Our Battle

Good morning

Did you know it is easier to weight fish than chicken?

Fish come with scales!

This Wednesday night we are starting a new study. There will be a short video and then we will discuss what we learned.

The Gospel Jam is this Friday night! Come out for some great music and great fellowship.

Today we are going to be in Ephesians 6:10-12.

The book of Ephesians can be broken up into 3 categories: Wealth of a believer (ch 1-3), Work of a believer (ch 4-6:9), and Warfare of a believer.

We look at the wealth we have in Christ and the work that we are to do because we are in Christ. Today we are going to look at the battle we fight because we are in Christ.

This last section comes with a jolt in contrast to the rest of the book. Paul has talked about the bright secrets of grace: the mystery of their election, the wonder of their salvation and spiritual resurrection, the celebration of divine power in their lives, of their heavenly position, their peace, their unity, their giftedness, the call to live as light and be filled with the Spirit and live out the beautiful life of mutual submission as husband and wives, parents and children, and masters and slaves. Paul gives us these exalted thoughts of our lives in Christ and then he hits us with the ugly life of warfare and battle. We are to live out the beautiful lives that Paul describes in Chapters 1-6:10 even though we are living behind enemy lines.

As believers, we face three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world refers to the system around us that is opposed to God, that caters to the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Society apart for God is a simple, but accurate definition of the world. The flesh is the old nature that we inherited from Adam, a nature that is opposed to God and can do nothing spiritual to please God. By His death and resurrection, Christ overcame the world, and the flesh, and the devil. As believers we do not fight for victory, we fight from victory!

The intelligence corps plays a vital part in warfare because it enables us to know and understand the enemy. Unless we know who the enemy is, where he is, and what he can do, we have a difficult time defeating him. Not only in Ephesians 6, but throughout the entire Bible, God instructs us about the enemy, so there is no reason for us to be caught off guard.

The Biblical worldview is that we are in a spiritual battle with evil in which there is no truce, no quarter. The war is won, but until Christ returns, the enemy will fight and so must we!

Please stand as we prepare to read God’s Word

Ephesians 6:10–12 NASB 2020

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 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.

Pray

Paul starts off with finally, he is wrapping up his letter and he has told us our wealth in Christ and our work in Christ and now he is telling us our strength is from Christ. Christ is our everything!

Exalting Jesus in Ephesians We Need the Lord’s Strength (6:10–11, 13)

We must be strengthened by the mighty power of the Lord because we do not want to crumble when the evil one tempts us.

Do not look in the wrong place for strength. Our strength is not in our resources and ability, in how long we have been Christians, in how much we know about the Bible, or in how long we have been in ministry. Our strength is in our union with Jesus Christ and His mighty power (1:19). In another passage that alludes to being a soldier, Paul says, “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (

Exalting Jesus in Ephesians We Need to Know Our Enemy (6:11–13)

Paul has already mentioned “the Devil” in Ephesians (4:27). His Greek title, Diabolos, means “slanderer.” He opposes. He accuses. “Satan” in Hebrew means “adversary.” Consider some other titles:

• “The Devil” (

Exalting Jesus in Ephesians We Need to Know Our Enemy (6:11–13)

Further, the evil one is also strategic. In verse 11 Paul tells us to be aware of the Devil’s “schemes” (ESV) or “tactics.” Satan is wily, subtle, and devious. Paul has pointed out some of the ways he works already. He tries to gain a foothold by tempting us to speak falsehood (4:25), have uncontrolled anger (4:26), steal (4:28), or share unwholesome talk (4:29). These are all former ways of life, the ways we once walked before God made us alive with Christ (2:1–5). Satan can make things look attractive and desirable and distort the truth, camouflaging the evil.

Next the evil one wrestles. In verse 12 Paul says we “battle” or “wrestle” (ESV) not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil. The word used to describe the battle is not used elsewhere in the New Testament but was commonly used for the sport of wrestling in the first century (O’Brien, Ephesians, 465). The context of the match is between soldiers. It is a close, intense battle, filled with manipulation and strategy. The Devil is not firing laser guided missiles from a distance; he is upon us. Jesus told Peter, “Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail” (

When we realize that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, it is easier to love people. Even those who attack us, make fun of us. They are doing the will of their father the devil. It is him we are fighting not the people. I believe that is why Paul was able to love those who kept him in prison and so many of the Roman guards were won to Christ!

We must have this same attitude towards the non believers of our day. We must show them love and grace. All while we are fighting their master the devil! He will not stop until Christ comes back. We must not stop fighting either! We must have the same zeal that he has. Next we are going to look at the armor that we are to use in the battle!

Pray