Ephesians # 32 Eph 6-13 thru 6-14a

We’re still on the book of Ephesians and we’re going to pick up right where we left off last time.

   I. EPH 6:10-13

       A. The weapons of our warfare are laying right in front of us. We don’t have to go and try to find them.

          1. When Paul says, “Take unto you the whole armour of God,” the words “TAKE UNTO YOU” literally mean “TAKE UP” or “PICK UP.”

              a. We have to pick them up and according to (V 11) we have to PUT THEM ON.

              b. WHY?

              c. So that we can WITHSTAND.

                 i. The word “WITHSTAND.” Means “RESIST, OPPOSE and HOLD YOUR GROUND.”

          2. Now Paul says that we need to “Put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to withstand “IN THE EVIL DAY.”

              a. When is the “EVIL DAY?”

                 i. We could make many guesses, we could say that when the antichrist is revealed, or we could say that it’s when he takes power, some would say that the evil day was when Jesus was crucified, others would say that the evil day started when man 1st sinned.

                 ii. All of those would be right.

              b. Look at what Paul said in EPH 5:16

                 i. Ever since man sinned in the garden, Satan became the God of this world, seeking whom he may devour.

                 ii. Ever since man sinned it’s been an evil day, because of the activities of the enemy.

                 iii. To quote Paul again, “The days are evil.”

              c. We need to have on the full armor of God on now so that we can Withstand, Resist, Oppose and Hold our ground.”

          3. How do we “Resist and hold our ground?”

              a. Look at 1PET 5:8-9

                 i. The NIV puts it, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”

              b. What does it mean “To stand firm in the Faith?”

                 i. Stand firm in the belief that Jesus IS ALIVE, that GOD IS NOT A MAN THAT HE SHOULD LIE, that the WORD OF GOD IS TRUE, that HIS PROMISES BELONG TO YOU.

          4. The last part of (Ephesians 6:13) Says, “And having done all, to stand.”

              a. We need to stand against the work of the enemy, And we need to do all we can NATURALLY AND SPIRITUALLY.

              b. BUT 1 thing that we need to remember is that we can not do it in our own selves.

                 i. We need to power of the HOLY GHOST which is in us.

                 ii. (1 John 4:4) “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” KJV

                 iii. We need the Holy Ghost, We also need the WORD OF GOD, and we need TO PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD.

          5. The very last word in (EPH 6:13) is “STAND”

              a. That is in reference to STANDING With YOUR ARMOR ON.

          B. EPH 6:14

                 1. Again the word “STAND” means “RESIST, OPPOSE and HOLD YOUR GROUND.”

                        a. Paul keeps on repeating RESIST, OPPOSE and HOLD YOUR GROUND. RESIST, OPPOSE and HOLD YOUR GROUND

                               i. Paul referred to this 3 times in the last 4 Vs. For Paul to keep on saying this it must be important.

                 2. Next he says, “Having your loins girt about with truth.”

                        a. When he says, “Having your loins girt,” it means “Having your belt fastened around you waist.”

                               i. In Paul’s day the Roman soldier would where a loose garment under his armor, without the belt the garment could get caught on something, which in turn could be very hazardous.

                               ii. If a soldier was serious about battle, he would have his belt on and buckled.

                        b. The belt also had another use. It was where some of the other pieces of the armor would hang on. Without the belt some of the armor would fall off.

                 3. Look at 1PET 1:13a

                        a. The word “GIRD” is in reference to our mind.

                               i. Our mind consist of our WILL, our EMOTIONS, and our INTELLECT.

                        b. Back in (EPH 6:14) it says, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.”

                               i. The belt that FASTENED the armor securely together and demonstrates the believer’s readiness for war is the truth.

                               ii. And of course the “TRUTH” is the “WORD OF GOD.”

                               iii. Our minds must be renewed with the Word of God.

                               iv. We’ll see the Word of God used as another part of our armor. (Next week or after)

                               v. The 1 that we’ll see in (V 17) is an offensive weapon, but the 1 we see now is defensive.

We’ll get into this more latter. About Emotions led wrong.

WOLCC Thurs. 11/21/96