Dec. 06, 2023

Spiritual Warfare Worksheet Part 10: Knowing your wardrobe 

“Where there is grace there will be conflict. The believer is a soldier. There is no holiness without a warfare. Saved souls will always be found to have fought a fight.” J.C. Ryle

Spiritual Warfare is not an automatic victory, which is why Paul admonishes us to “put on the full armor of God,” and stand our ground against satan. 

What do we need if we are to fight against Satan? 

Is it truth?     Do we need rightwousness? Is it Peace? What about Faith? Is it Salvation? 

Are you armed with God’s Armor?

Full Armor: Ephesians 6:10-18

The Belt of Truth v. 14

A knowledge of the truth of God will inevitably lead one to a life change that is consistent with God’s character. 

Without truth, without the doctrines, without the knowledge of who God is, who we are, what we have become in Christ, and what we have been called to do, without this we really do not know what kind of activity in which to engage, and we will be vulnerable to Satan’s onslaughts and wiles. 

Do you know the great truths of Christianity?

The Breastplate of righteousness v. 14

Our breastplate arms us against Satan as an accuser. 

Satan points an accusing finger at the believer and gloats over his manifold sins. “Look at that sin,” he sneers. “No one as wicked as that can serve God.”

There are two kinds of righteousness according to the Bible

Imputed righteousness - this is the righteousness that Christ exchanged to a Christians’s account that enables him to stand before God. 

Acts of righteousness - Personal holiness

Zechariah 3:1-7

Vs. 4 “Take off his filthy clothes,” then place the filthy clothes he had been wearing, the angel gives him new rich garments and a clean turban for his head. 

John 14:30

“The prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me.”

We may be sinners.

We are sinful, but Paul is saying here that this should not be, we should not be giving Satan handles to grasp. 

Live righteously, We are God’s true children and faithful servants.

The Shoes of Peace v. 15

Next piece of equipment  is the boots or marching sandals. 

These are protection against Satan as a serpent (Rev. 12:9). 

A serpent strikes out at the feet or legs of his victims. 

The most awkward phrase in this list of the Christian’s armor is the one about feet. The three words used here, (“readiness, gospel, and peace.”)

Therefore it is the readiness to make the gospel of peace known. 

Every Christian should already know the gospel or he/ she would not be a Christian if he did not. 

Paul is then linking the boots with sharing of the gospel, making the shoes carry us from place to place, and as we go from one place to another we are to be ready to speak about Jesus.

Are we equipped to do that very thing?

Do we know how to do that very thing?

Are you able to answer questions about the hope within you?

The Shield of Faith v. 16

Our shield of faith arms us against Satan as a tempter.

He tells us that we cannot trust God, particularly to deliver us from evil and enable  us to live a pure life. Faith in God overcomes these temptations. 

The Roman soldier had two kinds of shields. There was a small round shield that he would use in hand-to-hand combat when it was important for him to be able to maneuver easily, and there was a large oblong shield that he would use when advancing into battle with other soldiers. 

Paul is saying that our faith should be like that. It should do three things:

It should cover us so that not a portion is exposed

It should link up with the faith of others to prevent a solid wall of defense

Because it covers our entire person and links up with the faith of our fellow soldiers, it should be able to strike down whatever fiery arrows the enemy hurls at us. 

The Helmet of Salvation v. 17

The Helmet protects us against Satan as a deceiver

He will confuse us, if he can. Satan would crush our heads, if possible. 

The final item in the Christian’s defensive armor is the helmet that Paul likens to salvation. 

1 Thessalonians 5:8 -  He is saying that our anticipation of that end will protect our heads in the heat (and often confusion) of the battle. 

2 Cor. 4:8-9. 16-18 

The Sword of the Spirit v.17

The final piece of armor is the only offensive part: the sword.

 This one is used to resist Satan as a liar.

“There is no truth in him” (John 8:44).

The only weapon that is sufficiently effective against Satan’s untruths. These are the truths of God embodied in the Bible which is God’s word.

Every Word of God 

Logos is the most exalted word.

According to John the logos refers to nothing less than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is God’s full and final “word” to mankind. 

Therefore the scriptures tell us about Him.

According to Paul’s teaching we are to overcome Satan by the particular words or portions of Scripture. 

Rhema is not like that. It is a portion of God’s written revelation. For instance: John 3:16 is a rhema. 

It is Written

Paul had in mind a model by which the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ over Satan looked like in the wilderness.

The devil approached Jesus after he had been fasting (40 days) and was hungry, and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread” (Matt. 4:3).

Matt. 14:13-21; 15:29-39 - Therefore the problem is that it was wrong for him to use his power to test the Word of God.

R.C. Sproul suggests that it was how Satan emphasized the word, “if”: “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Just before Jesus went out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, God the Father made a very public confession that Jesus was His son in whom He was well pleased. 

We see that Satan tempted Jesus to doubt God’s veracity as his question is hidden under what seemed to be a concern for Jesus’ physical hunger. 

Jesus had no trouble answering Satan by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'' (Matt. 4:4; Deut. 8:3). He was saying, it doesn’t matter much whether I have physical  bread to eat. God will preserve my life for as long as he wants, to do with it as He wants. 

What really matters is whether I believe God or not. If I doubt his word, all is lost. 

The second & third exchange with Satan we see Jesus quotes Deut. 6:16, and Deut. 6:13.

Deut. 6:16

My responsibility is not to test but to trust him.

Deut. 6:13

We must know the sayings of scripture to resist & overcome Satan. 

Satan will not flee from us simply because we tell him to. He will retreat only before the power of God as he himself speaks his words into the midst of the temptation.

Nothing More Powerful

There is nothing in life more powerful than the specific words of God. The more the Word of God is in someone, the more alive that person really is, as they have been transformed from death to life. 

The Words of God are compelling.

Emile Caillet, a French philosopher, professor at Princeton Theological Seminary.

The Words of God are convicting.

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32

The Words of God are converting.

Harry Ironside, a great preacher and evangelist, was in a debate with a famous agnostic.

The Words of God are consoling.

There is no comfort like that of reading or hearing the very words of God. 

God’s Word, My Heart

If we are to resist Satan and find the convicting, converting, and consoling words of God that we need to live and triumph as Christians, we must take the words of God into our minds and hearts. We must pick up the sword of the Spirit and wield it forcefully. 

For a sword to do me any good, I must take it up and use it. The words of God are wonderful words, but to be useful to you they must become yours. You must learn them. 

David said this, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Ps. 119:11). 

Only the Words that we know will be useful  to us.