Ephesians 6:10-24 - Spiritual Warfare
Belonging to God’s Family (Part 8)
Spiritual Warfare
Ephesians 6:10-24
Jeff Garrett
Claudia Berlin reads Ephesians 6:10-24
6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Your strength is “in the Lord” – it’s his mighty power” – not your own. Like Paul said “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13).
Joshua 1:6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand “Put on” means is “to clothe”- “sinking into” God’s armor. God provided the armor but you have to put it on – the full armor – the whole armor.
God supplies you with his armor but you’ve got to put it on and leave it on permanently. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Struggle refers to “wrestling” or “hand-to-hand combat”. Our enemies are not human – they are demonic. And the devil is their chief prince. The Devil – The Bible refers to the devil as …
· “the anointed cherub (Ezek 28:14)
· “the god of this world” (Luke 11:15)
· “the prince of this world” (John 16:11)
· “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2)
Fifty-two times he is called Satan which means adversary and 39 times he is called the devil which means “slanderer”. He is a fallen archangel and the angels who followed him became demons.
Paul gives us four characteristics of demons.
They are powerful – Paul called them “the powers of this dark world – John said “the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). The devil claimed to be able to give Jesus all the kingdoms of this world (Matt. 4:8-9). No human being can match their strength.
They are wicked – Paul called them “spiritual forces of evil” (v.12) –They are wicked – they have no moral principals, no code of honor, no feelings, no sympathy – they recognized on Geneva Convention to - they are ruthless world rulers. They operate in the heavenly realms – the air the surrounds the earth – the sphere of invisible reality in this dark world.
They are cunning – “the devil’s scheming – trickery, deceitful methods. The devil is dangerous wolf but he disguises himself is sheep’s clothing. Sometimes he roars like a lion but more often he’s a crafty serpent. They can attack with open force or they can quietly seduce you into compromise.
They appear to be organized – He mentions many different categories or ranks. The demonic categories are not explained but he mentions several – the devil, the rulers, the authorities, the powers and the spiritual forces. All of these describe the different strata and rankings of the demons and the evil, supernatural empire in which they operate and the devil his networking his schemes through the principalities and powers. A principality a state that falls within a larger state such as an empire (e.g. Daniel 10:12 the prince of the Persian kingdom; Daniel 10:20 Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.)
The armor of God (6:13-20)
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes [a time of intense pressure, a crisis], you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, [To “stand firm” means to “hold a critical position while under attack”] with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
Paul details six main pieces of a soldier’s equipment – the belt, the breastplate, the boots, the shield, the helmet, and the sword – and uses them as pictures of the truth, righteousness, good news of peace, faith, salvation and word of God which equip us in our fight against the enemy.
1. The belt of truth – soldiers wore a heavy leather belt that girded his under garments together – the belt represents God’s truth and our own integrity.
2. The breastplate of righteousness – soldiers wore a tough sleeveless piece of armor that covered their full torso. It was often made of leather , onto which were sewn overlapping pieces of metal. Some were made of large pieces of metal molded or hammered to conform to the body. It protected vital organs (e.g. heart). Our spiritual breastplate represents God’s impute righteousness and our righteous deeds.
3. Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace –
4. The shield of faith - soldiers commonly used two types of shield. The first was small and round (about 2 feet in diameter) that was secured to the arm by two leather straps. It was light weight and used in hand-to-hand combat. The second type of shield is what Paul was referring to here. It was about 2 ½ wide and about 4 ½ feet high – it was designed to protect the entire body of the soldier. It was mad of a solid piece of wood and covered with metal. Soldiers carried these shields in the front of the battle line – side by side forming a huge phalanx that extended a mile or more. The enemy dipped their arrows in pitch and lit them so that they became fiery missiles. The shield of faith protects us from the fiery missiles of the devil.
5. The helmet of salvation – soldiers word a helmet made of tough metal like bronze or iron – the inside was lined with felt or sponge or leather and nothing short of an ax or a hammer could pierce the heavy helmet.
6. The sword of the Spirit – soldiers carried a short sword for hand-to-hand combat. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19 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, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
1 Samuel 17:41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"
45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."
Final Greetings
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Prayer Time
Spiritual Warfare
Ephesians 6:10-24
Jeff Garrett
Claudia Berlin reads Ephesians 6:10-24
6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Your strength is “in the Lord” – it’s his mighty power” – not your own. Like Paul said “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13).
Joshua 1:6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand “Put on” means is “to clothe”- “sinking into” God’s armor. God provided the armor but you have to put it on – the full armor – the whole armor.
God supplies you with his armor but you’ve got to put it on and leave it on permanently. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Struggle refers to “wrestling” or “hand-to-hand combat”. Our enemies are not human – they are demonic. And the devil is their chief prince. The Devil – The Bible refers to the devil as …
· “the anointed cherub (Ezek 28:14)
· “the god of this world” (Luke 11:15)
· “the prince of this world” (John 16:11)
· “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2)
Fifty-two times he is called Satan which means adversary and 39 times he is called the devil which means “slanderer”. He is a fallen archangel and the angels who followed him became demons.
Paul gives us four characteristics of demons.
They are powerful – Paul called them “the powers of this dark world – John said “the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). The devil claimed to be able to give Jesus all the kingdoms of this world (Matt. 4:8-9). No human being can match their strength.
They are wicked – Paul called them “spiritual forces of evil” (v.12) –They are wicked – they have no moral principals, no code of honor, no feelings, no sympathy – they recognized on Geneva Convention to - they are ruthless world rulers. They operate in the heavenly realms – the air the surrounds the earth – the sphere of invisible reality in this dark world.
They are cunning – “the devil’s scheming – trickery, deceitful methods. The devil is dangerous wolf but he disguises himself is sheep’s clothing. Sometimes he roars like a lion but more often he’s a crafty serpent. They can attack with open force or they can quietly seduce you into compromise.
They appear to be organized – He mentions many different categories or ranks. The demonic categories are not explained but he mentions several – the devil, the rulers, the authorities, the powers and the spiritual forces. All of these describe the different strata and rankings of the demons and the evil, supernatural empire in which they operate and the devil his networking his schemes through the principalities and powers. A principality a state that falls within a larger state such as an empire (e.g. Daniel 10:12 the prince of the Persian kingdom; Daniel 10:20 Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.)
The armor of God (6:13-20)
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes [a time of intense pressure, a crisis], you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, [To “stand firm” means to “hold a critical position while under attack”] with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
Paul details six main pieces of a soldier’s equipment – the belt, the breastplate, the boots, the shield, the helmet, and the sword – and uses them as pictures of the truth, righteousness, good news of peace, faith, salvation and word of God which equip us in our fight against the enemy.
1. The belt of truth – soldiers wore a heavy leather belt that girded his under garments together – the belt represents God’s truth and our own integrity.
2. The breastplate of righteousness – soldiers wore a tough sleeveless piece of armor that covered their full torso. It was often made of leather , onto which were sewn overlapping pieces of metal. Some were made of large pieces of metal molded or hammered to conform to the body. It protected vital organs (e.g. heart). Our spiritual breastplate represents God’s impute righteousness and our righteous deeds.
3. Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace –
4. The shield of faith - soldiers commonly used two types of shield. The first was small and round (about 2 feet in diameter) that was secured to the arm by two leather straps. It was light weight and used in hand-to-hand combat. The second type of shield is what Paul was referring to here. It was about 2 ½ wide and about 4 ½ feet high – it was designed to protect the entire body of the soldier. It was mad of a solid piece of wood and covered with metal. Soldiers carried these shields in the front of the battle line – side by side forming a huge phalanx that extended a mile or more. The enemy dipped their arrows in pitch and lit them so that they became fiery missiles. The shield of faith protects us from the fiery missiles of the devil.
5. The helmet of salvation – soldiers word a helmet made of tough metal like bronze or iron – the inside was lined with felt or sponge or leather and nothing short of an ax or a hammer could pierce the heavy helmet.
6. The sword of the Spirit – soldiers carried a short sword for hand-to-hand combat. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19 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, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
1 Samuel 17:41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"
45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."
Final Greetings
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Prayer Time
posted by Jeff Garrett at 11:42 PM
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