“The Journey of a Lifetime: Equipped for Trouble”
Eph. 6:10-20
I once saw a poster which showed a little clapboard church surrounded by an X-rated drive-in theater, a munitions factory across the street, and miles of concrete freeway crammed with cars. Two church members were standing on the front steps, one saying to the other, “Do you ever get the feeling that we’re losing ground?”
Have you ever had a day when you were convinced the whole world was against you – everything goes wrong, nothing works right? How often have you felt like someone or something else was really in control of your life – and that they or it were out to get you? So you turn to Scripture for some help and discover that you may just be right – that there is strong opposition out to get you. Not very encouraging, is it?
The truth is, life on earth, the road we travel on our journey, is tough; in fact, the Bible clearly states, life is a battle. Here in Ephesians, Paul’s first insight concerns THE SCENE OF THE BATTLE. To this point in his letter Paul has been laying out one tremendous truth and one glorious blessing after another. Then, in 6:10, comes his “Finally...” We can hardly wait for his great conclusion! But, ever the realist, Paul pulls us up short – he reminds us that we must live this blessed, rich life in a world in which there is a tremendous power working against us. So he encourages us to be strong in the Lord. Paul wants us to understand that THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THE SCENE OF THE BATTLE. It is not life of ease. We are strangers in an alien territory.
The Bible consistently presents this world as a battleground; Jesus even said SATAN IS THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD. (Jn. 12:31). He is the prince of demons (Mt. 9:34) and the ruler “of the kingdom of the air (Eph. 2:2) In Eph. 6:12 Paul summarized it: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” In his first Letter the Apostle John pointedly wrote (1 Jn. 5:19): “The whole world is under the control of the evil one.” The word he uses for ‘control’ has the sense ‘unconsciously in his arms.’ The whole world in unconsciously in Satan’s arms.
That’s why we fight ourselves – we do battle with the urges and drives within us (Rom. 7). Daily we fight what the Bible calls our “flesh.” Satan’s influence works its way inside us which makes our journey very difficult. That’s why, as we see in Pilgrim’s Progress, we are severely tempted by alternate routes, by the charm and power of Vanity Fair and the treasures of life.
SATAN USES HIS POWER EFFECTIVELY BY ASSUMING ALIASES. Just listen to the names attributed to him in the Bible: god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), liar and father of lies and murderer (Jn. 8:44, dragon (Rev. 12:9), destroyer (Apollyon)( Rev. 9:11), adversary and roaring lion (1 Pt. 5:8), evil one (Mt. 6:13), tempter (Mt. 4:3), accuser (Rev. 12:10), and thief (Jn. 10:10). Above all these characteristics, is the fact that Satan is a great deceiver. The word Paul uses for the devil’s ‘schemes’ in verse 11, has the sense of trickery and deceit. He is crafty. He works behind the scenes in hidden ways. He often appears as attractive, nice, and helpful, while all the while lowering our standards and gaining power over us.
Through these disguises Satan is able to work destructively in a multitude of ways. (1) He tempts (Mt. 4:3-10), perverts Scripture (Ps. 92:11, 12; Mt. 4:5-6), opposes God’s works (Zech. 3:1; 1 Thess. 2:18), hinders the gospel (Mt. 13:19 & 19:22; 2 Cor. 4:4), works lying wonders (2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 16:14), defiles good works (Mt. 13:19-30), blinds multitudes to the truth (2 Cor. 4:4), strives unceasingly to prevent faith (Lk. 8:12; Acts 13:8-10), endeavors to damage or destroy faith (Job 1; Mt. 13:39; Lk. 22:31; 1 Pt. 5:8-9), and creates doubt and denial (Gen., 3:1-5).
And Satan does these WORKS IN CULTURES AND NATIONS AS WELL AS IN INDIVIDUALS. We sometimes fail to grasp it in culture. But make no mistake about it, American culture is in a downward spiral – there is a marked decrease in traditional, foundational values and basic healthy morality. We see it clearly in American family life. Marriage is losing its sacredness, the traditional meaning of the marriage ceremony itself is lost, there is increased public disrespect for parents and authorities in general and an accompanying acceleration of juvenile delinquency and rebellion, a refusal of people with traditional marriages to accept their family responsibilities, an increased desire for the acceptance of adultery, and an increased interest in the spread of sexual perverseness and sex related crimes. As a result, children live with a bewildering array of relatives – mothers, fathers, multiple step mothers, step fathers, step brothers, step sisters, step grandparents, formal grandparents, etc. Children are routinely victimized as they are bounced from home to home as families splinter and reform. Many will have no one to care for them and boys and girls will, as one news magazine predicted, roam the streets much like they did in Charles Dicken’s London.
John Henry Jowett painted a vivid picture: “Evil enticements always come to us in borrowed attire. In the Boer War ammunition was carried out in piano cases, and military advices were transported in the skins of melons. And that is the way of the enemy of our souls. He makes us think we are receiving music when he is sending us explosives; he promises life, but his gift is laden with the hides of death. He offers us liberty, and he hides his chains in dazzling flowers. “Things are not what they seem.”” (2) We are in the battle, whether we want to be or not. We have been enlisted!
To help us understand why Satan is so aggressive, Paul points us to THE SOURCE OF THE BATTLE. This battle is more than person against person, more than a flesh and blood skirmish. As we learned when we studied Revelation 12 last summer, THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS FULL OF TROUBLE BECAUSE SATAN HAS BEEN DEFEATED! Rev. 12 is a summary of the birth of Jesus. The woman, Israel, is awaiting her child, the Messiah. Even as she’s ready to give birth, Satan is poised and ready to capture and kill the baby. Remember how Satan used the jealousy of King Herod who slaughtered the infants in an attempt to kill Jesus? Recall how Satan himself challenged Jesus in the wilderness for forty days. Consider how Satan aroused the religious leaders and governmental authorities to turn against Jesus. Eventually they crucified him. But when Jesus rose and ascended into heaven Satan could no longer go after Jesus. As Rev. 12:12 puts it: “But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." Since Satan can no longer fight in heaven against Jesus, HE HAS TURNED HIS ANGER AND ATTENTION AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS WHO TRULY FOLLOW JESUS. He knows he’s living on borrowed time, so he will make the most of the time he has. As Jesus Himself said (John 15:21): “All this they will do to you on my account.”
Paul knew all this first-hand. Eph. 6:11-12: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against he powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” We need to take the battle seriously because THE BATTLE IS SPIRITUAL - WE LIVE IN ENEMY OCCUPIED TERRITORY. As the Living Bible paraphrases it: ...against persons without bodies – the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world: and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.” This is serious business! The world which does not submit to God has its own hierarchy. In fact, the word Paul uses for “world” here is a term from astrology. The battle involves the whole world – stars included. This is the real Star Wars, a world of forces beyond our control or imagination. It is a world of blindness, ignorance, and rebellion against God. In some of his other letters Paul talks about the efforts of this sinister power. He accuses Satan of frustrating his missionary work, he writes of the “elemental spirits” which hold Jew and Gentile in bondage, he speaks of the “god of this age” who has blinded minds to Christ, and here calls them the rulers of this present darkness.
It’s all because of “powers of this dark world...and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.” Satan’s main goal is to distort our perception of reality. In fact, THE BATTLE IS FOR OUR MINDS AND HEARTS. Evil ideas and loyalties subtly creep in and take over. Rabbi Daniel Lapin, his book entitled America’s Real War (3) , asserts that we really can no longer truthfully say “one nation under God.” There are, he correctly states, two Americas – one which believes in God as the source of life and one which does not. And the population is split 50-50 among the two sides. Simply put, the approaches to science, education, morality and rights, respect for life, and the view of personal responsibility are all based upon some foundation. If God is the foundation one set of beliefs and principles develop; if it is not God another set develops. Thus we have become very polarized in America. It’s a battle for mind control. Who controls your mind – Jesus Christ, the Son of God, or Satan, the evil one?
This all makes the drama this morning very realistic; Christian, face to face – make that toe to toe – with Satan. The book records the dialogue like this: Apollyon (Satan) said, “…you are one of my subjects, for all that country of Destruction belongs to me; I’m the prince and god of it. Why have you run from your king? Were it not that I might get more service out of you, I would strike you down right here.” Christian responded, “I was indeed born in your dominion; but you service was too hard, and your wages were such that no one could live on them, for the wages of sin is death. Therefore, when I had the opportunity, I did like many others – I left that miserable country to find a better life.” Responded Apollyon, “You must know that no prince in that dominion gives up his subjects willingly; neither will I give you up… You have ‘jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.’” (4)
It was the introductory lesson for the Bethel Bible Series. The class members had signed on for an intensive two-year study of the Bible and for two years of specific service in the life of the church at the completion of the course. So it was, in essence, a four-year commitment to extreme discipleship. I spoke to them about the danger of their commitment; I mentioned that it was more than likely that sometime in the not too distant future, something would happen which would severely challenge their commitment and make them rethink it – because, I said, “Satan does not want you here.” I believed it – but was still surprised how, as the weeks went by, one by one each of the students related how they had, indeed, been severely challenged. It became amazingly clear to all of us that seriously living the Christian life, faithfully traveling the narrow road, meant “Caution – Trouble Ahead.” That’s precisely why Paul uses such terms as “wrestle,” “soldiers,” and “armor.” There are forces at work against us and we often feel as if they are winning.
So is it hopeless? Of course not! Pilgrim had his shield and sword. And Paul tells us to suit up and get going! Paul describes THE SUIT FOR THE BATTLE. Verse 13: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” In other words, let Jesus Christ fill us with Himself.
First and foremost WE ARE TO BE HOLY PEOPLE. We are to live with truth and integrity, with uprightness of godly character, with a firm underpinning of whole- hearted trust on the faithfulness of God, and with our eyes always on the coming glory. We are to be Christ-like. The purity of our lives must be evident to all. In the 2nd chapter of his first epistle John says we are to make it our aim not to sin. Most of us want to add “not to sin very much!” But can you imagine a soldier going into battle with the aim of “not getting hit very much?” As a hymn puts it: “Leave no unguarded place, No weakness of the soul; Take very virtue, every grace, And fortify the whole...” How pure is your life? How distinctive is it? Is it different from the world’s lifestyle?
The great missionary David Brainerd ministered to American Indians. In his journal he wrote, “When my people were gripped by this great...Christ and him crucified, I had no need to give them instructions about morality. I found that one followed as the sure and inevitable fruit of the other....I find my Indians begin to put on the garments of holiness and their common life begins to be sanctified even in small matters...” C.S. Lewis wrote, “If even 10% of the world’s population had (true holiness), would not the whole world be converted and happy before a year’s end?”
Secondly, WE MUST LIVE A DISCIPLINED LIFE. As John Maxwell once said, we cannot engage in ‘cafeteria Christianity’ and survive. We cannot, in other words, mix our own morals, choose our own values, pick our own commandments, and top it off with pursuing our own will. There is one menu and it calls for spiritual discipline. Do you know why the lives of so many young men and women are turned around for the better when they serve in the Armed Forces? It’s because they’ve learned discipline and obedience. Should they ever go to war, it is the only way they can ever hope to win. It is no different for Christians. To survive in the battles of life, we must be disciplined and obedient. At Scott Air Force base in Bellville, Illinois, there hangs a sign that states, “An Untrained Soldier Is Just a Target.” Followers of Jesus – an unarmed, undisciplined Christian is just a target. Since we are living in enemy occupied territory, we must maintain a life of discipline – of worship, prayer, and studying the Word of God. These disciplines cannot be sporadic if we hope to remain strong. All I can say is, you know the disciplines – just do it! Suit up! Be ready!
Thirdly, WE MUST BELIEVE THE OUTCOME of the battle. (13): “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” THE BATTLE HAS ALREADY BEEN WON! In Joshua 5:13 there is a marvelous incident in the life of Joshua. Listen: “Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" Now that’s a pretty straightforward question. Here’s the answer: “Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" "Neither," he replied. Talk about non-committal! “Whose side are you on? No!” But then he said, "Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord have now come."” “I’ve not come to take sides; I’ve come to take over.” So Joshua bowed in submission and was told to walk around the city of Jericho once a day for a week, and seven times on the last day. Then he was to blow the trumpets and shout, and God promised to flatten the walls and give Joshua the victory. It is no different with us. Before us is a land of promises, a life overflowing with divine blessing and potential. But standing between us and the realization of those glorious things is a powerful enemy. BUT JESUS HAS COME – AND
HE HAS TAKEN OVER. Satan is doomed! Choose this day whom you will serve! This is your chance to join the Lord’s army, to do battle for Him. He will equip you for trouble – and you will win! So “Soldiers of Christ, arise and put your armor on, strong in the strength which God supplies through his eternal Son; strong in the Lord of hosts, and in his mighty power, who in the strength of Jesus trusts is more than conqueror.”
(1) Herman Lockyer, Satan – his Person and Power, Word Books, © 1980 by WORD, Inc. , p. 21
(2) John Henry Jowett, Springs of Living Water, baker Book House, 1976, Feb. 18, pg. 49)
(3) Daniel, America’s Real War, Multnomah Publishers, © 1999 by Rabi Daniel Lapin
(4) John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress in Today’s English, Moody Press, © 1964 by Moody Bible Institute, p. 57
