The Armor of God | Pastor Ryan McDermott

[Music] you can go ahead and grab a seat as you do I want to welcome you to Christ Fellowship and also want to welcome you if you're joining us online a special shout out to our men and women serving in the armed forces around the world tuning in today love you thank you for your service my name is Ryan and I have the privilege of looking after our student ministry and our young adults ministry here at Christ Fellowship and I'm unbelievably excited to be able to share with you from the Word of God today as we jump in I'm wondering if there's anybody in the house this morning who's ever shown up somewhere wearing the wrong thing anybody ever shown up wearing the wrong thing like maybe you were really overdressed for an occasion or you were really underdressed when you showed up for something maybe you have a friend who told you it was a costume party when it wasn't you should cut them out of your life in Jesus name or if you're anything like my wife she's just a little bit obsessed with making sure that she has the right thing on right so it's like where are we going who's gonna be there what are we doing again just like making sure because when you show up somewhere wearing the wrong thing it's it's awkward it's uncomfortable and there's a freedom that comes when you're wearing the right thing I've had a few moments in my life where I showed up wearing the wrong thing probably the worst of which I was a sophomore in college I was dating Christine who's now my wife and she was a student at the University of Florida and so I was really excited what you have three people are excited about that and what I was really excited because I was gonna go up and visit her in Gainesville we were gonna go to a football game now I wasn't much of a college football fan at the time in fact to this day most of my friends make fun of me because I'm really just not a sports guy and and so I went up to Gainesville and I was there for the weekend we were gonna go to this football game and when I got dressed that morning to go meet her I don't know why I did this I don't think I've done it before or since but I chose that day to put on a purple t-shirt so we go to this game and I'm sitting in the student section at the University of Florida in the swamp in a sea of orange and blue right in a purple t-shirt and from the moment I walked into the stadium I mean if looks could kill I would have died that day it was like everybody was look me staring at me and I'm like what's up with this place these people are so mean how do they know I don't belong here like what what is wrong with these people and then it all made sense when the opposing team ran out of the tunnel because there was the LSU Tigers that day right and if you're not a sports fan like me the LSU Tigers purple and gold and so here I am in the middle of a student section wearing the colors of the opposing team and it just got worse because the Tigers actually won that day and everyone literally wanted to kill me right and the reality is I just I couldn't enjoy the game I couldn't enjoy the experience I couldn't enjoy the moments because I was wearing the wrong thing and my fear is that too many Christians wake up every day and walk out into the world wearing the wrong thing see there's a freedom that comes when we put on the right stuff there's a freedom that comes when we're wearing the right thing if you remember this year the word that God has spoken over our house through pastors Todd and Julie is the word freedom right it's what we believe God wants for each and every one of us for you and for me God wants freedom right and the reality is that we have to fight for freedom if we want it and in Ephesians chapter 6 we read a passage of Scripture where Paul is trying to tell us how we ought to dress for this fight for freedom let me read the Word of God to you today here's what it says finally be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes 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 therefore Paul says put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground and have for after having done everything to stand stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist with the breastplate of righteousness in place with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace in addition to all of this he says take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 through 17 now the reality is we can spend all day talking about the various aspects of this passage of Scripture we can spend a long time trying to understand each piece of God's armor and how it works and what it is but here's what I know at the end of the day you and I will have a better chance in our fight for freedom we'll have a better chance in our fight for freedom if we understand a few truths about the armor of God here's the first truth I'd love for you to write this down the armor of God is suitable for all ages the armor of God is suitable for all ages now I know that most of you in the room are more spiritual than I am but I'm just going to be honest with you for a moment when I hear the phrase armor of God what I envisioned in my mind is like cheesy plastic kids toys like maybe that's just the stage of life I'm in but when I hear the phrase armor of God I picture like little kids plastic toys like I just do and I think that perhaps there are many of us in the room like when we hear this this passage of Scripture the armor of God we almost tune out maybe even unintentionally because it feels a little bit like something you just you learn to sing about in Vacation Bible School if you grew up around church or you you memorize it in Sunday school and somehow as we get older it just feels like it doesn't fit anymore like when I hear the phrase armor of God I just think of something I can go on amazon.com and order for $29.99 get it shipped in my house prime delivery two days later we got it right in fact I did that this is a picture of my son Declan four and a half he's wearing the armor of God available on amazon.com looking pretty good I might add and just because I think it's awesome this is our one and a half year old Kinley trying to put it on to wear in the armor God in Jesus name and that's kind of when I picture when I hear this passage of Scripture these kind of plastic kids toys what's the problem with that it doesn't fit me I can't put that on I tried it look it just that it doesn't work like those things they they don't fit me at all it's awkward it's uncomfortable that the belt I had to hold up for the picture I literally couldn't bring it all the way around me and if we picture the armor of God in this way it just it doesn't fit so let me ask you a question what if one of the ways the enemy has neutralized the power of this passage of scripture in our lives is by convincing us that it's just for kids the reality is that as we grow we actually need the armor of God more and more every single day of our lives it is suitable for all ages the box knows that the box said ages 3 and up so it's meant for you and me we need to understand if we want to fight for freedom that the armor of God is suitable for all ages you and I we need to make the decision each and every day to wake up and to suit up to put on the armor of God to ask the Lord to help us to put on this the helmet of salvation the breastplate of righteousness that we would have the shield of faith the sword of the Spirit the belts of truth that we would be ready with the peace that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ we've got to put it on because the armor of God is suitable for all ages why here's another truth is the armor of God is essential for survival it's essential for survival you and I need to understand that this is not optional for us as believers to put on the armor of God in fact the way that Paul writes about it in Ephesians chapter 6 he doesn't say if you face a spiritual struggle he doesn't say if the day of evil comes he doesn't say if the enemy attacks no no he says when when that happens you and I need to understand that this armor of God it's essential for our survival why because we are all fighting a spiritual battle part of what Paul is trying to do in this passage of Scripture has helped you and I to realize that there is a war going on in the spiritual realms there is a spiritual battle that is taking place and it is more real than the chair that you sit in right now and we as believers as men and women of God as people of faith we need to suit up and prepare for the spiritual battle that we step into every single day and in the same way a soldier would suit up for Basile battle physically you and I we need to prepare spiritually for the battle that we are sure to face because if we don't when we are attacked when we have a spiritual struggle when the day of evil comes we won't be able to stand see the reality is that unless we put on God's protection over our lives we cannot stand in the battle that we are sure to face are you wearing the armor of God here's another truth the armor of God is almost entirely for defense almost it's almost entirely different for defense like if you read this passage of Scripture and you begin to study the armor of God you will see some things and one of the things that you ought to notice is that it's almost entirely for defense meaning that he talks about the belt of truth right he talks about the breastplate of righteousness the shield of faith the helmet of salvation feet ready with the gospel all of those pieces are for defense and then at the very end of this passage of Scripture he kind of tucks in something he says oh and by the way take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God so all of these pieces of armor the you and I are issued for spiritual battle they're almost entirely for defense they're almost entirely for our protection right but at the end of this passage we see there's actually only one offensive weapon that you and I are given the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God what does that mean everything else is meant to protect us and to keep us safe but there is only one thing with which we can fight back against the attacks of the enemy it is the Word of God which is our weapon and you and I need to understand that we have been given in the Word of God such a special precious gift it is our weapon this is the way that we fight back against the attacks of the enemy do you know what the oldest tactic in Satan's war against mankind is the oldest tactic in Satan's war against mankind is to get you and I to question the Word of God that's it it's literally I would say this way it's the oldest trick in the book like if you go back to the pages of Genesis if you read there you will see that Satan's oldest tactic in the war against mankind is to get you and I to question the Word of God how do we know that well if you were to read the narrative of Genesis right what you will discover is an eternal everlasting God from which all things are created he creates everything right and if you read that story what happens is that God creates the universe with his words he literally speaks everything into existence speaks light into existence speak land into existence literally breathed stars out from his mouth but there's a moment in the narrative where everything changes because instead of speaking things into existence God reaches down into hit creation and he forms and he fashions mankind it's the first thing in Scripture that God touches you and I see everything else was formed with his words but you and I were worthy of more than a syllable God reached into creation and he formed you from the dust of the ground it's why you and I are different than everything else in all of creation because God when he made you he got his hands dirty you are special you were created by God you're set apart but as you read the story you'll figure out it's only a couple of chapters before he messed it all up I mean Genesis chapter 3 we're only three chapters in and we've already blown it because this God made all of these things and stepped back and said it is good and step back from man and said it is very good there was only one commandment that was issued by God in the beginning he said hey all that I've created it is for you enjoy but this one tree the knowledge of good and evil don't eat from that tree and so in Genesis chapter 3 what happens Satan slithers his ugly little head into this story and he attacks at a point of weakness he goes to Eve and he asks a question for words that changed the trajectory of history forever did God really say Satan's oldest tactic in the war against mankind is to get you to question the Word of God so Eve responds you know what she says he says did God really say that you should not eat from that tree and Eve says this she says yes God said that we should not eat it or even touch it no what happens in that moment Eve miss quotes God she miss quotes God she gets it wrong see God gave them only one commandment for their protection everything I have created is all for you this one tree don't eat from its fruit but Eve adds to the Word of God she puts in her own rules and her own regulations and then all of a sudden believes somehow that God is not trying to protect her but rather to limit her we actually do the same thing to this day God gives us a commandment or a principle and scripture and it's enough he's trying to protect us but we add all of these rules and regulations that we think are a part of what God said but we made it about something else entirely don't miss it we don't need to add to the Word of God his word for us is enough but she miss quotes him God told us not to eat it or even touch it okay so why did she misquote God well if you read the narrative of Genesis here's the timeline God creates Adam then God speaks the commands don't eat from the tree and then he creates Eve so Satan attacks Eve it doesn't have anything to do with the fact she's a woman she doesn't know the Word of God for herself why because she only heard it through ad so here's my fear perhaps many of us in this room we don't know the Word of God for ourselves see a lot of us we've kind of made me been around this place for a while and maybe you know the Word of God because you've heard it at church or you've heard it from a pastor or you heard it from your parents you heard it from your friends you heard it from your Mima or whatever you call her but you don't maybe know the Word of God for yourself and if that's true then when Satan slithers his ugly little head into your story and asks the same question that he's been asking since the dawn of creation did God really say if we don't know the Word of God for ourselves here's the best answer I can give I don't know I don't know did God really say that you were special to God really say that we were chosen did God really say that you were loved that you were created on purpose for a purpose to God really say that he has a plan and a purpose for your lives did god really speak those things over you well I don't know see the Word of God is our weapon and the only way we fight back against the attacks of the enemy is to know this for ourselves I don't I don't think this is more clearly represented than in Matthew chapter 4 and in Luke chapter 4 there's a story that maybe you've read before it's the same story in both both places and it's the story of Jesus when he's led out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan and what happens in this story in Scripture is that Satan the enemy of God is trying to tempt the Son of God Jesus to betray who he really is see he's trying to he's trying to tempt him to disobey God and to do it his own way right and so Satan when he attacks Jesus do you know what the enemy of God uses to try to tempt the Son of God you know what he uses the Word of God Satan quotes scripture to Jesus to try to get him to mess up and to falter and the only reason that Jesus is able to stand firm against the attacks of the enemy is because he fights back with what the Word of God and not just the Word of God don't miss this it's not just that he's memorized a few verses that's not the points Jesus fights back with the Word of God correctly understood because he knows the heart of God Satan knew all the words but jesus knew the heart of God see there's a big difference but let me ask you a question that wrecked me a few years ago - Satan know the Word of God better than I do because if he does I'm in trouble because he's gonna come into my life and he's gonna attack me he's gonna try to get me to question who God has told me that I am he's gonna ask me those same four words did God really say and he'll even use scripture and twist scripture to try to do it and if I don't know the Word of God if I don't understand the heart of God then I can't fight back against the attacks of the enemy see the Word of God it is our weapon and you and I need to be equipped for spiritual battle in Jesus name Amen we need to be ready to fight back with the Word of God I think of the moment in a movie or a TV show maybe you've seen something like this before where a soldier or a police officer would sit down in front of a table and on.for in front of them they would have their weapon right and they would actually like kind of take it apart clean it put it all back together get it loaded up and ready I've even watch scenes where they would start a timer and do it and put it back together and time themselves and just try to get faster and faster and faster why because they need to know their weapon so intimately that when they march out into battle no matter what goes wrong no matter what jams up no matter what happens they know exactly what to do and exactly how to fix it why because their life depends on it what if we treated the Word of God our weapon with that kind of intensity what if we knew this word our weapon so intimately that no matter what our way no matter what tripped us up no matter what jam we experienced we knew exactly where to go exactly what to say and exactly what to do because we know that the Word of God is our weapon come on church we've got a gift from God in this book that so many of us we march into battle unarmed no good soldier would do that and yet so many of us we march and out into battle and we are unarmed but the Word of God is our weapon and we need to understand that we have been given a precious gift in the Word of God don't settle for just using all of the defensive pieces of armor don't just settle for protection but God who actually he wants to give you something with which you can fight back here's the final truth the armor of God is actually incomplete the armor of God is actually incomplete now before you write a nasty email about me to pastor Todd let me explain what I mean to you by that if you were to read this passage of Scripture in ephesians chapter 6 as you go through these elements of the armor of god and you think about what we have been given that we have been given the belt of truth upon which everything hinges we've been given a breastplate of righteousness that comes from right standing with God and walking in his ways we've been given the helmet of salvation that can affect everything that we see and think and do we've been given this the shield of faith the sword of the Spirit we're ready with the gospel of peace as you think about all of those elements what you may eventually come to realize is that there's no piece of armor for your back there's nothing there to cover your back and in fact I took a picture of my son Declan the other day when he had everything on just to prove it to you nothing on his back now that's really interesting because we are given a lot of other elements right for our protection one of those elements that were given is a shield of faith for example and when Paul talks about this in Ephesians chapter six he's not he's not using a word that refers to cheesy plastic kids toys in fact the word that he used for shield he's he's referencing a real Roman shield that would have looked a little something like this try it it was large it was it was strong and this is something that they would have carried into battle with them right and actually the idea was that a Roman soldier he could take this and use it and behind it he could hide completely covered completely shielded this is how he would protect himself from the flaming arrows of the enemy unless you're like a little fat like me then a little bit might hang out on the side but other than that you know like they would be able to disappear behind this shield because the shield gave them protection from the attacks of the enemy but yet behind them they would have been exposed now some people might tell you and they're not entirely wrong but that's because as Christian men and women were never supposed to retreat we're never supposed to run we're never supposed to turn our backs on a fight and and sometimes that is true but actually there's some specific instructions in scripture where you and I as Christian people are told to run to flee not to stand like for example when it comes to sexual temptation you don't stand in that battle you turn and you run so perhaps the reason that we're not given any armor for our backs is because you're supposed to have mine and I'm supposed to have yours see this is a picture of what it's supposed to look like that we would fight together in fact the Bible says it this way a person standing can be attacked a person standing alone can be attacked and defeated how many of you know what that feels like in Jesus name but two can stand back-to-back and conquer come on how many of you know that you need somebody who's got your back you need somebody who's going to stand with you and this is the way that we protect ourselves in the spiritual battle that we are sure to face see this is not an individual fight it's not just that you would put on the armor of God and then go up against your spiritual enemy this is not a one-on-one battle it's not even a two-on-one battle because Roman soldiers they never fought alone they didn't March it out into battle in isolation but instead they moved together they were a part of a legion they were a part of an army there was strength in their number see what you and I need to understand is that the spiritual battle that we are facing this is something we have to fight against together and as these soldiers marched in out into battle carrying their shield there would come a moment if they needed to take new territory or they needed to push back the enemy where the Roman commander would shout out the word testudo and they would fall into formation that would look a little bit like this the word testudo actually means tortoise or turtle which is kind of Awesome but it would actually create a shell of protection and it was in this formation that these soldiers could push back the enemy and could take new ground do you know what this is this is a picture of Christian community this is a picture of what your life and my life are supposed to look like because this is not just about me putting on the armor of God no this is about linking your shield of faith together with some men and women of faith who are gonna fight alongside of you because it is in this formation that we can push back the powers of darkness and we can take new ground in Jesus name this is a picture of what our lives ought look like I know these are heavy guys you can go ahead and hey can you give them a hand thank you guys for what an incredible demonstration so why does that matter because too many of us fight alone too many of us are fighting and struggling alone but this is not an individual sport this is something that we were meant to do together so here's the question who are the few who are gonna fight with you who are the people that you have put in your life who stand shoulder-to-shoulder you can link your shield of faith with them so that you can take new ground in Jesus name see this is a picture of the kind of community that each and every one of us are called to excuse the reality if you put on the armor of God and I don't you're still vulnerable if I put on the armor of God and you don't then I'm still vulnerable if nobody's got your back then you're still vulnerable because here's what I know in your fight for freedom in my fight for freedom we need two things need the armor of God and the people of God if you're gonna get serious about your fight for freedom and experiencing all the God has for you you need the armor of God and you need the people of God if you only have one and you don't have the other it's going to be a pretty difficult fight you need the armor of God and you need the people of God as we spawned to the Word of God together this weekend I want to give you one step then I want to pray to prayers some of you walked into this place this weekend and as you watch that visual you watch that demonstration you know that maybe you've been trying to fight this battle on your own maybe you just have a sense that it feels like it's you up against the world or you're always on your own or maybe you're like I don't have any Christian people in my life oh I've got one friend or I've got two friends but I don't have a legion of people who are gonna link arms with me well then you have a step to take today because you don't have to leave this campus without finding those people without finding brothers and sisters men and women of faith who are going to link their shield with yours so that you can take new ground in Jesus name it's a picture of Christian community you don't have to leave here without it so why across all of our locations this weekend we've got a place where you can come have a conversation about getting in a group because that's what a group looks like that's why we're always pushing you to community because you need people you need a few who are gonna fight with you don't leave here today if you don't have that kind of community you've not experienced that kind of family of God don't leave here today without getting some people we're gonna link arms and fight with you that's your step for many of us here today gotta get in community but I want to pray to prayer so as we respond to the Word of God together this weekend the first prayer is gonna be for anyone in the room who would say I'm a follower of Jesus I'm a follower of Jesus I'm a Christian but I need to put on the armor of God afresh and anew and I need to make a commitment every single day to be ready to fight for freedom in just a moment I'm gonna ask you to raise your hands because I want to pray the armor of God over you before you leave this weekend with a second prayer I want to pray is for anyone who maybe wandered onto one of our campuses this weekend and you don't have a relationship with God through Jesus if that's you we are so glad that you are here but you have a step to take as well and in fact this passage of Scripture it speaks to those who don't have a relationship with God through Jesus if you read in Ephesians chapter 6 this armor of God passage if you remember what's the first thing that Paul instructs us to put on the belt of truth what was the last time you got dressed and put on your belt first I don't make no sense that's not how you get dressed it only makes sense when you understand that the truth is not a thing truth is a person his name is Jesus and the freedom that God has for you the life that God has for you it all starts with putting on the belt of truth his name is Jesus he is the way the truth and the life and upon him everything else in your life hinges you got to get that right first and so I also want to pray for anyone who might be in one of our locations today who doesn't have a relationship with God but you want one it's got a life for you it's got freedom for you he loves you he died for you and you can experience relationship with him today so across all of our locations I want to ask that you would close your eyes and you would bow your heads with me as we pray the first prayer that I want to offer again is for anybody who would say I am a Christian I am a follower of Jesus but I need to ask for the Lord to help me put on his armor so that I can stand firm in the spiritual battle that I'm Shore to face if you want that prayer today you are a Christian you know put on the armor of God I just asked you would raise a hand across any one of our locations so that I can pray the armor of God over you God's protection over your life as you fight for freedom that you would be equipped for spiritual battle in Jesus name God for my brothers and sisters who are raising their hands towards heaven right now god help us to suit up spiritually God we want your protection for our lives because we know it's essential for survival we know that we need it and so god help us to put on the helmet of salvation now that everywhere we go everything we say everything we do it would all be looked at through the lens of our salvation that it would make a difference in our daily lives even in our thoughts Jesus help us to put on the helmet of salvation god I pray that each and every one of us would be protected by the breastplate of righteousness God that comes from right relationship with you that comes from walking in your ways from walking in your principles god help us to be righteous in your sight god help us to raise the shield of faith god with which we can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one god help us to link fate and linked our shields with other believers other men and women of God so that we can push back the forces of darkness god help us to be ready with the gospel of peace god help us to be ready to teach it or share it or speak it or show it every single place that we go god give us a peace that surpasses all understanding help us to take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God may we know our weapon intimately so that we can fight back against the attacks of the enemy help us Scott to be ready it's a fight for freedom the second prayer is if you're in this room and you're not a believer in Jesus you don't have a relationship with God but you want one you know that as freedom this life that God has for you it all lies on the other side of a relationship with Jesus you got to get that right first everything else hinges on him in just a moment we're all gonna pray a prayer together but if you're saying this prayer for the very first time this is your moments you're inviting Jesus into your life you're beginning a relationship with God by understanding that he loves you that he sent his son for you that he died for you and he rose again so that you can be in relationship with him if that's you just say this prayer a little bit louder as we all pray it together just say this just say Lord Jesus I needs you come into my life make me new again forgive me of my sins for the rest of my life as best as I know how I will live it's an honor to honor you it's in Jesus name that we pray and everybody said maybe

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Keywords: Christ Fellowship, Christ Fellowship Church, Latest Message, Latest Sermon, Pastor Ryan McDermott, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Bible, Bible teaching, encouragement, freedom, hope, peace, faith, The Armor of God, Hillsong Church, Elevation Church, Gateway Church, Church of the Highlands, Lakewood Church, North Point Community Church, Saddleback Church, Life Church, Vous Church, Newsound Church

Id: -PoCPrl8Dv4

Length: 33min 13sec (1993 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 03 2019