9-25-22 “Armor Up!” Psalm 91 and Ephesian 6:10-18
Introduction
2022 has been quite a year. COVID still hanging around, war in Ukraine, threat of nuclear war, high gas prices and inflation, Supreme Court decisions, upcoming mid-term elections, cultural issues and the list goes on.
With that being said, how are we dealing with all of this? Fearful, anxious, angry, depressed, etc.
And then there is daily issues and thoughts that confront us. Family, jobs, desires, distractions, our past history, temptations, etc.
Sounds like life is a battle at times. And could it be that it is really a battle in our minds on two fronts – external and internal?
We as followers of Christ believe that indeed it is a battle and that there is a war going on called spiritual warfare.
So, let us jump into this spiritual warfare business and see what it is and how to defend ourselves.
Message
The kind of spiritual battle that every Christian engages in is primarily a battle of the mind and heart.
It is crucial that we understand that we are in a spiritual battle. There is no way to get out of it. Awareness of the spiritual battle around us is very important. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Mark 14:38 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
The kind of spiritual battle that every one of us faces is primarily a battle of the mind and heart. We are not fighting a physical battle or a human battle. It is on a spiritual level—its enemies, its prerogatives, its fortresses, and its weapons are all spiritual.
Pause and think about the statement “The kind of spiritual battle that every one of us faces is primarily a battle of the mind and heart.”
Where do our fears, anxiety, anger, bitterness, desires, distractions, and temptations get their beginning? Most often, if not, it is in our minds. Yes, there are times when something comes out of blue and we react. But, most of the time, we get to ‘mull over’ what is going on around us. And, didn’t Eve ‘mull over’ her choice to take a bite of the forbidden fruit?
Now that we have identified spiritual warfare, it is now time to see how we can be on the winning side. If we attempt to fight the spiritual with human weapons, we will fail and the enemy will be victorious. Let us begin with Psalm 91.
1 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91 offers protection from being fearful and anxious. Basically, it says, ‘We are not on our own in this war.” Now, let us take a look at Ephesians 6:10-18.
10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Psalm 91 provides physical protection while Ephesian 6:10-18 provides protection for our minds.
Summary and Application
The spiritual warfare that we are faced with is external and internal.
The mind is where most often the battles are fought.
In order to defeat our enemy, we must know who he is and what he is up to.
The enemy is not people. People are only used by the enemy.
God has not left us defenseless.
We have already won the victory(that is if we are on His side) because Jesus was victorious.
A couple of application thoughts
Notice that Paul says in verse 13, put on the full armor of God. By the way, Paul was chained to a Roman solider when he wrote these words, so he knew all about the armor. Suffice it to say, we would not run out the house only half dressed. And just as we dress for the day’s activities, it seems to be wise to daily and perhaps even hourly ‘Armor Up.’ Also notice that Paul finishes with verse 18 – “….pray in the Spirit on all occasions…..be alert and always keep on praying for the Lord’s people.” Why not check with the commander when you are in the battle! That seems to be one of basic rules for a solider.
So….”Buckle Up” because this war is not over yet.