“Guarding your life and heart by grace and good works” Ephesians 6;10-20

“Guarding your life and heart by grace and good works”

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.

In the face of ongoing spiritual struggles God calls Christians to do all they can to stand firm against the schemes of the Devil. (Ephesians. 6:10-13)

Look again at Ephesians 6:10-13

“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.” Ephesians 6:10-13

Satan’s Schemes: (wiles, tactics, strategy, etc):

Twisting the Word Accusation Temptation Intimidation Division Doubt Fear And more… the Bible doesn’t give an exhaustive list as much as we see the aim of the devil is rooted in rebellion.

In our last sermon we focused our attention the call to stand firm in the truth.

Doing all you can to stand firm begins with bracing yourself with the truth.

I really wish that I had time to recap everything from week to week, but I am not sure you guys would be willing to eat lunch at supper time… and at this point that what it would take to walk through Ephesians and recap each week. Even today, there is so much present in the phrase we are looking at in verse 14 that I am doing a quick fly-over of the main points from last week.

The enemy fights with lies, so begin your fight with the truth

Satan challenges God’s Word Satan questions our identity Satan manipulates Scripture Satan tempts with an alternative to faithfulness (religiously tainted compromise)

Resisting with the truth:

Know the Word and depend on it for the truth Tell yourself the truth, or preach the gospel to yourself daily. Tell one another the truth about God and the gospel. Look at yourself and the world through the lens of the truth Live by the truth

Ok, now for our message today, look further with me at verse 14 and following:

“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.” - Ephesians 6:14-20)

We are zooming in today on the phrase in verse 14, “and having put on the breastplate of righteousness…”

The main idea or driving point in our sermon is:

Doing all you can to stand firm requires “Guarding your life and heart by grace and good works”

Why do we need to guard our hearts with grace? Because the schemes of the devil include accusations. In fact, in Revelation 12 Satan is referred to as the accuser of the brethren.

Revelation 12:7-12 says,

“7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

As we have mentioned in previous sermons…

Ongoing spiritual warfare is the backdrop of the Christian life.

I mentioned the significance of Revelation 12 a few weeks ago as it relates to spiritual warfare and Satan’s relationship with God and his attacks on us. I want to read this again with you and try not to get too bogged down, but at the same time I hope that this helps provide a growing understanding of the nature of the fight we are in as Christians.

Revelation 12:1-6 (ESV)

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

Quickly…. (But not so quickly that it doesn’t make any sense)

Revelation 12:1-6

The woman represents the true people of God, beginning with Israel and continuing with the church. Her offspring are the individual members of the church

The offspring of the woman are the individual members of the church.”This fits perfectly with what the same author, the apostle John, teaches in 2 John. In 2 John he writes to the elect lady and speaks of the children of the elect lady. Well, the elect lady refers to the church conceived of as a whole, and her children refer to the members of the church. So too, here. The woman refers to the people of God as a whole, and the offspring to the individual members of God’s people. God has promised his people will rule the world, that we will judge angels. And the woman is about to give birth to the child (v. 2) that will rule the entire world.”

The Dragon is Satan

But suddenly a great enemy appears on the scene who is determined to destroy the child. This enemy is described as a fearsome dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns. We read in v 3 that he swept one-third of the stars of heaven to the earth. The stars of heaven here probably refers not to angels, but to the believers who belong to the Lord, who have a heavenly existence because they belong to God. We read about Antiochus Epiphanes, the great enemy of Israel, in Dan 8:10. “And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them.” The stars in Daniel are certainly believers, and so too here.

And now in Revelation Satan stands before the woman as she is about to give birth, so that he can destroy the Christ. Nothing has changed, for the devil has been a murderer from the beginning. The seed of the serpent, Cain, put to death, the seed of the woman, Abel. The devil tried to rid the world of Israel through Pharaoh. The devil incited Saul to try to kill the Lord’s anointed, David. The devil worked through Haman when he tried to murder Mordecai and wipe out the Jewish people. The devil was working through Antiochus Epiphanes, when he put to death those in Israel who remained faithful to the Lord. In our story the devil tried to put to death the Christ. And we see later in the story that the devil continues to persecute the church. We have a great and terrible enemy. And he hates us and our Christ. He tried to kill Jesus through Herod when Herod killed the children in Bethlehem. But he did not succeed.

The child is Jesus

In v. 5 John goes from the birth of Jesus to his ascension. John doesn’t concentrate on the cross here, but Jesus’ victory. He reigns at the right hand of God, or as Ps 2 says he will rule the nations with a rod of iron. The promise of Gen 3:15 has become a reality. The seed of the woman has triumphed over the serpent. He has crushed his head.

Revelation 12:7-12

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Revelation 12:7-12

Satan tries to destroy the church through many different means.

Let us never underestimate the might of our adversary the devil. He tries to destroy the church through persecution, or by false teaching. But he is a defeated enemy. We are told here that he is expelled from heaven and thrown to the earth. But when did this battle with Michael take place? Here we should be guided by the text. John isn’t talking here about the original fall of Satan when he first rebelled against God. Nor is John talking about Satan being evicted from heaven sometime in the future. No, the key to interpreting Michael’s victory is what we read in vv. 10-11. “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb.’” In other words, Michael didn’t triumph over the devil in his own strength. He cast him out of heaven because of the death of Christ, because of the victory won at the cross.

Victory over Satan is always through the power of Christ and because of the cross.

This fits with what John says elsewhere. As Jesus contemplates going to the cross in John 12:31 he says, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.” John doesn’t say anything different from what we find in his gospel. The devil has been cast down because he has been defeated at the cross. Michael wins the victory because of what Jesus has done at Calvary. And that means that the accuser of the brethren has now been expelled from heaven. That doesn’t mean that Satan has quit accusing us, but his accusations have no basis. He may accuse us day and night. There is not a one of us who doesn’t sin every day.

Revelation 12:13-17

13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

Revelation 12:13-17

Satan is defeated, but he is still destructive

When Satan sees that he has been defeated and no longer has access to heaven, he is enraged. He knows his time is short. He knows he is going to lose. But he fights anyway. After all, the devil is ultimately insane. He is self-destructive. And the one thing he wants to do is to destroy the woman—the people of God. And so with insane fury he attacks the church

The church is persecuted, but she is also protected

But the woman is protected by the Lord. She is given the two wings of an eagle and flees to the wilderness. The two wings of the eagle do not represent the U.S. Air force as some have said. It is something far better than that. It refers to the saving power of God himself. We are reminded of Exod 19:3, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” The church isn’t in the garden of Eden or in the heavenly city, but in the wilderness.

God instructs us in spiritual warfare because it is necessary and an ongoing part of the Christian life… You are only in the battle because you have been saved.

You are in this battle because you have been transferred from death to life, from sin to salvation, from enemy of God to child of God.

Last week: Doing all you can to stand firm begins with bracing yourself with the truth.

Today’s Message: Doing all you can to stand firm requires “Guarding your life and heart by grace and good works”

You have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

God has graciously given you a righteousness that is not your own

Ephesians 2:4–10 (ESV)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Forgiveness of sin is not enough, righteousness is required to enter the kingdom of God.

Being forgiven doesn’t change the fact that you have sinned. It only absolves you of the sins that you have committed, but it does not make you righteous… you can’t be righteous on your own when you have sin in your past, presents, and even future. This is why we more than just forgiveness.

“It’s not enough merely to have our sins forgiven; we need the positive merit of Christ reckoned to our account if we are to be declared just before a Holy God.” Matthew Barrett

But how then does this work? Ephesians 2 says it’s by the grace of God that we are saved… specifically that our works are not counted as righteous, and yet because of our faith in Christ God declares us righteous and we are able to stand before Him in the day of judgement.

A progression of Scripture will help us to see this…

Romans 4:1–12 (ESV)

4 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” 9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

God did not count Abraham righteous because of his works, it was because of his faith.

The scripture that Paul quoted in Romans 4 is Genesis 15:5–7 (ESV)

5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Ephesians 2:4–10 (ESV)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

By faith you are saved through what is referred to as “The Great Exchange”

Christ has taken our guilt and condemnation on the cross, and in exchange, we have received His impeccable righteousness.

You have not just received forgiveness for your sins, you have received the declaration of righteousness based on Jesus and not yourself.

2 Corinthians 5:16–21 (ESV)

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (ESV)

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Romans 3:19–26 (ESV)

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Philippians 3:3–8 (ESV)

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Your response to the accusations of Satan is the truth that your salvation rests in the grace of God and the righteousness of Christ.

Romans 8:1–5 (ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

Romans 8:33–34 (ESV)

33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Satan must take his issues up with God, but he can’t do that at the moment because through the cross of Christ victory was secured and he doesn’t have access to the Father anymore.

Doing all you can to stand firm requires “Guarding your life and heart by grace and good works”

You have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

This is likely where we need to finish for the sermon… check the clock… there probably isn’t time!

And

You have been saved to live, or walk, in the ways of Jesus Christ

God has called every believer to walk worthy of their calling in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 4:1 (ESV)

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

Ephesians 4:17 (ESV)

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

Ephesians 5:1–2 (ESV)

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 4:24 (ESV) says, “24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” And Ephesians 5:9 (ESV) says, “9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true).”

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

and…

Pursuing righteousness, or good works, helps guard against giving an opportunity to the devil.

2 Corinthians 6:1–10 (ESV)

Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

So when the devil tells you that your works are not worth it… when he reminds you of part of the gospel but not all of the gospel…

Your response to the accusations of the devil and even the doubts in your own mind is that Jesus is worth it and you are pursuing the life that God has always had in mind for you.

Scripture:

Isaiah 59:17 (ESV)

17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.

Ephesians 4:24 (ESV)

24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 5:9 (ESV)

9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

Notes & Quotes:

Satan’s Schemes (wiles, tactics, strategy, etc)

Temptation, Accusation, Intimidation, Division, Twisting the Word, Doubt, Fear, etc

For Martin Luther and John Bunyan the discovery of the imputed righteousness of Christ was the greatest life-changing experience they ever had. Luther said it was like entering a paradise of peace with God. For Bunyan it was the end of years of spiritual torture and uncertainty. What would you give to know for sure that your legal acceptance and approval before God was as sure as the standing of Jesus Christ, his Son?

There is no other way for sinners to be justified from the curse of the law in the sight of God, than by the imputation of that righteousness long ago performed by, and still residing with, the person of Jesus Christ.- John Bunyan

“It’s not enough merely to have our sins forgiven; we need the positive merit of Christ reckoned to our account if we are to be declared just before a holy God. By living a perfect life and by dying an atoning death, Christ merited perfect righteousness, and He credits this righteousness to all those who place their faith in God’s Son (Rom. 4:6; Gen. 15:6). As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (ESV).” Matthew Barrett

As John Calvin observes, not only does justification “consists in the remission of sins” but also in “the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.” A “great exchange” has taken place: Christ has taken our guilt and condemnation on the cross, and in exchange, we have received His impeccable righteousness.

Imputation is the Christian’s only hope for right standing in the heavenly courtroom before the divine Judge. Clothed in the righteousness of Christ our Savior, we have every assurance that we are no longer enemies of God but declared just in His sight. Only the righteousness of Christ can give us the peace with God that Luther discovered.

“We know that by nature we are sinful, unholy and ungodly. The Bible sums it up with these words: ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). So whatever is done to change our condition must be done by some power outside of ourselves.” - Billy Graham