Ready For Battle- Don’t Fight Alone
Teaching Notes
Ready for Battle: Don’t Fight Alone
Fighting in God's Strength: How to Win the Spiritual Battle
In our daily lives, we often feel like we're fighting battles we can't win. Whether it's struggling with temptation, dealing with difficult relationships, or facing overwhelming circumstances, the reality is that we are in a spiritual war. The good news is that in Christ, we have everything we need to fight and win the battle.
What Does It Mean to Be in a Spiritual Battle?
The Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:10 to "be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." Notice that Paul doesn't call us to be strong in ourselves or rely on our willpower. He commands us to be strong in the Lord because our enemy is stronger, smarter, and bigger than we are. If we try to fight in our own strength, we will lose every single time.
The Reality of Our Enemy
Paul makes it clear in Ephesians 6:12 that our battle isn't against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil. One of the enemy's greatest tactics is getting us to fight one another instead of fighting him. When we understand that our real enemy is the devil and his demons, we can focus our energy on the right battle.
How Do We Fight in God's Strength?
Paul gives us the answer in Ephesians 6:11: "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." The key is putting on the entire armor of God - not just parts of it.
The Difference Between Getting Ready and Stepping In
Paul uses two important phrases: "put on" and "take up." There's a crucial difference between getting ready for victory and stepping into victory. Some people love to talk about victory but never participate in it. They read the Bible, listen to podcasts, and post about faith, but when life pushes back, they retreat instead of standing and fighting.
Others run straight into battle without preparing. They go through their day without prayer, show up to work without getting into God's Word, or enter situations without the spiritual armor that could save their lives.
We need both preparation and participation. Participation without preparation leads to destruction, but preparation without participation is just religion.
What Is the Armor of God?
Paul doesn't just tell us to put on armor - he specifically lists each piece in Ephesians 6:14-17:
The Belt of Truth - Jesus Himself
Jesus declared in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." In a world that says "live your truth," we need to remember that our personal truths don't set us free - they lead us searching for another truth. Jesus is the capital-T Truth that sets us free from the enemy's lies, the lies we tell ourselves, and the false words spoken over our lives.
The Breastplate of Righteousness - Our Right Standing
The breastplate protects the heart, our most vital organ. Our hearts are like Netflix - they suggest more of what we feed them. We need protection from the inside out. When we surrender to Jesus, we are clothed in His righteousness. When God looks at us, He doesn't see our sins - He sees Jesus.
The Shoes of Peace - Standing Firm
Peace doesn't mean the battle goes away; it means you can stand your ground in the middle of the battle. This peace comes from the Prince of Peace, who purchased our peace through His death and resurrection. We don't have to walk into peace - we get to stand in it.
The Shield of Faith - Extinguishing Attacks
This isn't a small shield but a massive one, like a door, wrapped in water-soaked leather. When flaming arrows hit it, they don't just stop - they're extinguished. Faith believes that God is who He says He is and will do what He promises. When our faith is soaked in God's promises, the enemy's arrows of doubt, fear, and temptation hit but don't hold.
The Helmet of Salvation - Protecting Our Minds
One of the greatest battlefields is our mind. The enemy wants us to doubt God's word so we'll eventually doubt God's work in our lives. If he can make us doubt God's word, we'll forget our worth and question God's work. The helmet of salvation renews our minds around who we are in Christ.
The Sword of the Spirit - God's Word
This is our offensive weapon. Jesus used Scripture to defeat Satan in the wilderness, quoting from Deuteronomy when He was at His weakest point. We fight with the same weapon Jesus used. The enemy knows the Bible well enough to twist it, so we need to get God's Word inside us, not just read it occasionally.
The Armor Is a Person, Not a Checklist
Here's the beautiful truth: every piece of the armor of God points to Jesus. The armor isn't something you put on to look ready - it's someone you put on to live ready. When you put on Jesus, you're protected by His truth, covered by His righteousness, grounded in His peace, strengthened by His faith, secured by His salvation, and equipped with His Word.
Fighting From Victory, Not For Victory
When we fight in God's strength, we're not fighting for victory - we're fighting from victory. Jesus already won the battle on the cross. However, this doesn't mean the battle stops. The enemy still wants to steal victory from our lives.
Life Application
This week, it's time to stop settling for less than God's best for your life. The enemy would love nothing more than for you to go home and settle for mediocrity after catching a glimpse of the "more" God has for you - whether in your marriage, family, identity, or purpose.
The more that God has for you won't happen passively. You have to get up, get into the fight, and begin to battle in His strength. Remember, when you fight in His strength, He has already given you everything you need to fight and win.
Questions for Reflection:
In what areas of your life are you trying to fight in your own strength instead of God's?
Which piece of spiritual armor do you most need to focus on putting on daily?
What "more" has God shown you that you've been settling for less than?
How can you move from just preparing for victory to actually participating in it this week?
Victory starts with surrender. If you've never surrendered your life to Jesus, remember that He lived the life you couldn't live, died the death you deserved, and rose again to claim victory over sin and death forever. His victory can become your victory today.
Setlist
WFC Lenexa + WFC Anywhere
Take You At Your Word - Cody Carnes
Love Of God - Brandon Lake/Phil Wickam
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us - Selah
No One Like The Lord - Bethel Music
WFC Speedway
Gratitude - Brandon Lake
House of Miracles - Brandon Lake
We Crown You - Jeremy Riddle
Be sure to save our Spotify Worship Playlist, updated weekly with the upcoming Sunday’s set!
