Preparing for Battle

Scripture:

Ephesians 6:10–20 ESV

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, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 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, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Prayer:

FALLEN CONDITION FOCUS:

Very few of us will ever engage in military combat, but I think that every person carries around a certain awareness that life itself is somewhat of a battle.

Think of the way people talk about sports: The metaphors are too many to count, but even the built in vocabulary comes from wartime speak: “Throw a bomb”, “The defense is going to Blitz”, “The offense is lined up in an “I” Formation.”

In the medical world we speak about “battling cancer” and “they’re fighting for their life.” The business and finance world shares in the use of military metaphor as well.

The business and finance world shares in the use of military metaphor as well.

Because we’re not super-humans, we’re prone to weakness and fatigue. We all feel like quitting at times, life is hard.

Because we’re not super-humans, we’re prone to weakness and fatigue. We all feel like quitting at times, life is hard.

Using Wartime language is not new, it’s been used for literally centuries. But even though our writer, the Apostle Paul is the king of metaphors, he’s not using a metaphor when he says that

“we wrestle against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.”

That’s not metaphorically speaking, that’s literal. We fight an unseen battle.

INTRODUCTION:

We’re going to spend two weeks on the subject of Spiritual Warfare for two reasons:

I think that in our disenchanted, intellectually drunk society, we have all but ignored the spiritual battle that we’re all engaged in:

In the preface of “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis he wrote that “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.”

Because we’re about to get uncomfortably serious about disciple-making and we need to be prepared.

The enemy is perfectly content in a congregation that is so busy with their “life” that they literally have no time to invest in the ministry of the Kingdom.

The first week, I am going to walk us through several key passages in Ephesians to help us to see why spiritual warfare is heightened for the Christian and in week two, we’ll look more closely at the verses we just read in order to see how we engage in spiritual warfare.

Why is Spiritual Warfare heightened for the Christian?

Before there was “us” there was “God”

Eph 1:

Ephesians 1:3–4 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love

This is going to come as a shock to some, but God is unashamedly and completely God-Centered.

This doesn’t mean you’re not unique or loved, but it does mean this whole thing is not about you. The world does not revolve around you or even “us.”

And before the earth was ever in existence, God had a plan and within that plan God chose a people who would be set apart and without any blame before him.

This is a key starting place because if you (as a Christian) buy in to the worldview that “You determine your own destiny” and “You chart your own course” and “You’re the captain of your own ship” you will be sorely misled.

In fact, the whole idea that “God has a plan for my life” is a misunderstanding of the meaning of “God’s plan.” If our definition of “God’s plan” is outside of his actual plan, we’re really just trying to spiritualize our own plan.

God has one plan and He chose a people, redeemed those people, and uniquely gifted each person to play a role in His plan.

So then, what is God’s plan?

Ephesians 1:7–10 ESV

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Eph 1:

God’s Plan is to Unite All Things in Christ

Other translations say “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head” or “he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ.”

This reveals to us in the most basic form that God’s plan is to restore all things and all people. This implies that we all and all things needs to be restored. We’re hurting and broken, but the earth is also in disrepair as Paul tells the church in Rome that the earth itself is groaning as it waits to be restored.

This also reveals that in Christ heaven and earth will be restored to the way it was from the very beginning.

This is God’s plan, a full restoration of all things and all people.

If God’s plan is to restore mankind, What is the current state of mankind?

Ephesians 2:1–3 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Eph

This is a bleak picture, but accurate. And as Christians we’re prone to forget just where God has brought us from. We’re only where we are because of Christ.

This should inform our understanding of where people who do not believe in Jesus are content to be: “living in the passions of their flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind...”

Those who do not follow Christ are “following the prince of the power of the air” and to them all that they do makes perfect and logical sense.

And if it were not for God’s grace, we would all still be the walking dead

Ephesians 2:4–5 ESV

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

God’s plan is already at work and it has been for a long time. But His plan was at work to regenerate you to see his grace, and to answer to his voice, so when all things have been restored (in the new heavens and the new earth) he could

Ephesians 2:7 ESV

so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

And He did it of his own free will and his own work so that none of us could say that we made ourselves so holy or so good so obviously God saved us.

God does have a purpose for US within His plan:

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

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

Before Paul goes much further to explain what those good works are, he stops to remind his readers who the “WE” are that are God’s workmanship

Ephesians 2:15–16 ESV

by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

Ephesians 2:13–16 ESV

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

Eph 2:13-

God’s Plan is to Unite All Things in Christ through His Church

His death on the cross and his resurrection was the dawn of not just a new era, but a new race, the race where Jew and Gentile purchased with the blood of Christ become one family, one community, one race. Now we’re:

Ephesians 2:19 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Eph 2:

This new race called the Church (the body of Christ) now plays a key role in God’s plan to unite all things together in Christ:

Ephesians 3:10 ESV

so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

God assembled the Church to reveal the multifaceted and immeasurable wisdom of God to those who oppose Him.

When we understand this, we begin to see why

unity amongst all Christians

humility towards each other

love towards each other and even our enemies

takes up a good chunk of real estate in the Scriptures

takes up a good chunk of real estate in Paul’s letters

When we understand this, we begin to see why

All forms of racism

All forms of elitism

All forms of sexism

are dealt with harshly in Scripture. When we elevate a race, a class, or a gender above the other we disregard the imago dei; that is, we show no true understanding of God’s creation - all people are created in the image of God regardless of race, class, or gender.

The role the Church plays has cosmic effects; we are to be reflectors of God’s nature and character.

But in order for the Church to function the way God planned us to, Paul prayed that we would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to comprehend God’s love for us.

Because only when we comprehend the love the Triune God has for us can we begin to fulfill our role in God’s plan. The practical outworking of his plan begins in:

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,

The way we interact with everyone inside of the body of Christ and outside of the body of Christ is entirely different. We are given the charge to be imitators of God, to walk in love as Christ loved us. Love (agape) and not (eros) is our chief ethic in friendship, business, marriage, and raising children.

The way we interact with everyone inside of the body of Christ and outside of the body of Christ is entirely different. We are given the charge to be imitators of God, to walk in love as Christ loved us. Love (agape) and not (eros) is our chief ethic in marriage, raising children.

Ephesians 5:1–2 ESV

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

Ephesians 5:1 ESV

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

So, why is spiritual warfare heightened for the Christian?

Because everything we do is reflecting what God is like to the rest of the world, so that in their knowing of God through the drawing of the Holy Spirit, and the hearing and seeing of the Gospel through the Church, they may worship and follow Jesus.

And when we’re actively pursuing God’s plan, and God’s purpose for God’s people, we will run up against the flaming darts of the evil one.

Will we be prepared?

In the next couple of months the elders will be seeking to lead the church in a direction that

Sometimes we think of spiritual warfare as a personal struggle. But the church is actually one unit. And we are to live within our community as if we were the entire unit. We’re not a bunch of individuals trying to put on the whole armor of God, we’re one unit