Sermon Tone Analysis

! Introduction:

!

I.              A Biblical Study in Ephesians 6:10-20

*Introduction: *The true Christian described in Ephesians 1-3 who lives the faithful life described in 4:1-6:9 can be sure that he will be involved in the spiritual warfare described in 6:10-20.

The faithful Christian life is a Battle; it is Warfare on a grand scale-because when God begins to bless, Satan begins to attack.

!!! 1.

No Believer is Exempt From Spiritual Warfare.

!!!! a)            Jesus’ Encountered Warfare:

!!!!! (1)           Jesus’ ministry */began with spiritual Warfare /*with a battle with Satan that lasted forty days

"Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil.

And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry."

(Luke 4:1-2, NKJV)

!!!!! (2)           Jesus’ ministry */ended with spiritual warfare /*in the Garden of Gethsemane with such great force that He sweat great drops of blood (Luke 22:44).

We must remember that Satan will intensify his efforts against those who continue to effectively serve the Lord.

As, believers grow stronger, so will Satan’s attacks.

!!!! b)            Christians Encounter Warfare:

!!!!! (1)           As Christians we must remember that we are in a battleground not a playground.

We are in God’s Army and we are to be good soldiers suffering for Christ and as a soldier are job is to fight the enemy:

"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."

(2 Timothy 2:3-4, NKJV)

 

!!!! c)            God’s Holy Angels Encounter Warfare:

!!!!! (1)           The Angels face opposition when they minister for Him:

"Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands.

And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.”

While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia."

(Daniel 10:10-13, NKJV)

"Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”" (Jude 9)

 

!!! 2.            The Christian Life is wonderful, but still has conflict.

!!!! a)             Be aware of the conflict:

!!!!! (1)           Paul points out that he himself does not fight like someone who hits only the air (1 Cor.

9:26; he also likens himself to a runner at the games).

!!!!! (2)           In (1 Tim.

6:12), Paul exhorts Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith”.

!!!!! (3)           Paul reminded the Corinthians that we do not war according to the flesh” (2 Cor.

10:3).

!!!!! (4)           As Paul was near to the end of his life he said “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim.

4:7-8).

!!!!! (5)           My Prayer is that we as Christians today living in a society that is corrupt, dead, immoral, insensitive to sin, and the such like, let us “Put on the whole armor of God” and “fight the good fight”, “laying aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” Amen!

!! B.            The Christian Armor (Ephesian 6:10-20)

!!! 1.            Getting Prepared: Whose strength are you using (v.10)?

!!!! a)            “Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might!

!!!!! (1)           *To be an /effective Christian /we must be a /prepared Christian/*.

Any believer who try’s to serve the Lord in his own strength will fail.

This is why it is imperative that we as Christians rely on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit in our lives:

"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts."

(Zechariah 4:6, NKJV)

!!!!! (2)           */Apart from Christ /Christians can accomplish nothing at all (John 15:1-5)*!

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Abide in Me, and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches.

He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

(John 15:1-5, NKJV)

!!!!! (3)           */With Christ/, Christians “can do all things through Christ*”.

"And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.

For when I am weak, then I am strong."

(2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

"O, which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power."

(Ephesians 3:7, NKJV)

 

!!!! b)            “be strong in the Lord...” (v.10)

!!!!! (1)           *endunamoo* - “to strengthen, to enable, to empower.”

!!!!! (2)           Christ is the source of our strength (Phil.

4:13)

!!!!! (3)           The Lord enabled Paul with the inner strength (1 Tim.

1:12)

!!!!! (4)           (Eph.

6:10) is used to admonish the brethren to be prepared for spiritual warfare by being empowered in the Lord’s strength.

!!!!! (5)           Old Testament saints who were “made strong” in the midst of weakness (Heb.

11:34)

!!!!! (6)           Paul increased in strength (Acts 9:22), Abraham’s faith was strengthened (Rom.

4:20:22), Paul admonishes Timothy (2 Tim.

2:1).

The Lord stood with Paul (2 Tim.

4:17).

!!!!! (7)           Jesus has destroyed Satan and his power of sin and death (Rom.5:18-21):

"The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

(1 Corinthians 15:56-57, NKJV)

"Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil," (Hebrews 2:14, NKJV)

"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."

(1 John 3:8, NKJV)

!!!!!! (a)           Let us not fear since we are on the Lord’s side (2 Tim.

1:7).

!!!!!! (b)           Put on the Lord! (Rom.

13:12-14).

"The night is far spent, the day is at hand.

Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."

(Romans 13:12-14, NKJV)

 

 

!!! 2.            We Have The Power Of His Resurrection!

!!!! a)            Through His death and resurrection Christ overcame:

!!!!! (1)           */the world /*(John 16:33; Gal.

6:14).

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”"

(John 16:33, NKJV)

"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

(Galatians 6:14, NKJV)

!!!!! (2)           */the Old Man/* (Rom.

6:1-6; Gal.

2:20).

"What shall we say then?

Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?