You’ve Got to Put It On II
GNLCC 9/30/2001 2 Chronicles 26:11-15 1 Corin. 9:24-27
How many of you have ever had the experience of being ready to dash outside only to hear your mother or grandmother yell out to you, “put on your coat before you go out”? Many of us responded at times, “I don’t need a coat, its okay outside.” But later on, we were glad that we had listened to her and “put it on.”
I can still recall the last time I played hardball baseball. We were having a pick up game in the neighborhood. For a batter’s hat, we were using a metal construction worker’s hat. As I approached the batter’s box, somebody told me to put on the hat. I said, “I do not need it because it will get in my way.” Somebody said, “Put it on anyways”, and reluctantly I did. A pitch came down streaking at me, and I realized it was going to hit me. I dropped to the ground, but not soon enough. The force of the ball, left a great indentation in the side of the metal hat that I did not want to put on. I am certain, without that hat’s protection, I would have had my skull fractured. Being obedient, even reluctantly by putting on that hat, made all the difference in the world.
When it comes to fighting a battle, what you do before the battle starts and during the battle will be. The end of our New Testament reading today informed us that we are engaged in a spiritual battle and are being attacked by evil, demonic forces from the heavenly realm. Based on the context of the passage, the primary battlefield chosen by the enemy is our home and our places of work. That’s why we feel at times as though we are driving each other crazy?
After the bible tells us how to get along with each other, it warns us that this is not going to be easy because of the reality of the spiritual battle taking place. The purpose of the passage is to let us that there are certain things we need to put on in order to be successful in battle. There are many believers who think that the Lord is simply going to deliver them out of their battles with little or no effort on their part. They are like the children whose parents told them “now put on your coat” but they were convinced they did not need them and left home without them ,only to return home with colds and pneumonia. Only for believers something far greater is at stake than few sniffles.
When God tell us to “put on something”, there is a reason for it. If you tell someone to “put on some pants”, why are you probably telling it to them? They either do not have on any thing but underwear, or the situation they are going to be facing demands a change of clothing. Whatever they have on, is inadequate for what they are about to face. So when God tells us to put on something, He sees that we are not adequately prepared to handle the situation we are about to face. How foolish to disagree with God.
Let’s look at Ephesians chapter 6 beginning at verse 10. Ephes. 6:10-11”Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Now we can all pray “Lord, I want to be strong in you and have your mighty power.” It’s good to pray that, put prayer without some action is not going to do us a lot of good at times. Suppose you saw a big dog running toward you, and you cried out “Lord help me.” Immediately you saw a big stick within your grasp. What are you going to do? You can either pick up that big stick, and stop the dog from coming, or you can continue to pray “Lord help me” and probably get bit.
To be strong in the Lord, we must put on the full armor of God so that we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes. God will not put the armor on us, anymore that He will pick up the stick and put it in our hands. The reason for the armor, is that we are going to be attacked as a Christian. Satan hates the fact that we have chosen to live for God. He has a scheme in mind to make us want to change our mind, to get us off course, to make us think God does not really care about us. He wants to isolate us from the rest of the army so that we become easy prey. He can get to any of us, if we do not put on the full armor of God. Keep in Satan is the master of deception, so rarely do we even know he’s the one behind the scheme. There are reasons certain things simply seem to just fall into our lives. In order to take our stand, we’ve got to be properly dressed in God’s armor.
You see the devil uses terrorist tactics. We cannot go somewhere to find him and beat up on him. He makes his plans in a world that we cannot see. He uses people that we love and care about without their knowledge of his presence. He may even use us against our knowledge. We may launch counter attacks against family members or supervisors or neighbors when that’s not the real source of the attack. Look at verse 12.
“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. “
This verse lets us know that Satan and his demonic forces are as active today as they were in the times of Jesus. The trouble we are going in through in our homes probably has a demonic force keeping it alive. Your problem probably really is not the problem. The solution is not in getting more upset with the person, but in asking God for wisdom to make a change, to get Satan out of the equation so that you can see the person.
Sometimes demonic forces can appear as loving and caring people offering us comfort. When Jesus started telling the disciples about the pain, suffering and death he would experience in Jerusalem, Peter, one of his most faithful disciples tried to comfort him. Peter took him aside, and said to Jesus, “Lord this shall never happen to you.” Jesus turned to him and said, “Get behind me Satan.” When we put on the full armor of God, we can begin to see Satan as Satan and deal with him accordingly.
Look at verse 13 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Notice again, we are told to put on the full armor of God. God is not going to do for us, what He has told us to do for ourselves. The day of evil is the day the fight begins to take place.
When people are starting to fight and one does not want to fight the person starting the fight begins to shove the person backwards. They keep backing the person up, until the person finally engages them in the fight. The image here for us a believers, is that when Satan comes to us, he is unable to push as backwards. The armor of God allows us to stand firm in God. It may get heated, hot, and heavy but we are able to handle. When we feel like giving up and giving out a piece of our mind, the verse tells us, after you have done everything to stand, keep on standing. Don’t let something come out of your mouth that is going to be painful for the person and regretful to you five seconds after you said it.
Verse 14 begins to provide us with some insight to what the armor of God is that we need to be putting on. It says “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.” In getting dressed, before trying to put on any armor, a Roman soldier would put on his belt around his waist. The belt would hold his garments together and would serve as a place to hang other pieces of armor
We are told to put on the belt of truth. This belt is not referring to the truth of the gospel, but to the truth in our own lives. God has called us to be people of integrity and faithfulness. Are our lives living up to what we claim to be? If we are not living for Christ once we leave the church, then the very belt that holds the rest of our armor together is not going to be a bit of good.
A soldier’s belt made it easier for the soldier to move around. When our lives are lining up with the word of God, it makes it easier for us to move around with others and with God. Put on the belt of truth by living in such way that God can use us.
The second piece of armor we are to put on is the breastplate of righteousness. Now when we give our lives to Christ, we are instantly given a life of righteousness. We stand in the presence of God as righteous, because we are standing behind the blood of Jesus Christ. When God looks at the blood of Christ, we have been cleansed and shine as the stars in the presence of God. It’s not based on anything we have done. It’s based on our faith in Jesus Christ that He died for our sins.
The breastplate of righteousness has to do with living in such a way that the devil does not have anything to accuse us of in God’s presence. God saved us for the purpose of doing good works in Christ Jesus. These good works are to be done everyday right where we find ourselves. They are to be done in our homes and on our jobs without necessarily looking for something in return. Our way of life is to be a way of love in the way we deal with other people. Righteousness involves becoming a holy people. Holy means seeing ourselves as dedicated to the service of God. It says in Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. How active were we last week in putting on these things? Satan cannot destroy home in which this single verse is practiced on a daily basis. As Pastor Toby preached last week, “Can’t or Won’t”. It’s not that we can’t get along, we simply have said I Won’t or We Won’t. Quit trying to spiritualize and claim God is leading you to something else. God is telling us to fight for our families, not surrender them to Satanic forces.
Verse 15 tells us of the armor for our feet. “and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Our feet stand firm because of the peace we receive from the gospel. We know that despite what is taking place at the moment, Jesus is still Lord of all. When we’re trying to decide whether to stand firm or run and hide, we know that God is still in control. We know that God is able to deliver us at any moment, but even if He does not, we will continue to stand right where we are, because of the peace that God has given to us. God is looking for people who are willing to stand.
Verse 16 provides us with some additional armor. “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. “ A Roman soldiers shield was made out of wood and was about 2 ½ feet wide and 4 feet long. It was overlaid with linen and leather to absorb the fiery arrows coming from the enemy. It also protected the other parts of the soldier’s armor.
I want us to notice, there is nothing we can do to prevent being attacked by Satan. We cannot stop the arrows from coming, and they are going to come. We cannot stop people from gossiping about us. We cannot stop people from treating us unjustly. We cannot stop our young people from getting pregnant, from falling in love with the wrong person, from doing things to land them in jail. We cannot stop them from being deceptive about their homework. Our young people cannot stop us from being unreasonable as parents, from being to critical, or hold us to keep our promises. The pain in families goes in all directions. All of them are fiery arrows coming from the same direction.
Our shield of faith can minimize the damage they intended to inflict up on us. . A direct hit would allow us to start to become bitter. Faith allows us to absorb the impact of the anger of others and to put it out without having to strike back. We know that God is able to work out the situation far better than we can on our own. Because of our faith in Christ, the attacks are stopped before we allow them to hit us directly
Verse 17 tells us to take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of God of the Spirit which is the word of God. The helmet is the protection for the head to provide a sense of safety. But since the helmet was often hot and uncomfortable, it would be the last piece of armor put on by soldier. He would usually put it on just when he felt immediate danger.
The helmet of salvation for us as believers is the expectation of the coming of Jesus Christ to deliver us. We are to live with the knowledge that the Lord may return at any time so that we are prepared to be with him. Our hope that Christ may claim us at any moment causes us to purify our lives because we want to be ready when He comes. Sure the helmet may be hot and uncomfortable at times, but its well worth it when a blow is struck against our heads.
Verse 17 provides us with the offensive weapon we are to have at our disposal, and that is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. In one hand we have the shield of faith. In the other hand we have the word of God. When Satan came to tempt Jesus in the wilderness to sin, Jesus defeated Him by quoting the word of God.
It is not possible to be a strong Christian and not know the word of God. God tells us to take the sword of the Spirit, which means if we do not take action on our part, it will not be a part of our arsenal. What do you think of soldiers going into battle, but who leave their swords behind thinking God will help them if they need it. Yet many believers do the same thing. When you are growing in Christ, you immediately recognize a need to be in Bible Study to equip you for battle. God is not going to pour words into our heads in the heat of battle, when He has told us to take up the word and read it. This is why many believers end up becoming Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons. They did not take the time to prepare for the battle. The size of our spiritual sword, is determined by how much of the Word of God we know and have put into practice. Are we going into battle with a sword or a plastic pocket knife.
I want the best God has for me and my family. Men Who Excel is one of the best things God has given me for my family, because it hold me accountable as a father and as a husband. Pastor Toby and I are in Marriage Sensation, because our marriage comes under attack just like everybody else’s. She’s in Sisters in the Lord, because she needs help just like I need Men Who Excel. Whenever we choose to quit trying to learn how we can be better, we start going downhill. It’s true in sports, its true on our jobs, and its true in our relationships with our families as well as with God.
Verse 18 completes what we need in order to put on the full armor of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Do you see how faith and works go together. We are to pray, but we are also to put on the full armor. One without the other is fruitless. In order to be used by the Lord, prayer is going to be an active part of the process. We must put on and work as though everything depended on us, and yet pray as though everything depended on God.
God wants us to be successful in withstanding the attacks of Satan and his forces. But we are the ones who have to put on the armor. God is not going to force it on us or slip it on us. We have to decide to pick up the shield of faith. We have to decide we’re going to study God’s word. We have to decide to pray for ourselves and for the church. God is more than willing to do His part. The question is, “Are we willing to do ours”
7. Direct Hit Causes Bitterness—Faith Absorbs
8. Confident God Is Able To Work It Out
Eph 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
9. The Helmet Protection—Sense Of Safety
10. Hot/ Uncomfortable—Last Part To Be Put
11. Just Before Immediate Danger
12. Helmet Of Salvation—Coming Of Jesus
13. Hope Of Coming—Purifies Us
J. The Sword Of The Spirit
1. Offensive Weapon Is The Word Of God
2. Jesus’ Battle Of Temptation
3. Strong Christian= Knowing Word Of God
4. Soldiers Going Into Battle Without Swords
5. Growing In Christ—Recognizes A Need
6. Take Up The Sword—Lost Battle Cults
7. Size Of Sword Determined By Knowledge
8. Want The Best—One Shot
9. Men Excel, Marriage Sensation, Sisters
10. Stop Growing—Expect Deterioration
11. How Are We Headed Into Battle
Eph 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
1. Faith & Works Must Go Together
2. God Says Put On We Must Pray
3. God Wants Us Successful In The Attacks
4. We Must Take Action
5. God Does Not Force Or Slip On
6. We’re Deciding Our Fate And The Church’s
7. God Is Willing—Are We?
Sermon Outline Pastor Rick 9/30/2001 GNLCC
“You’ve Got To Put It On”
Psalm 1:1-6 Eph 5:21-6:12 Text Eph.6:10-18
A. The Experience—A Yell From Your Mother
1. Put On Your Coat-----I Don’t Need It
2. Thankful For The Suggestion
3. Last Game Of Hard Baseball
4. A Lasting Indentation
5. Reluctant Obedience-- Changing My Life
B. Prior Preparation & During Determines Outcome
1. NT Informs Of Battle---Evil Forces
2. Primary Battlefield—Home & Work Place
3. Anybody Going Crazy
C. Scripture Warning –Getting Along Ain’t Easy
1. Christians Are Called To Prepare
2. No, The Lord Will Deliver Me
3. Kids, Coats, Colds, & Pneumonia
4. God Has A Reason For Saying Put On
5. Put On Those Pants—None—Not Adequate
6. God Sees Inadequacy –Fools Disagree
Eph 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.
D. We Can Pray To Be Strong But….
1. What If You Saw The Big Dog
2. The Stick & The Prayer
3. To Be Strong –Put On--- We Must Do It
4. Satan Hates Our Choice—He’s Got A Plan
5. Change Our Mind, Our Course, God Does Not
6. Isolation ---All Vulnerable Without Armor
7. To Stand—Put On The Armor
E. Satan Uses The Tactics Of Terrorist
1. Not Easy To Go & Find—Plans Unseen
2. In Our Midst As Friends & Loved Ones
3. Launching Counter Attacks In Wrong Places
Eph 6:12 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.
4. Demonic Forces As Active As Ever
5. Trouble In Our Homes—Keep It Going
6. Appearing Loving & Kind Offering Comfort
7. Jesus Words, Peter’s Comfort Jesus Rebuke
8. Get Behind Me Satan
9. Armor Of God Allows Clear Vision
Eph 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
G. Repeat To Put On The Full Armor
1. God Will Not Do For Us What He Told Us
2. Day Of Evil—The Day Of The Fight
3. Reluctant Fighter & The Shoving Match
4. Satan Wants To Push Us Back
5. Hot, Heated, Heavy---Armor Stands
6. Don’t Say It—Hurts & Regrets
H. The Armor Of God
Eph 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
1. First Thing To Go On—Holds Other Armor
2. Belt Of Truth—Integrity and Faithfulness
3. Living The Life That We Profess
4. Poorly Constructed Belt—Leads To Disaster
5. Made Life Easier To Move Around
6. Armor-Breastplate Of Righteousness
7. Our Righteousness In Christ From His Blood
8. Shining As The Stars In God’s Presence
9. Living So That No Accusations Will Stand
10. Saved For The Purpose Of Good Works
11. Looking For Nothing In Return--Love
12. Becoming A Holy People.
Col 3:12 -14 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
13. Protection For The Home---Can’t Or Won’t
14. More Fight & Less Flight
I. Putting The Right Things On Our Feet
Eph 6:15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
1. Standing Firm Because Of Peace From Gospel
2. Despite What Is Taking Place—Jesus Is Lord
3. Trying To Decide To Run Or To Stay
4. God—Control, Able To Deliver, Peace Given
5. Looking For The Standers
Eph 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
1. Roman Shield Wood 2 ½ By 4
2. Presence Of Linen And Leather—Protection
3. Can’t Stop Arrows—Gossip, Unfair, Pregnant
4. Lovers, Jail, Deceptive Homework, Critical
5. Unreasonable Parents, Hold To Promises
6. Shield Of Faith Minimizes The Danger
