Text: Revelation 17:14
Our Involvement
- Our warfare (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) — spiritual, not carnal
- “Put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11) — not written to apostles, preachers, or elders, but to all Christians
- We must fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12)
The Enemy
- The adversary is the devil (1 Peter 5:8) — he has mighty allies fighting with him (Ephesians 6:12)
- His followers — sometimes disguised as servants of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), sometimes are disciples who have been temporarily deceived (Matthew 16:23), sometimes are the rulers of this world (Revelation 2:10)
- His weapons — fleshly lusts (1 Peter 2:11), doubt (Genesis 3:4), persecution (Revelation 2:10)
Our Commander
- The Lamb (Revelation 17:14) — Jesus Christ
- As our commander, we must recognize & respect His authority (Matthew 8:8-10; 28:18,20)
Our Weapon
- Divinely powerful (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) — the sword of the Spirit, the word of God (Ephesians 6:17)
- We must know how to use it (2 Timothy 2:15) — there is a danger in not knowing how to use it (2 Peter 3:16; 1 Timothy 1:6-7)
- We must be ready to use it (1 Peter 3:15; Acts 20:20,27; 2 Corinthians 10:5)
Our Armor
- Putting on the full armor of God allows us to stand against the devil (Ephesians 6:11) — cannot leave off any part
- Loins girded with truth (Ephesians 6:14) — this is where we must start; the conflict is between truth & error (1 John 4:6)
- Breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14) — righteousness is something we practice (1 John 3:7; James 1:22)
- Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15) — willingness to teach (1 Peter 3:15); goal of leading people to peace with God (Ephesians 2:16-18)
- Shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16) — this is our defense against the attacks & weapons of the devil
- Helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17) — promise of salvation that lies ahead for the faithful; motivates us to keep going (Philippians 3:14)
Hardships of War
- Suffering (2 Timothy 2:3) — we were never promised an easy life here (1 Corinthians 15:19)
- Casualties (Hebrews 3:12-13) — the sad reality is that some will fall away (2 Timothy 4:10)
- Traitors (Philippians 3:18) — some will turn away & start actively opposing the cause of Christ (3 John 9-10)
Victory
- The triumph of the Lord is certain (Revelation 17:14) — we just need to be sure we are on His side
- Those on His side — called (2 Thessalonians 2:14), chosen (Ephesians 1:4; Romans 6:3), faithful (Revelation 2:10)
- We can be victorious if we hear the gospel, obey it, and remain faithful
