(Audio/Video and Text Available)
Direct Video not available, but the service and sermon are available on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/100064912773148/videos/434860525445657
Title: The Armor of God, Part 2
Intro:
Today I’m going to lean on three voices to help us understand the gravity of Paul’s commands in this single powerful verse: Matthew Henry, Chuck Smith, and A.R. Fausett.
(read/pray)
“Therefore”
This is a direct call back to verse 12, which we discussed exhaustively last week. Essentially: Paul issues a reminder that our war is not a “blood and flesh” war, but a war fought on planes not seen by the eye, but by spiritual forces in heavenly places.
Paul is saying, BECAUSE this war is real, but unlike any other type of war, the saints MUST “take up the full armor of God” in order to “resist on the evil day.”
Matthew Henry:
It is called the armour of God, because he both prepares and bestows it. We have no armour of our own that will be armour of proof in a trying time. Nothing will stand us in stead but the armour of God. This armour is prepared for us, but we must put it on; that is, we must pray for grace, we must use the grace given us, and draw it out into act and exercise as there is occasion.
Follow up questions:
- What is the “armor of our own” that Edwards alludes to? (Things we try to resist Satan that are NOT the armor of God?)
- What does it mean to “put on” the armor of God? Edwards seems to connect this concept to “praying for grace.”
Fantastic Insights from Chuck Smith: Why do we need the whole armor of God?
- Because we are in a life and death conflict with an enemy who is bent on our destruction.
2. He does not abide by any rules of battle. He holds to the saying “All is fair in love and war.”
3. He will use any devise or scheme to destroy you.
4. As a representative of Jesus Christ, you are one of his primary targets.
5. This is not a physical conflict, but spiritual.
a. He seeks to draw me into the physical arena, for there he has a decided advantage.
b. As soon as he can get me in the flesh, he can work me over good.
6. I cannot fight this battle with physical weapons.
a. It is not a matter of self control.
b. I may count to ten before I react, but that does not guarantee a right reaction.
c. I may try to mesmerize myself to change my automatic responses, but that will break down.
d. The little red “I think I can” engine will not be able to pull me over the hill.
e. I would like to think that a positive attitude and strong self resolve will win the battle for me, but such is not to be.
7. I need help from the outside, the help of the Holy Spirit.
a. Paul acknowledged, “In me, that is in my flesh, there dwells no good thing.” (Rom. 7:18)
A.R. Fausset:
“take up the full armor of God” is not “make the full armor of God”
God has done that: you have only to “take up” and put it on. The Ephesians were familiar with the idea of the gods giving armor to mythical heroes: thus Paul’s allusion would be appropriate.
“the evil day:’
The day of Satan’s special assaults, as described in Eph 6:12 and 6:16 (spiritual forces and flaming arrows) in life and at the dying hour (compare Rev 3:10 ).
Rev. 3:10 Because you have kept My word of perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of the testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who live on the earth. (the Revelation to the Church at Philadelphia)
Side Note: PB’s take on “the evil day”: This refers to this present age, in which the Church is born, is persecuted, grows, and is tested in battle.
We must have our armor always on, to be ready against the evil day which may come at any moment, the war being perpetual.
Pray/QA