Have you noticed we’re in a war; a spiritual battle? Some people aren’t happy with the progress we’re making, and I guess we’re never really happy with the progress we’re making. But we are making progress. And it will be visible over the next year as well as invisible.

More people are praying. More people are seeking God than there were a month ago. And there are people who are building a spiritual kingdom here with me and the Elders of this church. We are building a spiritual kingdom. Have you noticed that some of the people that were here six months ago are no longer here? There are casualties in this warfare! Some people have been knocked out. They have been shot through the heart by Satan and his fiery darts, and they’re not coming here – because we’re in a battle.

Satan is doing everything he can to destroy God’s church, God’s people. And we need to be aware that there is a spiritual war going on; that we are in the midst of the battle.

I’m excited about Jesus and His Cross, and His Gospel, and I have been since I was 19 when I got converted. And I’ve always realized that I was in a battle because I get knocked down and stabbed so often. Sometimes I get stabbed in the front, sometimes I get stabbed in the back. You know there’s no armor on your back. So if you’re a coward and you turn and run, you’re going to get it.

Two Sabbath’s ago, I preached a message I think deserves a follow-up. I’d like to expand on some of those verses with some God-given, not man-given, enlightenment.

One important point (probably the MOST important) that I left out two weeks ago is this: to fight the enemy - you must FACE him! We don't fight with our backs to the enemy. In fact, there is no protective armor on the back - so if you turn your back to the enemy (in cowardice) you are extremely vulnerable to injury or death. The other extremely important point that I didn’t mention is “…having done all, to STAND (Eph. 6:13).”

In any fight the victor is the one left standing! The picture is of a victorious soldier, standing with his foot on the neck of his enemy, with his sword raised to the sky for all to see! My friend, you are already victorious over Satan if you know Jesus Christ, and He will help you face and defeat the forces of darkness every single day.

This passage about putting on the whole armor of God and it is a beautiful word picture. It causes you to think of each part of the armor of a soldier, and then to correlate that with the SPIRITUAL armor of the Christian.

Some of you came here today and you’re barely hanging in there. Some of you have had a very difficult week. Some of you your hearts are breaking and no one knows it but you. And you’re fighting this war and you’re barely hanging in there, and you’re bleeding and bloody, and embattled. But there is hope for the Christian. And God gives us instruction on how to fight this battle and WIN IT! God didn’t call us to defeat. He didn’t call us to lose! He called us to WIN, to be VICTORIOUS! And that’s exactly what we’re going to be.

May I be a nail on the wall, and may God hang a picture of Jesus here this morning.

Ephesians 6:14 “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.”

This picture of God's armor is of a soldier with his tunic pulled up and tucked into his belt so he can fight or work unhindered. Living a life of honesty and integrity enables the Christian to be one in purpose with Jesus Christ, Who is the Truth, and to be free to fight the battles against Satan, the deceiver and liar. The BREASTPLATE covers the body goes from the neck all the way to the thigh and it’s usually made of bronze. Believers don’t need to seek protection or right-standing with God through works of their own; they can confidently stand in what Christ has done in their behalf. The breastplate of Christ’s righteousness protects our very heart. We are covered by the white robe of Christ’s righteousness.

No one is perfect but Jesus. He is our sole protection. He ALONE is righteous. He is the “Mount Everest” of righteousness. We are molehills. As a matter of fact, I think I’m probably a subway of righteousness. But Christ is Mount Everest! I behold His righteousness and I am simply amazed and awed by the accomplishments of Jesus Christ. And I could never even come close to duplicating that. But you know what, I’m going to sure try as hard as I can. You know why? Because I think He’s a great guy. I think He’s an awesome God and I want to be like Him. So I’m going to try to live my life like He lives His life.

Ephesians 6:15—“Having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace.”

You know if somebody is always upset, always fussing with their fellow church members, maybe they don’t know the Gospel of Peace. If you know Jesus Christ, you’re not going to be picking at and fussing with everybody in the church. You’re going to have peace in your heart and you’re going to be kind to people and nice to them.

You know some people the devil gets them, and they get discouraged, and they quit coming. And it’s so sad because the wheat and the tares grow together until Jesus comes. If you ever find the perfect church, brother, please don’t join it, because you will ruin it.

The Gospel makes you realize how you have nothing to give to God but your sinfulness and that Christ is your only hope of salvation. And you suddenly become a little easier on your brothers and your sisters because you realize that you’re no better than they are.

The Gospel of Peace, once you’ve been forgiven and converted, like Mary, you love Jesus so much it’s awfully hard to be mean to others. Sometimes we do that. Sometimes we do foolish things. There’s always forgiveness, isn’t there, in the Church? Can’t we always forgive our brothers and sisters? I’ve seen people, there are people in my own family that are incapable of forgiveness. Have you ever known anybody like that? And their lack of forgiveness eats them up and hurts them far more than the people they refuse to forgive.

The Gospel of Peace: You know, their feet were shod with this. They had cleats made of sharp nails designed to give him a firm footing even on the most rugged terrain. “Preparation” invokes a sense of READINESS to share the Gospel of Jesus at the drop of a hat!

Preparation may also refer to a prepared foundation – having the Gospel of Peace in your life. Knowing Jesus personally is what gives you the right and the ability to share Him with others. If you don’t know Christ, if you’re not reading your Bible, if you’re not praying every day, how can you share Christ with someone else?

Puritanical hypocrites abound, but true spiritual warriors who read their Bible and pray on a daily basis, now that’s what I’m looking for in this church.

I’d rather have 50 people here who are on their knees every day than 2000 that don’t pray or read their Bibles. That’s called the “Gideon Principle.” I’m not worried about numbers. I’m worried about spirituality. Do you read the Word? Do you love Jesus? Do you have a personal relationship with Christ? Are you praying?

You know that there are some people (that) when they see the church is really all about spiritual things, they’ll get as far away from that church as they can get. They are only in it to gain a sense of their own self-worth. And when you talk about the Gospel that we have no self-worth other than Christ, in Christ we find our self-worth…You know all this stuff about self-esteem and self-worth, and self, self, self…that’s all carnal nature. Yeah. I have a lot of self-esteem, and self-reliance, and self, self, self. You know, my self loves all that psychological babble and gobbledygook because as long as I’m focusing on myself, I’m in charge! I’m large and in charge. Self is king! Yeah! Mess with me and see what happens to ya! Self rules!

Ahhhhh! What are you driving the nails through my hands and feet for? Ahhhh! Now I can’t move! Oooh, I hate this! Don’t read your Bible today. Come on, give me a break. Just one day. Let me just loose for a little while! No. Self has to be nailed to the Cross. Pope Hughes is the only pope I ever worry about because he is one mean sucker. He’s sneaky, he’s devious, he’s going to get me every chance he gets. If I don’t nail him to that Cross he will hurt me. You probably know one of those popes, too.

Did you know (that) spiritual things are hidden from worldly people? Did you know if you’re not reading your Bible and you’re not praying, you’re not going to get it. You can be just as worldly in the church as outside the church. If you love your Time Magazine, and your TV programs, and your “dope” operas, and your…Oh, I done quit preachin’ and started meddlin’ now.

If you love those things more than you love Jesus, more than you love reading your Bible, if you’d rather read Newsweek than the Word of God, if you’d rather watch political programs than read the Word of God, then you have a spiritual problem, don’t you?

Worldly people can’t perceive spiritual things.

The picture of the sandals reminds us that we must “GO” FOR THE Lord. We have to get off our seat, on our feet, out into the street and hand that literature out! We are all called to be ambassadors for Christ. Every one of us, we’re told to do so from our own front door to the ends of the earth. Get off your seat, on your feet, out into the street. Don’t you dare go home and just sack out this afternoon! You’ve got better things to do.

Ephesians 6:16—“Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."

The shield was long, oblong, or oval and was
crafted from two layers of wood covered with linen or animal hides, and bound together with iron. When fighting side by side as a unit, soldiers could hold these shields together to
form an impenetrable wall. When soaked in water, they served as adequate defense against the enemy's “fiery darts” – those arrows that had been dipped in pitch and lit on fire. The
Christian’s shield of FAITH gives us God's UNLIMITED resources of POWER and WISDOM. We can resist the “fiery darts” of our distressing and unfortunate CIRCUMSTANCES. We can resist the “fiery darts” of TEMPTATION to sin.

God can give us the power if we have faith. Our victory is through our faith – not through trying harder not to do it. I don’t want you to try harder not to do it. I want you to die harder so you don’t do it. Your work is to get the nails and the hammer out and crucify that carnal person inside of you so that he can’t hurt you later in the day. You win the victory in the morning over the temptation in the afternoon. Get it? You work on praying and crucifying your carnal nature and that gives you the victory over the temptations you will face later that evening because you’re already filled with the Spirit and you have faith inside of your heart. Because when you pray God fills you with His Spirit and His Presence. If you march out of the house without putting on your armor, is it any wonder that the devil just shoots his darts right through you? You give in to the temptations, you fall apart. Why? Not because you’re not trying hard enough! You try! You really do. I’ll give you an “A” for effort. Good for you, you really try hard!

Lots of people are going to go to hell trying. And the reason they go to hell trying is because they don’t die to self. They don’t crucify the flesh and its lust with the Spirit of the Lord, with the Bible, the Word of God. They don’t use the spiritual warfare armor that God gave them to attack/resist the enemy and to protect them. You are choosing deliberately to walk out there and let the devil just have his way in your life because you neglect Bible study and prayer.

Ephesians 6:17—“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

The soldier's bronze helmet had leather attachments to hold it in place. As a Christian, you can experience protection from the attacks of Satan while you rest confidently in your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. You can also know God’s work, His process of SANCTIFICATION (setting you apart for His special service) in your life, as He uses your gifts, your talents (that) He has bestowed upon you and you have committed to using them for His Kingdom's Glory. AND - as a Christian - we all have “Hope of Glory”- the promise from God for the future, eternal deliverance from every kind of evil. There’ll be no poisonous stingrays there. The short, two-edged sword enabled the heavily armored soldier to attack swiftly and defeat his enemy at close range. The believer’s “sword” can be understood to be both as SUPPLIED by the Spirit, and USED by the Spirit.

Paul further identified the “Sword” as the “Word of God.” “Word” likely refers to specific passages of Scripture that the Holy Spirit brings to mind in particular situations to meet specific needs. If you’ve never memorized any Scripture, how can He bring it to mind? If you’ve never read the Bible all the way through, what are you waiting for? “I’m getting bored. I hit Numbers; I have a hard time getting through it.”

Haven’t you ever heard of speed-reading?

“So and so begat so and so…Okay, I’m down at the bottom, and I’m on my way.”

If you’ve never read the Bible all the way through I challenge you to read it this year. Get in the Bible and read the Word of God. If you’ve never memorized any Scripture, I challenge you to memorize a Scripture a week for the rest of the year. Get in the Book! Get in the Scriptures! Buy some audio tapes with the Bible on it. Buy a CD player that you can put it in. Go to Sam’s Club and get’cha the Bible on CD. You know. If you can’t do anything but watch TV, get a video that has the Bible on it.

Get the Word of God inside of you so that it will come out and ooze out of your pores! When you’re tempted or having a problem, the Scripture will come to mind, the Holy Spirit will bring it to mind. “Garbage in, garbage out.” When Christ comes, are you going to say, “Oh, Lord! I wish I would have watched ten more episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond!” “Oh, Lord, I’m sorry I didn’t read your Bible, but that Home Improvement (Extreme Makeover, Home Edition), uh, you know, that was just so emotionally; just thrilling to see those poor people get all those nice homes!”

“Why didn’t you read My Word?”

“Uh, I was too busy!”

“I see here you watched TV two hours and forty-five minutes a day on average.”

“But I was too busy, Lord. I mean, you know, that was important stuff.”

The helmet of salvation: Do you wear it? Do you have the sword with you when you get up in the morning? Do you put self to death, nail yourself to the Cross? “For I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Jesus loved me so much and now I can crucify myself with Him. And the life I live, I can walk by faith!

Many times I’ll be witnessing to someone, and they say something (that) I know is contrary to Scripture, and I’ll pray, and the Holy Spirit will bring to mind the verses I need to share with that person. Whenever you are with anybody, just quote the Bible. Read the Bible. Share a Bible text. Let the Scriptures do the arguing.

A perfect example is that of Jesus in Matthew 4 when Jesus met the devil. Each time Satan attacked Jesus with temptation to sin, Jesus called upon the Old Testament Scriptures of Deuteronomy for strength to defeat the adversary. There is power in the Word of God!

Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Prayer is not listed as one of the individual weapons of warfare – but is rather given an all-encompassing status. Prayer should be constant in our lives, as we prepare for battle, as we prepare for battle. As we fight the battles, as we rest from the battle. All kinds of prayer should be offered through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I want to share a song with you as part of my message. You know when you’re on your knees, people think you’re weak. But I’d like to suggest to you today when you’re on your knees, people are getting stronger.

I knew a lady once. She prayed for a man for forty-four years. Now that’s what I call praying!

When I came to their church, she looked me in the eye, and she said, “Pastor Hughes, I’ve been praying that God would send just the right pastor to our church to lead my husband to Christ. I’ve been praying for him for 44 years.”

(The) Holy Spirit moved upon me and I looked her right in the eye and I shook her hand and I said, “God has answered your prayer.”

Well, this man owned a gas station. And I’d take my car there and I’d get my oil changed, and I’d talk with him. After four-and-a-half years, this guy finally started talking about to me about spiritual things. Then he gave his heart to Christ and was converted. Then he got baptized.

He got diabetes and he just recently passed away and I sang at his funeral. But he and his wife had about eight years of a deep spiritual relationship together.

I was driving down the road – middle of winter – Oakland, Maryland, three-feet of snow on the ground. I was okay though; I had a Jeep Wrangler; drove past his house. Four or five miles down the road, God said, “You were supposed to go there and see Marie.”

And I’m like, It’s snowing! I’m goin’ home!

“No, you’re not. Turn this thing around. Go back and see Marie.”

You’re kiddin’ me! There’s three feet of snow on the ground and it’s comin’ down like crazy! And I’m an hour away from home!

“Go see Marie.”

You mean right now?

“GO SEE MARIE, NOW!”

Okay!

I turned the Jeep around. Three-and-a-half foot of snow; up the driveway I go. I get out, walk through three feet of snow; knock on the door. Going to see Marie!

Now, Walter was a big German guy and he would run every time he saw me. I’d been there four or five times and every time, Walter goes out into the garage. (He says with a German accent) “I don’t like preachers.”

This time Walter sat in the dining room. So I start talking to Marie and I notice Walter sitting there.

So I say to Marie: “Marie, you know I came over today to talk to you about your salvation. You really need to know Jesus.”

She says, “Pastor, I’ve been an Adventist for 35 years.”

I said, “I know, Marie. That’s why you really need to hear the Gospel. You really need to understand righteousness by faith.”

So I began teaching her the Gospel. I start with the “ABC’s” and I take her right through the simplest things, and she’s looking at me kind of incredulously. And she’s like, “What are you doing, preacher? I know this! I could teach this! Yes, Pastor!”

“You know, Marie, you really need to ask God to come into your heart and forgive…”

“Yes, Pastor, I know that!”

You know. She’s not helping me at all and has no idea what I’m doing.

I get done. “Marie, would you like to give your heart to Christ?”

“Pastor, I’ve done that several times! I did that forty years ago. Pastor, I already have done that.”

“Well, I think I would.”

Suddenly, Marie’s look changes. She realizes that I was talking to Walter all along.

So I said, “Well, come on over here.”

Around, they gather. “Walter, you need to ask Jesus to write your name down in the Lamb’s book of life. Do you realize you’ve broken God’s Law and you need to repent of your sins?”

“Yes, Pastor, I was listening.”

“Yes, I would.”

“Yes, I will.”

So on their living room floor, I prayed the prayer, “Dear Jesus, come into my heart…”

Walter prayed it with me – tears running down his face.

Now, Marie is crying her eyes out!’

Walter gives his heart to Jesus right there on that living room floor. He hugs me and won’t let go. This big, 6-foot, 2 (inch) guy, great big, huge arms – big, beefy guy – bawling, sinking into my arms as I’m holding him up – ‘cause he’s been broken by Jesus!

Walter, for the next week, starts sending out Great Controversy’s and witnessing to friends and telling everybody. Walter treats Marie like gold – far different than he’s ever treated her before!

One week later, on the Sabbath, Walter died of a massive heart attack. (Do) You see why God made me turn around?

They bury him up in New York. A week later, I come back to visit her and encourage her, and her sons are there. One son is going to Southern Missionary College and the other son doesn’t want anything to do with God. He’s (Joe) like his daddy. He acts like his daddy, talks like his daddy; even looks like his daddy.

He says, “Pastor Hughes, my mother tells me that my father gave his heart to Christ last week. Would you mind telling me what happened?”

I said, “No, not at all.” And I said, “What you really need to know, Gary, is the plan of salvation and I’m going to tell it to you just now.”

This kid’s in SMC he’s studying for the ministry.

He goes, “Yeah, yeah, Pastor, I already know the plan of salvation.”

“I already know it, Pastor.”

So I start telling him, right? And his brother’s sitting there the whole time. I go through it exactly the same way I did with his dad. At the end, I turn to his brother who already knows Jesus and I say, “Would you like to give your heart to Christ?”

And then I turn to Joe and I say, “Would you like to give your heart to Christ?”

He said, “Yeah, I think I would.”

I said, “Right over there on that spot is where your father gave his heart to Jesus a week before his death. Why don’t we go over there and pray?”

We go over there. He prays the same prayer his father prayed. He hugged me. He collapses in my arms bawling like a baby out of grief for his father and broken-ness for God changing his heart. She prayed for Walter and prayed for her sons for thirty years!

Prayer is the most powerful weapon we’ve got! I encourage you to memorize the parts of the whole armor of God. Be perseverant! God expects us to persevere in prayer until He answers!

Now, I encourage you to symbolically “adorn” yourself with the various parts of the armor each day. For example, “Lord, I'm taking Your TRUTH and I’m putting it around my waist. Lord, I’m putting on the helmet of Your salvation. Lord, I’m putting on Your righteousness right now. Lord, I’m taking the sword.”

See what it does for you. Try it this week. It will remind you that you’re in a war, that you’re in a battle. It will prepare you for facing the enemy that day! Then you will always be ready so the devil will never take you by surprise again. Try it! It just might work for you.

Let’s stand and fight this devil, and let’s do God’s work, and stay close to Jesus so that we can be victorious when Jesus comes and ascend to be with Him in heaven! How many of you would like to give your heart to Jesus today and put the armor of God on each and every day and fight the fight of faith? Are any of you with me?

Then let’s stand and pray. Let’s stand for God wearing the whole armor. Let’s put our belts of truth on. Let’s put our breastplate of Christ’s righteousness on. Let’s put our helmet of salvation on. Hold up the shield of faith, and let’s put our shoes on so we can stand on the firm foundation.

Let’s bow our heads.

Father, these are Your people. They are in this battle for Your Church. Use them this week to march forth and do battle with the enemy; not in their own strength, not by trying, but by dying; by letting You convert them and change them. May they have an encounter with You right now. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen, and amen.

FURTHER READING: Matthew 4; John 1; Romans 15; 1 Corinthians 1, 10; 2 Corinthians 5; Galatians 5; Ephesians 2, 3, 6; Philippians 2; Colossians 1; 1 Thessalonians 5;

2 Thessalonians 2; Hebrews 4.