I made mention, two weeks ago, that I want us to go through The Armor of God, from Ephesians chapter 6. We're going to spend a lot of time in the book of Ephesians to make all of this happen.
Some ask the question, why? There are those even in the body of Christ who feel, for whatever reason, that the armor of God, a discussion of the armor of God, the various pieces of armor that the soldiers of Jesus Christ are commanded to wear, make for a great week of VBS, make for a great children's Bible class, but that's it. That's not what we find in studying the armor of God.
To properly understand the armor, the significance of Paul's admonition to these Ephesian Christians we're going to have to understand the overall theme and the tenets of the epistle itself. Paul, through inspiration, wrote to the Ephesians from prison, and encourages them as Gentiles to consider their spiritual state.
We're going to be talking about armor eventually, not necessarily this morning. We're going to get to that this evening. And what we're going to do, just so that we're all on the same page, for the rest of January and then the first week in February, we're going to be studying the individual pieces of armor, beginning tonight.
We're going to be talking about armor eventually, not necessarily this morning. We're going to get to that this evening. And what we're going to do, just so that we're all on the same page, for the rest of January and then the first week in February, we're going to be studying the individual pieces of armor, beginning tonight.
There are going to be several pictures in the notes, it will hopefully get the point across to us.
All Spiritual Blessings in Christ!
Paul, mentions that all spiritual blessings are ofund in Christ.
- Ephesians 1:3, 7
Paul is making a statement about where spiritual blessings are found. In fact, every single one of htem are found in Christ. It's through the shedding of Jesus' blood that we have redemption. We've been bought back, from Satan, by Jesus. We were headed down a road of destruction, and we've been bought back by the blood of Jesus.
Spiritual Condition Before the Church
Paul makes mention in Ephesians 1:3, 7 that all spiritual blessings are found in Christ.
- Ephesians 2:1-3, 11-12
So you have the first chapter, Paul is making a statement about where spiritual blessings are located. We've talked about this before and many times, spiritual blessings. In fact, every single one of them is found in Christ. We'll be able to define what, in Christ, means later on, but all spiritual blessings are found in Christ. And it's through the shedding of Jesus blood that we have redemption.
We've been bought back from Satan by the blood of Jesus. That's what it means to be redeemed, to be bought back. We were headed down a road, a path of destruction, and we were bought back by Jesus so we don't have to suffer for the things that we've done that are against the will of God. In chapter 1, Paul affirms this particular statement.
Paul reminds these Ephesian brethren, who he's already said, that salvation is in Christ. He reminds them of their former state before their obedience to the gospel. The point of chapter 2, verses 1 through 12, he reminds them of their state before they've obeyed the gospel.
Let's put a pin here just for a moment so we can make this statement. Paul, in fact, is reminding each and every one of us today of our condition before obeying the gospel. This is the current condition of those that we love, those of our family, those of our friends who have not yet obeyed the gospel.
They're considered foreigners, aliens. Without God and without any hope in this world.
The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed!
He reveals to them the mystery of the gospel that has been revealed.
- Ephesians 2:13-18
- Ephesians 3:3-6
Several important things that we should bring out, about how Paul is making his case.
- Salvation is in Christ.
- At one time you were outside of the Commonwealth of Israel.
- Now you have the same acccess as the Jews to salvation.
- He has made peace and broken down the middle wall of partition, vs. 14.
- Both Jew and Gentile have access to salvation, 3:6
The Gentiles are called fellow heirs. Fellow heirs, they are of the same body. They are partakers of the same promise that Jesus made in the gospel, by the gospel. Paul brings out their condition before the gospel. He brings out now how they're able to be part of the same body as the Jews.
Responsibility as Heirs!
As the fellow heirs or fellow citizens in the kingdom, they now have responsibilities to that particular kingdom, to that particular body. Paul enumerates those and makes that obligation known to them.
- Ephesians 4:1, 3
They have responsibilities. They have seven dispositions:
- Worthy
- Lowliness
- Meekness
- Forbearing One Another
- Love (Agape)
- Endevoring to Keep the Unity of the Spirit
- Bond of Peace
Paul will call for peace, and will call for unity. Paul calls for unity in the church today, something that we need to remember.
Churches of Christ Have Many Reasons to Be United
We ought to be united and there's many different ways that we should be united.
"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." —Ephesians 4:4-6
- One Body (one church, body of believers)
- One Spirit
- One Hope
- One Lord
- One faith, the system that transforms our lives
- One baptism (Access to Blood)
- One God. Father of All
The seven ones, as we commonly call them. What makes the body of Christ stand out? What makes us separate from every other religious organization, if you will allow me to say it that way, is the idea of these ones. We are unique in in these seven particular ways.
It says one body, or one church, or one kingdom depending on the translation that you're considering. One spirit that guides us into all truth that guides the body of Christ into all truth.
One hope, we have one hope. One expectation that we can confidently hold on to if we live a certain way in this life, then we live a certain way in the next life.
One Lord, one Ruler, that is Jesus, one Ruler of the body, it is His kingdom. He said that God gave it to Him.
- Matthew 28:18
There's also one faith, one system of faith that will lead us out of the pathway of darkness, that will lead us out of sin, that will lead us out of our eternal reward in hell that's prepared for the devil and his angels, (Matthew 25:41). One system of faith that transforms our lives into adopted sons, children of God.
And then there's one baptism, one access to this particular kingdom, this particular church, that Jesus said He was going to establish, Matthew 16:18, and there's one access, and that is through baptism.
We talked early about how we were redeemed by the blood of Jesus, Ephesians 1:7. How do we get to the blood? The blood, it comes in baptism. Our access to the blood that removes the stain of sin, that removes the guilt of sin, takes place in the waters of baptism.
- Romans 6:1
- 1 Peter 3:21
And there's one God, Father above, who is above all, through all, and in you all, referencing our Father which is in Heaven, the one that Jesus died for, obeyed to the point of dying on the cross. There's only one of all of these.
And since there's only one, we can be united. We can all be saved together is the point that Paul is making throughout this entire epistle to these Gentile Christians. We can all be saved together.
Paul Calls for Unity in the Church
What Paul does here is he lays out the pattern for the church to follow.
- Ephesians 5:22-33
The relationship between the husband and the wife is how the relationship between Jesus and the church should work. Wives submit yourselves to your own husbands, vs. 22, church submit yourself to Jesus.
Christ is the Savior of the body, Christ gave himself for it, we've talked about that before. This requires the church to obey, to honor, to revere Christ as its head, and if we as the church do not do that, we are not His. Let's put it another way, He is not ours, because we've chosen to go a different way.
If we're going to be the church that God wants us to be, then we need to remember that Jesus is our authority for everything that we do. We come to Him willingly as the wife comes willingly to her own husband, not anyone else. Otherwise, she is not considered a wife who is faithful.
Looking to chapter 6, Paul describes how the Ephesians ought to interact with each other in their various relationships.
- Ephesians 6:1-4
You have children's responsibility to obey their parents, and you have the parents responsibility to Fathers are called to train up their children in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord.
I understand that fathers are called out there, but they're not the only ones that's going to be held accountable for the outcome of the children. It is a combined effort of both husbands, fathers, and mothers in the raising of their children.
He talks about the, the servant master relationship, the smaller picture up there in the top corner. Slavery was common. Among Gentile countries, even among, among the Jews, they were, they were made the slaves of various nations go back and read the Old Testament. In fact, they were being ruled by the Romans at the time of the first century.
Paul does not call for slavery. Paul does not advocate for the reparations to be made for those who were ever slaves of any kind. He simply says that Paul reminds them that they should treat one another appropriately.
Paul would write to Philemon and says, I'm sending Onesimus back to you, not as a slave, not to be treated as a slave, but as a brother. There's a right way and a wrong way to treat people regardless of their station in life, regardless of your station in life. And if you are professing Christianity, if you are professing to be a follower of God, a follower of Jesus, then you treat people appropriately.
Why? Because masters, you need to understand verse nine, that you have one that you will answer to.
- Epheisans 6:9
When we leave this world and get to the next world, God's not going to care who we were as a matter of authority on earth, it won't matter. It will matter, our reverence, our respect, toward Him, as our Father.
Paul’s Final Admonition
Our next 4 verses are the introduction to the armor of God. Verse 10 says, Finally, my brethren. Finally, he's coming to a conclusion. He's wrapping all of this up and he's going to do it with the armor of God.
- Ephesians 6:10-13
Be Strong in the Lord! (v. 10)
Our ability as New Testament to fight off the temptations of the devio is related to our strength in the Lord.
- 1 Timothy 1:18
- 1 Timothy 6:12
Our strength in the Lord doesn't happen overnight.
- Psalm 18:39
I understand there is a physical element to that particular psalm, those particular words of David, but let's take the spiritual reflection for ourselves.
God strengthens us. He girds us with strength.
- Psalm 140:7
God is our strength. We are to be strong in His power. Why? Because to defeat Satan, we don't have any strength in ourselves. God does not expect us nor tell us to do something that we are not capable of doing. So when Paul says, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, we have the ability to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
- Philippians 4:13
Paul didn't derive his power for being an apostle from himself. He didn't derive his authority over the churches that he ministered to from hi,self or his previous experience as a Pharisee. Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me,
Paul tells these Ephesians to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might
Paul Gives Tools of Preparedness! (v. 11)
In verse 11, we're given the tools. How is it that we can be strong in the Lord? Verse 11, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Put on the whole armor. It's worth noting that in this particular context, God does not lay the armor on us. We have to put it on.
Imagine if you will, and keep this thought in your mind as we, as we look at the various pieces of armor and what they mean to us as New Testament Christians, you are standing in the ready room. of Christian life. And there on a table in front of you is your armor. It's prepared and ready to go from the standpoint of the one who brought us the armor.
But then, you and I will have a responsibility to take it off the table and to put it on ourselves. To put on the whole armor, don't leave any pieces off.
"A man needs “all” that armor if he is about to fight the battles of the Lord; and if he lacks “one” of the weapons which God has appointed, defeat may be the consequence." — Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament
In fact, it will be. Anything less than the whole armor of God will leave us open and vulnerable to attacks from the devil, which is what we want to avoid at all costs. It's only through the wearing of the armor of God, that we can stand against, as he says, the wiles of the devil.
- 1 Peter 5:8
- 2 Corinthians 2:11
- 1 Corinithians 10:13
We often talk about this way of escape, but we don't necessarily identify the way. Let me help you put on the armor of God. Paul gives us the way.
It's through us preparing ourselves with the armor of God. That is the way of escape, doing what we're supposed to do. Paul gives us the way. It's through preparing ourselves with the armor of God, that's the way of escape.
Paul Gives The Battle Parameters! (v. 12)
He says we are not in a physical fight against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies, or in high places, according to the King James.
To boil all of this down and make it real simple, we're fighting against Satan and his forces of evil. What always comes to my mind when I think about fighting against principalities, powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world is it not being a carnal warfare, we're not fighting against an enemy that ever gives up.
That means I can't give up. It means I can't take the armor off. I don't have the luxury of feeling secure — ever. As we journey through this Christian Life, we want to find places where we can lay our armor down and not always have to be on guard.
This verse says we can't do that. because I'm not fighting against flesh and blood I'm fighting against satan and his powers.
Paul Emphasizes the Need for Wearing God’s Armor! (v. 13)
Notice he says, "Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand." A couple of words, real quickly, and then the lesson will be yours. It says withstand, it comes from the Greek word, anthistēmi, meaning to stand against or stand opposed.
- James 4:9
- 1 Peter 5:9
Put up a defense, please. Stand against the powers of the devil so he can not just steamroll you. Resist the devil stand against him.
What is the evil day? Many have talked about this. It is a day that you are suffering temptation. It's not the day of judgment. Let me put this answer out to you this way. The evil day is not the day of judgment. How do I know that? Because if I wait to the day of judgment to prepare. It's too late. If I wait till the time that I'm standing before Jesus to give an answer for the things that I've done I can't put on the armor anymore.
Withstand in the evil day when the temptations come. Withstand in that day, having done all, to stand. Once you have done everything, you've become a child of God, you've begun to train as a soldier in the army of God. You're putting on your armor, you're wearing your armor, and you face the temptations of the devil.
But once you've done all of that, for the rest of your life, you stand. You stand. You withstand. You become as one that is made firm, fixed. You are established. You're not going anywhere. There is no retreat. There can be no surrender.
Where are you this morning?
Are you preparing as one who is in a spiritual war against satan and against evil? Or are you one who is going to go through life and stand before God, and when God says, why didn't you do this, you say, I didn't know. That's not going to work.
The condition of each and every one outside the body of Christ is without God and without hope in the world. But, we don't have to be without hope in the world. Because through the blood of Jesus Christ, we have the redemption of our sins.
Maybe you're a member of the body of Christ fallen on the field of battle. Maybe you didn't put on or don't have on all of your armor anymore. And, the fiery darts of the wicked one are getting to you. We're going to talk about how we can keep that from happening. But know that we can have those sins forgiven. We can dedicate our lives once again to being a soldier in the army of God.
Maybe you're one who's outside the body of Christ, one who's not put on any armor at all, one who's never really stood against the powers of the devil. Now is the time to enter the fight that you're already in, but now you recognize there's a winner and there's a loser. It's time to be a part of the winning side and that's the side that Jesus is on where Jesus is Lord, where Jesus is King and He has a kingdom prepared for you.
Are you willing to be a part of that kingdom this morning? Hearing God's word, believing in Jesus as the Savior by that word, repenting of your sins, confessing your faith in Jesus, being buried in water to have your sins forgiven, and coming up out of that watery grave of baptism, a babe in Christ, Romans chapter 6:4, a brand new soldier in God's kingdom.
If we can assist you in any way, we encourage you to contact us.
