Strength & Struggle

Introduction

[READING - Ephesians 6:10-13]

Ephesians 6:10–13 NASB95

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

[PRAYER]

We were born at war with God. We were sinners by birth. To rebel against God, break His laws, and ignore His commands was our very nature.

But in His amazing grace, the one we rebelled against sent His Son to die for us.

We crucified Jesus, but God counted His murder as our sacrifice.

The one we took up arms against laid down His life to bring us back to God.

Imagine that when you first came to believe these truths, you went to talk to the pastor and he asked you some questions.

“Do you believe that you are a sinner who has rebelled against God?”

You say, “Yes sir, I do.”

“Do you believe that Jesus was crucified in your place to pay the price for your sin?”

You say, “Yes sir, I do.”

“Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead and covers you in His righteousness?”

You say, “Yes sir, I do.”

“And are you ready to defend yourself?”

You say, “Excuse me?”

“Are you ready to defend yourself?”

You say, “Defend myself? What do you mean?”

Before we answer that, let me ask you, “Are you ready to defend yourself?”

James Montgomery Boice wrote, “Many Christians today… see Christianity not as an entrance into warfare but as an exit from it. They see it as the solution to our problems. If you are sick, Jesus will make you well. If you are discouraged, Jesus will make you happy. You get the impression from those who talk like this that to believe in Jesus is to enter upon a smooth path and to enjoy smooth sailing.”

But writes Boice, “The victories of the Christian life are to be achieved by a relentless and lifelong struggle against evil.”

Imagine the pastor said to you, “Well, you must defend yourself because the devil and all the dark forces of this world are going to be against you now. You see, before you trusted Jesus, you were on Team Devil, so he had no reason to attack you. But now you’re on Team Jesus, which means the devil and other forces of darkness are going to come at you hard.

“I’m so glad you’ve trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, and now you are going to war.”

[CIT] That’s what Paul told the Ephesians as he began to close his letter to them—they were going to war so they must be strong in the Lord putting on the full armor of God standing firm against the schemes of the devil.

[TS] This morning in Ephesians 6:10-13, we are going to look at The Command, How to Obey It, and Why We Should Obey This Command.

Major Ideas

The Command: Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (v. 10)

Ephesians 6:10 NASB95

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

[EXP/APP] The word “finally” in v. 10 could be translated as “henceforth” or “from this point forward.” Because of what we heard from the quartet at the begging of the service, we could think of it as “until we hear that midnight cry.”

In other words, this is a standing order from the time we embrace Christ as Savior until the time Christ the Savior returns.

We are to always “Be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might.”

Notice that we need strength, so the fighting must be fierce.

Notice that the fighting is so fierce that our own strength won’t do.

We need to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

We need the divine power of Jesus to fight the spiritual war we are in.

Since we need the strength of Jesus, we might ask two questions: (1) How strong is He? (2) What kind of strength does He have?

How strong is He?

Well, He is God the Son, so He is all-powerful. Jesus has the power to defeat every enemy we face.

In Ephesians 1:18 Paul asked God to let the Ephesian believers understand the certain hope they had in God, the riches of glory they had in God, and the surpassing power that they had in God. He then wrote in Ephesians 1:19-21…

Ephesians 1:19–21 NASB95

19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

What does this mean?

It means that the surpassing greatness of God’s power came to us in the death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus!

It means that Jesus is the supreme power in the universe forever!

What kind of strength does He have?

He has good strength—strength that only does what is good.

He has wise strength—strength that only does what is wise.

He has holy strength—strength that only does what is holy.

Goodness, wisdom, holiness are all attributes of God and therefore attributes of Jesus, but the attributes of Jesus are not separate from one another.

Jesus’ goodness is not separate from His power.

His power is not separate from His holiness.

Jesus is good, wise, holy, strong, all-knowing and everything else all at the same time.

So, when we talk about Jesus’ strength or power, we must realize that His strength is a good, holy, wise, all-knowing, eternal strength. In short, it’s a perfect strength.

This too is why we need His strength instead of our own.

Our strength is not perfect. And we are up against an enemy who will only be resisted by perfect strength.

As you see in v. 10, we find this strength in the Lord—i.e., in our union with Christ through faith.

Without faith in Jesus, we have no access to His strength. We have no access to His power. Without faith in Jesus, His power is not working in us and we are helpless as we face the schemes of the devil.

But if we have turned from our sin and trusted in Jesus as the Son of God who died to pay the price for our sin and rose to make us right with God, then we are in Christ, and we have access to the strength of His might.

It is only the faith-relationship with Jesus that gives us access to His power.

Faith in Jesus is the only way to be strong in the Lord.

Faith in Jesus is the only way to be strong in the strength of His might.

[ILLUS] Martin Luther was a man who needed the strength of Jesus. A a catholic monk, he was teaching Romans when he came to see that salvation is only by God’s grace alone through faith in Christ alone to the glory of God alone. This was in direct opposition to Roman Catholic theology that taught that salvation was achieved through a mix of faith and works.

As Luther called the Catholic church back to the true Gospel, he faced opposition. He was threatened and persecuted. He had to travel in disguise at times. He had to hide out in a castle for awhile.

But as he faced the satanic power of the Roman Catholic church, Luther knew where to find perfect power.

In his great hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, he wrote…

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the Right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who That may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth, His name, from age to age the same, and He must win the battle.

His perfect power will not allow Him to lose the battle. His victory over sin and death in His death and resurrection has already assured the victory.

We must be strong in the Lord Jesus and in the strength of His might.

[TS] But having come to faith in Christ, how we to be strong in the strength of His might?

How to Obey The Command: Put on the full armor of God (v. 11a)

Ephesians 6:11 NASB95

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

[EXP/APP] We immediately see that this is an active and not passive. The strength of Christ is ours if we have faith in Christ, but we must take action if we are to avail ourselves of this strength. We put on this strength by putting on the full armor of God.

The phrase “put on” is common in Greek. One writer said it describes the way one might put on their clothing before heading out in the morning. But while that describes a deliberate action, it doesn’t describe a consistent action, and that is what Paul has in mind here.

We are to always be putting on the full armor of God and to never be taking it off.

We must be deliberate about this.

And we must be consistent in doing this.

We also see that we must put on the full armor of God.

This is stressed by Paul as he repeats the same thing in v. 13, saying, “Take up the full armor of God.”

This armor is detailed for us in vv. 14-18. Lord willing, we will look at each piece in more detail, but the full armor is truth, righteousness, the Gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer.

We must put all of this on all the time if we are going to stand against the devil and other dark forces.

We must put all of this on all the time if we are going to remain faithful to Jesus.

But we also want to be sure we recognize that this full armor is the full armor of God.

In other words, we must put on God’s truth, God’s righteousness, God’s peace in the Gospel; we must put on the faith that God gives, the salvation that God offers, the Word that God breathed, and prayer, which is always available to us because of what Jesus has done for us in His death and resurrection.

Brothers and sisters, where are you exposed? Where are you not covered by the armor of God?

Which part of your life is not governed by God’s truth? By God’s peace? By God’s grace? By God’s faithfulness? By God’s salvation? By God’s Word? Which part of your life is not covered in prayer?

In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter wrote…

1 Peter 5:8 NASB95

8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Be sure of this, whatever part of your life is not covered by the armor of God is weak spot that the devil will look to exploit.

It’s interesting that Paul instructs us on spiritual warfare after he has instructed us on the church, and personal holiness, and marriage,and obeying our parents, and raising our children, and obeying our masters and doing good to our slaves.

I say it’s interesting because these are often the relationships that the devil and other dark spiritual forces seek to attack.

The devil has run rampant in churches not covered by the full armor of God.

He has utterly ruined those who considered themselves holy except for one treasured area of sinful pleasure.

He has obliterated marriages not covered in the full of armor of God.

He has destroyed relationships between parents and children because some part of those relationships were not covered in the full armor of God.

He has soured work relationships because some part of those relationships were not covered by the full armor of God.

The devil is looking for a gap in the armor. If he finds, he will exploit it.

[ILLUS] Martin Luther wrote of the devil…

For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

Your truth or any other earthly truth is no match for the devil.

Your righteousness or any other earthly righteousness is no match for the devil.

In short, your strength or any other earthly strength is no match for the devil or any other demonic dark force in the world.

But there is power in God alone that is greater than any power of darkness.

This is why we are told, not to trust in our own power or any other earthly power, but to trust in the power that God supplies us in Christ Jesus by putting on the full armor of God!

[TS] Now, we’ve been talking about why we should obey this command all along, but let’s get a sober reminder here at the end of our sermon.

Why We Must Obey This Command: So that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil (vv. 11b-13)

Ephesians 6:11–13 NASB95

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

[EXP/APP] To stand firm is to remain faithful to Jesus. We will need the strength of God provided in the full armor of God to remain faithful because the devil uses schemes, methods, wiles, stratagems, and crafty assaults to deceive us.

The devil comes up with deceptions to blow us off course. It may be a storm or subtle wind, but his intent is to always leave us shipwrecked.

The only way to stay on course, to stand firm, the only way to not be “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Eph. 4:14) is to put on the full armor of God.

And the full armor of God is spiritual armor because this war is a spiritual war.

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, against powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (v. 12).

Some say that the terms rulers, powers, world forces of darkness, and spiritual forces in heavenly places are meant to reflect ranks of demonic power or realms of demonic influence.

But Paul isn’t trying to explain to us how the devil and his demons are organized, and he isn’t trying to explain which demonic powers have influence over whatever.

What he is saying is that our struggle is against all this spiritual wickedness.

To put it another way, all the demonic weaponry is aimed at the follows of Jesus until He comes.

Ephesians 6:13 NASB95

13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Christian, you are in a fight. You are either taking up the full armor of God and holding the line or you are giving up ground to the enemy.

Which is it for you?

How seriously do you take this?

Do you take it seriously enough that it would change your entertainment choices?

Do you take it seriously enough that it would change the way you pray?

Do you take it seriously enough that it would change the way parent?

Do you take it seriously enough that it would change the way you treat your spouse?

The devil wants you and he will have you unless you are strong in Christ and the strength of His might by putting on the full armor of God.

[TS] …

Conclusion

Martin Luther said it like this…

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us. The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.

Such is the almighty power of our God. One little word shall in the end fell the devil and all his evil associates.

Until then—until we hear that midnight cry—, we are to remember what a mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.

We are to put on His strength for our struggle.

We are to put on the full armor of God.

[PRAYER]