FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 6:10-20

Prayer is not mentioned as a part of the armor; but I would not be overrating its importance if I stated that it is the atmosphere in which the soldier must live and breathe. It is the spirit in which he must don the armor and face the foe. Prayer should be continual, as Paul wrote in Thessalonians, without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), not sporadic; a habit, not an isolated act. Then too the soldier should use all kinds of prayer: public and private; deliberate and spontaneous; supplication and intercession; confession and humiliation; praise and thanksgiving.

And prayer most assuredly should be in the Spirit, that is, inspired and led by Him. Formal prayers recited merely by rote (without giving thought to their meaning), of what value are they in combat against the hosts of hell? There must be vigilance in prayer: watchful to this end. We must watch against drowsiness, mind-wandering, and preoccupation with other things. Prayer, Spirit-led prayer, requires spiritual keenness, alertness, and concentration. And there must be perseverance in prayer. We must keep on asking, seeking, knocking (Luke 11:9). Supplication should be made for all the saints. They are engaged in the conflict too, and need to be supported in prayer by their fellow soldiers. That is exactly how we protect one another’s backs in conflict.

Regarding Paul’s personal request, and for me, remember Paul was writing from prison. Yet he did not ask prayer for his early release. Rather he asked for utterance in opening his mouth boldly to declare the mystery of the gospel. This is Paul’s final mention of the mystery in Ephesians. Here it is presented as the reason for his bonds. Yet he shows that he has no regrets. Quite the contrary! He wants to broadcast it more and more.

Ambassadors are generally granted diplomatic immunity from arrest and imprisonment. But men will tolerate almost anything better than they will tolerate the gospel. No other subject stirs such emotion, arouses such hostility and suspicion, and provokes such persecution. So Paul, as Christ’s representative was an ambassador in chains. John Eadie, in his commentary on Ephesians, states it well:

A legate from the mightiest Sovereignty, charged with an embassy of unparalleled nobleness and urgency, and bearing with him credentials of unmistakable authenticity, is detained in captivity. ²

The particular part of Paul’s message that stirred the hostility of narrow religionists was the announcement that believing Jews and believing Gentiles are now formed into one new society, sharing equal privileges, and acknowledging Christ as Head.

Today, we are the beneficiaries of that truth. Thanks to Paul’s boldness of speech, we are united as one Body, soldiers rightly outfitted in the company of Christ Jesus.

² John Eadie, Ephesians, p. 480.
Adapted and modified excerpts from William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 6:10-20

From last lesson: We must take up the whole armor of God, that we may be able to withstand when the conflict reaches its fiercest intensity, and still be found standing when the smoke of battle has cleared away.

The first piece of armor mentioned is the belt of truth. Certainly we must be faithful in holding the truth of God’s word, but it is also necessary for the truth to hold us. We must apply it to our daily lives. As we test everything by the truth, we find strength and protection in the combat.

The second piece is the breastplate of righteousness. Every believer is clothed with the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21), but he must also manifest integrity and uprightness in his personal life. Someone once said, “When a man is clothed in practical righteousness, he is impregnable. Words are no defense against accusation, but a good life is.” If our conscience is void of offense toward God and man, the devil has nothing to shoot at. David put on the breastplate of righteousness as revealed in Psalm 7:3–5. The Lord Jesus wore it at all times (Isaiah 59:17).

The soldier must have his feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. This implies and suggests a readiness to go out with the good news of peace, and therefore an invasion into enemy territory. When we relax in our tents, we are in deadly peril. Our safety is to be found in following the beautiful feet of the Savior on the mountains, bearing glad tidings and publishing peace (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15).

Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee
~ Frances Ridley Havergal

In addition, the soldier must take the shield of faith so that when the fiery darts of the wicked one come zooming at him, they will hit the shield and fall harmlessly to the ground. Faith here is firm confidence in the Lord and in His word. When temptations burn, when circumstances are adverse, when doubts assail, when shipwreck threatens, faith looks up and says, “I believe God and His eternal Word.”

The helmet God provides is salvation (Isaiah 59:17). No matter how hot the battle, the Christian is not daunted, since he knows that ultimate victory is sure. Assurance of eventual deliverance preserves him from retreat or surrender. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

Finally, the soldier takes the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The classic illustration of this is our Lord’s use of this sword in His encounter with Satan. Three times He quoted the word of God, not just random verses but the appropriate verses which the Holy Spirit gave Him for that occasion (Luke 4:1–13). A sword is almost useless if it isn’t sharp. We need to stay sharp in the Word. The word of God here does not mean the whole Bible, but the particular portion of the Bible which best suits the occasion.

Evangelist David Watson wrote:

God gives us all the protection that we need. We must see that there is a “ring of truth” about our walk with the Lord, that our lives are right (“righteous”) with God and with one another, that we seek to make peace wherever we go, that we lift up that shield of faith together to quench the flaming darts of the evil one, that we protect our minds from fears and anxieties that easily assail, and that we use God’s word to good effect in the power of the Spirit. Remember it was by the repeated sword thrusts of God’s word that Jesus overcame his adversary in the wilderness. ¹

To Be Continued

¹ David Watson, Discipleship, p. 183.
Adapted and modified excerpts from William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 6:10-20

As the Apostle Paul addresses all the family of God, he makes a stirring appeal to them as soldiers of Christ. Every true child of God soon learns that the Christian life is a life of warfare. The hosts of Satan are committed to hinder and obstruct the work of Christ and to knock the individual soldier out of combat. The more effective a believer is for the Lord, the more he will experience the savage attacks of the enemy: the devil does not waste his ammunition on nominal Christians. We need to remember that in our own strength we are no match for the devil. So the first preparatory command is that we should be continually strengthened in the Lord and in the boundless resources of His might. God’s best soldiers are those who are conscious of their own weakness and ineffectiveness, and who rely solely on Him. “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Our weakness commends itself to the power of His might.

The second command is concerned with the need for divine armor. The believer must put on the whole armor of God that he may be able to stand against the strategic wiles and schemes of the devil. It is necessary to be completely armed; one or two pieces will not do. Nothing less than the whole set of armor which God provides will keep us invulnerable. The devil has various, effective strategies—discouragement, frustration, confusion, moral failure, and doctrinal error. He knows our weakest point and aims for it. If he cannot disable us by one method, he will try for another.

This warfare is not a matter of contending against godless philosophers, crafty priests, Christ-denying cultists, false prophets, or even infidel/tyrannical rulers. The battle is against demonic forces, against battalions of fallen angels, against evil spirits who wield tremendous power. Though we cannot see them, we are constantly surrounded by wicked spirit-beings. While it is true that they cannot indwell a true believer, they can oppress and harass him. The Christian should not be morbidly occupied with the subject of demonism; neither should he live in fear of demons. In the armor of God, he has all he needs to hold his ground against their onslaughts. The apostle speaks of these fallen angels as principalities and powers, as rulers of the darkness of this age, and as spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. We do not have sufficient knowledge to distinguish between these; perhaps they refer to spirit-rulers with differing degrees of authority, such as presidents, governors, mayors, and aldermen, as examples on the human scale.

As Paul wrote, he was probably guarded by a Roman soldier in full armor. Always quick to see spiritual lessons in the natural realm, he makes the application: we are flanked by formidable foes; we must take up the whole armor of God, that we may be able to withstand when the conflict reaches its fiercest intensity, and still be found standing when the smoke of battle has cleared away. The evil day most likely refers to any time when the enemy comes against us like a flood. Satanic opposition seems to occur in waves, advancing and receding. Even after our Lord’s temptation in the wilderness, the devil left Him only for a season (Luke 4:13).

To Be Continued

Adapted and modified excerpts from William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.