Sermon Tone Analysis

General Eisenhower - June 6th 1944

“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months.

The eyes of the world are upon you.

The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.

In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the eliminations of Nazi tyranny over oppressed people of Europe, and the security for ourselves in a free world.”

Your task will not be an easy one.

Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened.

He will fight savagely.

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle.

We will accept nothing less than full victory.

Those are some of the words from General Dwight D. Eisenhower on D-Day, June 6th, 1944.

Five Days Later the five beaches that the allies stormed would be secured and the second world war would be turned towards victory for the allies.

D-day had been in the works for many years.

Significant planning, organizing, communication and cooperation had gone into a united effort to change the course of the war.

This was no small feat, it was massive, it was significant and it was a fight.

This speech came on the heels of much planning and years of previous fighting and yet it also marked the beginning of the end.

This is where we are in Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church!

He has walked with them through the mud, the struggle, the fight, the nitty gritty of the Christian life.

He’s called them to embrace their role, to live as Christ followers ought to live, to pursue unity, to build one another up with their words.

He’s given us our mission, our duties and He equipped us with the truths we would need to carry them out!

In Chapters 1 to 3 Paul filled us with theological underpinnings that would give us a strong foundation for a right understanding of God and Man, He reminded us of who we were and what God has done in Christ!

He told us of eternal spiritual blessings in the Heavenly realms that are ours because of Christ!

He equipped and prepared for the practical living that he calls us too in Chapters 4, 5 and the beginning of 6.

And here we are, we’ve been taught and we’ve been challenged and Paul begins.

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He starts with one important word: FINALLY!

How many of us would anticipate where Paul goes there?

Think of the Ephesian Church hearing this letter read for the first time.

The reader gets through these 6 glorious chapters and get’s to Paul’s final speech for the people before sending them out.

Just like Eisenhower speech came after much planning, equipping and communicating so Paul’s speech comes and marks the end of his letter but the beginning of the Ephesians wartime lifestyle that must follow!

Paul calls them to Spiritual War!

This morning, we are going to begin thinking about this War.

Next week we’ll look at verse 13 to 17 and get into more of the details of what it looks like but for now we’ll stay in vs. 10-12.

In Vs. 10 Paul begins with Finally, and calls us to be Strong in the Lord and the strength of hsi might.

We’ll consider that in more depth in our third point.

In vs. 11 he calls us to put on all of God’s armour and he gives us the reason.

Whenever we say the word THAT or SO THAT we know we’re getting a purpose, these are signifcant in helping us interpret the bible so circle that word.

He says, put on the armour, WHY?

So that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the Devil!

We’ll cosnider those schemes in our first point.

But before we get there notive the beginning of vs. 12…

Our youth know this word is significant!

They’re probably annoyed at me for pointing it out so often but that’s ok I’m going to keep pointing it out!

Paul says FOR!

He’s already given us a purpose for the armour and now he’s telling us the reason we need to wear armour and stand against the devil’s schemes!

When we see the word For we are being given grounds or reasons for an argument that the author is making.

So the grounds of verse 10 and 11, the reason for them is vs 12!

That we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against teh rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly places!

Paul is telling us, that we are at war! Whether or not we arre aware of it, whether or not we are prepared for it, whether or not we want to be in it.

We are in the midst of a cosmic, global, powerful, passionate war!

As we work through the text I’ve decided to break it up a little differently than I usually would.

I like to work straight through a text, just as it’s written.

That safeguards me from twisting it or turning it or using it to say something other than what it is saying.

But this morning, I want to start with vs. 11, then talk about vs. 12 and finish with vs. 10.

The reason for this is I don’t want the emphasis to be on anything other than the strength that comes from Christ!

I don’t want us walking away htis morning focused on the need to fight, nor on the schemes of the devil!

Rather I want us to walk away this morning strengthened in Christ and in His might.

So we are going to end there and trust that God this text to glorify his name and build up this body!

Our first point is:

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1. KNOW THY ENEMY - Vs. 11

Vs.

11 begins calling us to put on all of God’s Armour, we are going to talk about this next week but for now it is sufficient for us to note that it is not human armour, it’s armour from God and we must put on the WHOLE armour, not simply some if it!

The purpose for this armour is that we would stand against the enemy!

Paul calls us not to push, not to take ground, not to defeat or conquer but simply to stand!

This is signficant for how we think about our current state!

We are living in the already and not yet.

In one sense our enemy, the devil has been defeated by the death and resurrection of Christ

And at the same time, he is not yet been destroyed or conquered fully, he is still able to deceive and wage war against the people of God.

Peter reminds us he is prowling like a roaring lion seeking to devour!

So Paul calls us to stant because THE Ultimate defeat of Satan has already been secured, it has been done, it is a concrete reality, nothing can stop it, Jesus has risen, he has conquered, he reigns, and he will vanquish the enemy once and for all in due time!

So Paul calls us to stand, that we would remain faithful to God, that we would not be deceived, distracted or discourage by the devil’s schemes!

But what are those schemes.

A Ancient Chinese General coined the phrase, Know Thy Enemy.

His name was general Sun Tzu, and he said more fully:

"Know thy enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.

When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal.

If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle."

The way of victory then, is to know thy Enemy!

One author helpfully points out that the New Testament identifeies our enemy as the devil more than 30 times!

He says: “In this combat, knowledge of our enemy is vital in order to assure victory in battle!”

First, WHAT IS HIS CHEIF AIM?

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Earlier in Ephesians in Ch. 2:1-2 Paul says:

Eph.

2:1-2 “1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—”

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Or consider:

2 Cor.

11:2-4 “2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Satan leads men away from Christ, he is now working in the world, in all who are not in Christ beckoning men and women alike away from Christ and his glory!

John Piper says this about the devil’s aim:

“Satan’s main business is to advocate, promote, assist, titillate, and confirm our bent to sinning.

And to keep us from faith and repentance.”

Kevin Deyoung sumarrises:

“he wants to keep you from Christ.”

So The devil’s goal is to keep us from Christ and all the spiritual blessings that are found in Him!

But

WHAT ARE THE METHODS HE USES?

Don’t SAY JUST CHANGE SLIDE