Nick Prisco: So we are going through the book of Ephesians, and we are going through actually Ephesians 6.
Nick Prisco: So we're going verse by verse, and to recap, we had Evan in the first week.
Nick Prisco: He was talking about being strong in the Lord and our strength coming from him.
Nick Prisco: And then two weeks ago we had Joshua uh talking about uh being equipped to stand.
Nick Prisco: So knowing that we have an enemy that's real and that we are in a real spiritual.
Nick Prisco: Can you guys hear me alright?
Nick Prisco: Thumbs up in the back.
Nick Prisco: Yeah, good, cool.
Nick Prisco: Alright, then that we have a real enemy.
Nick Prisco: And um so I just gonna open up with a word of prayer before we go into the scripture.
Nick Prisco: So Lord, I just thank you for this opportunity, this opportunity to share your word.
Nick Prisco: Lord, thank you for this time together.
Nick Prisco: Thank you for dinner.
Nick Prisco: Um thank you for the hands that that made it, and Lord, I just pray that your word would would come through me today, and that ears would receive it, Lord.
Nick Prisco: If there's people that are listening online that they would receive from your word, Lord.
Nick Prisco: In Jesus' name, amen.
Nick Prisco: Okay, so Ephesians 6 13 goes, Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, having done all to stand firm.
Nick Prisco: So traditionally, uh it's agreed that the that Paul's letter to the Ephesians was written in around uh 60 to 62 AD while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.
Nick Prisco: So what does the church look like that wears the armor of God?
Nick Prisco: What does it look like?
Nick Prisco: So when I talk about the the church and I use the word her, I mean most of you guys probably are familiar, but but when I say her, it's in regards to the church.
Nick Prisco: So referring to her is in Christ's bride.
Nick Prisco: So the church cannot stand in her own strength, but must take up the whole armor of God.
Nick Prisco: So there's a Greek word called painopalia, and it is the word that um is used for whole armor.
Nick Prisco: And so this word is describes uh a whole suit of armor.
Nick Prisco: So it describes the the shield, the the um offensive weapons, so the spirit and the sword and the accessories.
Nick Prisco: So um when it's that word is being used, it has um Old Testament echoes, but also it is would have been understood as in a Roman context, like a Roman weaponry context.
Nick Prisco: So, what does it look like to stand firm in the evil day?
Nick Prisco: So in verse 12, we learn that the Lord has not left his uh people defenseless, but he instructs uh the church through Paul to face the spiritual forces of evil by holding fast against the enemy's charge.
Nick Prisco: So success in this battle in the um in the stand is not defined by advancing to meet the enemy but and conquering new territory, but rather the there's a Greek word called histami.
Nick Prisco: Histami is the Greek verb to stand, to stand ready or prepared.
Nick Prisco: So this uh word is also used throughout scripture.
Nick Prisco: So it's used again in 1 Corinthians, um, Paul writing the Corinthian church.
Nick Prisco: It's used in 1613, and he says, be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act strong, act like men, be strong.
Nick Prisco: So the action itself is passive, yet it is a form of warfare that the Lord um instructs Paul or has Paul is used to charge the church with.
Nick Prisco: So uh there's another uh word in verse 13.
Nick Prisco: The word withstand.
Nick Prisco: Now the word withstand in in Greek is anthamy.
Nick Prisco: Anthysteme is um it's used as withstand, and then the the rest of it is in the evil day.
Nick Prisco: It means to actively oppose, resist, or stand face to face against an oncoming force.
Nick Prisco: So Ephesians 6 13 commands believers to put on the full armor of God, so every piece of the armor, which we're gonna learn in in coming weeks, and to stand your ground, having done everything to stand.
Nick Prisco: So uh James uses the same word um in James 4 when he says, Submit yourself thee then to God, resist.
Nick Prisco: So this word resist also is that same word as with withstand.
Nick Prisco: So um, so resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Nick Prisco: So submit yourself then to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Nick Prisco: And then Peter also echoes in First Peter uh five nine, resist him standing firm in your faith.
Nick Prisco: So this verb depicts active, um, faith-filled response.
Nick Prisco: So um it's it's um going out and being able to stand firm against the enemy.
Nick Prisco: So there's one more uh um Greek word that I wanted to say, which is the Greek word for having done all.
Nick Prisco: So there's a a word, it's kind of a tongue twister, but it's keterged zamahi.
Nick Prisco: And the phrase having done all it comes from Ketergadzamahi, which means to perform, accomplish, or achieve having gone through every struggle of the fight.
Nick Prisco: So um Paul is saying that after the worst has passed in this in this battle, the ultimate proof of victory is that you're still standing on your feet.
Nick Prisco: So picture the dust settling in this war, and the Lord is there.
Nick Prisco: You are standing and you're with the saints.
Nick Prisco: And remember, this is a spiritual battle that we're that we're talking about.
Nick Prisco: And um, so why does defending, why does defending take precedence over attack attacking?
Nick Prisco: The victory is already won.
Nick Prisco: So Ephesians 2, one goes, and you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.
Nick Prisco: We were on the wrong side.
Nick Prisco: We were fighting on the wrong side, but God, rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.
Nick Prisco: For by grace you have been saved through faith.
Nick Prisco: So, because of this great love that which he loved us, even though we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive.
Nick Prisco: So, Jesus secured this the ultimate victory.
Nick Prisco: Christians are not fighting to conquer new territory because God said it is finished.
Nick Prisco: So remember that the victory is already won in Christ.
Nick Prisco: Now, this isn't uh just to pause, this isn't like an excuse to not strive for the Lord, to not um do good for the Lord or not um push or anything like that, but but rather to it's an identity thing, it's to know who we are in Christ.
Nick Prisco: So the enemy's real goal, going back to what Joshua was saying two weeks ago, you know, Satan's objective is to destroy.
Nick Prisco: You know, that's a real thing that's going on that we can't see, but is happening.
Nick Prisco: You know, he's gonna try to do whatever he can in the spirit to really just terrify and and just break down believers um and have them abandon their post.
Nick Prisco: So this is um probably not something that's revolutionary to well it is revolutionary, but but but it's probably not something that you haven't heard before.
Nick Prisco: But you're not exempt, we are not exempt, and I say you, but I'm talking to myself also, from putting the armor of God on and standing because of your maturity in Christ.
Nick Prisco: Rather, we should be getting better throughout our life and drawing closer to him more frequently, and and our relationship with him should be getting stronger.
Nick Prisco: So, what does it mean to stand firm?
Nick Prisco: So Paul wrote this um the to the Ephesians from prison in Rome, and and we also have um another letter.
Nick Prisco: So John also wrote to the Ephesians from exile about 30 to 35 years later, around 95 to 96 AD, from the island of Patmos.
Nick Prisco: So for approximately three decades, the church of Ephesus sought to obey Paul's instructions to stand firm.
Nick Prisco: So um the church today, isn't today, must stand firm and be strong in the Lord and be equipped to stand, but she must not lose her first love.
Nick Prisco: So the book of Revelation 2, 1 through 7 says, this is John writing this down, and to the angel of the church in Ephesus, right?
Nick Prisco: Same church.
Nick Prisco: The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
Nick Prisco: I know your works, your toil, your patient endurance, how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.
Nick Prisco: I know you are patiently are you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.
Nick Prisco: But I have this against you that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Nick Prisco: Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first.
Nick Prisco: If not, you will I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent.
Nick Prisco: Yet this you have, you hate the works of the Nicolaitians, which I also hate.
Nick Prisco: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Nick Prisco: To the one who conquers, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Nick Prisco: So I don't know about you, but I want to eat from this tree of life.
Nick Prisco: I want to get to the end of my race and be seen fit.
Nick Prisco: John wrote to a church that maintained its work and patient endurance, a church that could not bear with those who were evil.
Nick Prisco: They had discernment to recognize false teachers, and they were practicing wearing the armor of God, going through real tests, standing firm in the decades that followed Jesus' death and resurrection.
Nick Prisco: Yet he wrote to a church that had abandoned its first love.
Nick Prisco: They maintained their duty, but they lost their joy.
Nick Prisco: So we cannot, as a church today, we cannot lose sight of why we stand firm.
Nick Prisco: We stand because God first loved us.
Nick Prisco: We love him, and he is our master who tells us to carry our cross daily.
Nick Prisco: So in the coming weeks, you know, we are gonna talk about um the armor of God in in um more detail, and each piece we're gonna go through.
Nick Prisco: And um my encouragement to to you is to remember why.
Nick Prisco: Why are we why are we going to choose to put this armor on?
Nick Prisco: Why are we in this fight?
Nick Prisco: We cannot attempt to put the armor of God on without first drawing near to him.
Nick Prisco: This intimacy is not about salvation, not gaining new salvation or salvation again, but rather it is being sanctified and drawing closer to him day after day after day.
Nick Prisco: So um before I mean I'm looking around the room and I don't know all of you, but before I know most of you, but there might be some people online who don't know the Lord.
Nick Prisco: So before you can stand in God's armor, you must first belong to the God who provides it.
Nick Prisco: So if there's anybody here who's not ever believed in the Lord Jesus, or there's anybody online who's never believed in the Lord Jesus, I want to leave you with this encouragement.
Nick Prisco: If you have not put your trust in him, I would ask you to consider doing so today.
Nick Prisco: Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, rose again, so that all who believe in him will have everlasting life.
Nick Prisco: Salvation is not earned by works, but received by grace through faith in Christ.
Nick Prisco: If you have never trusted in Christ, I would like you to know, I would and would like to know more about this.
Nick Prisco: I would invite you to come talk to either me or somebody else after the service or uh speak to one of the elders.
Nick Prisco: But we would be glad to open up God's word and um go through it with you and help you understand what the Bible teaches about salvation.
Nick Prisco: And yeah, just on that note, I'm just gonna keep it short and just end with some prayer.
Nick Prisco: So, Lord, I just thank you for um your word.
Nick Prisco: I thank you that you are such a a good God, and I just pray that you will touch the hearts of even those who might listen to this um message, and I pray that you would bring them to salvation.
Nick Prisco: If there's people who are are even here tonight, Lord, I pray that they would walk with you, Lord Jesus, that they would choose to walk with you, and that they would put you first, that they would equip themselves, that they would stand firm, that they would um ask you, Lord Jesus, what you um what you want for their lives.
Nick Prisco: And Lord, I pray I thank you for this community, and I pray that you uh just Yeah, bless all these people as we go in our different ways in Jesus' name.
Nick Prisco: Amen.