Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV
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.
Ephesians 6:17 NIV
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
“Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE!” -Watchman Nee
Ephesians 2:6 NIV
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
Colossians 2:13-15 NIV
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV
21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
“Your name is not written in God’s book with a pencil. He does not hover an eraser above your entry, just waiting for an excuse to remove it. He is no cruel master who demands perfection and promises retribution. He is a good Father, who has Himself recorded your name in the Book of Life with the blood of the Lamb.” -Max Lucado
Sermon Based Questions
- What was encouraging, difficult, or confusing about the talk on Sunday?
- Do you have a tendency to focus the fight on “flesh and blood”, rather than on your real enemy? Why do you do that?
- Can you say with sincerity, “God is good all the time. All the time God is good”? Has God given you enough?
- How do you feel about Watchman Nee’s statement, “Chrisitanity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE”? Does that change how you feel about you living out the Christian life?
- Have you learned to spiritually sit before you walk or even stand?
- When do you need the sword of the Spirit the most?