August 11, 2019

Scripture: Ephesians 6:13-14

I. You stand and fight with the belt of truth.

A. We need the armor of God today if we are going to stand and fight against Satan and his demons. If we in the church put on God’s armor, verse 13 says that we can stand firm as we fight until Christ returns to earth to judge Satan and destroy him. The first piece of armor that Paul focuses on is the belt of truth. The belt of truth was worn by our Messiah as Jesus went into battle with Satan. Isaiah 11:5: “Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.” The word faithfulness in this verse is another word for truth.

B. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus fought back against Satan with the truth: truth that came straight out of God’s word in Deuteronomy. And if you want to stand and fight against Satan you need the armor of the belt of truth. The good news is that Jesus has given you this powerful piece of armor that He fought with. Jesus has given you the truth found in His word to fight with.

C. One truth that we need to hold on to from the book of Ephesians is the truth that we as Christians will suffer. Paul was in chains (Eph. 6:19-20) as he wrote this letter. He suffered for preaching the Gospel. And every Christian will suffer. We should reject Satan’s lie of the so-called prosperity gospel. But we should also reject the lie that God is not powerful enough to meet my needs. The truth is in Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” How strong is our God? He can do more than we ask. And He can even do more than we think is possible.

II. You stand and fight with the breastplate of righteousness.

A. This breastplate of righteousness is the second piece of armor that Paul mentions in vs. 15. When did God ever wear the breastplate of righteousness? Isaiah 59:17: “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.” The Roman soldiers would also wear a breastplate, a metal piece of some kind that would cover the front of the body. This breastplate would ward off the thrusts of the enemy’s sword and protect the vital organs, especially the heart. Righteousness does this. It protects our hearts from Satan’s lies and attacks.

B. This breastplate of righteousness is not your own righteousness. It is God’s own righteousness that He has given to you as a gift of grace. It is God’s righteousness that you have received by faith in Jesus that protects your heart in battle with Satan (Romans 1:17). When we have faith that Jesus died for our sins on the cross, we make this wonderful trade with Jesus. We give to Him our sin, and He gives to us His perfect righteousness. So when God looks at us, who does He see? He no longer sees us. He sees Jesus. And Jesus is covering our sin with His perfect righteousness. This is how you protect your heart against Satan. Satan will do everything He can to get you to doubt that you are a child of God. But the truth is you are wearing the breastplate of righteousness as you fight Satan. You and your heart are protected by God’s perfect righteousness.

Application:
Stand and fight against Satan with the armor God has given you.

Sources:
The letter to the Ephesians
Commentaries on Ephesians by Peter O’Brien, Bryan Chapell, Richard Coekin and R. Kent Hughes