Because we are at war, we need to be outfitted with Christian armour in battling against Satan. The good news is, the Bible, and Ephesians 6 in particular, tells us what that Christian outfitting looks like and what is necessary to put on and to use in this battle. Paul summarizes it, and that will be the text of this message, in Ephesians 6:11,
Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.Now, what I submit to you in this article is that far too few people are paying attention to Paul’s command. Too many churches today are speaking about disarmament, rather than armament. And too many preachers are promoting universal brotherhood, rather than exposing the antithesis between two opposing kingdoms in this world. I submit to you, dear reader, we need to know our adversary. As unpleasant as a subject of Satan is, we need to study it. The Puritan, Thomas Brooks, wrote in his great classic, Precious Remedies against Satan’s Devices,Christ, the Scriptures, your own hearts and Satan’s devices, are the four prime things that you should most study and search out.Christ, Scripture, your own heart and Satan’s devices. I believe he is right.See, if God is real to you, Satan will be real. If Satan is not real, then you do not know your adversary, you do not know his personality in history, if you do not know his strategy, his power, his weaknesses, if you do not know how to withstand him, if you do not know what spiritual weapons to take up against him, then you are vulnerable.1
Joel Beeke
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.