SPIRITUAL
WARFARE
Sooner or later every believer
discovers that the Christian life is a
battleground, not a playground, and
that he faces an enemy much stronger
than he is—apart from the Lord.
~ Warren Wiersbe ~
• we are soldiers of the Lord
Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3–4)
Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier
(stratiw¿thß) of Christ Jesus. No soldier
in active service entangles himself in the
affairs of everyday life, so that he may
please the one who enlisted him as a
soldier (2 Timothy 2:3–4).
• “fellow soldiers” are
comrades in arms
(Philippians 2:25; Philemon 2)
But I thought it necessary to send to you
Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow
worker and fellow soldier (sustratiw¿thn),
who is also your messenger and minister to
my need (Philippians 2:25);
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and
Timothy our brother, to Philemon our
beloved brother and fellow worker, and to
Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our
fellow soldier (twˆ◊ sustratiw¿thØ), and
to the church in your house (Philemon 1–
2):
• the enemy is Satan (1 Peter
5:8–9), fallen angels (Eph 6:12),
and the people Satan uses to
accomplish his will (2 Tim 2:26)
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your
adversary, the devil, prowls about like a
roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But
resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the
same experiences of suffering are being
accomplished by your brethren who are in the
world (1 Peter 5:8–9).
For our struggle is not against flesh
and blood, but against the rulers,
against the powers, against the world
forces of this darkness, against the
spiritual forces of wickedness in the
heavenly place (Ephesians 6:12).
And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be
quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach,
patient when wronged, with gentleness
correcting those who are in opposition, if
perhaps God may grant them repentance
leading to the knowledge of the truth, and
they may come to their senses and escape
from the snare of the devil, having been held
captive by him to do his will (2 Timothy 2:24–
26).
• when Satan attacks,
we're all in the battle—
whether we like it or not
• offensively, our job is to tear
down strongholds—
fortresses of the enemy in
the souls of men with the
spiritual weapons God has
provided (2 Cor 10:3–6)
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war
according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare
are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the
destruction of fortresses. We are destroying
speculations and every lofty thing raised up against
the knowledge of God, and we are taking every
thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we
are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your
obedience is complete (2 Corinthians 10:3–6).
• defensively, we are “to stand firm
(sthvnai) against the schemes of
the devil” (Eph 6:11)
• the verb histemi (iºsthmi) is often
a military term meaning “to hold a
watchpost” or “to…hold out in a
critical position on a battlefield”
• spiritual warfare is applying
the great power of positional
truth to experience—learning
how to put on your armor and
use your spiritual weapons
effectively to fight against Satan
(Eph 6:11, 13, 14)
Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of
His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may
be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the powers, against the
world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual
forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you
may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done
everything, to stand firm (Ephesians 6:10–13).
• we have both offensive
("for the right hand") and
defensive ("and the left")
weapons (2 Cor 6:7)
giving no cause for offense in anything, in order that
the ministry be not discredited, but in everything
commending ourselves as servants of God, in much
endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in
beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in
sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in
patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine
love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the
weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the
left (2 Corinthians 6:3–7),
• with our weapons we
"fight the good fight”
(1 Tim 1:18; 2 Tim 4:7)
This command I entrust to you,
Timothy, my son, in accordance
with the prophecies previously
made concerning you, that by them
you may fight the good fight (1
Timothy 1:18),
I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the course,
I have kept the faith
(2 Timothy 4:7);
• in spiritual warfare churches need a
command center to send and receive vital
communications
• military vehicles are now equipped with
computers and satellite positioning devises
that relay coordinates to the command
center; commanders can overlay these
positions on accurate satellite generated
maps and coordinate forces on the
battlefield to outmaneuver the enemy—all
a result of good communications
• get the phone number of your Sunday
School teacher, a mature believer, a deacon
you trust, or your pastor—and don’t hesitate
to call anytime of the day or night if you feel
you’re under satanic attack
• they will immediately pray with you, meet
with you, and give you the doctrine you need
to stand firm against the enemy—so you’re
not isolated and picked off
DEFENSIVE
WEAPONS
Ephesians 6:10–17
The Full Armor of God
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Belt of Truth (Eph 6:14a)
Breastplate of Righteousness (6:14b)
Sandals of the Gospel of Peace (6:15)
Shield of Faith (6:16)
Helmet of Salvation (6:17a)
Sword of the Spirit (6:17b)
• the full armor of God
consists of six pieces
of military equipment:
a belt
a breastplate
sandals
a shield
a helmet
a sword
• the full armor of God covers
and protects the whole body:
belt
breastplate
sandals
shield
helmet
stomach, groin
chest
feet
hand, arm,
chest, groin,
legs, face
head
• this armor is listed in the order
a Roman infantryman would put
them on
• he first put a belt on over his
short tunic to keep the
breastplate and scabbard in
place
Belt of Truth
Stand firm therefore, HAVING
GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH
TRUTH…(Ephesians 6:14a NASB)
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth
buckled around your waist… (6:14a NIV)
• soldiers used wide leather belts
(cingulum) studded with decorated
metal plates to carry their aprons,
daggers, and swords
• the apron consisted of a number of
leather thongs with riveted metal plates
and weighted with bronze terminals: it
swung between the legs and protected
the stomach and private parts
• “belt of truth” is a genitive of
apposition in which A (belt) = B (truth)
• the “belt of truth” ( 6:14) held “the
sword of the Spirit, which is the
Word of God” (6:17)
• truth protects us from one of
Satan’s most powerful
weapons—deception, lies, and
false doctrine (cf. Eve, Gen 3:1–
6; 2 Cor 11:3; 1 Tim 2:14;
millennial unbelievers, Rev 20:7–
10)
• the belt is defensive truth (you won’t
be suckered by lies and false
doctrine); the sword of the Spirit is
offensive truth (such as James 4:7:
“Resist the devil and he will flee from
you.”)
• with the belt of truth you
can effectively fight “the
father of lies” (John 8:44)
because you know what the
truth is
• some of the positive gains
of revival will be lost to
satanic deception, lies, and
false doctrine (e.g., heresy,
evolution, philosophy, occult,
New Age Movement, cults,
religion)
Breastplate of
Righteousness
…having put on the breastplate of
righteousness (Ephesians 6:14b NASB)
…with the breastplate of righteousness in
place (6:14b NIV)
• the breastplate (lorica segmenta)
consisted of six or seven horizontal
overlapping strips attached on the inside by
leather strips to allow freedom of movement
• the shoulders were covered with sets of
curved strips
• it also had front and back plates
• it could be taken apart or quickly put on as
a complete unit and laced up from the front
• parts of three breastplates have been
found in a wooden box dating to 98–100
A.D. in a Roman fort at Corbridge—the
iron has rusted to its oxide but the leather
has survived
• fragments of hinges, hooks, and buckles
are often found in forts in Roman Britain
• a scarf was worn around the neck and
knotted at the front to prevent the metal
plates from chafing the skin
Bronze Statue of the Emperor Hadrian
• the breastplate covered the body’s
most vital organs—the heart, lungs,
stomach, liver, and bowels
• a wound from an enemy’s sword,
spear, or arrow in any one of these
organs meant almost certain death
• “breastplate of righteousness” is a
genitive of apposition in which A
(breastplate) = B (righteousness)
• righteousness is given a place of vital
importance in the believer’s warfare
• righteousness is all that Satan is not; he
is unrighteous, wicked, evil, and full of
darkness (John 8:44; 13:2; 1 John 3:8)
• the breastplate of righteousness is living a
righteous life (experiential righteousness)
• experiential righteousness is imitating the
righteousness of God; that is, conformity to the
righteous standards of God in your thoughts, words,
and deeds:
Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who
practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is
righteous (1 John 3:7);
not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and
slew his brother. And for what reason did
he slay him? Because his deeds were evil,
and his brother’s were righteous (1 John
3:12).
• a state of experiential righteousness is
produced by confession of sin:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
• if you have been cleansed from all
unrighteousness, you’re in a state of
experiential righteousness (but not necessarily
practicing righteousness, living a righteous life,
or doing righteous deeds)
• if the breastplate is imputed righteousness
(at salvation), then every believer has his
breastplate on all the time (and doesn’t need
to put it on); if the breastplate is ultimate
righteousness (resurrection body), then no
believer has received a breastplate yet (and
can’t put it on)
• since this verse is addressed to believers
(not unbelievers), the breastplate must be
experiential righteousness
• our knowledge of experiential
righteousness comes from the Scriptures:
All Scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for training in righteousness; that
the man of God may be adequate, equipped
for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
• many verses promise protection for
living a righteous life—memorize
them before going out to battle:
For it is Thou who dost bless the
righteous man, O LORD,
Thou dost surround him with favor as
with a shield (Psalm 5:12).
He brought me forth also into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
For all His ordinances were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
I was also blameless with Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my
righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes
(Psalm 18:19–24).
• the breastplate of righteousness
provides additional protection against
Satan’s arrows (cf. the shield of faith in
Ephesians 6:16)
• the breastplate of
righteousness protects us
against two devastating
weapons of Satan—
accusations and temptations to
sin
• the Devil is called “the accuser (oJ
kath/gwr) of our brethren” (Rev 12:10)
• he accused Job of serving God only to
receive God’s blessings (Job 1:9–11;
2:4–5)
• he accused Joshua the high priest
(Zechariah 3:1–2)
• the name Satan (NDfDÚcAh) means
“Adversary or Opposer’ and the noun
sitnah (hÎnVfIc) refers to an accusation
(Ezra 4:6)
• Devil (dia/boloß) means “Slanderer”—
he sullies your good name by making
false accusations to God
• Satan cannot effectively
accuse a believer who is living a
righteous life (confessing his
sins, practicing righteousness,
and doing righteous deeds)
• a lack of experiential
righteousness in spiritual warfare
may be fatal: it’s going out to
battle without a breastplate—
leaving you exposed to enemy fire
• you may be pierced through the
heart by an accusation from Satan
• to be pierced through the heart is a fatal spiritual
wound; e.g., a pastor who is caught in adultery: he’s
living an unrighteous life (without his breastplate), he
gets caught and his sin is made known to all by
Satan, he loses his credibility, loses his church, and
loses his ministry—and never pastors a church
again
• Satan kills him as a spiritual leader (Jimmy
Swaggart suffered a near fatal wound)
• to be wounded or killed spiritually is to be partially
or totally neutralized in effectively using your spiritual
gifts (healing is possible with the passage of time)
• you have to be clean
to go out to battle
• some of the positive
gains of revival will be lost
to unrighteous living
(temptation, sin,
disobedience, carnality,
failure to confess your
sins daily)
Sandals of the
Gospel of Peace
…having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE
PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL
OF PEACE (Ephesians 6:15)
…your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace (6:15 KJV);
• soldiers wore an elaborate military
boot called a caliga
• they were heavy sandals with several
thicknesses of sole studded with
hollow-headed hob-nails
• the soles were three-quarters of an
inch thick
• eyewitness account:
…he was wearing ordinary military
boots thickly studded with sharp
spikes, and as he ran across the
pavement he slipped and fell on
his back with a loud clang of his
armor…(Josephus, The Jewish
War, 6.1.8.85)
• modern equivalents are baseball
or football cleats (shoes)
• leather thongs continued half-way up the
shin and were tied there
• in cold weather these sandals were stuffed
with wool or fur
• sandals were defensive military
equipment
• sandals protected a soldier’s feet from
stones, bugs, stickers, and the weather
while marching to battle and fighting on
battlefields
• sandals also provided sure footing,
traction, and mobility
• traction and sure footing are
imperative in hand-to-hand combat:
when you’re fighting with swords,
your first slip is usually your last
• in the Old Testament God
promises to protect the righteous
by keeping their feet from slipping
• a pilgrimage psalm:
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From whence shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber (Psalm
121:1–3).
• a wisdom psalm:
The steps of a man are [firmly] established by the LORD;
And He delights in his way.
When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong;
Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.
I have been young, and now I am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Or his descendants begging bread.
All day long he is gracious and lends;
And his descendants are a blessing (Psalm 37:23–26).
Depart from evil, and do good,
So you will abide forever.
For the LORD loves justice,
And does not forsake His godly ones;
They are preserved forever;
But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.
The righteous will inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever (Psalm 37:27–29).
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
And his tongue speaks justice.
The law of his God is in his heart;
His steps do not slip.
The wicked spies upon the righteous,
And seeks to kill him.
The LORD will not leave him in his hand,
Or let him be condemned when he is judged.
Wait for the LORD, and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off,
you will see it (Psalm 37:30–34).
• a psalm of praise for deliverance
from an enemy:
Praise our God, O peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping (Psalm
66:8–9 NIV).
• the sandals of the preparation of
the gospel of peace are also
defensive military gear—used in
spiritual warfare
• these sandals carry your armor
and weapons to battle
and having shod YOUR FEET WITH
THE PREPARATION (e˚toimasi÷a) OF
THE GOSPEL OF PEACE (6:15)
• on our feet are “the preparation of the
gospel of peace”
• God has provided what may be called “the
sandals of the preparation of the gospel of
peace”
• the implied “sandals of preparation” would be a
genitive of apposition in which A (sandals) = B
(preparation)
• other examples of a genitive of apposition are
“the feast of unleavened bread” (Luke 22:1) and
“the sign of circumcision” (Romans 4:11)
• your sandals (combat boots) are your
preparation of the gospel of peace
• e˚toimasi÷a is used of the preparation of food and
drink for a banquet with the Egyptian king Ptolemy II:
…the king ordered the finest apartments to be given them
near the citadel, and the preparations for the banquet to be
made. The chief steward Nicanor summoned Dorotheus, who
was appointed in charge of these matters, and bade him
complete preparations for each guest. “These,” he said, “are
the king’s orders; some of them you still see now.” The
number of prominent delegates corresponds to the number of
cities, all having the same customs in matters of drink and
food and bedding. All preparations were made in accordance
with these customs, so that when they came in the presence
of the kings they would have a happy visit, with no cause for
complaint (Letter of Aristeas 181–182).
• preparation is getting
things ready in advance
for use
• the phrase “the preparation of the
gospel” is a genitive of reference and may
be translated ‘the preparation with
reference to the gospel’
• the preparation is done in the area of the
gospel: defensively, it’s learning how the
gospel protects you from false gospels;
and offensively, it’s learning how the
gospel brings peace between God and
men (reconciliation) and peace between
believers and unbelievers (evangelism)
• “the preparation of the gospel of peace” is
getting ready for spiritual combat by studying,
learning, and understanding the gospel
• the preparation is the work you do in learning
about the gospel
• this preparation comes through personal
Bible study, preaching, teaching, and
meditation
• this preparation (understanding of the gospel)
is put on like military sandals before going out
to battle
• defensively, the preparation of the gospel of
peace protects you from false gospels—another
favorite weapon of Satan:
But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by
his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from
the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if
one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have
not preached, or you receive a different spirit which
you have not received, or a different gospel which you
have not accepted, you bear this beautifully (2
Corinthians 11:3–4).
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who
called you by the grace of Christ, for a different
gospel; which is really not another; only there are some
who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel
of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from
heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to
that which we have preached to you, let him be
accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now,
if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to
that which you received, let him be accursed
(Galatians 1:6–9 ).
• there are many false gospels:
(1) salvation by good works: pagans,
neo-orthodoxy, Judaism, most
religions
(2) faith plus good works: believe and
be baptized, repent and believe,
believe and surrender by giving Christ
control of your life (lordship salvation
adds obedience to faith)
• faith-plus gospels say faith in Jesus Christ is
necessary, but is not enough—works are also
needed to make it to heaven
• these faith-plus gospels are endless: faith plus
baptism, repentance, surrender, obedience,
faithful living, church membership, personal
sacrifice, penances and masses (Roman
Catholicism)
• salvation is conditioned solely on faith over
200 times in the New Testament
• false invitations:
• “Give your heart to Christ”—salvation is
not my gift to God, but his gift to me.
Variations of this false invitation are “Give
your life to God,” “Give your heart to Christ,”
“Surrender all,” “Put your all on the altar,”
and “Ask Jesus to come into your heart.”
• “Forsaking all your sins”—this means that
the sinner must promise to live perfectly
from now on
• “God be merciful to me a sinner, and save
me for Jesus’ sake”—an incomplete
invitation
• “Surrender all”—the full surrender of
Jesus Christ on Calvary saves us, not our
full surrender to him
• “Make Jesus your Lord” or “Make Jesus
the Lord of your life”—promising to obey the
rest of your life is works
• if you understand the
gospel, you will not fall
victim to false gospels
• the gospel is also a powerful offensive
weapon to turn people “from these vain things
to a living God” (Acts 14:15).
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the
power of God for salvation to everyone who
believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek
(Romans 1:16).
• the phrase “the gospel of peace” is a
genitive of the product in which B (peace)
is the product of A (the gospel): the gospel
of peace provides peace with God:
Therefore having been justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1),
• when you successfully use the gospel
against an unbelieving enemy you make
peace between him, yourself, and God—
effectively defeating, disarming, and taking
captive one of Satan’s warriors
• what seems to be an incongruity is
really a paradox: weapons of peace
are used to make war
• a good soldier seeks peace
through conquest
• use the gospel to invade the
Kingdom of Darkness
• here is another paradox:
And the God of peace will soon crush
Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20b).
• the aggressor in the angelic conflict is
clearly Satan, not God
• all were at peace when Satan rebelled; and all
will be at peace again when Satan is
incarcerated for a thousand years in the Abyss
and forever in the Lake of Fire
• the title “the God of peace” occurs five times in
the New Testament (Rom 5:33; 16:20; Phil 4:9; 1
Thess 5:23; Heb 13:20)
• God wants peace and provides peace of mind
(fruit of the Spirit) and peace with Him
(propitiation and reconciliation) in the midst of
war—and ultimately peace on earth (millennial
Kingdom and the new earth)
• your understanding of the
gospel is your sure footing in
spiritual warfare
• you can’t use your Sword
(Word of God) effectively
without sandals (the gospel)
APPLICATION
• did you know there is an interesting story
behind the Greek word for 'gospel'?
euangelion means 'good news'
euangelizo means 'bring or announce
good news'
euangelistes means 'a bringer of good
tidings' or 'an evangelist'
• the word gospel (euangelion) is closely
linked with victory in battle
• originally it referred to the good news of a
decisive victory in battle:
• a city-state's army is at war in the field
• the people anxiously await news of the
outcome
• victory means they will remain free and
enjoy the spoils; defeat means certain death
and slavery
• suddenly a messenger arrives from the
battlefield—on a ship, on horseback, or as a
swift runner
• he has a broad smile on his face
• his spear is decked with laurel
• his head is crowned
• he swings a palm branch over his
head with his left hand
• he raises his right hand in greeting
• he cries out with a loud voice
"Chaire…nikomen" which means
"Rejoice…we are victorious!"
• joy fills the city—pandemonium breaks
out—everyone is ecstatic, shouting, hugging
each other, and celebrating
• the city offers good news sacrifices
(euangelia) to its gods
• garlands are put on their temples
• an agon (assembly met to see games) is
held
• the victor is honored with a wreath
• the messenger—the one bringing the good
news—is just as ecstatic as the people in the
city—the ones he tells the good news to (so
we should be happy and excited to tell the
good news to others)
• the people often rewarded the messenger
for bringing the good news (his good news
brings relief to the recipients; therefore he is
rewarded)—so we are rewarded for
proclaiming the good news
• euangelion (good news) is
often combined with soteria
(salvation) because victory over
enemies is the salvation of the
city (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1–3)
• the word came to be used of any kind of
message that was good news and brought joy
to the hearers
• news about the birth of a son
• news of an approaching wedding
• news of winning an election (political)
• news of a popular general becoming
emperor (the cities of the east rejoiced when
they heard about Vespasian's accession to
the throne, Josephus, War 4.618)
• the gospel is good news from God
to men:
"Christ died for our sins…was buried,
and…was raised on the third day…” (1
Corinthians 15:1–8)
• the gospel is the good news of victory over
death and Satan:
Since then the children share in flesh and
blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the
same, that through death He might render
powerless him who had the power of death, that
is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14);
The Son of God appeared for this purpose,
that He might destroy the works of the devil (1
John 3:8b).
But when this perishable will have put on the
imperishable, and this mortal will have put on
immortality, then will come about the saying that is
written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. “O death,
where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the
law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians
15:54–57).
• names of the gospel:
“the gospel of God” is the good news from God the
Father (Mark 1:14; Romans 1:1)
“the gospel of Jesus Christ” is the good news about
Jesus Christ” (Mark 1:1)
“the gospel of his Son” is the good news about God’s
Son (Romans 1:9)
“the gospel of the kingdom” is the
good news about the coming Kingdom
of God (Matthew 4:23)
“the gospel of the grace of God” is the
good news about God’s saving grace
(Acts 20:24)
“the gospel of your salvation” is the
good news that produces salvation
(Ephesians 1:13)
• “the gospel of peace” is the
good news that produces
peace between God and men
(Ephesians 6:15)
• preaching the gospel: the gospel is
preached in different geographical
areas
Jesus was going about in all Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, and
proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom
(Matthew 4:23)
• spreading the gospel: the gospel
travels by foot
But Philip found himself at Azotus; and
as he passed through he kept preaching
the gospel to all the cities, until he came to
Caesarea (Acts 8:40).
• demand of the gospel: the gospel
demands faith (Mark 1:15; Acts 15:7)
• enemies of the gospel: the Jews
(Romans 11:28) and Satan (2 Cor 4:4)
• first offensive objective of preaching the
gospel: “preach the gospel to you in order that
you should turn from these vain things to a living
God” (Acts 14:15)
• second offensive objective of preaching
the gospel: to make disciples (Acts 14:21)
• power of the gospel: it is
the power of God for salvation to
every one who believes (Romans
1:16)
Shield of Faith
In addition to all this, take up the shield
(qureo/ß) of faith with which you can
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the
evil one (Ephesians 6:16 NIV).
• their legs were bare; protection was
sacrificed for mobility
• they carried a large shield (scutum) curved
to fit the body
• shields were made of a kind of plywood
(thin sheets of wood, glued together so that
the grain of each piece was at right-angles to
its neighbor)
• the edges were trimmed with bronze or wrought
iron
• the outside surface was covered with leather, on
which was fastened gilded or silvered decoration,
probably in bronze
• the center was hollowed out on the inside for the
hand-grip and protected by a metal boss (a finely
decorated bronze boss from the river Tyne in the
British Museum bears the inscription of its owner—
Junius Dubitatus of the century of Julius Magnus of
VIII Augusta)
• the curve of the shield helped deflect
blows
• these shields were about two feet wide
and four feet long
• it looked like a door (the word qureo/ß
‘shield’ is a derivative of qu/ra ‘door’)
• it was used to deflect swords, spears,
and volleys of arrows
• swords were short range weapons;
spears were medium range weapons; and
arrows were the long range weapons of the
ancient world
• soldiers turned sideways on one knee,
raised their shields above their heads, and
held their ground (were steadfast) against
a volley of arrows, then advanced toward
the enemy
• the shield was the only
maneuverable armor: it could be
moved to protect exposed body
parts (feet, legs, neck, face) and
give added protection wherever
needed
• “shield of faith” is a genitive of
apposition in which A (shield) = B (faith)
• faith is maneuverable: it not only
protects against fear, doubts, worries,
and discouragement, but also helps
protect against deception, lies, and
false doctrine (belt and apron),
accusations and temptations
(breastplate), false gospels (sandals),
and the fear of death (helmet)
• our faith in God’s character and
Word can protect us from all of
Satan’s weapons (arrows)
• note the effectiveness of this
shield: faith can neutralize
(extinguish) every fear, doubt, or
discouragement (arrows) that Satan
shoots at us
APPLICATION
FAITH
Faith is the assurance of things
hoped for, the conviction of things
not seen (Hebrews 11:1)
”Faith enables the
believing soul to treat the
future as present and the
invisible as seen.”
~ J. Oswald Sanders ~
• faith is possible in only two
areas:
(1) what is invisible or unseen
("things not seen"), and
(2) what is future ("things hoped
for")
• faith is
(1) believing the invisible world is
just the way the Bible says it is
(angels, demons, Satan, Jesus,
God, heaven, hell), and
(2) believing God will keep all of his
promises; that is, give us in the
future what we hope for now
(resurrection, rewards)
APPLICATION
DOUBTS
• to doubt is to be
uncertain about something
• doubts take place in our hearts:
And He said to them, “Why are
you troubled, and why do doubts
arise in your hearts? (Luke 24:38)
• the word used for doubts (diakrino,
diakri/nw) means to take issue with
something, to argue or dispute with someone
over something, or to be at odds with yourself
• it's used (1) of the Jews in Jerusalem who
argued with Peter over his ministry to the
Gentiles (Acts 11:2–4), and (2) of the
archangel Michael's dispute with Satan over
the body of Moses (Jude 9)
• to doubt is to argue silently with
yourself:
One moment you say, "God will keep
His promise!" and the very next
moment you say, "No, He won't keep
His promise! It's hopeless. It's too
difficult—even for God!"
• "yet, with respect to the promise of God, he
[Abraham] did not waver in unbelief, but was
strong in faith" (Romans 4:20 NASB). A
better translation of "he did not waver in
unbelief" is ‘he did not dispute with himself
in unbelief (ouj diekri÷qh thØv aÓpisti÷aˆ).’
• Abraham did not allow doubts to linger in
his mind as he contemplated his impossible
situation (having a child in their old age). A
great faith never has doubts about God's
ability to keep his promises.
• doubting is being double-minded
(di/yucoß) (James 1:8a)
• your mind is so filled with
uncertainty and indecision that you
cannot make a choice between the
alternatives with which you are faced
• doubts make you
spiritually unstable—
vacillating and unreliable:
…unstable (aÓkata¿statoß)
in all his ways (James 1:8b)
• doubts take away your joy and peace
of mind: like waves blown by stormwinds, so is a heart filled with doubts—
not calm and peaceful but billowing,
churning, agitated:
…the one who doubts is like the surf of
the sea driven and tossed by the wind
(James 1:6b).
• doubt is sin: “…whatever is not from
faith is sin” (Romans 14:23)
• doubts must be confessed to
restore fellowship with God and faith
must be restored to effectively enter
the fight again
• confession is not enough: it restores
fellowship but not courage
• doubts weaken our faith and spiritual
power (Matthew 14:31; Romans 4:20)
• Peter walked on water until he became
afraid and began doubting. He started to
sink when he started doubting.
• do you think Satan increased the wind
to create fear and doubts in Peter to
cause him to fail this test of faith and to
make Jesus look bad?
• doubts shut down your prayer life:
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,
who gives to all men generously and without reproach,
and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith
without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like
the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For
let not that man expect that he will receive anything
from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in
all his ways (James 1:5–8).
• the sin of doubt puts you out of
fellowship with God and “the Lord
will not hear” your prayers
(Psalm 66:18)
• you lose your heavy artillery,
your most formidable spiritual
weapon—prayer
• fear causes doubts (Matthew 14:28–32)
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You,
command me to come to You on the water.” And He
said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and
walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But
seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to
sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And
immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took
hold of him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why
did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the
wind stopped.
• Satan uses the weapon of fear to create doubts in
believers to weaken their faith and defeat them
spiritually—by making them powerless to do
supernatural feats of power (miracles)
• if doubts penetrate your shield (loss of faith) and
breastplate (loss of experiential righteousness
caused by the sin of doubt), you’re neutralized
spiritually: you no longer have the faith to continue
fighting or to do the impossible because you’re
cowering with fear and doubts
• Satan has effectively won; he has put you out of
this spiritual battle
• the shield of faith is our
protection against the flaming
arrows of doubt (Ephesians 6:16)
• causing fear and doubts are two
of Satan’s favorite weapons
• when you have doubts, claim these
promises by faith:
With men this is impossible, but with God all
things are possible (Matthew 19:26 = Mark
10:27 = Luke 18:27).
For nothing will be impossible with God (Luke
1:37). This verse was spoken by the angel
Gabriel—and he ought to know!
• doubts can be overcome
by persuasive evidence
(Luke 24:36–43)
• faith without doubts can do the
impossible: walk on water (Matthew
14:30–31), wither fig trees, and move
mountains (Matthew 21:17–22; Mark
11:23).
• faith without doubts can accomplish
great miracles and do awesome
supernatural feats of power
APPLICATION
DISCOURAGEMENT
• Satan uses the weapon of fear
to create discouragement and to
keep us from doing God’s work
• the spies were afraid of the giants and
discouraged the children of Israel from entering the
promised land (Numbers 13:31–33):
Now why are you discouraging the sons of Israel from
crossing over into the land which the LORD has given
them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them
from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. For when they
went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they
discouraged the sons of Israel so that they did not go
into the land which the LORD had given them
(Numbers 32:7–9).
• enemies living nearby frightened and
discouraged the returning Jewish exiles from
building a temple for God (Ezra 4:1–5):
Then the people of the land discouraged the
people of Judah, and frightened them from building,
and hired counselors against them to frustrate their
counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even
until the reign of Darius king of Persia (Ezra 4:4–
5).
• enemies living nearby tried to frighten and
discourage Nehemiah from rebuilding the walls of
Jerusalem (Nehemiah 6:1–9):
For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking,
“They will become discouraged with the work* and it will
not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands
(Nehemiah 6:9).
* literally, ‘Their hands will drop from the work’—
figurative language expressing the idea of
discouragement
APPLICATION
FEAR
• Satan often uses the weapon of fear to keep us
from doing God’s work (Acts 21:10–14):
And as we were staying there for some days, a certain prophet
named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he
took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said,
“This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at
Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him
into the hands of the Gentiles’” (Acts 21:10–11).
And when we had heard this, we as well as the local
residents began begging him not to go up to
Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you
doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am
ready not only to be bound, but even to die at
Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And
since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent,
remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!” (Acts
21:12–14)
• fear may cause you to sin (Nehemiah
6:10–14):
He was hired for this reason, that I might
become frightened and act accordingly and
sin, so that they might have an evil report in
order that they could reproach me (Nehemiah
6:13).
• fear often produces
discouragement, fear and
discouragement often produce
disobedience, and
disobedience produces divine
discipline (compare Numbers
14:9 with 32:6–13)
• with our shield (faith) we can successfully
resist attacks from the Devil:
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your
adversary, the devil, prowls about like a
roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But
resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the
same experiences of suffering are being
accomplished by your brethren who are in the
world (1 Peter 5:8–9).
• stop flaming arrows of fear with
your shield of faith by claiming
such promises and warfare verses
as:
“Do not fear, for I am with you”
(Isaiah 41:10; cf. 1 Chronicles
28:20; 2 Chronicles 20:17).
Greater is He who is in me than he who is in
the world (1 John 4:4).
If God is for us, who can be against us?
(Romans 8:31)
We are more than conquerors through Him
who loved us (Romans 8:37).
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but
of power and of love and of a sound
mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
• elsewhere faith is the breastplate—a
different metaphor but the same defensive
protection against Satan’s fiery arrows (fear,
worry, doubts, and discouragement)
…having put on the breastplate (qw¿rax) of
faith and love…(1 Thessalonians 5:8)
Helmet of Salvation
And take the helmet of
salvation…(Ephesians 6:17a)
• helmets were made of bronze or iron with
an iron skull-plate and a leather skull-cap
inside to take the shock of blows
• a projecting piece in the back shielded the
neck
• a smaller ridge fastened to the front
protected the face
• on the sides were large cheek-pieces
hinged at the top
• the enemies of Rome
often fought bareheaded
• many bronze and iron
helmets have been found in
Britain and Holland
»
a helmet worn by
Roman soldiers of
the first century A.D.
• “helmet of salvation” is a
genitive of apposition in which A
(helmet) = B (salvation)
• in other words, the helmet is our
salvation
• the helmet of salvation protects you from the
fear of death—one of Satan’s most powerful
weapons:
Since then the children share in flesh and blood,
He Himself likewise also partook of the same,
that through death He might render powerless
him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;
and might deliver those who through fear of death
were subject to slavery all their lives (Hebrews
2:14).
Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like
a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1
Peter 5:8b).
• in the African bush young, strong lions
seldom roar, preferring to stalk and
quickly ambush their victims; older,
weaker lions, however, rely on their roar
to paralyze their victims with fear
• the helmet of salvation gives you the
courage to face persecution and
martyrdom:
‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer.
Behold, the devil is about to cast some of
you into prison, that you may be tested, and
you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful
until death, and I will give you the crown of
life’ (Revelation 2:10).
• the helmet of salvation gives you the courage
to be faithful:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered
and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are
not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so,
our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from
the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out
of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto
thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor
worship the golden image which thou hast set up
(Daniel 3:16–18).
• the helmet of salvation provides courage to boldly
speak the truth:
“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in
heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you
are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the
prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they
killed those who had previously announced the coming
of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers
you have now become; you who received the law as
ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it” (Acts
7:51–53).
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and
they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of
the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw
the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of
God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their
ears, and they rushed upon him with one impulse (Acts
7:54–57).
And when they had driven him out of the city, they
began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their
robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And
they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon
the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud
voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!”
And having said this, he fell asleep (Acts 7:58–60).
And when we had heard this, we as well as the
local residents began begging him not to go
up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered,
“What are you doing, weeping and breaking
my heart? For I am ready not only to be
bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the
name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he
would not be persuaded, we fell silent,
remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!”
(Acts 21:12–14)
• persecution usually results
from unseen demonic activity
• Satan motivates and creates
opportunities for human agents
to persecute God’s people
APPLICATION
PERSECUTION
• persecution is inflicting suffering
without just cause
Princes persecute me without cause,
But my heart stands in awe of Thy
words (Psalm 119:161).
• expect persecution:
Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not
greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they
will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will
keep yours also (John 15:20).
And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ
Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12).
• persecution usually arises because of
God’s Word:
And in a similar way these are the ones on whom
seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they
hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and
they have no firm root in themselves, but are only
temporary; then, when affliction or persecution
arises because of the word, immediately they fall
away (Mark 4:16–17).
• persecution may come from false interpretations of
Scripture (such as legalism):
Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your pallet, and walk.” And
immediately the man became well, and took up his pallet and began
to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. Therefore the
Jews were saying to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it
is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” But he answered
them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Take
up your pallet and walk’” (John 5:8–11).
And for this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because
He was doing these things on the Sabbath (John 5:16).
• persecution is instigated by Satan
(here anti-semitism in the Great Tribulation):
And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down
to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth
to the male child. And the two wings of the great
eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might
fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was
nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the
presence of the serpent (Revelation 12:13–14).
And the serpent poured water like a river out of his
mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to
be swept away with the flood. And the earth helped
the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank
up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and
went off to make war with the rest of her offspring,
who keep the commandments of God and hold to the
testimony of Jesus (Revelation 12:15–17).
• persecuting Christians is persecuting Jesus:
and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying
to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
And he said, “Who art Thou, Lord?” And He
said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting (Acts
9:4–5),
And I persecuted this Way to the death, binding
and putting both men and women into prisons (Acts
22:4),
• persecution may kill your spiritual life:
And the one on whom seed was sown on the
rocky places, this is the man who hears the word,
and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has
no firm root in himself, but is only temporary,
and when affliction or persecution arises
because of the word, immediately he falls away
(Matthew 13:20–21).
• in times of persecution remember that God
will not forsake us:
we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but
not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed
(2 Corinthians 4:8–9);
• e˙gkatalei÷pw (egkataleipo) means to
desert a person and leave him uncared for
• persecution cannot separate us from
Christ’s love:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
(Romans 8:35)
• be patient and endure the persecution:
To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and
are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are
homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we
are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure
(aÓne÷cw); when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we
have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things,
even until now (1 Corinthians 4:11–13).
• aÓne÷cw (anecho) means “to be patient with,
in the sense of enduring possible difficulty”
• keep a good attitude:
I cry out to Thee for help, but Thou dost
not answer me; I stand up, and Thou dost
turn Thy attention against me. Thou hast
become cruel to me; With the might of Thy
hand Thou dost persecute me (Job
30:20–21).
• pray for deliverance (like David):
My times are in Thy hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me
(Psalm 31:15).
• pray for your persecutors:
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your
neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love
your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in
order that you may be sons of your Father who is in
heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the
good, and sends rain on the righteous and the
unrighteous (Matthew 5:43–45).
• don’t curse your persecutors:
Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not
(Romans 12:14).
• to bless is to say good things (eujlogi/a) about
someone and to do good things for them
• to curse is to say bad things about someone—to
besmirch their character
• God, for example, blesses us by giving us good
things—such as money, livestock, and health
(Deuteronomy 28:2–6, 8, 12; Psalm 21:3)
• we bless God by giving good things to him: giving
him praise, thanksgiving, glory, honor, adoration,
worship (Psalm 34:1; 63:4; 66:8; 100:4; 145:1–2,
10–12; Daniel 4:34; Nehemiah 9:5), money (tithes,
giving), and sacrifices
• to curse God is to say bad things about God—to
berate his character, to denigrate his love, care, or
faithfulness. Job’s wife encouraged Job to say
something bad about God (Job 2:9)
• persecution often provides opportunities
for witnessing:
But before all these things, they will lay their
hands on you and will persecute you,
delivering you to the synagogues and
prisons, bringing you before kings and
governors for My name’s sake. It will lead to
an opportunity for your testimony (Luke
21:12–13).
• persecution may spread the
gospel and form new local
churches (Acts 8:1–4; 11:19–21)
• God will avenge you in due time:
How many are the days of Thy servant?
When wilt Thou execute judgment on
those who persecute me? (Psalm 119:84)
• we will be rewarded for enduring
persecution:
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the
sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you,
and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you
falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for
your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted
the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:10–
12).
• soldiers who are not afraid
of death are invincible: they
cannot be spiritually
overcome by Satan
• they will fearlessly fight to
the death for their Lord
• they are not afraid of the next life; they look
forward to it
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the
sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you,
and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you
falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for
your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted
the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:10–12).
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean
fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which
to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both
directions, having the desire to depart and be
with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to
remain on in the flesh is more necessary for
your sake (Philippians 1:21–24).
Therefore, being always of good
courage, and knowing that while we are at
home in the body we are absent from the
Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—
we are of good courage, I say, and prefer
rather to be absent from the body and to
be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians
5:6–8).
• the doctrine of eternal
security adds to their
courage
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR THY SAKE
WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY
LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS
SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all
these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who
loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to
come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created
thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35–39).
• it’s also called the helmet of the hope of
salvation:
…and as a helmet, the hope (e˙lpi÷ß) of
salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8).
• e˙lpi÷ß means “the looking forward to
someth. with some reason for confidence
respecting fulfillment, hope, expectation”
(BAGD).
Breastplate of Love
…having put on the breastplate
(qw¿rax) of faith and love…(1
Thessalonians 5:8)
• the apostle mixes defensive
metaphors in his letters:
breastplate of righteousness (Eph 6:14)
shield of faith (Eph 6:16)
breastplate of faith and love (1 Thess 5:8)
• “breastplate of love” is a
genitive of apposition in which A
(breastplate) = B (love)
• in other words, the breastplate
is our love
• but our love for whom? for our enemies? for one
another? for God?
in other words, who is the object of our love?
• love for our enemies is not defensive but is an
offensive spiritual weapon:
But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is
thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap
burning coals upon his head. Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:20–21).
• our love for one another can certainly
protect us (e.g., the prayers for Peter in Acts
12:3–17), but I think this breastplate is our
faith in God and our love for God
• the breastplate of love provides personal
protection when attacked:
having put on the breastplate of faith and love
(1 Thessalonians 5:8)
• the breastplate of love protects us
from hatred and persecution—two
very effective weapons of Satan
• he shoots flaming arrows of hatred
and persecution at you to get you to
back down, to give up, or to run away,
but your love for God is like a
breastplate that protects and keeps
you standing firm—steadfast
• because of our love for God we
are willing to endure persecution
and suffering, resist temptation, be
faithful and obedient, and stand firm
during satanic attacks
• the breastplate of love is our best (most
needed, most effective, most reliable) piece of
defensive armor:
And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost
commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two
commandments depend the whole Law and the
Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40).
• spiritual warfare also depends
on our love for God
APPLICATION
LOVE FOR GOD
How can I love God?
Why should I love God?
• love his attributes and character—his
name:
But let all who take refuge in Thee be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And mayest Thou shelter them,
That those who love Thy name may exult in
Thee (Psalm 5:11).
compare his attribute of kindness
The LORD is righteous in all His ways,
And kind in all His deeds (Psalm 145:17).
with his command to love kindness
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)
• love his Word:
Thy word is very pure,
Therefore Thy servant loves it
(Psalm 119:140).
• love his commandments:
Therefore I love Thy
commandments
Above gold, yes, above fine gold
(Psalm 119:127).
• love his law:
O how I love Thy law!
It is my meditation all the day
(Psalm 119:97).
• obey him:
For this is the love of God, that we
keep His commandments; and His
commandments are not burdensome (1
John 5:3).
…whoever keeps His word, in him the
love of God has truly been perfected
(1 John 2:5a).
• love him with all of your heart (by excluding
all other gods):
And you shall love the LORD your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your might (Deuteronomy 6:5).
(similarly, to love your wife with all your heart,
soul, and might is to love her and her alone—
to forsake all others)
• Solomon “loved the LORD” (1 Kings 3:3)
but not with all of his heart:
For it came about when Solomon was old, his
wives turned his heart away after other gods;
and his heart was not wholly devoted to the
LORD his God, as the heart of David his
father had been (1 Kings 11:4).
• benefits of loving God:
(1) answers to prayer
I love the LORD,
because He hears My voice and my
supplications (Psalm 116:1).
(2) access to God’s wisdom
…we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden
wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to
our glory; … just as it is written, “Things which eye
has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have
not entered the heart of man, All that God has
prepared for those who love Him.” For to us God
revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit
searches all things, even the depths of God (1
Corinthians 2:7–10).
(3) protection and vengeance
O love the LORD, all you His godly ones!
The LORD preserves the faithful,
And fully recompenses the proud doer
(Psalm 31:23).
(4) protection in spiritual warfare
But since we are of the day, let us
be sober, having put on the
breastplate of faith and love, and as
a helmet, the hope of salvation (1
Thessalonians 5:8).
(5) a promise that all things will work
together for good
And we know that God causes all
things to work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are
called according to His purpose
(Romans 8:28).
(6) a promise of rewards
For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and
the love which you have shown toward His name, in
having ministered and in still ministering to the saints
(Hebrews 6:10).
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for
once he has been approved, he will receive the crown
of life, which the Lord has promised to those who
love Him (James 1:12).
• your love for God will be tested:
If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you
and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the
wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to
you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you
have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not
listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of
dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to
find out if you love the LORD your God with all
your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 13:1–
3).
• tell God you love him:
I love Thee, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my
deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies
(Psalm 18:1–3).
• an apostolic wish for you:
And may the Lord direct your
hearts into the love of God and
into the steadfastness of Christ (2
Thessalonians 3:5).
PROTECTION
AFFORDED BY THE
DEFENSIVE ARMOR
Belt of Truth ………………………………Lies, False Doctrine
Breastplate of Righteousness…………Accusation,
Temptation
Sandals of the Gospel of Peace ………False Gospels
Shield of Faith……………………………Fear, Worry, Doubts,
Discouragement
Helmet of Salvation……………………..Fear of Death
Breastplate of Love……………………..Hatred, Persecution
• this defensive gear is
called “the full armor of
God” (Ephesians 6:13) and
“the armor of light”
(Romans 13:12)
Sword of the Spirit
…and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word (rJhvma) of
God (Ephesians 6:16b).
• the sword (gladius, machaira) was a short
double-edged weapon of varying length and
width
• it often had a corrugated bone grip
• the scabbard was connected to the belt by a
pair of side rings; above these rings were a
second pair of rings attached to a strap slung
over the left shoulder
• legionaries carried their swords high on the
right side; centurions low-slung on the left
• of 28 swords found, the shortest blade is 10.5
inches and the longest blade is 23.25 inches
• the longer swords belonged to centurions and
higher ranking officers, since experiments have
shown that blades of 19.5 inches and up cannot
be drawn with the right hand in an upward
movement (shorter blades are easier to pull
from scabbards)
• battle tactics in the face of an
advancing enemy consisted of, first,
throwing their two javelins, and
second, rapidly drawing their swords,
tightening their ranks, and charging,
using the gladius as a quick thrusting
weapon into the midsection of the
enemy—as in modern bayonet drills
• legionaries were taught to stab
rather than cut and thrust
• archaeologists can tell from
skeletons whether a defender of
Maiden Castle in Dorset fell to
the slash of an auxiliary’s long
sword or the two-inch deep
thrust of a legionary
• the sword of the Spirit is the
only offensive weapon in the
panoply of spiritual weapons
in Ephesians 6
( a panoply is a full suit of
armor and equipment)
• the sword of the Spirit is infinitely greater
than the legendary Excalibur (King Arthur) or
Singing Sword (Prince Valiant) because it’s the
sword of Omniscience, Omnipresence, and
Omnipotence
• there is no defense against the proper use of
this sword; if your armor holds, you will defeat
the enemy
• it is “divinely powerful for the destruction of
fortresses” (2 Corinthians 10:4)
• how powerful is this sword?
For the word of God is living (za/w) and active
(ejnergh/ß) and sharper than any two-edged
sword…(Hebrews 4:12).
• it’s living because God is alive—Eternal Life
• it’s active (effective, powerful) because God is allpowerful—Omnipotent
… by the word of God the heavens existed long ago (2
Peter 3:5)
the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that
what is seen was not made out of things which are
visible (Hebrews 11:3).
• our sword is reliable and never fails in battle:
…the Scripture cannot be broken…(John
10:35)
BATTLE IN THE WILDERNESS
OF JUDEA
THE GREATEST SWORDFIGHT
OF ALL TIME
• at the beginning of his public ministry
Jesus used his shield (faith) and Sword
(Word of God) to fight against three
temptations (arrows) of Satan—and
easily defeated him (Matthew 4:1–11)
• Jesus must pass three tests:
(1) he must endure a test to its completion
(lack of food throughout these three tests)
(2) in testing he must not test God to
prove to himself or to others that God
really cares about him
(jump from the Temple)
(3) he must be faithful and not forsake
God for personal gain
(worship Satan)
• at his baptism God the Father has just said “This is
My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”
(Matthew 3:17).
• first temptation (Matthew 4:3–4): Satan recognizes
that Jesus is the Son of God (first class condition)
and challenges him to prove that he has authority
over heaven and earth by doing a miracle—
satisfying his hunger by changing stones into loaves
of bread (cf. Matthew 11:27; 28:18; John 3:35; 13:3;
17:2)
• Jesus has not eaten for 40 days and 40 nights:
And after He had fasted forty days and forty
nights, He then became hungry (Matthew 4:2).
And He ate nothing during those days; and when
they had ended, He became hungry (Luke 4:2b).
• death may not have been all that far away had
Jesus not eaten soon
The human body has a remarkable capacity for
surviving without food for long periods. There is the
well-authenticated case of Terence MacSwiney, the
Irish revolutionist and mayor of Cork, who in his
famous hunger strike in a British prison in 1920
survived for 74 days before dying of starvation. It has
been shown many times that a fast for the biblical
period of 40 days and 40 nights is well within the
capability of a healthy adult (Vernon R. Young and
Nevin S. Serimshaw, “The Physiology of Starvation,”
Scientific American, October 1971, p. 14).
A large number of obese patients have
now undergone the total-fasting treatment
for extensive periods under careful
observation at centers in North America
and Europe, and in almost all cases there
have been no serious complications (“The
Physiology of Starvation,” Scientific American,
October 1971, p. 15).
The longest reported fasts were by two women
treated by T. J. Thompson and his co-workers at
the Stobhill General Hospital and Ruchill Hospital
in Glasgow. One was a 30-year-old woman who
ate no food for 236 days and reduced her weight
from 281 pounds to 184; the other patient, a 54year-old woman, fasted for 249 days and reduced
from 282 pounds to 208. Of 13 fasting patients in
Thompson’s group none showed any significant
adverse side effects that could be attributed to lack
of food (“The Physiology of Starvation,” Scientific
American, October 1971, p. 15).
The one exception was a 20-year-old girl who in
30 weeks of total fasting cut her weight from 200
pounds to 132 pounds. On the seventh day after
she had resumed eating, her heartbeat became
irregular, and she died of ventricular fibrillation on
the ninth day. E. S. Garnett and his co-workers at
the General Hospital in Southhampton, England,
found that this patient not only had lost fatty
tissue but also had consumed, during her fast,
half of the lean-tissue mass in her body, including
part of the fibrous tissue of the heart muscle (“The
Physiology of Starvation,” Scientific American,
October 1971, p. 15).
• this was a life-and-death test of Jesus’
faith (as was Israel’s hunger in the
wilderness, Deuteronomy 8:2–3)
• Satan tried to plant seeds of doubt and
fear in Jesus’ mind: doubts about God’s
goodness and guidance and fear that he
may die if he continues to trust and obey
the Father
• fasting was a part of this test since he ‘was
continually being led about’ (progressive
imperfect passive indicative of a¡gw) by the Holy
Spirit in the wilderness for forty days (Luke 4:1)
• the Spirit did not lead Jesus to any food
• Satan wanted Jesus to repeat Israel’s sins of
unbelief and rebellion in the wilderness: a lack of
faith, grumbling, and a refusal to wait for God’s
provision of food (in the wilderness of Sin,
Exodus 16:1–4; on the way to Edom, Numbers
21:4–5)
• Satan tempted Jesus to act
independently of his Father’s will and
against the leading of the Holy Spirit
• Jesus relives the testing of Israel in
the wilderness, but in forty days rather
than forty years
• the time difference is explained by the
principle that a day in the life of an individual
is equivalent to a year in the life of a people:
According to the number of the days in which
you [the spies] spied out the land, forty days,
for every day a year, you [the people] shall
bear your iniquity forty years…(Numbers
14:34).
I assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to
the number of years of their iniquity, and so you shall
bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. When you
have completed these, you shall lie down a second
time, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of
the house of Judah: 40 days I assign you, one day for
each year (Ezekiel 4:5–6).
• Jesus passed the first test: he knew that
fasting was a part of this test devised by
God, so he would not use his powers to cut
short the test—trusting that God would
provide for him
• he decided to continue trusting his
heavenly Father with his life
• Satan’s first deception: “You
can’t trust God with your life.
Why look, he’s starving you
to death right now!”
• Satan’s second deception: Jesus has just
received the Holy Spirit at his baptism and is
God’s son (Matthew 3:13–17) but has not yet
been given authority over all of God’s
creation
• he must defeat Satan first to win back the
right to rule the earth, thereby restoring
human vicegerency on earth
• originally Adam was the ruler over the earth
in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:28)
• after defeating Satan at his temptation, Jesus
immediately regained the scepter and was given
authority over all creation
• his miracles demonstrated his power over
nature (heal the sick, restore an ear, wither a fig
tree, create wine, multiply loaves and fish, walk
on water, still storms, raise the dead) and his
authority over fallen angels (exorcisms) and men
(forgive sins)
• Jesus could not have changed these stones
into loaves of bread yet because he had not
yet received authority over heaven and earth
• he must continue having faith that God will
provide his needs and continue waiting for
God to give him authority over all creation
• Satan wanted Jesus to repeat the sin of
Adam: to disobey God by eating forbidden
food
• in these three tests Jesus has to
reverse the sin of Adam in the
garden and the sins of Israel in the
wilderness
• Jesus’ first miracle was at Cana of
Galilee—after his temptation (John
2:1–11)
• defensively, Jesus used his shield to stop the
fear, doubts, and impatience (food and power
now) Satan tried to plant in his mind—he had
faith and waited for his heavenly Father to
provide food and authority over creation when
He was ready (compare Matthew 4:1–4 with
4:11)
• offensively, Jesus used his Sword (a verse of
Scripture) to destroy Satan’s deception:
Satan: “If You are the Son of God, command that
these stones become bread” (Matthew 4:3).
Jesus: “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE
ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY
WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF
THE MOUTH OF GOD’” (Matthew 4:4).
• combat fear, doubts, and
impatience with faith in a promise
and waiting for the Lord (shield of
faith)
• combat deception with the
Truth—the Word of God (sword
of the Spirit)
Thy word is truth (John 17:17)
• second temptation (Matthew 4:5–7): Satan
tempts Jesus to prove he is a great man of
faith by stepping out in suicidal faith in a
promise of protection and then trusting God to
save his life
• all of the great men and women of the Bible
stepped out with suicidal faith in the promises
of God (Abraham, Moses, Joshua and Caleb,
Rahab, David, the widow of Zarephath,
Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, the widow with the two
copper coins)
• in effect Satan says to Jesus, “You say you trust
God’s Word with your life (the provision food). So
show me how much you trust his Word. Let’s see
you claim the promise of Psalm 91:11–12. As I
said in the wilderness, I don’t think God cares
about you. I don’t think he cares enough to keep
his promise to catch you if you jump. Prove to me
your faith! Jump!”
• jumping would be a hard thing to do and would
require great faith
• Josephus says the drop from the
roof-edge of the royal portico
overhanging the Kedron Valley was
450 feet and made people dizzy when
they looked down into the ravine
(Jewish Antiquities 15.411–12)
• the Devil took Jesus to a place
where he could not be nearer to
God—to the Temple, the place
where God has chosen to dwell (cf.
Psalm 132:13–14)
• Satan attacked Jesus with a misapplication of
Scripture (deception through Scripturetwisting)—tempting him to misapply one of the
promises of protection in the Old Testament:
“If You are the Son of God throw Yourself
down; for it is written,
‘HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS
CHARGE CONCERNING YOU’;
AND ‘ON THEIR HANDS THEY
WILL BEAR YOU UP,
LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT
AGAINST A STONE’” (Matthew 4:5–6).
• the Devil quotes a portion of verses 11–12 from
Psalm 91, a song that teaches God’s protection of
those who trust in Him
• these two verses promise angelic protection in
all our ways (91:11–12)
• but this promise assumes that “all your ways”
are within God’s will
• it was not God’s will for Jesus to jump from the
pinnacle of the Temple
• jumping from the Temple, then, would
not have been compatible with the
underlying assumption of this
promise—“all your ways” must be
God’s will for your life for the promise to
be valid
• he could claim the promise if God told
him to jump
• this promise is for obedient believers
• Jesus would not be putting his faith to
the test; he would be putting God to the
test
• forcing God to rescue him by
unnecessarily exposing himself to danger
would be forcing God to obey him
• to test God is doubt and presumption,
not faith and obedience
• Jesus was not disputing the truth of Psalm
91; he was refuting the Devil’s erroneous
application of it
• we must always ask when hearing Scripture
cited, “Is this what this text really says?”
• sometimes we must use Scripture to refute
those who are using the Bible falsely
• Jesus struck this misapplication down with his
Sword by citing from memory the correct
application of Scripture:
Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written,
‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD
YOUR GOD TO THE TEST’” (Matthew
4:7).
• Jesus quotes the first half of
Deuteronomy 6:16:
You shall not put the LORD your God to
the test, as you tested Him at Massah.
• in this verse Moses warns the Israelites
not to repeat their sin at Massah, where
they demanded water and tested God by
asking “Is the LORD among us, or not?”
(Exodus 17:1–7; cf. Psalm 78:17–20)
• if it was wrong for Israel the “son of
God” to demand miraculous confirmation
of the Father’s care (water), so it would
be for Jesus “the Son of God” to
demand the same (catch him)
• Jesus did not repeat the sin of the
fathers by testing God
• we test God when we try to
force him to do a miracle to
prove his love, care, or
protection for us (instead of
waiting with faith and patience
for his provision that often
comes at the last possible
moment)
• we are not to step out in suicidal faith
unless we know it’s God’s will—unless we
are personally led or otherwise instructed to
do so in the Scriptures (e.g., “test Me now
in this” in Malachi 3:10; compare “beyond
their ability they gave” in 2 Corinthians 8:3
with “multiply your seed for sowing” in 9:8–
11)
• this was a cleaver deception:
it’s often harder to apply a
verse correctly than to
understand the verse
• note that both fight with swords
(the Word of God) in Matthew 4:5–
7: Satan quotes Psalm 91:11–12
and Jesus countered with
Deuteronomy 6:16
• third temptation (Matthew 4:8–10):
the ruler of this world offered Jesus
his entire kingdom in return for
worship
• a powerful weapon of Satan is
making deals—offering something
you want in exchange for something
he wants (we call this making a pact
with the devil)
• under this arrangement Satan
would be Jesus’ god and Jesus
would be his vicegerent (cf. “I will
make myself like the Most High”
Isaiah 14:14)
• he only asks for one act of worship,
but worship carries with it a
continuing obligation
• the Devil does not ask Jesus to
worship him alone: he may
continue to worship God as well
• Satan’s deception: had Jesus accepted this offer
of all the kingdoms of the world and worshiped
Satan, God would have forsaken him; he would
have continued to be inferior to Satan in his human
body (cf. Hebrews 2:7, 9); Satan probably would
not have kept his promise to give Jesus these
kingdoms; and Satan probably would have
continued his rule over the earth—even over Jesus
• had Jesus accepted this offer of the kingdoms of
the world, he would have forfeited his eventual rule
over all creation as God’s vicegerent
• the Devil was playing for high
stakes and offered all he had:
I will give You all this domain and its
glory; for it has been handed over to
me, and I give it to whomever I wish
(Luke 4:6).
Ketef Jericho, “the
shoulder of Jericho,”
is also called the
Mount of
Temptation—the
traditional spot
where Jesus was
tempted by the
Devil. Ptolemy’s
second century B.C.
citidel sits on top
and a restored
monastery perches
on the cliff.
• Jesus was alone, tired, dirty, hungry,
probably thirsty, and didn’t look very kingly
after 40 days and nights of fasting in the
wilderness
• Jesus’ appearance and the splendor of
all the kingdoms of the world must have
been quite a contrast at this moment
• the kingdom must have seemed a long
way off
Tempting Offer
1.
tired, hungry, and
deprived
1.
no more suffering—
just splendor
2.
alone with the wild
animals
2.
no more obscurity but
importance
3.
wait indefinitely
3.
instant results
4.
a few insignificant
accomplishments
4.
authority and power
to do what he wants
• in effect Satan said:
“I’ll give you the kingdoms, and you may do
with them as you wish. Inaugurate the
kingdom of God on earth, if that’s what you
want to do. Free Israel from Roman rule.
Establish justice in the world. Take care of
the poor. Bring about world peace. Wouldn’t
that please God? Do it without suffering! Do it
successfully! Do it now! YOU CAN HAVE IT
ALL!”
• application: a temptation may
appeal to our ministry dreams
• it may be an opportunity for
service we have longed for, or a
chance to see our spiritual gift have
spectacular results
• this tempts our strengths—our
zeal for the glory of God
• again Jesus used his shield to stop the doubts
and impatience (kingdom now) Satan tried to plant
in his mind—he had faith and waited for his
heavenly Father to give him authority over all the
kingdoms of the world
• he chose to rely on the promise “Ask of Me, and I
will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, And
the very ends of the earth as Thy possession” (Psalm
2:8).
• again Jesus used his Sword (a verse of Scripture)
to destroy this deal offered by Satan
• Satan: “All these things I will give
You, if You fall down and worship me”
(Matthew 4:9).
• Jesus: “YOU SHALL
WORSHIP THE LORD
YOUR GOD, AND SERVE
HIM ONLY” (Matthew 4:10).
• offensively, Jesus quoted from memory
a verse of Scripture to strike down each
temptation (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10)
• each verse he quoted was from the
Book of Deuteronomy (8:3; 6:16; 6:13)
• it was natural for Jesus to quote verses
from this book because one of the main
themes in the Book of Deuteronomy is
the testing of Israel
• Jesus thus relived and
successfully reversed the
solicitation to idolatry to which Israel
succumbed in worshipping the
golden calf (Exodus 32)
• and in refusing to serve Satan
Jesus reversed the service Adam
owed to Satan
• victory comes when Satan retreats:
Then the devil left him…(Matt 4:11a).
Resist the devil and he will flee from you
(James 4:7b).
• he will attack again in the future
• it appears that Satan is only allowed a
few big attacks at a time (two against
Job; three against Jesus):
And when the devil had finished every
temptation, he departed from Him until
an opportune time (Luke 4:13).
• Jesus was tempted the entire 40 days and 40
nights by Satan:
And He was in the wilderness forty days being
tempted by Satan…(Mark 1:13)
and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness
for forty days, being tempted by the devil (Luke
4:1–2).
• he faced more than the three recorded
temptations
• apparently he was sent into the wilderness
without supplies: no food, water, or weapons
• most of the temptations were little things
(bugs, heat, cold, snakes, wild animals,
scary sounds, things that go bump in the
night) with no doubt some big things (lack of
water)
He was tempted in all things as we are, yet
without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
• Jesus had to relive and reverse Israel’s unbelief,
grumbling, and rebellion in the wilderness
• “And the tempter came and said to Him” in
Matthew 4:3 implies Satan now appeared in person
for the first time: apparently no visible face-to-face
confrontations took place before
• most of the temptations Jesus faced for 40 days
were created by invisible enemies (just like most of
ours)—except the last three
• at the end of this temptation Jesus received from
God everything the Devil offered him—and more:
(1) the one who refused to turn stones into bread is
now given food—probably manna, ”the bread from
heaven” (Matthew 4:11b; cf. Exodus 16:4)
(2) the one who refused to throw himself off the
Temple to get angelic help is now served by angels
(3) the one who refused to take Satan’s kingdom is
now given authority over all the nations—over
heaven and earth (cf. Matthew 28:18)
• Jesus used his Sword (the Word of God) to
correct Satan:
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness; that the man of God may be
adequate, equipped for every good work (2
Timothy 3:16–17).
• deception is neutralized and destroyed by the
correction of Scripture
• a swordfight like this requires a
thorough understanding of the
Scriptures, memorizing many verses,
a quick mind—and the help of the
Holy Spirit
• the best swordfighters are “mighty in
the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24)
• victory does not always depend on your skill in using the
Sword, but on the Holy Spirit personally fighting through
you and for you:
(1) in this case preparation is not necessary:
But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts,
and scourge you in their synagogues; and you shall even be
brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a
testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver
you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will
speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to
speak. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your
Father who speaks in you (Matthew 10:17–20; cf. Mark
13:9–110.
(2) and victory is promised:
They will lay their hands on you and will persecute
you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons,
bringing you before kings and governors for My
name's sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your
testimony. So make up your minds not to prepare
beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you
utterance and wisdom which none of your
opponents will be able to resist or refute (Luke
21:12–15).
BEFORE THE
SWORD (THE
WRITTEN WORD
OF GOD)…
THE WORD OF GOD
WAS REVEALED
AND PASSED ON
BY WORD OF
MOUTH
• twice Job beat Satan with principles he learned
from oral tradition (the Word of God):
Satan’s accusation: “Put forth Thy hand now and
touch all that he has; he will surely curse Thee to Thy
face” (Job 1:11).
Job’s Sword: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and
the LORD has taken away, Blessed be the name of
the LORD” (Job 1:21).
Satan’s accusation: “Put forth Thy hand, now, and
touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse Thee to
Thy face” (Job 2:5).
Job’s Sword: “You speak as one of the foolish
women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from
God and not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10)
• notice that Satan used Job’s wife to tempt Job:
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your
integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9)
and they may come to their senses and escape from
the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him
to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26).
• first Job rebuked her (2:10a) and then cited a
principle he learned from oral tradition (2:10b):
“Shall we indeed accept good from God and not
accept adversity?”
SWORDFIGHTING
• note a very important
distinction: hrema is a verse or
quotation from the Bible; logos is
the entire Bible
• the sword is sharp, double-edged, and
can cut deep into the material and
immaterial parts of men:
For the word of God (oJ lo/goß touv
qeouv) is living and active and sharper than
any two-edged sword (ma¿caira), and
piercing as far as the division of soul and
spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able
to judge the thoughts and intentions of the
heart (Hebrews 4:12).
• the sword consists of
command, reproof, rebuke,
admonition, correction, and
warning
And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit (th\n
ma¿cairan touv pneu/matoß),
which is the word of God (rJhvma
qeouv) (Ephesians 6:17).
• hrema is using the right phrase, verse, or
verses to answer each different onslaught
or thrust of Satan
• this method of warfare is perfectly seen in
the temptation of Christ: Jesus blocked
each thrust of Satan with an appropriate
verse or sentence from the Bible
• memorize warfare verses:
the Sword won't do you much good if you
can’t pull it out of the scabbard in time to
fight—if you can't think of a verse quick
enough to use
• I've won a lot of battles mentally after I've
been defeated: a day or two later I think of all
the verses I should have used
• the proper motive for Scripture
memorization is not to impress
people, but to prepare yourself for
battle
• be discriminating: better to memorize
parts of verses that can be used in
spiritual warfare than whole verses
with little or no warfare application
• use warfare verses that are clear and
easily understood by the enemy
• the shakespearean English of the
King James Version often doesn’t cut it
in spiritual warfare: don’t use black
powder cap-and-ball muskets when
you can use modern automatic
weapons
• which is better…
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself
unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh
no evil (1 Corinthians 13:4–5 KJV);
or
Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not
brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does
not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a
wrong suffered (1 Corinthians 13:4–5 NASB),
• you must speak the word of God out loud
because Satan is a created being and
doesn’t know exactly what you are thinking
• since he can’t read your mind and doesn’t
know the future, he has no idea what you’re
praying silently or what wisdom you receive
from God
• the noun rJhvma means “that which is
stated intentionally”—the spoken word of
God
• you can’t tell Satan to leave
with your thoughts because
he can’t hear you
• you can only defeat Satan
by speaking out
• be smart: don’t give away
your battle plan before battle
by telling it to others
• swordplay is a duel: keep slashing away
and parrying slashes until the enemy
weakens and is finally overcome
(strongholds are demolished or the enemy
gives up the fight and departs)
• don’t quit fighting too soon; don’t let the
enemy escape (change the subject, move on
to the next point without satisfactorily
answering the preceding point)
• your armor can be used in both
defensive and offensive spiritual warfare
• the defensive armor will protect you
while you’re using your sword
• your armor keeps you from being
neutralized (defeated) before you can
overcome with the sword
• legionaries were tough to kill:
There was a centurion from the Bithynian contingent called
Julianus who was a man of note and far more remarkable for
skill of arms, physical strength, and intrepidity of spirit than any I
had met during that war.…he was wearing ordinary military
boots thickly studded with sharp spikes, and as he ran across
the pavement he slipped and fell on his back with a loud clang
of his armor, which made the fugitives turn.…the Jews crowding
around him aimed blows from all directions with lances and
swords. He parried many weapons with his shield. Time after
time he tried to stand up but was knocked down by the mass of
assailants. Yet, even as he lay prostrate, he stabbed many with
his sword. For he would not be quickly dispatched, as he was
protected in every vital part by his helmet and breastplate, and
kept his head down; but at last, when all his limbs were hacked
away, and no comrade dared to come to his aid, he succumbed
(Josephus, The Jewish War 6.1.8).
THE
ULTIMATE
USE OF THE
SWORD IN
SPIRITUAL
WARFARE…
WILL TAKE
PLACE AT THE
SECOND
COMING OF
CHRIST
(Revelation
19:11–21)
And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that
with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule
them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press
of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty (Revelation
19:15).
And the rest were killed with the sword which came
from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and
all the birds were filled with their flesh (Revelation
19:21).
OFFENSIVE WEAPONS
Sandals of the Preparation of the Gospel of
Peace…………………take the enemy captive,
encourage defection
Sword of the Spirit……….destroy strongholds
PRAYER
With all prayer and petition
pray at all times in the
Spirit…(Ephesians 6:18a).
• prayer is calling HQ for
heavy artillery support
• defensive prayer: pray for a hedge of
protection around yourself, your family, and
your church—that God will not allow Satan to
attack at all (cf. Job 1–2)
• defensive prayer: if God allows Satan to
attack, put on your armor, stand firm, resist,
and pray for additional protection in battle
Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of
the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified,
just as it did also with you; and that we may be
delivered from perverse and evil men; for not all
have faith. But the Lord is faithful, and He will
strengthen and protect you from the evil one
(2Thessalonians 3:1–3).
• offensive prayer: put on your armor,
pray for protection and victory, and then
attack Satan
• ask for wisdom:
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who
gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it
will be given to him (James 1:5).
• wisdom from God is the ultimate weapon: through
prayer God may reveal to you a perfect battle plan
all at once in its entirety or a point at a time over the
space of an hour—complete with the right weapons
to use (wisdom and not the Sword), what to say,
what to do, what to wear (white sport coat), how to
squash rebellion (brilliant procedural content)
• after receiving this wisdom, all you have to
do is follow the instructions implicitly—it’s
all of God and none of self (as Moses did in
persuading Israel to follow him and in his
confrontations with Pharaoh—all he did was
follow directions and throw his staff on the
ground)
• knowing this wisdom came from God
(because of its perfect timing and brilliant
content), you can enter the battle with
perfect faith and confidence of victory
• prayer brings God into the fight:
after praying (2 Chronicles 20:1–13), God
revealed the battle plan to King Jehoshaphat
(20:14–19), and then fought for his people
(20:20–30)
• one righteous man of prayer is more powerful than
thousands of the enemy:
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the
LORD and said, “Strike this people with blindness, I pray.”
So He struck them with blindness according to the word of
Elisha. Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is
this the city; follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you
seek.” And he brought them to Samaria.
And it came about when they had come into Samaria, that
Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that
they may see.”
So the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold,
they were in the midst of Samaria. Then the king of Israel when
he saw them, said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I
kill them?” And he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you
kill those you have taken captive with your sword and with your
bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and
drink and go to their master.” So he prepared a great feast for
them; and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and
they went to their master. And the marauding bands of
Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel (2 Kings
6:18–23).
• the prayers of a righteous
man were the most powerful
weapons in Israel’s arsenal
• the ultimate divine warrior is the Messiah:
And He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
According to their deeds, so He will repay,
Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will make recompense.
So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west
And His glory from the rising of the sun,
For He will come like a rushing stream,
Which the wind of the LORD drives (Isaiah 59:17–19).
• the garments of vengeance are the
blood-splattered garments of Jesus
Christ on the Day of the LORD (Isaiah
63:1–3)
• Jesus is “clothed with a robe dipped
in blood” at his second advent
(Revelation 19:13)
• ask for angelic reinforcements:
Or do you think that I cannot appeal to
My Father, and He will at once put at
My disposal more than twelve legions of
angels? (Matthew 26:53)
• ask in Jesus’ name:
And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do,
that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If
you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it
(John 14:13–14; cf. 15:16; 16:23–24, 26).
• asking in Jesus’ name brings Jesus into the
fight and accomplishes what can’t be done in
our own power
• “in My name” means “in the sphere of
Jesus’ name”—in the sphere of his authority,
power, and glory
…and seated Him at His right hand in the
heavenly places, far above all rule and authority
and power and dominion, and every name that is
named, not only in this age, but also in the one
to come (Ephesians 1:20b–21).
Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and
bestowed on Him the name which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on
earth, and under the earth, and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father
(Philippians 2:9–11).
“All authority has been given to Me
in heaven and on earth…” (Matthew
28:17)
• to pray to the Father in Jesus’ name is to
pray with the authority of our position in
Christ
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His
great love with which He loved us, even when we
were dead in our transgressions, made us alive
together with Christ (by grace you have been
saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated
us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ
Jesus (Ephesians 2:4–6),
• remember your powerful position in
Christ before making prayer
requests
• asking in Jesus’ name makes
available the great power of
positional truth by tapping the
authority of Jesus Christ
• Jesus delegated his authority to us to
demonstrate to the kingdom of darkness who is
really in control in this world:
To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to
preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,
and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery
which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all
things; in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now
be made known through the church to the rulers and the
authorities in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:8–10).