KEEP YOUR GUARD UP
Ephesians 6:10 – 20
Introduction:
In a few more days it will be December 7. You might be wondering, what is the significance of that date? What happened on December 7? To be more precise, something happened on December 7, 1941. It was the day Japan declared war on the United States when it bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Although tensions between Japan and the United States had been mounting already for some time, the United States and her allies did not expect that Japan would conduct a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. At least 10 American warships were destroyed, and thousands of lives were lost. A few hours later, the Philippines was then attacked (December 8 Philippine time). What was ironic about the attack on Pearl Harbor was that the Japanese airplanes were detected by radar but was ignored by the officer manning the radar post as nothing more than their own planes coming in low for a landing. The Americans had the technology to detect enemy planes approaching but they simply ignored the warning signs. They had allowed their guards down and the consequences were fatal as thousands of lives were lost.
Letting our guards down is dangerous. In everyday life, letting our guards down may cost us the loss of property and even the loss of lives. Thus it is important that we keep our guards up, that we be alert to the possibilities of attacks and robberies by doing precautionary measures such as locking your doors before leaving the house or before going to bed, by keeping the car door shut when you're inside the vehicle or when you park your vehicle, and by staying away from places that are dimly lit or dark. There are many more tips that I'm sure you are familiar with and are regularly practicing, so I don't need to bring them all about this morning.
The sad thing, however, is that while we keep our guards up when it comes to protecting our physical property and our physical lives, we tend to neglect that which is important, namely our spiritual health and well being. This morning's passage is a timely reminder for all believers to always keep their guards up in anticipation of the assault Satan and his minions throw our way. There are a couple of important lessons we must remember if we want to keep our guard up against our enemies. Let's look into our passage in depth to learn how we can stand up to the enemy of our souls.
LESSON # 1: FIND YOUR STRENGTH IN GOD
The very first thing every believer should remember is that, if we want to be able to stand up to the attacks of the enemy, we must always get our strength not from ourselves but from God himself. Verse 10 makes clear to us that we must be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. What it means is that we must never rely on our own wisdom or cunning or even physical resolve to stand up to Satan's attacks. This first point is very important because, let's face it, we have this tendency to rely on ourselves. We think too highly about our capabilities to say “no” to temptation as well as our own resolve to stand up for God. Remember Simon Peter? On the night when Jesus was betrayed, Simon Peter said beforehand that he would never deny the Lord and, in fact, he was willing to die for Him. Yet, later that night, he would deny the Lord three times. Peter was relying on himself rather than relying on God to enable him to stand firm. So often, we are like Peter when it comes to fighting the spiritual battles of life. We rely on our own strength, our own thinking and way of doing things. We rely on our talents and skills, on our willpower in order to do great things for God. Sadly, these things will never be enough to win the spiritual battles. We must learn the important lesson of finding our strength in God.
When you and I are tempted to sin, we probably don't always call on God for help. Instead, we keep saying to ourselves, “I won't give in.” But as we continue to rely on our own strength, we find ourselves caving in to the temptation. Before long, we've already sinned against God, all because we did not learn to rely on God's strength from the very start and throughout the process.
But how exactly do we find our strength in God? Proverbs 3:5,6 reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and to never lean on our own understanding. Instead, we must acknowledge him in everything, meaning we rely on Him, and God will make our paths straight. Victory in the Christian life begins and is sustained by constantly finding our strength in God and not in ourselves. Effectiveness in God's service is not about how good I am or how skillful I am, but it is all about how strong God is, and that I am related to that strong God. When we refuse to rely on God, we are setting ourselves up to failure. We will never be victorious over sin. We will never be truly effective as God's witnesses. We will never be able to serve God in the manner that pleases Him. The apostle Paul got it right when he wrote, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Victory in the Christian life, effectiveness in witness and service all comes from God's empowerment.
LESSON #2: KNOW YOUR ENEMY AND HIS SCHEMES
The second lesson we need to learn is to know who your enemy really is. The enemy of our souls is Satan. Satan doesn't work alone but he has other demons working for him. It is not the person who persecutes you or ridicules you because of your faith. It is not the person who stands in your way and makes life hard for you. So often, we blame people for causing us to stumble in our walk with God. The truth is, people are actually the instruments that Satan uses to attack us and make us fall. I am not absolving people for the sins they may commit against others, but we must realize that the real enemy, the one who is behind all the activities meant to destroy our souls or to make us self-reliant rather than reliant on God is Satan himself. In verse 12, it makes clear to us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, namely people. Our struggle is against Satan himself and his minions.
Let's look carefully at how Paul described the enemy and his henchmen. In verse 11, he is called the devil. The Greek word which we translate as “devil” is the word diabolos which means “accuser” or “slanderer”. He makes false accusations against us in order to discourage us and to force us to quit following the Lord. I don't know about you, but when I was still a young Christian, whenever I sinned against the Lord, I would feel as if God doesn't love me because of what I've done. In fact, I would feel as if I was not really saved. But we all know this isn't true. When we come to Christ, we are saved once and for all. When we sin against God, God may be grieved but he never fails to love us still and longs for us to repent. This is what our enemy is doing – he is making charges against us that seem true, but these would not hold water when compared to God's promises in the Bible.
Satan and his minions are also known as the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, according to verse 12. Satan has this world under his control. This explains why people commit crime against others. This explains why there is so much immorality and indecency in our world today. It is because Satan and his minions are spreading the darkness of sin over the world. He is also waging war against God by attacking the people who belong to Him, namely us. He uses various means to cause us to fall – from temptation to persecution. If he can't make us fall by sinning then he will use whatever means to make us reject God and walk away from Him. He is also in the heavenly realms, making accusations against us before God, like in the case of Job.
Knowing who our enemy is and what his schemes are, we must equip ourselves properly for the warfare that is being waged against us.
LESSON #3: PUT ON YOUR ARMOR AT ALL TIMES
The third and final lesson we need to remember is this: Put on your armor at all times. We're going to dwell a bit longer on this third lesson because we're going to examine all the pieces of armor as well as the weapons mentioned in the passage. But before we look into each piece of the armor, I want us to take note of verses 11 and 13. Both verses say that we must put on the full armor of God. This should mean that every piece of the armor must be worn by us. Soldiers have to keep every piece of their uniform on when they're in the battlefield. It provides protection for them. They also carry around their weapons with them to the battlefield. They do not go to the battlefield dressed in their pajamas. They are suited up for battle against the enemy. During the time of Paul, Roman soldiers who were in battle were dressed in such a way as to provide good protection from every conceivable handheld weapons that enemy soldiers may possess. They do not go out to battle without their full armor. To go to battle without your complete battle gear is suicidal.
Another thing I want us to take note of is that the command to put on the full armor of God is in the present tense. While a command given in the present tense may be to do a particular action once, What it can mean is that once we have put on the full armor of God, we must keep it on at all times. Our enemy is a ruthless one. He will keep on assaulting us with temptations and persecution and ridicule without end. Thus, we have to keep ourselves totally protected at all times.
Finally, I want you to take note that the armor is called the armor of God. What this means is that the armor is something that God has given us for our protection. Spiritual warfare requires spiritual armor, and we cannot generate such an armor from our own efforts and strength. It has to come from God.
Now, let's look at each piece of the armor. Because of time constraints, we cannot study each piece of the armor in-depth, but I will try my best to explain what piece means. First, there is the belt of truth. The Roman soldier's belt kept all the parts of the armor in their proper place and firmly fastened. Weapons were usually tucked into the belt. The truth that comes from God and His Word is the belt that keeps the whole armor firmly in place. Truth alerts us as to how our enemy attacks us. Truth warns us against false doctrines, false religions as well as all kinds of deception the enemy may throw on us. The truth of the Gospel assures us that we who have put our faith in Jesus Christ are saved and that the enemy cannot separate us from God. Truth sets us free from lies. Brothers and sisters, have you girded yourself with the belt of truth?
The next piece is the breastplate of righteousness. The Roman soldier's breastplate covered both front and back of the chest and stomach area. We know that these areas are where our vital organs are. A single stab of a sword into these area would mean certain death. The breastplate, which is made of iron, can prevent penetration of any sharp weaponry. Righteousness is like a breastplate when we consider what righteousness is all about. Righteousness is all about our being justified or being proclaimed righteous and holy by God through the finished work of Christ. It is also about living a holy and just life through the power of Christ. As much as Satan accuses us before God of being sinners, we can boldly denounce him and declare that because we have been justified by God through Christ, his accusation cannot hold any ground against us. By living a righteous and holy life after conversion, we do not give the enemy any reason to accuse us of sinning. The righteous life protects our “hearts” from anything that would stain our memories and leave us living a life of regret and defeat.
We then have the shoes, signifying the readiness that is given by the Gospel of peace. We all know that shoes are intended to protect the feet from harsh, uneven grounds as well as to give traction and to enable the soldier to stand his ground as the Roman soldier's shoes were fitted with nails or spikes. Some people have interpreted this verse to mean that we must be ready to share the Gospel. However, I believe primarily that it is about recognizing the state of our relationship with God as well as the kind of attitude we should have as Christians. Prior to becoming followers of Christ, we were all enemies of God. After becoming followers of Christ, we enter into a state of being at peace with God. Satan often wants us to think that we are still God's enemies. But when we remember that we are already at peace with God through Christ, we will not fall so easily. The picture of shoes may also be talking about being prepared to walk in the way of the Gospel – to live a life of peace, to never use means that are contrary to the Gospel of Christ. If Jesus walked a life of peace, in the sense that he never resorted to violence against others nor did he force people to believe the Gospel, likewise, we are to live a peaceable life in order to win a hearing for the Gospel.
The next piece of armor is the shield of faith. The Greek word for shield here is the word θυρεος which is a large shield made of wood and covered with hide or with metal. The word θυρεος is derived from the Greek word θυρα which means “door”. This shield was at least around 4 feet in length and the sides were curved so as to provide better protection for the front of the body. The animal hide that covers the shield were sometimes dipped in water so as to prevent fiery arrows from destroying the shield. The metal plate served the same function of quenching the enemy's fiery arrows. Faith is our shield from the fiery attacks of Satan. Satan will use any means possible to tempt us and to make us fall. However, when we have faith in God and in His Word, and we live according to that faith, then we will not yield so easily to the attacks of Satan. For example, when you and I believe that God will supply all of our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus, then we will not go around scheming of ways to have our needs met. We will not be covetous of what others have nor will we yield in to the temptation to steal in order to have our needs met. That is how strong a shield faith can be when we use it appropriately and to the fullest.
The next piece is the helmet of salvation. The helmet was a cap made of thick leather or brass. The helmet was used to guard the head from a blow by a sword or a club. For Paul, the helmet was called the helmet of salvation because it symbolizes the hope of our salvation. Salvation is a certainty for all who have faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is something that we cannot lose. Satan loves to attack us when it comes to the certainty of salvation. He wants to plant doubts in our minds as to whether or not we are truly saved. Thus it is important to continue putting our hope in the certainty of God's promise of salvation. Remember that, if you have truly confessed your sins and trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are saved. Jesus has promised that those who believe in Him shall have eternal life and not perish. Cling on tightly to the hope of your salvation – the Lord Jesus.
There is only one weapon mentioned here, and that is the sword of the Spirit. It is none other than the very Word of God. God's Word is very powerful as a weapon. The fact that Jesus Christ used it in rebuking and winning over Satan in the wilderness is proof of its power. When we study it, meditate on it, and apply it in our lives, we are actually going on the offensive and the enemy will not be able to stop us. When we use it to rebuke the enemy just as the Lord Jesus did, then it becomes a defensive weapon that the enemy cannot overcome. Be sure that when you're in the battle against Satan, you have your sword, the Word of God, equipped. Study it. Memorize it. Put it to practice everyday.
Finally, Paul instructs us all to pray at all times in the Spirit. Paul does not use any of the armor of the Roman soldier to compare prayer to because, to tell you frankly, there is none. Nevertheless, prayer is a powerful weapon because we are calling on God himself to protect us, to enable us to do his work, to help us stand our ground against the enemy. Prayer is so powerful such that we can use it in aide of others (v. 18). Even if we are thousands of miles away from someone who needs help, we can pray and God hears our prayers and he answers our prayers.
Conclusion:
Keep your guard up. Be prepared to live the Christian life each day. Be prepared to stand up for the Lord through your testimony. Be prepared to face the assault of the enemy. Remember the three lessons – find your strength in God every moment, know who your enemy is and what his schemes are, and always put on the armor that God has given you. Many believers live defeated lives because they don't take these lessons to heart. I hope you and I will not be found wounded and defeated in the battlefield.
