The Unseen War / Week 6 / God's Double Whammy Defense

God’s Double Whammy Defense

Various Passages May 23, 2021

Introduction

A. No soldier would ever go to battle without their defensive

armor or their offensive weapons

1. Today we are going to look at our defensive armor

2. Next week we will look at our key offensive weapon!

• This morning I want to share with you two strong defensive

resources that God gives us in standing firm against Satan’s

attacks to hold our ground. The first is…

I. The armor of God

A. God has provided His armor for the very purpose that we might

be able to stand firm against Satan’s attacks turn to Ephesians 6

1. Read v11 put on the full armor … “that” you may be able

to stand firm.

2. Read v 13, take up the full armor …“that” you may be able

to resist... and... Stand firm.

B. What is the armor?

1. Read v14-17

2. Bottom line - truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation,

and the Word of God.

C. I want to share with you in a very practical way, how I put on

the armor!

1. I put on the armor through believing prayer.

2. I start by thanking God for the foundation that by His

doings, I am in Christ and Christ is in me. When I pray

about:

a. I in Christ I am claiming all the gifts and rights that

God has given to me in Christ.

b. Christ in me I am praying that the life of Jesus within

would grow in me and take greater possession of my

life in these particular ways!

3. You will note as I describe what I do that when it comes

to what I am in Christ it is always in the context of

thanking God for that because it is already done. But

when it comes to Christ in me, I am always asking for

something because it has to do with what God needs to do

in my life.

D. Describe what the armor is like that we wear.

1. Belt = truth – the belt is so important because it is the

piece of the armor that holds all the other pieces in place.

a. Satan’s primary tool is the lie. He was a liar from the

beginning, he is the father of lies and he works through

the lie. Much of spiritual warfare rages in the mind and

it is a battle between the truth and lies.

b. In Christ – thank Him that I am in the truth and

associated with the truth.

c. Christ in me – ask

1) His spirit to move the truth from my head to my

heart. That He would cause truth to fill the innermost

part of my being.

2) Holy Spirit to shine His light of truth on and expose

any darkness, lies, ground, denial, deception, doubt,

strongholds (mindsets contrary to truth) strategies

that Satan is working against me, my family and

MVC.

2. Breastplate = righteousness

a. Satan is constantly attacking believers in this area.

1) He accuses us of sin and tries to convince us that deep

inside there is something wrong with us, and that we

are dirty and not good. He also is looking for ground

in our life from which he can work!

2) We need to stand firm in the truth that we are

righteousness in Christ.

b. In Christ – thank that in Christ I am righteousness.

Nothing to do with my performance or any righteousness

of my own. Thank you that I stand before you today with

Jesus righteousness and not my own.

c. Christ in me – ask Jesus to fill me with His righteousness

in such a way that I live a righteous life. Would He make

righteousness the delight and desire of my heart? And

make me more righteous so Satan has less he can grab

onto!

3. Shoes = peace

a. I believe this applies to both the peace with other brothers

and sisters in Christ and proclaiming of the good news to

the lost of peace with God through Jesus.

b. When we are under attack by Satan, we feel like God is

displeased with us because not everything is in order in

our lives. In the midst of the battle, you need to stand on

firm on the fact that you are at peace with God.

c. A key theme in Ephesians is the peace that comes between

the believing Jew and Gentile and that Jesus has already

broken down the dividing wall.

1) Nothing that I know of better causes a place for Satan

to attack than in the area of divided relationships

between believers. When we have something in our

hearts against one another, Satan notices that and

causes it to come out in such a way as to ruin

relationships and churches.

2) We need to be ready to make peace with one another.

d. So when I pray I pray regarding both peace in my

relationships and spreading the gospel of peace.

1) In Christ – thank Him that I am one with Him and we

are at peace with one another!

2) Christ in me

• Ask Him to grant me every grace that I need to be at

peace with those who struggle with me and I pray for

blessings upon those with whom I struggle.

• I also ask Him that as an ambassador He would give

me the heart of Jesus towards the lost and a readiness

in my heart to share the gospel. Pray that He would

open a door for me to share the gospel

4. Shield = faith

a. When Satan’s lies, doubts, and temptations come flying

over at us, it will require the shield of faith to extinguish

them.

1) Without faith then Satan’s flames begin to burn and

destruction of our lives is the result; and we are

distracted from the real enemy as we are busy putting

out the fires that Satan has started.

2) Like the Roman soldier, we must also at all times

crouch behind that shield when we are fighting.

Whenever we take on the enemy from a stance other

than by faith we leave ourselves open to be struck by

his arrows.

b. In Christ – thank Him that I am in the faith.

c. Christ in me – ask that His Spirit would fill me with His

faith, His expectancy and His dependency. I ask that my

faith will not come from me but from Him. And that He

would make me sensitive to the flaming darts coming my

way!

5. Helmet = salvation

a. In Christ – thank Him that I am already saved, already a

new creature, already dead to sin and alive to God, already

delivered from authority of Satan and transferred to

kingdom of His son. That I am no longer a victim but

now a victor! I declare that I am fighting today from a

position of victory and not trying to get victory

b. Christ in me – ask Him to work in particular strongholds

in my life. Break, transform and control. I also ask Him

to work in areas of sin and ground in my life that I am not

even aware of. I particularly ask Him to make me aware

of my own thoughts and that by His grace I would bring

every thought captive to the obedience of Christ

6. Sword = word -

a. We will look at this one next week in more depth as part

of our offensive weapon.

b. It is sufficient to say today that I pray the Spirit of God

will speak the word to my heart, bring the word to me

through others, and through me to others!

• So the first defensive gift that God gives us is the armor of God.

The second one is …

II. God himself as our refuge!

A. Read Psalm 18:30

1. A refuge is a place that provides shelter or protection from

danger or distress.

2. Illustrate it by running to Kim’s porch during a rainstorm

when we were dating.

3. God is saying here that His word is tried, proven and

certain. If you trust Him to be your protection from

danger, He will be a shield to you.

4. Remember in Job 1:10 Satan complained to God that he

could not get at Job because God had put a hedge about

him, his house and all that he had.

B. Turn and read Psalm 91:9-11.

1. By faith, he trusted God to be his refuge as a result God

gave his angels a charge/command concerning him to

guard him in all his ways.

2. Picture this for them. Me praying and God calling the

angels at the café.

C. Does this really work? I wondered that myself and began to

ask God if this was real or was I just making it up in my

head. Within 2 weeks

1. Story of Courtney and the school kids egging her on to

involve herself in a séance. Felt like something one was

telling her no in her heart.

2. Story of me working for Dave and painting a front window

when woman came out fully naked.

3. Did not think but rather God whispered that into my heart

• So

III. Application

A. Simply start daily and at special times of trial or ministry to

pray on this armor through believing prayer, declare to God you

are trusting Him to be your refuge, your spiritual protection,

then ban Satan from your life and ministry by the blood,

authority and name of Jesus

B. Resource of my warfare prayer

C. Pray