Text: Ephesians 6: 10-20

General Topic: Christian Living

Specific Theme: Spiritual Warfare
Title: “Standing Strong in Facing Spiritual Warfare”
Introduction:
We can’t deny the fact that people really have struggles especially nowadays people
really struggling about the so called corona virus.
People living in Wuhan struggle to find medicine for corona virus.
Restaurants across the countries struggle to respond to corona virus.
Corona virus cases exceed 100,000 as countries struggles to contain spread
We really have struggle, but over and above that we see, there is an invisible spiritual
struggle going on against Satan and his forces. But despite of that God wants us to be strong in
Him as we face spiritual warfare.
Proposition:
Despite living in a hostile battlefield we Christians must stand strong in Him as we face
spiritual warfare.
I.T.S.:
Our text Ephesians 6:10-20 will tells us three reasons why God wants us to be strong in
Him as we face spiritual warfare.
Key Word: Reason
I.Q.: Why God wants us to be strong in Him?
I – Because Spiritual battle can only be won by the power of His might. (v.10)
Paul knows from his own experience that he is in a war. His enemy the devil and he will
work as hard as he can to destroy God’s work and God’s people. The same as Paul, we need to
know that we are in a warfare. We need to know our enemy and we need to know how strong he
is. What we need to fight this warfare is the power of God. You cannot make yourself strong,
and always remember apart from God, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ you can do nothing.
Yes maybe, you are emotionally strong. Maybe you can handle a lot of pressure, work for
long hours, day after day after day. Maybe you are the one who is the emotional anchor in your
family, in your class or in your group and everyone leans on you for support.
 There are many kinds of strength. But the most important one is the strength you need in
the Lord. True Christian strength is not of the body. True Christian strength is of the Spirit,
measured in faithfulness, trust and perseverance.
There are many things to fight in this world. For instance you can fight sickness, fatigue,
death of love ones, failure of your plan and hopes, questions without answer and pain. We fight
in this world, but we also fight is the spiritual world and that is our spiritual warfare.
There are reasons why spiritual battle can only be won by the Power of His might.
because we have a:
a. Powerful Enemy. V.12
From the Old Testament and in the New Testament we are always reminded of
Satan’s existence. And warned of his activity. This is what Paul doing in
Ephesians. He is describing that our struggle is not merely a struggle against
visible enemies but against the devil and those spiritual powers that stand behind
the enemy we see.

He also used four words to described how powerful Satan is, in (v.12) rulers,
authorities, powers and forces. And he warns us to take arms against them
because basically he knows how powerful our enemy.

That’s why the author uses the word wrestle or “pale”. It was used of hand-to-
hand combat and especially of wrestling. The term “wrestle” is referred to the
Christians struggle with the power of evil.

And if you notice the word “against” it appears five times in (v.12). This implies
that life really is a struggle against our powerful enemy.

b. Wicked Enemy. (v.12)

In this section the author tells us about the devil, he is wicked and destructive for
he stands behind the powers of this dark world and the forces of evil in the
heavenly realms. The word “wickedness” means, depravity - a corrupt act or
practice; iniquity – a wicked act; wickedness – the quality or state of being
wicked; malice – desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another; evil purposes
– arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct, causing discomfort,
offensive.

Base to these words our enemy is so wicked and he will do everything just to
fulfil his evil purposes and desires to cause pain, injury and distress to all of us
and he wants to destroy your life,
 c. Crafty Enemy. (v.11)

It says about Satan is that he is extremely crafty. In BBE translation says, against
all the deceits of the evil one, and in the Easy English used the word clever, in the
New International Version it warns us to take our stand against the devils
schemes. Both KJV and Revised versions says “Wiles”. The New English Bible
uses the word devices. What these words mean is that the devil does not always
attacks us directly or in the same way. He uses a variety of times and methods.
Genesis 3 calls him crafty. In II Corinthians 2:11 it says, we are not ignorant of
hid devices. We know his tricks.

Illustration:
There was a young man that in a human perspective he cannot win his battle
because absolutely his enemy is greater than he. But this young man said to his enemy
you have come to fight me with a sword, spear, and with a shield. But I come to fight you
in the name of the Lord who is most powerful. Do you know that man? He is David when
he fights Goliath.
Application:
The same with us Christians we must stand strong in God because our battle can
only be won by the power of His might. The enemy may come to you by his power, by
his wicked ways and by his craftiness, but we Christians must come to fight in the name
of the Lord the most powerful. Whom do you trust?

Second reason why God wants us to be strong in Him in facing spiritual warfare.
II. Because spiritual battle can only be won by putting on His Armor. (v.v. 11, 13)
The word armour is a British spelling of armor, but they have the same meaning.
Defensive covering for the body, somehow, it only includes, helmet, gorget, shoulder piece,
pallete, breastplate, brassard, elbow piece, skirt tasses, tuille, gauntlet, cuisse, knee piece, jam
beau, solleret. Shield and sword are not included, but if we compare the original meaning of the
word armor in the bible there is a difference, the word armor or panoplia means “full armour,
complete, armour, includes shield, sword, lance, helmet, greaves and breastplate it includes all
you carry for battle.
A missionary pastor names Frederick Bekker explained that the Apostle Paul was
referring to the armour and battle dress of the first century Roman soldier when he wrote about
the armor of God.
What are the reasons why do we have to wear the Armor of God?
because it makes us:
a. Ready for Battle (v.14)
We have a combination of armor here.

According to Bekker the belt of truth is the central piece of the roman soldiers
armor that held all the other parts together. And the truth represents the word of
God. (John 17:17; Ps. 119:160). The phrase girding up your loins with truth
means to make yourself ready. And symbolically to wear, the belt of truth means
you have to be founded and rooted in God’s word, to make it simpler you are
wearing the word of God.

Another, the breastplate of righteousness, is available only to the sons of God, to

those have accepted Christ. Bekker also explained that the Roman soldiers were
disciplined to polish, this piece of weaponry everyday so that when they go to the
battle, the glare of the sun would reflect to this piece of weaponry and the light
would blind the enemies eyes. This would give the soldiers the opportunity to
slaughter their enemies.

Symbolically the breast plate also protects the most important part of our body –
the heart.

The Apostle Paul encourages believers to put on the breastplate of righteousness

so that our heart will be guarded by Christ.

These two armor is a great combination, His righteousness and His truth will
guard us to be founded and rooted to His word, as a means of self-preparation to
be ready for battle.

b. Ready for the task. (v.v. 15, 17)

His armor makes us ready to proclaim Christ.

In the other translation, it is shoes “ shoes protect your feet and enable you to
walk on rocky road. This part of the armor is important because in the battle the
enemy might put a trap in the way. It is also speaking of both preparation and
readiness to share the gospel. It symbolizes that God might call you to walk some
difficult areas on your way and the enemy may also try to injure you and stop you
from your walk with God.

And also the Helmet of Salvation.

 The helmet protects the head. And symbolically, to put on the helmet of salvation
means to protect our mind from the enemy. And when our mind is clouded with
negativity, confusion and lack of vision for the future, the helmet of salvation is
there to protect our mind.

Bekker also says, that the Roman soldiers helmet can cause attraction and
attention because of the feather above the helmet, symbolically, a Christian
salvation can cause the people to notice in his or her transformed lifestyle and
character. That is they see Jesus in your life.

These two armor, shoes on your feet, as preparation and readiness of proclaiming
Christ through words and the helmet of salvation as to proclaim Christ through
someone’s lives.

Is Jesus seen in your life? Is your life attracting someone because they see Jesus
in it?

c. Ready for the Victory. (v.v. 16-17)

Do you believe that faith is the victory?

You cannot find in the bible that someone become victorious because he or she
doesn’t have faith in God. Only those who have faith in God become victorious.
We walk by faith right? And it is through faith in God that we can believe for the
impossible things, hope for better days and believe in the faithfulness of God’s
word and promises. For without the shield of faith, all the schemes of the enemy
will hit us. Unbelief will hinder the work of God.

Moreover, Bekker explained that the Roman soldier would daily anoint his shield
with oil to stop it from becoming useless. It symbolise that our faith can run dry
unless it has the anointing of the Holy Spirit every day. Oil represents the
presence and power of the Spirit of God. When David was anointed with oil the
scripture say’s the Holy Spirit empowered him (I Samuel 16:13)

Your faith will run dry unless you exercise it every day by the anointing and
empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

And also the sword of the spirit, the Word of God. (v.17)

A soldier draw out the sword from the belt, when we draw out the sword from the
belt of truth by speaking out the word of God, we are spiritually slicing off the
 wicked spirits, the temptation of satan and his tricks. (Heb. 4:12) says, That even
Jesus Christ when he was tempted by satan, He is fighting back against satan by
using God’s word. These tow armor is another great combination to be victorious,
when the enemy attack the soldier he will cover it with the shield of faith and
fight back with the swrod of the spirit which is the Word of God.
Illustration:
Photo:
In putting on his armor, the Roman Catholic Soldier first tied his under-robes
together by a belt, then put on his breastplate and shoes and finally, took up his shield,
helmet and sword.
Application:
We Christians likewise should be fully prepared to meet the enemy. We must
secure our inner life through the truth and protect the outer life by being morally upright,
that Jesus must be seen in our life as we hold the victory,
Third reason why God wants us to be strong in Him in facing spiritual warfare.
III. Because Spiritual battle can only be won by the purposeful prayer.
The word purposeful means “having a purpose: such as meaningful and intentional or full
of determination and also to be determined, do-or-die, firm, intent and set.
In the BBE or Bible Basic English translation uses the terms with prayers and deep
desires and in the Easy English says To do all of this, pray all the time as God’s Spirit leads you
to pray.
Since our spiritual battle can only be won by purposeful prayer, Paul gives as ways on how
to have a purposeful prayer. (v.18)

a. When to pray? Pray at all times.

This does not mean every second. But to pray always, you need to be consistent in
your prayer in every situation of your life. Paul is simply saying to the Ephesians
believer that even when they are hurting pray, when they are happy pray, when
they are struggling pray, and whatever their situation either good or bad pray.

b. How to pray? Pray with all perseverance.

 Perseverance means, to continued effort to do or achieve something despite
difficulties, failure or opposition: the action or condition or an instance of
persevering: steadfastness. This means that you are to continue praying even
though you do not seem to get an answer or the answer you get does not seem to
be what you had hoped for.

c. Whom to pray? Pray for all the saints.

Are you praying for your brother and sister in Christ? Have you prayed for all the
student her in BFBS? All the faculty and staff? In your whole stay here have you
prayed for all the people here one by one? That you mentioned them one by one?
If not shame on you, for your long stay here you’ve never mentioned theme one
by one?

Modesty aside, when I was in Leyte my mentor taught me a method on how to

pray. Monday, pray for all the faculty and staff. Tuesday, my classmates.
Wednesday, the second year class. Thursday, Third year and Friday, fourth year.

Have you prayed for all of them one by one?

The Apostle Paul encourage the Ephesian believer to pray for all not just for your
best friend, for you family and for your favourite person but for all the Saints.
And that even Apostle Paul asks for prayer so that he might be able to speak the
gospel.
And if you notice, many theologians say that Paul was the Greek word all four
times. In the KJV the word all mentioned three times only but in the other
translations, the word all mentioned four times. Can you imagine? With all prayer
and request pray at all times, pray in all perseverance and pray for all the saints
that’s why life should be one great prayer to God.
Some says that there is another kind of prayer. It is to pray when we do not really
want to pray. We should say, Yes, I do not feel that I want to pray, but still I will
pray.
Illustration:
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of two of the
men survive and able to swim to a small island, they don’t know what to do except to
pray to God. However, to know whose prayer is the most powerful they divide the island
into two and no one should go beyond their boundaries. The first thing they prayed, is
food. The first man saw a bearing fruit and the second man had nothing. A week after,
 they felt lonely and they prayed for a wife, more food and a shelter. The first man got all
what he’d prayed and the other man had nothing again. The next morning they both
prayed for a ship for them to go home. The first man had a ship and the second man he
had nothing, when the first man is about to leave the island boarding in his ship, he heard
a voice “Why are you leaving your friend?” “My blessing are mine since, I was the one
who prayed for them” the first man answered “ his prayers were all unanswered so he
does not deserve anything. “you are mistaken, the voice rebuked, he had only one prayer
which I answered, if not for that, you would not have received any of my blessing” “tell
me” the first man asked the voice “what did he pray that I should owe him everything?” “
he prayed that all your prayers would be answered”

Application:
The same with us my beloved Christians, we must not be self-centered to our
prayers and not be selfish to our prayers. And we must pray all the time with
perseverance for all the saints. For all we know our blessings are not the fruits of our
prayer alone, but those of another praying for us. So, what you do for others is more
important than what you do for yourself.
Conclusion:
My beloved Christian don’t be surprised if life feels like a battle somedays or even a lot
of days. We have a powerful enemy, the devil, and his tricks can be dangerous that’s why be
strong in the Lord, draw your strength from Him. Put on God’s whole armor, that you may be
able to stand against the strategies and the deceit of the devil and in all prayers with perseverance
pray at all times.
How is your spiritual battle?
Are you struggling so much?
Remember you are not alone, your seatmate will pray for you. AMEN? And we have a
powerful God that will never leave us in our battle.