Stand and Fight - Ephesians 6:10-14a

Introduction: 4th-grade wrestling State Meet. I stood at the center of the mat, getting ready to wrestle a kid from across the state of Wyoming. It was my first year of wrestling, and because I was bigger than most 4th graders, I had only wrestled one other kid all season—and he wasn’t very good. The week before, I had traveled several hours with a friend’s family to the Regional Meet—and took first place, mostly because I was the only one in my weight class.

Back at the State Meet, standing on that mat, I thought I was ready. My dad remembers that moment clearly: looking at the two wrestlers, he knew I was in trouble. The match started—and lasted 11 seconds. My dad told me years later he wasn’t sure I could have gotten on my back and pinned myself that fast if I tried. Truth be told, I was there for the snacks and the glory, with no idea that I was about to enter a real battle.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians has been building to this very point: It is a God-centered letter, first showing us who the Lord is and then who we are in Him. (25-30 times) Now in Chapter 6 we are called to stand and fight against our enemy in the strength of the Lord. The problem is, like 4th-grade me on that mat, we often don’t realize we’re already in a battle, in our case a cosmic, unseen battle for the ages, for our joy and the glory of the LORD—one that can only be won by those who are in Christ, putting on the armor of Christ and standing firm in His strength.

Background: Ephesus was a spiritual city. The cult of Diana or Artemis. The worshippers touted their goddess as supreme and a cosmic power superior to any other deity. Magic was a big thing in Ephesus. Scholars said that of all the ancient Greco-Roman cities, Ephesus was the most hospitable to magicians, sorcerers and charlatans. In other words Ephesus was a large city with a worldview that was heavy into the occult, powers of darkness, and they understood that spiritual power was a real thing. As the gospel went out in power in the region, the spiritual battle was real.

Outline Problem: Whether it is that we have a functional naturalistic worldview that discounts the spiritual world we live in or that we tend to live in our own strength discounting out need for God we are often not equipped for the war of life.

C. S. Lewis wisely observed, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”

Textual Idea MPT: Paul reminds the Ephesian Church that in Christ, they can find their strength in the LORD to put on God’s armor and stand firm against the schemes of their enemy the devil.

Read Text: Ephesians 6:10–14 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. 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. Stand therefore,”

Sermon Idea MPS: In Christ, You can be strengthened in the LORD to put on the armor of God and stand firm against the schemes of your enemy the devil. 3 keys to Standing effectively against the schemes of the devil.

Be Strengthened in the LORD. (Eph. 6:10)

Explanation: Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” Last- ending. There are two things about the language that Paul uses that are important.

Passive middle voice - let yourself be strengthened. Draw strength for yourselves. The strength is in the LORD. He is the one who is strong. To be enabled in the LORD. To be rendered capable for a task.

Present Imperative- Continuing action. The idea here is to be continually strengthened in the LORD. In christ there is a constant ongoing supply of all we need for the battle.

Left to ourselves in the battle that is being described we have inadequate strength. Overmatched is an understatement.

To be strong in the LORD is to acknowledge our own weakness in and of ourselves and acknowledge that in Christ we are stronger than we ever imagined.

Ephesians 1:19–20 “and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,”

Argument:

Tempted towards a peace-time mentality. (Piper teaches in his great book on missions “Let the Nations Be Glad” that Life is War) We live in a war therefore must be tied to the fine. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Tempted to operate in our own strength.

Illustration: if you experience a Power outage, and you walk into a room you turn on the light by habit expecting the light to cmon. But you are not connected to the power. That’s what it’s like to live life in this war in our own strength. In a peace time mentality we take periods of time non-chalantly walking in our own strength disconnected from God.

Application: The entire book of Ephesians if there is one theme it it union with Christ. Walk with the LORD through union with Christ. Walk in Community through union with Christ. He is in us. That is where the power is. Colossians 1:29 “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” ow your Enemy and his Schemes.

Know your enemy and his schemes (Eph. 6:12)

Explanation: schemes- methodia - (method) a way of doing something (deceptive) especially in a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement.

slanderer- accuser- liar.

seeks to get us to Question or doubt the LORD

seeks to use pain or disappointment to tear down our confidence in the LORD.

twists the word-

goes after weakness.

Illustration: Watch film and look for weaknesses to expose. Film exchange. Gentlemen’s agreement.

Ephesians 6:12 “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.” Wrestle- grappling, hand to hand combat. against flesh and blood-human.

verse 12 - rulers- supernatural rulers.

authorities- a person who governs or excersices control over others.

cosmic powers- world influence, both human and supernatural powers.

darkness- evil realm

spiritual forces of evil- world of spiritual depravity

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

Illustration: Just can’t win. Raleigh Fuller.

Argument:

Unaware and ignorant of the spiritual battle that is taking place or hyper focused on the battle in a human way.

Exposing a weakness

Application:

Repent of known sin.

Know who your enemy is.

Be aware of His schemes in a balanced way.

Suit up and Stand firm. (Eph. 6:11, 13-14a)

Explanation:

Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” clothe yourselves with the whole armor of God. No partial suiting up will do.

The entire letter has been training us how to put on the whole armor. The armor is the truths we have been learning. Who God is? and Who we are in Him? Walking in that truth is walking in the armor. We will get specific.

Charles Spurgeon highlights our need to wear the whole armor of God at all times: [Satan] will attack you sometimes by force and sometimes by fraud. By might or by sleight he will seek to overcome you and no unarmed man can stand against him. Never go out without all your armor on, for you can never tell where you may meet the devil. He is not omnipresent, but nobody can tell where he is not, for he and his troops of devils appear to be found everywhere on this earth.

Illustration: Cedric Ellison. Regular Practice and gameday.

Charles Spurgeon highlights our need to wear the whole armor of God at all times: [Satan] will attack you sometimes by force and sometimes by fraud. By might or by sleight he will seek to overcome you and no unarmed man can stand against him. Never go out without all your armor on, for you can never tell where you may meet the devil. He is not omnipresent, but nobody can tell where he is not, for he and his troops of devils appear to be found everywhere on this earth.

Explanation: Ephesians 6:13 “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.”

Standing- not passive. to hold ones position continually. to stand like an oak tree against the winds of Satans lies. Rooted and built up in Christ. Rooted to the victorious one. The victory has been won. The death blow has been delivered. Our role is to stand firm in Christ.

Argument: Spiritual warfare seems obscure and mystical.

The ordinary means of grace, acknowledging who the LORD is and who we are in Him is the key. Enjoy your life in the LORD. Walk with him in power. Stand in the presence and power of Christ.

Application:

Remember that The Battle is the LORD's (aren’t you glad)

Posture yourself appropriately- Ordinary means of grace.

Corporate worship, study etc.. together. Pray together.

Prayer- recruit prayer

Humility

Meditation on the Word