EPHESIANS 6:10-20
November 26, 2006
New Covenant EPC
“BE STRONG IN THE LORD”
Body Life: The Book of Ephesians
I. From a cartoon by Lee Johnson, Following the Sunday morning service, the pastor stood at the back of the church, shaking hands with the worshipers as they left.
A. As one man shook hands, he looked intently at the pastor and said, "Powerful sermons, Pastor.
1. Thoughtful, well researched. I can always see myself in them?
2. and I want you to knock it off."
B. We do not often think of the a Spiritual battle going on around us.
1. Our minds, our vision are earth bound and physically minded.
2. We mentally understand there is a Devil, there are demons, there are angels, there are spirits.
a. But this supernatural realm is not in the forefront of our thoughts and actions.
b. When we see a personal problem, we think in terms of natural practical solutions.
3. Our minds calculate but do not factor in the spiritual warfare in our personal lives and in the life and ministry of God’s church.
a. We are too pragmatic, to practical, to realistic to contemplate a conflict we can not see, feel or touch.
b. We are unaware or deliberately naive of this spiritual strife therefore we are great risk and danger.
C. An army must first have good intelligence on it enemy and secondly it needs good training and equipment equal to the enemy and lastly it needs a superior battle plan.
1. The army which has the tactical surprise has a supreme advantage.
a. Satan is a wily person who can unleash a host of trouble when we least expect.
b. But though he may have the element of surprise, we have a superior intelligence and the very best weapons.
2. This sermon is to heighten our awareness of this Spiritual Battle and of the weapons we have to defeat the evil one.
a. With the Strength of the Lord, we will be victorious.
b. The spiritual warfare is both inside and from outside us.
c. Satan can never possess the Christian’s heart but he can certainly oppress and debilitate the believer from within.
II. Verse 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
A. I was talking with my wife about this passage some time ago, she saw how important the word “finally” is to this passage.
1. As she reflected, the last thing a parent says to their children before they go out the door is some like, “finally before I go remember this....”
2. After all that Paul has said about faith, about grace, about family about submission, finally he comes to the real battle.
B. “Be strong in the Lord.”
1. We are not called to be strong in and by ourselves.
a. Our strength is no match for Satan and his demons.
b. Our power is negligible when it comes to real lasting change in our weaknesses.
2. God is all powerful, all mighty all omnipotent.
a. There is no power in heaven and earth equal to Him.
b. Satan maybe the Prince of this world but Almighty God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords over all that is.
C. Many missionaries in South America are coming under the attack of Satan.
1. For example, Communist radio broadcasters from Cuba are spreading outright lies about Wycliffe and other Christian organizations.
2. They are bombarding the continent with claims that the Lord’s servants are engaging in illicit drug traffic, espionage, and subversive activities.
a. The missionaries recognize that they are not fighting back with countercharges or angry denials.
b. Instead, they are humbly looking to the Lord and His Word for strength and guidance.
c. They are living Spirit- filled lives of love and purity before those with whom they work.
d. And God is blessing!
D. Judson Cornwall writes: "Earlier this year, I sat in the front room of a fifth-floor walk-up apartment in Berlin.
1. My host was a former psychiatrist who had given himself to the work of the Lord after his conversion.
a. He pastors a congregation of 2,000 people who worship in a rented warehouse in West Berlin.
b. Having just told me about the staff of workers he heads, the Bible school he leads, and the daily radio broadcast he airs, he shared with me his plans to begin a weekly television program.
2. “‘Dear brother,’ I said, ‘please accept a word of caution from an older minister. You have only so much energy.’
a. ‘If you spread yourself too thin, you will not have sufficient strength to continue. In addition to your expanding ministry, you have a wife and five children who need you.’”
3. “‘I understand what you are saying,’ he responded.
a. ‘I now pray three hours daily.
b. If I do indeed go on TV, I have promised God that I will increase that to four hours of daily prayer.’
4. “‘Please ignore what I just said,’ I replied. ‘With that prayer schedule, you’ll make it.’
5. He had obviously learned the secret of unloading his tensions upon God in prayer and receiving divine strength in return.
6. Prayer had become a cathartic and a motivating strength for him, and so it must be for us."
III. Verse 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
A. This battle against Satan can not be entered into half heartily.
1. When it comes to fighting an enemy it better be all out warfare or he will overcome.
a. Our nation learned this principle in Vietnam.
b. Limited warfare is an oxymoron.
2. Sometimes we think we can dapple in Christianity and get by.
a. But when we truly surrender to Christ as lord and Savior we gain the greatest ally in God and the greatest foe in Satan.
b. His attacks are constant and relentless.
B. “full” (armor) = “complete” - Satan is looking for the chink in our armor.
1. He looks for that portion of our lives not surrendered to Christ.
2. Our antagonist makes it his business to know what parts of our lives we are holding back from Christ’s Lordship.
3. We must have the whole complete, entire armor of God covering us.
C. Several years ago, the U.S. Secret Service observed that a high-ranking government official seemed to be the "least protected" of the cabinet members.
1. So four glass security doors were installed in the official’s Washington suite, at the cost of $58,000.
a. They were in addition to a pair of huge thick wooden doors that, according to one observer, ’the crusaders couldn’t have broken down.’
b. Later when an official who monitors spending checked out the results, he noted that the new security doors were ’always open and unguarded.’
c. Their security value was zilch.
2. God has provided all the armor we need to face every kind of test and temptation.
3. Remember, these resources of God are not automatic; they must be used to be useful.
IV. Verse 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
A. Phyllis Bottome “There are two ways of meeting difficulties: You alter the difficulties or you can let the them alter your.”
1. Every believer living for the Lord is engaged in a spiritual warfare.
2. And we must be resolute in our confidence in God, and not even think in terms of defeat.
B. A story from the Korean War illustrates the kind of attitude we must display.
1. As enemy forces advanced, Baker Company was cut off from the rest of the regiment.
a. For several hours no word was heard, even though headquarters repeatedly tried to communicate with the missing unit.
b. Finally a faint signal was received.
c. Straining to hear each word, a corpsman asked intently, "Baker Company, do you read me?"
d. "This is Baker Company," came the reply.
2. "What is your situation?"
a. "The enemy is to the east of us, the enemy is to the west of us, the enemy is to the north of us, the enemy is to the south of us."
b. Then after a brief pause, the sergeant from Baker company exclaimed with determination,
c. "And we’re not going to let them escape this time!"
C. A Christian counselor was questioning a little girl who had recently received the Savior.
1. Trying to prepare her for temptations and the assaults of the evil one, the friend inquired,
2. "What if the devil comes to your door and tries to lead you astray?"
3. The young Christian replied, "I’ll ask Jesus to answer it!"
4. Though newly born into God’s family, she had already grasped a vital truth.
V. 19-20 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
A. In the end, Paul asks them to pray for Him to be bold, bold in proclaiming the gospel to a lost and dying world.
1. Where does that boldness come from?.
a. It comes from being strong in the power of God.
b. It comes from putting on the whole armor of God
c. It comes from the standing firm in Christ,
2. Satan wants to cripple the individual Christian and the particular church.
a. Satan wants us anything but bold in the Gospel.
b. The best defense is a good offensive.
3. We who truly trust in Jesus are in an staggering spiritual battle.
B. Even though Paul was in chains, he was still Christ’s ambassador.
1. We often think that we need certain things to be a bold witness for Christ.
a. But Paul had little or nothing in material possessions left.
b. He was confined to a cell and shackled to a Roman guard.
c. How could he be bold for Christ?
d. How could he be an ambassador of Jesus?
2. We can be bold for Jesus when we are strong in the Lord, armored by Christ, and standing firm in the rock who will not move.
a. The strength, the armor, standing firm comes from one and only source - Jesus.
b. Jesus and I, Jesus and you are the most formidable alliance in all creation.
c. At the very name of Jesus, Satan and his cronies run away.
