Sermon Central
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Spiritual Warfare: A Winnable War, Pt. 2
Contributed by Dave Kinney on Oct 11, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: If you are a Christian you also are in a battle everyday! And upon this battle depends your joy, overcoming sin, happiness in your marriage, and the well being of your children!
If you are a Christian you also are in a battle everyday! And upon this battle depends your joy, overcoming sin, happiness in your marriage, and the well being of your children! The problem: most Christians don’t realize this is a fact of life and too many of us are asleep in the barracks rather than being active on the battlefield!
C. S. Lewis wrote, “There’s no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every minute of every hour is claimed by God and counter-claimed by Satan.”
I was watching the other night The Crocodile Hunter and learned that snake are born and inbred with a reflex action that allows them to bite and shoot venom into a human body even after they are killed. A rattlesnake can still bit and kill a human an hour after its dead! Folks, I remind you that Satan was dealt a deadly blow on the cross, but he still is very dangerous!
And that’s why it takes special weapons for this supernatural warfare!
2 Corinthians 10:4 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”
Church – the devil doesn’t fear bombs, bullets, missiles and torpedoes – he only fears the supernatural weaponry given to every believer!
What To Wear To The Battle
6 weapons: 5 are defensive and only 1 is offensive. 5 to defend with and only 1 to defeat with!
When Satan woke up this morning he was ready to pick a fight with you!!! You may be asking, “Pastor, what makes you say that?” Vs. 16: “Fiery darts” – He’s got lots of fiery darts ready to shoot at us in order to weaken our walk with Christ – that’s his #1 goal today!
“Darts” = dart, arrow or even javelin
“Fiery” = intensity
His aim – YOU!
1. The Belt of Truth Is For The Dart of Deception. Vs. 14a
Romans soldiers put a belt in order to connect other items to it. So what is this belt of truth? The Word!
Ephesians 1:13 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation...” NIV
John 17:17 “Your Word is truth.”
This belt is a defensive weapon to keep our spiritual deception!
John 8:44 Satan is “The father of lies.”
1 Timothy 4:1 “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” NASB
Do you now what will happen if you don’t wear the belt of truth? Besides getting caught with you pants down – if the belt of truth does not anchor your life, you will tossed to and fro! The stakes are high!
PHD’s out there who want to rip truth from you and your children!
Why is that collage professors attack the Bible so much? Because it is the truth and nothing but the truth! You see, Satan is sympathetic with other religions because they are not whole truth!
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness Is For The Dart of Disapproval. Vs. 14b
This was sleeveless piece of armor that covered the whole torso of the soldier! It was designed to protect the heart and folks, your heart is Satan’s primary target! WHY? Because where we spend eternity is determined by the heart!
Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Proverbs 23:7 “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
While Christ was on the cross the heart of Satan’s attack was the heart of man! When temptation comes and we give in, then Satan will condemn us because we have sinned!
Satan is the “Accuser of the brethren” and he loves to dig up the garbage of our past and bring it to our attention! He rattles the skeletons that live in the closet – which even the CIA knows nothing about!
The breastplate we wear is so important because without it there is no way to know the difference between the Spirit’s conviction and satanic accusation!
KEY: The Holy Spirit will use scripture to convict with and Satan uses feeling to condemn with. The only sin that the Holy Sprit will ever bring up is unconfessed sin!
2 Corinthians 5:21 “We are the righteousness of God in Christ.”
3. The Gospel of Peace Is For The Dart of Dissension. Vs. 15
Please do not forget that Satan has one opinion of you and God has another opinion of you! And Satan would love for you to believe his opinion of you and bring discord between what God says about you and what you say about yourself! WOW!
