night, can accurately distinguish the positions of his teammates and enemies, and the gun is also equipped with a laser and video, so it is said to be made with both accuracy and efficiency. The scale of the equipment for one enlisted soldier is tens of thousands of dollars is enormous.
In today's message, the Apostle Paul was writing a letter to the Christians in Ephesus while praying in a Roman prison, and saw the armed Roman soldiers with swords and shields coming and going. said.
They say that if you not only protect yourself in the fight against the enemy, but you must be armed like that to win, you need to be even more armed in order to win the invisible spiritual battle. The Roman soldier reflected in his eyes looked like a soldier armed with faith. By looking at how to arm ourselves, I hope that we can become victorious in this testy and tempting land.
First, they are told to wear the belt of truth.
The belt secures the soldier's clothes and sword, providing support for agile use of force. The truth that made up the belt is the Word of God. This is what it means to tie yourself well with the word of truth.
We live in a pluralistic society where it is difficult to judge right from wrong. So many things come to us unfiltered, so many choices confuse us.
What would you like to eat at a restaurant? Coffee! When it comes to regular or decaf, eggs over easy, sunny side up, bread white or wheat... It's complicated. Endlessly in life, we have to choose and make decisions.
From a moral point of view, homosexuals, who were clearly considered wrong and ugly in the past, not only come out on the streets and claim their rights, but also in the society around them, there are many voices defending them as if they were living a different life from us and not bad. The line that separates right and wrong becomes blurred. The younger generation sees and hears more and more people living like that around them, accepting them as people with different lifestyles rather than attaching moral values of right and wrong.
It is a trend to acknowledge each other's right to life, You are O.K, I am O.K.
The apostle Paul says to us who cannot decide what is right and what is wrong and we have no choice but to live in chaos. It is said that the waist of your heart is tight with the words of truth already given to you. Because that is the way of wisdom, and you can walk the true way with confidence.
Second, we are told to arm ourselves with the breastplate of righteousness.
Soldiers in Paul's day protected themselves by putting skin and brass on their chests, so that even if a sword or spear came, they could do less damage. Today's bulletproof vest.
Even if we have faith, if we do not follow a righteous life, that faith will die. A righteous life is a life of obedience according to faith, or else it is destroyed by remorse on the inside and constant temptation on the outside.
One day a man accused the philosopher Plato of being a criminal. Plato said, "We must live long enough to prove that the words he accused us of are false." That's right. A righteous life always makes us proud and proud. And in the end puts shame on those who lied. A lie, no matter how loud it is, is temporary. You will kneel in righteousness. A fool is lying for the sake of the present, but it is digging his own grave.
The wise do not trade a righteous and good life for temporary gain. Because we know that its lifespan is short. Not only that, but it is because I know the devil's responsibility to drive me into another lie and eventually destroy me. Arm yourself with the breastplate of righteousness to neutralize the demonic attacks.
Third, arm yourself with the god of the gospel of peace.
Wearing shoes makes walking more comfortable and action faster. It is said that the Roman soldiers at that time wore boots that were specially researched and made, and it is said that the Roman army's victory was largely due to the shoes.
A few years ago I went to Brazil to visit the natives living in the jungle. We couldn't keep up with our guide, walking and running with bare feet. When I asked him if he was injured because he was barefoot while he was resting, he showed the places where he was bitten by a crocodile and poisonous insects on his leg, and told stories about death. In fact, there is no place that is as sensitive and painful as the feet. Discomfort in the feet leads to limping and greatly restricts movement.
What ever happened to someone who shared encouragement and peace and shared a vision. It will be the path of wisdom to win without fighting.
When we arm ourselves with the peace and blessings of the gospel, life is welcome wherever we go. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth... Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God." (Matthew 5:5,9) You will have the power to destroy them first with the gospel.
Fourth, we are told to arm ourselves with the shield of faith.
The shields that Roman soldiers had at that time were oval-shaped doors, large enough to cover and defend themselves. Fire arrows were the most fearful thing for soldiers, but they are said to be specially manufactured so that they can be extinguished quickly even if they are hit.
Faith becomes a shield that can overcome fiery trials. Faith is total trust in a good God. Even if it is very difficult and difficult right now, the faith that God will accomplish good works through this work becomes the strength to overcome the temptation without becoming weak. From time to time, we are subject to testing at every moment. We are tested by difficult things that arise from emotional misunderstanding. This test destroys us when we have hurt ourselves, when we do not have the capacity to understand and accept others because of it, or when we do not have the capacity to accept what has happened.
Tests come in weak spots. It's like germs attacking weak parts of your body. Those who are weak in the flesh come through the flesh, those who are weak in emotion through emotions, those who are weak at play through pleasure Jesus was tempted by eating when he was hungry. But he overcame it by faith in the Word of God.
?쏮an does not live by bread alone.
You will live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God!"
Faith in a good God becomes our strength to overcome our weaknesses.
Every child born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that overcomes the world.
our faith (1 John 5:4)
Fifth, we are told to put on the full armor as the helmet of salvation.
A helmet is a helmet worn to protect the head. At that time, soldiers always carried it around their waist or on their shoulders. Anyone who goes to war without a helmet is exposing himself to great danger.
Confidence in salvation is a very important condition in the life of faith. When I am confident that I am saved, I am confident that God will guide me. I am convinced that the God who saved me from trouble before and made him a child will save me today. However, the devil causes skepticism and doubts about becoming a child of God through all kinds of challenges, leading to distance from God and eventually falling away. To prepare for this, we must make sure of our salvation. That is to put on the helmet of salvation.
In war, limbs do not die when they fall off. But if you cut your head, it's over. If your head is alive, you can sometimes get hurt and get back up if you fall. The assurance of salvation is the bulwark that protects our relationship with God. The assurance of salvation is the assurance that God loves me. If you have this conviction, you can stand strong anytime, anywhere. I can overcome everything with the assurance that God, who is with me, guides and builds me.
Finally, we must be armed with the word of God, the sword of the Holy Spirit.
Where is God? Where is the Holy Spirit? It is in the Word of God. It is said that all the words were given by revelation through the inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16). The one revealed in these words is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if God's heart, personality, and will are contained in these Words, and the Word is engraved in our hearts, it is as if the Holy Spirit is with us.
It is said that these words containing His heart and will are so delicate that they are alive and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing our spirit, soul, joints, and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 5:12). . Therefore, when we feel the heart and will of God contained in the Word and accept it by faith, the sword of the Holy Spirit becomes the power to defeat evil that permeates deep in our hearts and build God's work.
Joshua 1:8 says, "Put the word on your lips and meditate on it day and night, and observe the word it commands you to do." To have the Word in my heart, I must not only read it, but memorize the main verses. You have to memorize it so you can keep it in your heart and meditate on it day and night. Only then will it become flesh and blood to me, and it will be manifested in my ability to protect myself in my life. Otherwise, even if you listen to the sermon, you will remember only interesting examples and forget them all.
When we obey the Word, God's work is revealed. When I obeyed the command to get up and walk, the lame got up and when I heard the commandment to lift up the staff toward the Red Sea, the Red Sea parted. When he told me to fill the jar with water, I filled it, and the water turned into wine.
Obedience to the Word is to use the sharp sword of the Holy Spirit to overcome obstacles and achieve the power of God.
Armed with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the spirit of the gospel, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Holy Spirit, the evil devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. I hope you can.