Sermon Tone Analysis
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Intro
All throughout history there have been wars, even today there are wars happening.
Talk about different types of wars.
Between countries
Governments, politicians
Drug wars
Crime wars
Family wars
But this morning we are going to address a different type of war...
a war that is battled in our life each and every day!
I’m talking about Spiritual Warfare
Our enemies are the rulers, and authorities and powers of darkness, the spiritual forces of evil.
Our enemies are Satan, his lies, unbelief, false teachings, and our own sinful flesh.
From the time you wake up in the morning, until your head hits the pillow late at night, you are engaged in combat—in a war hard fought and not easily won,
a war in which the casualty count can include every person you come in contact with day in, day out.
You live in a war zone… Your life… it is a battlefield.
So what do we do?
How do we stand firm in this battle?
How do we fight this war agains Satan?
Transition: Well the Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 how we are to fight the battle and what we are to wear and use in our war against Satan and his army.
Be STRONG in the LORD and in HIS mighty power.
It is only through God’s power that you can expect to win the spiritual battles in this life.
If you enter the battlefield alone,
there's no telling what will happen.
But, if you enter in His power,
you are guaranteed to win.
As John said in 1 John 4:4
Jesus Christ has been given all power in heaven and on Earth… and because of that, we do not have to lose spiritual battles.
So what is a spiritual battle?
Every time you are presented with the opportunity to entertain a lustful thought, you have entered a spiritual battlefield.
Every time you have the chance to do something vindictive, you are on the battlefield.
Every time you have the chance to say something harsh and hurtful, you are in the midst of battle.
Every time you toy with the notion that you're just a little bit better than most of the people you know, you are surrounded by enemy fire.
Every time you hear the lie that you aren’t good enough, or Why would God love a person like you… enemy fire is raining down upon you.
Our enemy might be strong, but our Savior is stronger.
Don't get the impression that a fight between God and the devil is a close match.
The devil has been defeated.
Beaten.
Stomped.
Humiliated.
Christ has defeated Satan, death, and sin.
In Christ, we have been given the armor of God to stand tall and firm against Satan and evil… to come out of the war a winner!
We have been given strength through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit into our lives.
We have strength in Christ to withstand the onslaught of these battles.
We fight this spiritual war by putting on
the belt of truth,
the breastplate of righteousness,
the sandals of the Gospel of peace,
the shield of faith,
the sword of the Spirit,
and through prayer.
These pieces of armor that Paul describes to us are listed in the order to which a Roman soldier would put on his armor.
And the First piece of the armor was the belt.
Paul tells us that by “putting on the belt of truth we are able to stand firm.”
This belt of a soldier held together the clothing underneath and it also held the other pieces of the armor in place.
When the belt was fastened, the soldier was “on duty,” ready to fight.
We as Christians, face each day with the fastened belt of truth, “on duty” ready to fight the battle.
As the belt formed the foundation of the soldier’s armor, the belt of truth is the foundation of the Christian life.
Paul is saying, "Stand firm, then, with the belt of truthfulness or sincerity of the heart buckled around your waist."
Truthful living, truthful thinking, truthful speaking… Christ’s love (the foundation of our armor)
Not lying… not being deceptive…
Lies are the avenue we often choose to protect ourselves, or (by our thinking) protect others.
But they will end up in a backfire, leaving us worse off than before...
Lying only deceives, destroys, and weakens us for spiritual battle.
But Living in God’s truth,
Living out the Gospel,
Living in Christ,
allows the power of God to work in your life through the Holy Spirit.
God’s truth, as revealed to us through Jesus Christ, forms the foundation of our life.
It is our belt which holds all things together.
We are called to live truthful lives according to God's truth.
When the enemy attacks us with his lies, half truths, and deceptions,
we can stand firm in the truth we believe.
Transition: the belt of Truth is the foundation for us in this spiritual war and from the belt all the other armor from God fastens together.
The next piece of armor the soldier would put on is the breastplate.
Paul continues in verse 14:
The breastplate's role was obvious.
It was like a bullet-proof vest.
It protects your most vital organs.
And what is this breastplate made of?
Righteousness.
No soldier would ever go into battle without his breastplate.
We too should never go into battle without our breastplate of righteousness.
Righteousness provides a significant defense.
We have been made righteous through the blood of Christ.
This righteousness is not our righteousness or the fact that we are holy people, but it is Christ’s righteousness that He has given to us through His sacrifice on the cross… through faith in Jesus.
In Romans 3:22 it says:
ALL WHO BELIEVE.
This righteousness/holiness is God’s which we have because he has given it to us.
Yet, living with the breastplate of righteousness won’t be easy.
Satan is ready for battle at every turn.
Willing to hit us unfairly given the chance.
Satan seeks to thwart righteous living.
He tries to convince us that we aren’t truly saved,
that we always disappoint God,
that we are poor excuses to call ourselves Christian.
Satan attacks the heart, the vital organ, our emotions, self-worth, and trust.
But that is why we have the breastplate of God’s righteousness!
God’s righteousness… protects our hearts and ensures us of who we truly are.
When we live in God’s righteousness that he has given to us through the blood of Christ,
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