Belt Of Truth

Belt of Truth

Ephesians 6.10-20

Rick Warren said that “life on earth is a test. God continually test people’s character, faith, obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty.”

In Ephesians 6.10-20, Paul said that Christian life is warfare. Satan and his spiritual forces are committed to hinder and obstruct the work of Christ and to knock the individual follower of Christ out of combat.

In reality, the ultimate power of the devil was destroyed by our Savior and Lord by the cross. No matter what happened today, the devil had lost the battle. The final eradication of the devil and his works are due on judgment day.

Colossians 2.15. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Hebrews 2.14-15. Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

For the meantime, God allow Satan to accomplish His will , to reveal his glory, to advance his kingdom, and to transform us into the image of Christ. Daily we engage in a spiritual warfare.

Romans 7.15-19. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

My goal this morning is to inform you how to win more wars if not all against the devil. We have set out goals, resolutions, and expectations, what we can we do to ensure our victory against our struggles?

Paul gave two instructions in Ephesians 6.10-13 that are vital in ensuring our victory against all odds.

1. Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (6.10)

The instruction revealed that we need the strength of the Lord to tackle the devils’ schemes. In our own strength we are no match for the devil. Those who win the spiritual war are those who are conscious of their own weakness and ineffectiveness, and who rely solely on Him.

How do we draw strength from the Lord? We draw strength from the Lord as we engage in spiritual exercises. Personal devotion with God through prayer and reading of His word. Asking God’s Holy Spirit to guide and lead our lives.

2. Put on the full armor of God. (6.11)

Paul’s instruction shows that believers do not automatically wear the “armor of God.” It is true that positionally we have His grace and truth in our lives but experientially, it involves putting on the full armor of God.

The armor involves daily living in truth, righteousness, and faith; standing firm in our faith, ready to quench the enemy’s darts with God’s shield, and living in the hope, standing ready to tell others the good news about Jesus.

Why do we need to rely on the strength of God and the full armor of God?

1. Devil’ Schemes - The devil has various strategies like discouragement, frustration, confusion, moral failure, conflicts, and doctrinal error. He knows our weakest point and aims for it. If he cannot disable us by one method, he will try for another.

2. Nature of Struggle - Paul emphasized that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world, and spiritual forces of evil. (6.12)

The battle is against demonic forces, against battalions of fallen angels, against evil spirits who wield tremendous power. Though we cannot see them, we are constantly surrounded by wicked spirit-beings.

While it is true that they cannot indwell a true believer, they can oppress and harass him. Relying on our own strength is foolishness. Every day we engage in spiritual warfare and we need spiritual strength and protection to win our daily struggles.

The more effective a believer is for the Lord, the more he will experience the savage attacks of the enemy: the devil does not waste his ammunition on nominal Christians.

Today, we are going to look at the different parts of the armor of God and see how we can utilize them in winning our daily struggles in life.

Let us consider one part of the armor of God. What does it mean? Why do we need to wear it? How can we use it as a protection from the devil?