Lesson 15--Ready for Battle (Ephesians 6:10-24)

Robert Taylor

Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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Introduction

We are witnessing a war as it unfolds.

The Russian army rolled its tanks across the Ukrainian border and invaded it. Jets screamed overhead as massive explosions rocked theaters, hospitals, and schools.

Yet, one truth remains. The Ukrainians are standing firm against seemingly overwhelming power.

Another war rages. It is not captured by videographers or shown on Fox or CNN. It is not a new war but centuries old. And as Christians, we are not spectators. Instead, as Paul teaches in this lesson, we are the front-line soldiers in this way.

Paul ends this letter in today’s lesson. In verse 10, he says:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” (Ephesians 6:10, ESV)

Finally. That word signals completion. This may have been Paul’s last words to the Ephesians as far as we know. The letter comes after Acts 20 when Paul provides his tearful farewell to the Ephesian elders. He is headed to Rome.

What does he want to leave with them…and us…as we close the letter to the Ephesians?

In the book, he portrays two ideas, the last of which comes in our lesson today.

First, he spent much time describing the foundation of the church. It was God’s mystery to put together all people under the blood of his son, regardless of Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. It was planned from eternity and now has been born.

The second idea is conveyed in our verses this morning. God established it, but there is also a fight to continue its existence. That fight is the subject of our text today.

C. S. Lewis wrote, “Christianity is a religion at a war.” As unsavory as it sounds, it is accurate. The battle is real and takes place on the battlefield of the human heart. As Paul wraps up this letter, he wants us to consider “How do we defend God’s mystery throughout time?

It comes by realizing what it takes to fight the war. Paul begins with something we need that is beyond our control.

Discussion

The Power

The lesson opens these words:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” (Ephesians 6:10, ESV)

What kind of strength do we have in this battle? It doesn’t come from our intelligence, smarts, or savvy. Instead, it is captured in three terms: strong, strength, and might.

Paul opened the letter with these exact three words. It happens in Ephesians 1:19.

“and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might” (Ephesians 1:19, ESV)

In that passage, Paul describes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that made the church possible.

He says God gives the same might and power as when he moved a stone on a Sunday morning and brought a new life to the body of Jesus in the grave.

When we fight our battle with evil forces, we do not go alone. Instead, we employ the same might that caused Jesus to rise from the dead.

It should give us confidence in our living, knowing the dynamo of God’s power is behind anything and everything we do.

The Enemy

The old adage says, “know thy enemy.” To be successful, we must know something about the force we fight.

In the Second World War, the allies were bloodied and beaten in North Africa. They were outflanked and out commanded by the Germans. So Dwight Eisenhower sent George Patton, the swashbuckling, overly confident general, to take command of a battalion to see what he could do.

Patton came and beat the Germans at their own game. The reason was simple. He had read the book on military tactics written by his opponent, a man known as The Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel.

We, too, must know who the fight is against.

Paul writes a cryptic description that stymies scholars to this day.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:11–12, ESV)

Much is packed into these two verses.

We notice in verse 11 that the devil is mentioned. It is not the mention that is so surprising but the detail he provides about the devil.

The devil has schemes. It is a word from which our English word “method” comes. The devil plans and executes carefully. He is methodical. He knows the weak points of Christians and of the church. He knows if he can stir up a quarrel, he can drive a wedge between brethren. He introduces false teaching through charming words and people bite.

Never underestimate the devil. He doesn’t go against God’s might with brute force. Instead, he deceives, seduces, and coaxes the unprepared and unassuming to do his bidding.

But the second idea is more complicated. Paul says:

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:11–12, ESV)

He mentions that this is not about flesh and blood. As much as many want to make Roman Caesar the enemy of this passage, Paul clarifies it is not a person.

But he says we do hand-to-hand combat against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, and spiritual forces in the heavenly places.

Evil doesn’t have a face, although it could use one if necessary. It is not a person or entity we would easily recognize. It cannot be destroyed by human power or skill.

Whether we put the term angel on it or not, it doesn’t completely capture the essence. Instead, this is the concept of evil, the kind that entered when the good God created was corrupted. It is always present and always working, but is found in the first century and the 21st century. It speaks all languages and appeals to all men.

Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote an acquaintance, ‘You know the Caledonian Railway Station in Edinburgh? One cold, east windy morning, I met Satan there.’

I doubt he saw the personage of the devil. Instead, we meet the devil in the glow of a computer screen, in a whispered conversation in a coffee shop, or in a crowded store.

Our weapons are useless before we attempt to fight with what we have because it is not fleshly. Instead, it is spiritual, and only spiritual weapons can defeat it.

For that reason, Paul says, “be prepared.”

The Preparation

Someone has said, “luck favors the prepared.” The truth is much of our lives are preparing for a battle we will meet.

Anyone in the armed forces knows time is filled with drills. The more they drill, the more prepared they are. They go through all the actions. Jet scramble, artillery gets armed, soldiers simulate real battles.

The reason is simple. The only way to fight a battle is to be ready to fight it. That is why Paul has in this lesson what he calls “the armor of God.”

I can see Paul in prison. He is surrounded by guards, many of them of the elite Praetorian. He watches them as they make preparation. He has watched as they practice putting on the armor, one piece at a time. They would tie a belt and put their sword through it. They could quickly put on the chest plate or chain mail and let an invading force catch them unprotected. They could put on the shoes in a moment and latch the helmet on their heads. The last was picking up their sword.

Once dressed, they were ready to fight.

I imagine he watched the Roman soldier and thought, what better metaphor of Christian preparation than that of military readiness. So using the armor, he advances his thought.

He must have noted that no soldier was ready with most of the armor. Instead, he put on all of it.

So, twice, Paul emphasizes that same idea about Christian readiness.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11, ESV)

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:13, ESV)

Paul believes that we make complete preparation. Ninety percent is as good as none. As he describes this armor, he insists it is an all-or-nothing proposition.

One Christian cannot say, “I have faith, but I will let you have righteousness.” Everything Paul speaks of in five verses must grace the Christian’s lifestyle and thinking.

So what is this armor?

“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” (Ephesians 6:14–18, ESV)

Let’s separate out metaphor from the message. Let’s start with the pieces of the armor.

The Belt

A roman soldier wore different kinds of belts. The most prevalent appears to have been a leather apron worn across the abdomen. It would protect him from glancing sword thrusts and provide him a place to hang his sword.

The Breastplate

The breastplate protected a soldier between the shoulders and the thighs. Most wore a piece of metal, probably bronze. However, since soldiers had to furnish their own equipment, many had to put a chain mail coat around them.

The Shoes

Someone has said that shoes are vital because an army travels on its feet. That was true of the Romans as well.

The shoes were strapped on with long straps. They were made of tough leather and were often studded with hobnails to provide traction and footing.

The Shield

The shield is not that which is most often displayed by Hollywood films.

It was not a round convex shield but a piece of wood often the size of a door. It had an iron frame to give it strength. On it was layered several layers of leather. The water-soaked leather prevented the shield from catching fire when it hit the wooden shield. An enemy might dip their arrows in pitch which was then set afire.

The Helmet

The helmet was bronze and often equipped with cheekpieces. It was the most expensive item a soldier would own. Nothing short of a hammer or ax could pierce the helmet.

The Sword

This was not a short sword but a long broad sword. It was double-edged and honed for swinging at an enemy where damage and death could take place with either side.

But what do these indicate?

We often get so engrossed in the metaphor we forget what Paul is really saying. He is talking about all that we need to live effectively in a world of evil. Nothing precise is probably meant by any pairing.

What is our armor?

Truth

Paul begins with truth which is the foundation of all we do. If we do have the truth and yearn for it, we are vulnerable to all the devil’s deceits and his agents.

Righteousness

Truth and righteousness go hand in hand. Righteousness is truth as portrayed in life. It does little good to know what is right and not do it.

The Gospel of Peace

One of Paul’s themes in Ephesians is that God has made peace through Jesus Christ. He bridges the divide between Jew and Gentile and makes all men one in Christ.

If this is not our message portrayed in our relationships, we remain vulnerable.

Faith

Faith is the basis of salvation. We are “saved by grace through faith,” Paul stated in the second chapter.

We do not live in this world by relying on ourselves but because we lean and Christ braces us.

Salvation

Salvation is another theme of Ephesians. We stand ready because we experienced sin taken away and standing before God reconciled and justified.

The earmark of Christianity is it saves people. By holding on to it, we make a bold statement about God in the face of evil.

Word of God

Finally, Paul says it is the very breath of God that sustains us. We gain direction, guidance, and truth from God in his word.

A person who turns to human wisdom will find himself growing weaker while the one who heeds the word of God grows stronger.

But while we end our list here, Paul has two more areas of preparation for the battle.

Constancy in Prayer

Paul adds in verse 18:

“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” (Ephesians 6:18, ESV)

Prayer is constant communication with the Father. Every foe understands if you can disrupt the communication lines with headquarters, they can do as they please.

Through prayer, we stay in touch with God and his power.

Alertness

Paul had watched the Roman sentries. He knew that when on watch, they never dozed off. Nothing was more useless than a sleeping soldier.

So Paul instructs us to “stay awake.”

Tragically, many Christians ignore the spiritual atmosphere and are lulled into a stupor.

Closing Remarks

Paul closes his letters with a personal greeting, and he does it to the Ephesians.

He asks them to keep praying for him since he will face many trials. He asks them to remember him as he speaks that his words are correct and that he can keep proclaiming the mystery of God’s grace which was delivered to them.

He describes himself as an “ambassador in chains.” It is a paradox since ambassadors were protected from arrest. In it, he signals that he has wrongly suffered for his message and awaits the resolution of his case.

Finally, he mentions Tychicus.

We know little about him. However, he is the messenger who will carry the letter to Ephesus to be read. Paul gives him high praise as a faithful minister who will tell everything. Paul sends him, knowing the Ephesians will be buoyed by what he tells them.

Conclusion

And so we come to the close of Ephesians. Paul rolls the scroll, hands it to Tychicus, and says, “go tell them what I have said.”

In the book, he has talked about the mystery of the church, how Christ died and rose so the one church could act as one man. All races and heritages becoming one. It was something no one in the world could imagine.

So what does Paul want us to finally know, to leave with.

First, we are “front-line soldiers in God’s battle with evil. While Jesus overcame it at the resurrection, the rebellion continues. It has invaded our world, and we are the ones to protect God’s great plan with his power.

Second, God gives us power but expects us to prepare for the battle. It is not “up to us” because the same power that rolled the stone away goes with us. But we have the responsibility of maintaining spiritual stamina so when we face the foe, we have the strength to repel his advance.