Ephesians 6:10-20; When you get Christ you get His enemies – Be strong.

What we’ve seen of Eph 6:10-20 so far.

We’ve done some preliminary work in our passage. We’ve seen that a certain type of power from God was released to believers when the risen Lord sat at the right hand of the Father.

We’ve seen that the schemes of the devil are twofold. Satan cannot make us sin, but he pressures us and deceives us in order to get us to sin (Job 1, 2) and once we do, he then schemes to take advantage of the opportunity that sin affords him, and in the New Testament certain sins (lying, anger, unforgiveness, personal ambition), are put forth as particular opportunities for the devil.

We’ve seen that the armor of God, that all believers possess, is the very armor of God which He is seen wearing in the Book of Isaiah. He has given us His armor.

We have God’s very armor. It is to our advantage that He went away, for He sent us another Helper, God the Holy Spirit who gives the sword that is the word of God its razor’s edge.

Still, He didn’t say that He was going away from us forever. He said that when He returned, after preparing our place in heaven, that He would receive us to Himself.

We have seen that the main theme of this passage is standing firm against the schemes of the devil. The other things mentioned, divine strength, putting on the armor, the armor itself, and prayer all support this end.

I have witnessed and heard of Christians who spend a lot of time thinking about and reading about end times, demonic activity (possession of people, involvement in governments and world affairs), and the fulfillment of prophecy while they neglect the in-depth study of the doctrines that affect salvation, the Person and work of Christ, the doctrines of the Trinity, the doctrines of mankind, and the doctrines concerning the heavenly ethics of the personal spiritual life. What good is speculating about end times when your personal life is overrun with sin and selfishness and the day-by-day living in holiness and righteousness eludes you? It is right to study prophecy and eschatology, so long as we stay completely within the borders of the biblical data and we do not speculate. But as we will see, no believer stands a chance against the schemes of the devil if they haven’t learned to be faithful to God in all realms of their day-to-day lives.

There are a lot of truths to sift through in the Bible. That’s why we have systematic theology books. It is important to know what are main themes and which doctrines support those themes. For instance, take the fact that through Christ judgment on the cross we have forgiveness for our sins. But while vital, forgiveness isn’t the end goal for us. God didn’t forgive us and then send us off to live on our own and do what we please (a Corinthian error). Jesus saved us for Himself. He is our Lord, King, and High Priest. He is our head, cornerstone, and foundation. He is our husband, brother, and friend. He is in us and clothes us. He made us to sit with Him in the heavenlies.

The Lord Jesus Himself is our great reward, nothing less. He gave us His life, joy, peace, rest, satisfaction (“if anyone hungers or thirsts come to Me”).

Our salvation, our reward, our inheritance are all Christ Himself. If He is gloomy then we get a life and eternity of life in gloominess. If He is sad and broken, we get that. If he is joyful and powerful and peaceful we get that. He is joyful. I know that He was a man of sorrows, but that was due to the unbelief of the people He loved. Jesus is not a sad Man.

Joh 15:10-11

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

You see the great command from Moses here – love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Again, salvation means that you get the Lord, and if you get Him, you get all that comes with Him – His glory. This is a great subject of the truth, perhaps the greatest, and we will explore it soon, but we must stick to our current passage. When you get all that comes with the Lord, you also get His enemies and His suffering. But you must be wise enough to discern that when you get His suffering you still get His joy. If you lose your joy, even though the suffering remains, you have turned your eyes from Him (though you still have Him forever).

We should look at a few of these in turn – strength, putting on the armor, standing firm, what is the armor, and prayer.

When we look at these a little more closely, we will have a fine grasp on this very important passage.

Being strong in God’s mighty strength.

Eph 6:10

Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.

The translation is good. “Strength of His might” can also be stated as “His mighty strength,” which I prefer as it sounds more inspiring to me, but they mean the same thing.

“be strong” – endunamoo (en = in; dunamoo = power). The ability to do … in the Lord – strength that comes from Christ.

Strength in the Lord’s mighty power makes you able to:

[in all three “able” is dunamai]

Eph 6:11

Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

Eph 6:13

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day.

Eph 6:16

taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.

Simply put, strength gives us ability (stand firm, resist, extinguish) and strength flows when we are faithful to God.

Another place where Paul uses endunamoo is in Rom 4 in reference to Abraham who found strength in his faith, specifically his faith in God’s promise that at 99 years old he and 90 year old Sarah would finally conceive the child of promise.

Rom 4:19-21

And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong (endunamoo) in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.

I think the flaming missiles of the evil one in Abraham’s case are obvious, but that doesn’t make them any less powerful. We’re all faced with the thought, “That’s impossible,” concerning many things. Even more impossible than 100+ Abraham bouncing his new baby boy on his knee was a virgin giving birth. Gabriel said to Mary that “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luk 1:37). The same Gabriel came to Daniel in Dan 9 to confirm the prophecy that the Messiah would come at the appointed time and that He would die (Dan 9:25-26).

1Ti 1:12-17

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened (endunamoo) me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Communion: Isa 53:5

He was pierced through for our transgressions,

1Ti 1:12-17

He saved us from our sins so that we could be with Him forever. We found mercy. We couldn’t work for it or do anything to receive His eternal life. He made a new covenant with us.

The bread – Isa 55:1

And you who have no money come, buy and eat.

The Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

Let us eat together in rejoicing over Him.

The cup - Isa 55:1

"Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;

… Come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without cost.

Again He gave thanks and He took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

Let us drink the cup together, with hearts full of joy over our beautiful Savior.

1Ti 1:17

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.