A man who just turned a hundred was asked his secret to not having an enemy in the world. He said, "I've outlived them all." Here's the reality: you are not going to outlive the devil. But in Christ Jesus, you can certainly defeat him.

In this opening message of our new series "Armed and Dangerous," Pastor Ron introduces Ephesians 6:10–13 and lays the groundwork for the spiritual warfare passage that closes the book of Ephesians.

The Believer's Strength: Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We are impotent in our own strength. But I can do all things through Christ — and the battle is the Lord's. The closer we walk with God, the harder the opposition gets. But the victories get even greater.

The Believer's Provision: Put on the whole armor of God — and put it on once and never take it off. It is not a uniform you wear to events; it is a companion for every moment of your Christian life: your job, your home, your vacation, your church.

The Believer's Enemy: We wrestle not against flesh and blood. Our enemy is Satan — the accuser, the deceiver, the father of lies. He has a throne, a kingdom, meeting places, and highly organized ranks of fallen angels working beneath him. His primary methods: fear, doubt, evil thoughts, false doctrine, and materialism.

The Believer's Battle: This is a spiritual battle, not a physical one. The drug problem, the abortion epidemic, the pornography crisis — these are not our enemies. The people caught up in them are not our enemies. Satan is. Our war is fought on our knees and through the proclamation of the gospel.

The Believer's Responsibility: Take up the whole armor of God, withstand in the evil day, and having done all — stand. God is our strength, but we have a responsibility. We don't just kick back and let God handle it. We put on the armor, we resist, we move forward.