49-48 The Call To Arms
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 33 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Ephesians 6:10
Ephesians 6:10
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 7163 Who Is Enemy?
7163 Who is Enemy?
When World War I broke out, the War Ministry in London dispatched a coded message to one of the British outposts in the inaccessible areas of Africa. The message read: “War declared. Arrest all enemy aliens in your district.”
The War Ministry received his prompt reply: “Have arrested ten Germans, six Belgians, four Frenchman, two Italians, three Austrians, and an American. Please Advice immediately who we’re at war with.”
It was the Chinese General Sun Tzu in The Art of War coined that expression “know your enemy.” That is sound advise for engagement in any battle, including those which are spiritual (invisible). Surveys have been taken recently identifying America’s perspective about spiritual realities. In 2016 Barna reported, as you might suspect, convictions about spiritual realities are plummeting (belief in absolute moral truth, have orthodox view of God, Bible is accurate in all it teaches, Jesus lived a sinless life on earth, Satan exists (not just symbol of evil))—majority of Americans (including those who claim to be Xn) doubt that Satan is a living being; but even more disturbing is that they are more apt to believe in Satan than God.
The question that comes to mind is this “Are God’s people truly prepared for an on-going spiritual struggle against Satan?”
Every believer faces this spiritual battle. We’re called to arms against an enemy who is real, relentless in his opposition to God and all that belongs to God.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,
Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
So many discussions about spiritual warfare center around all the negative imageries we have of war and battles. Paul calls is the “good fight.” JC Ryle wrote Holiness
Holiness 4. The Fight
Let us settle it in our minds that the Christian fight is a good fight—really good, truly good, emphatically good. We see only part of it yet. We see the struggle, but not the end; we see the campaign, but not the reward; we see the cross, but not the crown. We see a few humble, broken–spirited, penitent, praying people, enduring hardships and despised by the world; but we see not the hand of God over them, the face of God smiling on them, the kingdom of glory prepared for them. These things are yet to be revealed. Let us not judge by appearances. There are more good things about the Christian warfare than we see.
Every Xn is called to fight, called to arms—in a spiritual struggle…and we know the enemy. Paul says we are not ignorant of Satan’s schemes (2Cor 2:11).
Now, while it is the good fight, it is not an easy fight. In Eph 6 Paul admonishes each of us to engage in spiritual warfare according to the strategy and provision of the Lord. This is a cosmic struggle and one that we have the assurance of victory b/c of the LJC.
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
Over the next several weeks we will be studying this spiritual war that every Xn is facing on account of your allegiance to Christ. Outline is simple: Alert to the Battle, Alert to the Enemy, Alert to God’s Provision.
1. Alert to the Battle
1. Alert to the Battle
“Finally...” this is not uncommon in Paul’s letters.
Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Paul is introducing the last major theme of this letter to the church in Ephesus. This could also be translated “from now on...” (pertains to what remains). Paul is saying “until the end there will be battle…there will be struggle, wrestling with world forces of darkness, spiritual forces of wickedness.” This is what your relationship with Christ will bring until the time when He returns to bring you to Himself, transforming you into His glory. From now on—yours is spiritual warfare, so don’t overlook the reality of the fight or the nature of our enemy.
This is a serious call to be alert. Eph is written with spiritual war in mind: If Christ has torn down the barrier of the dividing wall b/t believers, Satan is trying to rebuild that wall. If Christ desires unity among the saints and for the members of His church to live in harmony and purity, Satan is there to sow seeds of discord and sin. If God has given His plan for the family where husbands, wives and children encounter God’s design that brings the abundance of joy in peaceful, happy homes, then Satan will seek to upend that.
The saints from of old have strenuously warned their contemporary brothers and sisters to fight well. One puritan William Gurnall (d. 1679) wrote a work that Spurgeon heralded as “peerless and priceless; every line full of wisdom. The book has been preached over scores of times and is, in our judgment, the best thought-breeder in all our library.”
His work is called “The Christian in Complete Armour” (Short-title) The sub-title “A Treatise Of the Saints' War against the Devil: Wherein a Discovery is made of that grand Enemy of God and his People, in his Policies, Power, Seat of his Empire, Wickedness, and chief design he hath against the Saints. A Magazine Opened, From whence the Christian is furnished with Spiritual Arms for the Battle, helped on with his Armour, and taught the use of his Weapon: together with the happy issue of the whole War.” Originally printed in 3 volumes is 1240 pages.
“The happy issue of the whole war”? I think this ought to be of tremendous joy for us and for which we constantly thank God. You say “be joyful b/c of our spiritual struggle?” Yes in a sense—b/c God has equipped us to triumph in that struggle but we can’t possibly do it in our own strength.
So before Paul mentions the armor of God—he tells us to “be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might.” Now there are those approach the battle with the mindset “let go and let God”—“Just hand it over to the Lord and rely on His strength.” Others will approach the battle in the opposite manner who put all the emphasis on the armor of God as if they could wield it themselves. As believers, our absolute dependence is upon Jesus Christ, upon His power/might/strength/wisdom.
A. The Source of Strength
A. The Source of Strength
Paul is certainly one man who has seen the scheming of evil firsthand. He participated in the struggle and knew what it meant to rely upon the strength of Christ for victorious Xn living. He found opposition in every city he proclaimed the gospel. The struggle was intense for Paul and yet he says:
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
It’s not how much strength we have that’s important but the source. In matter of speaking—the battles we face with the enemy are already won. With His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus shattered Satan, defeated death, destroyed the power of sin over our lives (Rom 5:18-21 ; 1 Cor 15:56-57).
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
By trusting in the LJC the believer has been initiated into that strength for his daily life. It is appropriated (applied) thru grace, prayer, knowledge of & obedience to God’s Word, faith in God’s promises.
Crucial to understand that the strength is not our own—it is the strength of the Lord (present passive: be strengthened in the Lord). The key to living this out is not walking down the road and merely recite these words “be strong in the Lord…” It’s not some sort of incantation—repeating phrases to yourself. NO! the key to living this out is to recognize:
1) Power of the enemy: Don’t underestimate. The Bible calls us to face the enemy & realize his power and resist it.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.
The devil is active today (some of our brothers believe he is presently bound—no!). He creates uncertainty about the fundamentals of the faith. He produces utter confusion in the church (doubt). We are called to resist by the teaching of the true gospel. To resist our adversary—we need Christ’s strength.
2) To be strong in the Lord is to avoid personal failure. When we fail (all of us do), when we fall into sin we become miserable and unhappy. To keep ourselves from the misery we must appropriate Christ’s strength in our daily lives. The world takes notice of the victorious Xn. The world is unhappy, people don’t know what to do, they don’t know where to turn. When they see someone who is calm, steadfast, who is not confused at world’s events, they look and say “what is this? What is that person’s secret?” So you’re given opportunity to evangelize simply b/c you’re standing firm in the strength of the Lord.
I trust you realize your proneness to failure Do you understand the reality of your weakness? Paul is not just concerned about Satan’s power—but our propensity to fail…our own weakness. Scriptures unequivocally teach us this truth.
Back to Genesis—God created Adam & Eve. 2 people who fellowshipped with God in absolute perfection. Adam was created sinless but he was confronted by the devil and one of Satan’s schemes. Though he was perfect—lived in unhindered fellowship with God, he fell--so easily. That’s why Gen 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made”—Satan knew what he was doing and saw how vulnerable Adam was. And yet the devil launched his attack and that perfect man, made in image of God, fell. If Adam fell, who are we to stand?
You look further at testimony of Saints in OT—patriarchs, godly kings, prophets—they all fell. Not one of them could stand up to the devil. All have failed “we all have fallen short of glory of God.” This is a universal truth of all Xian saints—even the greatest of the centuries. We should never get the impression of the Xian life easy, without failure.
The Corinthian church thought that.
1 Cor 10:1-12
Vv1-4 Here is Israel—God’s chosen nation—people delivered by Moses from the Egyptian bondage. God’s presence was in their midst (cloud/fire). The Red Sea was split—God’s protection all around them. Not only this—Jesus Christ was there giving them food and water, He sustained them and would not allow His people to perish.
But vs 5—Israel was disobedient, complained at every turn, and God was displeased with their attitudes and so He told them no one would enter the promised land. Their bodies we “strewn about” the wilderness as one by one they died during the 40 years. Now why is Paul reminding them about this? Vs 6-11
“OK Paul—this is great, thanks for the story--but I would never do those things” OH Really? Vs 12.
The greatest of saints have fallen. They all testify to the fierceness of the battle, greatness of their own weakness/inability. They have mourned over this.
We live as a new creation—old things have passed away behold new things have come. We cannot live our Xn life with our own power. Our source of strength is Christ and if we are to live victoriously—we must understand the power of the enemy as well as our own proneness to failure. The wonderful truth about failing is that God never does—His promise to restore us/forgive us is a truth that keeps us near Him.
B. The Showing of Power
B. The Showing of Power
I need to be strong in the Lord b/c in and of myself I am exceedingly weak b/c I am still in the flesh and it sets its desire against the Spirit of God. We are here in this warfare, up against tremendous power so what’s next? We must realize the Lord is mighty.
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.
Eph 6:10—what is the strength (power) of His might?
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones makes this observation “The difference between power and might is that might means power and strength as an enduement; might means inherent power, something a man is given. Think of a very strong, muscular man. The “might” is that man’s inherent muscular strength power. Power means the manifestation of that might. The might is there as a potential, as something inherent, now manifesting itself…showing that it can be effectual.”
Might is the Lord’s inherent power (limitless) and the strength is His use of that power. It’s good to meditate on that truth for a moment. Its good to remind ourselves of Christ and His strength. Look at Him—regularly reading Scriptures to remind yourself of Christ’s strength. Where do you see the strength of the Lord?
See it in His life: we see Him here in the world in the “likeness of sinful flesh” See him in the same world we are in. We see Him He experience hunger, thirst, physical weakness, tiredness. He knew what it was like to be disappointed with people. He went thru it all—yet what we see is that He always stands. He never fell. He was incapable of sinning—never a wavering, faltering, failing. He was absolutely always sinless. He stood against the world, the flesh, the devil always going about with constant steadfastness.
See it in His miracles: especially as he cast our demons. To the demons, Christ was the problem—to Christ there never was a problem—He cast them out (effortlessly) as He spoke time and again with power and authority. Here is the Master and the demons knew this. Lk 4:34 I know who You are-- the Holy One of God! The demons went about doing their business with power yet the Son of God drove them out by a mere word. That’s power—that’s strength.
See it in His temptation: Christ was tried by the devil himself. Satan didn’t send one of his emissaries to tempt Christ but came himself with all his different schemes. This is the biggest problem the devil has ever confronted. The Lord was in wilderness 40 days & nights tempted by Satan. But the devil was utterly and entirely defeated as Jesus systematically used the words of Scripture to defeat Satan.
Dwell on those things b/c its not just a detail or incident of His life but we understand the nature of His person. We see the Lord combating the devil and all his power and yet the Lord easily defeated him b/c He is the God of strength and might. James tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from you (4:7).
We ultimately see His power on the cross and in the resurrection. For in it He crushed the head of him who had the power of death. He defeats all evil & sin—ascends to heaven “leading a captivity captive”—conquering everything that is set against us.
After several years of ministry Timothy became timid and fearful. He faced stronger temptation than he had expected and considerably more opposition to the cause of Christ. Paul wrote him and said
For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,
You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
We are in the midst of a serious battle. Our Xn responsibility is to prepare ourselves by appropriating the strength of Christ for this struggle. We don’t wage war in our own strength but we do so with the unlimited power of the One who has already secured the victory. It’s our privilege to stand against evil, falsehood with the truth of God’s Word in the strength of His might.