Doing It Ourselves Without The Gifts Given To Us? I Don't Think So. Ephesians 6

Ephesians 6. Doing it ourselves without the gifts given to us? I don't think so.

Good Morning

Stand with me and lift your bible and repeat after me.

This is my Bible.

I am what it says I am.

I can do what it says I can do.

I am going to learn how to be what it says I can be.

Today I will learn more of the word of God.

The indestructible, never ending, living word Of God.

I will never be the same.

I will never be the same.

In Jesus Name

Amen?

Before you sit down, say good morning to your brothers and sisters.

Turn with me in your Bible to the book of Ephesians, Chapter 6 and say, “Amen” when you are there.

Today we are going to look at and be encouraged by what our brother Paul wrote while he was behind bars.

Paul spent time writing what the Lord wanted him to share with the people of Ephesus in ancient Greece. This book ends up sharing about the strength and protection that God provides to those who know Him.

The Whole Armor of God

Let us go to the 10th verse to start.

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 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.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,

20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (NIV)

Have you ever thought about what Paul wrote in this book. He built what is considered a masterpiece of how great life is when we place Jesus in our life as the prominent direction for us.

The verses we just read together are just a small piece of what life can be like if we truly follow the meaning and the strength, we are given in our relationship with Him.

Have you ever read the verses that we just read and been able to feel what they really mean.

Let’s look at verse number 10. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” How are we to be strong? How about having confidence by remembering what He has already done for you and I? Our past experience is a great example. Write down a list of what you have been able to accomplish or get through in your life because of Him.

Verses number 11 through 16 are giving us the protection against what the enemy has attempted or will be attempting to harm us with during our lives.

Think of all of the things that you and I have been through in our lives that we can look back upon. The trials of daily living in sometimes seemingly impossible situations that we know that without His help we would not have made it through. God has been watching over us since before we were born, and He has always been there including those times when we felt so alone. That is why He provides these pieces of armor for us to stand up to whatever comes our way.

There is a great song out by Zach Williams called, “Jesus Fault” that illustrates how He watches over us even when we stray far away.

Some of the lyrics are as follows.

“I guess that’s what happens when he chases you down.

Everything’s different there’s a new me in town.

I don’t wake up angry at the mirror on the wall.

So, if you miss the old me,

Well, that’s Jesus' fault.”

It is kind of funny to blame Jesus for anything, but it is a clever way of looking at things. Many times, in life, we want things to turn out our way and they just do not work out no matter how hard we try.