The Presence of the Holy Spirit/The Armor of God

WELCOME!

Please find a seat in the middle section

Schedule:

- 7:00-7:40 Lesson (Joe)

- 7:45-8:05 Discussion (Small Groups)

- 8:10-8:20 Prayer (Groups of 2—5)

We have been going through a book called…

Victory over the Enemy

Defeating the World, the Flesh, and the Devil.

There are still copies of the book available for $15.

We began with Part 1…

Part 1: Recognizing Our Enemy

Resist the Devil

Do Not Love the World

Crucify the Flesh

Last week we began Part 2 by looking at…

Part 2: Knowing God’s Provisions

4. Victory in Temptation

5. The Power of Prayer

6. The Presence of the Holy Spirit

7. The Armor of God

If you’ve missed a week,

the notes for previous weeks are up here for you to grab.

This evening we will be going over,

The Presence of the Holy Spirit; and

The Armor of God

We begin with…

The Presence of the Holy Spirit

We have seen the enemies that oppose us,

but they can be overcome through God’s power!

Ephesians 1:18–19 (ESV)

18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might

Ephesians 3:16 (ESV)

16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Ephesians 3:20–21 (ESV)

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 6:10 (ESV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

This strength and power is available to us,

if we are children of God,

through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

This doesn’t mean victory is easy,

but God does intend for us to be victorious in the battle through His provision!

Victory is possible when we are…

1. Filled with the Spirit

Ephesians 5:15—21

We have the power of God in order to be victorious over our enemies…

and that power comes from the indwelling presence of the Spirit.

Paul talks about what being filled with the Spirit looks like in…

Ephesians 5:15–21 (ESV)

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

We are:

not to live unwise… but as wise…

not to be foolish… but understand the Lord’s will…

not drunk with win… but filled with the Spirit…

When we are drunk,

we lose our ability to think clearly and act rightly.

But when we are filled with the Spirit,

we are able to think clearly,

act/respond rightly,

understand and follow God’s will.

So, Paul says we should strive to…

a. Be Filled

This does not mean we do not already have the Spirit…

Ephesians 1:13 ESV

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

If you have placed your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour,

you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Anyone who does not have the Holy Spirit, does not belong to Christ…

Romans 8:9 ESV

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

“Being filled” with the Spirit

is not something we do,

but we must:

yield to the Spirit… and

cooperate with the Spirit.

We need the Spirit’s presence in increasing measure,

if we want to be victorious.

So Paul commands us to “be filled with the Spirit”

So…

b. What Does the Spirit-Filled Life Look Like?

If someone gets drunk, what could some of the results of that be?

hurt themselves

decisions that will hurt others, and they will regret

kill someone drunk driving.

In the same way,

Paul goes on to talk about some of the results of being Spirit-Filled…

When we are filled with the Spirit we:

Ephesians 5:19 ESV

19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

We encourage and strengthen one another… rather than criticizing/condemning.

We have hearts that are naturally inclined to praise God, rather than question His goodness.

When we are filled with the Spirit we:

Ephesians 5:20 ESV

20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

We are generally thankful, rather than grumbling/complaining.

When we are filled with the Spirit we:

Ephesians 5:21 ESV

21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

We see other believers as God’s gift to help us, rather than an obstacle or annoyance.

Do you find these fruits present in your life?

If you’re like me, then you probably feel guilty you’re not doing these things more.

We need to be filled more with God’s Spirit,

so that this fruit is present more in our daily lives!

Next we move on to…

c. An Application

It is God who fills us with His Spirit,

but that doesn’t mean we do nothing.

The enemy wants you to walk in the flesh,

seeking to gratify your flesh,

but we must remember that…

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (ESV)

19 You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

So we don’t just sit around waiting to “be filled” with the Spirit.

We must walk in obedience to Christ and His Word.

It is through this that God fills us with His Spirit.

Paul gives an application of this.

After talking about being filled with the Spirit,

Paul goes on to show how this affects our relationships.

Spirit-filled husbands:

do not take take advantage of their wives, or use them, or mistreat them…

but they love them, sacrificially, as Christ loved the church.

Spirit-filled wives:

don’t constantly nag and complain, and dominate their husbands…

but submit to their authority, leading, and protection as the church submits to Christ.

Spirit-filled children:

don’t always whine, complain, disobey and disrespect their parents…

but they are learning to be obedient, and showing honour to their parents.

Spirit-filled families:

don’t prioritize things like sports and academics…

but put family worship, discipleship and church before those things.

Spirit-filled workplaces:

aren’t filled with bickering/arguing/disrespect/insults…

but have employees who work hard as to the Lord… and

bosses who treat their employees well knowing the Lord is both of their Master.

When we are filled with the Spirit,

it transforms the way we live and treat those around us.

As we obey God’s Word and follow Christ,

the Spirit will continue to fill us!

Transition

But when the things of this life become more important than Christ,

the Spirit is grieved.

Paul warned the Ephesians…

2. Do Not Grieve the Spirit

Ephesians 4:25—32

When we are filled with the Spirit, the result is:

praise and worship…

thankfulness and gratitude…

submission to Christ and one another…

This pleases and brings joy to the Spirit!

Paul goes on to warn…

Ephesians 4:30 ESV

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

We grieve the Holy Spirit when we disobey/sin.

Paul gives a list of examples:

lying

anger

stealing

bitterness

slander

When we act in these ways, we grieve the Holy Spirit…

the Spirit is sorrowful/disappointed…

When we grieve the Holy Spirit,

we should not expect to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit.

This does not mean we must live sinless lives to grow to be filled with the Spirit,

but we must be putting sin to death,

seeking to follow Christ’s commands,

and then we will live Spirit-filled lives,

and will be...

3. Strengthened with Power

Ephesians 3:14—21

Last week we looked at two of Paul’s prayers for the Ephesians.

In his prayer in chapter three Paul prayed…

Ephesians 3:16 ESV

16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

We should be praying this prayer for ourselves, and one another…

that God would fill us with His power through His Spirit.

We need His power to overcome the World, the Flesh, and the Devil!

Paul also prays in…

Ephesians 3:19 (ESV)

19 that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

This is to know God, and His love and power toward us more.

What assurance this gives us living in this world, that we have God with us!

Paul closes with…

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

God is able to accomplish greater things than we can ask or think,

because of His power in us!

As he works in and through us,

He brings glory to Himself through the church, and through Christ Jesus.

This is an important reminder that believers grow in fruitfulness when they are connected to a local church.

4. Power in Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1:19—23

Maybe the Ephesians would be tempted to doubt the Spirit’s power.

Maybe we are tempted to doubt the Spirit’s power.

We know how hard it is sometimes to resist the world/flesh/devil!

But look at the confidence Paul gives them, and us.

He prays that they would know…

Ephesians 1:19–23 (ESV)

19 what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

The Spirit:

raised Christ from the dead…

seating Him at the right hand of God in heaven…

given Him authority and dominion over everything for all-time…

set Him as Head of the Church.

The same Spirit who did all that,

lives in you!

Let us pray and ask God to fill us with the Spirit,

as we walk in obedience to Christ,

so that we would experience the power and fruit of the Spirit in our lives,

bringing glory to God!

The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10—17

To this point, William (Bill) Cook has been writing.

At this point, Chuck Lawless takes over for the remainder of the book.

As he begins talking about the armor of God,

he turns us to Ephesians 6:10—17.

Quoting Francis Foulkes…

“Day by day the apostle, at this time of his confinement . . . was in all probability chained to a Roman soldier. His mind must often have turned from the thought of the soldier of Rome to the soldier of Jesus Christ, and from the soldier to whom he was bound to the heavenly warrior to whom his life was linked by more real, though invisible, bonds.” — Francis Foulkes

Therefore, rather than focusing on the Roman soldier,

Lawless intends to draw our attention to Christ,

through whom we can have victory.

1. It’s All about God

We need to remember that the Bible is about God,

not the devil or his forces.

The Bible begins and ends with God,

and He is the focus all throughout.

While the devil is a character in the story,

he is hardly the focus.

Even in Ephesians, as we consider the “Armor of God” passage,

we need to remember it’s about God.

In the letter of Ephesians, Paul’s focus has been God!

He begins by greeting them in the Lord and His grace…

Talks about the spiritual blessings we have in Christ…

Focuses on what Christ has done for us, ensuring our victory…

saving us though we were dead in our sin…

giving us access the Father through Jesus…

so that we can spread God’s glory…

With his emphasis on God throughout the letter,

it’s no surprise that as he transitions to the armor in chapter 6,

he begins with God!

The armor we wear is not our own,

it is God’s!

“At no point in spiritual conflict can we find genuine victory apart from our being in the Lord and leaning on his strength. This need to be strengthened by the Lord is a continual one, as the battle is an ongoing one for us—but God has given us his strength, his might, and his armor. We need nothing else to live in victory.” — Chuck Lawless

God wants us to be aware of the spiritual battle going on,

but He wants us to know:

it is the Lord’s battle…

He is fighting for us…

the victory has already been won!

Lawless emphasizes four thoughts:

Four Thoughts about Spiritual Warfare:

God is the center/focus of the story

Don’t focus on the devil!

Focus on God: his strength, power, victory!

Focusing on God should decrease fear

When we focus on God, this should give us confidence,

not shrink back in fear.

We lose when we fight in our strength

We turn to God when it’s too late!

We are to pray and turn to God before temptation ever comes!

God deserves the praise in victory

God is the one who strengthens and enables us to have victory,

so he should get the glory!

As we turn then to Eph 6…

The first thing we must do is…

2. We Must Put on the Armor

Though we are trusting in God,

we have a role to play in spiritual battle.

There is a tension here between our effort, and God’s strength.

Lawless helpfully quotes William Hendrickson…

“Man must equip himself with a full suit of arms, that is, it is he who must put it on. It is also he, he alone, who must use this entire panoply. Nevertheless, the weapons are called “the full armor of God.” It is God who has forged them. It is God who gives them. Not for one single moment is man able to employ them effectively except by the power of God.” — William Hendrickson

We must recognize who we are in Christ…

we are in Christ positionally,

and because of that,

we must live that out practically.

Read off screen/off paper handout

So we recognize that the armor is Christ’s…

but it is OURS in Christ,

therefore we must walk in it,

trusting in Him for victory,

and giving Him glory in it!

a. Victory Is about Lifestyle

Paul’s emphasis is not in which piece of armour is connected to which lifestyle characteristic,

his purpose is emphasizing the lifestyle characteristic.

Eg: Truth is more important to Paul, than the belt.

What Paul is emphasizing with the armor of God,

is the new way we are to live/walk,

since we are a new creation in Christ!

It is not the armor that gives us victory,

but walking/living in Christ!

John MacArthur

“Our spiritual weapons can be summed up in one word: obedience.” — John MacArthur

There is no quick fix to spiritual battle!

Eg:

We wear truth, because Christ who lives in us is truth.

The devil is the father of lies,

so we stand against him by:

walking in truth; we don’t lie; we speak the truth

b. Spiritual Battle Is Both Offensive and Defensive

There is debate about whether the armor of God is offensive or defensive.

We must be careful not to emphasize one too much over the other.

In a battle, both offense and defense are necessary.

God does not intend us to go on the offensive fighting Satan/demonic forces…

Nor does he intend for us to sit, huddled in a corner on the defensive…

Our offense is shining the light of Christ in this dark world.

In doing this, we are waging war against the forces of evil…

Our defense is resist the attacks of Satan who is seeking to lead us astray,

casting doubt, bringing obstacles in our path…

“We are on the defensive as we resist the devil and extinguish his arrows, but the reason he attacks us is because we are on the offensive against him. Thus, we defend as we march forward.” — Chuck Lawless

c. It Is All Connected to the Word

Each piece of armor is important in and of itself.

If we neglect any of the pieces,

we leave ourselves vulnerable to Satan’s attacks.

The armor as a whole is important as well.

We cannot just focus on the individual pieces,

or we will be lacking in spiritual resources for the battle.

For this reason, we need to be Connected to THE WORD… Jesus Christ.

It is in Him that we have hope, and strength.

We also need to be connected to HIS WORD… the Bible.

We will not be able to fight this battle if we are not spending time daily in God’s Word.

It is our source of strength through which we become equipped for battle.

d. It’s about the Body of Christ

It’s easy for us in our individualistic society to attempt to achieve success in all areas of life on our own.

This is how we try and fight spiritual battles as well.

I notice this sinful tendency in my own life as well.

As a pastor, it is easy for me to try and look like I “have it all together.”

I can’t ask for prayer, because then I’ll look weak or incapable of leading.

God never intended us to walk alone!

Quoting David Powlison…

“The whole book of Ephesians is about the body of Christ, and Paul is not suddenly switching focus in the section on the armor of God.” — David Powlison

The commands in this section are plural.

“We put on the armor together, stand together, keep alert together, and pray together.” — Chuck Lawless

It is Satan’s plan to divide the church,

separating and isolating them, so that he can more easily attack/defeat them.

It is God’s plan to bring the church together in unity,

as a body, working and sticking together in Christ.

so that they can experience victory together!

3. We Must Pray at All Times

We have already discussed prayer,

and will talk more about prayer in a later lesson,

but we must emphasize prayer since Paul concludes the section on the armor of God with it.

Graham Cole

“The armor of God is not enough without the God of the armor, and prayer is the link.” — Graham Cole

We are not engaged in a flesh and blood battle,

so we cannot have victory without God.

Ephesians 6:18–20 ESV

18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

We must pray at all times!

Prayer keeps us alert…

Prayer keeps us dependent on God…

Prayer gives us boldness to proclaim the gospel…

“God makes available his power and divine resources to believers so they can resist the assaults of these hostile spirits and advance God’s kingdom into the world. Believers are called to appropriate these gifts, cultivate their corresponding virtues, and above all, pray in the Spirit as an expression of their dependence on the Lord to receive God’s enabling power.” — Chuck Lawless