Ephesians 6:15-17 The Rest of the Armor

Sermon Outline

Ephesians 6;15-17

The Rest of the Armor

1. Introduction
2. The Gospel of Peace
   1. Purpose of shoes
      1. Shoes for everything
      2. Roman military sandals
         1. Caliga – strong leather soul, open leather top, studded for grip, not wear out
         2. To protect the feet and allow faster movement and response
      3. Feet fitted, i.e. bind on. Securely affix.
      4. What is the peace?
         1. Paul says it is something that comes from God and Jesus (Eph 1:2)
         2. Peace is Christ (Eph. 2:14)
         3. Peace is a bond that unites the Church (Eph. 4:3)
   2. Readiness that comes from the gospel of peace
      1. Freedom to make every situation a situation for Christ and gospel proclamation
      2. In spiritual battle, be ready to move quickly with the gospel. (2Tim 2:8, 1:8, Isa 52:7)
         1. When you see division beginning – jump in with the gospel to stop it. Remind your brothers and sisters they are one and need each other. You can’t do away with them, ignore them, discount them…
         2. When hear heresy – move in and correct the errant
         3. When doubt arises – move in and remind of the peace that God brings the troubled soul
      3. Satan’s tactic is to make you scared, to get you to feel ill prepared, to make it feel like you are going barefoot on pointy rocks, because if he can keep you from sharing the faith 2 things happen:
      4. Rehearse your testimony/conversion story in 30sec, 2 min and 5 min versions.
3. The shield of Faith
   1. Roman shields were wooden with leather stretched over. 30”w x 48” tall.
      1. Paul is saying here is your protection. It is faith.
   2. What flaming arrows is Satan lobbing at you?
      1. Accusation of unworthiness
      2. Reminders of our past (1Cor 6:11)
      3. Tell you that evil is good and good is evil
      4. Convince you that pleasure of sin has no real consequence
      5. Tells us that the grudge we have, unforgiveness is justified and right, etc…
   3. What is faith?
      1. Faith is the belief that what God has declared in the Bible is in fact true, for others and for me! (HC 21)
   4. How does Faith protect in the battle?
      1. Quenches every one of Satan’s attempts to cause us harm. Creates a shield around us, a permanent shelter, a protective covering.
      2. Leads me back to the eternal life giving Words of God and to Christ himself
4. Helmet of Salvation
   1. Helmets protect our minds.
   2. Salvation is the personal assurance that Christ is the Lord of Life, the forgiver of sin, the one who is coming back for me.
5. Sword of the Spirit
   1. Swords are offensive and defensive weapons. Notice what our offensive weapon is: GOD”S WORD (Heb 4:12)
   2. The temptation of Jesus
      1. Satan used scripture out of context.
      2. Jesus used Scripture in context.
   3. Why I am always boggled by 2 things that Christian declare:
      1. I am not very good at memorizing scripture
      2. I don’t need to study the bible that much, it is the minister’s job. I am a servant.
   4. What would you say to the soldier who went to defend his home without any weapon? The bodyguard who didn’t know jujitsu, kung fu, karate, something else? The cyber security consultant who couldn’t read and program code?
      1. They are worthless. They are unfit. Tell them to go back and train. To make the sacrifice, to learn the skills, to enlarge their repository of knowledge and to get the right tools.
      2. Same is true in spiritual battle. Only a thorough grounding in the Word, good chunk of memorized scripture, solid catechizing that is reviewed yearly in your life and home, all of this is your offense and your defence.
6. In the spiritual battle, what we need is Christ in us, on us, around us, in our minds, on our tongues, in our thoughts, upon our feet, guiding our hands. It is his truth, his righteousness, his peace, faith in his sacrifice, his salvation and his Word that will protect us, aid us and grant s the victory. Anything less than a being clothed in Christ truly is suicide in the spiritual battle.