27. New Life 101- Opening our eyes to the truth of the spiritual realm, Ephesians 6;10-20

Ephesians 6:10–20 (ESV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 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.

Outline

Last week… Ephesians 6:10-12

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forced of evil in the heavenly places.”

You are only in the battle because of the victory of Jesus Christ, and because of Christ you are free to say yes to God and no to sin and temptation.

I have been surprised and increasingly burdened by how many people have shared they don’t much about spiritual warfare… and one of the things that I believe about the enemy is that there is more than one scheme… Like it says in Ephesians 6:11, “ 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

There is more than one scheme… he has more than one trick up his sleeve. As I was saying, I believe that he has schemes, and that one of his schemes for the American church is to avoid being noticed.

After decades of ministry, I have a few opinions based on observation. There are many American church attenders who don’t believe in the spiritual world… and this is a major dilemma. You can’t be a Christian and deny the spiritual world… For Christ is seated at the right of the Father in the realm we call the spiritual world. It’s not less than real, and it’s not more real…. It’s just unseen. For now… But if you deny the truth of demons, Satan, etc you are denying some of the most clearly taught truths in the Bible.

Many American church attenders are living each day without an awareness or recognition of reality.

Another scheme that I see Satan using in the American church is to convince people that the things about him and demon in the Bible is true… but that it’s not happening anymore. That was then, but now it’s not how things are.

And, this isn’t true, but many people want it to be true- but just because you want it to be true isn’t a reason to believe it! And, as a result you can add those in this camp to the number who are living without an awareness or recognition of reality.

There is another scheme of the devil that I believe is happening all around us. In fact I think it contributes to the two scenarios that I just mentioned.

Many American church attenders are being influenced and following false gospels are not truly following Christ.

They may be seeking some form of morality or “godliness”, they are going to a event, but they don’t really need Jesus. What I mean by this is that many churches, especially in the south are unified around friendships, pre-existing relationships, commonalities of race, social and economic status, etc.

You may be thinking, what’s wrong with going to church with my friends? What’s wrong with having a lot in common with the people I go to church with?

Well, nothing… the issue, as Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop write is,

“When Christians unite around something other than the gospel, they create community that would likely exist even if God didn’t. As a modern-day tower of Babel, that community glorifies their strength instead of God’s.” - Compelling Community (Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop)

You may not have considered that Satan and his followers would work to create something that seems so similar to the real thing that people would give themselves to it… even something that did good for others… well, let me read to you what Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. - 2 Corinthians 11:13–15 (ESV)

Have you considered that all other religions are influenced, if not led, by Satan?

Jesus told the Jewish leaders that their father was Satan- why? Because they were rejecting the truth of who Jesus is/was… and the Jews who continue to follow the OT without accepting the truth of Christ and the NT are continuing in the error of the Pharisees and leaders who crucified Jesus.

Mohammad claimed to be visited by an angel that led him to establish what we call Islam today…

An angel named Moroni visited Joseph Smith and this visit led to what is known as Mormonism…

Hinduism, Buddhism, Native American religion, Ancestor worship… there is something good about all of them. But, the thing that is most wrong with all of them is they are not true.

All around us is the evidence of Satan’s scheme to masquerade as an angel of light to keep the world in the chains of sin, all the while giving them a false hope in the present and future.

With the reality other religions, we must recognize that forms of Christianity and churches that put something other than Christ at the center have deviated from the gospel… and while there are likely true believers in their midst, They are one or two generations from losing the gospel, but continuing their worship and devotion to something or someone less.

Here in Ephesians 6 God is making us aware of the many schemes of the devil… and it’s not just here, it’s all through the Word that God opens our eyes to the truth of who He is, and also to the real work of the enemy.

A few years ago I walked through Daniel with our Wednesday morning Bible study crew… as we walked through Daniel 10 I pointed out a few things about spiritual warfare that I want to insert here… again, this is because it’s real and there are many who need to know these basic truths about spiritual warfare:

3 Basic Truth’s about spiritual warfare:

There is a real unseen battle being waged by Satan against the Kingdom of God.

I think it’s important to note that this isn’t an equal battle or war like we often think of. God is unfolding His plan and Satan is working in opposition to it.

The power of Satan and demons is limited from preventing God’s will from being accomplished.

Ultimately it is limited by the authority and sovereignty of God. But as we see in this passage and others it is also impacted by the prayers and work of God’s people.

There is a direct relationship between the unseen and the seen.

Like we said in our previous study on Daniel 10:

The fact that Daniel's three-week fast coincides with the three-week struggle between the "prince of Persia" and the unnamed angel "demonstrates a relationship between human intercession and what happens on a higher plane. Daniel's prayers appear to influence angels who play a significant role in shaping the destinies of nations" (Page, 64). Does this suggest that the outcome of the heavenly conflict is dependent on the frequency or fervency of one's prayers on earth?

Whatever answer one gives to that question, it is important to remember, as Clinton Arnold points out, that

"Daniel had no idea of what was happening in the spiritual realm as he prayed. There is no indication that Daniel was attempting to discern territorial spirits, pray against them, or cast them down. In fact, Daniel only learned about what had happened in the angelic realm after the warring in heaven" (162).

Angels are created beings, and some of them are holy and some of them are evil.

The OT term for angel is mal’ak, and the NT term is angelos; both terms refer to one sent with a message or one acting as a messenger. The biblical terms for “angel” are used of human messengers in some instances (e.g., 1 Sam 23:27; 1 Kgs 19:2; Luke 7:24; 9:52) and often in the OT apply particularly to the angel of the Lord (e.g., Gen 16:7–14; Judg 6:11–14; 2 Sam 24:16; Zech 1:12–13). Most often, however, mal’ak and angelos are used for these created spiritual beings called angels or messengers (e.g., Exod 23:20; Matt 1:20; 4:11; 25:31,41).

David S. Dockery and Trevin Wax, Christian Worldview Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2019), 55.

Because all that God creates and does is wholly good (Gen 1:31; Jas 1:17), we must understand angels, in their entire class, as created by God as good. Psalm 148:1–6 expresses praise to God for his creation of all things, and among those things specified are “all his angels” and “all his heavenly armies” (Ps 148:2).

Psalm 148:1–6 (ESV)

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! 3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! 4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. 6 And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

Furthermore, Colossians 1:16 makes clear that by Christ all things were created, including things “in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible” (cp. Rom 8:38–39). Also relevant is God’s statement to Job (Job 38:4–7) indicating that angels (“sons of God”) were present and shouted for joy at the creation of the heavens and earth. Angels, then, derive their existence from God, and their creation evidently precedes the subsequent creation of the universe.

David S. Dockery and Trevin Wax, Christian Worldview Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2019), 55.

Both holy and fallen angels were created before the foundations of the earth. (See Job 38:4-7)

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? JOB 38:4–7

The angels “shouted for joy” in response to God’s wonderful creative work! These verses tell us that the angels rejoiced when God laid the foundations of the earth.

Fallen Angels have sinned against God and rebelled against Him and His purposes.

A difficult question concerns how some of the good angels God created have become evil. First, we must understand all fallen angels, in their originally-created form, to have been wholly good. This was a goodness they forfeited, presumably, because of their rebellion against God. Two passages in particular lead us to think this is the case. Jude 6 and particularly 2 Peter 2:4 both speak of angels who departed from God’s purposes and hence received God’s judgment and condemnation. The text in 2 Peter is clear that the reason for this judgment was their sin against God.

Jude 6 (ESV)

6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

2 Peter 2:4 (ESV)

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;

And when one adds to this the clear implication from Matthew 25:41 and Revelation 12:9 that demons are the followers of Satan, it seems obvious that these evil spirits, though created good, became evil as they followed their leader’s enticement to sin against their Creator.

Both holy and fallen angels are personal beings with intelligence, emotions, and a will. They are not sexual and do not marry or procreate. They are spiritual beings with great power that live forever.

Even though they have great power, not even Satan is equal with God.

Satan is a rebellious ruler who is still subject to God.

Scripture keeps God in a position of authority over all things, including Satan. This is evidenced in the ministry of Jesus… and hard for the Jews to believe in their day. They accused Jesus of being in league with the Devil because the demons obeyed him. But, Jesus wasn’t in league with the devil, he has power and authority over Satan.

Satan and his hosts are active and will continue to be until the coming of Christ.

Satan is an adversary to God and operates as an accuser of God and man.

The Hebrew noun, satan, indicates an adversary. The verb means “to accuse.” In Job 1–2, Satan adopts the role of an adversary in the heavenly court to accuse Job of following God only because God had blessed Job richly. God allows Satan power, within limits, to harm Job, in order to vindicate God’s claim about Job. In Zechariah 3:1–2, Satan appears again in the courtroom of God, this time in order to accuse the high priest, Joshua, of being unfit to represent the people of God.

However, in a messianic vein, the Lord calls on the Lord’s own name to rebuke Satan and remove Joshua’s guilt in order to give human priests a place in the heavenly court. In 1 Chronicles 21:1, Satan incited David to take a census and prompt God’s anger, while 2 Samuel 24:1 says that God was behind the event. This demonstrates that although Satan and demons are responsible for their own evil, God may sovereignly use them for his own holy purposes (cp. 1 Kgs 22:19–25).

Although decisively defeated, Satan continues his work through deception, “prowling around like a roaring lion” (1 Pet 5:8) and disguising himself as “an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14).

Even now, Satan is trying his hardest to keep people from hearing and receiving the Word of God (Matt 13:19). Moreover, Satan schemes to keep Christians from living victoriously in Christ, but God equips us to withstand demonic assaults (Eph 6:11–17), and we are called to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith (1 Pet 5:9).

Although Satan and his demons have been decisively conquered by Jesus Christ, they will still do all they possibly can to persecute the church and to conquer the world, even into the last day. The book of Revelation prophesies a vivid series of apocalyptic battles that will result in the overthrow of the dragon and his imprisonment in the abyss for a thousand years (Rev 20:1–3). At the end of the millennium, Satan will be let loose for a short time to deceive the nations again, but he will be fully and completely defeated (Rev 20:7–9). His end is presented verbally as an accomplished fact: “The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:10). The hurtful deception of humanity that began in Genesis with a denial of the word of God will end with the eternal punishment of that false demonic trinity led by Satan. And the One who has accomplished that victory over Satan and his demons is Jesus Christ.

As we said last week in our sermon:

The Christian’s task is not to win the battle, but to stand in the strength of the One who has already won.

Which is where we pick up in our passage today… Ephesians 6:13,

“Therefore take up the while armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having don all, to stand firm.”

In looking at where Paul goes with this passage, as he drives home the need to be ready for the evil that is happening around us.. this is the evil day… Ephesians 5:15–16 (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.

The days are evil, my heart and thought are evil, the enemy is evil…

How do we know if our sinful thoughts are our own flesh and evil desires, or if it's some sort of a satanic or demonic attack?

We don’t always know, but many times we can know the difference. When thoughts come completely out of nowhere and are unrelated to anything you are currently involved in, it’s likely they have come from the enemy. Ephesians 6 calls these the “flaming darts of the evil one.”

Your sin is an invitation to and opportunity to the enemy in your life.

Ephesians 4:25–32 (ESV) says, 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Mentioned last week- Satan cannot make you sin, but he can come in through his demonic forces and pour gasoline on the flame of your desire.

I feel the need to say that you cannot just move forward in your relationship with God… Without repentance and prayer your actions and intentions can open the door to demonic influence in the moment and in your life.

There are too many people who know they have sin, but in their pride they just want to move without acknowledging the truth… and if you can't admit the truth of your sin, then aren’t going to be able to live by the truth… and the hiding of sin is a characteristic of the enemy… Jesus calls us into the light and to live in the light.

And for some of you this is something that you really needed to hear today… you have unconfessed sin in your life, and you need to bring it to the Lord. And, its lily that you have sin in your life that you need to confess to someone else so that they are praying for you and encouraging you to fight in the future.

So…Spiritual warfare requires a truthful recognition of the enemy and a commitment to live with a dependence and trust in your Savior.

Look with me again at Ephesians 6:13, 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

I think, as we near the end of our time together, we need to ask what does it mean to have done all, to stand firm?

"Satan is indeed a terrible enemy. If it were not for God and the provision he has made for us for this warfare, we would be rightly downcast and discouraged, and we would despair. But we are not to do that. That is why this passage was written. It was written to tell us that, although we face a great and terrible enemy, the victory is not our enemy’s but God’s. And it is our victory, too, if we arm ourselves as we are told to arm ourselves and persevere to the end. The conclusion is a simple one—the same conclusion we came to in the previous study. Do not trust yourself. If you trust yourself, as Peter did, you will fall as Peter did. Peter told Jesus, “Even if all fall away, I will not” (Mark 14:29). But that very night, Peter, who considered himself the strongest of all the apostles, denied his Lord three times, on the last occasion even with oaths and cursings (Mark 14:66–72). If we trust to ourselves, we will fall. But if we know our own weakness and therefore turn to God as our necessary defense against Satan, then we will be able to stand against the devil’s schemes. The Bible says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7)." (Boice, James Montgomery. 1988. Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library.)

Doing all you can— Pray for help, trust God with your actions, resist sin and the devil, and believe (hope) that God is working in ways you cannot see.

2 Kings 6:8–17 (ESV)

8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice. 11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” 14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Open your eyes to the truth and do all you can because Jesus has won the victory!