WELL DRESSED FOR THE LORD
Ephesians 6:10-24
Whenever you go out, go out dressed for the occasion. If you are going to work,
dress for the occasion. If you going to school, dress for the occasion. If you going
out for a nice dinner, dress for the occasion. If you coming to the church dress
for the occasion. Looking good on the outside is important. But looking on the inside
is most important.
If you look at our armed services, the army. Air Force, marines, navy, they all dressed
in uniform. But underneath the dress is a well-trained individual dressed mentally
for the uniform.
God has a uniform for all believers. Paul compares the godly uniform to the armor of
a Roman soldier. It is not physical, but spiritual. God wants you to be physiologically
and mentally strong.
We are in a spiritual war with Satan and His demons. The War is going on daily
against every believer. It is a force that you can't see or put your hands on but
is ever-present.
Mentally we must prepare ourselves to deal peacefully with the problems we
will face
WHERE THE MENTAL TROUBLE BEGAN
The question is where did all the mess come from? Where did all the hating?
The fighting, the moral corruption come from?
In the Beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.
The Heavens were first created.
In Job’s ordeal God asked Job in his complaint;
Job 38:4-8
4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
THE ANGELIC REBELLION
The angelic beings were created first. But one angel Lucifer an arch angel rebelled
(Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14)
Ezekiel 28:15-17
17 Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
Lucifer, now called Satan had a moral or mental breakdown when he believed
he could be equal to or better than God his creator.
The Enemy of God was watching and waiting as God created man to get his
revenge. Lucifer, now called Satan, did not go quietly, according to Revelation
12:3-4 he corrupted 1/3 of angelic beings.
Revelation 12:4-5
His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.
The enemy of God was at war before man was placed on earth.
So how do we live a life on earth with peace and joy given we are amid
the enemy of God?
The battle is not yours, it is the Lords
2 Chronicles 20:15-16
"Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.
Satan and His demons are all around us. They know how to exploit every weakness in
your mind and body to drive you away from the Lord, They can find ways to tempt the best and strongest Christians into sin, Their job is to steal, kill, and destroy.
You were not equipped to fight the battles of life by yourself. I don’t believe you and
I fully understand the battle we are fighting. Most often we work on the symptoms
but never find the cure.
The battle is not yours because it is a battle against the true and living God
Satan and his demons have captivated the hearts and minds of the highest officials in this world. They work against you 24/7
So how do we survive in this world of wickedness? We have to live and operate from
a position of power. Get dressed for the battle.
KEY TO MENTAL HEALTH, BE STRONG IN THE
LORD
Your mental and physical well-being is God's top priority. This is the most important
lesson on mental health you will ever get. Daily you are dealing with mental
health problems.
Ephesians 6:10-12
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
The first thing we need is complete trust in the Lord. The moment our eyes open in the
morning, it ought to be prayer with the Father with an attitude of gratefulness. Thankful
for another day's journey. We need to be confident in our minds that God has a
plan for our day and the plan will be successful. We can do nothing on our own,
but everything through God’s power. The first thing we need to understand, is we are
not alone.
TAKE TIME TO GET DRESSED
Second, before we walk out the door, we need to be fully dressed in the Lord's armor.
Don’t put yourself in a rush to get in the traffic, it going to be there. Get up early
enough to get fully dressed. It is a mind thing. You have to prepare your mind for
the war. You are not going to a party. You are going to deal with Satan and his
representatives sometime in the day.
Sam ain’t the problem, Sue ain’t the problem. You boss ain’t the problem. Satan
and his demons are your problem. You can’t put a face on spiritual wickedness. Satan
will use anyone to carry out his schemes against you. Our mental problem
is elevated when we take a stand against the wrong person. It is not a person we are battling against, it is spiritual wickedness in high places.
The question is who is influencing you? It is God or Satan. If thoughts and actions
don’t glorify God, then the influence is Satan.
You can’t see the devil coming. He is already in your face. The best thing you can do is know when he is speaking and know his actions.
When you know it is Satan, you will know to let the Holy Spirit guide your
response. Remember, as painful and frustrating as your situation is, the battle is already won, but you must stand on the promises of God.
PROTECT YOUR MIND WITH THE SPIRITUAL
ARMOR
Ephesians 6:13
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, stand.
Our main discussion this morning is about the armor of God. With the armor on, you are
mentally prepared for the spiritual battle. God is not getting you ready for a physical
battle, that is his domain. You have some internal work to do. You must break the
bonds of unbelief, fear, worry, and vengeance.
Replace unbelief with trust. Replace fear with confidence. Replace worry with hope.
Replace vengeance with love. Practice patience with yourself and tolerance for others.
Faith, hope, love, compassion, and forgiveness are the undergarments.
Be at peace with yourself. You are good enough for God. Fix your mind on the victory
that is already won and that you are more than a conqueror. The first requirement is to
be strong in the Lord and His power, this is mental preparedness.
The spiritual armor rests on your confidence in God and His promises.
THE SPIRITUAL ARMOR CONSTRUCTION
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (SHOW PICTURE)
STAND YOUR GROUND
V:13 Stand your ground after you have done everything
Conduct yourself in a Godly manner, and treat others with respect. Love
your enemy, speak the truth, pray to the Lord, and be at peace with yourself
and others. Place your confidence in the Lord. Make up your mind to stand
for the Lord. Watch and wait for the Lord’s directions
THE BELT OF TRUTH
V:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.
Truth secures the Armor from the waist up and the waist down.
You must know the truth for yourself, which is the word of God
You must study the Word of God daily. It must be part of your working
vocabulary. If God said it, believe it. He put the Word in print for you.
Your situation is not hopeless if you put it in God's hands.
I know you tried and weary, but God is your strength in times of weakness,
God gave us an example of not knowing the truth.
God gave Adam the command. Adam gave the command to Eve. According to
Genesis Satan came to Eve and she repeated the command. But Satan twisted
the truth to look like a suggestion rather than a command with a punishment.
Instead of consulting God, Adam went along to get along. His disobedience
got Him and his wife kicked out of the garden.
Satan is the Father of lies. You will know a lie when it disagrees with or opposes the
Word of God. Every person who lies is influenced by Satan. Every evil thought
or action is influenced by Satan.
God does not expect you to memorize every scripture in the Bible. But He does
expect you to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you. What scripture do you know
will be brought to your remembrance when you need it?
THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
V:14b with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
The breastplate shields all the vital organs in battle.
It is important to protect your heart from the evil of society. Out of
the heart flows the issues of life. Pursue holiness and purity in the
Lord Jesus.
Always do the right thing. People hate, you love. People lie, you tell the
truth. People talk you down, you lift and encourage. People steal, you
work for what you need. People misuse and abuse, you treat others with
respect. Your spiritual mental health rests on the Word of God operating in your soul.
THE GOSPEL OF PEACE
V:15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Why is the Gospel associated with the feet? We are on a journey to be the light
of a dark world. We are the good news about Jesus in motion. We are the
church that people see every day.
We have to be prepared to proclaim the Gospel and to suffer as a result of our love
for Christ. Strength comes through suffering. When we are weak Christ is strong
Knowing Jesus Christ and being ready to proclaim Him to all who come along
brings peace to your soul. When people claim that they did, you claim Jesus did.
When people claim weakness, you claim strength in Jesus, When people claim
it can’t be done, you claim all things possible through Jesus Christ.
Christ gives us peace in our hearts amid trouble on the outside. No
matter how bad the circumstances are, the good news of Jesus Christ is present.
Focus on the peace that Jesus surpasses all understanding. Your light shines
brightest in troubled times.
If there is no peace in you, how can you be peaceful toward others? If there is
no peace, there is no joy. If there is no joy there is anger underneath the surface.
If there is anger, one is easily provoked. The anger in you is a tool
Satan will used to draw you in conflict.
THE SHIELD OF FAITH
V:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. It is a must that you meditate
on the Word of God day and night. You have to fill your mind up with the Word so that when the world, Satan's agents, present you with a lie or mixed truth you can recognize it and reject it. To stand on the Word, you must apply the Word to your situation.
A flaming arrow hitting wood would set it on fire, But hitting a metal shield would be
deflected. Our minds and souls can easily be affected by the lies and deceptions of Satan if we are not shielded by our faith in Jesus.
Any doubt in our minds is a flaming arrow. Satan will use any doubt in our minds to
drive us away from God. If you don't believe that God will provide what you need,
the flaming arrow is burning in your soul.
THE HELMET OF SALVATION
V:17 Take the helmet of salvation
The head houses the mind and the soul which are directly affected by the influences of the world
Not knowing that our sins past present and future have been covered by the
the blood of Jesus can take us down the road of despair. I know many Christians
who live in distress and anger because they refuse to take hold of the peace and
joy that Jesus provides.
It is important that we tune our spirit to the Holy Spirit that resides within us
so that He can comfort and counsel us in times of trouble and confusion.
The helmet represents victory already won. It is the name of Jesus representing hope.
Prosperity, protection, and provisions. It represents the victory that ends in
our heavenly home
Salvation is provided constantly while we are here on earth. We are saved by faith
from the evil of the world. God comes to our rescue by what didn’t happen each
day. He answers our prayers and relieves us from the stress of this world.
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
V:17b. The sword of the spirit is the Holy scriptures. The scriptures are fulfilled in
the souls who are guided by the Holy Spirit. There is power in the Word of God
when spoken in times of trials and tribulation. Confidence in the Word brings
peace and joy in times of trouble. Confidence in the Word brings jubilation
in the presence of good news. Since God's Word is unchangeable we can hold
fast to it in all times and all situations.
After His Baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by
Satan and to be strengthened for the battles ahead of Him. Jesus used the Scriptures
to combat the lies of Satan.
Submit yourself to the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. Success is
assured. The spirit is an offensive wealth. The Spirit guides our understanding of
the Word of God and ensures our confidence in Him.
PRAY IN THE SPIRIT
V:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
This is breakfast, lunch and dinner. Don’t start your day off without prayer. Don’t leave
the house without prayer. Focus your mind on prayer all day long. Pray without
ceasing. Prayer repels Satan.
We have to know without a doubt that prayer works. God is waiting to hear and
answer our prayers of faith. There is nothing that we should not take to God
in prayer before we act. He is capable of making all decisions because He
foresees the outcome. God knows the outcome so we need to let him guide us.
Be anxious for nothing, but in all things make your request known to God
with thanksgiving and the peace of God will surpass all understanding.
We have a Dynamic Trio working in Our Lives. God the Father Who made
us, God the Son Who saved us, and God the Holy Spirit who guides and
directs us.
We Got the Dynamic Trio working For us on a daily basis. God the Father
has all the resources, God the Son provides the resources as we need them
And God the Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom to use the resources to glorify
the Father.
Your mental health is protected and promoted by the armor of God
PRAY FOR GOD’S SOLDIERS
Ephesians 6:19-24
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
When you are fully dressed in the Lord, you can take the focus off you and put
it on the good work of God which you were designed for.
The Apostle Paul as strong as he was in the Lord, asked the church to pray for him.
There is no one serving the Lord that doesn't need your prayers. God makes known
to us people in our congregation who need our prayers.
We may never know what people around us are going through. But one thing we know
is they need our prayers. I need you and you need me. We are all in the same boat,
with Christ and no one should be in active or unconcerned.
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