WHEN AT WAR WITH A LIAR

WHEN AT WAR WITH A LIAR
(Part 1 and 2)
Ephesians 6:10-11, 14-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. – Ephesians 6:10-11

In 1859, the Battle of Solferino between France and Austria would forever change our rules of war. Thousands died in that battle simply because they were not given medical attention. Geneva businessman Henry Dunant was appalled, so he inspired four international conventions in Geneva. The meetings in 1864, 1899, 1907, and 1929 attempted to rewrite the rules of humanitarian care in war. Yet it took the atrocities in World War II to finalize the rules in 1949. Four hundred articles regarding humanitarian care were adopted internationally. The Geneva Convention marks our efforts at establishing some shared rules of war.

However, how do you fight fair when you are at war with a liar? The Bible refers to Satan as a liar, deceiver, and schemer. There is no Geneva Convention for Satan, no articles of humanitarian care, and no rules of war. He is out to destroy through deception – any way he can. So how do we protect ourselves from an unbridled deceiver? What do you do when you are at war with a liar? God says in Ephesians 6 to put on His armor and make your stand.

While writing the letter to the Christians at Ephesus the apostle Paul was chained to a Roman soldier. As he thought of the spiritual qualities needed to fight off Satan’s lies, he saw them as pieces of armor. In verses 14-18, Paul lists the qualities, or armor, needed to stand your ground against the liar.

Tighten your Spiritual Character

In verse 14, Paul lists the first piece of armor, the first spiritual quality needed to battle Satan’s lies. He says to “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.” A soldier’s belt supported his sword and secured his tunic so he could move freely in battle. But the function of the belt is not as revealing as the spiritual quality Paul gives it. He calls it the “belt of truth.” If Paul had said, “the belt of ‘the’ truth,” he would have been referring to scripture as “the Word of God.” But without the article “the,” truth refers to one’s spiritual character. Other biblical synonyms for truth are sincerity, honesty, loyalty, and faithfulness. Basically, God says if you are going to stand against Satan’s lies, you had better tighten your spiritual character a notch.

I have always thought that the epitome of paranoia is wearing a belt with suspenders. Anyone who does this truly worries about losing his pants. If there were an occupation where this might be acceptable, it would be the professional soldier. It’s unlikely any soldier will survive a fight with his or her pants around their ankles. Likewise, it is unlikely that a Christian will survive Satan’s lies if he or she is stepping on their spiritual character. To survive Satan’s lies, you must tighten your spiritual character a notch.

Billy Graham understood this early in his ministry. Sinclair Lewis’s novel about Elmer Gantry, an immoral traveling evangelist, was a bestseller. What hurt was that Billy and his team members knew ministers who were like Elmer Gantry and some worse. Therefore, in 1948 Billy and his team identified four problems faced by evangelists and committed themselves to tightening their spiritual character in those areas in order to protect the purity of their work. The four areas were:

Money: Dr. Graham noticed that some evangelists asked for and handled money in abusive ways.
Sexual Immorality: Dr. Graham’s team could list several who had soiled their reputations and left the ministry because of this.
Inconsistencies Outside Church: Evangelists would ask churches to help get people to the crusade. Then at the crusade, they would put down the churches and their ministers.
Being Dishonest: Some had the tendency to exaggerate the numbers at their meetings. (Today we call it “ministerially speaking.”)

It is not surprising that these four areas are problems for every Christian, not just evangelists. If we are to withstand Satan’s lies, then we need to tighten our spiritual character a notch in handling money, sexual immorality, the consistency of our lives inside and outside church, and the honesty of our words.

If we don’t tighten our spiritual character, Satan will find a way to loosen it. The only way we can keep the rest of our armor intact is to keep our spiritual character tight.

Wear the Breastplate of Christ’s Righteousness

The second quality needed against Satan’s lies is a special breastplate. Paul, in the latter half of verse 14, reminds believers to be sure “the breastplate of righteousness (is) in place.” Based upon his rank, Roman soldiers had various breastplates. Some were made of leather; others wore coats of mail, and some hard metal. No matter the material, the role was the same. The breastplate wrapped around the soldier’s torso giving more protection to his vital organs than his own skin could provide. Therefore, Paul saw the righteousness of Christ wrapping around the believer providing more protection against Satan’s lies than our own righteousness could provide.

There are some very good people in the world, but no one’s goodness is strong enough to keep Satan’s lies from penetrating. Romans 3 assures us that only Jesus’ righteousness can do that. Jesus’ righteousness acts as a spiritual Kevlar for Christians.

Several years ago Los Angeles police officer Bob Vernon pulled a truck over for speeding. He didn’t know the driver had just committed armed robbery. When Officer Vernon said, “Good morning, sir. May I see your…?” he never finished. The man in the truck aimed his gun into the officer’s chest and pulled the trigger. The blast knocked him back seven feet and to the ground. Regaining his composure quickly, Officer Vernon stood and fired two shots into the truck, to which the driver yelled, “Don’t shoot! I surrender.” What saved Officer Vernon’s life were the dozens of layers of Kevlar used to make his bulletproof vest.

Please understand, just because you are a Christian doesn’t mean Satan will stop taking shots at you. It does mean they won’t penetrate you as they would if you were not a Christian. They may stun you, but they won’t take you out – not as long as you are living up to your badge of righteousness.

In 1986, my brother-in-law, Derek Manning, completed the requirements to become a trooper for the Oklahoma State Highway Patrol. In his commencement exercises, Lt. Governor Spenser Benard told the new troopers the following. He said,

To the young – you must be an example.
To the injured – you must give aid.
To the quarreling couple – you must be a mediator.
To the sports fan – you will be the reason for his delay.
To the drunken driver – you will be the source of all his problems.
The trooper must always see himself as a rookie, always wanting to learn.

He was telling the new troopers, “You have to live up to the badge you wear. If you don’t live up to the badge, no vest in the world will protect you.”

When telling Christians to wear the badge or breastplate of Christ’s righteousness, Paul was saying the same. He was saying, “You have to live up to the name you wear. If you don’t live up to the name of Christ, if you don’t live according to His righteousness, no other breastplate in the world can protect you from Satan’s lies. You must put on the righteousness of Christ through a personal act of salvation. Then you must live according to the righteousness of Christ to gain the benefits of your full protection.

Keep Your Shoes On and Keep Sharing

The third quality needed for spiritual protection is seen in verse 15. It says, “… and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” The sandals worn by Roman soldiers were not your typical flat-soled flip-flop beachwear. They were hobnail sandals laced up to the kneecap, and were designed for firm footing in battle. Understandably, they would do you no good if they were unlaced or off. They would be useless if they were not on and ready for the battle. Paul makes this an important point, for this is the only time in the Greek New Testament that the Greek word for “readiness” appears.

One of the first signs that you are home and are taking a break from work is that you take off your shoes. It’s fine to do that physically, but Paul says you can never do that spiritually. If you do, you become vulnerable to Satan’s lies. This happened to David. In 2 Samuel 11, it was the season of war. Instead of leading his troops into battle, David sends Joab to lead his troops while he goes home to the palace and takes off his sandals. It was during this lax time in David’s life, a time when he should have been fighting, not relaxing, that he saw Bathsheba and sinned with her. David learned that when you take off your shoes and relax your responsibilities with God, Satan can sting you.

When I was four years old, I was running barefoot on our hardwood floors in Fort Worth. Seeing a small bug on the floor, I thought I’d step on it. It was one of the few things in life where I had a size advantage. I thought, “I can do this,” so I stepped on it. It happened to be a baby scorpion, and I have never forgotten the sting. It is when we become lax in our lives with God that we become vulnerable to a sting even from one of Satan’s small lies. That’s why Paul’s encouragement is simple – KEEP YOUR SHOES ON AND KEEP SHARING!

There is one other important insight here. Look what the shoes represent. They represent sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul makes a simple point. It’s when you stop talking about Jesus that you start listening to Satan. It’s when Jesus is no longer on your lips that Satan starts getting into your mind. That’s why Paul’s instructions are to keep your spiritual shoes on – don’t relax spiritually. Furthermore, keep sharing your faith – keep talking about Jesus so you don’t have time to listen to Satan.

Pick Up Your Faith

Up to this point, Paul has talked about dressing yourself against Satan’s lies. He said to belt yourself with truth, clothe yourself with righteousness and shoe yourself with the gospel. Yet, for the first time he talks about picking up an instrument needed for the heat of the battle. In verse 16, Paul writes, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” “In addition to all this” means that these other items mentioned have been important. Yet, if you are going to survive your battles with Satan, you will have to pick up your faith.

In ancient combat, they often used the “malleoli”, or flaming arrows. It had a perforated bulb of burning material near the point of the arrow. When the arrow struck the target, the fiery substance would scatter, covering areas you would never have imagined.

Satan shot one flaming arrow at David and the fire spread. Satan’s simple lie to David, “Watch Bathsheba bathe. What could it hurt?” led to adultery, then murder. David’s lack of self-discipline was seen in his home as one of his sons raped his half-sister, and then a half-brother killed the one who raped his sister. Yet David said nothing because of the sexual immorality and murder in his own life. Then, the son who had murdered his half-brother then turned on David, trying to take over David’s kingdom. For a period of time, an entire nation was split in a civil war. All this from one lie – “Watch Bathsheba bathe. What could it hurt?” Therefore, Paul’s fourth instruction is clear. When battling against Satan, pick up your faith.

The size of your faith, like the size of your shield, is also important. There where two sizes of shields in the first century. One was the thureos and the other the maghen. The maghen was small, round and light. 2 Chronicles 14:8 records that it was used by bowen, those who shot arrows into the battle from a distance. On the other hand, the thureos was large enough to cover the entire body of a soldier. It was used by the heavy-armored infantrymen, those on the front lines of the battle.

Knowing this, you understand why Paul used the word thureon for “shield” in verse 16. If you are obedient to God, you will not battle Satan from a distance. You will war with him face to face on the front lines. Furthermore, you will need full-body protection from him. Everything about you is vulnerable for attack. Therefore, everything about you must be protected from his attacks. That is why you must pick up the full shield of faith in order to withstand Satan’s attacks.

In the first century, shields not only came in various sizes, they also were made of a variety of materials. Let me share with you four materials that make your shield of faith strong.

Faith in God’s Promises
In Matthew 4, Satan tempts Jesus three times. Each time Jesus repels the temptation by quoting scripture. Satan’s strongest weapon is a lie and our strongest defense is God’s truth, and God’s truth will always stop Satan’s lies. Therefore when at war with a liar, pick up your faith in God’s promises.

Faith in God’s Power
Listen to Jesus’ opening statement to his Great Commission in Matthew 28:18. He says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” The Greek word for authority used here is exousia. It refers to authority or power in legitimate hands. Satan’s power is illegitimate. That is why he uses cowardly deception and intimidation. Christ’s power is legitimate. That is why Satan never puts God in a panic. God’s power is secured by His position. He is God and there is nothing Satan can do about it. Therefore when at war with a liar, pick up your faith in God’s power. Remember, no matter what Satan says or threatens to do, God will not be moved and neither will you.

Faith in God’s Plan
In Matthew 28:19, Christ’s Great Commission announces God’s plan. Jesus says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Never forget God is proactive, not reactive. He works from a plan and involves you in His plan. However, Satan will try to use personal confusion or personal ambition to pull you away from God’s plan for your life. When that happens, it is time to pick up your trust in God’s plan and stay on task with God.

Faith in God’s Presence
In the latter half of verse 20, Jesus concludes his Great Commission with a promise. He promises, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The familiar strategy is to divide and conquer. That is what Satan tries to do between you and God. Since he cannot separate you from God’s securing hand of salvation, he will try to weaken your security in His presence. If Satan can distance you from God’s side, he can distance you from God’s supply. In John 14-17, Jesus promises us that at salvation His spirit comes to live with us and will supply us with His comfort, guidance, teaching, and help. Thus, the next time Satan tells you God does not care and you are all alone, pick up your faith in God’s presence and stand strong with God.

Picturing faith as a shield, God says that the size of your faith matters. Like a thureon shield, it can cover you completely. Furthermore the strength of your faith matters as well. Faith in God’s promises, power, plan and presence can protect indefinitely. All God asks of you is that when you are at war with a liar, pick up your faith.

“Do you have spiritual armor?
Do you know how to use it?”

I once read that the mighty Niagara River plummets 180 feet at the American and Horseshoe Falls. Violent rapids rage just before the falls. Yet farther upstream, you’ll find a gentle flowing river where boats often navigate. Just before the Welland River pours into the Niagara, a pedestrian’s walkway bridges the river. Posted on the bridge is the following sign asking two questions of every captain, “Do you have an anchor? Do you know how to use it?”

Life is hard. Satan’s aim is to use his lies to cause you to fall. So, I’m asking you two questions, “Do you have spiritual armor? Do you know how to use it?”