We talked in the first lesson about His Story, which was His relationship with mankind and His Plan, which was to redeem us and now in this lesson we will see His Gift that was given so that you can reign in your Christian life. Now we go a little deeper.
Our lesson is from Ephesians 6: 10-20.
This passage comes on the heals of v. 1- 9 which instructs us to be obedient, give honor to our parents, serve the Lord not men, and also that you will receive back what you give because the Lord does not play favorites among us.
What I love most about this passage is that it is a perfect example of the three things given to us in scripture; instruction, explanation and warning.
Instruction explains what you are to do. Explanation gives reasons as to why something is done or how something will or has happened. Warning tells us what not to do and what to watch out for.
It is like the game red light green light. When He gives you instruction, you are to take off on a green light and if a warning is given then you are to stop.
For our benefit and understanding because He knows us so well, He throws in explanation to settle our desire to always know why. Come on parents, you know what I'm talking about.
If you can't find the explanation to something in the scripture then, it is not necessary to know "the why" in order to accomplish the instruction. Remember that.
Let's continue.
v. 10 begins with finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Whoa!!! Before you jump down to putting on your armor of God, He explains the purpose of having armor. In other words, the purpose of the armor is to be in His strength, not your own.
If you wear your armor and do not understand its purpose then you have missed the point of the instruction from the very beginning.
Okay. Now let's use some highlighting to demonstrate and see what it all looks like. Remember instruction, explanation, and warning and further down Christ.
How are we to be strong?
v.11 Put on the full armor of God, (Why?) so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Who is struggling against us?
v.12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Again
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, (Why?) so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
How do we stand firm?
14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Notice that the first stand firm is a warning and the second time we see stand firm it is an explanation. He says stand firm then tells us how to do it. Brilliant!! I love, love the teaching of the scripture.
Also notice that the purple highlight is Christ. He himself is our armor.
Although He is giving you explanation in terms you can understand such as breastplate, helmet, belt etc. Don't have images of war and battle and struggling or fighting when you are reading Ephesians 6. Such thoughts and images are not from our Lord.
Those terms are accompanied by the spiritual truth of Christ being the armor of God. If you look in the natural you will see a belt. But if you look with spiritual eyes you will see The Truth. Also if you look in the natural you will see a breastplate and in the spiritual you will see your Righteousness. So those who have eyes let them see the spiritual things of God.
You should have images of strength and covering on all sides by a power that is unshakeable. You stand before God clothe in the beauty of His son Jesus.
It looks like this:
Truth
Righteousness
Gospel
Faith
Salvation
Word of God
Our faith is surrounded by who Christ is. We are in Christ through faith. Amazing!
Sidebar: (in your word search (www.blueletterbible.com) type in "put on Christ")
Okay let's wrap this up with some truths:
#1 Jesus is the Prince of Peace not of War.
#2 Those you struggle against have been disarmed and put to shame. You are instructed to stand against them because, as the demon said, their hour has not yet come.
#3 Blessed are the peacemakers not the war makers.
#4 You are to be praying for your enemies not making war against them.
#5 Even though you are fully clothe in armor, the instruction 3 times is to stand not to fight.
#6 Joseph fled from evil but you having the Holy Spirit are instructed to resist the devil and he will flee from you!
********************************************
If you are still not full let's continue with one last truth.
The 1st generation of Israelites were tested in the wars of Canaan.
Nations were left standing so that the 2nd generation of Israelites who had not known the wars would be tested. (Judges 3:1-3 gives explanation as to who was left ( the five lords ) and why (so they might be tested and to know whether or not they would obey the commands of the Lord)
Sidebar: word search "tested"
We, as children of God, are also tested (1 Peter 1: 6-9) to determine the genuineness of our faith and to see if we will obey the command of God, which is to love both the Lord and our neighbor.
Ephesians 6 explains that unlike the Israelites our battle is not a physical fighting but a spiritual standing in the finish work of Christ.
We are born again of the spirit so the principalities of the heavenly places that come against us now have access to us but cannot just take what has been given to us by God.
Oh, the evil one would if he could but, he cannot. He has been disarmed.
(Col 2:15) Instead he must get you to turn from the godly things to the ungodly.
Don't do it.
Your flesh has desires but they are not greater than the desires of the Spirit inside of you that desires to do godly things.
At the end of Paul's Romans 7 moment he said who can save me and the answer was Jesus Christ.
Now Jesus has come and He has saved you. Now use the members of your body to produce fruit for God. (Romans 6:19)
We are instructed not to be deceived by the devils schemes as Eve was. He can only take what you have if YOU exchange it (Lesson #1) for what he has.
His scheme was to deceive Eve by using her desires against her and by trying to get her to doubt what God has said.
Likewise, he tempted Jesus by offering Him what he had conned out of Adam and tried to make him prove who God has said He is (if you are the Son of God then do this....).
He has not changed his tactics in the least when it comes to the children of God.
He came to steal what Adam had been given which was dominion over the earth. And for now he has dominion over the earth.
He comes to steal what you have been given which is eternal life and an inheritance from the Father.
Because he has not been given authority over you, his scheme is to deceive you with lies and half truths and teachings that are against the gospel of God's grace.
Be alert and do not waver** in your faith during the testing.
Remember that the Lord is with you :)
**Waver - shake with a quivering motion : the flame wavered in the draft.• become unsteady or unreliable : his love for her had never wavered.• be undecided between two opinions or courses of action; be irresolute : she never wavered from her intention.
Our lesson is from Ephesians 6: 10-20.
This passage comes on the heals of v. 1- 9 which instructs us to be obedient, give honor to our parents, serve the Lord not men, and also that you will receive back what you give because the Lord does not play favorites among us.
What I love most about this passage is that it is a perfect example of the three things given to us in scripture; instruction, explanation and warning.
Instruction explains what you are to do. Explanation gives reasons as to why something is done or how something will or has happened. Warning tells us what not to do and what to watch out for.
It is like the game red light green light. When He gives you instruction, you are to take off on a green light and if a warning is given then you are to stop.
For our benefit and understanding because He knows us so well, He throws in explanation to settle our desire to always know why. Come on parents, you know what I'm talking about.
If you can't find the explanation to something in the scripture then, it is not necessary to know "the why" in order to accomplish the instruction. Remember that.
Let's continue.
v. 10 begins with finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Whoa!!! Before you jump down to putting on your armor of God, He explains the purpose of having armor. In other words, the purpose of the armor is to be in His strength, not your own.
If you wear your armor and do not understand its purpose then you have missed the point of the instruction from the very beginning.
Okay. Now let's use some highlighting to demonstrate and see what it all looks like. Remember instruction, explanation, and warning and further down Christ.
How are we to be strong?
v.11 Put on the full armor of God, (Why?) so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Who is struggling against us?
v.12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Again
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, (Why?) so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
How do we stand firm?
14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Notice that the first stand firm is a warning and the second time we see stand firm it is an explanation. He says stand firm then tells us how to do it. Brilliant!! I love, love the teaching of the scripture.
Also notice that the purple highlight is Christ. He himself is our armor.
Although He is giving you explanation in terms you can understand such as breastplate, helmet, belt etc. Don't have images of war and battle and struggling or fighting when you are reading Ephesians 6. Such thoughts and images are not from our Lord.
Those terms are accompanied by the spiritual truth of Christ being the armor of God. If you look in the natural you will see a belt. But if you look with spiritual eyes you will see The Truth. Also if you look in the natural you will see a breastplate and in the spiritual you will see your Righteousness. So those who have eyes let them see the spiritual things of God.
You should have images of strength and covering on all sides by a power that is unshakeable. You stand before God clothe in the beauty of His son Jesus.
It looks like this:
Truth
Righteousness
Gospel
Faith
Salvation
Word of God
Our faith is surrounded by who Christ is. We are in Christ through faith. Amazing!
Sidebar: (in your word search (www.blueletterbible.com) type in "put on Christ")
Okay let's wrap this up with some truths:
#1 Jesus is the Prince of Peace not of War.
#2 Those you struggle against have been disarmed and put to shame. You are instructed to stand against them because, as the demon said, their hour has not yet come.
#3 Blessed are the peacemakers not the war makers.
#4 You are to be praying for your enemies not making war against them.
#5 Even though you are fully clothe in armor, the instruction 3 times is to stand not to fight.
#6 Joseph fled from evil but you having the Holy Spirit are instructed to resist the devil and he will flee from you!
********************************************
If you are still not full let's continue with one last truth.
The 1st generation of Israelites were tested in the wars of Canaan.
Nations were left standing so that the 2nd generation of Israelites who had not known the wars would be tested. (Judges 3:1-3 gives explanation as to who was left ( the five lords ) and why (so they might be tested and to know whether or not they would obey the commands of the Lord)
Sidebar: word search "tested"
We, as children of God, are also tested (1 Peter 1: 6-9) to determine the genuineness of our faith and to see if we will obey the command of God, which is to love both the Lord and our neighbor.
Ephesians 6 explains that unlike the Israelites our battle is not a physical fighting but a spiritual standing in the finish work of Christ.
We are born again of the spirit so the principalities of the heavenly places that come against us now have access to us but cannot just take what has been given to us by God.
Oh, the evil one would if he could but, he cannot. He has been disarmed.
(Col 2:15) Instead he must get you to turn from the godly things to the ungodly.
Don't do it.
Your flesh has desires but they are not greater than the desires of the Spirit inside of you that desires to do godly things.
At the end of Paul's Romans 7 moment he said who can save me and the answer was Jesus Christ.
Now Jesus has come and He has saved you. Now use the members of your body to produce fruit for God. (Romans 6:19)
We are instructed not to be deceived by the devils schemes as Eve was. He can only take what you have if YOU exchange it (Lesson #1) for what he has.
His scheme was to deceive Eve by using her desires against her and by trying to get her to doubt what God has said.
Likewise, he tempted Jesus by offering Him what he had conned out of Adam and tried to make him prove who God has said He is (if you are the Son of God then do this....).
He has not changed his tactics in the least when it comes to the children of God.
He came to steal what Adam had been given which was dominion over the earth. And for now he has dominion over the earth.
He comes to steal what you have been given which is eternal life and an inheritance from the Father.
Because he has not been given authority over you, his scheme is to deceive you with lies and half truths and teachings that are against the gospel of God's grace.
Be alert and do not waver** in your faith during the testing.
Remember that the Lord is with you :)
**Waver - shake with a quivering motion : the flame wavered in the draft.• become unsteady or unreliable : his love for her had never wavered.• be undecided between two opinions or courses of action; be irresolute : she never wavered from her intention.
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