Ephesians 6:10-17 Dressing for Battle

Ephesians 6 Verses 10 to 17 Dressing for Battle March 23, 2025 Lesson 12 The Immeasurable Love of Christ Class Presentation Notes AAAA

Background Scriptures:

• John 8:32 (NASB95)

“and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

• 1 Corinthians 1:30 (NASB95)

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,”

• John 16:33 (NASB95)

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

• Acts 4:12 (NASB95)

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

• Romans 13:14 (NASB95)

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

• Psalm 64:2–3 (NASB95)

2 Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers,

From the tumult of those who do iniquity,

3 Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword.

They aimed bitter speech as their arrow,

• Hebrews 4:12 (NASB95)

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Main Idea:

• The Christian life is not a playground but rather a battleground.

Study Aim:

• To understand that we as believers need to advance to the front line of spiritual battle and stand firm.

Create Interest:

• It is always a challenge, I am sure, when laying out Bible Studies as to what to include due to limited time. In Ephesians 5:22-33 Paul focused on marriage relationships as being like Christ and the Church. In Ephesians 6:1-9, he focused on family relationships. I truly wish we had the time to have a lesson on each of those groups of Scriptures, but I can make you aware of them and encourage you to read them on your own and allow the teachings of them to be part of your life. You will be blessed by the focus.

• In our lesson today we should put on our “ancient ears” and hear what was heard to be able to apply the lessons to our lives in our daily battle with Satan and his cohorts….Join me in the journey…You’ll be glad you did.

Lesson in Historical Context:

• Having concluded his discussion regarding respect and proper functioning within household relationships, Paul shifts his focus externally. His previous exhortations regarded how those within the church should function together as they sought to maintain unity and achieve spiritual growth. In this pericope Paul addresses the external aspect of believers’ lives. While his instructions for internal relationships centered on respect and unity, his concern in these verses is based on a recognition of the hostility for which Christians must prepare. Thus, he calls on them to be strong and equipped to do battle against those opposing the gospel (6:10–17). He uses military imagery to help convey the nature of the conflict. He then concludes with a personal appeal to the Ephesians to be ready for the opposition that they will face and to support him in the battle he is enduring (6:18–20).

Bible Study:

Ephesians 6:10 (NASB95)

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

• Paul exhorted believers to be strong in the Lord and in the might (kratei, “power that overcomes resistance” as used in Christ’s miracles) of God’s inherent strength (ischyos; cf. “the power [kratous] of His inherent/natural strength” [ischyos] in Ephesians 1:19 (NASB95) “and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.

o These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might”. Hence believers can be strengthened not only by the person of the Lord but also by His resources Philippians 4:13 (NASB95) “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Ephesians 6:11 (NASB95)

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

• Put on is a common expression in Ephesians and Colossians used, as has been seen, in the context of baptism (4:24; Col. 3:10, 12). The aorist tense indicates that the author is thinking of a specific time or situation when this took place in the believer’s life. “This would fit a baptismal occasion when the new Christian is ready to step out in his new venture of Christian discipleship” (Mitton, p. 220). Stand, as noted above, was a common theme in the catechetical instruction of the early church.

o The believer’s equipment is the full armor of God (tēn panoplian tou theou)—full in the sense of adequacy and quality and not completeness, since there were other items that a “fully armed” person would require for combat.

• Paul defines the enemies of the believer and what to do about them. The enemies include the Devil, principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. What is this all about? Let’s dig a little deeper.

• We are to stand against the wiles of the devil. This word “stand” is from the word histemi {hisʹ-tay-mee} which means “to stand firm.” When this word was used in a military sense, it had the idea of holding a critical position while under attack. We are to endure for a lifetime and have been given the ability to do this with God’s help and His armor.

• My questions are……………………………………………………………

o Are you standing for the Lord now or being engulfed by the world?

o Are you being pushed around or swayed by ungodly people?

o Do they intimidate you to get involved in drunkenness, drugs, nudity, immorality, or theft?”

 As a Christian, you are to stand against these things and not be involved in them.

• What are the wiles of the Devil? This word “wiles” is from the word methodeia {meth-od-iʹ-ah} which means “the deceit, trickery, methods, or schemes” of Satan. It carries the idea of craftiness, cunning, and deception. It is a term used referencing a wild animal who cunningly stalked and then unexpectedly pounced upon its prey. So what are some of Satan’s schemes or wiles? ……………Check out the following list!.................................

o Zechariah 3:1 (NASB95) The Work of God he opposes

“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.”

o Matthew 4:6 (NASB95) The Word of God he opposes

and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’;

and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’ ”

o 2 Corinthians 11:14 (NASB95) A wonder of Angelic Appearance he may take

“No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

 If you are not sure about something or someone, find out what they believe about Jesus Christ. We are to try or test their beliefs.

1 John 4:1–3 (NASB95) test the spirits

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;

3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

o John 18:25–27 (NASB95) The workers he snares.

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.”

26 One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, *said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”

27 Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

o John 8:44 (NASB95) The Word of Truth he despises.

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

o 2 Corinthians 4:3–4 (NASB95) The wicked he blinds.

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

o Revelation 12:9 (NASB95) The world he deceives.

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him..

Ephesians 6:12 (NASB95)

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

• Satan, the enemy, has many different names. Devil means “accuser,” because he accuses God’s people day and night before the throne of God (Rev. 12:7–11). Satan means “adversary,” because he is the enemy of God. He is also called the tempter (Matt. 4:3), and the murderer and the liar (John 8:44). He is compared to a lion (1 Peter 5:8), a serpent (Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9), and an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:13–15), as well as “the god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4, NIV).

• Where did he come from, this spirit-creature that seeks to oppose God and defeat His work? Many students believe that in the original Creation, he was “Lucifer, son of the morning” (Isa. 14:12–15) and that he was cast down because of his pride and his desire to occupy God’s throne. Unlike God, Satan is not all-knowing, or all-powerful so he must have helpers.

• Satan’s helpers. Paul called them “principalities … powers … rulers … spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). Charles B. Williams translates it: “For our contest is not with human foes alone, but with the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark world; that is, with the spirit forces of evil challenging us in the heavenly contest” (WMS).

o A spiritual battle is going on in this world, and in the sphere of “the heavenlies,” and you and I are a part of this battle. Knowing this makes “walking in victory” a vitally important thing to us—and to God.

o The important point is that our battle is not against human beings. It is against spiritual powers. We are wasting our time fighting people when we ought to be fighting the devil who seeks to control people and make them oppose the work of God.

• Satan’s abilities. The admonitions Paul gave indicate that Satan is a strong enemy (Eph. 6:10–12), and that we need the power of God to be able to stand against him.

o Jesus calls Satan a thief who comes “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10).

o Not only is Satan strong, but he is also wise and subtle, and we fight against “the wiles of the devil.” Wiles means “cunning, crafty arts, stratagems.”

o The Christian cannot afford to be “ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). Some men are cunning and crafty and “lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14), but behind them is the arch-deceiver, Satan. He masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) and seeks to blind men’s minds to the truth of God’s Word.

• The fact that Paul uses the word “wrestle” indicates that we are involved in a hand-to-hand battle and are not mere spectators at a game. Satan wants to use our external enemy, the world, and our internal enemy, the flesh, to defeat us. His weapons and battle plans are formidable.

Ephesians 6:13–17 (NASB95)

13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;

16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

• What we have in the present passage, and what I believe is required again and again as Christians face the daily and yearly battle for the kingdom, is a sober, realistic assessment both of the struggle we are engaged in and of the weapons at our disposal.

• It is, of course, a surprise to many people that there is a ‘struggle’ at all. Yes, they think, we find it difficult from time to time to practice our Christianity. We find it hard to forgive people, to pray regularly, to resist temptation, to learn more about the faith. But as far as they’re concerned that’s the end of it. They have never thought that their small struggles might be part of a larger campaign. They are like soldiers fighting in a fog: never seeing, and actually not knowing about, the others not far away in the same line of battle, let alone the other theatres where the war is continuing.

• The weapons Paul speaks of are mainly defensive, equipping us to withstand attack and still be standing up at the end of the day. The belt, the breastplate, the shoes, the shield and the helmet, are all to enable you to remain safe under attack. Only the sword has a potentially attacking capability. We’ll come to that in a moment; but notice what the Christian’s defensive armor consists of. Following that check the offensive armor.

• In 10–18 we see “The Warfare of the Sanctified.”

o Our relentless foe must be faced and conquered. For this we are to take the whole armor of God, Vs. 11–13.

o The defensive armor—Vs. 14, 16,

 The girdle of truth—an enlightened understanding and a steadfast character.

 The breastplate of righteousness—a holy life to absorb criticism and persecution.

 The shield of faith to ward off the enemy’s vicious attack,

o The offensive armor. Vs. 15, 17. There must be offensive action to win—

 The sword of the Spirit—God’s Word in hand, the Bible in heart and in mind.

 Feet shod for long, arduous marches in obedience to Christ, the Commander.

 The protection of the feet and ancles consisted of two parts.

• The sandals, or shoes, which were probably made so as to cover the foot, and which often were fitted with nails, or armed with spikes, to make the hold firm in the ground; or

• the greaves that were fitted to the legs, and designed to defend them from any danger. These greaves, or boots (1 Sam. 17:6), were made of brass, and were in almost universal use among the Greeks and Romans.

 As such, the gospel of Christ to which the “soldier” has been reconciled becomes his foundation or foothold for the battle at hand (Wood, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, 11:88.)

 The helmet of salvation to guide and guard our thoughts that they be for Christ rather than sinful, selfish ends.

• All of our spiritual equipment is to be strengthened and reinforced by prayer, 18 (G. B. Williamson).

Thoughts to Soak on:

• Paul says it three times: the objective in our warring with the dark forces is that we “stand firm” (vv. 11, 13–14).

o This is why we seek spiritual strength (v. 10)

o and why we “take up the full armor of God” (vv. 11–17)—“so that [we] will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (v. 13).

o Yes, we are to be on the move with our gospel boots (v. 15), pushing into enemy territory and winning souls.

 Yet, when it comes to our direct dealings with demonic temptations, accusations, and so on, the goal is simply to hold our ground.

• The battle plan is that simple: “Stand firm.”

o On the one hand, we must not retreat. We must not give in to Satan’s temptations or give way before his accusations and lies.

o On the other hand, God does not require his people to storm the battlefield and overthrow Satan ourselves.

 Jesus has already done that, according to Hebrews 2:14. Satan is already a defeated foe. Like all retreating armies, however, he and his minions would love, as they flee the battlefield, to wound as many of their enemies as possible.

 Therefore, while we do not have to march out and defeat him in pitched battle, we must still “stand firm” as the devil retreats and fires volleys into our ranks. We must not allow ourselves to be unnecessarily cut down or beaten back by the temptations, doubts, fears, and false beliefs that are constantly being fired at us by the enemy of our souls.

So what do we make of all of this?

• “Stand firm”—that is the objective in spiritual warfare. But how can we achieve it? What must God’s people do if they are to “be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (v. 11)? Paul’s famous and memorable answer is that we must …

• “Put on the full armor of God” (vv. 11–17)

Questions to soak on and discuss as we go our way…………………………

• Paul said that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood,” but against “spiritual forces,” or spiritual beings (verse 12). For what goal was Paul struggling? (Compare 3:8–10 and 2 Corinthians 10:3–5.)

• What do you think it means to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (verse 10)?

• What is Paul’s counsel in verse 11 (also in verse 13) for engaging in the struggle defined in verse 12?

Grace and peace to you as you stand firm for Christ. Happy Trails to you.