Unified in Warfare
Notes
Transcript
TEXT: Eph 6:1-16
Decades ago Ed Young Sr. Told the story of a
Sometimes men like to test their metal and get out in the wild and live in it for a few days.
An old fellow had been in the north woods for weeks by himself, camping out. Each night at dusk he built a campfire, boiled water for coffee, and took out his skillet to fry up some bacon for dinner.
As he was sitting by the fire one night, the water boiling and the bacon sizzling, he heard a tremendous racket in the brush. The sound was like a roaring freight train, and as trees fell over and branches snapped, the biggest bear he'd ever seen lumbered into the clearing. On the bear's back was a tough-looking hombre holding a seven-foot live rattlesnake in his hands.
The man shouted and screamed as he brought the bear to a skidding halt, bit the head off the rattlesnake, and flung it into the brush. Then he slid off the bear's back, turned, and hit him between the eyes, knocking him unconscious.
The camper was speechless as this wild-eyed renegade walked over to the fire, tossed the boiling coffee down his throat, drank the hot grease from the skillet, and ate all of the bacon in one bite. As he wiped his hands with poison ivy and slapped the bear back to consciousness, he turned to the camper and said, "Partner, I'm sorry I can't stay around and visit with you a while, but I've got to keep moving cause a real bad dude is chasing me!"
From Bad Beginnings to Happy Endings, by Ed Young, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publ., 1994), pp. 94-95
Sometimes we can feel as if we are fairly strong. But Scriptur is certain to remind that we do not have a strength to face what is chasing us
We stand against a fierce enemy.
We stand with a divine weaponry.
We stand together.
Consider the need for this as the closer of the book of Ephesians. Well a great claim has been made a promise given.
Christ will gather together all of those that belong to him.
This was a promise oringially made to the disciples in John 6:39-40
And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
The direct context is that Jesus would not lose any of his disciples even when what seemed to be the whole of Israel had rejected Christ as the promised Messiah. Jesus gave them the precious promise that Jesus will not lose one of those that trust in him.
But Paul expands this promise to include the Gentiles that place their faith in him. What wouldve been seen as a Jewish promise is now a Church promise.
You and I lay claim to the same promise as the believing Jews.
This is an incredibly powerful promise...
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
This is a redemptive promise...
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
This is a positional promise
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
We are to understand that Christ is above all… There is not earthly match, there is not supernatural match, there is no demonic match, there is no philisophical match, there is not scientific match, there is not spiritual match to our Jesus.
Because of this we are to recognize that our fight is a spiritual fight. My fight isn’t against my neighbor or some bluehaired lunatic. It not against the Leftist or the Communist. My fight is against the very thundering army of hell.
An enemy that is powerful.
This army is otherworldly. We know that Satan has a desire to participate in the going on of Creation. If for no other purpose than to secure the blindness of the nations.
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
An enemy that is organized.
Many scholars agree that Paul is using descriptors that we would recognize. He sets them in military heirarchy.
Princes
Powers
Ruler
Wickednesses
An enemy that is ancient.
This is the same that were involved in the works of heaven and have fallen awaiting their judgement.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
An enemy that is defeated.
Recognize that first chapter promise. We are not waiting for our enemies defeat he is already beat and our Savior is already positioned above.
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
All things are under his feet. And make no mistake about it. Before you are ever introduced to the fierceness of our enemy we are reminded of the greatness of our Ally.
Paul wants this church to be aware that your enemy is subtle and cruel and will stop at nothing to keep his people from the joy of this promise.
Peter said it...
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
John said...
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
James said...
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
2. We stand with divine weaponry.
Now, I am seeking to approach this passage next week. If God will allow. But allow me to point out something very important God did not leave you without a weapon.
That five of the seven weapons mentioned in this text are for defence clearly reveals to us the gravity of the attacks that the devil mobilises against us on regular basis. These weapons of warfare or whole Armour of God are:
• Belt of TRUTH – Ephesians 6:14.
• Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS – Ephesians 6:14.
• Shoes of the GOSPEL – Ephesians 6:15.
• Shield of FAITH – Ephesians 6:16.
• Helmet of SALVATION – Ephesians 6:17.
• Sword of the SPIRIT – Ephesians 6:17.
• Constant PRAYER – Ephesians 6:18.
I will say this only about these weapons…
Much has been said about these weapons and much has been forgotten. We do not appreaciate to the fullest these incredibly powerful weapons. All of which hinge on one thing only… God’s Word.
I will tell you that you have
• Have no TRUTH a part from God’s Word
• Have no Righteousness apart from God’s Word
• Have no Gospel apart from God’s Word
• Place your Faith in nothing but God’s Word.
• Have our minds renewed in God’s Word.
• Sword of the SPIRIT is God’s Word
• Obediently pray obeying God’s Word.
Why would I step back from this passage that many times comes to the forefront of this passage?
Because we do in this text the opposite of what the book is trying to accomplish.
Let me remind you that this book has set out from the beginning the plan of God in the church to bring about unity and for the people to care about that unity and so
Chapter after Chapter the context has been about the unity of the church and we reach chapter 6 and we go right back to a self-help mentality.
Well what does the weapons of our warfare have to do with the whole church. Because the focus isn’t on you as a soldier. The focus is on us as an army. CHristianity has spent decades telling everyone how to win their spiritual war over depression, porn, anger, alcohol and fill in the blank with any vice that you wish but has ignored the fact that we as a body are to be on the march against an army that wants to see the church disunified and broken up. These same soldiers can get along and will spend their time gossiping forgetting that no soldier was of any value to a general. Rather it was the army together that makes a difference.
It is this army that is commanded to Stand.
vs 11. “be able to stand”
vs 13. “able to withstand”
vs 13. “having done all to stand”
vs 14. “Stand therefore”
Then Paul confirms the call to stand by describing for us what it looks like when the people of God stand against the whiles of the devil.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Praying
Watching
Persevering
Supplicating
God’s people are to stand against the wicked one and his enemies. not in their own power but in the strength of His word we stand. We stand:
Praying - I can call out to God to produce a victory where none seems certain but I have a weapon that allows me to push against the plans of a mighty army.
Watching - to look with expectation for the promise of God. We are not to get our eyes on the things of this world but with the power of God we look for a future that is formed by the hand of God. We look for a city whose builder and maker is God.
Persevering - We will face trials and hardships none of these are reason for the child of God to quit or walk away. Even if the mouth of Hell is gapping open it cannot touch us. The only thing that can stop you from faithfully serving God to the end is - YOU.
Supplication - Is when you pray for others. Reminding us as Paul has previously in this book that we are depending is some degree on each other. It is the atomization of the church through consumer mentalities that we find a church that no longer loves to pray for each other.
Ephesians 7. How to Use Spiritual Strength and the Armor of God (18–20)
Praying always with all prayer: The idea is all kinds of prayer or prayer upon prayer. We should use every kind of prayer we can think of. Group prayer, individual prayer, silent prayer, shouting prayer, walking prayer, kneeling prayer, eloquent prayer, groaning prayer, constant prayer, fervent prayer—just pray.
