Be Strong in the Lord!

Know your Enemy/Be Strong in the Lord

INTRODUCTION: As Paul nears the end of EPHESIANS, he closes with a final series of admonitions. He challenges his readers to open their eyes to the spiritual warfare in which they are engaged. He calls them to be sure they are on the right foundation, wearing the proper spiritual garments, fighting the right enemies, and trusting the right Lord. Verses 10-18 are a statement about the matter of Spirit-Filled Warfare.

Be Strong in the Lord...

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (vs. 10)

We are called to be strengthened in the Power of Christ Himself. Paul writes in

Philippians 4:13 NIV

13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

The Power Paul is talking about is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead () that brought them to life when they were dead in the sins (2:1) It adequacy cannot possibly be in doubt!

God is ‘All’ powerful.

Mark 10:27 NIV

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

In the Hebrew language He is “The Almighty” - “El Shaddai”

Genesis 35:11 NIV

11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.

Our strength is in the Person of Jesus Christ. The Word ‘Strong’ means to be empowered; to be strengthened. It was used to speak of someone who was on their deathbed with illness, but recovers. What seems to be impossible become the possible.

We are weak creatures! We are weak emotionally. We are weak in the way we think. We are weak in our spirits. We are weak when it comes to temptation and sin. We are weak in our ability to control our own wills. We are simply weak and we need someone to help us. The strength we need to walk in victory in the battles of life will never come from within ourselves. The strength we need can only come from the Lord.

ILLUSTRATION: When Paul wrote about his thorn in the flesh and how he prayed to have God remove it, he said,

I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

In Ephesians Paul wrote: “be strong in the Lord.” This means that any spiritual strength we can ever hope too possess must come from Him. Spiritual power can only be ours through a relationship with Jesus Christ. This means that just as we trust Jesus and His death and resurrection to save us, we must trust Him to give us the spiritual power we so desperately need. Just as we need His righteousness to enter into God’s Heaven, we need His power if we are going to stand against the attacks we face in life. Just as we need His blood to take away our sins, we need His power to defeat Satan.

He says to ‘Put on’ the Armor of God. Yes, our strength and power come from God - From Jesus. But we are to put Him on - in

Romans 13:14 NIV

14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

All that we need is Jesus - His truth - His righteousness - his peace - his faith - his salvation - his sword.

Truth - is found in Jesus Christ ; ;

John 14:6 NIV

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 1:14 NIV

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 18:37–38 NIV

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” 38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

John 14:6 NIV

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Put on Christ… All that we need is in Jesus! It begins with believing in the reality and truth of the fact that there is a God, One true God, who is greater than us; who created us; who provides for us; who empowers us to be strong. It comes from appropriating the power God has given to us, by saying Yes to Jesus; Jesus I need you - I need your strength - I am weak, but you are strong. Be my strength. What happens is God’s truth becomes our truth; His ways become our ways; His power becomes our power; His strength becomes our strength. It is not a magical formula… it is a majestic faith. A faith that is willing to say, I do not understand all this but i am willing to trust in God!

John 1:14 NIV

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 14:6 NIV

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

One Commentary wrote: We must remember that we are not fighting for victory, we are fighting from victory. If there is to be any spiritual power, any spiritual victory, it must come from Him. It must be given to us by the Lord. True spiritual power will only come to those who are “in the Lord.” So The Source Of Spiritual Strength is Jesus Christ, and His power is only given to those who are in a faith relationship with Him.

John 15:1 NIV

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

This then brings us to the fact that we must be aware of our ‘Enemy’ Even though he has been defeated, he has never stopped trying, nor will he, to keep us separated from God. He will use several any means to try to keep us from God...

Be Aware of our Adversary - Satan

Paul calls him the ‘Devil.’ We must know our enemy; who we are going up against. In

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:8 NIV

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

A lion is the epitome of strength. the most fierce animal in the Kingdom. They weigh around 370 - 500 LBS. they have a speed burst of 50 miles and hour. He roars when he wakes and just before he sets out to hunt for prey. Satan is a roaring ‘Lion.’

We first encounter Satan in the Garden of Eden where he uses one of his tactics to ‘deceive’ Adam and Eve. He will use doubt, deception, Distractions, division, depression, and derision…

Satan will use Deception

Jesus tells us that Satan’s native language is “Lying.”

John 8:44 NIV

44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Many people face stronghold of fear, anxiety, addiction, and more… they are all based upon lies that Satan puts into our minds. And it does that through circumstances, which cause us to think about things that are not true.

As we began our Study in Ephesians, what were some of the things that Paul wanted his readers to know?

They were chosen by God ()

They have been redeemed (1:7)

They have been forgiven (1:7)

God has poured out his love on them (1:8)

They have purpose (1:9)

God is in Control (1:11)

Salvation comes from God (2:8-9)

The were once in darkness, now they are in light (Chapter 4)

So what is it so many people, even Christians struggle with? Does God really love me? Have I been forgiven? Does my life have any purpose? Is God really in Control? ALL these things that cause us doubt come from Satan who lies about God’s love, forgiveness, purpose, and control.

He is the master of false advertising. He will lie to you about God’s goodness, trustworthiness, and what is morally right and wrong.

He uses Distractions

Psalm 55:2–3 NASB95

2 Give heed to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted, 3 Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the pressure of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me And in anger they bear a grudge against me.

Psalm 55:2–3 HCSB

2 Pay attention to me and answer me. I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint, 3 because of the enemy’s voice, because of the pressure of the wicked. For they bring down disaster on me and harass me in anger.

Satan will constantly try to get you off track! He will even try to get you to focus on good things which are not God’s best things! While Jesus was serving the last passover, having washed his disciples feet, alerting them of His upcoming death, they were in a sidebar dispute about which of them was the greatest ()

Jesus was teaching in Martha and Mary’s house and while Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus listening, Martha was in the kitchen rattling pots and pans because she couldn’t take time out of her busy schedule to listen to Jesus. ()

In our day of digital demands, Satan can easily distract us by the ding of a text or a phone call. Even while we are praying he can distract us by focusing on our ‘To Do’ list.

He uses Division

God calls the church to Unity… Satan knows that “if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” () Anger and argument among God’s people may not destroy the gospel, but they can destroy your testimony and effectiveness in sharing it. He stirs the pot by people being at odds with others… wives and husbands against one another; children disobeying their parent, quarreling in the church. Satan sows seeds of discord, leaving the witness of the church ineffective.

He uses Derision

which is ridicule or mockery… When he is not lying, he is usually running you down or running down someone else in your mind. Bringing things up from your past. Falsely presuming someone else's guilt. he incited doubt… accusing you of not being good enough...

the only way to defuse Satan is by being ‘In’ Christ… by being in his word; by taking time to pray and when i say pray, not just asking God for things, but taking time to read his word and listen to him; to seek him; to know his voice … that you are loved… that you are worthy; that you are his child; that you are forgiven; that you do make a difference.

That’s how we throw out trumped up charges… lies that Satan throws our way.

Know your enemy… Know his tactics… Know that you are not alone… that God loves you unconditionally!!!

Be aware that we ‘All’ have struggles

Ephesians 6:12 NIV

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

There are a couple of words in t his verse that demand special attention. One of the word “wrestle” the other is the word “for.”

• The word “our” simply tell us that "We” are in this together… that “We” all have the same ‘Enemy’ and “Struggles,” only in different forms.

The word “wrestle” is a word used to describe “hand-to-hand combat.” It speaks of the ancient struggles that took place in the Roman arenas. When the combatants met on that field of battle, they were not wrestling to win a prize like modern athletes. They were fighting for their lives, because those ancient contests were a fight to the death. Thus, it really was “no holds barred” wrestling. The combatants used deception and trickery to defeat their opponents. They cheated, and did what they had to do to win.

• The word “for” reminds us why we must wear the armor of God, if we are to be successful in the battles of life. The very nature of the enemies we face along the way require that we face them in God’s power and not in our own strength.

We are in a literal fight for our lives. Our enemy will stop at nothing to destroy us. He will use any trick, any deception, any tactic at all to bring about our defeat. We need God’s power. We need God’s help. We need Him if we hope to stand against the relentless attacks the enemy. Notice what this verse teaches us about our enemy and his identity.

The implications of this verse is crystal clear. Our enemy is never another human. People hurt us. People lie to us. People are mean to us. People do us wrong. But that does not make them the enemy. They may be doing the work of the enemy, but they are not the enemy. They may want to see our destruction, but they are not the enemy. They may hate us, but they are not the enemy.

When other humans act against us, we have two choices. We can become angry, hold a grudge and try to get even, or we can forgive them and move on. If we take the first option and seek our pound of flesh, we are really no different than the person who has wronged us. If we hate, hold grudges, and grow bitter toward others, damage our testimony and we dishonor the Lord we claim to love. However, if we forgive the offending party, we act like Jesus, because that is what He did when He was crucified, . We act like Him, because that is what He did when we came to Him for salvation, and when we have returned for cleansing time after time. He does not hold our past against us. He forgives us and He restore us. That is the same kind of love and grace we are to extend to others.

In His book Firmly Planted Robby Gallaty writes… The Enemy has been defeated. In the fall of 1944, Nazi Germany had been nearly destroyed from the bombings of allied troops… People celebrated the upcoming victory over Germany across Europe and Great Britain. The problem was the German soldiers didn’t get the message that the war was over.

Until his final days on earth, Hitler was scheming and planning a new attack. While the allied troops celebrated, Hitler was conspiring. He established a plan to disrupt communication between the British in the North and the Americans in the South by occupying the middle ground. One what was called the Battle of the Bulge, one million men fought across an eighty-five mile front for over a month. Thousands of men lost their lives in this bloody battle. His advancement sealed the fate of his men and the end of the war. He didn’t realize he was defeated before the battle of the bulge began.

Similarly, Satan has been utterly defeated through the cross of Christ. What appeared to be Satan’s greatest victory was actually his ultimate defeat. Although Christ was completely and utterly humiliated through His trial, crucifixion and death, the cross was the means by which Christ debased Satan and disarmed death. ()

Colossians 2:15 NIV

15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Even though Christ is the victor, the war is not over. Satan continues to lead a covert battle of deception. The devil seeks to convince us that he still has power over our lives and that he has the right to take back territory Christ has won. He doesn’t!

Satan’s power is limited by God’s control over him He can go no further than God allows. Satan is powerful, but finite. He is a created creature, like us. He is smart, but he is not Omniscient (all knowing) He is strong, but not Omnipotent (all powerful) He is fast, but he is not omnipresent.

Do not be afraid, for he “One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4)

Conc: How do we defeat an enemy like that? Here’s how: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” That’s the only way it can be done!

You are no match for the devil. You are no match for his demons. But, Jesus is! When we stand in Him, He will equip us to stand for Him.

So, two questions come to mind as I close.

• Are you “in Him?” If you are, you can stand. If you are not, you are already defeated, but you can get in “in Him,” if you will come to Him.

• Are you standing in His power? Are you fighting the right enemies? Are you winning or losing in the battles of life?

If you need help in the spiritual battles of life, I invite you to come to Jesus Christ, call on Him for the help you need. He will enable you to stand.

Last thought… by Robby Gallaty...

The word “Be Strong” can be translated “Be Strengthened” or “Made strong.” One would expect the verb to be an active verb, implying an action performed by the readers; however, the verb is passive, indicating an action ‘received’ by God, not achieved by man. God is the author and initiator of the action. Paul prayed… For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family kn heaven and on earth is named. I pray that He (God) may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be Strengthened’ with power in the inner man through His Spirit.”

The only way we can overcome the devil is through the Strength of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is our hope. We have an active adversary, with the instinct of a lion… victory is appropriated in the power of Jesus Christs.

2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV

4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Psalm 103:8–13 NIV

8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;