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• In boot camp, soldiers are taught to know their weapon.

• He eventually knows it so well he can even take it apart & put it back together in the dark.

• The sad fact is that there are a lot of believers today who are standing on the battlefield undressed.

• They are clueless about the spiritual warfare raging all around them.

• A big reason for this is they do not understand their spiritual armor.

• We are in a series on the Armor of God called This Present Warfare!

• Today’s message: The Keys which show the context of this battle.

Ephesians 6:10 – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. • Finally – On the surface, this word conveys the idea

that this is his last point. • In the Greek, it gives the idea that Paul saved the

most important point until last. • What he is about to teach on spiritual warfare is of

utmost importance. • We need to treat it like that is so.

Ephesians 6:10-11 – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. • Last week, I stated that there are 3 things we are

given to stand against the wiles of the devil:1. Be strong in the Lord • All the weaponry we’ve been given will be rendered

useless unless we have the resolve to stand.

• We need to come to the place where nothing will cause us to retreat or quit.

• When the dust settles in the battle, we will still be standing strong!

• That is a deliberate decision you have to make. Have you made that decision?• Until you do, you are going to live a defeated,

Christian life.

2. And in the power of His might . . .• This is a reference to the power of the Holy Spirit. • We need His infilling in order to be successful in our

fight with the enemy. Power = dunamis (dynamite)Acts 1:8 – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.

• Our mandate is to fill earth with the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ!

• We need the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to do this.

3. Put on the full armor of God• We are to put on the full armor of God that we

might be able to combat the wicked plans of the devil.

• The problem for most of us is that we either don’t know we need to stay combat ready daily.

• Or, we simply become complacent about it. • We often let our guard down and that is when the

devil likes to attack.• Lane Adams, a World War II fighter pilot, tells a

story of the capture of a strategic island in the South Pacific.

Lesson: we should never become too confident and relaxed that we fail to put on the full armor of God. • We are in a battle with the enemy and his forces. • We must stay focused! 2 Corinthians 2:11 – Lest satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. (NKJV)

• Most are ignorant and that is why they are so easily defeated.

• The key is to not be ignorant of the devil’s devices. • We need to know how he operates. • In the context of this verse, it is the snare of

unforgiveness. • In the story of the Marines, it’s complacency. • Many are not aware of his deceptive ways, and they

fall for them like a mouse lured into a trap.

• As I said last week, the devil does not have the authority to directly attack a believer.

• He has to gain entrance to us through our negligence or carelessness.

• He slips in through an unrenewed area of our mind—a loophole.

• Then he begins to roar thoughts in our head. • If we don’t take the authority we’ve been given and

resist him, he is able to gain a beachhead.

• There are 17 names, symbols and types used for satan in Scripture.

• Each reveals a different facet of his twisted, perverted nature and how he works.

Prince of this World• This is a title given to him by Jesus which reveals an

important truth in our struggle with him. • Jesus uses this title for satan 3 times.

John 14:30 – I don't have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world [KJV-prince of this world] approaches. He has no power over Me.• Remember that important fact: The devil has NO

power over Jesus! • There’s no competition!• The devil is only a created being.• But, by using this title, Jesus recognized that satan

had temporary power over this world.

• Jesus came to earth for a number of reasons. • But, definitely at the top of the list was to take upon

Himself our penalty for sin. • And, to take back the authority Adam had so

carelessly given away to the enemy in the Garden. Luke 19:10 – For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. (NASB)

• We were lost because of sin, so was our place to rule over earth; Jesus came to get both back.

• It’s interesting that the devil tried to derail Jesus’ plan by getting Him to worship him.

• He did this during Jesus’ temptation. • Jesus had been fasting for 40 days. • The devil 1st tried to take advantage of Jesus’ hunger

by suggesting he turn the stones into bread. • In other words: Use Your authority for self-

preservation!

• This didn’t work because Jesus returned with the Word of God:

It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Luke 4:4).• Then, he tried to get Jesus to worship him. • The devil was smart enough to know that getting

Jesus to worship him would not be that appealing.

• But, he also knew that Jesus had come to reclaim the authority Adam had given away in the Garden.

• Satan offered it back to Him through a short cut.Luke 4:5-7 – Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."

• The audacity of the devil! • He has more nerves than a brass monkey!• Notice satan said “for this has been delivered to

me.” • He could not steal it. • It was given to him when Adam fell.

• This dialogue between Jesus and satan is revealing. • It’s as though the devil is saying: I know what You came for, and you know what I want. Worship me, and I will give You back the keys of authority that You came for. • Jesus held His ground!• And resisted with the Word of God which is how we

are to combat the lying thoughts of the devil.

8 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, a Him only shall you serve.’” (NKJV) • Jesus rejected any kind of shortcut to victory. • He had come to die a sacrificial death, and, in doing

so, he would reclaim the keys which Adam lost. • The short cut He was offered would not have

accomplished our redemption. • We would’ve still been lost in our sins.

• One reason man was placed in the Garden in the first place was to defeat the devil.

• God had allowed the devil to set up shop on earth because His intention was to bring eternal judgment to him through man.

• That is why God told Adam to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth (Gen. 1:28).

• It was His plan to have man reclaim the entire earth that was under the devil’s domain.

• The devil’s defeat would come through man.• But, when Adam fell, this became an impossibility. • That is why it was necessary for Jesus to come as a

man and die in our place. • Not only was He to die but He had to come with all

the limitations of a man but be without sin. • Jesus’ death was valuable only if He was the sinless,

Lamb of God. Jesus not only died for us, but He died as us.

• When He died and rose again, He took back the keys of authority.

• Look what He did with those keys:

Luke 10:19 – Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.

Matthew 28:18-19a – Jesus came and told His disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations . . .”How much authority does Jesus have?• ALL!How much authority does the devil have?• NONE!

Who has the keys now? • We do! • Jesus gave them to us along with a plan. What is that plan? Go, make disciples of all nations . . . What does that plan sound like? • The original plan! • God told Adam to be fruitful, multiply and fill the

earth (Gen. 1:28).

• We have Jesus’ delegated authority to enforce the devil’s defeat all over the world.

• We have the same authority, anointing and assignment Jesus had.

As the Father sent Me, so I send you (Jn. 20:21).• The real battle is between man and satan and not

God and satan. • This is the context of our spiritual struggle.

• But, know this! • Satan is not going to give up without a fight! • Yes, he’s defeated, but he’s still here. • He’s like an illegal squatter on a piece of land. • We are the Sheriff’s deputies who have been

authorized to remove him from the land. • That’s why there is a spiritual war raging around us.

• And, the devil is not real happy right now either! • In fact, he is raging like a cornered animal. • If he’s going down, he’s going to take as many with

him as he can.• He knows he can’t defeat God, so the only way he

can get back at God is through people.Revelation 12:12b – But woe to you people of the world, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time. (TLB)

• That is why we need the 3 things Jesus has made available to us:1. Be strong in the Lord2. And in the power of His might3. Put on the full armor of God

• So, you can have victory over the wiles of the devil.

Conclusion• March 4, 1836 is an important date in the history of

Texas. • 188 vs. 6,000• The Alamo• William Barrett Travis (26 yrs)• 4 weeks later, Gen. Sam Houston at the Battle of

San Jacinto, cried, Remember the Alamo!• 4 weeks later, Santa Ana retreated!

• Our battle cry today as believers is not, “Remember the Alamo!”

• It’s “Remember the Cross!” • The cross is not some nice shrine people wear

around their necks. • It is where our King, our Lord, died and won the

victory.

• Jesus has drawn the line in the sand. “How many of you are going to join Me in the battle against the forces of evil that are already in retreat?” • Some of you are already in the battle—but there

are many of you who are not. • My challenge to you is this: Cross the line! • Get involved & connect with the local church. • Join hands and hearts with these other soldiers as

we try to reach this world for Jesus Christ.

• I pray God will give you a holy dissatisfaction so you won’t be content to sit in the back lines when the battle is raging on the front.

• You’re in the army now. • Let’s put on our armor and in the name of Jesus

Christ attack the gates of Hell! • They won’t even stand!• We have the Victory in Jesus!

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