6
The Strength to Stand Against Temptation
Question 1:
When have you felt fully equipped for a task?
THE POINT
God equips us to stand our ground against temptation.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
During the closing months of World War II, Nazi Germany became so desperate that they initiated the Volkssturm (the people’s army). This was not a part of the regular army, but an attempt to boost their numbers by conscripting males from ages 16 to 60 to step up and fight. There was no real time to train these men. With continual fighting and a lack of weapons, these untrained soldiers were often only able to familiarize themselves with their equipment while actually engaging their enemy.1
Anyone who has ever served in the military can attest to the importance of training and being properly equipped. Knowing how to properly engage the enemy is critical to victory.
The Christian life is a battle. In Ephesians 6:10-18, the apostle Paul pointed to the equipment God provides to His followers. Like an experienced general, Paul pointed to the spiritual armor God has provided for the spiritual battle we face. Our enemy, the devil, is vicious, but in Christ, our victory is sure. The battle against temptation means that we must be strong, suit up, and stand firm.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Ephesians 6:10-13
10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.
Because of our tendency to desire ease and comfort, we need to be reminded that the Christian life is a spiritual battle. But the good news is that we don’t fight in our own strength. That’s why, before Paul said anything else about this spiritual battle, he reminded the Ephesians to “be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength” (v. 10). Paul stated this in the passive voice, meaning we do not strengthen ourselves, but the Lord is the One who strengthens us. And what a strengthening it is! “His vast strength” is the same strength we see earlier in the book of Ephesians: “the mighty working of his strength” which God exercised “in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens” (Eph. 1:19-20). The same power by which God raised Jesus from the dead is in our lives to help us stand strong.
God strengthens us as we make use of the resources He has already provided us: “the full armor of God.” We don’t suit up in our own armor or try to engage the enemy with our own resources. We suit up in the armor that the King of kings put on to save His people and judge His enemies. “His own arm brought salvation, and his own righteousness supported him. He put on righteousness as body armor, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak” (Isa. 59:16-17).
Question 2:
What have you been taught about spiritual warfare?
We need this armor because, without it, we cannot “stand against the schemes of the devil.” Take note: This is not a physical battle, but a spiritual one. Our enemy is the devil first and foremost.
When we think about spiritual warfare, we don’t think about the kinds of things that happen in novels or horror movies. Our battle is the daily war we call the Christian life. Each day we are engaged in any number of “fire fights” against a real and vicious enemy who wants to destroy us through deception and temptation. For this reason, we must prepare for battle, not in our strength, but in the strength of the Lord, the One who has already won the victory. He is already on the throne, ruling over these evil cosmic powers. We engage in this daily battle by putting on His armor.
Question 3:
What do you find challenging about standing firm against temptation?
Ephesians 6:14-16
14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
It’s interesting that in this passage about the spiritual battle we’re studying, we’re not called to defeat the enemy; Jesus has already done that. We’re called to stand firm, not losing any ground to him. We can stand firm when we put on the armor God provides.
- The belt of truth. We stand firm against the schemes of the devil by girding ourselves with the truth of the gospel.
- The breastplate of righteousness. Our battle is not just about knowing the truth; we must also live it out. We can stand firm against the devil’s schemes by walking in righteousness.
- Feet sandaled with readiness. We can stand firm or move forward because of His gospel of peace. Our standing is secure because of what Christ has done for us. We stand firm against the devil by sharing the gospel in the strength of the Lord.
- The shield of faith. Our shield is comprised of our faith—our trust in the promises and power of God. The Christian life is one of faith from beginning to end. We are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8); it is through faith we have access to the Father (3:12); and Christ dwells in our hearts through faith (3:17). It is that faith that protects us. When we trust and believe Jesus, the devil’s arrows will have no effect. The enemy can fire his arrows of lies, doubts, accusations, and temptations at us, but our faith in God keeps us from falling prey to such attacks.
Engage
THE ARMOR OF GOD
Use the space below to draw out what you think the armor of God might look like.
Next to each piece, write out one way you have experienced that attribute under God’s strength.
“As the most dangerous winds may enter at little openings, so the devil never enters more dangerously than by little unobserved incidents, which seem to be nothing, yet insensibly open the heart to great temptations.”
Ephesians 6:17-18
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit — which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
To complete the armor God provides us, to help us stand firm, we are to use these additional elements.
- The helmet of salvation. We also stand firm against the schemes of the devil by remembering our salvation. Satan tempts us by getting us to doubt our salvation or despair over our sin. But we have been united with Christ and have received all the spiritual blessings in Him (Eph. 1:3). We fight temptation by remembering the great salvation God has accomplished for us in Christ.
- The sword of the Spirit. God hasn’t just given us defensive armor; we also have an offensive weapon: “the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.” This weapon is both offensive and defensive. We rest in the promises in God’s Word to defend us, and we apply Scripture to specific situations to resist the enemy’s attacks and send him running.
Question 4:
How do we practically take up the full armor of God?
Even as we speak the truth of Scripture to ourselves, we also help one another. The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone, and since the Christian life is war, we are not meant to fight alone. We are a band of brothers and sisters helping one another fight the enemy with the Word of God.
This spiritual battle also calls for prayer. Prayer is not a part of the armor, but it undergirds the armor. Notice how we are to pray:
- At all times. Our prayer life reveals our dependence on God. We need to remain in constant contact in Him, looking to Him in the heat of battle. “Pray constantly” (1 Thess. 5:17).
- In the Spirit. We fight in the strength of the Lord, and we rely on His Holy Spirit as we pray. Even when we feel inadequate in our prayers, we rely on the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us.
- With every prayer and request. Dependency upon God means we bring every need and every request to Him.
- Alert and persevering. We don’t fall asleep on duty! We need to be vigilant.
Paul gave us a good example of how we can pray for ourselves and others in a prayer he prayed for the Ephesians.
“For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:14-21).
Question 5:
How can our group help one another in spiritual battle?
LIVE IT OUT
God equips us to stand our ground against temptation. Choose one of the following applications:
Take your stand. Through prayer, commit yourself anew to standing firm in the strength of the Lord in spiritual battle.
Identify. Make a list of temptations Satan often uses against you. Identify Scripture passages that will help you do battle against these specific temptations. Over the next few weeks, commit these verses to memory.
Stand together. Even as Roman soldiers would often stand back-to-back in battle, you can do the same with other believers. Discuss ways to support and encourage each other in the spiritual battles you face.
The Christian life is indeed a battle. We are to be strengthened in the Lord’s strength, to suit up with God’s armor, and to stand firm against the devil’s schemes. Are we ready for battle?
Teacher Notes:
Click Play to Watch
What
have you been taught about spiritual warfare?
When have you experienced the Christian life as a
battle?
Last
Week I talked about Two Kinds of
Confession
1. First, you express guilt and sorrow for
sinning, but there is an assumption that this sin is going to happen again – so
you surrender to that.
2. The other kind of confession is that you
express guilt and sorrow for sinning, but your
hatred of sin is so real that you choose to make war on that sin. You plan and prepare, by the power of the Holy
Spirit, to defeat it. You are going to seek out whatever ways are going to help
you put this sin to death. You are going to rob it of its power with all of
God’s help.
In Paul’s
letter to the Ephesians this morning, he reminds us that we are engaged in spiritual warfare.
Paul creates
a powerful metaphor for how your faith can help protect you from spiritual
attack. Spiritual attacks might be things like the temptation to sin, doubting your faith, or feeling
like you aren't good enough to share God's word, and the Bible says that these are caused by Satan and his evil forces.
Ephesians 6:10-13
Finally,
be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of
God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is
not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in
the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be
able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your
stand.
How do the
rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of darkness present themselves in our
current society?
Standing
against temptation and sin is a spiritual battle.
As Christians, we are engaged in spiritual
warfare. We need a strength for spiritual warfare that is beyond ourselves or
any human ability. A spiritual battle
requires spiritual preparation. The Lord
provides the spiritual armor, but we must choose to take it upon ourselves and
to use in our spiritual battle.
The armor of God is an illustration in the Bible
that reminds Christians about the reality of spiritual battle and describes the
protection available to them. Each piece of armor has a distinct purpose and
means of defense against temptation and evil.
The Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness,
the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the
Sword of the Spirit.
Ephesians 6:14-16
Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around
your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with
readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of
faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
What spiritual practices equip us for battle?
When have you put on the armor of God to protect
your life?
Standing against temptation and sin calls for
God-given equipment.
Satan is real; do not be deceived, so stand ready
to be confronted by him. Christians must stand in readiness to fend off his
attacks and to stand strong as God’s people. God has provided the spiritual
armament we need.
Ephesians 6:17-18
Take
the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit — which is the word of God.
Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request and stay alert
with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
How is the way we are commanded to pray perhaps
different from how we often do pray?
How can our
group better pray for each other in the battle?
Standing
against temptation and sin requires God’s Word and prayer.
Prayer is an essential element in our resistance to
the devil, our engagement in spiritual warfare, and our stand against
temptation. Reading, studying, and being immersed in God’s Word strengthens us
to stand against temptation and equips us “unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:17). The
life of the believer is to be marked by constant, attentive, Spirit-led prayer,
especially prayers on behalf of fellow believers. We need to pray that those
who preach and teach would have a clear message centered in the gospel of
Christ.
Method
1: Wearing
the Armor of God
1. Buckle the belt of truth around your waist. In
Ephesians 6:14, Paul writes: "Stand therefore, having girded your waist
with truth." The belt is the part of the armor that holds everything else
together, so your protection against temptation and self-doubt starts with
knowing God's truth. We are to know the truth, believe the truth, and speak the
truth.
Learn
the Word of God – this is how we resist the devil.
2. Cover your heart with the breastplate of
righteousness. Ephesians 6:14 continues: "having put on the breastplate of
righteousness." Everyone has certain areas where they're most vulnerable
to temptation. However, you don't have to be perfect to be shielded from that
temptation. You must rely on the purity of Jesus and strive to be like Him, and
that will strengthen you.
The
breastplate of righteousness is what we get from Jesus Christ when we come to
Him as our Lord and Savior. The bible says our righteousness is like filthy rags,
but Jesus replaces our righteousness with His and it’s called the Breastplate
of Righteousness. We are to rest
in the fact that we are declared righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice for
us.
3. Protect your feet with the shoes of the gospel of
peace. (Ephesians 6:15). Allow God to guide your feet by following His calling
in your life. Also, be prepared to stand and battle against the forces of evil
that might tempt you to sin or fill your mind with fear and anxiety.
We
are to proclaim the gospel no matter how much resistance we face.
This
means that you should have the peace of God in your heart. The serenity, the
joy, the happiness that Christ gives should be in your heart so that when
trouble comes, Satan will not be able to get close to you.
4. Use the shield of faith to protect yourself from
spiritual attacks.
We are not to waver in our faith, trusting
God’s promises no matter how strongly we are attacked.
The
Shield of Faith will be able to extinguish the darts and missiles of the evil one.
This
faith should be deeper than just faith in God's existence — you also need to
rely on His goodness and His plan for you.
5. Wear the helmet of salvation to protect your
mind. Once you accept Jesus as your Savior, you are forgiven for your sins and
guaranteed a life with God in heaven. Relying on this knowledge will protect
your mind from questions and doubts about God, salvation, and how you should
follow Him. The helmet of our salvation, an assurance that no spiritual force
can take away.
Billy
Graham says that intellectually you can’t come to Christ alone because your
mind has a veil over it put there by the devil. But when you come to Christ
your mind is illuminated by the Holy Spirit and the things you didn’t
understand before you know and accept by faith, and you put on the helmet of
salvation and that helmet protects you against the enemy.
Since
most sin starts out as a thought, keeping your mind clear and focused can help
you remain a righteous warrior for the Lord. Colossians 3:2 reinforces this
message by advising believers to keep their thoughts on heavenly pursuits:
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
6. Carry the sword of the spirit to ward off evil.
Paul continues Ephesians 6:17 by saying, "and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God." Your armor against spiritual attack wouldn't be
complete if you didn't have a weapon. By reading Scripture daily, memorizing
verses that are meaningful to you, and asking God to show you the words you
need to hear, you can help protect yourself from discouragement, despair, and
your own weaknesses.
And
then there is the Sword – the Sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God this
is the offensive weapon. The bible says that the Word of God is living and
active and sharper than any two-edged sword. When Jesus was tempted, He use the
Word of God – the Sword to put away the devil.
And
then the 7th piece of armor is Prayer – Paul said to pray without
ceasing – check your heart this morning – is it in prayer?
Paul
says to “put on the full armor of God.” He described the armor in terms of the
Roman soldier’s battle apparel. He told us to put on truth (like a belt), righteousness (like a breastplate), the
gospel (like spiked sandals), faith (like a shield), and salvation (like
a helmet). These components point to the
written Word and the Living Word — Jesus Christ.
In
another place, Paul exhorted us to put on the Word (Col. 3:16-17) and to put on
Christ (Rom. 13;14). The Living Word and the written Word are the necessary
coverage to help us stand against Satan and temptation. We are fighting,
wrestling, and battling against “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.”
Method
2: Strengthening
Yourself Against Spiritual Attacks
1. Read Ephesians 6:10-20 to remind yourself of the
armor when times are difficult. While you should make it a habit to read the
Bible each day, if you find yourself suddenly struggling with difficult
circumstances or unusual feelings of discouragement, it could be a sign that
you're facing a spiritual attack. When that happens, try reading the entire
passage where Paul describes the whole armor of God. It will encourage you to
stand strong and regain your peace.
The
passage opens with: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in
the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10)
2. Put on the armor of God each day in anticipation
of spiritual attacks. To stand strong against any kind of attack, it always helps
to know that it's coming. If you're living a Christian life and spreading the
word of the Gospel, the Bible says that you will be a target for Satan, who
"prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1
Peter 5:8). By remaining vigilant in your faith and putting on the armor of God
each day, you will be able to use the armor of God to stand firm against evil.
3. Pray without ceasing. Although prayer isn't
listed as one of the pieces of the armor of God, at the end of that same
passage, Paul says: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in
the Spirit." (Ephesians 6:18) By maintaining a constant prayerful
attitude, you'll be better equipped to handle any temptations, doubts, or other
spiritual attacks you encounter.
If
you're struggling with how to pray, try a simple prayer where you express your
gratitude to God for all He's done for you, ask Him to forgive you for your
sins and help you avoid temptation, and pray for Him to strengthen your faith
and wisdom.
4. Spend time in worship and fellowship with other
believers. If you want to strengthen yourself against the temptation to sin, it
helps to spend time around other people who are focused on the Lord as well.
Not only will this strengthen your faith, but it will give you a community to
fall back on when you're struggling.
Conclusion
Story: I heard about a man who bought a winning horse
from Kentucky. He took the horse back to Arkansas to enter him in some horse
races. The championship horse couldn’t win in Arkansas. The new owner went back
to the previous owner and asked what the problem was. After watching some film,
the previous owner noticed that the horse was
running without his blinders on. He told the
new owner to put some blinders on the horse because he was distracted by the
crowds and the competitors. Once he started running with the blinders, the
horse never lost another race.
Sometimes we
stumble and fall, and don’t win in our daily walk with God because we are too
distracted by the stuff around us. We need to put on some blinders that will
help us stay focused on Christ. That’s what the armor of God does for us – it
keeps us focused on the Lord and on the race, we are running each day.
Got Questions
The
phrase “full armor of God” comes from Ephesians 6:13-17: “Therefore put on the
full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand
your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then,
with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of
righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes
from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the
helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Ephesians 6:12 clearly indicates that the conflict with Satan is spiritual, and therefore no tangible weapons can be
effectively employed against him and his minions. We are not given a list of
specific tactics Satan will use. However, the passage is quite clear that when
we follow all the instructions faithfully, we will be able to stand, and we
will have victory regardless of Satan’s strategy.
The first element of our armor is truth
(Ephesians 6:14). This belt immediately sets the believer apart from the world,
since Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44). Deception is high on the list
of things God considers to be an abomination. A “lying tongue” is one of the
things He describes as “detestable to Him” (Proverbs 6:16-17). We are therefore
exhorted to put on truth for our own
sanctification and deliverance, as well
as for the benefit of those to whom we witness.
Also in verse 14, we are told to put on the
breastplate of righteousness. A breastplate shielded a warrior’s vital organs
from blows that would otherwise be fatal. This righteousness is not works of
righteousness done by men. Rather, this
is the righteousness of Christ, imputed by God and received by faith, which
guards our hearts against the accusations and charges of Satan and secures our
innermost being from his attacks.
Verse 15 speaks of the preparation of the feet
for spiritual conflict. In warfare, sometimes the enemy places dangerous
obstacles in the path of advancing soldiers. The idea of the preparation of the
gospel of peace is that we need to advance into Satan’s territory, aware that
there will be traps. The message of grace is essential to winning souls to
Christ, and we must be prepared with the gospel. Satan has many obstacles
placed in the path to halt the propagation of the gospel.
The shield of faith in verse 16 “can extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” When we bear the shield of faith,
Satan can cast all the aspersions, doubt, and dismay he wants, but they will be
ineffective. Our faith — of which Christ
is “the author and perfecter” (Hebrews 12:2) — is like a shield, solid and substantial.
The helmet of salvation in verse 17 is protection
for the head, keeping safe a critical part of the body. We could say that our
way of thinking needs preservation. The head is the seat of the mind, which,
when it has laid hold of the sure hope of eternal life, will not receive false doctrine,
or give way to Satan’s temptations. The
unsaved person has no hope of warding off the blows of false doctrine because
he is without the helmet of salvation and his mind is incapable of discerning
between spiritual truth and spiritual deception.
Verse 17 interprets the sword of the Spirit as
the Word of God. While all the other pieces of spiritual armor are for defense,
the sword of the Spirit allows us to take the offense. The sword analogy speaks
of the holiness and power of the Word of God. There is no greater spiritual
weapon. In Jesus’ temptations in the desert, the Word of God was always His
overpowering response to Satan. What a blessing that the same Word is available
to us!
In verse
18, we are told to pray in the Spirit (that is, with the mind of Christ, with
His heart and His priorities) in addition to wearing the full armor of God. We
cannot neglect prayer, as it is how we draw spiritual strength from God.
Without prayer, without reliance upon God, our efforts at spiritual warfare are
empty and futile. The full armor of God — truth, righteousness, the gospel,
faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer — are the tools God has given us,
through which we can be spiritually victorious. Satan is a defeated foe.
Spiritual Warfare
There are
two primary errors when it comes to spiritual warfare — over-emphasis and
under-emphasis. Some blame every sin, every conflict, and every problem on
demons that need to be cast out. Others completely ignore the spiritual realm
and the fact that the Bible tells us our battle is against spiritual powers.
The key to successful spiritual warfare is finding the biblical balance. Jesus
sometimes cast demons out of people; other times He healed people with no
mention of the demonic. Paul instructs
Christians to wage war against the sin in themselves (Romans 6) and warns us to oppose the schemes
of the devil (Ephesians 6:10–18).
Ephesians 6:10–12 says, “Finally, be strong in
the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can
take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms.” This text teaches some crucial truths: we can only stand strong in the Lord’s power, it
is God’s armor that protects us, and our battle is ultimately against spiritual
forces of evil in the world.
Ephesians 6:13–18 is a description of the
spiritual armor God gives us. We are to stand firm with the belt of truth, the
breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the
helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and by praying in the Spirit.
What do these pieces of spiritual armor
represent in spiritual warfare?
We are to know the truth,
believe the truth, and speak the truth.
We are to rest in the fact that we are declared
righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice for us.
We are to proclaim the gospel no matter how
much resistance we face.
Our ultimate defense is the assurance we have We
are not to waver in our faith, trusting God’s promises no matter how strongly
we are attacked.
The helmet of our salvation,
an assurance that no spiritual force can take away.
Our offensive weapon is the Word of God, not
our own opinions and feelings.
And we are to pray in the power and will of the
Holy Spirit.
Jesus is our ultimate example of resisting
temptation in spiritual warfare. Observe how Jesus handled direct attacks from
Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11). Each temptation
was combatted with the words “it is written.” The Word of the living God is the
most powerful weapon against the temptations of the devil. “I have hidden your
word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).
A word of caution concerning spiritual warfare
is in order. The name of Jesus is not a magic incantation that causes demons to
flee from before us. The seven sons of Sceva are an example of what can happen
when people presume an authority they have not been given (Acts 19:13–16). Even
Michael the archangel did not rebuke Satan in his own power but said, “The Lord
rebuke you!” (Jude 1:9). When we start talking to the devil, we run the risk of
being led astray as Eve was (Genesis 3:1–7). Our focus should be on God, not
demons; we speak to Him, not them.
In summary,
what are the keys to success in spiritual warfare?
We
rely on God’s power, not our own.
We put on the whole armor of God. We draw on the power of Scripture — the Word
of God is the Spirit’s sword. We pray in perseverance and holiness, making our
appeal to God. We stand firm (Ephesians 6:13–14); we submit to God; we resist
the devil’s work (James 4:7), knowing that the Lord of hosts is our protector.
“Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be
shaken” (Psalm 62:2).
