1. The first key to victory is standing armored through the battle (6:16)
2. The second key to victory is standing assured through the battle (6:17a)
3. The third key to victory is standing armed through the battle (6:17b)
EPHESIANS 6:16-17
A story is told about a man who was really down on his luck. It seemed that no matter what he tried, nothing worked out for him. He tried starting a business, but that didn’t work. He tried investing, but the market crashed. He tried real estate, but he lost his shirt. He had the opposite of the Midas touch. Even if he would have had gold to touch, it would have probably turned to lead. It eventually got to the point that he was completely broke. He was broke, but he still had friends. And his friends knew they needed to help him. They knew he was a very proud person, so he wouldn’t accept their charity. But they had to do something. So, here’s what they decided to do. They decided to make up a raffle. Here were the rules they told him: They told him they would all draw numbered slips of paper from a hat. Whoever drew the number 4 would win $1000. Then without him knowing, they put the number 4 on every slip of paper. What a plan! Their friend would get the money he needed and wouldn’t feel like he was a charity case. They would have done a good deed and his pride wouldn’t be offended. Well, the day came for the raffle. Each of the friends drew a number, looked at it, and wadded it up like a good loser should. Then they waited for their friend to announce he had the winning number. But he didn’t. The silence was deafening. Finally, they asked him what his number was. He held it up so they all could see. 6 7/8—he had drawn the tag that showed the hat-size. If I believed in luck, I’d say that man didn’t have any. But I don’t really believe in luck, do you? I tend to agree with the first century Roman philosopher Seneca. He said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Imagine the soldier heading out to the battlefield and his commander telling him, “good luck.” That probably happens, but what does the commander mean when he says that? Do you think he believes that pure luck will win the battle? “Sorry son, the only thing you have going for you in this battle is pure chance and luck.” If he really believed that way, what were all the months and years of training and exercises for? When he says, “Good luck,” he really means, “Remember your training. Remember all the preparation you’ve made up to this point.” When the soldier faces the enemy on the battlefield, he brings all his training to bear on the situation at hand. It’s true that the battle never goes exactly as planned. But since his life has been completely dedicated to training and preparation, he is able to adapt and overcome any problems that face him. He is able to use all the weapons available to him. He doesn’t even have to think twice about how and when to use them. His training and preparation enable him to take up the weapons he’s held at the ready and lethally use them. And because of the way he’s prepared to use his weapons, he is victorious. A few weeks ago, we started to look at what happened after Paul commanded his readers to take up the whole armor of God. He began to list each piece. In verses 14-15, we looked at the first three pieces—the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and cleats of the gospel of peace. We saw how those three pieces of armor were worn constantly. Whether the soldier was in the battle or not, he stood ready by wearing those three pieces. The three pieces we’re looking at this morning were not constantly worn by the soldier. Instead, they were always carried at the ready. They were carried at the ready and specifically brought out during the battle with the enemy. See, the soldier always stood ready for the battle. But there were times the battle wasn’t going on. During those times, he carried the pieces we’re talking about this morning at the ready. Many times he would attach them to his belt. But when the battle ensued, he wore them. Before the battle came, he had trained so extensively to wear them that, when the battle ensued, it was second nature. These final three pieces are always held at the ready and specifically taken up to achieve victory during the battle. As Christians, we will engage in battle with the enemy. When the battle ensues, will we be victorious? That’s what I want for us this morning. I want each of us to achieve victory in all of our spiritual battles with the enemy. In order to be able to do that, we’re going to look at three keys to achieving battle victory over our enemy. The first key to victory is standing armored through the battle. Look with me in verse 16:
EPHESIANS 6:16
Stand armored through the battle. There were two types of shields that were carried by Roman soldiers. One was a small, lightweight round shield. The soldier would strap it to his arm and use it to protect himself against knife cuts and small sword blows in small skirmishes. The only time this shield was carried was when soldiers were used for crowd control or law enforcement. They weren’t used in full-scale combat. The second type of shield was the kind Paul is using as his illustration here. It was a full-body battle shield. It was about 2 ½ feet wide and about 4 ½ feet tall and was designed to protect the soldier’s full body. In other words, he could hide behind it. The small shield could only protect against one single lightly armed close-up attacker. But the big shield that this verse talks about could protect against anything the enemy could throw against it. Either close-up or at a distance. One of the most feared military weapons of the day was fire. And the best way to direct that fire on an enemy was to shoot it at them with arrows. Combatants would wrap the points of their arrows in strips of cloth they had soaked in pitch. When ignited and shot, those fiery darts would inflict tremendous amounts of damage. If they struck a solid object, the flaming pitch would splatter and catch everything around them on fire. If they struck a person, the arrow would penetrate the skin while the pitch continued to burn. They were a terrifying tool of war. But the soldier’s shield would protect him. In addition to its size, most of the time it was made of metal. The metal was then covered in a layer of leather. Leather that had been soaked in water. The strength of the metal would deflect the arrows. And the wet leather would extinguish the flames. If you are a Christian here this morning, you are under attack. Either you are or you will be. If you aren’t under attack, something’s wrong. You need to check yourself. In war, the only ones who aren’t under attack are the ones who aren’t on the battlefield. And the Bible clearly tells us that everyone who is saved is on the battlefield. And when we’re on the battlefield, we’re going to be attacked by our enemy, the devil. Now, picture the ancient battlefield for a moment. On the ancient battlefield, an advancing army wouldn’t just charge right into battle. At least if they were smart they wouldn’t. What they would do instead was, they would soften the enemy up first. Their archers would shoot arrows and these fiery darts into the ranks of the enemy they were facing. That would cause them to break ranks and throw them into confusion. That’s what Satan tries to do to us today. Before the heavy battle even begins, he wants to break our ranks and throw us into confusion. But how does he do that? What do his darts look like in the church today? They look like apathy. “That’s somebody else’s job, I’m not going to do that.” They look like strife. “I don’t like the way things are going here, so I’m going to complain.” They look like pettiness. “Well, he hurt my feelings, so I’ll show him—I just won’t do anything any more.” They look like selfishness. “If I don’t get my way, I’m going to throw a fit and leave.” They look like complacency. “I’m content with the way things are, I don’t want a bunch of new people coming in messing up my comfort zone.” If we’re not careful, those are darts that will hit every one of us. And if they hit us, they won’t just affect only us. When we allow those arrows to hit us, the flames splatter and ignite those around us. They will cause us to break ranks before the enemy and throw us into confusion. So, how do we keep that from happening? By taking up our shield of faith. Learning, trusting and believing in the truth of Scripture. Taking up faith believing that every word of the Bible is true. That it is the all-sufficient source of all faith and practice. Believing that the only way we can truly know God is by what we see in its pages. And the only way we can truly know ourselves is in light of who He is. The arrows and the darts will come. They come continually and they come from a distance. Faith in the revealed Word of God is the only thing that will extinguish them. And it will—immediately and on contact. But there’s one more thing we need to consider about the Roman soldier’s shield. While it could be used individually, that’s not how it was designed. It was designed to connect to the soldier’s shield on either side of him to create what was called a phalanx. When the entire Roman army linked their shields together, they created an impenetrable phalanx. They would stay in that position until the enemy expended all of his ammunition. And as long as they presented that united front, not one of them would fall. That’s why God created this wonderful thing called the local church. This is where we link our shields together. Where we help each other grow in our faith. Where we help each other grow in the Word. Where we unite against a common enemy. And when we do it right, we will present front line phalanx of faith that the enemy can’t penetrate. The first key to victory is standing armored through the battle. The second key to victory is standing assured through the battle. Look with me in the first part of verse 17:
EPHESIANS 6:17a
Stand assured through the battle. Here we are, just a few verses from the end of Paul’s letter to the Ephesian Christians. As we have gone through this letter verse by verse, one thing should have been very clear. As with all of Paul’s writings, he wrote this letter to Christians. He makes that very clear back in the very first verse of the letter. He wrote, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.” To the saints and the faithful in Christ. That’s Christians. So, if he’s writing to Christians, why is he now telling them to put on the helmet of salvation? Because by telling them to put on the helmet of salvation, he’s not telling them to get saved. They’re already saved. And once they’re saved, they can’t get saved again. But they can KNOW that they’re saved. They can have the assurance of salvation. That’s what Paul is telling them here in our passage. He’s saying they need to protect their heads with the assurance that they are eternally saved and the hope they will be finally saved. Ever since mankind first began to battle with each other, one of the first things he learned to do was protect his head. Most Roman soldiers used hardened leather helmets. They would cover them with metal plates and would stitch on pieces that protected the face as well. The helmet served as protection from two types of trauma. The leather padding inside the helmet would protect against the force of blunt trauma. If he was hit with a club, it would cushion the blow. The metal plating would protect from cutting. If his head was slashed with a sharp sword, the blade would glance off without cutting his flesh. In our Christian walk, we are subject to the same battlefield injuries. Satan comes at us with the club of doubt and the sword of discouragement. He wants to continually hit us over the head with self-doubts. “You aren’t any good.” “How can God use you, you can’t even control your temper.” “Look at all the stuff you’ve done in the past, how can God use you?” “You don’t have any gifts, there’s nothing you can do for the Lord.” “You can’t talk to that lost person, you don’t know what to say. What if you say the wrong thing?” He will club you with self-doubt. He will club you with your shortcomings. He will club you with the things Jesus has already forgiven you of. But not only will he club you with doubts. He’ll cut you with discouragement as well. “You can’t really be saved—look at all the bad stuff that happens to you.” “You’re not really saved, you still struggle with the same sins you always have.” “You can’t be right with God because you don’t feel spiritual enough.” And the enemy’s sword swings down with one final blow as he whispers, “Nothing’s going to change, you might as well just give up.” Our only protection from those kinds of vicious attacks is the helmet of salvation. When we put on the helmet of salvation, it protects us from losing confidence in the One who saves us. Satan’s club and sword tries to get us to look at ourselves as the source of our salvation. But the helmet reminds us who our Savior is. And it reminds us that our salvation rests in Him and Him alone. In Isaiah, the Bible tells us that our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God. Nothing we can do can clean those rags up. They will always be tainted with the stain of our sin and our sinful nature. As a matter of fact, the more we try to clean them on our own, the more sinful we are. Because we have the audacity to think we can do a job that only God can do. When we try to make ourselves good enough, we essentially try to take the place of God in our lives. But salvation only comes when we realize that we have no righteousness. There’s nothing we can do to be good enough to have a relationship with God. We can only have a relationship with Him based on the righteousness of His Son. And through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, if we trust in Him, He took our sins and gave us His righteousness. His righteousness saves us. And His righteousness keeps us saved—forever. No amount of unrighteousness on your part will keep Jesus from saving you. And no amount of unrighteousness on your part will keep Jesus from keeping you saved. But it will keep you from knowing you’re saved. When a Christian lives a rebellious life, it’s just like he takes off his helmet in the middle of a raging battle. Satan will crush your assurance with doubts. He will cut your assurance with discouragement. If you are questioning your salvation, it is a sure sign that you have taken off your helmet. You are not living the life God wants you to live. You’re not in His Word like He expects you to be. You’re not fellowshipping with other believers like He expects you to. You’re continuing in sin He’s convicted you of. Right living isn’t what saves you. It isn’t what keeps you saved. But right living is what brings assurance. It is the helmet of salvation that wards off the enemy’s clubs of doubt and swords of discouragement. The second key to victory is standing assured through the battle. The final key to victory is standing armed through the battle. Look with me at the last part of verse 17:
EPHESIANS 6:17b
Stand armed through the battle. The Holy Spirit didn’t leave us to have to figure out what the sword is. He inspired Paul to tell us that it is the Word of God. In the original language, there are two words that are translated into English as word. The word that many of us are familiar with is the Greek word logos. That is the word that’s used in John 1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” So, that word is used for the living Word of God—Jesus Christ. It’s also the most common word that’s used for the written Word of God. It’s used in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” It’s used in 2 Peter 1:19-21: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” It’s used in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” and it’s used in 2 Timothy 4:2: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” Now, notice what all those passages have in common. Each of them is talking about the entire Word of God. The whole Word. The Bible as a whole. That word logos is always used to either describe Jesus Christ as the living Word of God or the Bible as the written Word of God. But that’s not the word that Paul uses here. He describes the soldier’s sword as another word. As a matter of fact it’s a more specific word. The word that he uses here doesn’t just vaguely refer to the Word of God as a whole. It specifically refers to the particular WORDS of God. In other words, the individual verses and paragraphs of Scripture. Look at what Jesus did when Satan came against Him in the wilderness. Back in Matthew 4, three times Satan tempted our Lord. And three times Jesus defended Himself with specific verses of Scripture. When Satan tempted Jesus to turn the stones to bread, Jesus responded with Scripture. He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3: “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” When Satan tempted Jesus to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the temple, Jesus responded with Scripture. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:16: “Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” And when Satan tempted Jesus to bow before him, Jesus quoted Scripture. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:13-14: “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Just like any sword that is used in battle, the sword of the Spirit is to be used two ways. We are to use it offensively and defensively. That’s how Jesus used it. Satan attacked three times. And three times Jesus defended Himself with passages of Scripture. But the third time, He not only defended Himself, He returned fire. In sword fighting terms, He parried His defense into an attack. And Matthew 4:11 tells us the result: “Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.” The living Word of God as revealed to us in the written Word of God is the basis for all the pieces of armor. He is the truth that girds our waist. He is the righteousness we wear as a breastplate. He is the gospel of peace we anchor our feet with. He is our shield of faith we’re safe behind. And He is our assurance of salvation we wear as a helmet. But all of those things that Christ is to us are made alive on the battlefield by the individual Words of Scripture. That is why it is so important for you to read the Bible. Memorize Scripture. Do you think God was kidding when He wrote in Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”? Individual passages of Scripture are the only weapon we have that can beat the devil at his own game. The Words of the Bible are the only things God has given us that we can use to attack Satan back and drive him away. My question for you this morning is, are you even in the battle at all? Have you chosen the easy side? Or have you chosen the winning side? You see, although we as Christians are in a battle right now, Jesus Christ has already won the war. He is victorious and the only way you can be victorious is to trust Him as your Lord and Savior. Have you done that today? If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, are you prepared to stand victorious in the battle? Are you standing armored through the battle? Armored with your shield of faith? Are you standing assured through the battle? Assured that Christ’s righteousness is what has saved you—not your own? Are you standing armed through the battle? Armed with the specific Words of Scripture hidden in your heart? His armor is available. Jesus has provided every piece. All He asks is for you to take it up.
