TITLE: A Good Offense

• TEXT: Ephesians 6:16-17

• THEME: After putting on the armor the believer should wield the Sword of the Spirit to defeat Satan

“What would you say to a mother that wants to shoot

herself?”

What would you say?

What can the believer do to defeat Satan?

I. Put on the Defensive Armor (cont.) (16-17)

Ephesians 6:16

• 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.

I. Put on the Defensive Armor (cont.) (16-17)

A. The Shield of Faith:

Put on the Defensive Armor (cont.) (16-17)

A. The Shield of Faith:

B. Protects against the darts and arrows

In the Spiritual RealmFaith defends against:

I. Doubt- in two minds:

Os Guiness, “Doubt In Two Minds.”

A book that defines the nature of doubt

James 1:5,

• “[5] If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him

James 1:5,

• [6] But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

James 1:5,

• [7] That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; [8] he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does”

Faith defends against:

• Doubt- in two minds:

• Unbelief- not believing God

Romans 10:15-16

“Faith Comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of

God.”

Hebrews 11:-20

• 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. [2] This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Hebrews 11:-20

• 4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

Hebrews 11:-20

• 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. [6] And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:-20

• 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hebrews 11:-20

• 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going

• 11:11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise\

Hebrews 11:-20

• 11:13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. [14] People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.

Hebrews 11:-20

• [15] If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. [16] Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them

I. Put on the defensive armor

A. The Shield of Faith

B. The Darts and Arrows

C. The Helmet of Salvation

C. The Helmet of Salvation

• Defends against:– Spiritual Destruction

Matthew 28:20

• “I am with you always, even until the ends of the earth.”

Philippians 4:4-10

• 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! [5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-10

• PHP 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. [9] Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

What can the believer do to defeat Satan?

II. Wield the Offensive Weapon (17b)

II. Wield the Offensive Weapon (17b)

• The Sword of the Spirit

I Corinthians 2:[4]

• My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, [5] so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

I Corinthians 2:[4]

• 1CO 2:6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. [7] No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

I Corinthians 2:[4]

• [8] None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. [9] However, as it is written:

• "No eye has seen,• no ear has heard,• no mind has conceived• what God has prepared for those who love

him" –

I Corinthians 2:[4]

• 1CO 2:10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. [11] For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. [12] We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

I Corinthians 2:[4]

• [13] This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. [14] The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I Corinthians 2:[4]

• [15] The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:

I Corinthians 2:[4]

• 1CO 2:16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"

• But we have the mind of Christ.

II. Wield the Offensive Weapon (17b)

• The Sword of the Spirit

• The Word of God:

Hebrews 4:12-13

• HEB 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. [13] Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Application

• We have an enemy who wants to destroy us both physically and spiritually. He wants to get our focus off God and onto ourselves

Application

• We need faith- that only God can give to strengthen us and protect us. We need the helmet in knowing that God is with us and will not let Satan destroy us.

Application

• Spend time in God’s word and use it against Satan when he attacks, memorize it and meditate on it daily so that you prepared when he does attack.

Application

• But we must remember the purpose of learning Gods Word is that we might know God. It is not a mere academic performance to know God personally and to be in His presence and build our relationship with Him. In that we find protection and strength.

Nancy Guthrie

• "At first, I thought it was my fault," says Nancy "that I didn't pray enough for a healthy baby and was now paying for it." Nancy was familiar with prayer. She grew up going to church, attended a Christian college, and had a great job in Christian publishing. Her life was filled with the pursuit of Christian things but as she later realized, not necessarily with the pursuit of Christ. "There was a sense of hypocrisy, you know? I was so busy for God and interested in theological things, working with Christian authors and books, and working hard at my church, but I wasn't talking to him or listening to him by reading his word …

Nancy Guthrie

• Time magazine interviewed Nancy and David for an article in which the writer compared their plight to that of Job's in the Old Testament. The article quotes an entry from Nancy's journal: "[Like Job], we often cannot see the hidden purposes of God," she wrote. "But we can determine to be faithful and keep walking toward Him in the darkness."

Nancy Guthrie

• Named after the angel, Gabriel was born on July 16, 2001, the same day the Guthries' story appeared in Time. They knew what to expect. Their son's first day would be his best.

Nancy Guthrie

• Gabriel died 183 days later.

Nancy Guthrie

• "I've experienced one of the worst things that can happen," says Nancy, "and I haven't found I'm strong and I can handle it. But I have found out God's promise is true, his grace is sufficient. Now when I read 'My grace is sufficient' (2 Corinthians 12:9), I believe it not only because Jesus said it in the Bible—I believe it because I've experienced it."