Sermon Tone Analysis

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Introduction and Scripture Reading

Opening questions

What challenges are you facing for which you feel utterly ill-equipped to handle?

What makes your heart pound a bit harder as you contemplate the reality of the battle you face, a decision you must make, a temptation that is before you?

On the other hand, you may be cruising through life without much engagement with the Lord and not realize any oncoming danger, or threat to your spiritual life.

But I assure you, that battle is already about you.

(Very) Brief background

The Apostle Paul, the great first-century missionary and church-planter, has been encouraging the church to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of God’s incomparable might (6:10).

As he exhorts them—and us by extension—to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil, he draws from the imagery of Isaiah, who pictures Yahweh—the covenant-keeping Lord of his people—and his Messiah as a divine warrior clothed with armor as he prepares for battle to defend and vindicate his people (Isa 11:4-5; 52:7; 59:17; 1 Thess 5:8).

With this understanding, Paul calls the church to use the armor God has equipped them with in order to be ready to stand firm in the spiritual warfare that encompasses them.

The Armor of God

Paul’s told us to

fasten on the belt of truth;

put on the breastplate of righteousness;

put our gospel boots on;

take up the shield of faith which will extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

take the helmet of salvation;

and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Then Paul continues right on, in verse 18 of Ephesians 6, exhorting us to be:

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Illustration

The story is told of a fisherman who was not in particularly good fellowship with the Lord.

He was at sea with some godless companions, and they were in trouble in a storm.

It looked like the boat very well might sink.

So the non-Christians called on the Christian to pray.

They said, “Would you call on God?”

But he said, “Man, I’ve been out of fellowship with the Lord a long time and I haven’t really been praying to Him regularly.

In fact, I haven’t even been going to church.

I don’t even know if I can help.

But I’ll try.”

He bowed his head and said, “Lord, I know I have been out of fellowship with You, and I haven’t been in touch with You for fifteen years.

But Lord, if You will help me this time and bring us safely to land, then I promise I won’t bother You again for another fifteen years.”

That’s how a lot of us look at prayer.

It’s that thing we do when everything else has failed and that we don’t pick up and do again until we are in a similar situation again.

That perspective about prayer is a far cry from what God had in mind when He gave us this avenue for communicating with our Heavenly Father in our spiritual life.

Paul has told us to stand firm by prayer, or

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I. Stand Firmly on Your Knees

We are to fight with prayer at the core of who we are because we are God’s children and ambassadors talking with our Father and King.

The four absolutes (100% words) introduce the five emphases Paul makes regarding the character of the prayer life for followers of Jesus:

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MATT, review quickly then dig in

Frequency: all times (18a)

Power: in the spirit (18a)

Diversity: all prayer and supplication (18b)

Demeanor: alert with perseverance (18c)

Objects: all the saints…and me/Paul (18d-19a)