Ephesians 6 Part 2
Bible Study Time 2-5-06
Church links:
Bible Study Time 2-5-06
Last week we looked at the first nine verses of Ephesians 6 and found that God expects all of us to submit to those in authority. Children are to submit to parents. Employees are to respect their employers and work with a willing heart. But at the same time, parents are to raise their children in an atmosphere that is nurturing and instructive, while employers are to respect their employees and make decisions which reflect a genuine compassion for their employees.
To do this takes a great deal of personal, inner strength because it’s instinctive within the old sin nature to rebellion against God and those He has put in authority over us. However, Paul continues in verse 10 with a word of encouragement for us, saying:
Ephesians 6:10 (NKJ)
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
We do not have the strength within ourselves to resist the devil, but we can be victorious if we learn to be strong in the Lord by using the defensive armor which God has provided for us. Paul says in verse 11:
Ephesians 6:11-18 (NKJ)
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 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.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
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, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
I remember when I was in the Army Reserve, we would practice wearing the gas mask and the protective suits which were made to protect soldiers from a biological or chemical attack. The suits were heavy, and they were hot, but there was a consolation in knowing that they might just save our lives someday.
Well, the same in true in spiritual warfare. It may be inconvenient at times to study the word of God in order to be grounded in the truth and become the instruments of God’s righteousness, but Paul says that this armor is for our protection. When Satan brings the battle to us, we will be victorious if we are able to skillfully use the armor of God.
Notice that we need the whole armor of God, not just part of it. We can not take the helmet of salvation and leave behind the shield of faith or the sword of the Spirit and expect to be victorious. Our righteousness is the righteousness of faith, and our faith comes by hearing the word of God. The individual pieces of armor are interconnected, and therefore, we need to put on the whole armor of God.
Notice also that we are to put on the armor which is of God. The armor of this world will not provide the protection we need. A college degree, a good job, a big bank account, these things are of no value when it comes to spiritual warfare. When David went out to fight Goliath, he refused the weapons which were provided for him by King Saul.
David knew what he needed. He needed the strength of the Lord to defeat Goliath. With 5 smooth stones and a sling shot, he was able to kill the mighty Goliath. By the same token, we would be wise to put on the whole armor of God and realize that the defenses provided by this world will not protect us from the devil.
The devil is real, and he is our greatest enemy. We are born with an evil sin nature which works against us, but the devil knows how to manipulate the destructive instincts of the sin nature. Satan knows human nature because he is a keen observer, and he has been around for a long time.
Satan is a formidable foe not only because he knows how to manipulate our sin nature but because he deals out misery and death without a second thought. He has no compassion. He has no mercy. The whole concept of mercy is foreign to him. The Lord Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and said:
John 8:44 (NKJ)
44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
When the devil tempted Eve in the garden, his goal was to kill her. He wanted Adam and Eve dead, and we should never forget that this is his goal for all people. He was a murderer from the beginning.
When we look around us, we can see just how much power God has given to the devil. When we turn on the evening news, how much killing and murder do we see? There is scarcely a spot on the earth where one can go to escape the satanic scourge of killing and murder. The devil has been given a great deal of power in the world today, and he is working harder than ever because he knows his time is short.
Some say that it is our job to make the world better and better until the Lord returns. I’m thankful that is not the case because, if it were, we would not be doing a very good job. In reality, we can take comfort in the fact that God has not called us to make the world better and better. Today, God simply tells us to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace and go out into a world that is lost and dying to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
There are a lot of good things we can do in this world, and we should, but we need to have a zeal for God which is according to knowledge. The Bible teaches that the devil will be given more and more authority to bring misery and destruction upon mankind through the forces of nature and through the evil desires of man. In I Timothy 4, Paul says:
1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NKJ)
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
Then in II Timothy 3, he says:
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJ)
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
When we look around us, we see many of these things already prevalent in our society. Do not be discouraged. All is well. God is working all things after the counsel of His own will. All of these things must happen to set the stage for the tribulation period and the rule of the antichrist. After the Church of our present age is taken up into heaven, God will give the devil more power than he has ever had before. He will bring tribulation and suffering upon mankind such as the world has never known before.
Will the devil have any mercy when he sees the suffering of mankind? Will the devil have any compassion for man when man is plagued by disease, natural disasters and pestilence? Not at all. Remember, the devil is a murderer to the core and has been from the beginning. His primary goal is to kill and destroy.
Some people refuse to submit to Jesus Christ thinking, hoping within themselves, that maybe hell won’t be that bad. Thinking that surely the devil is not all that bad. Make no mistake about it, the devil has the ability to transform himself into an angel of light, but his primary goal has never changed and that is to kill and destroy. Eve was certainly fooled by his subtlety. The devil said, eat this fruit and you can be like God. I’m just concerned about what’s best for you.
The truth is that the devil wanted to see Adam and Eve both dead, and that’s exactly what he wants for you and me. The only thing that is holding the devil back from destroying all of mankind is the power of God.
The only mercy that human beings will ever find is that which comes from God. God created us. God loves us, and God is holding back the devil from destroying us right now.
Some may say, if God loves us so much why doesn’t he send us some rain. Well, you can rest assured that the devil wants to do worse things than send a few months of drought. The devil would love to completely destroy us, but God won’t let him. In fact, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
During times of drought and all of the other natural disasters, we see the real fury of the devil. We get a glimpse into his real character, and we know from scripture that his real character will be revealed more and more as the time of the tribulation period draws near.
Therefore, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the forces of Satan, against the principalities, and powers and rulers of the darkness. Peter said that the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, and Paul warns us to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. God is our only source of protection.
In the book of Job, when the devil sought to destroy Job, God set specific limits on the evil that the devil could do. At first, God would not allow Satan to afflict Job’s body, but later God allowed even that. Job had to trust that God knew what was best for him.
The Apostle Paul suffered from a thorn in the flesh, and Paul knew that this thorn had come from a messenger of Satan. Paul prayed three times for God to remove the thorn, knowing that Satan can do nothing without the permission of God. What did God say? My grace is sufficient for you, Paul. God had very specific reasons for allowing that thorn, and Paul too had to learn to trust the Lord.
We see the evil in our world today, and we know that this evil comes from the devil. We know that God could stop all of the evil that we see around us. But God says, no, not yet. Trust me, and you will see that my plan is good and that I know what is best for you.
How do we as believers continue to find the strength to believe that God really is still in charge? We put on the whole armor of God. We put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and we protect our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
I find it interesting that as the Apostle Paul speaks of our spiritual warfare here in Ephesians 6, he never says a word about casting out demons. Many people get excited about casting out demons, and I guess it might seem logical to some that if we are wrestling with demons there might be times when we should cast them out. But as you may recall, the Lord warned the disciples that casting out a demon may not be a cure all for those who are afflicted. He said that when a demon is cast out, that demon may not find another place to go, so he may return to the same poor soul with seven other demons who are more wicked than he.
Jesus said that the devil was a murderer from the beginning, and then immediately he said that the devil does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it.
The devil is a murderer, and his greatest weapon is the lie. He can kill with the lie. Yes, what we need more than anything in our battle against the devil is the truth. Jesus emphatically stated that the truth will set you free. Here in Ephesians 6, rather than teaching us how to cast out demons, Paul tells us first of all to put on the belt of truth.
Actually, all of the different pieces of armor mentioned in Ephesians 6 relate directly or indirectly to the truth of God’s word. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God which leads us to the helmet of salvation. The shield of faith comes by hearing the word of God, and we prepare our feet with the gospel of peace, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.
The devil hates the truth of God’s word. When the word of God is taught, the devil is stripped of his power. Therefore, the devil has always tried to destroy the word of God. He told Eve that God didn’t mean what He said. He told Judas that Jesus was not the Son of God, and it was the devil who put it into Judas’ heart to betray the Lord Jesus.
Today, the devil is still working to undermine the word of God. Jesus said in the parable of the sower that when the word of truth falls on the hard ground, it is the devil who comes and snatches it away. The devil works tirelessly to keep people from studying and knowing the truth of God’s word because when we are grounded in the truth, we are no longer receptive to his lies.
If you are listening this morning, and you have not made a decision to follow the truth of Jesus Christ, then you have chosen to follow the lie of the devil. Do not be deceived. The devil does not care about you. He does not love you. He wants to destroy you. God is the One who loves you, and He is calling you today. Won’t you respond to him right now? If you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, you will be saved. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, if you put on the whole armor of God, God will give you the victory over the temptations of the devil.
Thank you for listening this morning. I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
To do this takes a great deal of personal, inner strength because it’s instinctive within the old sin nature to rebellion against God and those He has put in authority over us. However, Paul continues in verse 10 with a word of encouragement for us, saying:
Ephesians 6:10 (NKJ)
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
We do not have the strength within ourselves to resist the devil, but we can be victorious if we learn to be strong in the Lord by using the defensive armor which God has provided for us. Paul says in verse 11:
Ephesians 6:11-18 (NKJ)
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 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.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
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, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
I remember when I was in the Army Reserve, we would practice wearing the gas mask and the protective suits which were made to protect soldiers from a biological or chemical attack. The suits were heavy, and they were hot, but there was a consolation in knowing that they might just save our lives someday.
Well, the same in true in spiritual warfare. It may be inconvenient at times to study the word of God in order to be grounded in the truth and become the instruments of God’s righteousness, but Paul says that this armor is for our protection. When Satan brings the battle to us, we will be victorious if we are able to skillfully use the armor of God.
Notice that we need the whole armor of God, not just part of it. We can not take the helmet of salvation and leave behind the shield of faith or the sword of the Spirit and expect to be victorious. Our righteousness is the righteousness of faith, and our faith comes by hearing the word of God. The individual pieces of armor are interconnected, and therefore, we need to put on the whole armor of God.
Notice also that we are to put on the armor which is of God. The armor of this world will not provide the protection we need. A college degree, a good job, a big bank account, these things are of no value when it comes to spiritual warfare. When David went out to fight Goliath, he refused the weapons which were provided for him by King Saul.
David knew what he needed. He needed the strength of the Lord to defeat Goliath. With 5 smooth stones and a sling shot, he was able to kill the mighty Goliath. By the same token, we would be wise to put on the whole armor of God and realize that the defenses provided by this world will not protect us from the devil.
The devil is real, and he is our greatest enemy. We are born with an evil sin nature which works against us, but the devil knows how to manipulate the destructive instincts of the sin nature. Satan knows human nature because he is a keen observer, and he has been around for a long time.
Satan is a formidable foe not only because he knows how to manipulate our sin nature but because he deals out misery and death without a second thought. He has no compassion. He has no mercy. The whole concept of mercy is foreign to him. The Lord Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and said:
John 8:44 (NKJ)
44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
When the devil tempted Eve in the garden, his goal was to kill her. He wanted Adam and Eve dead, and we should never forget that this is his goal for all people. He was a murderer from the beginning.
When we look around us, we can see just how much power God has given to the devil. When we turn on the evening news, how much killing and murder do we see? There is scarcely a spot on the earth where one can go to escape the satanic scourge of killing and murder. The devil has been given a great deal of power in the world today, and he is working harder than ever because he knows his time is short.
Some say that it is our job to make the world better and better until the Lord returns. I’m thankful that is not the case because, if it were, we would not be doing a very good job. In reality, we can take comfort in the fact that God has not called us to make the world better and better. Today, God simply tells us to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace and go out into a world that is lost and dying to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
There are a lot of good things we can do in this world, and we should, but we need to have a zeal for God which is according to knowledge. The Bible teaches that the devil will be given more and more authority to bring misery and destruction upon mankind through the forces of nature and through the evil desires of man. In I Timothy 4, Paul says:
1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NKJ)
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
Then in II Timothy 3, he says:
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJ)
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
When we look around us, we see many of these things already prevalent in our society. Do not be discouraged. All is well. God is working all things after the counsel of His own will. All of these things must happen to set the stage for the tribulation period and the rule of the antichrist. After the Church of our present age is taken up into heaven, God will give the devil more power than he has ever had before. He will bring tribulation and suffering upon mankind such as the world has never known before.
Will the devil have any mercy when he sees the suffering of mankind? Will the devil have any compassion for man when man is plagued by disease, natural disasters and pestilence? Not at all. Remember, the devil is a murderer to the core and has been from the beginning. His primary goal is to kill and destroy.
Some people refuse to submit to Jesus Christ thinking, hoping within themselves, that maybe hell won’t be that bad. Thinking that surely the devil is not all that bad. Make no mistake about it, the devil has the ability to transform himself into an angel of light, but his primary goal has never changed and that is to kill and destroy. Eve was certainly fooled by his subtlety. The devil said, eat this fruit and you can be like God. I’m just concerned about what’s best for you.
The truth is that the devil wanted to see Adam and Eve both dead, and that’s exactly what he wants for you and me. The only thing that is holding the devil back from destroying all of mankind is the power of God.
The only mercy that human beings will ever find is that which comes from God. God created us. God loves us, and God is holding back the devil from destroying us right now.
Some may say, if God loves us so much why doesn’t he send us some rain. Well, you can rest assured that the devil wants to do worse things than send a few months of drought. The devil would love to completely destroy us, but God won’t let him. In fact, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
During times of drought and all of the other natural disasters, we see the real fury of the devil. We get a glimpse into his real character, and we know from scripture that his real character will be revealed more and more as the time of the tribulation period draws near.
Therefore, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the forces of Satan, against the principalities, and powers and rulers of the darkness. Peter said that the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, and Paul warns us to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. God is our only source of protection.
In the book of Job, when the devil sought to destroy Job, God set specific limits on the evil that the devil could do. At first, God would not allow Satan to afflict Job’s body, but later God allowed even that. Job had to trust that God knew what was best for him.
The Apostle Paul suffered from a thorn in the flesh, and Paul knew that this thorn had come from a messenger of Satan. Paul prayed three times for God to remove the thorn, knowing that Satan can do nothing without the permission of God. What did God say? My grace is sufficient for you, Paul. God had very specific reasons for allowing that thorn, and Paul too had to learn to trust the Lord.
We see the evil in our world today, and we know that this evil comes from the devil. We know that God could stop all of the evil that we see around us. But God says, no, not yet. Trust me, and you will see that my plan is good and that I know what is best for you.
How do we as believers continue to find the strength to believe that God really is still in charge? We put on the whole armor of God. We put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and we protect our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
I find it interesting that as the Apostle Paul speaks of our spiritual warfare here in Ephesians 6, he never says a word about casting out demons. Many people get excited about casting out demons, and I guess it might seem logical to some that if we are wrestling with demons there might be times when we should cast them out. But as you may recall, the Lord warned the disciples that casting out a demon may not be a cure all for those who are afflicted. He said that when a demon is cast out, that demon may not find another place to go, so he may return to the same poor soul with seven other demons who are more wicked than he.
Jesus said that the devil was a murderer from the beginning, and then immediately he said that the devil does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it.
The devil is a murderer, and his greatest weapon is the lie. He can kill with the lie. Yes, what we need more than anything in our battle against the devil is the truth. Jesus emphatically stated that the truth will set you free. Here in Ephesians 6, rather than teaching us how to cast out demons, Paul tells us first of all to put on the belt of truth.
Actually, all of the different pieces of armor mentioned in Ephesians 6 relate directly or indirectly to the truth of God’s word. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God which leads us to the helmet of salvation. The shield of faith comes by hearing the word of God, and we prepare our feet with the gospel of peace, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.
The devil hates the truth of God’s word. When the word of God is taught, the devil is stripped of his power. Therefore, the devil has always tried to destroy the word of God. He told Eve that God didn’t mean what He said. He told Judas that Jesus was not the Son of God, and it was the devil who put it into Judas’ heart to betray the Lord Jesus.
Today, the devil is still working to undermine the word of God. Jesus said in the parable of the sower that when the word of truth falls on the hard ground, it is the devil who comes and snatches it away. The devil works tirelessly to keep people from studying and knowing the truth of God’s word because when we are grounded in the truth, we are no longer receptive to his lies.
If you are listening this morning, and you have not made a decision to follow the truth of Jesus Christ, then you have chosen to follow the lie of the devil. Do not be deceived. The devil does not care about you. He does not love you. He wants to destroy you. God is the One who loves you, and He is calling you today. Won’t you respond to him right now? If you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, you will be saved. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, if you put on the whole armor of God, God will give you the victory over the temptations of the devil.
Thank you for listening this morning. I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
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