WEBVTT 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:17.519 So we have spent eight months studying Paul's letter to the Ephesians together, and we're going to conclude it today with a passage that has both inspired people and it confused people. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:23.280 Probably since the very first time it was read by those young Ephesian believers. 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:27.760 So hopefully we're going to the Holy Spirit's going to give us some light on this. 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:31.440 But Paul, it may have confused him because Paul opened this letter. 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:33.439 Do you remember in September? 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:34.479 Do you remember? 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:35.840 We opened the letter. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:39.200 Paul opens the letter with these words, grace and peace be to you. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:42.079 He closes the letter also with grace and peace. 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:46.799 And he talks about unity and he talks about kindness to one another. 00:00:47.119 --> 00:00:55.759 But then now today we're going to be reading where he is telling believers in Jesus to suit up for battle. 00:00:56.320 --> 00:01:01.119 You are in a war, he's telling them. 00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:14.079 And the enemy is greater than you can handle, and you need armor and you need weapons that are greater than your own wisdom and your own faith and your own ability. 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:15.840 So we're going to read this this morning. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:20.959 We're going to see what God has given to us to be able to fight our spiritual battles. 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:24.560 So would you mind standing with me in honor of the word of God? 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:28.079 And just you can read with me, it's going to be on the screen behind me. 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:31.920 This is Ephesians chapter 6, starting at verse 10. 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:36.319 Finally, you don't have to read it out loud. 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:36.879 It's okay. 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:38.000 You can if you want to. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:39.599 That's fine with me. 00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:45.599 But finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power in the strength of his might. 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:52.400 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 00:01:52.799 --> 00:02:06.480 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. 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:18.400 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. 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:52.400 Stand, therefore, having fastened 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. 00:02:53.360 --> 00:03:17.280 To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints and also for me, that words may give into me, may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it bold as I ought to speak. 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:18.080 Let's pray. 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:20.479 And as we're praying, would you mind praying for me too? 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:23.039 That I would be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak. 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:24.479 I need your prayers. 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:25.680 So, Father, thank you. 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:30.960 We're grateful this morning for your word, which is forever settled in heaven. 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:45.680 Lord, your word which endures, which is alive and powerful, and it goes down into our hearts, even to our thoughts and intents of our hearts, and it divides soul and spirit, and it is working, Lord, always working. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:59.919 Today we pray that you would work in us and you would, in the short time that we have here, Lord, that you would do a long work in our hearts, that you would speak directly to the needs of every single person here in Jesus' name. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:00.560 Amen. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:02.159 Okay, you can be seated. 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:14.960 So, since we're talking about spiritual battle, spiritual warfare this morning, I want to tell you stories of three warriors and see if we can learn something from these three warriors. 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:19.600 The first one, maybe I've told this story before, but maybe I haven't. 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:20.079 I don't know. 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:22.000 But uh, it's a great story. 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:24.399 It's really applicable to what we're talking about this morning. 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:26.560 So it's a man named Hiro. 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:28.399 Yeah, his name is Hiro. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:30.639 Hiro Onoda. 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:37.040 And Hiro Onoda was an Imperial Japanese army officer in the Second World War. 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:43.759 He was one of Japan's most famous military legends, but for a kind of a strange reason, actually. 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:52.240 And he belonged to a family of samurai warriors, and he was in that class of family. 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:58.480 And like all Japanese soldiers, he his orders stated that there are two things he could never do. 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:02.399 He could never surrender and he could never take his own life. 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:04.959 This is this was his orders. 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:07.199 This was his his life. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:10.879 This is the way he um he lived his life. 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:20.240 And in 1944, he was sent to the Philippines and he was ordered to do everything he could with his men to disrupt and hamper the enemy attacks on the island. 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:24.240 The enemy would be would be us and others and the Filipinos. 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:33.759 And so that included destroying the airstrip, that included uh destroying the pier at the harbor, and he and his men did a lot of destroying. 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:53.519 But in 1945, the island was liberated by the combined forces of the United States Armed Forces and the Philippine Commonwealth, and Hiro and three other men ran to the mountains and they hid in the mountains surrounding the city. 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:59.759 And from their little hideout in the mountains, they carried out these guerrilla activities. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:20.079 They engaged in shootouts with the authorities, including dis uh including uh uh um pouring um um their um weapons, uh pointing their weapons into the city and um barraging the city. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:31.040 And they were generally causing havoc for their Filipinos for almost, they did this for almost 30 years because Hero didn't know the war was over. 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:33.199 Nobody told him that. 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:48.399 And finally, in 1974, the Japanese government found Hero's commanding officer and sent him to the Philippines because they knew Hero would listen to his commanding officer as a good soldier, right? 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:56.879 His commanding officer found Hero up in the hills, and he said, Hero, you've been so loyal. 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:26.000 You've been you've been such a good soldier, but Hero, the war is over, and the war has been over for almost 30 years, and so Hero surrendered his sword and his rifle and over 500 rounds of ammunition and some grenades and the dagger that his mother gave him, and he went back to Japan, and he ended up being a military legend like a hero. 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:29.279 Hero was a hero to the Japanese. 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:39.439 What I want you to understand about this story, though, is that Hero Elnoda kept fighting a war that he didn't know was already over. 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:41.920 It had already been won. 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:52.240 Well, in his side, it's always been already been lost from his side, but it was over, and he kept his efforts up for 30 years, fighting a war that was not. 00:07:54.079 --> 00:08:01.839 So sometimes, when we're talking about spiritual warfare this morning, sometimes we are fighting in our own strength a war that has already been won. 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:10.639 Today we read about these in these enemies, spiritual enemies, the principalities and powers. 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:24.319 But Paul didn't start in chapter six talking about this, he talked about this in chapter one that Jesus himself was ascended, was raised up, and had authority over the principalities and powers. 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:29.920 And that we also are raised up together with him over those principalities and powers. 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:36.639 So, but some of us are living like we don't know the war is already won. 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:47.519 And this is why Paul started the book of Ephesians with a chapter and a half of what God has done for us in Christ. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:09:07.840 And he prayed for us that God would open our eyes to what he has done, the riches that we have in Christ, and that the gospel would be the foundation of our life, and from that gospel foundation, rooted and grounded in the love of God, that we would be able to walk in righteousness and also, in the end, fight the spiritual battles. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:11.360 Paul was saying that in one sense the battle is already won. 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:17.279 But there are others of us walking with Christ who aren't even aware there's a war. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:17.679 Yeah. 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:19.600 You don't even know. 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:21.519 It's not, you haven't been told yet. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:22.799 You're living in it. 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:28.320 Maybe you felt the effects of it, but you don't know what you're feeling the effects of. 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:36.639 And this is why Paul ends the letter with this section about spiritual armor and how we're to stand in the freedom that we've been given. 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:38.240 Because there is a war. 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:44.320 And everything that he talks about here in this section, chapter six, he's already been talking about. 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:52.240 He doesn't just introduce it here, he's wrapping it up here, but he started talking about it much earlier. 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:54.639 And Kelly did such a great job last week. 00:09:54.799 --> 00:10:07.279 If you haven't heard Kelly's sermon, you should really look it up and listen to it because he introduced us to spiritual fighting last week and reminded us that there is a fight, but it's not the fight that we might think. 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:10.000 It's a spiritual fight. 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.120 It requires spiritual armor, spiritual power. 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:14.879 We do have an enemy. 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:23.759 These evil, powerful, deceptive, invisible powers are real, but also we have what's necessary to defeat them. 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:32.320 And there are, as you know, as I know, there are seasons in our lives where the fight is fiercer. 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:37.279 There are there are some intense battles sometimes. 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:40.080 But we have the armor. 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:42.240 We're able to withstand. 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:48.320 And our passage this morning says, be strong in the Lord and the strength of his own might. 00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:50.720 It's really important. 00:10:50.799 --> 00:11:08.159 It's his strength, it's his armor, it's his truth, it's his righteousness, it's his gospel of peace, it's his faith, it's his salvation, it's his sword of the spirit, it's his word. 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:10.320 The battle belongs to the Lord. 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:14.559 It's his armor that we're putting on. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:16.879 And yet we are engaged. 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:22.000 So this is the paradox we're gonna see all through today, because there's there is a paradox. 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:34.080 It's like the the battle has already been won by Christ, but we are doing the daily work of in his power, applying his victory and enforcing his authority. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:35.919 That's what this is about. 00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:48.240 Paul's point is that Jesus is exalted above all powers, and we are raised up together with him in active resistance together with him against these evil forces. 00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:53.120 And here we have a list of what God has given us to fight with. 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:55.519 Specific list. 00:11:55.600 --> 00:11:58.159 And Paul's readers would be familiar with this. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:04.159 They would they would understand Roman soldiers because all of this was Roman territory. 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:15.200 So they had seen Roman soldiers, they had seen the armor that they wear, they understood that the armor was given to them, it was purchased by the wealth of an empire. 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:25.679 It was given by the emperor to them for the purpose of protecting the interests of the empire. 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:30.720 And our armor is given to us by our King. 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:42.799 God, through the work of his son, Jesus Christ, who bought it and gives it to us so that we can help protect the interests of this kingdom. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:44.879 We're working together with God. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:47.120 We're co-laborers together with him. 00:12:47.679 --> 00:13:02.399 And we are to aggressively resist what God, what is resisting God's kingdom, what's resisting salvation, what's resisting righteous living, what's resisting unity in the body. 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:05.440 We are to work with God to resist that. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:06.799 We stand against it. 00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:13.200 So each part of our armor is tied to the work of Christ and our faith in that work. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:18.480 So ultimately, spiritual warfare is the application of the gospel. 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:23.519 It's applying what's already been done for us. 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:31.039 So today I want us to see this list, though, in the big book, the context of the big book of Ephesians. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:36.480 Because we take things out of context, we get a little squirrely, right? 00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:40.159 We can get weird, we can even get heretical. 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:45.919 We can we can be teaching things that are not taught here when we're adding our own thoughts into it. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:55.600 If we don't, if we just pull this out and say, yeah, warfare, and we make up our own rules of warfare or our own tools of warfare. 00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:57.919 But we got to look at the big picture. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:13:59.360 So we're gonna do that today. 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:02.799 I want to see this in the in the context of the whole letter. 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:04.559 Now, here's the good news this morning. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:08.879 I don't have to cover every piece of armor this morning. 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:11.200 This is good because we have lunch waiting back here. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:13.679 We are having lunch today, y'all. 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:17.919 This is good, but we can't have it until I'm done. 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:23.440 So I but I promise you I will not hold you hostage. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:30.639 Because this is this is a pet peeve of mine personally, it's preachers that hold the congregation hostage. 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:32.879 I hate that, so I will not do that to you. 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:46.960 And the good news is that over the next 10 weeks, starting on June 10th, Wednesday nights, we're gonna have our Timothy team teaching on each piece of armor in depth so you can understand it better. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:48.480 So you don't want to miss that. 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:49.519 It's really gonna be good. 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:54.240 I don't have to do that this morning, so everybody breathe and say thank you, Jesus. 00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:01.039 But this section is echoing what Paul has already taught us in the rest of the letter. 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:11.440 So if we look back over from the very beginning, over eight months we've been going through this, Paul says that the Christian life consists of a few things. 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:17.679 Number one, it's grounded in the love of God, love of our Father, and the work of the Son. 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:21.519 Okay, that's chapters one and one and part of chapter two, right? 00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:25.360 And number two, it's walking together in community. 00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:29.039 He over and over says we need each other. 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:34.399 And number three, it's walking in our spiritual life. 00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:42.080 So it's developing habits from a brand new heart, a changed heart, and a disciplined life. 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:52.799 He talks about walking in the light, walking in good works, walking in wisdom, walking in love and walking in unity and walking in the spirit, all of those things. 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:54.879 He talks about walking a lot. 00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:59.360 Walking is daily decisions that we make as we follow Jesus. 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:05.279 But it's empowered by being grounded in the love of the Father and the work of the Son. 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:13.039 And then from that foundation, finally, brothers, be strong in the Lord. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:17.600 Finally, from there we fight, we battle. 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:27.039 So we prepare by our lifestyle, and we fight out of that preparation, which brings us to the second warrior that I want to tell you about this morning. 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:30.080 And it's a man named Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:33.519 And all of you Civil War people said, Yeah. 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:38.799 He was a colonel in the United States Army. 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:45.279 And um in the middle, in the middle, uh, and I'd love to have a mustache like that. 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:46.480 I can't make mine do that. 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:47.919 I don't know why. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:17:01.919 In the in the the middle day, the second day of the turning point battle of the Civil War, Gettysburg, he was given command of a small mountain called Little Round Top. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:16.240 He was positioned at this extreme end of the Union line, and it was a very important position because if the Confederate Army flanked that line, they would come around the back, they would defeat the United States Army. 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:19.839 They had been defeating the Army up to that point quite a lot. 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:22.640 They were only 90 miles from Washington, D.C. 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:32.720 They would sweep down through Philadelphia into Washington, and and uh probably we wouldn't be celebrating 250 years this year of our country. 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:35.839 And the Confederate attack was fierce. 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:42.880 And it came in wave after wave, after wave, after wave after wave. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:48.000 There were five attacks on that end of the line that day. 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:51.759 And his men and his ammunition were exhausted. 00:17:52.799 --> 00:18:13.039 And Chamberlain led his men, commanded his men to perform this obscure maneuver, this attack that was right out of a military textbook, where they fixed their bayonets and they swung down the side and they ran toward the enemy and they defeated the enemy. 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:15.359 It was extraordinary heroism. 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:34.240 And that decision and his bravery that day saved the day, saved the battle, arguably saved, won the war eventually, after two more years of fighting, and eventually, arguably saved the United States. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:42.640 But here's what I want you to understand about his story is that the victory didn't begin the day of the battle. 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:45.039 It began long before the day of the battle. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:46.480 It started many years before. 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:51.119 Several years before the war, Chamberlain wrote this in his diary. 00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:53.200 I love this quote. 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:54.160 I love it. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:57.440 I kind of live by this quote in some ways. 00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:02.319 We know not the future and cannot plan for it much. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:19.359 But we can hold our spirits and our bodies so pure and high, we may cherish such thoughts and ideals and dreams, such dreams of lofty purpose that we can determine and know what manner of men we will be. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:24.160 Whenever and wherever the hour strikes that calls to noble action. 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:29.680 No man becomes suddenly different from his habit and cherished thought. 00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:43.920 We don't know exactly how to plan for it, but one thing we can know, we can know what kind of people we're gonna be when the future comes. 00:19:44.160 --> 00:20:05.359 When the hour comes that calls us up, when we're called to battle for our children or for our families or for our church, our neighborhoods, whatever you're battling for, when those moments come that we have to raise the bar, we can know what kind of people we're gonna be when those that time comes. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:23.440 So the gospel, chapters one and two of Ephesians, community, chapters two and three of Ephesians, and our disciplines, chapters four and five of Ephesians, make us spiritually strong people who are ready to fight when the battle comes. 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:31.680 We put on the armor that's provided for us day by day, that we might withstand in the evil day. 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:37.680 When the time comes, we'll be the kind of people that are ready for that time. 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:41.839 It's really what Paul's been talking about the whole time. 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:44.000 He doesn't start in chapter six, right? 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:46.240 He starts preparing the whole time. 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:58.960 Okay, so if we think about how he has spoken about these pieces of armor in the other parts of Ephesians, he actually is thinking about the Old Testament. 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:02.000 His mind is filled with Isaiah. 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:09.920 Isaiah chapter 2, or chapter 10, rather, Isaiah chapter 11, Isaiah 52 and 59. 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:18.640 In some of the Psalms, he's pulling these pieces of armor out where God said he would wear this armor in fighting for his people. 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:22.640 He's talking about God's armor that God gives to us. 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:24.480 So there's a belt of truth. 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:26.640 We see that in Isaiah 11. 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:29.359 What is the truth he's talking about, though? 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:33.519 Well, he's talking about the truth of what God has done for us in Christ. 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:50.400 It's specifically that we're forgiven, that we're adopted, that we're sealed by the Spirit, that we're raised up with Christ, that we're joined together as a temple, a dwelling place for God, that we're filled with the Holy Spirit to walk in righteousness. 00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:54.079 That's the truth he's talking about, the truth of what God has already done for us. 00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:58.799 But also, he says in chapter four we're to speak this truth to one another. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.279 I need you to remind me of these truths. 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:07.680 We need each other to speak this truth into our lives. 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:09.839 Your words are powerful. 00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:26.799 Your words for your brothers and sisters could be the very thing that holds it all together for them, that gives them courage in that day, that that raises them up, that encourages them to where they are, but then lifts them up and gives them strength for the battle. 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:30.319 Because our enemy, the nature of our enemy, is a liar. 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:31.680 He's a father of lies. 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:33.759 And what defeats him? 00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:34.960 Truth. 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:38.799 Truth of what God has done for us already. 00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:41.440 And truth is not just knowledge, truth is actually a person. 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:43.039 The truth is Jesus Christ. 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:46.400 Okay, so there's also a breastplate of righteousness. 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:51.680 This is a shadow of, or looking back to Isaiah chapter 59. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:23:01.039 But is this the righteousness that God gives us, or is this righteousness that we walk out, like our daily walk of righteousness? 00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:02.000 Which one is it? 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:03.839 Yes. 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:05.119 Both. 00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:06.960 It's both. 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:12.880 Paul wrote in chapter 4 put on the new self, which is who is created in righteousness. 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:17.440 God created you brand new with a new heart in righteousness. 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:23.839 Then he said in chapter 5, walk in light, walk in righteousness, walk pleasing to the Lord. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:27.279 So it's both what's been given to us and how we live that out. 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:30.400 Then there shows the gospel of peace. 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:33.359 This is looking back to Isaiah 52. 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:36.079 This is very strange, isn't it? 00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:40.400 That we go into war armed with peace. 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:43.519 Isn't that strange? 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:45.039 But it's beautiful. 00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:46.000 It's beautiful. 00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:50.799 We have a resting place from which we battle. 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:56.079 But is this peace with God or is it peace with man? 00:23:58.480 --> 00:23:59.119 Yes. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:01.839 It is both. 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:07.359 In chapter one and chapter two, he's talking about how we have peace with God. 00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:13.119 In chapter two, the latter part, he's talking about how he has made peace among us. 00:24:13.359 --> 00:24:14.559 Jesus is our peace. 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:19.039 He's broken down the wall of separation between us and he's made us one body. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:22.480 He's reconciled us both to God and to one another. 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:28.079 So it's peace, man to God, and it's peace, man to man. 00:24:29.119 --> 00:24:31.359 And then he talks about the shield of faith. 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:37.200 This is a picture from Psalm chapter 5, where God is wearing this shield of faith. 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:38.400 This faith. 00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:43.039 Is this faith from God or is this faith in God? 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:48.559 You guys are so good. 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:50.319 You get it, you get it. 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:50.960 Man. 00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:54.480 Yeah, but grace for faith, saved through faith. 00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:57.039 This is not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, right? 00:24:57.119 --> 00:24:58.000 That's chapter two. 00:24:58.319 --> 00:25:06.000 But also it says in chapter three that we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:11.279 It's faith from God as a gift, faith in God because He's faithful. 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:16.480 My faith is not in my ability to have faith. 00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:28.240 My faith is in someone, it's in a faithful nature of that person and in the finished work of that person, and that's Jesus Christ. 00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:31.680 Then he says there's a helmet of salvation that we put on. 00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:35.279 It's important, it protects your head, right? 00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:37.759 This is from Isaiah 59. 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:42.720 But is this a salvation that's given to us or a salvation that we put on? 00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:43.759 It's put on by us. 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:44.640 Which one is it? 00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:47.039 Yeah, you're right. 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:47.759 It is both. 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:48.480 It is both. 00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:51.119 It's given to us, but we have to put it on. 00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:55.680 I have to remind myself of the gospel all the time. 00:25:56.079 --> 00:25:59.759 And we need to remind each other of the gospel all the time. 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:08.079 Remind, it's not, you know, no, you don't feel too good today, you don't feel too victorious today, you don't feel like God could be pleased with you today. 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:12.960 But it's not about your work, it's about a work that's finished, it's about Jesus' work. 00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:17.119 You are stable and steady. 00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:19.920 You are grounded in his love. 00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:22.480 You're okay, you're you're all right. 00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:26.799 We need to tell each other this things, and this is what protects our head. 00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:31.359 Because what because the battleground is the mind. 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:34.160 It's the way, it's the way you're thinking. 00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:39.200 This is where this this is where this is the seed bed of your entire life. 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:46.160 And so I am the thing that protects my head is the one thing I cannot provide for myself. 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:51.920 Salvation is of the Lord, and I trust him for it. 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:53.440 It's his armor. 00:26:53.680 --> 00:26:58.240 And then Paul says there's a sword, and the sword is the word of God. 00:26:58.319 --> 00:27:01.039 This is a picture of Isaiah 49 as well. 00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:04.480 And you know, he uses this word rhema there. 00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:12.079 There's two words for a word in the word, and the two words are logos and rhema. 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:17.440 And you could think of it this way: logos is that that you're it's your Bible. 00:27:17.599 --> 00:27:24.319 It's what is settled, it's the canon of scripture, it's settled forever in heavens, it's the word of God that doesn't change. 00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:29.839 Heaven and earth pass away, but my words will not pass away, Jesus said. 00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:31.839 Okay, so it's the logos. 00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:41.440 But also, when you're reading that logos, sometimes God just breathes on a passage and speaks it directly to your situation. 00:27:41.599 --> 00:27:43.839 That's you could think of that as the Rhema. 00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:46.160 And this is what he's saying here. 00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:48.720 The word of the sword of the spirit is the word of God. 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:49.839 We pull it out. 00:27:50.079 --> 00:27:58.000 It is that thing that God personally speaks to you from for your moment from the logos. 00:27:59.200 --> 00:28:04.640 But that means you have to have daily exposure to the logos in order to hear the rhema. 00:28:05.599 --> 00:28:10.319 You gotta be in the word of God in order to hear the word of God to you in this moment. 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:16.799 And so he says in chapter one, we trusted in Christ after we heard the word. 00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:19.039 That's the logos, the word of truth. 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:28.880 But then he says in chapter five that Jesus loves his bride and he washes his bride with the rhema, with the rhema of his word. 00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:30.079 It's beautiful. 00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:33.599 So you see, all this is an ongoing process. 00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:47.359 As we become spiritually strong people, strengthened by the gospel and by our community and by our disciplines, then we're ready to fight when the day of battle comes. 00:28:47.599 --> 00:28:49.599 That's what Ephesians is all about. 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:53.279 You can't just pull the fight part out and say, Yeah, we're gonna fight. 00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:56.000 It's connected to all the rest of it. 00:28:56.240 --> 00:29:03.759 So I want to end the sermon and then this whole series where Paul ends it in chapter 6, verse 17 and 20 through 20. 00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:06.400 We read this, but let's read it again. 00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:16.160 Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication, to that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication. 00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:31.519 That means pray for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me and opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in change, so that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak. 00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:53.920 Paul, this incredible man of God, who wrote the scripture, who saw Jesus, who knew the Old Testament, who had the great education from the rabbis of his day, who was filled with the Spirit, who planted churches, who did miracles, who saw things in heaven that he couldn't even speak. 00:29:54.240 --> 00:29:59.759 Paul is asking for prayer from the saints. 00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:03.039 Because we need each other. 00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:05.519 Doesn't matter who you are. 00:30:06.559 --> 00:30:08.880 You need you need the people around you. 00:30:09.519 --> 00:30:15.920 We gotta have brothers in arms around us who are fighting the battle with us and for us. 00:30:16.319 --> 00:30:19.920 Pray for me so the gospel message can get out. 00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:21.920 Pray for all the saints. 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:25.599 My armor is not just for me, my armor is for you. 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:28.400 I'm fighting for you too. 00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:30.799 And you're fighting for me. 00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:37.839 And here's what I've learned from this, and that is that there are battles I cannot win without your prayer. 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:40.960 I need you. 00:30:41.519 --> 00:30:47.200 And the other thing is that God has called me to pray for you when you're in your own battles. 00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:52.559 So all that Paul's been saying in Ephesians is tied into community. 00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:59.279 He says things like, We're fellow citizens with the saints, we're members of God's household together. 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:08.799 God has built us together as a dwelling place for him, that he's made us together a holy temple. 00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:14.079 It's all in the context of communion and community and relationships. 00:31:14.319 --> 00:31:25.039 So we learn how to rest in the gospel together, and we learn how to walk uprightly together, and we learn how to fight the enemy together. 00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:37.680 And that's why he ended the whole book like this in verse 21 and 22, so that you also may know how I am doing what I'm doing. 00:31:38.400 --> 00:31:43.440 Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything. 00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:51.119 I've sent him to you for this uh for this very purpose that you may know how we are and how that it may encourage your hearts. 00:31:53.359 --> 00:31:54.960 Paul ends the letter. 00:31:55.200 --> 00:31:57.759 See, he didn't just send a letter, he sent a person. 00:31:58.640 --> 00:32:02.960 He sent a person to communicate, he sent a person to encourage. 00:32:03.359 --> 00:32:04.880 Ain't that beautiful? 00:32:05.200 --> 00:32:17.599 It's one thing to send a card, it's another thing to knock on the door and say, Hey, I'm here to help you, I'm here to encourage you, I'm here to tell you some news. 00:32:18.640 --> 00:32:21.359 So we don't fight alone, we fight with each other. 00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:29.119 And that's how we're one of the ways that we're filled up and we're enabled for the battle. 00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:31.759 Okay, so I told you there was gonna be three warriors, right? 00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:35.440 And there's Hero and there's Joshua, right? 00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:40.799 But there's another one, and the third one, the last one, is you. 00:32:42.480 --> 00:32:46.960 Because I want to remind you that you are a warrior. 00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:51.279 Even though you may not feel like a warrior this morning. 00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:57.920 Maybe this is not a season where you have felt like you're a winner, you're victorious. 00:32:58.079 --> 00:33:02.000 Maybe you felt the battle, but you haven't felt the you haven't felt the victory. 00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:04.160 Maybe that's the case. 00:33:04.880 --> 00:33:10.240 But I want to remind you, you're a you're a warrior that's been outfitted for this thing. 00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:13.680 He's giving you, he's given you what you need for the battle. 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:19.039 And as your elder team, we are active in praying for you. 00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:24.400 We realize each one of you have your own battles, and they're all unique to you. 00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:30.240 And each of one, each one of them is different in different seasons of your life. 00:33:30.640 --> 00:33:38.000 And some of us are in very intense battles right now, some of us are between heavy battles right now. 00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:43.920 But we realize that each one of you have battles, and each battle has needs support. 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:44.880 So we're praying for you. 00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:47.039 I want you to know that we do pray for you. 00:33:48.480 --> 00:34:06.000 I have had so many battles in my walk with Jesus, and I've prayed about um relating some of my battles to you today, and I realize that some of them are so intense it's hard to put into words, and some of them involve other people, so it's not just my story to tell. 00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:08.719 And I just I just can't tell the stories. 00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:11.599 But I've had battles that have been very, very intense. 00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:14.480 You've had battles that are very, very intense. 00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:16.719 Maybe you're in the middle of one right now. 00:34:16.960 --> 00:34:24.719 I just want to encourage you that your shepherd is gonna lead you through a valley that's dark. 00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:27.199 He's gonna lead you. 00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:35.280 And you have a father, and maybe your your battles in the past have wounded you, but he will dress your wounds. 00:34:38.400 --> 00:34:41.519 He will dress your wounds, he'll give you courage. 00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:45.840 He knows exactly what to put on your wounds. 00:34:46.800 --> 00:34:50.320 He knows what piece of armor to help you put on at that moment. 00:34:50.559 --> 00:34:59.360 He knows which brother or sister in this body can speak the words that give comfort and courage to you, and he'll bring them to you. 00:35:01.360 --> 00:35:05.760 He's surrounded you with brothers in arms who will watch for you and fight with you. 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:09.519 You're not fighting alone, and you're not fighting in your own strength. 00:35:09.679 --> 00:35:13.440 So I want to encourage you, I want to pray for you this morning. 00:35:14.159 --> 00:35:20.079 And as we're ending, I want to tell you, I maybe I thought, I just thought, how could we how could we apply this? 00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:22.480 And so I just thought, let's write some questions now. 00:35:22.559 --> 00:35:27.599 Maybe you can take these questions this week and pray for them, pray over them and see what you think. 00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:31.679 So, in terms of fighting for me, here's my questions. 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:34.159 What are my personal enemies? 00:35:35.280 --> 00:35:37.519 I and notice I didn't say who. 00:35:38.400 --> 00:35:44.320 I said, I said, what are my because we don't battle against flesh and blood, right? 00:35:44.719 --> 00:35:46.320 Okay, they're spiritual. 00:35:46.559 --> 00:35:52.800 And what provision has been made for me in the gospel that I can fight these enemies? 00:35:52.960 --> 00:35:56.639 And how can I ground myself in what has already been done for me? 00:35:57.679 --> 00:36:01.920 What are the scriptures I can apply to effectively wield the sword of the spirit? 00:36:02.159 --> 00:36:03.519 The word of God. 00:36:04.400 --> 00:36:08.880 The word of God is a strong tower that you can run into. 00:36:09.039 --> 00:36:12.719 You can build yourself a place of safety with the scriptures. 00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:20.639 And then the other question is if I'm I'm also fighting for others in my life, who am I fighting for? 00:36:20.800 --> 00:36:22.800 Who am I responsible for? 00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:33.360 Maybe it's your children, maybe it's your spouse, maybe it's your coworkers, the people around you, people you feel a burden for, the people your heart weeps for. 00:36:33.599 --> 00:36:35.760 That's the people you're fighting for. 00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:39.440 What are the struggles they need me to cover in prayer? 00:36:39.679 --> 00:36:44.480 Who are my fellow warriors who will pray for me and with me? 00:36:44.960 --> 00:36:49.199 So this is Ephesians. 00:36:50.400 --> 00:36:59.920 God has given us everything we need in the gospel and in each other and with his army armor to guard us, to help us. 00:37:00.159 --> 00:37:03.920 So, Father, I pray for each of us here, Lord. 00:37:04.239 --> 00:37:05.760 We are in need. 00:37:05.920 --> 00:37:09.199 We understand this battle is bigger than us. 00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:12.320 We also understand that you're bigger than the battle. 00:37:13.440 --> 00:37:21.360