Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

In the last two messages we studied Matthew chapter 4, verses 1-11, concerning the account of the Temptation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness.

In examining that passage we looked at Hebrews 2:18 which says,

Jesus, having suffered himself temptations, gives us assistance and support to battle temptations.

Lord willing, I would like to look at some of what God has provided for his people to assist them in battle— specifically the Armor of God in Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10-18.

If you would, please turn there

Prior to the Apostle Paul writing this passage, he spent time in this epistle exhorting believers to live a holy and godly life--- discharging their Christians duties.

He begins in chapter 1 by saying, in verse 4,

Ephesians 1:4 (AV)

According as he (God) hath chosen us in him (Christ Jesus) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

He continues in chapter 2, verse 10, saying,

When a believer is filled with God’s grace and faith, accompanied by holy and godly living through the Holy Spirit, the devil will want to attack.

He will attack you when you are down also, as he did when our Lord was 40 days without eating and hungry.

When you are physically weak the devil and his wicked companions will seek to bring you to ruin.

But, as Luke records, Jesus was tempted during the 40 days, meaning that the attacks against Jesus began right after the great events of his Baptism and Commissioning by God.

Luke recorded that when Jesus was led of the Spirit into the wilderness, that he was full of the Holy Spirit— he was receiving power, benefits, blessings, and gifts from the Holy Spirit.

The devil will also hit you when you are filled with the Holy Spirit and flowing with grace, just as he did our Lord.

A thief does not bother with the poor man, but rather goes after those with the greatest treasures.

When God is pouring out his graces upon you, you are rich indeed— with the greatest treasures.

And that makes you a target.

The deceiver is going to come and want to steel that from you.

He is going to try to drive a sinful wedge between the believer and God.

That is why Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10

Paul is now moving from edifying believers to preparing them for attacks against true and pure Christian living.

Affectionately, with great care and concern, he appeals to his brethren— to us— to “… be strong in the Lord, and the power of his might.”

Be strong in holy and godly living, and be strong against the attacks of the devil.

Paul says in

2 Timothy 2:1 (AV)

... be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Our strength comes from the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and in him alone.

He is our everlasting strength, the Rock of Ages.

It is through the power and strength of God that we are able to perform our Christian duties and fight off the temptations and attacks of the devil.

That power and strength is what established God’s grace through the eternal covenant and secured it through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

That powerful grace is what will sustain us and make us more than conquerors— conquerors over sin, temptations, afflictions, worldliness, persecutions, and the attacks of the evil one and his followers.

We have this confidence, Philippians 1:6

Philippians 1:6 (AV)

... that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

A few verse later it is written,

The battle is not ours, it is the Lord’s, and he will equip us and strengthen us.

He will accomplish all of his purposes and he will receive all of the glory.

Verse 11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Put on- clothe yourself in it, make it part of your entire being.

We are instructed to take this armor and make it part of our daily Christian life— it is to become part of our character as disciples of Jesus Christ.

And we just don’t put on one piece of it, we are to put on the whole armor, which is provided by God.

In his grace and mercy, he has provided this armor to his people for fighting spiritual battles.

He equips his saints with the proper tools to engage in the warfare that is thrust upon them by the great enemy of God and his church, and those tools are in themselves whole and complete— the necessary defenses and weapons for battle.

Being specially prepared for us we are not to neglect it.

This armor is defensive.

It is not meant for us to go on the attack, but rather defend ourselves from the onslaught of wicked attackers.

Paul says we put the armor provided to us on, so that we can stand against the attacks of the devil.

He did not say, “in case” you are attacked, his words are definite— as a child of God living out true religion, you will be attacked.

It is not a matter of if, but when.

By God’s grace we have a provision which we can return the attack and with God’s aid, beat back our foes.

We examined some of the background and character of Satan in our examination of Matthew chapter 4, in the Temptation of Jesus.

We saw his sly tricks, and the deception he used in temptations.

He is a deceiver, a liar, and a murderer.

He will use all of the weapons at his disposal to attack God’s people and cause them to sin.

This is a spiritual war that we are engaged in,

Verse 12

The devil is just one of our enemies, he is the prince of devils.

While a believer may never face off with the evil one himself, we will certainly face enemies that follow after his methods, strategies,and character.

The enemies listed by Paul here are not flesh and blood, they are spiritual— and therefore, our reason for being given spiritual armor.

These are powerful enemies, not to be underestimated.

Paul says we wrestle with these spiritual beings, wrestling is an act of engaging in close hand to hand combat, it is a real struggle, a fight.

On our own, we are weak and defenseless, but because of our position in Christ, we have the strength and defense of God on our side.

There are flesh and blood enemies of the people of God too, which are still under the control of our spiritual enemies, but the physical realm may require additional methods in dealing with it— those things are given to us elsewhere in the Word.

We are to focus here on the spiritual enemies, which means that we cannot combat in our own wisdom and strength, nor with carnal weapons.

Principalities, powers, and rulers shows that there is a government of wickedness in this world-- it is a kingdom of sin and darkness that stands in opposition to the glorious kingdom of grace and light.

That evil kingdom has been at war since the serpent tempted Adam and Eve.

As with any government, or military, there is organization and there are ranks.

Lange’s Commentary says that,

A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Ephesians (Exegetical and Critical)

Against principalities … indicates the organization of the kingdom of the devil, denoting the chiefs and heads of the separate groups.

Against the powers, marks the efficient, attacking powers.

Against the world rulers of this darkness... denotes the world-ruling power: for “the whole world lieth in darkness” (1 John 5:19; 2:14) and Satan is “the god of this world” (2 Cor.

4:4), “the prince of this world” (John 16:11; 14:30); his angels are under him as world-rulers, whose sphere is designated by... “of this darkness.”

That realm of spiritual darkness is purely sinful, it is the place of ultimate depravity and rebellion.

It is void of holiness-- it is thoroughly against holiness or any representation of the One, True, Living God, who is thrice holy.

There is no knowledge of the things of God, just ignorance.

No light, just darkness.

The rulers of that kingdom and the citizens of that kingdom, are the ones that come to attack us.

They are the ones that seek to cause us to sin, to hinder our growth in grace, to separate from the love of God, and to destroy the communion between God and his children.

Those enemies are ones that rule amongst the earth, and the heavens without and below the great abode of God.

They are the enemies, our enemies, that Paul is warning against.

He says,

Verse 13

A.W. Pink said,

“I must say that this same figure of “the armour” is used three times in the epistles of Paul, and I believe we find in them a reference to the Trinity.

I think the “armour of righteousness” (2Co 6:7) looks more particularly unto Christ; the “armour of light” (Rom 13:12) more especially to the Holy Spirit, Who is the One that immediately illuminates us; and the “armour of God” unto the Father, Who is the Provider of it.”

A.W. Pink, The Christian’s Armour

The physical attributes of the armor is typically equated with the armor of Roman soldiers, whom Paul would have been familiar with.

That is a possibility that Paul was making that parallel for an audience that knew what those soldiers looked like.

The pieces of armor are common among soldiers throughout much of history.

So much so, that we even see portions of the armor of God given to us throughout his Word.

For example,

Isaiah 59:17 (AV)

For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head…

In Ephesians, we have the breastplate of righteousness in verse 14, and the helmet of salvation in verse 17.

The Lord God has always provided his strength and his defense to his people— he will not let us down— in battle he will not leave us nor forsake us.

And Paul reminds us again, to put on the whole armor— every last piece of it is important to a complete Christian life and critical in our defenses.