29. Be Strong in the Lord (2)

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Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians
Knowing Your Privilege in Christ
“Be Strong in the Lord (2)”
Ephesians 6:10-24 (KJV)

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 21 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: 22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

OUTLINE
(1) Warfare Against Spiritual Darkness (v10-12)
(2) Wearing God’s Amour for Protection (v13-18)
(3) Well-Being of an Ambassador in Bonds (v19-24)

Continued…

(2) Wearing God’s Amour for Protection (v13-18)

Recall where we left off last week, in verse 13:

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

We see that “Stand” is a key word used in verses 11, 13, and 14. Here, the word “withstand”. It means “to resist, to oppose” (6:13) comes from a Greek compound word from the root, “to stand,” meaning literally to stand against.

It’s a military term for holding on to a position that is under attack. It implies the courage to hold your ground because of your allegiance to our Lord Jesus, the One true, King and Ruler, even when others may be fleeing from the battle because the enemy seems so strong.

The verb requires that the believers themselves to do so individually and thus collectively. It means “to stand” for the Word of God, the doctrines of the Bible. The Word that gives life and direction to life.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

There are six aspects of the spiritual armour:

(1) belt – truth, (2) righteousness, (3) gospel of peace, (4) faith, (5) salvation (6) word of God.

Spiritual Warfare Imagery Image Background Spiritual Weapon

  1. Belt … buckled around your waist Isa. 11:5 Truth

Isaiah 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

  1. Breastplate Isa. 59:17 Righteousness

Isaiah 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

  1. Feet fitted Isa. 52:7 Gospel of peace

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

  1. Shield (Isa. 21:5; Ps. 35:2) —23 times in the Old Testament – Faith

Isaiah 21:5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

Psalm 35:2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

  1. Helmet Isa. 59:17 Salvation

Isaiah 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

  1. Sword (Isa. 49:2) —178 times in the Old Testament – Spirit – Word of God, Prayer

Isaiah 49:2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

(1) Belt (v14a)
14 Stand (Aor. Imper.) therefore, having your loins girt (Aor. Mid.) about with truth…

The word “stand” is a command, given with a sense of urgency to be on guard, watchful and ready for action.

The loins are the lower parts of our waist and legs. We are supposed to gird our loins with “truth”. The truth refers to God’s Word, the Bible. Let the truth of God’s Word fortify us that we may be able to stand against falsehood. Always ready for action with the truth of God with us.

This picture derives from the custom of shortening the long flowing garments of Orientals which were pulled up and knotted at the waist for freedom of movement. The idea is to tuck up one’s long garment by pulling it through a belt. From the belt hung the scabbard in which the soldier’s sword was sheathed. The belt tied tightly around the waist indicated that a soldier was ready for combat. Conversely, to slacken the belt equated with the soldier going off duty, something that is never to be in a Christian soldier. We are always on duty, for our foe never rests.

In verb “gird” is in the middle voice which means you yourself have to fasten on the belt, wrapping yourself around. No one can accomplish this girding for you.

(2) Breastplate (v14)
14 … and having on (Aor. Mid.) the breastplate of righteousness;

The breastplate covers the very vital parts of our heart and our lungs. The Greek word for “breastplate” is “thorox”. The “breastplate” covers the body from “the neck to the naval where the ribs end… protecting the body on both sides.

There is no way to get righteousness except by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness.

Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Be justified is being declared righteous by faith. We have to be prepared in this battle with Satan. An unsaved person is not able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. Only believers who take upon themselves the whole armour of God can stand against this infernal foe.

To stand firm against the enemy, put on the breastplate of righteousness.

(3) Sandals (v15)
15 And your feet shod (Aor. Mid.) with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Proper footwear can make a huge difference, whether you’re hiking or playing a sport or fighting in a war. In Paul’s day, soldiers did not have land mines. Instead, they put sharpened spikes just beneath the surface of the ground, camouflaged with leaves or soft dirt around them. An advancing soldier needed sturdy boots to stop the spikes from penetrating or he would suffer a debilitating injury. He could be outfitted in the most invincible armour from his head down to his ankles, but it wouldn’t do him a bit of good if he couldn’t walk. When your feet hurt badly, you can’t even stand up, much less fight or march. So, it was essential for soldiers to wear rugged boots designed for battle. [Cole]

The feet is important because with them we can move around. What will “prepare” us for this gospel? Prayer and knowing the Bible are important parts of this. Are you prepared? “Preparation” implies that a person is ready. Be ready is necessary. Do you know what the gospel is? Do you know how to use it? That is “preparation of the gospel of peace”. We have to memorize some Scripture.

We have to know the Scripture that gives us the gospel.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

We have to be prepared. We must memorize verses so that we can talk to people about Christ. God wants us to have readiness so we can walk her or walk there and be prepared to tell forth His “gospel of peace”.

(4) Shield
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

We need a shield from the wickedness and deceitfulness of sin.

Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

2 Samuel 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

2 Samuel 22:36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Psalm 3:3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Psalm 33:20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Psalm 115:9 O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.

Psalm 144:2 My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Our Lord Jesus is our shield, we must take the shield of faith if we are to be successful warriors for the Lord.

God has a way of protecting us from the fiery darts of the wicked ones. That way is by the proper use of the shield of faith. That Shield is the Lord Himself. The wicked one is out to harm us who are saved, and the “shield” protects our heart, our breathing, our lungs. Satan would kill us or wound us if we did not have “faith”. That “faith” includes both personal and saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as well as faith in the Words of God. That is the kind of faith trust that David had when he went out to slay the giant. The “shield of faith” is a very important part of our armament. [Cole]

The shield protects us as we take refuge behind it.

Roman soldiers had two kinds of shields. They had a smaller shield that fit on one arm. It could be easily maneuvered to ward off the enemy’s sword in close combat. But they also had larger shields (referred to here), about four feet high by two and a half feet wide, that they hid behind while advancing against the enemy. They were made of wood, covered with leather, and bound with iron. The soldiers would stand shield to shield, forming a wall of protection against the enemy’s flaming arrows. As long as they were behind their shields, they were protected. If they moved out from behind the shield, they could suffer painful or fatal wounds. One soldier reported having over 200 enemy arrows in his shield after an intense battle! So, the shield was essential for survival! [Cole]

(5) Helmet
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The helmet protects the head, the brain and the ears. Unless you have a visor, it does not protect the eyes because you have to see. The head area of the body, as we know, is the most vital part of the body. It houses the mind which needs to be sound.

The head is important, and we need the helmet of salvation to protect it. We have to be sure we are saved. If we are not saved, our head is absolutely open for trash, for the infusion of pornography and filth, for swearing and bad talking, for hearing and seeing wicked things. We need the helmet of salvation that will protect our head at all times from these things that will defile us.

(6) Sword
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

In our text, Paul uses rhema which usually has the nuance of the spoken word. But the spoken word is the written Word used verbally and precisely to apply to a specific situation. In other words, the written Word is the basis for the specific sword thrusts of the spoken word. Paul’s point is that the church must be armed with and use Scripture to defeat the enemy. [Cole]

The Holy Spirit is the source of the Word.

By “the sword of the Spirit,” Paul means that the sword comes from the Spirit. He originated the sword, which Paul further identifies as the Word of God. Paul tells us the same thing in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” The word inspired is literally, God-breathed. God’s Spirit breathed out the Word through human authors, using their unique styles and personalities. But the final result is that the written Word came to us from God.

Forerunners of the Reformation

  • The Waldenses

Early in the 12th century there lived in Lyons, a city in the Rhone Valley in France, a wealthy merchant named Peter Waldo. In or about 1170 he employed a priest to translate from Latin into French the Four Gospels together with certain other books of Scriptures. By the grace of God he saw the truths of God’s Word and wanted to practise them. He began to realize that the Scripture alone are to be the basis of faith, and not the word of any human being, be he priest or bishop or pope. He learned that there is but one Mediator, that saints should not be worshipped, and that two sacraments and two only – baptism and the Lord’s Supper – were instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ. Waldo embraced these and other related truths, and in 1177 he organised a society of men and women who were willing to help him bring Bible truth before their fellows. The members of this Society are known in Church history by the name of Waldenses, or Waldensians, so called after their eminent instructor and leaders. They are also known as ‘the poor men of Lyons’. The call had come to them, as it once came to the seventy: ‘God your way, behold I send you forth as lambs among wolves, carry neither scrip nor shoes…’ (Luke 10:1-17); and in obedience to this command they went out ‘two and two into every city and place’. Occasionally they were called Sabotati because they wore wooden shoes (sabots).

The Waldenses were ‘harmless as doves’ but also ‘wise as serpents’, for disguised as pedlars they canvassed the country trying to see knick-knacks, but they never left a home without offering ‘the pearl of great price’. They attacked the false teachings of the priests and the traditions of the Church frankly and openly, and wherever they found a listening ear they preached the Word of God boldly and fearlessly. They visited all parts of France, they penetrated into Switzerland and Northern Italy, and usually they were well received. They gathered like-minded people to worship in secluded places, and visited them in their homes, peached to them, and always left behind translations of parts of the Bible and devotional literature.

At first the Church authorities were lenient towards them, but when they began to realize the dangers of the movement to themselves, they placed the Waldenses under a ban. The Council of Valencia (1229) forbade men who were not priests to read the Bible, whether in Latin or in the vernacular, the only exception being that they might have ‘a psalter or breviary for divine services’, or ‘the hours of the blessed Mary’ but only in Latin. The Bible itself was placed on The Index of Forbidden Books.

Soon every kind of persecution was raised against the Waldenses as well as against other sects which protested against the corruption of the Church. The Inquisition was resorted to, and a murderous campaign was carried on against them for many years. Many thousands of them were slain, many were tortured with great cruelty, and their country was periodically transformed into a desert. Even others with infants were rolled down the rocks. These were especially the case in the area known as Piedmont. The believers fled to the mountains for safety. At one time 400 women and children were housed in a cave while then men were away. When this hiding-place was discovered the enemies lit a fire at the opening of the cave and all who were within perished. Dominican monks were appointed by Pope Gregory IX (1227-41) to the work of the tribunals of the Inquisition, and many were the acts of cruelty against the Waldenses for which they were responsible. As Peter Waldo lived in southern France, they was the chief area covered by the Waldenese’ testimony at the outset. The Counts of Toulouse and Foix gave them protection. But when persecution arose a number of them fled to Spain, Savoy, and Piedmont. Although soon driven out of Spain, they survived in France until the 16th century. Some fled to southern Italy but they were not welcomed there. Western Piedmont was the area where, in the southern Alps, they chiefly found refuge, and there they founded a distinct church which survives to the present day, free from persecution. Even in the city of Rome itself they now have a congregation. Their bitterest enemies could never deny the purity of their morals and the sincerity of their convictions. Of them, the world was not worthy. They loved their lives unto death. By faith, they overcame the world, and we do well to remember the testimony to truth and the steadfastness under grievous tribulation which characterized their lives. A persecution of the Waldensians which took place during the 17th Century has been made famous by a sonnet written by John Milton, secretary to Oliver Cromwell. It was Cromwell’s vigorous remonstrance and threat of naval and military action that brought the persecution to a close. Milton’s lines are worthy of remembrance:

Of the late massacre in Piedmont (1655)
Avenge, O Lord, they slaughtered saints, whose bones. Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold; Even them who kept thy truth so pure of old. Forget not: in thy book record their groans. Who were thy sheep, and in their ancient fold. Slain by the bloody Piedmontese, that rolled Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans. The vales redoubled to the hills, and they to heaven. Their martyred blood and ashes sow. O’er all the Italian fields, where still doth sway. They triple tyrants; that from these many grow. A hundredfold, who, having learnt thy way. Early may fly the Babylonian woe.

[Extracted from Sketches from Church History by S.M Houghton, pp.63-64]

(3) Well-Being of an Ambassador in Bonds (v19-24)
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 21 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: 22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

The Apostle Paul writes as a bondman to freedmen and yet expresses as a freedman to bondmen. He tells them the unction of God in his life. God’s grace enabled him to make known the mystery of the gospel.

God’s salvation plan requires a divine enactment that brings God’s Son from heaven to earth to accomplish what earthly man cannot accomplish for himself in his fallen self.

He sends news of his well-being. God is keeping him. Christ Himself is guarding him till his earthly work is done. He sought to bring comfort to their hearts as he knew those of the Christians in Ephesus who truly cared about his well-being.

He writes to those who serve God in sincerity. Those who care for him, for the advancement of God’s kingdom, he enquired for their well-being. And he speaks God’s peace to them. He prayed for God’s grace to keep all them who love Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

CONCLUSION
May God’s people be strong in the Lord. May His power strengthen His people to do His will in a dark and evil day. Indeed, God’s grace will prevail for His people. Amen.