Principles of Christian Living

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Principles of Christian Living
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Lesson 7
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Lesson TextEphesians 610-13
Ephesians 610-1310 Finally, my brethren, be
strong in the Lord, and in the power of his
might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye
may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil.
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Lesson TextEphesians 610-13
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil
day, and having done all, to stand.
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Lesson TextEphesians 614-18
Ephesians 614-1814 Stand therefore, having your
loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness 15 And your feet
shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
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Lesson TextEphesians 614-18
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the
fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet
of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God
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Lesson TextEphesians 614-18
18 Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication
for all saints.
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Focus VerseEphesians 610
Ephesians 610Finally, my brethren, be strong in
the Lord, and in the power of his might.
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Focus Thought
We are in a spiritual conflict. Victory comes by
the power of the Holy Ghost.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Culture Connection Victory through Prayer
There is only one way to live in victory through
Jesus Christ that is to be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of his might (Ephesians 610).
And there is only one way to be strong and
powerful in the Lord through the power of prayer.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
In his classic book Power through Prayer, E. M.
Bounds wrote, Prayer was to them what it was to
Paul, a striving with earnest effort of soul
what it was to Jacob, a wrestling and prevailing
what it was to Christ, strong crying and tears.
They prayed always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance. The effectual,
fervent prayer has been the mightiest weapon of
Gods mightiest soldiers.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Believers today are in a mighty spiritual
warfare for the very existence of their soulsfor
the very survival of their spiritual lives.
Spiritual life survives only through the power of
the Spirit, which we maintain and nourish through
prayer. Consequently, there is spiritual victory
through prayer. The battle in which believers
find themselves today is not one fought with
tanks, guns, and planes and the enemy they
engage does not possess flesh and blood.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
The enemy is Satan and his imps the weapons of
our warfare are spiritual implements, not the
typical machinery of war. But the most important
of all of our weapons is prayer. When we connect
with Jesus Christ through prayer, only then are
we empowered to overcome all the attacks of the
enemy with complete victory in Jesus.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Contemplating the Topic
The Scriptures warn us that we have an
adversary, and we should regard him as a
formidable foe. The Bible, however, does not say
to fear our opponent but we are to be on guard
because he is a master of disguises and
deception. He is a predatory beast who feasts
upon the weakness, ignorance, and fear in human
nature. He is also the original thief, liar, and
murderer in the universe and his goals
are to steal, kill, and destroy.
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I Peter 58
Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary
the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 58).
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
This war is not easily won, so God created for
us an arsenal of powerful weapons with which to
defeat the enemy whenever and wherever we meet
him. We should view ourselves as overcomers of
Satan, not as his victims.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Searching the Scriptures Knowing Our Enemy

1. Know His Evil Forces

Satan is a fallen angel, a created being whom
God originally created in purity and holiness.
Because God created him, Satan is not equal to
Godnot even in a negative sense. God has no
equal He is uniquely sovereign and supreme.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Although Satan is an invisible, powerful,
spiritual creature, God placed boundaries around
him. Satan therefore is not omnipresent,
omniscient, or omnipotent. He cannot read our
minds, but he does try to program or influence
our thinking. Only God knows the number of
fallen angels under Satans control (Revelation
124). Still, we must not underestimate Lucifers
rebellion and those who followed in his revolt.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
When Jesus confronted the demon-possessed man at
Gadara, the demons in him said, My name is
Legion for we are many (Mark 59). A Roman
legion consisted of 6,100 foot soldiers and 726
horsemen. It is not unrealistic to assume that
Lucifers arrogant hostility infected many of the
angels in Heaven who suddenly were expelled along
with him (Luke 1018). Because of the language of
Revelation 124, many Bible scholars believe
Lucifers rebellion drew the support of one-
third of the heavenly angels.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
In Ephesians 612, Paul said we wrestle against
principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of darkness, and against spiritual
wickedness. Each stratum of evil is an element of
Satans kingdom on earth with specified powers
and jurisdiction. Satan organized his hordes of
fallen angels under principalities corresponding
to earthly governments. If there is a Prince of
Persia and a Prince of Greece, as in Daniels day
(Daniel 1013, 20), then there also could be a
Prince of Russia, a Prince of England, and
so on.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
We cannot know how widespread his organization
is however, we may be reasonably sure that the
governments of this world are influenced by the
power of darkness. For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places (Ephesians 612).
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B. Know His Tactics

1. Know His Tactics

1. The wiles of the devil. Nelsons Bible
Dictionary describes the wiles of the devil as a
trick or strategy intended to entice or deceive.
Satan can entice, seduce, or deceive humans when
they allow any undisciplined desire to breed lust
in their minds. Unbridled desires produce sin.
Satan cannot tempt us if we refuse to
incubate his lustful thoughts and
suggestions.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Jesus said, The prince of this world cometh, and
hath nothing in me (John 1430). The
propositions of the devil will not tempt us if we
have no desire or willingness to participate.
When we fall for one of his devilish schemes, it
indicates we already had a predilection to take
that path. Pushy salesmen often appeal to a
persons desire for instant gratification. This
selfish side of humans is a work of our fallen,
unregenerate nature. Greed refuses to
wait for anything.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
It is impatient and demanding. Satan observes
these signals we unwittingly send out, then he
overpowers us at the point of our weakness and he
burrows into our lives. One of Satans dirty
tricks is to get people to believe he does not
exist. They may not realize that if they deny his
existence, they also deny the Word of God. If
there is no enemy of our soul, there is no need
to defend it. When a person embraces this
erroneous idea, he opens the door to Satan to
work his evil with impunity in his life
without any resistance.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Satan also takes advantage of human nature by
covertly inciting two individuals against each
other and causing conflict and confusion. If
neither of the individuals realizes the source of
the problem, they do not recognize the devil at
work and they are never able to resolve the
problem (I Corinthians 1433). For where envying
and strife is, there is confusion and every evil
work (James 316).
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Before dealing with a situation like this, we
should pray against the spirit of confusion and
pray to receive the peace of God. Only then are
the two parties able to reconcile. 2. The fiery
darts of the wicked. The art of warfare and
weapons design is an ancient concept. When an
army designed a shield that could withstand
certain weapons, the attacking enemy immediately
set to work to design new and advanced weapons
capable of penetrating that shield.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
The fiery darts noted in Ephesians 616 were
arrows or short spears. If the arrows of the
attacking army could not penetrate the defenses
of their enemy, they dipped their arrows into a
combustible substance such as pitch and ignited
them. When the flaming arrow hit the target, it
burned to ashes and destroyed everything around
it. Our enemy shoots burning arrows of
bitterness, anger, resentment, and revenge that
attempt to lodge in our spirits, destroy our
peace, and rob us of the blessings of
fellowship.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Satan often uses people who are close to us to
say hurtful things, trying to drive a wedge of
separation between us. The words are like arrows
with sharp barbs that tunnel deep into our
subconscious mind. The least disturbance can
resurrect all of the hurt feelings connected to
the original injury, and it becomes a
merry-go-round of painful memories recycling for
years and too often destroying relationships.
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A. Know Your God
Knowing Our Equipment

1. Know Your God

The people that do know their God shall be
strong, and do exploits (Daniel 1132). What do
we know about the nature and character of our
God? We know God is faithful and will not ignore
our sacrifices or our faith. He is a loving
Father who disciplines and defends His children.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
God is knowable. We can relate to Him. The
psalmist stated, He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 911). The promise
of protection in Psalm 91 is for those who
permanently dwell in the secret place with God.
In the day of trouble, the distance we must run
for refuge depends on where we dwell on a daily
basis. When we roam too far from home, we can be
cut off like an army that surges too far ahead
of its supply line.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
The people of Israel heard the audible voice of
God in the Sinai Desert and were so frightened
they told Moses to talk privately to God and then
relay His messages to them (Exodus 2019). Thus
Moses knew God face to face, and he knew Gods
ways. The Israelites knew only His acts and were
therefore afraid of Him (Psalm 1037). When Gods
mighty acts cause us to be afraid of Him, it does
not signify a divine aloofness or harshness.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Instead, it is a sign we do not know Him
personally and consequently find it difficult to
trust Him. To know Jesus Christ is to know God
personally and when we know Him, the accuser of
the brethren cannot touch us. (See Romans 81
Revelation 1210.)
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I. Knowing Our Enemy

1. Protective ArmorDefensive

In Ephesians 6, Paul described the battle
dress of the Roman soldier in order to instruct
the Ephesian believers to put on the whole armor
of God. We are foolish to go to battle against
the enemy of the soul without the whole armor of
God.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy

• We never know which piece of armor we will need,
  so we must put on all the pieces, not just what
  we find convenient or comfortable at a given
  time.
• The girdle of truth. A soldier wore a leather
  belt that held his armor together. His sword and
  other weapons hung from this belt. Paul called
  this portion of the armor the belt of truth. In
  the life of the believer, the truths from the
  Word of God hold our lives together. We must know
  the truth, love the truth, live the truth, and
  allow truth to control and
• guide us.

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I. Knowing Our Enemy
2. The breastplate of righteousness. The
breastplate was made of metal plates or chains
that covered the soldiers body from the neck to
the waist. It protected the vital organs of the
body. Paul compared the breastplate to
righteousness. Righteousness or right standing
with God is a gift from God. Our enemy constantly
looks for a crack in our armor. Any impurity
compromises our right standing with God and makes
us vulnerable to attack.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Proverbs 423 exhorts, Keep thy heart with all
diligence for out of it are the issues of life.
3. The sandals of the gospel of peace. The
hobnailed soles of a Roman soldiers sandals gave
him a sure footing. The rough terrain on the
battlefield would have many stumbling blocks and
obstacles. Likewise, our battlefields contain
many humps, animal holes, thorny hedges, rocks,
and other hindrances, but we must not stumble.
We must stand steady for battle and
keep on standing.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
The Greek word used for preparation is
hetoimasia. It denotes readiness or preparation
as found in Ephesians 615, where the Christians
feet are shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace. The word also can mean a firm
footing. If that is the meaning in Ephesians
615, the gospel itself is to be the firm footing
of the believer. What a contrast that in the
midst of a chaotic war zone, the soldier of
Jesus Christ has the gospel of peace
to steady his feet!
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
The good news of the gospel brings the peace of
almighty God to the believer. We have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 51).
We allow the peace of God to rule in our hearts
(Colossians 315 Philippians 47). Therefore we
have peace from God (Romans 17). 4. The shield
of faith. The Roman shield was generally made of
wood covered with animal hide. Its four-foot
length protected the soldier from head to
knee.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Sometimes the soldiers marched as one with
shields overlapped in a formidable phalanx. They
never went to battle without their shields with
them they deflected the enemys blows and burning
arrows. In a similar fashion, our faith is our
defense against the fiery darts of the enemy.
The enemy often hurls darts of doubt to cause us
to lose hope and lay aside our faith in God. It
has been said that faith does not live in the
past, but the past nourishes it.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Remembering the ways God has provided for us
encourages us to believe He will do it again.
When we band together in unity and by our
testimony, our joined shields create a barrier
the enemy cannot penetrate. 5. The helmet of
salvation. The soldiers helmet was made of metal
and shaped to fit his head. Later, the helmet
also included a visor to protect his face.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
The head is the command center for the whole
body. The body acts upon direct orders from the
head. Therefore the helmet protects the vital
control center of the human body, and in similar
fashion, the helmet of salvation protects the
Christian soldiers thought life, his vital
control center. Salvation is a gift from God
for the total person spirit, soul, and body. The
helmet of salvation contains the knowledge of
what God has purchased for us at Calvary. We
can no longer live only to please
ourselves.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
We are bought with a price, the precious blood of
Jesus and are now accountable to God (I
Corinthians 619-20). The knowledge of our
salvation is our defense against the lies and
suggestions of the enemy. When we wear the helmet
of salvation, its protection enables us to bring
every thought into the obedience of Christ (I
Peter 113 II Corinthians 105). On the other
hand, the enemy easily ensnares the believer
who fails to control his thoughts.
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C. Offensive WeaponThe Sword of the Spirit

1. Offensive WeaponThe Sword of the Spirit

The Roman double-edged sword was a short, heavy
weapon specially designed for hand-to-hand
combat. The cunning soldier could feint with one
edge of the sword and strike with the other. In
the hands of a trained warrior, it was an
instrument of death. In battle the soldier
advanced with single-minded purposeto destroy
everything in his path.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
The Word of God is our only offensive weapon
(Ephesians 617 Hebrews 412). It is imperative
that we learn to use the Word skillfully and
offensively. The Word of God is a living book
from the heart of the living God. It becomes the
living Word to us when we apply it to our daily
living. The book becomes spirit and life as we
use it personally. Jesus skillful use of the
Word when He was tempted by the devil in the
wilderness blunted every charge of the
adversary (Matthew 41-11).
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Jesus answered each of the temptations with, It
is written. The sword of the Word impaled Satan
and drove him away for a season. As Jesus
overcame Satan in the wilderness, we also can
overcome the enemy. In his book Satan A Defeated
Foe, Charles Usher says, The degree in which we
are able to use the Sword of the Spirit will be
dependent upon the degree in which we allow it to
penetrate into the depths of our own moral
and spiritual life, dividing asunder soul
and spirit and thus making us
spiritual.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Peter used the Word to defend his faith before
the Sanhedrin, and his testimony convicted them
(Acts 533). When we skillfully use the Word in
our witness, we can expect the power of the
Spirit to drive the Word into the heart of the
hearers, and one of two things will happen they
will hear and believe the Word, or they will hear
and reject it.
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III. Knowing Our Orders
Knowing Our Orders
Before he goes into combat, every soldier learns
the rules of engagement. He studies how to
recognize the enemy, under what circumstances he
is to fire or hold his fire, and when and how to
take prisoners. We can find our official rules
of engagement in the Scriptures. Jesus, as our
perfect example, demonstrated how to engage the
enemy when he attacks (Matthew 43-11).
Jesus did not argue or debate with
the devil.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Instead, He drew the sword of the Spirit and
quoted the Word of God. Each time He wielded the
sword, the enemy retreated and approached on
another front. On the third attempt, Jesus
quoted, Get thee hence, Satan for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and
him only shalt thou serve (Matthew 410).
Jesus successfully resisted the devils attack
not only by His skillful use of the Word of God,
but also because of His level of submission
to His Father.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you (James 47).
Our ability to resist Satan equals the level of
our submission to God. Any area we have not
submitted to God can become an inroad for the
enemy. We must be aware that the devils radar
has a high sensitivity to rebellion. He is an
opportunist. If we refuse to submit to God and we
demand our own way, we are an easy prey for the
enemy.
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A. To Stand and Withstand

1. To Stand and Withstand

In the same way God was looking for a man to
stand in the gap and make up the hedge in
Ezekiels day, God needs believers today who will
faithfully stand against the deceitful schemes of
the devil (Ezekiel 2230). The will of God for
our lives often places us in the path of a direct
attack from the enemy. God expects us to take a
position for truth and resist the devil. Paul
told Timothy to fight the good fight
of faith (I Timothy 612).
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
The believer must come to terms with the fact
that living for God is not a weekend recreational
sport. We are at war with a formidable foe and
our life is a battleground. The faith once
delivered to the saints is worth embracing and
defending against every attack of the enemy.
Earnestly contending for the faith, as Jude
exhorted us, reflects an intense combat, a
struggle (Jude 3). Taking a stand for truth is
not a one-time event in our lives. We must daily
take up our armor and choose to
follow Christ.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Many policemen today wear body armor to protect
themselves from the daily danger of a criminals
attack. Since the armor is uncomfortable, heavy,
and somewhat cumbersome, some policemen choose
not to wear it, leaving it in their locker or the
trunk of the car. Officers have been killed in
the line of duty because they did not wear their
armor. A believer should never step onto the
battlefield without his armor.
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B. To Pray

1. To Pray

A sword has no power in itself however, the
sword of the Spirit is anointed by the power of
the Author. Prayer enables us to bear the weight
of the armor and wield the sword and shield
skillfully. We cannot fight the battle in our own
power, no matter how strong or talented we may
think we are. Prayer is the power for victory,
but not just any kind of prayer. Paul tells how
to pray if we want to defeat Satan.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
We are not always praying, but we can be in
constant communion with God as if there were an
open communication line to His throne (I
Thessalonians 517). During a hospital visit to
a parishioner, a pastor omitted the amen at the
conclusion of his prayer. The patient chided the
pastor for the omission. He responded that amen
was needed when one ceases to pray, but since he
found so many reasons to pray he seldom said
amen.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
We must pray always because we always are
subject to temptations and attacks of the devil.
A surprise attack has defeated more than one
believer who neglected to pray without ceasing.
One could categorize prayer into several types
prayer, supplication, intercession, thanksgiving
(Philippians 46 I Timothy 21). Certainly, we
should ask for the provision of our needs and the
needs of others in prayer, but not before we
give thanks for all God has done.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Giving thanks is a powerful weapon for defeating
Satan because through it we lift up the wonderful
works and attributes of our God. Praise changes
the atmosphere of prayer from petition to power.
Interceding for others then becomes a privilege
that can bring victory not only to others, but to
our own lives as well.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
In the power of the Spirit, we can pray in the
will of God (Romans 826-27). It is possible to
pray fervently in the flesh and not get through
to God. It also is possible to pray quietly in
the Spirit and see God do great things.
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C. To Watch

1. To Watch

Watchfulness means alertness. Jesus warned His
disciples to watch and pray to avoid temptation
(Matthew 2641 Luke 2136). To watch and pray is
the secret of victory over the world (Mark
1333), the flesh (Mark 1438), and the devil
(Ephesians 618).
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Pray and persist in praying. Perseverance in
prayer means our concern is so deep and our
burden so heavy we cannot rest until we get an
answer. The early church prayed without ceasing
when Peter was in prison and, at the last moment,
God gave them their answer (Acts 121-19). Pray
for all the saints. The Lords Prayer begins with
Our Father, not My Father. When we pray, we
are part of a worldwide family that also is
talking to God, and we ought to pray for the
other members of the family.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
It is comforting to know we are not in this war
alone. We are connected to each other in the
family of Jesus Christ by the same Spirit. The
Holy Spirit can move on us to intercede for each
other even though we are not connected
geographically. Paul asked for the prayer
support of the Ephesian believers. If Paul needed
the prayers of the saints, how much more do we?
He did not ask them to pray for his comfort or
safety, but for the effectiveness of his
witness and ministry.
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D. To Make No Provision for the Flesh

1. To Make No Provision for the Flesh

There is nothing wrong with the normal appetites
of our body when we exercise them in the right
ways and to the right degrees. The problem with
fleshly desires is that they require control, and
every individual exercises whatever measure of
control he chooses. For instance, we decide when
to log on to the Internet, what sites we
visit, and when to log out.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
The Internet is a wonderful tool that we can
utilize for much good, but it also opens the door
to much temptation and potential evil. Paul
warned that we should not make excuses for our
fleshly appetites. If we lose control, we cannot
blame the devil or our parents or anyone else.
Every believer bears responsibility for his
personal choices and actions.
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E. To Make No Place for the Devil

1. To Make No Place for the Devil

In Ephesians 427, Paul warned that anger is
dangerous because it can give the devil a
stronghold in our lives. Through our flesh the
enemy can manipulate any area of our lives we
fail to submit to the authority of Jesus Christ.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
God does not want us only to commit to His will
He wants us to surrender to His will. In making a
commitment, we can still retain control. In an
unconditional surrender, however, He is the only
one who dictates the terms. We need to surrender
our all to Jesus Christ.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Internalizing the Message
By His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus
Christ overcame the world (John 1633 Galatians
614), the flesh (Romans 61-6 Galatians 220),
and the devil (Ephesians 119-23). Because of His
victory we do not fight toward the victory, we
fight from the victory. His victory makes ours
possible. What Jesus Christ accomplished on the
cross for us we could not do for ourselves.
Calvary gives us hope in this world for
the world to come.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
Our faith in Jesus Christ enables us to receive
Christs victory for ourselves. The psalms and
songs alike often reference the testimony of the
righteous. For example, David said, He brought
me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the
miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and
established my goings (Psalm 402). One favorite
chorus reads, When I think of the goodness of
Jesus and all He has done for me, my soul cries
out hallelujah, praise God for saving me.
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I. Knowing Our Enemy
We have put our faith in Jesus Christ because of
what He has already done for us. Greater yet is
our confidence in His abiding work that continues
daily in our lives. Without Christ we can
accomplish nothing, but with Christ working in us
we are transformed from glory to glory (II
Corinthians 318).