Topics: Christian warriors, Ephesians
I. Take the helmet of salvation
A. The victorious Christian warrior has a secure grasp of salvation!
1. And take the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17a).
2. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one" (John 10:27-30).
B. The victorious Christian warrior takes every thought captive for Christ!
- For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; see Romans 7:22-25).
- Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things (Philippians 4:8).
II. Take the sword of the Spirit
A. The victorious Christian warrior knows the evil one twists Scripture!
- Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, "He will command His angels concerning You"; and "On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone." Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test" (Matthew 4:5-7)
- Now the serpent . . . said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden" (Genesis 3:1).
B. The victorious Christian warrior fights with the sword of God's Word!
- And take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17b).
- For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12; see Isaiah 55:11).
Sermon by Pastor Rod Akins, March 8th, 2026.
Life Group Flow and Discussion Questions
Armor up as a victoripus warrior
An important Guideline of Life Groups: We are in God's army, and we need one another to fight effectively in this spiritual battle. Discuss as a group how important the armor of God is to walk in victory (Zephaniah 3:17).
Getting Started:
- How do you take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)?
- What are some specific ways that Satan has twisted Scripture and so-called believers are following his deceptions?
Discussing Truths:
- Are you secure in the assurance of your salvation (John 10:24-30; Romans 8:35-39)?
- Good military soldiers train and practice to win in battle. How are you practicing to have your senses trained to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:14)?
- In what ways has our adversary accused you in your thoughts and how do you renew your mind (Romans 12:2)?
- What discipline can you apply from Paul's words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15?
- How has the evil one been discrediting true believers and the Christian churches by labeling us intolerant, hateful, and immoral? What is being condoned?
- When was the last time a Scripture passage made a radical difference in your thinking and living it out (James 1:22-25)?
- How do you guard, protect and renew your mind from the deceptions of the serpent (2 Corinthians 11:3)?
Now What? Application:
- On a scale between 1 to 10, how well are you saturating your mind with the Word of God (Colossians 3:16)?
- Evaluate yourself and make adjustments in each of the five avenues of taking in Scripture: by (1) hearing, (2) reading, (3) studying, (4) memorizing, and (5) meditating on God's Word.
