Arise!!! (Ephesians 6:10-20)

2. Arise!!! (Ephesians 6:10-20)

3. “Wage the Good Warfare” • (1 Timothy 1:18) This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, (NKJV)

4. “Wage the Good Warfare” • (2 Timothy 2:3) You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

5. “Stand” • (Ephesians 6:11) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand againstthe wiles of the devil. (NKJV) • (Ephesians 6:13-14) Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (NKJV)

6. The Girdle of Truth • “In a culture where the people wore long loose-fitting robes, garments were tied close to the body when quick action was required. Here, the believer is summoned to stand, therefore, literally, ‘having girded (perizooennymi) your loins in truth’” (New International Biblical Commentary, Hendrickson Publishers).

7. The Girdle of Truth • (Isaiah 11:5) Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. (NKJV)

8. The Girdle of Truth • (John 17:17) "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (NKJV)

9. The Breastplate of Righteousness • (Isaiah 59:17) For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak. (NKJV)

10. The Breastplate of Righteousness • (Psalms 119:11) • Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! (NKJV)

11. Feet Shod With the Gospel of Peace • “But most important of all were his heavy boots (caligae), or rather sandals, which were in many ways more serviceable than modern army boots. Their soles, made of several layers of leather and heavily studded with hollow-headed nails, varied considerably in thickness; perhaps three-quarters of an inch was about the average. Strips of cloth or fur were sometimes placed inside the sandals, and they were fastened to the foot by ankle thongs.” (Michael Grant, The Army of the Caesars, p. xx).

12. Feet Shod With the Gospel of Peace • “The military successes both of Alexander the Great and of Julius Caesar were due in large measure to their armies’ being well shod and thus able to undertake long marches at incredible speed over rough terrain.” (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary).

13. Feet Shod With the Gospel of Peace • (Romans 10:15) And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!" (NKJV)

14. Feet Shod With the Gospel of Peace • (Isaiah 52:7) How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" (NKJV)

15. Taking the Shield of Faith • “The word Paul uses is not that for the comparatively small round shield; it is that for the great oblong shield which the heavily armed warrior wore. One of the most dangerous weapons in ancient warfare was the fiery dart. It was a dart tipped with tow dipped in pitch. The pitch-soaked tow was set alight and the dart was thrown. The great oblong shield…

16. Taking the Shield of Faith • … was made of two sections of wood, glued together. When the shield was presented to the dart, the dart sank into the wood and the flame was put out. Faith can deal with the darts of temptation. With Paul, faith is always complete trust in Christ. When we walk close with Christ, we are safe from temptation.” (William Barclay, The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians, p. 183).

17. Taking the Shield of Faith • “Early legionary shields were oval in shape but in the 1st century they became rectangular, although curved to fit the body. A legionary shield (scutum) was made of thin sheets of wood glued together and bound round the edges with wrought iron or bronze. The center was hollowed out for the hand grip which was protected by a metal boss. The outer surface of the shield was covered with leather on which were fastened decorative bronze plates.” (Leslie and Roy Adkins, Introduction to the Romans, p. 39).

18. Taking the Shield of Faith • “Lastly, a word must be said about the testudo, which could be used either in advance or retreat against a violent attack of hostile weapons. The soldiers of the front rank, closely linked together, protected themselves by holding up their shields in front of them as screens, while the rear ranks raised their shields above their heads, and in this way produced… The “Tortoise Formation as Used by the Roman Army

19. Taking the Shield of Faith • …an artificial roof, against which javelins and spears might strike with impunity. The success of this formation depended upon the men keeping close together, so as to avoid any gaps in the barrier of shields. Such a disposition might be employed instead of the orbisin a retreat under fire, but it was most commonly used by detachments advancing to the siege of a town or a camp.” (H.M.D. Parker, The Roman Legions). The “Tortoise Formation as Used by the Roman Army

20. Taking the Shield of Faith • (Hebrews 11:32-38) And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were…

21. Taking the Shield of Faith • tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. (NKJV)

22. The Helmet of Salvation • (Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (NKJV)

23. The Sword of the Spirit • The sword (gladius) was a double-edged weapon about 2 ft. long and 2 in. wide. Carried in a scabbard attached to a belt on the right-hand side of the body, it was a stabbing rather than a slashing weapon and designed for use in close fighting. The scabbard was usually made of wood and leather held together by bronze. On the left-hand side of the body there was a dagger (pugio) in a bronze or iron scabbard suspended from another belt. Daggers seem to have been withdrawn from the legionary armory by the end of the 1st century.” (Leslie and Roy Adkins, Introduction to the Romans, p. 39).

24. The Sword of the Spirit • “Weapon training was most important. The intelligent use of the sword is mentioned particularly in a surviving Roman training manual. The method taught was to thrust, rather than to slash at an opponent; for a slash-cut rarely kills, but a thrust makes a deep penetration of the vital organs. The Roman short sword was clearly designed for stabbing, with its sharp angled point, though it could be, and certainly was on occasion, used to effect cutting strokes.” (Michael Simkins, Warriors Of Rome, p. 28).

25. The Sword of the Spirit • (Hebrews 4:12) For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (NKJV)

26. Our Armor Must be Put on Properly • (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-- (NKJV)

27. Our Armor Must be Put on Properly • (Acts 4:29-31) "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, "by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (NKJV)

28. The Importance of Combat Training • “Every soldier is every day exercised, and that with great diligence, as if it were in time of war, which is the reason why they bear the fatigues of battle so easily.” (Josephus, The Jewish War, Book III, Chap. 5).

29. The Importance of Combat Training • (Acts 17:11) These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (NKJV)

30. The Importance of Combat Training • (Jude 3) • Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. (NKJV)

31. The Importance of Combat Training • (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) • For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (NKJV)

32. Learning to Recognize the Enemy • (Matthew 12:30) • "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. (NKJV)

33. Learning to Recognize the Enemy • (2 Corinthians 11:14) • And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. (NKJV)