14. Lesson 14 Ephesians Chosen to stand in power Ephesians 6 verses 10 to 17

Church of Christ Dapto The letter to the Church in Ephesus Lesson 14—Chosen to stand in power Ephesians 6:10-17      Be Strong in the Lord Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Finally! This is the last instruction on how to live a wise life. Ephesians 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise It is not last because it is least important, but is the means of how we are to do all that we have been commanded to do. This is the empowerment stage for our obedience: how God has made it possible for us to obey the instructions. His commands are not just given to us, and then we are left to try our best. He tells us what to do, shows us how to do it in ways that please Him, then He gives us all the means we need to obey. It is no wonder that He is displeased when we choose to disobey because we claim that what He has called and chosen us to do is too hard! All the commands God gives us are for our benefit and blessing: showing us how to live the life of joy and satisfaction that He has given us in Christ. Be strong It is a command. The alternative is to be weak. Being weak means we do not have the power or strength to stand up against all that opposes us, and aims to destroy us. Being weak means that we give in to all the temptations which come from the world, or which we choose to pursue. Being weak means that we believe the lie that God will still accept us even though we are still committed to a life of sin, after being saved by Christ. Being weak means that we do not live the life of righteousness to which we have been called. If we choose to be weak we show we believe that God is weaker than all the other forces in the world. We are not called to work at being stronger and try harder. We are called to accept that we have been given strength, far beyond any strength we can muster, and use that strength to be victorious in the battle. If we refuse to be strong, with the strength that God provides, we believe that God has not provided us with enough strength, or that He has not recreated us as new people in Christ. If we choose to be weak when God commands us to be strong, we are choosing to live a lie! Being strong means that you accept the strength that you have been given and use it. Being strong means that you show that the power you have been given is more powerful than any other force in this world and you can, and do, overcome anything that this world uses as a lure for you to return to your idolatry. Do not be weak, be strong! He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians—Lesson 14 Chosen to stand in power January 5, 2020 “Clothe yourself with strength as you clothe yourself with a coat.”1 Page 2 In other words, be strengthened: be made stronger than you could ever be by yourself by using the strength of Christ which He gives you. Obey all that you have been commanded to do, despite the opposition; complete all the good works that God has prepared for you to do, despite all the excuses not to which are available to those who do not believe. Overcome the forces of sin with the righteousness of Christ which you have been given. Being strong shows the world that the God who saved you is stronger than the forces of evil. Be strong in the Lord The strength we are commanded to use, and remember that this is not good advice or an ideal to strive for, but a command from God for us to obey, is the strength of the Lord. If we are in the Lord we have His power and strength, not our own. If we are not in the Lord, His power is not given to us and we rely only on our own resources which have been repeatedly proven to be inadequate. We are to glorify Him, not ourselves. If the change in our lives is achieved by our own efforts, our own strength of will, our own stubbornness, then we are the ones who deserve the credit. The change in our lives has not been earned by anything we have done, so the continuing change of growth in Christ also comes from Him. 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. Ephesians 1:18-21 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 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. 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. Colossians 1:10-12 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 1- Word Studies in the Greek New Testament by Kenneth S. Wuest – Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Used by permission. All rights reserved. He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians—Lesson 14 Chosen to stand in power January 5, 2020 And in His mighty power Page 3 How powerful do you think God is? Is there any limit to His power? Remember all the things that He has done to show His power: creation, the plagues of Egypt, the overcoming of all idols, the continuing functioning of this whole universe, the sending of Christ to die on our behalf, the resurrection of Christ from the dead to show His power over death, the offering of salvation and eternal life to people destined for death, you and me. Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Is there anything able to resist His power? Is there anyone who can overcome God with their power? It is God’s mighty power, greater than any other power, which is given to you to obey Him and to resist the forces of evil in this world, including the temptations within you which would lead you back to the life of death and judgement. God has given you His power, because of Christ, to do all that He has called you to do. He is not asking you to use your own power to obey and glorify Him. That would not glorify Him, nor would it prove the need for Christ’s sacrifice. What is there that can thwart your strength? Be strong in His power—put on the armour Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. God has given us His power in the armour He provides for all Christians to prevent the devil destroying us. You first need to know about this armour, then you need to know that you have already been given it, then you are to rely on the power of the armour to do what God intended it to do. Why do we need the armour? We are opposed at every turn, from outside and within, by an enemy. Who is the enemy? Ephesians 6:12 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. The struggle we have as Christians is not battling our problems in this world, but rather we are opposed by a powerful and pervasively evil spiritual force which is constantly trying to destroy us. What means do you have within your normal life to withstand spiritual forces? What experience have you had in your past life with battling spiritual forces? How can God expect you to be victorious over such powerful enemies? He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians—Lesson 14 Chosen to stand in power January 5, 2020 Put all the armour on Page 4 Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. God has not left us defenceless. He has provided all the power and means that we need to be able to not only resist the evil forces against us, but to overcome them and stand firmly on the solid ground of faith in Christ. To use this armour we must put it on, that is to know that we have it, and to allow it to do its job in protecting us. We are to rely on the power of God in the armour He provides, using it to show His strength. If we do not use the armour that God has provided we will not stand firm against our enemy. If we use the armour of God then nothing the enemy does will shake us from the place we stand in righteousness in Christ. We will return to a more detailed study the full armour of God in two week’s time. The armour Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, The belt of Truth The belt ties all parts of the armour together and keeps them in place. Truth is the foundation of all that we have in Christ because He is the Truth. There is no room for any lie in Christ’s people. Any lie weakens the armour and makes it ineffective. So, to show God’s strength and to use His power, never allow a lie to enter your heart or come from your mouth. Know that there is no Truth except in Christ. Do not be shaken by the claim of the world that they have any truth in their words or beliefs. The breastplate of righteousness The breastplate protects the heart against attack. Christ’s righteousness, given to us, makes us invulnerable to the lies and attacks of the evil one as he whispers to our hearts to discourage us. The shoes of readiness Ephesians 6:15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. The Roman soldier wore sandals which were bound by throngs over the instep and around the ankle, and the soles were thickly studded with nails. This would give him a firm footing in case of attack. 2 The shoes of readiness are the means of guiding our feet into the good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do, and keep us standing on His Gospel. When we respond to the call that the Spirit gives us to do the good works God has prepared for us, by being ready and waiting for the guidance to come, we will take advantage of every opportunity as soon as it appears. 2- Word Studies in the Greek New Testament by Kenneth S. Wuest—Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Used by permission. All rights reserved. He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians—Lesson 14 Chosen to stand in power January 5, 2020 The shield of faith Page 5 Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. The roman shield was quite tall and broad and provided the soldier with very good protection from arrows and darts. The shield of faith protects us from the personal attacks of Satan and his people who would seek to discourage us and turn us back to the old life of sin. The faith in Christ reminds us of His love for us, and the fact of our forgiveness in Him. He forgives our mistakes, and will forgive our sins if we confess them so that sins and mistakes are in the past. The helmet of salvation Ephesians 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The helmet protects the head and the mind from the twisted destructive reasoning of Satan. The fact of our salvation in Christ—that He died to make us new in every way—overcomes the lies we are continually told by the people of the world “Are you really saved? What do you need to be saved for?” “You are just the same person you have always been, and always will be.” The sword of the Spirit—The Word of God All the other parts of the armour are protective. The sword is the weapon of attack. We are to only use God’s Word in our response to the attacks of the evil one and his people, as Christ did. It is not our words which protect us and turn others to Christ, but the Words of God. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians—Lesson 14 Chosen to stand in power January 5, 2020 Page 6 What does this verse mean for your life? God has prepared good works for me to do when He saved me in Christ. He knows the power of the forces which oppose me and has given me all the protection I need to be able to resist them, and prevent them destroying my faith in Christ and neglecting the salvation I have been given in Him. God knows the people who will be used to attack me, and the ways they will use even before they use them so He has prepared me for these attacks. My mind, my heart, my soul, my faith is protected from every attack which the forces of evil can throw at me. God is more powerful than any other force, even if all those forces work together against me. I show my faith in God’s power by showing that what He has given me is real protection against these attacks when I refuse to be discouraged, disheartened, or brought to doubt Him by these attacks. God commands me to stand in His strength and power. God commands me to be strong, not weak. God gives me the power to be strong, not weak. God commands me to live in Truth, and allow no lie to live in my heart, or to pass my lips. God has given me the Word, the Sword of the Spirit, as a means of proclaiming the Truth in Christ. God did not send Christ to die for me so that I can be weak and continue to live the life I had before I was saved. I can do nothing that pleases God, or overcomes the spiritual attacks if I rely on my own thoughts, my own experience or my own cleverness. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 I commit myself to being strong in the Lord and His mighty power because I believe Him when He tells me He has made me strong because of Christ. There is nothing that anyone in this world can do to overpower me if I rely on God’s promises.  Next Lesson: The armour of God 1     Ephesians 6:10-14 Focus Verse: Ephesians 6:18      He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4