Jonathan Pokluda opens up Ephesians 6 to show us what it truly means to walk with the full armor of God on. In a world of counterfeits, these elements help us recognize if someone calling themselves a believer is marked by Christ in how they live their lives.
Key Takeaway
You have an enemy that hates you and is after you, but God in you is greater than the enemy coming against you. He has given us His armor to wear and weapons to stand firm against the schemes of this world.
Your enemy is called all sorts of things; Satan, the devil, and Lucifer, the god of this world. He is in no way afraid of you, but he is terrified of your God because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. You don’t need to be scared, but you do need to be aware of what the Scripture calls you to. If you go out copying Christianity but not living it, you’re going to give the devil a foothold.
The account of the sons of Sceva in Acts 19:13-16 shows us how people who claim to be doing things in Jesus' name are not always true believers. The demon beat the seven sons so badly that they were left bloody and naked. Why did they lose? Because they were pretending to know Jesus.
In Ephesians 6, Paul is on house arrest and probably chained to a Roman guard. For an illustration to help us understand how to put on the armor of God, he looks at the guy standing in front of him. He’s helping us figure out if a believer is counterfeit or not. Are the components of the armor marking their life?
Paul informs us that our enemies are not flesh and blood; they are otherworldly. So it’s not your neighbor, your boss, the backstabbing friend, your ex…our enemies are demons that fell with Satan. They hate you.
The full armor of God is all-encompassing. If you’re missing something then you are not taking a stand with the full armor on.
What does it look like to put the armor of God on?
POSITIONED IN TRUTH. This is the belt of truth. It means you’re walking in the light, and you don’t have any secrets. That’s true freedom. It also means that there’s absolute truth. There’s no your truth, my truth. There is a Creator of Heaven and Earth, and He made you in His image. He desires a relationship with you, so He’s gone to great lengths to make that happen. That has implications for every single thing you do in your life. So, we share the truth because it’s really unloving to let someone believe a lie. Most of this generation is on a happiness journey, not a truth journey, so they will believe a lie if they think it will make them happy. Yet, Jesus said that it’s the truth that will set you free.
ALIGNED WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS. This is the breastplate of righteousness. Guard your heart! It means we would only feed our hearts what is aligned with righteousness. The heart doesn’t want what the heart wants. It wants what it’s fed.
SHARING THE GOSPEL. This is the readiness of the gospel of peace. Ask people if they have faith. Are you assured of your faith, or do you have doubts? 1-10, with 1 being unsure and 10 being certain, how sure are you that you will go to Heaven? Anything less than a 10 is adding something to the gospel. Do you really understand the gospel? We are surrounded by sinners in need of a Savior; share with them the gospel of peace.
STANDING IN THE FAITH. This is the shield of faith. Roman shields were like doors and made of wood, so they would have to cover it in leather and soak it in water to extinguish the fiery arrows. Do you know Who you know? Do you know Who you have access to? Stand in faith. God is greater. The greatest protection is trusting in God.
INTERNALIZE YOUR SALVATION. This is the helmet of salvation. It has to do with your mind and what you’re thinking about. If you have a relationship with Jesus, you’re reflecting upon it and what He’s done for you. You are living for another Kingdom. You’re not home yet. You are completely able to control your thoughts.
OPERATING IN THE WORD. This is the sword of the Spirit. This is an offensive weapon. Jesus modeled this for us when He was tempted in the desert by Satan. Four times, Jesus responded with the truth from Deuteronomy. How would you do if your only defense was quoting back the Word to your enemy?
NEVER STOP PRAYING. Be alert and in constant communication with your commander. We’re putting on the armor of God, which gives us access.
Discussion Questions
- What do we know about the enemy in our lives? See Ephesians 6:12 and John 10:10.
- If the enemy is in no way afraid of you, why is he afraid of your God if you've placed your faith in Him according to 1 John 4:4.
- Why is it so important to know what a counterfeit believer looks like? In Acts 19: 13-16, why do the sons of Sceva lose so badly?
- Does the armor of God mark your life? Are you standing with the full armor on, or just parts?
- What does it mean to be positioned in the truth? How has this generation made truth so complicated?
- If the heart wants what the heart is fed, what are you feeding yours? What does this equate to in the armor of God found in Ephesians 6:14.
- 0-10, how certain are you that you will go to Heaven when you die?
- What were the Roman shields made out of? How did they extinguish the fiery arrows? How can that correlate with your life? How do you put our flaming darts?
- Do you remind yourself of your salvation? How would you do if your only offensive weapon against the enemy was quoting the Word of God?
- We have the access to God through prayer. How is your prayer life? DO you pray? What do you pray about?
Scripture References
