For our Scripture reading tonight, I ask that you turn with me to Ephesians 6. Ephesians 6, we read together verses 10-20. Verses 10-13 we consider for our text tonight. As I've indicated in the bulletin tonight, I'd like to begin a series with you considering the armor of God. Next week, the Lord willing, we'll begin with the first piece tonight, considering somewhat of an introduction to the pieces with verses 10-13. Ephesians 6, beginning at verse 10-20, as we give our attention to the Word of God. 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. 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. 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. Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word 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. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should. Dear people of God, we've just read the climax of Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus. It's the punchline, if you will, tying together all that he has said before in this letter. This letter is a letter of encouragement and a letter of instruction for the church in Ephesus. And in this letter, throughout this letter, Paul has beautifully explained to the church what they are, what believers are in Christ Jesus. New creations. The Holy Spirit of God has brought them into eternal fellowship, into an eternal relationship with God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore, then, Paul also explains to them what is now required of those who have been saved by grace through faith. And that is that they live like children of the Heavenly Father. There is a certain way of life that is to characterize these believers. He gives instruction for living this life regarding morality, to stay away from the ways of the old man and instead be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love. He gives instructions for husbands, for wives, for children, for employers, for employees, and how to deal with each other within those relationships. And then Paul's grand finale is his urgent instruction in this particular text. Finally, he says. That's an important word. It's not just there for show. It's meant to get their and our attention. Listen up. You need to hear what I'm about to say, Paul says. 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. 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. 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. Beloved, the church in Ephesus was quite young, very much infants in the faith. And like so many who are new to the faith, they were naive to the true battle that was around them. You see, in Christ, the war was indeed finished. It was won. It was history. Yet until He comes again, and as Scripture says, puts an end to all rule and all authority and power, and until He has put all enemies under His feet, the battle still rages. Now it's possible that like many new converts to Christianity, the members of the church in Ephesus thought that because of all that Paul had said beforehand that they were and all that he said they had in Christ Jesus, that they thought that this life would be a bed of roses. Many new Christians we know think that because of Jesus, in this life, they will be healthy, wealthy, and wise, and no one will touch them and hurt them. And the problems and the difficulties, or let's say the potential problems and difficulties of this life, are a thing of the past. And therefore, so many Christians put their guard down. They're not ready for the attacks of the devil. Somehow our Lord's words to take up your cross and follow Me have slipped their minds. Many conveniently forget Paul's instruction to Timothy that all those who desire to live godly lives in Jesus Christ will be persecuted. Congregation, Paul's message in this text and in this passage is a call for perseverance. You see, Christ's saving sacrifice doesn't simply begin and end with regeneration, conversion and repentance, justification, adoption, sanctification and one day glorification. There's an important element that we've just missed in that order of salvation as we call it. And that element deals with that time in between. That time in this life in between being born again and going to live with God in heaven one day And that element is perseverance, or as we might also say, preservation. And the preservation of God's people in this life takes place in the midst of a battle, as Paul makes clear. As we prepare to study, the Lord willing, the individual pieces of that suit of armor called the armor of God, I preach to you tonight this Word of God. God equips His church to stand firm against the forces of evil. We notice, first of all, the divine source of equipping. Secondly, the urgent need for equipping. And then finally, the victorious effect of this equipping. Again, Paul begins the text, verses 10 and 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 scheme. Now, very simply, the church's divine source of equipping is the Lord. There's no other strength that is needed, and indeed, there's no other strength that will do in this battle. Paul commands believers to find their strength in God and God alone. Now, the Greek literally says, to clothe yourselves in the Lord and in the power of His might. His mighty power, as the text says. Now, when we talk about might, we are to understand it as, for example, speaking with regard to humans, man's inherent muscular strength and power. The might is there. It's on reserve with the potential for being used. And then the strength or power is the demonstration of that might. It is using that might. God's people are to be clothed. They are to be surrounded by, better yet, let's think of it this way, they are to be wrapped in the strength of the Lord. A strength that has already been demonstrated on the cross. God has placed His might at the disposal of His people. In chapter 1, Paul lists for the church the many demonstrations of the Lord's strength on their behalf. He has blessed the church with every spiritual blessing. God's people are chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, brought together in Christ, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and guaranteed that heavenly inheritance and all of this is theirs by the strength or power of His might in Christ Jesus. In other words, beloved, Paul is saying to this church, remember who you are in Christ. You know that's something in each and every one of us is to remember every morning when we first open our eyes. Remember who you are in Christ. Boys and girls and young people in the school year, when you leave for the day, when you leave in the morning, your parents ought to remind you. The last thing they ought to say to you is remember to whom you belong. You have the sign and seal of God's promise placed upon you in baptism. Remember who you are, to whom you belong. When David came face to face with Goliath, Goliath laughed and called David a dog. What did David say? He said, you come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand. You see, by the grace of God, David knew that he was clothed in the Lord and in His mighty power. And David also says in 1 Chronicles 29 in his prayer, In your hand, O Lord, is power and might. In your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Beloved, when Paul says, be strong in the Lord, he's not telling them to go out and get the Lord's strength. To secure it for themselves. He's not saying that they must or that they are even able to work for the Lord's strength. Paul uses the passive voice in the Greek, which means that Christians receive that strength. They are the recipients of that strength. It is given to them. Because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's people have received the Lord's strength. It's at our disposal. And now, in view of this warfare, He calls the church to exercise that strength. Those who are regenerated and brought to repentance and faith by the grace of God are clothed by God with His strength. And then they are called to exercise that strength by exercising their faith. How? He says, put on the full armor of God. Don't let your guard down. Strengthen. Use what has been given to you. It's interesting, though, that with these particular words, Paul makes it undoubtedly clear that combat is inevitable. Armor is battle clothing. Boys and girls, let's think in terms of sports for just a second. With football and hockey, let's say. The last thing a football player or a hockey player puts on before he goes out to the field or out on the ice is his pads. His uniform, His protection. Well, armor is battle clothing. It's the last work of preparation before the hand-to-hand combat begins. The strategizing has all been done. The attack plans have already been made. The troops are fully supplied. And then the armor is put on. When I think of this passage in armor, I think of a full suit of armor from the medieval period. that heavy, bulky metal protection. And it's true that Paul uses an illustration here which was familiar to the church at that time. That of a Roman soldier. A Roman soldier who was a picture of strength and bravery and confidence, ready for battle, fully clothed with his armor in place. This was the picture the church was to have. Armor, protection. Yet Paul wasn't talking about heavy physical armor. He was talking about spiritual armor that covered one even better than the Roman physical armor did. He was talking about the armor that David wore when he killed Goliath. Again, you remember that King Saul first puts his own suit of armor on David. A nice gesture. But kind of humorous as the Bible makes clear to us because we're told that Saul was a head taller than any other man. And David was drowning in Saul's armor. Saul's armor didn't fit David. But God's armor did. It was a perfect fit. And it was all that David needed. Beloved, Paul's message is that the Lord is the believer's armor. When you are clothed with the armor of the Lord, you are clothed with the Lord Himself. What else do you need? What else could you want? And what is the armor of the Lord capable of doing? The text says, so that you can take your stand against the schemes of the devil. This really is a great statement, a comforting statement. Because Paul even tells the church, before he tells the church who their battle is against, he gives them the assurance of victory so that you can take your stand. Another translation says, so that you will be able to stand firm. And verse 13 also supports this. 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. He's not saying to them that you may be able to stand firm for a little while. For a short period of time. He's saying that you may be able to stand always, indefinitely, forever. Union with Christ's congregation enables one to be strong and His armor enables one to stand firm. How do we know this? Because Paul is talking about well-tried, proven, effective armor. He's talking about the armor that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself wore. Isaiah talks about the terrible state of God's people. And he says of the Lord in chapter 59, He saw that there was no man and he saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore, his own arm brought salvation for him and his own righteousness it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on his head. He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak. People of God, Paul is talking about the armor of Jesus, that which he used. You remember that in the desert, when tempted by Satan, Jesus held firm the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. When being confronted by the scribes and Pharisees, when agonizing in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He suffered and died on the cross instead of being destroyed, His armor made Him victorious. God equips His church to stand firm. His armor is successful. Jesus comes to His people and says, I've worn it, I've tested it, and I assure you of its ability and its reliability. I am the armor. By the appointment of King Jesus to His powerful work, the Lord's armor was tested at Calvary and approved for victory. Paul's words to the church were indeed comforting, but they needed this assurance, you see, to also stand firm, as He told them, of the urgent need. The text says again, verses 11 and 12, put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes, 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. You see, although in their mind's eye, the church was to have a picture of the protection of physical armor to give them a clear idea. Paul makes it clear that the battle is not primarily earthly. It's not against flesh and blood. It's not hand-to-hand combat as when two men holding swords attack each other and defend each other from one another or defend themselves. It is a spiritual battle. And this is spiritual warfare against Satan and all of his hosts and against all of those who have embraced his lie. And that battle continues today. Young people, don't kid yourself. Satan is out there. He's busy. He's hungry. He's attacking. Satan's goal, his supreme ambition, is to separate man from God and to do everything that lies within his power to hinder man from worshiping God, to stop man from obeying God, and to keep man from living to the glory of God. And it's no secret if we look around that he's been quite successful, hasn't he? Except against God's people. That doesn't mean that we don't fall short. We do. That doesn't mean that once in a while he doesn't make an inroad with us. He does. But God protects His people. Paul talks about the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Satan has a certain amount of control over most of the leadership that exists on this earth. The church at that time had, and the church of Jesus Christ today has an urgent need for the armor of God because of Satan's attacks. The church is Satan's target. Why is that? Because he doesn't have to worry about anyone else. The world belongs to him already. But the church of Jesus Christ is a threat to His work. The church wears that belt of truth, but Satan's banner is the lie. Does he have to worry about you? Young people, let me ask you, are you a threat to Satan's kingdom? I want that to soak in for a minute. Are you a threat to Satan's kingdom? I hope that you are. A couple of years ago, as I was driving along, I was listening to a Christian radio show of some sort, and they asked a question that had to make me stop and think. The question was this, if you were on trial for being a Christian, if the prosecuting attorney was trying to prove that you were a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Oh, I pray that for each one of us there would be. Satan's attack is exactly why the church needs the armor of God. Her own strength will not and cannot do. And if it were simply a human battle, we could get smart. We could find a way to overcome the enemy. History has proven that out over and over again. The most powerful of earthly kingdoms have eventually been overthrown by someone by another kingdom smarter or stronger than they. But this battle is for the universe. Satan seeks to take ownership of the universe from Jesus Christ. We know he will never be able to do that. Yet he still tries. And even though Satan is not omnipotent or all-powerful, he's still powerful, as Scripture points out. Apart from Christ, the church is powerless against him. And even though Satan is not omnipresent, he is still present most everywhere through his spiritual forces of wickedness, through those who love him. No doubt the Ephesian church felt Satan's presence. They knew the dangers of their own society. You see, Ephesus was strategically located for trade. It was a business empire. But it was also a cultic capital. It was a melting pot for pagan cultic activity as well as idol worship. And tourists and worshipers came from far and wide to see this great temple of Diana and to worship the Greek goddess. And much of the commerce of the city depended upon the revenues that were received from these worshippers and tourists. Those who benefited from the cult didn't take kindly to the teaching of Christianity because Christians would no longer buy their handcrafted idols and trinkets to worship Diana. The church was a threat to the economic prosperity of that city. Well, how does the devil operate? Paul talks about the devil's schemes, his methods, or his activities. We know what he's trying to do. Destroy God's building, Christ's church. But how? You see, Satan is called by many different names in Scripture. To name some, destroyer, accuser, adversary, deceiver, dragon, murderer, tempter, as well as a number of others. And all these things also point then to some certain kind of activity or scheme. They're all schemes of the devil. But there are two in particular that seem to reflect the uttermost wickedness of his activity and these are deceiver and accuser. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4 that his Gospel is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the God of this age has blinded, deceived. In Revelation 12, Satan is called the deceiver of the whole world. A deceiver is one who tries to make things look different than they really are for the purpose of hurting or destroying the one being deceived. And that's Satan. That's his desire. He doesn't care about you and me as he wants us to think. He wants to destroy us. And Satan began that work in the Garden of Eden with Eve. Did God really say, oh, come on, you won't die. You'll be like God. What could be better than that? And along with the deceit then, he carefully constructs the temptation like bait on a hook. Paul tells Timothy that some will depart from the faith because of false and deceitful teachings. And that's why John says to test the spirits to see if they are from God. Today, beloved, Satan's evil is all around us. I trust not one of us is ignorant of that fact. It's in our homes being broadcast through the TV and the radio. It's very explicit in lyrics of many songs that are played. It's in the newspaper. The magazines. He filters his evil through the computer by way of the Internet. We find Satan's forces busy through our unbelieving, yet sometimes very kind and gracious neighbors. His presence is in the workplace through the language and immoral practices of our co-workers with the goal of getting us to compromise. And I must confess that when I was in the workplace in Los Angeles, working with a number of people whose language wasn't very good, It's so easy to find yourself beginning to blend in with what they're saying and how they're saying it. He closed the world with the ungodly idea that man is the measure of all things. Man is the One who is supreme. Satan makes sin look luring and attractive and he tries to lure the individual into sin by appealing to one's sense of attraction. He'll use whatever attracts you. And don't kid yourself. He knows what that is. The devil tailor-makes each deceptive temptation to fit each person. That's part of his subtle fire. We know that he's busy trying to deceive the church today with ideas that Jesus is not the only way of salvation. He's trying to chip away at that foundation. Or trying to deceive the church that all religions are the same, basically. All religions will get to heaven. They take different roads. It doesn't matter if you get there through Buddha or through Jesus. It makes no difference, but you're going to get there anyway. Man is being deceived into thinking that the spotted owl or the whale are more important than human life. Or that same-sex relationships are natural. His temptation is tearing apart the biblical teaching of the marriage and the family. The antithesis that must be there between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent He is trying to smooth over. And even so often we find that church members are busy attacking each other instead of standing firm together against Satan. Congregation, the battle is spiritual. But in so many respects, the battlefield is the flesh. And we see that battle raging when kids take guns to school and kill without a conscience. We see that battle today through a lack of respect in many kids. We've noticed that since we've been here. Many of the kids that walk to some of the neighborhood schools and the kids that we have to kindly ask to stop skateboarding in the courtyard over here and so forth, totally disrespectful. A lack of respect. And that's why I was just so pleased last night when Brent called me to say they were home that he said that the young people in Mexico, that the people in Mexico just praised our young people for their respectfulness and their godliness. And you are to be commended for that. Praise the Lord. But Satan is also the accuser. Revelation 12, verse 10 speaks of the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down. And you see, Satan blackmails God's children. He knows that even though in Christ we are new creations, sin still clings to us against our will, and he knows that we have a conscience now. But he's also there then to remind us of our lives of sin apart from Christ. He plays on guilt feelings. He comes to the believer and says, how can you be a Christian when this, this, and this is in your past? How can you say that you believe in this Jesus when these particular thoughts are in your heart? Come on, get real. You don't really believe. Don't kid yourself. You don't deserve to be saved. He even does this through people, doesn't He? If your lifestyle has not always been in service to King Jesus, your friends from before might constantly remind you of how you acted before and the temptation is there to fall back into that. Satan tries to take away our boldness for the Lord Jesus Christ by reminding us of our sin and misery. And congregation, indeed, we must know how great is our sin and misery. But what does God say? In Isaiah 43, verse 25, He says, I will not remember your sins. Clothed with the armor of God, the believer's response to the devil must be, Satan, you're missing the point. My redemptive security is not because of my righteousness. Do you see this breastplate of righteousness that I wear? It belongs to Jesus Christ. Yes, I was lost, but now I am found. I stand today not because of me, but because my Savior lives. And for that reason, I will stand firm always. Beloved, there's an urgent need to be clothed and equipped with God's armor. Satan knows his time is running short. He's prowling aggressively. He's out there. Again, young people, don't kid yourself. He's out there. He wants you. He wants you bad. But in His grace, God clothes His people with His armor completely. Our God tailor-makes each suit of armor for you and for me with a perfect fit. And it's full armor. There's no place for Satan to attack and be eternally successful. And the whole package is necessary, isn't it? You see, Paul does not just say to take the sword in the hand or just put on the helmet or just cover the feet. He says put on the full armor of God. Only the full armor of God gives the victorious effect. We've already mentioned the victorious effect. Paul, in fact, says it twice. so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. And once again, 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. The only protection that is effective against the devil's schemes is the armor of God. Only God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, is able to cause His people to stand firm. As the psalmist said, For the Maker of heaven and earth will not allow your foot to slip. And beloved, only when you are clothed with the full armor of God will you by God's grace not lie down like a coward in the face of danger. Or as chapter 4 verse 14 says, Be tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. We all know, don't we, that at the end of a battle, Who is the victor? The one standing. The one standing. The armor of God is the only unpenetratable armor that exists. It cannot fail. There's nothing more that we could ask for. In His grace, beloved, as we hope to consider in the weeks ahead, God fits His people with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. That is how you are clothed. Go out clothed in that way. Are you wearing the armor of God? If you're not, then you have no defense against the schemes of the devil. You will not stand. He will devour you, guaranteed. You are called to repent of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and God's promise that you too will be fully clothed. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ by true faith and by God's grace, you are equipped by God Himself to stand firm. And you are called to exercise that armor by exercising faith. What is the victorious effect of God's armor? Paul says it beautifully. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Beloved, may you wear the armor of God diligently with humility and with confidence. And may you polish that armor daily by faith so that the grace of God may radiate from you. And in the weeks to come, the Lord willing, as we examine each piece together, may the Spirit of God strengthen you to stand up for the Lord. Beloved, stand in the strength of Jesus. Stand in His strength alone. The arm of flesh will fail you. Ye dare not trust your own. Put on the Gospel armor. Each piece put on with prayer. Isaiah chapter 40 ends with these words, They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar as with eagles' wings. They will run and not grow weary. Walk and not grow faint. Beloved, victory is only in Jesus. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, may we, each and every one, Through the operation of Your Spirit, take heed to the warning of the battle that is around us. Do not let us put our guard down. Do not let us walk carefully throughout this life and not worry about the things of the devil. Do not allow us, O Lord, to be content, to blend in with the world, to look like the world looks, to act like the world acts, to speak like the world speaks, and to think like they think. O Lord God, cause us to stand even today and stand firm, clothed with the armor of God, prepared by Your grace to stand firm against any attack, any assault the devil might wage. Father, we thank You that You give to us the assurance and the comfort that Your people can and will stand firm in Jesus Christ forever and ever. Hear our prayer for Jesus' sake. Amen.