Ephesians 6:10
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
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, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
1. Walking in the Spirit.
Six verses in Ephesians 1-6 speaks with reference to walking: 2:10 -- Walk in the steps of Jesus Christ; 4:1 -- Walk worthy; 4:17 -- Do not walk as the world does (with vanity of mind); 5:2 -- Walk in love; 5:8 -- Walk as children of the light; 5:15 -- Walk circumspectly (wisely).
2. The Practice of the Christian in His Personal Lifestyle.
There is an emphasis on the standards of Christian living. Paul deals with the Christian in the home, in the church, and in the world.
3. The Tools given by the Spirit.
Primarily these tools are for warfare (6:10-18). Paul mentions the actual weapons but also there are a number of allusions to prayer and spiritual assistance.
The theme of Ephesians is the relationship between the heavenly Lord Jesus Christ and His earthly body, the church. Christ now reigns "far above all principality and power and might and dominion" (1:21) and has "put all things under His feet" (1:22). Exalted though He is, He has not drifted off into the heavens and forgotten His people. Rather, so fully does He identify with the church that He considers it His body, which He fills with His presence (1:23; 3:19; 4:10).
ll. THE BELIEVER’S WARFARE
Paul uses the word “warfare” to best describe the Christian’s lifestyle. The walk that the Christian enters into is not one of walking through green pastures and picking four leaf clovers along the way.
We are to be looking for ways to bring light and reverse and destroy satans affect on humanity.
I John 3:7-8 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Throughout the NT epistles Paul made reference to the walk of the believer to be filled with a struggle. In the closing epistle to Timothy, he wrote, “I have fought a good fight” (ll Timothy 4:7). To Timothy again he spoke like one who was in constant battle as he exhorted Timothy to endure “hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (ll Timothy 2:3-4). The third time that Paul is noted to have mentioned a battle to Timothy is found in l Timothy 1:18 where the charge is given to “war a good warfare.”
For a man to successfully serve God, the walk must be seen as warfare. It is a life and death matter, a heaven or hell issue. Jesus began His earthly ministry in a war with Satan after a forty day fast. He faced Satan with the Word of God. Yet, when the end came, Jesus Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane struggling with Satan again. In the Garden, he was described as having sweat as great drops of blood.
the Christian must fight with all of his might understanding that his weapons are not “carnal” (ll Corinthians 10:4). Our weapons are not of the flesh but of the Spirit.
Paul gives particular insight to the spiritual struggle when he was ending his first address to the church at Corinth. He stated that he must tarry at Ephesus (l Corinthians 16:8-9). Why? Because there were many adversaries that had to be properly dealt with properly before he could leave the area. This mind set is totally against the popular theories of today. Many people began to experience problems and immediately want to “leave” the problem, whether the problem be of spiritual or physical nature. “STAND THEREFORE. . . “
A. The Preparation -- Ephesians 6:10
Special Considerations. The term "heavenly places" (1:3; 1:20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12) is not the same as heaven, for in one instance Paul speaks of "spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (6:12). "Heavenly places" implies the unseen, spiritual world beyond our physical senses. It is the region where the most difficult, and yet authentic, Christian discipleship is lived out-- the world of decisions, attitudes, temptations, and commitments. It is the battleground of good and evil (6:12).
Christ has raised believers to the heavenly places with the assurance that the One in whom we hope is more powerful, real, and eternal than the forces of chaos and destruction which threaten our world.
Characteristics of Spiritual Warfare
1. An Inward Battle Romans 7:23 -- But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
2. Spiritual Weapons
2 Corinthians 10:4 -- (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
3. Invisible Foes
Ephesians 6:12 -- For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
4. Soldiers Enlisted
1 Timothy 1:18 -- This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
5. Demands Entire Consecration
2 Timothy 2:4 -- No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
l Timothy 6:12)
“Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. . .“
“Finally” creates for the Christian a sense of preparation for something that is a future event. The event is the battle. No man wants to go into a battle without adequate preparation. Paul actually identifies himself with us in the fight by saying, “My brethren.”
“Be strong in the Lord” is a general principle for Christian living. The principle that is established is that men must lean on God to obtain His power. dependence can never rest on the flesh. Be strong in the Lord. In the Lord!!! In the power of His might. Ephesians emphasizes over and over that the true believer is “in Christ” or that we are “one with Christ.” What happens to the man who becomes “one with Christ?” Let the Word of God answer such a question.
Philippians 4:13 -- “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Hebrews 2:14 -- “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”
-2 Corinthians 12:9 -- “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
-Isaiah 35:4 -- “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.”
-Isaiah 41:10 -- “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Romans chapter eight (vv. 1-2; 10; 14-15) reminds us that when God has justified the believer that there is no condemnation that can overtake a man who walks in the Spirit. ll Timothy 2:1 gives the exhortation to “be strong.” ll Timothy 1:8 reminds us of the power of a sound mind. God does His part, therefore I must do my part. When He supplies the power, it is the responsibility of the believer to remain within the confines of the Spirit of God.
The power of God involves two things:
1. Our strength comes from the Lord.
2. The Christian has the responsibility of putting on the armor.
In Ephesians 1:19-22, Paul affirms that the power of God has been extended to us. Yet, this power is not just any power. It is power that has exceeded greatness. It is His mighty power. This power is far above any power that has ever been reckoned with. This incomparable power was demonstrated in the Colossians 1:10-11 -- That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Exhortations to “Be Strong”
l Kings 2:2; ll Chron. 15:7; Isa. 35:4; Hag. 2:4; Zech. 8:9; l Cor. 16:13; Eph. 6:10; ll Tim. 2:1
Characteristics of Spiritual Power
1. Gives Men Courage to Rebuke Sin
-Micah 3:8 -- But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
2. Mightier Than Physical Forces
Zechariah 4:6 -- Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
3. Jesus, The Supreme Example
-Luke 4:14 -- And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
4. Accompanies the Baptism of the Holy Ghost
-Acts 1:8 -- But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
5. Enables Men To Speak With Authority
-Acts 4:33 -- And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
6. Fills Life With Healing Influences
Acts 19:11-12 -- And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
There are certain conditions that must exist before a man can place himself under the umbrella of God’s protection. They are as follow:
-1. The strength of God comes directly from God. The Christian has no power of his own.
- 2. The Christian has to pick up the armor and wear it.
- 3. The Christian must understand that he must use the power according to the provisions that the Word of God stipulates.
Another aspect of preparation is understanding that the power is supplied by God. Colossians 1:10-11 emphasizes this by the phrase “his glorious power.” When the Spirit begins to reside within a person, that man has the ability to overcome and free himself of any demonic influence in his life. Yet, even with this resident power that comes from the Spirit, Paul still issued the following warning:
l Corinthians 10:12 -- “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
-ll Corinthians 12:9 -- “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
When Satan attacks, notify the Commander. The Chief of Staff or the Seargent at Arms will sustain us. David said it best to the Philistine giant, “The battle is the Lord’s” (l Samuel 17:47). Hezekiah reminded the people that the Lord was present to “fight our battles” (ll Chronicles 32:8).
B. The Armor -- Ephesians 6:11a
“Put on the whole armour of God, . . . “
This is the most important thing that the Christian can do. If the armor is not put on fully then it will be very difficult for him to function effectively. In the Greek, the word “put on” is ENDASASTHE. This word is rendered simply, “put on once and for all.” The Christian can never afford to remove his armor for a moment of “rest.” Put on the armor and keep it on until one enters the grave or the rapture occurs. (Each individual piece of the armor is discussed in subsequent studies.)
C. The Enemy -- Ephesians 6:11b - 12
“. . . that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Greek Word Studies
Ephesians 6:11 -- Put on enduo "endue"), (in the sense of sinking into a garment); to invest with clothing (literally or figuratively):
Ephesians 6:11 -- May be able. . . dunamai (doo'-nam-ahee); to be able or possible: to be capable, strong, and powerful (Thayer’s)
Ephesians 6:11 -- To stand. . . histemi (his'-tay-mee);; to stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications (literally or figuratively): abide, appoint, bring, continue, covenant, establish, hold up, lay, present, set (up), stanch, stand (by, forth, still, up).
The power of God and the armor of God is given for a reason to the believer. It’s purpose is stated in verse 11, “that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Perhaps the main thrust of this verse lies in understanding that a Christian must STAND. Stand firm.
James 4:7 bears that the Christian is to “resist, oppose” the devil and he will flee from you. But within the first aspect of that particular verse, a stipulation exists for one to effectively resist the devil and have him flee from you. That stipulation is to submit yourself to God. God will set Himself in array against the evil works of the enemy. If a man is double-minded (James 1:8) then he will never effectively eliminate the influences of evil from his life. One-hundred and ten percent dedication is a necessary trait to be effective for God.
Characteristics of God’s Power
1. Power to Save
Isaiah 63:1 -- Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
2. Power to Pardon
Matthew 9:6 -- But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
3. Power That is Infinite
Matthew 28:18 -- And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Characteristics of the devil
Abaddon -- Revelation 9:11
1. The tempter -- Matthew 4:3
2. The Accuser of the Brethren -- Revelation 12:10; Job 1:6-10
3. Murderer -- John 8:44 The father of all lies -- John 8:44
4. Sinner -- l John 3:8 Oppressor -- Revelation 12:10
5. Perverter -- l Timothy 4:3 Imitator -- ll Corinthians 11:13-15
6. Adversary -- l Peter 5:8
7. Ruler of darkness -- Eph 6:12 Unclean -- Matthew 12:43
Fifty-five times he is called, Satan, meaning “adversary.”
Thirty-five times he is called, devil (DIABOLOS), meaning “slanderer.”
D. The Battle -- Ephesians 6:11-12
“. . . that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
1. A Short Greek Word Study
To assist us in this section of the Bible study, it is beneficial to look specifically at one word. The word “wiles” is translated as METHODIA. This word, METHODIA is the same word that is used in Ephesians 4:14 and there is rendered by the translators as “cunning craftiness.” It is by cunning craftiness or wiles by which Satan lies in wait to deceive the true believer.
This particular word could also be transliterated as: scheming, to use I John 4:4-6 -- Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
-Luke 10:19 -- Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
-Romans 16:20 -- And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
5. His Time is Short
Rev 12:12 -- Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
3. The METHODIA of the Devil
The following modes of deception or methods of the devil are noted according to their definition and exposure by the Word of God. The Word of God is a source of illumination, it sheds light on all the tricks of the devil. David affirmed that “thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).
1. He teaches a lifestyle that damns -- James 1:15; 5:20; Proverbs 11:15; Romans 6:23; 8:6; Revelation 21:8
2. He involves himself in the politics of governments, nations, and men’s lives -- ll Timothy 3:1-2
3. He creates doubt in the mind of believer’s -- Luke 12:46; John 4:48; 5:38; 8:45; 10:26
4. He creates persecution to hinder the service of Christians -- Matthew 5:11; 10:17; 24:9; Revelation 2:10
5. He infiltrates the Church with his tares -- Matthew 13:25; Proverbs 6:14; 16:28; 22:8; Job 4:8
6. He tempts Christians with self-reliance, lies, immorality, worldliness, pride, discouragement -- Genesis 3:4-5; John 1:9-11; Job 2:7; Zechariah 3:1; Matthew 4:1; 13:19; Luke 9:42; John 13:2
Dan 11:32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
