Scripture Ephesians
6:10-18
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
As a pastor,
Attacks against me or my position have rarely, if ever come from external
sources. Most attacks against the church and/or its leadership come from
within. Satan uses those on the inside which is far easier and more effective
than attacking the church or pastors with weapons outside the church.
As a person, though, I can point to external forces that have affected my spiritual growth; still, the majority of my spiritual battle is from within…myself!
With
Paul, I preach Jesus crucified and risen from the dead. No sermon have I ever
preached that is not based on scripture. Sometimes, contemporary stories or a
drama best illustrate the scripture and its application to life. Sometimes,
straight exegesis of the text is best. Today, let us just settle in with the
text and see what it is saying to help us know Jesus crucified and risen from
the dead.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, (Paul gave a clear understanding of the gospel – what it means to believe in Jesus crucified and risen from the dead. He prayed for the believers. He gave instructions on how to live as a Christian, as the church and within our personal households. If we practice those things, he knows for a fact that we will be attacked and tells us what to do to be ready for those attacks.) be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (Our power [mental, physical, or spiritual] is not enough to fight off the forces that will come against us. We can only be strong if we access the Lord Jesus and His mighty power – that is the power of creation, the power over disease, the power over the elements, the power over Satan.) 11 Put on the full armor of God (This may be the most important sentence in this entire passage of scripture. First, the armor of God does us no good if it sits on a shelf – the bible, prayer, worship, fellowship do no good if they are merely ideas instead of actions, if they are just platitudes instead of practices. Likewise, God’s armor does us no good if we don’t wear it. Secondly, wearing or using only parts of the armor do us little good as well. Paul is clear – put on the FULL ARMOUR OF GOD! Every part and piece is important and all parts work together to provide complete protection. Remove one part and you become vulnerable to the enemies attack! – WHY do we put on the full armor of God?...) so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (Now we know who we are fighting – the Devil, and that he is always scheming against us. He is making plans to keep us as far away from God and his ways in our life as possible. WHY? Because he is the unequal but opposing force toward God. This world is where he is given permission to reign. At every point God enters the world, the Devil loses property and authority – He become less of an owner and less of a king. Wherever God finds entrance into a human being, Satan will doing everything and anything to stop God’s progress.) 12 For our struggle (the Greek for struggle refers to hand to hand combat – wrestling where there is trickery, cunningness, and strategy) is not against flesh and blood, (remember how I said that ‘few’ spiritual attacks are from external sources – the majority are from within) but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (the heavenly realms is not the best translation because it does not mean heaven – it means the expanse of the spiritual realm which is also within us! It is the reality where life encompasses our relation to God – and to the Devil) 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, (Notice the repeating emphasis for us to put on what part of the armor of God? The FULL armor of God! WHY?) so that when the day of evil comes, (WHEN that day comes – not IF) you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Twice in this sentence and once earlier we have been told the goal of all this armor – so that we can stand. The person who has fallen, who is on the ground, is the person who has lost. Think of the boxer who gets knocked down, what is there sole desire at that point? To stand! If they don’t stand, the match is over and the one standing is proclaimed the victor! God wants us to be able to stand against the attacks of the Devil but also wants us to stand in victory to His glory! Here is that word again…) 14 Stand firm then, (we are now given the instructions of what each piece of armor is to put on so that we continue to stand firm.)
1) with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, (The center piece that holds all the other pieces together. Without the belt everything else falls off. It is both God’s Truth in the Gospel = Jesus, and the soldiers resolve to live by the truth. Isaiah 11:5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.)
2) with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (The breastplate rightly covers and protects the heart from which spring the actions of right living – or God’s righteousness living through us.)
3) and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (Undoubtably Paul had in mind Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" It is our feet that moves our speech and actions through the world proclaiming the gospel of peace.)
4) In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (The Roman infantry shield protected the whole body – 4’x2.5’ constructed of leather stretched over wood reinforced with metal at the top and bottom. When soaked in water they were effective at stopping flaming arrows. When standing side by side with other soldiers, it became an impenetrable moving wall of defense.)
5) Take the helmet of salvation (Again Paul draws from Isaiah 59:17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head. Salvation protects the brain – the seat of thought where we profess Jesus as Lord and receive salvation – the ultimate protection from any foreign invader. Salvation is a battle already won and is present both now and in the future.)
6) and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Excalliber has nothing on this sword, for this sword is powered by the Holy Spirit of God! )
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
THE THREAT OF DANGER
EXISTS
The moment you receive salvation you are fit for heaven but you are not fit for abundant life in this world – you are given a storehouse of weapons with instructions on how to use them, but unless you show up to exercises, field trials, and classroom instruction, you will never win your battles in this world – and that cannot be blamed on God who has already won the victory and not only given you His own weapons, but has given you himself to live in you and fight with you!
The Devil, demons and evil are real. However, do not give them more credit than they are due. They bow to the smallest word spoken from God. Evil is a rebellion against God and the boundaries and values He has designed and designated for our lives. The Bible’s ethical teachings, like the 10 commandments mark those boundaries and values placed on parents, property, life itself, the use of our bodies, facts, and other people. Evil entices us to change those boundaries, however – Satan makes his ways look very similar to the ways of God. He entices us just slightly out of bounds so we barely realize that is where we are and then he redraws the boundary line and entices us just a little further until where we are and what we are doing looks nothing like God intended.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
As a person, though, I can point to external forces that have affected my spiritual growth; still, the majority of my spiritual battle is from within…myself!
Finally, (Paul gave a clear understanding of the gospel – what it means to believe in Jesus crucified and risen from the dead. He prayed for the believers. He gave instructions on how to live as a Christian, as the church and within our personal households. If we practice those things, he knows for a fact that we will be attacked and tells us what to do to be ready for those attacks.) be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (Our power [mental, physical, or spiritual] is not enough to fight off the forces that will come against us. We can only be strong if we access the Lord Jesus and His mighty power – that is the power of creation, the power over disease, the power over the elements, the power over Satan.) 11 Put on the full armor of God (This may be the most important sentence in this entire passage of scripture. First, the armor of God does us no good if it sits on a shelf – the bible, prayer, worship, fellowship do no good if they are merely ideas instead of actions, if they are just platitudes instead of practices. Likewise, God’s armor does us no good if we don’t wear it. Secondly, wearing or using only parts of the armor do us little good as well. Paul is clear – put on the FULL ARMOUR OF GOD! Every part and piece is important and all parts work together to provide complete protection. Remove one part and you become vulnerable to the enemies attack! – WHY do we put on the full armor of God?...) so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (Now we know who we are fighting – the Devil, and that he is always scheming against us. He is making plans to keep us as far away from God and his ways in our life as possible. WHY? Because he is the unequal but opposing force toward God. This world is where he is given permission to reign. At every point God enters the world, the Devil loses property and authority – He become less of an owner and less of a king. Wherever God finds entrance into a human being, Satan will doing everything and anything to stop God’s progress.) 12 For our struggle (the Greek for struggle refers to hand to hand combat – wrestling where there is trickery, cunningness, and strategy) is not against flesh and blood, (remember how I said that ‘few’ spiritual attacks are from external sources – the majority are from within) but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (the heavenly realms is not the best translation because it does not mean heaven – it means the expanse of the spiritual realm which is also within us! It is the reality where life encompasses our relation to God – and to the Devil) 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, (Notice the repeating emphasis for us to put on what part of the armor of God? The FULL armor of God! WHY?) so that when the day of evil comes, (WHEN that day comes – not IF) you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Twice in this sentence and once earlier we have been told the goal of all this armor – so that we can stand. The person who has fallen, who is on the ground, is the person who has lost. Think of the boxer who gets knocked down, what is there sole desire at that point? To stand! If they don’t stand, the match is over and the one standing is proclaimed the victor! God wants us to be able to stand against the attacks of the Devil but also wants us to stand in victory to His glory! Here is that word again…) 14 Stand firm then, (we are now given the instructions of what each piece of armor is to put on so that we continue to stand firm.)
1) with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, (The center piece that holds all the other pieces together. Without the belt everything else falls off. It is both God’s Truth in the Gospel = Jesus, and the soldiers resolve to live by the truth. Isaiah 11:5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.)
2) with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (The breastplate rightly covers and protects the heart from which spring the actions of right living – or God’s righteousness living through us.)
3) and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (Undoubtably Paul had in mind Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" It is our feet that moves our speech and actions through the world proclaiming the gospel of peace.)
4) In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (The Roman infantry shield protected the whole body – 4’x2.5’ constructed of leather stretched over wood reinforced with metal at the top and bottom. When soaked in water they were effective at stopping flaming arrows. When standing side by side with other soldiers, it became an impenetrable moving wall of defense.)
5) Take the helmet of salvation (Again Paul draws from Isaiah 59:17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head. Salvation protects the brain – the seat of thought where we profess Jesus as Lord and receive salvation – the ultimate protection from any foreign invader. Salvation is a battle already won and is present both now and in the future.)
6) and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Excalliber has nothing on this sword, for this sword is powered by the Holy Spirit of God! )
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
The moment you receive salvation you are fit for heaven but you are not fit for abundant life in this world – you are given a storehouse of weapons with instructions on how to use them, but unless you show up to exercises, field trials, and classroom instruction, you will never win your battles in this world – and that cannot be blamed on God who has already won the victory and not only given you His own weapons, but has given you himself to live in you and fight with you!
The Devil, demons and evil are real. However, do not give them more credit than they are due. They bow to the smallest word spoken from God. Evil is a rebellion against God and the boundaries and values He has designed and designated for our lives. The Bible’s ethical teachings, like the 10 commandments mark those boundaries and values placed on parents, property, life itself, the use of our bodies, facts, and other people. Evil entices us to change those boundaries, however – Satan makes his ways look very similar to the ways of God. He entices us just slightly out of bounds so we barely realize that is where we are and then he redraws the boundary line and entices us just a little further until where we are and what we are doing looks nothing like God intended.
ILLUSTRATION
R. Scott Richards, in his book, “Myths the World Taught Me,” describes a deadly example of misplaced sincerity. In November of 1987, fooled by the wiles of a witch doctor, Alice Lakwena, a mob of some 700 anti-government rebels attempted to overtake a Ugandan army post and airstrip. The attackers were armed with little more than their passion, and were bare-chested and covered in oil. Calling themselves the “Holy Spirit Movement,” they marched into a hail storm of bullets fired by the defending government forces.
When all was said and done, some 200 rebels were dead and most of the rest were taken prisoner. The witch doctor had convinced them that the oil they smeared on their bodies was a magical concoction that would protect them from bullets. “The battle was lost before it had begun. No one could fault the ‘Holy Spirit Movement’ for a lack of sincerity. One must be a true believer to face live bullets half naked. Sincere? Yes. But wrong, dead wrong.”
That
is why we must pray and be alert wearing the full armor of God. The weapons are
not designed to go after the devil. They are designed to resist him. The Devil
has very little patience. When we stand firm in Christ and resist him – he runs
away from us! James 4:7-8 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
SERMON TITLE: “Now
Recruiting: The Holy Resistance”
RESISTANCE = the refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Altar Call – “In Christ Alone”
No power of hell, no scheme of man / Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home / Here in the power of Christ I'll stand
R. Scott Richards, in his book, “Myths the World Taught Me,” describes a deadly example of misplaced sincerity. In November of 1987, fooled by the wiles of a witch doctor, Alice Lakwena, a mob of some 700 anti-government rebels attempted to overtake a Ugandan army post and airstrip. The attackers were armed with little more than their passion, and were bare-chested and covered in oil. Calling themselves the “Holy Spirit Movement,” they marched into a hail storm of bullets fired by the defending government forces.
When all was said and done, some 200 rebels were dead and most of the rest were taken prisoner. The witch doctor had convinced them that the oil they smeared on their bodies was a magical concoction that would protect them from bullets. “The battle was lost before it had begun. No one could fault the ‘Holy Spirit Movement’ for a lack of sincerity. One must be a true believer to face live bullets half naked. Sincere? Yes. But wrong, dead wrong.”
RESISTANCE = the refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
No power of hell, no scheme of man / Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home / Here in the power of Christ I'll stand
No comments:
Post a Comment