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Ephesians 6:10-18 10 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. 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. 14 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; 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: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; |
Spiritual Warfare
I. When you came to God, you also enlisted in an army.
A. There are spiritual conflicts we face every day.
B. The Bible says to “Fight the good fight of faith…” (I Timothy 6:12)
II. Many new converts are engaged in the spiritual battle and don’t realize it.
A. This battle is not a battle in the physical realm but in the spiritual realm.
B. In order to be victorious, we must know who the enemy is and what the weapons are.
C. We must also know the protection God provides.
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1 Peter 5:8 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: |
III. Let’s look at who our enemies are and how we can overcome them:
A. Enemy #1
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James 4:7 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. |
A. Solution for enemy #1:
B. Resist is to oppose.
I. An army resists the enemy actively by encountering and defeating it.
B. Enemy #2:
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1 John 2:15 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. |
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WORLD the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ |
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James 4:4 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. |
C. Solution for enemy #2:
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Galatians 5:17 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. |
D. Enemy #3
Also Romans 8:7-8
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Galatians 5:16 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. |
E. Solution for enemy #3:
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Galatians 5:18 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. |
IV. Temptation is the devils major weapon used against a child of God. Tempt literally means to test.
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Hebrews 2:18 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. |
The devil uses temptation as an enticement to do evil.
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Hebrews 4:14-15 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. |
A. Christ experienced temptations:
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1 Corinthians 10:13 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. |
A. We don’t need to succumb to temptation. Just because we are tempted does not mean we have sinned. It is when we do the thing we are tempted to do we enter in sin.
B. Christ showed us we can live overcoming lives over temptation.
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Ephesians 6:10-17 10 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. 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. 14 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; 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: |
V. Let’s look at how God provides for us in our battle.
