August 17, 2014
(adapted from 7/10/11)
This Means War
Eph 6:10-20
SIS—You are in a spiritual battle and how you fight will determine if you become a casualty, a POW, or a Victorious Soldier.
Evil has always
existed—at least potentially. Even when
nothing existed but God, the potential for evil existed. For evil is the opposite of “good” and
without God, there would be no good, and so evil would be an irrelevant
concept. Evil does not possess a
“quality” or a “substance” of its own but exists as a parasite living off of
the good. Neither can we say that evil
can be personified solely by the Devil.
The Devil did not “create” the evil desires in Adam—he creates nothing. The Devil exploited Adam’s human weakness and
provided an opportunity for Adam to choose to rebel against the Good—that is
God—and choose the opposite which is evil.
Over the millennia
evil has taken many forms—some human, some demonic; most often a little of
both. We first see a personification of
evil in the Garden with the Devil appearing as a snake. We see evil personified in Adam as I’ve
mentioned, and then Cain, and so the story goes. We see evil personified in despots and
tyrants down through the ages from Nero to Hitler to Stalin and so many others.
Yet, we have
entered a new era of evil like none we’ve seen in history, perhaps since the
early Middle Ages with the rise of the Warrior Prophet, Mohammed and his false
religion, Islam. Mohammed did not keep
his barbarous agenda of world domination a secret. The Quran, the supreme authority in Islam,
states it clearly:
"How many a township have We destroyed! As a raid by night, or
while they slept at noon, Our terror came unto them. No plea had they, when Our
terror came unto them, save that they said: Lo! We were wrong-doers."
(Qur'an 7:4-5).
"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold
that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor
acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the
Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves
subdued." (Qur'an 9:29).
I could quote many
more such verses. Not only do Muslims
revere the “written word of God, the Quran,” but they also revere the hadiths, “records of the words and deeds
of the Prophet.” In other words, just as
you cannot separate the faith of Christianity from It’s founder, Jesus, neither
can you separate the faith of Islam from Mohammed. Here’s what Mohammed believed, AND TAUGHT, in
regard to non-Muslims:
Muhammad said: 'Proceed on and do not look about until Allah grants
you victory', and Ali went a bit and then halted and did not look about and
then said in a loud voice: 'Allah's Messenger, on what issue should I fight
with the people?' Thereupon he (the Prophet) said: 'Fight with them until
they bear testimony to the fact that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is
his Messenger' (Sahih Muslim 31:5917).
Again, I could
quote many more such instances of “forced conversion” in the hadiths.
The history of Mohammed and Islam is a history of “convert or die.” It is not just the Book of the Muslims that
teaches violence, but the Model of Islam’s prophet.
Now, I don’t have
time to go into the arguments that moderate Muslim scholars try to give to
erase the clear implications of the Quran’s war verses, and the actions of
Islam’s Warrior prophet. I have shared
enough from the Quran and the hadiths to establish a prima facie case for
Islam’s “convert or die” mentality. Now,
let’s turn to the events of present to see if there is any evidence to support
my contention that Islam is on the march again and will not stop until it has
complete world domination.
Take for example,
Mosul, which I mentioned last week, or perhaps the week before. This ancient
Christian community has been in continual existence in Northern Palestine for
nearly 2000 years—until a couple weeks ago.
Muslims calling themselves, ISIS, gave them the option of “convert,
leave, or die.” This ancient Christian
community of Mosul has been erased.
Take the almost
daily accounts of the beheadings of men, women and children that show up on the
Internet on almost a daily basis. Just
last week an Episcopal priest described how ISIS—Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria--cut a 5 years old Christian child in half. This was achild that the
priest had baptized!
Now, some would
dismiss this as “only the radicals.” I
would say that the radicals are simply carrying on the mission and vision of
their Founder according to the clear teachings of their Holy Book.
If ever there were
a time we were fighting “principalities, powers, and authorities”
of wickedness, it is today. Though it made me feel a little bit dirty, I
watched a video clip last week of ISIS beheading a man after they tortured him
into renouncing his Christian faith. I could not make my heart believe what my
eyes were seeing. You cannot grab the
hair of a man and saw through his neck until you hold his head in your hand in
the name of religion—unless that
religion finds its ultimate inspiration in Devil, himself. I know that sounds harsh and certainly
politically incorrect—but it is the truth of the matter sustained by over 1400
years of evidence.
So, today’s message
intends to prepare us for a battle like the world has never experienced in the
history of humanity—the Last Days Battle.
Every war until now has been but a preview—a trailer if you will—of the
ultimate war between God and evil.
Let’s
read it together:
10 Finally, be strengthened by the
Lord and by His vast strength. 11 Put
on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the
tactics of the Devil. 12 For
our battle is not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in
the heavens. 13 This is
why you must take up the full armor of
God, so that you may be able to resist
in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore,with truth like a belt around your
waist,righteousness like armor on your
chest,
15 and your feet sandaled with
readinessfor the gospel of peace.16 In every situation take the
shield of faith,and with it you will be
able to extinguishall the flaming arrows of the evil one.17 Take
the helmet of salvation,and the
sword of the Spirit,which is God’s word.
18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay
alert in this with all perseverance and
intercession for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that the
message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with
boldness the mystery of the gospel. 20 For
this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray
that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.
The Bible shows us
how we can live a victorious Christian life.
We can be “super soldiers”
in a manner of speaking.
There are three
considerations we must make to successfully win the battle of righteousness.
1. First, we must consider the
ENVIRONMENT in which the
battle is fought (vs 12).
(Eph
6:12) For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms.
The first consideration
we must make is this:The fight is not physical, but spiritual. The enemy is not human, but demonic!Anytime
you mention the devil in our “enlightenedsociety” people think you are some
religious nut.
I read an unbelievable story the other day. It was Halloween
time. The church was having a
revival. A man, not associated with the
church, was heading for a Halloween party.
He was dressed as the Devil. On
the way down the block it started to rain.
The rain fell in buckets. The
man, not thinking, ran into the open church to wait for the storm to pass.
At the sight of the
Devil costume, church members began to scatter.
A fear gripped the place. People
were climbing out the windows. One lady
caught the sleeve of her blouse on the arm of a chair. As the dazed man approached her, not
realizing he was the cause of the panic, the lady cried out, “Satan, I’ve been a member of this church for
20 years, but I’ve really been on your side all the time!”
Too many people
have their names on the rolls of the church but, they are serving the devil
with their attitudes and actions.
I don’t know how
true this story is, but I do know this, “We need to have a healthy understanding
of the devil and his demon army.” He’s
our enemy. He has an army. He has a plan.
Look at vs 11:
(Eph
6:11) Put on the full armor of God so
that you can
take
your stand against THE DEVIL'S SCHEMES.
It is surprising to
some people to learn that the Devil has a plan to destroy the work of God–but
he does. The early church considered the “torture of the martyrs” as the
primary “methodology” of Satan. But, in
the context of Ephesians, the primary “methodology” of Satan is to destroy the
“unity of the body” through the infiltration of false doctrine the instigation
of dissension.
Don’t let the Devil
use you to accomplish hisplan–love one another!
Keep unity in the community! I’ll
be speaking on the Devil’s plan next Sunday morning.
For now, just
consider the ENVIRONMENT in which we must wage war for victory. We are in a spiritual fight! This brings us
to our next consideration for living a victorious Christian life:
2. Second, to be victorious in
our Christian life we must consider our EQUIPMENT (vv 13-17)
How
does a person wage war with “spirits?”
It
requires “spiritual equipment.”
(Eph
6:13-17) Therefore put on the full armor
of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your
ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
A
few years ago, a movie came out called “Ghost Busters.”
Do
you get the sense I watched too much T.V. ?
Three somewhat
“off-balanced” men established an “Extermination business for ghosts.” Well, obviously, such a specialized business
required specialized equipment. And they
had it all! The primary weapon for
“busting ghosts” was this contraption they wore on their backs that looked like
scuba tanks. This marvelous device
allowed the “ghost-buster” to safely extract the paranormal puffs of
protoplasm, and encase them in a little box.
Specialized processes require specialized equipment.
This is also true
in the spirit realm. The spiritual
battle also requires spiritual equipment.
God has provided this specialized spiritual “armor.”
❶
V14: “the belt
of truth buckled around your waist.”
The soldiers of the
day, as well as Roman men in general, worn loose flowing, skirt-like
robes. Roman soldiers would wear a wide
leather belt that served two purposes. First, it gathered up the loose skirt so
the soldier would not be hindered in his movement. Second,
it held up the heavy breastplate armor that the soldier wore. To “tighten the belt” meant that a soldier
was “ready for action.”
Paul compared the
wide leather belt of the Roman soldier to the “belt of truth” a Christian
wears. We must remember that the Devil
is a “liar and the Father of lies.” We
must be prepared for battle by being familiar with the truth. We learn what is true by reading the
Bible. Too many people get their
theology from Hollywood and TV. We must
get “ready for the battle” by tightening our grip on God’s Word.
❷
v14b:
“the breastplate of righteousness”
The next piece of
armor a soldier would use was the “breastplate” that protected his vital organs. It could be just a frontal piece, but often
would cover the back. The breastplate
rested upon the wide leather belt.
Polybius, the
ancient Greek historian that was a slave in Rome, called the breastplate the “heart protector.” Paul uses the illustration of the “heart
protector” to demonstrate the necessity of keeping our lives pure. Victory is determined in life by the purity
of one’s heart. The Chrisitan’s moral
life is the primary target of the Devil.
Listen to the Psalmist,
(Psa
11:2) For look, the wicked bend their
bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at
the upright in heart.
Every where around
us there are arrows pointed at our heart.
R-Rated movies have now invaded our living rooms. Commercials and advertisements are constantly
encouraging society to indulge any and every sensual appetite. We need to “protect our hearts.”
God
cannot, and will not, fill a dirty vessel with His blessings!
❸
V15: and with
your feet fitted with the readiness
that comes from the gospel of peace.
that comes from the gospel of peace.
The terrain over
which many of the battles of the Roman Conquest were waged was rocky and
rough. The Romans developed a unique
sandal that allowed them to be sure-footed on unsure terrain. These sandals had thick soles studded with
sharp nails, much like golf shoes.
Historians have noted that the success of both Alexander the Great and
Julius Ceasar was due in large part to these “caligai,” or studded sandals.
Paul tells us that
we must be sure-footed if we are going to live a victorious Christian
life. We must be “ready with the
gospel.” That is the only “sure” way to
win the battle for men’s hearts and souls.
Philosophy won’t do it.
Psychology won’t do it. New Age
doctrine won’t do it. The false gospel
of Mormons, JW’s or other cults won’t provide the “certainty” of
salvation. The only “sure” way to be
prepared for the spiritual battles we face is to know and rely on the
gospel. Paul outlined that “sure and
certain message”:
(1
Cor 15:1-4) Now, brothers, I want to
remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you
have taken your stand. {2} By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to
the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. {3} For what
I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, {4} that he was buried, that he was raised on
the third day according to the Scriptures,
❹
v16:
“take up the shield of faith”
The enemies of
Roman soldiers would dip their arrows in pitch and set them aflame before
hurling them at the enemy. Roman
soldiers carried full-length shields made of alternating layers of bronze and
leather, some-times covered with linen.
The shields were dipped in water to extinguish the arrows and cause them
to fall harmlessly to the ground.
Paul used this
analogy to emphasize the importance of faith.
Faith means to rely upon the Lord even when all circumstance and
intuition indicate otherwise. You will
never be victorious relying on logic and reason alone. Reason without faith is like a bird with one
wing–it will never fly. Plaise Paschal,
one of the greatest scientists in history, reminds us that “Faith has its
reasons that reason does not know.”
Victorious Christian living requires faith.
❺
v17:
“Take the helmet of salvation.”
The “helmet”
obviously protected the head of the soldier.
Paul most likely was referring here to the “mind and will of a
Christian.” Like the heart, our mind
must be protected from debilitating influences.
We must learn to “think Biblically.”
Paul was also probably referring to the “will of the Christian
soldier.” We must continually “will to
serve God.” Every day when God allows us
to view another day, we must “consciously decide to serve Him that day.” We must completely surrender our will to
God. It is important to note that Paul
says, “receive, or take the helmet of salvation.” The helmet had to be placed on last. It was handed to the soldier by someone
else. Our salvation, our victory in
life, is a gift.
❻
vs 17:
“The sword of the spirit.”
Paul rounds out the
Christian’s equipment by mentioning the “sword of the spirit.” The armor bearer, or attendant, would finally
hand the soldier his “gladius.” There
were several swords used by soldiers in battle, including the long lance, or
pilium. Here Paul mentioned the short,
two-edged sword used in hand-to-hand conflict.
To be victorious in
life we need the double-edged sword of God’s word as energized by God’s
Spirit. This was an offensive weapon,
not a defensive weapon. We must take the
initiative in life to deliver God’s Word anywhere and anytime we come in
contact with others. A cowardly
Christian will never experience the fullness of the Christian life. It is now time that the church begin to march
as leaders in our society, rather than simply reacting to what takes place in
society.
To be victorious in
our life we must consider the spiritualenvironment of our battle and the
spiritual equipment God has provided.
But, it does not
good to get all “dressed up if we have no where to go!” In other words, it does know good to train,
pray, and prepare for service in the Kingdom of God is we do not “properly
execute God’s plan for victory.”
That is the final and most important
consideration:
3. The proper EXECUTION of a
victorious life-plan (vv 18-20)
(Eph
6:18-20) And PRAY in the Spirit on all
occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert
and always KEEP ON PRAYING for all the saints. {19} PRAY also for me, that
whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make
known the mystery of the gospel, {20} for which I am an ambassador in chains.
PRAY that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
PRAY
. . . PRAY . . . PRAY !
That’s God’s
marching order for the church. We can study and plan and prepare until Jesus
comes again. But, until we start
marching forward with prayer, we as individuals or the church, will never
experience the full victory of God in our lives.
We must EXECUTE God’s plan through prayer. The dictionary defines “execute” as “to carry out a captain’s
orders.” Our Captain is Jesus and He has
ordered us to “go out into the highways and byways of life and compel sinners
to come into His house of worship.”
Lk 14:23
Can you imagine the
tremendous impact our church would have if we all spent as much time praying as
we do gossiping and complaining!
The
great poet, Tennyson said it beautifully,
“More
things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”
Prayer
keeps our sword sharp and our armor ready.
Prayer
keeps our hearts pure and our minds alert.
Prayer
keeps our witness fearless and effective.
We
will never experience victory in life,
until
we experience victory in prayer.
Our great General, Douglas Macarthur
said before
congress in 1951 at the early uncertain stages of the Korean War: “In war there is no substitute for victory!” This applies infinitely more to the battle of
life. A person may only miss heaven by
an inch, that will be an “eternal inch.”
You might as well miss heaven by a mile, as to miss it by an inch. The only sure way to experience the
Victorious Christian life is to consider the spiritual environment of the
battle, the spiritual equipment God provides, and the proper execution of a
successful life-plan of prayer.
And . . . before I
close let me add one more very important note in regard to “praying as a battle
plan.” One of the most important prayers
you need to pray is the one you pray in
the polling booth during elections! Voting
cannot solve all our problems—or even most—but it can hold back the tide of
anti-God immorality long enough to get many more people into the Ark of
Salvation before the flood of God’s wrath comes. Pray. Then vote!
Superman may simply
be a mythical comic book hero, but if we practice what the Word teaches, we can
become a “super soldier.” We can “save
the world” so to speak. We need to understand
our environment, utilize our equipment, and execute God’s battle plan.
But, always
remember . . . Islam is not our enemy, thought the Enemy may, and will, use it. Our Enemies are the rulers, against the
authorities, against the world powers of
this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
<<end>>
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