The Opponent and God’s Armour

Sunday, 29 May 2022 by

Rod Chiswell - Sunday, 29 May 2022

The Opponent and God's Armour

We live in a world that is fundamentally hostile to God – it is a world broken by sin, and enslaved to sin. It is a world that has set up an alternative rule to God. But the enemy is not the world – in so much as the physical creation. The enemy is the devil, and the way in which he wages war through lies and perverting our desires. And we are complicit – because we are sucked in by his lies! How, as God’s people, are we to stand against such an opponent? Ephesians 6 clearly reminds us that this war is real. The enemy is real. And knowing the enemy is crucial – recognise his tactics, recognise his lies, recognise his attacks. But we must also recognise that God has already flexed His ‘vast strength’ in raising His Son from the dead, and so crushing the snake. As the snake thrashes about, the very same suit of armour that Jesus used is made available to Jesus’ mob so that they can stand against the devil.

Scripture References: Matthew 4:1-11, Isaiah 59:15-21, Ephesians 6:10-24

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