Stand Firm

Info

Series: Armor of God

Title: 1. Stand Firm Ephesians 6:10, 11, 13 #courage

Preached:

  • 2017-07-15: White Rock Lake

Songs:

  1. 618: “Stand Up! Stand Up for Jesus!”

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-13

  1. Introduction
    1. Red Badge of Courage: Fleeing, losing courage:
      1. Main character Fleming excited to go into battle for the first time; hears of others who flee and determines that he would never do something like that
      2. During the battle, overhears another soldier conclude that they are losing; impulsively flees
    2. Theme: Armor of God: Fully Engaged in Christ’s Service
    3. Ephesians 6:10, 11, 13: Be strong and stand firm
  2. Why is it critical to stand firm?
    1. As individuals and as a church, we have a calling from God. God’s kingdom must advance.
    2. Last week: Ephesians 6:12: The devil will do everything he can to thwart God and His kingdom
    3. 1 Peter 5:8: As soldiers in this battle, we must be vigilant, lest we be defeated by the devil 1. Sober-minded: Take spiritual matters seriously 1. Watchful: Be alert to spiritual dangers
  3. What does it mean to stand firm?
    1. Taking a stand: Two kinds: Offensive and Defensive 1. Football: Offensive and defensive lines
    2. Taking a defensive stand
      1. Defensive weapons in the armor of God:
        1. Belt of truth (both offensive and defensive)
        2. Breastplate of righteousness
        3. Shield of faith
        4. Helmet of salvation
      2. There are forces at work which want to move us away from God’s purposes. We need to resist them.
      3. Illustration: Secularism in Korea
      4. Many missionary English teachers in Korea became secularized by a comfortable society which didn’t concern itself with spiritual things.
      5. There are principles that we used to uphold which are under attack. Will we stand firm or succumb?
    3. Taking an offensive stand
      1. Offensive weapons in the armor of God:
        1. Belt of truth (offensive and defensive)
        2. Shoes–Readiness given by the gospel of peace
        3. Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God
      2. Peter’s confession: Matthew 16:13-20, especially v. 18
        1. “This rock”: Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God
        2. “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it”: This is the church on the march, taking an offensive stand. As we move forward in God’s will to advance God’s kingdom, the devil cannot prevail, try as he might. Our offensive line (stand) will be undefeatable, not because of our own strength, but because of God’s strength.
      3. When we take an offensive stand, we determine to snatch souls from the devil’s grasp. We move forward into Satan’s territory led by Christ.
        1. Examples:
          1. Mission work
          2. Bible studies
          3. Sharing our faith with others
          4. Living lives of witness
  4. How can we stand firm?
    1. Background
      1. Joshua 1:1-4: Joshua called to take over the leadership of Israel after Moses’ death
    2. Joshua 1:5: God is with us. He won’t leave us or forsake us. Thus, we can have the confidence to stand firm.
    3. Joshua 1:6: Be strong and courageous. Since God has promised to be with us, there’s no reason for us to lack strength of courage. We need to move forward in faith, trusting God with the outcome.
    4. Joshua 1:7: A soldier must obey his orders. So we are to obey God in all things. In a human battle, the soldier has a limited understanding of the entire battlefield, while the general has a complete picture. So with us: God has total understanding of what’s going on, while we don’t.
    5. Joshua 1:8: Meditate on God’s word. If God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps. 119:105), we need a good dose of it. It needs to permeate our lives.
    6. Joshua 1:9: Repetition of the first point: God is with us, so don’t be afraid.
  5. Conclusion: Back to the armor of God: Ephesians 6:10, 13: Be strong, take up the whole armor of God, and stand firm.