It's been a heavy week. A good man has been tragically taken from us by an assassin's bullet. Charlie Kirk was a brilliant mind, a good man, a faithful husband and father. Join Pastor Mashburn as he examines the Scripture and gains strength for these difficult days.

As we continue to study “the whole armor of God,” we continually need to be reminded why this is such an important topic. Verses 10-13 introduce the subject of spiritual warfare. We are told that the saints of God are engaged in a great cosmic battle against a powerful, relentless enemy. Our enemy is called “the devil,” v 11. Our enemy is said to employ “wiles,” v. 11. This word refers to “the tricks, schemes, and methods” the devil uses to undermine the faith of the saints, and to attack the glory of God.

God’s command to His people is that they “stand” against the attacks of the enemy, vvs. 11, 13, 14. The word “stand” is a military term. It means “to hold a critical position during a time of enemy attack.” It is the image of “a soldier refusing to yield even one inch of ground to an attacking foe.” It is not the image of someone on the offensive, but rather, it is the picture of a soldier on the defensive, protecting the ground that has already been won.

God had given His people some very precious possessions. He has given us truth, His church, His Word, His grace, His salvation, His blessing, etc. And, the devil wants all of it. He will stop at nothing to take everything we have been given by the Lord.

If we are to keep what we have received from the Lord, we must “stand” and hold on to the critical ground we have received from the Lord. To do that, God says we must “put on the whole armor of God.”

We are studying pieces of “the whole armor of God.” The “armor or God” is a necessary tool in our fight against our common the enemy, the devil. Without every piece of the amor in place, we are easy prey for the enemy. When the pieces of the armor are missing, Satan has little trouble defeating us. He has little trouble damaging our testimonies, infiltrating our churches, and devastating our church. When the armor is missing, we are easily defeated.

Yet, when a saint of God is dressed in “the whole armor of God,” the enemy has a hard times dealing with them. When the armor is in place, he cannot penetrate their defenses, and he must watch helplessly as they “stand” for God’s glory day after victorious day. I want that to be my testimony, how about you?

Let’s continue to examine the pieces of “the whole armor of God.” Knowing what they are and how to use them will help us to “stand” for the Lord in victory.

The verses before us speak about spiritual warfare. They remind us that we are in the fight of our lives. Against a relentless, powerful enemy. We are engaged in battle with a spiritual being who is intent on our destruction. We are fighting against an enemy who hates our God, and who hates us too. He wants to devour our families, destroy our testimonies, devastate our church, and discredit our God. But, this enemy of whom I speak is not all-powerful. The God we serve is, 1 John 4:4.

Today, we examine the Scriptures to learn what it means to be created in the image of God. Join us in Genesis 1, as we search the Scriptures for the answers.

Our Lord loves children and He desires them to be cared for, loved, and given the Gospel of Christ at an early age.

“Finally!” The first word of verse 10 is a blessing, isn’t it? That word indicates that we have reached the last major section of the book of Ephesians. As Paul nears the end of this precious book, he closes with a final series of admonitions. He challenges his readers to open their eyes to the spiritual warfare in which they are engaged. He calls them to be sure they are on the right foundation, wearing the proper spiritual garments, fighting the right enemies, and trusting the right Lord. Verses 10-18 are a statement about the matter of Spirit-Filled Warfare.

In this passage, we are given insight into the battle we are engaged in and into the weapons with which we are to fight this battle. My friends, we are in the fight of our lives! If we are to do what the Scriptures say and "stand", v. 11, 13, 14, then we must know how to prepare ourselves for this battle. Here, Paul reveals some aspects of the battle in which we find ourselves this evening. I just want to remind you tonight that we are involved in The Fight Of Our Lives and we must know how we are to prepare to ourselves to be effective in that fight.