Sermon March 21 "The Devil Is Going Down"

This final sermon in this short series on the reality of Satan came from two texts: Ephesians 6:10-18, in which Paul admonishes the believers in Ephesus to put on the full armor of God so that they could stand against the devil’s schemes; and Revelation 22:1-6, in which John’s vision of the new Jerusalem includes the tree of life which humanity was barred from access to because of the curse.

Paul reminds us that there is a war going on! But it’s not against flesh and blood. It’s against the spiritual forces at work in the world that oppose the things of God. “Stand firm then…” is Paul’s big appeal. And he makes this appeal by telling them how to dress for the battle- like a Roman soldier.

Put on the belt of truth. Christ is the truth. The truth is that Jesus was who he said he was- the tomb was empty. This truth defines the whole of history and eternity.

Stand firm with the breastplate of righteousness- a tall order for sinful people. However, Paul explains to the Philippians that it is Christ’s righteousness not our own that defines us.

Our feet should be fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. The sandals of a roman soldier were designed not for protection but swiftness. We ought to be swift in our willingness to advance the good news of Jesus Christ.

Take up the shield of faith so that the fiery arrows of the devil might not find purchase in our flesh. Faith, the gift of the gospel, is able to protect us when Satan would have us doubt the character of God and his affection for us as his children.

Wear the helmet of salvation. This is our hope that comes with the gospel- that God’s grip on us is eternal. We have been saved. We are being saved. We will be saved.

Wield the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. This is what Adam and Eve forgot in the garden and what Christ clung to in the wilderness. The Word of God is the weapon of those who would share in this victory over Satan.

And finally Paul gives one last admonition for those in the battle. Pray. Pray all the time. Pray for everything. Pray on alert. And keep on praying, not just for yourself but for all the saints in this battle with you. We must always be in communication with our command if we would stand firm.

We closed with this picture of the New Jerusalem in Revelation that shows us the outcome of this battle. God wins. The garden we were expelled from is where the New Jerusalem is built. The tree we were barred from is the one that gives nourishment to the nations. The curse is no more.

Good news! God wins and we are his. Greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world. Stand firm.

Pastor Scott

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