“I Am Victorious”
(Eph 6:10-20)
What do you think would happen if you were an athlete and you knew that you had already won the game before you even started? How do you think that would affect your performance? Would you go through the motions? Would you try even harder?
It’s kind of a catch 22, because you would have to play well to win and yet you knew that you already won, but still had to do what was necessary to win. That would be weird wouldn’t it? But in some ways that is what Jesus’ situation was like. He was God, He knew he was going to win, yet he had to play a certain way and do it perfectly in order to have this victory.
So we end our series in Ephesians kind of like we started, with an emphasis on being in Christ for the victory, and that’s the only way there is victory. In Ephesians 1 it says that in Christ we have redemption through His blood. In Him we have obtained an inheritance (of which spiritual victory is a part). And once we are in Him we are predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. We are then sealed with the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee or down payment of this inheritance until we acquire possession of it.
So there it is if you see it. We have victory over sin and death through Jesus by the Holy Spirit, but we are not yet in full possession of the victory. Just like Christ was victorious before He even came to earth, but did not have full possession of the victory until he rose from the dead. So obviously the ultimate victory is rising from death to eternal life in Christ. But in the meantime, as there was for Christ, there is a battle waging that we have won in Christ, but still have to fight. We have won the game if we are in Him but we still have to play and use the gifts and armour that he provides.
That’s where our passage today comes in. Ephesians 6:10-20….
You might ask as I have at times, if we are on the winning team already through faith in Christ, why do we have to play, why do we have to fight this battle? Can’t we just be fans? That sounds a lot easier and more pleasant.
This is Palm Sunday and the whole idea of this day is that Jesus rode in to Jerusalem on a donkey as the victorious king. We call it the triumphal entry where people were laying down their coats in front of him and waving palm branches, which was customary for welcoming royal victors back into the city. And of course he had just raised Lazarus from the dead.
But look at what the rest of the week looks like. First he weeps when he sees the city, then he goes in and angrily cleanses the temple. The rest of the week consisted of arguing with religious leaders who were plotting to kill him. He has the last supper with his disciples and then is arrested, tortured and, crucified. Hardly the life of a victorious king is it? Of course we know it’s at the end of the week when he rises from the dead that we see him as victorious.
That’s our model folks. We come into his kingdom victorious but we still have go through the battle to claim the victory. You are part of the team and you have to play. And in the book of Revelation in Jesus letters to all the churches, he says that those who conquer, get the victory, hold fast, will receive the rewards. They will not be hurt by the second death, they will eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God, they will eat hidden manna and receive a new name, they will receive the morning star, they will be clothed in white garments and never be blotted out of the book of life, they will be pillars in the temple of God, and they will sit with Jesus on his throne as He conquered and sat down with his Father on his throne.
Here’s what I think all this means in a nutshell. If you are part of the team you play. If you don’t play you aren’t part of the team. That’s what most of this book is about, being part of the body and functioning in that body. And if you are part of the team, there are going to be opponents you have to play against, and in this case the primary opponent is Satan who also has several teams.
If we are one in Christ as chapter 2 says, then we are part of the team and have a position to play. If we are part of the team we have this deposit of the Holy Spirit who not only empowers us to play and fight, but also will not let us sit on the sidelines, because He is the very Spirit of God. A Spirit filled team member will want to play.
So Paul says you all must be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might. He doesn’t say some of you are going to need to be strong. It is a blanket statement for the whole team. If you don’t need to be strong, if you’re not attacked by the opponent, you probably aren’t part of the team so the opponent doesn’t have to worry about you, in fact you may be part of the other team. Because until you are really part of the Jesus team he says in chapter 2, you are following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the children of disobedience – amoung whom we all once lived carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath.
If you’re not on the Jesus team you’re on the other team whether you attend church or not. So be strong and put on the whole armour of God. That you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil, which are essentially the schemes of the world. The implication there is that unless you do put on the whole armour of God you will not be able to stand as we are told to repeatedly in Revelation.
And we are to remember that this is not a physical fight. Sure some of it is manifest in the physical, but the battle always takes place in the spiritual, the invisible realm which I think also refers to our mind.
So he says it second time, take up the whole armour of God. You can’t just have a favourite piece that use, you have to put on the full armour or you will have places of vulnerability. Again, so that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Remember in the last chapter Paul said the days are evil? This evil day refers to the present age that continues until Satan’s final defeat. We’re in it.
This Means We are part of a War
If you ever wondered why the Christian life can be hard, it’s because there’s an enemy who hates us and God, an enemy who sets his army against us because we’re in Christ. But Jesus through his sacrifice defeated death and Satan, and through him we are victorious and there is hope for us.
So we must Know Our Enemy
The key to victory is to know your enemy. The truth of the Bible is that there is definitely an enemy, he really hates God, and he wants to destroy us. Modern society and “scholars” have tried for a long time to deny the spiritual realm, but to believe the Bible we must also believe in Satan, the supernatural, and miracles. Satan was a created angel,
made to serve and glorify God, but rebelled and declared war on God. He is finite (unlike God) and he has been, and continues to be, defeated by Jesus.
We need to know How Satan Fights Us
The way Satan works can commonly be understood as ordinary and extraordinary. Ordinary demonic work is primarily in our mind and entices us to sin, while extraordinary demonic works include torment, physical injury, counterfeit miracles, accusation, death, and interaction with demons. Satan can influence a Christian, but he cannot possess or own them. We can give him power in our lives and he can encourage and energize our sinful desires, but as children of God we are empowered and commanded to resist Satan (James 4:7).
So let’s look at How We Fight Satan
We need to learn how to “be strong in the Lord” (Eph. 6:10). Paul was saying we should be strengthened by the Lord; in order for us to be strong, God must strengthen us. While Jesus was on the earth, he resisted every temptation imaginable; if we abide in Christ, we are strengthened by the Holy Spirit and by his strength become strong.
So what is the armour that we are given and required to use?
Here are The Weapons of Our Warfare
There are both offensive and defensive weapons to further the kingdom and for our protection.
Truth
— The enemy Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44). Jesus gives us the truth. By believing his truth and battling lies, we are waging spiritual warfare. This has to do with knowing His word and maintaining biblical doctrine. It is the belt because it is at the core, it supports us so we can stand in the truth.
Righteousness
— Jesus was tempted in every way, and we will be too. Satan’s goal is for us to take the bait of sin to draw us away from God, but we are called to deny sin and be righteous as Jesus was, to draw closer to God (Heb. 4:14–16). The breast plate is probably the most important piece of protective armour, much like the bullet proof vest is today. It protects our heart and lungs both of which give us life. When we give in to temptation and sin, our hearts are greatly affected. We do not have the heart of God at those times and we do not have the breath of the Spirit when we are giving into sin. I also strongly believe that we open ourselves to demonic spiritual influence when we knowingly give in to temptation. It’s like we are giving them permission to come into our house.
The Gospel
— The good news of the person and work of Jesus is maybe the most powerful offensive weapon we have. First of all the gospel is offensive to the enemy, it proves his defeat. Here it talks about readiness being associated with it. Be ready to give a reason for the hope you have in you, be ready to answer all accusations with the gospel that Jesus died and was raised again, so that you are forgiven and have the power that raised Christ from the dead at your disposal.
It also talks about the gospel being shoes for your feet. This gospel moves us and is to be taken to others. Don’t go barefoot into battle. This is one aspect of the armour that is often missing in otherwise strong Christians.
Faith
— Faith is the shield that protects us from Satan’s “flaming darts” (Eph. 6:16). This is the most versatile protective piece that is to be used in all circumstances. Why does this protect us from all the flaming darts of the evil one? Faith here literally comes from the word for persuasion, so it has to do with the firmness of your belief in everything God said. Satan is the deceiver and father of lies and he’s good at it, so if you are not firm in your beliefs and your trust in God, you may be more easily persuaded by the world’s beliefs and values.
Salvation
— Paul described salvation as a helmet (v. 17). A helmet protects our mind so we’re not damaged in such a way that we can’t think clearly. Christians are not mindless as many believe. Our salvation protects in all spiritual aspects. Next to the breastplate this is the most important protective piece. Our bodies can be artificially kept alive with heart and lung machines without a functioning brain, but we are ineffective and there is no quality to that life. Salvation gives us real life in the part of us that lives forever, our mind, our soul.
Scripture
— The Bible it says is like a sword protecting us from attacks of the liar and false preachers. It’s the great offensive weapon for spreading the truth and setting captives of the enemy free. Scripture cuts through all the lies that the world puts in front of us, and the fact that it is seen as an offensive weapon means that it must be actively used against the enemy. All our arguments and defences should come from the Bible and it’s not meant to just be carried around in a sheath, but to be actively used. Be doers of the word, not receptive hearers only James says.
Prayer
— In every field of combat, communication is key. King Jesus is always available to hear from you and speak to you. Pray offensively about everything and anything (v. 18). Our King is the only omnipresent, omnipotent being in the universe. He knows the future and all the strategies of the enemy. Many times we see especially in the Old Testament, God come through in a hopeless battle because of the earnest and submitted prayer of his people. It says we must be alert and persevere in prayer for all the saints, because we are all under attack.
We have the strength to stand if we follow these instructions, Paul says four times in his letter to stand (or withstand) through the Holy Spirit. Hold the line, don’t surrender, and move forward in the assurance of Jesus’ victory.
Then finally we see that in spite of the victory, Paul is still asking for prayer that he would be bold in speaking about Jesus. He is literally a prisoner of war as he writes this letter in chains. But he is not going to stop fighting even so.
— Paul wrote “peace” and “grace” to the brethren in the closing of this letter. The question is not whether we are in a spiritual war, but what side we’re on. One day there will be perfect peace for us who are in Christ, and even in the battle he gives us His peace. Regardless of our situation, through Jesus we have assurance of victory if we fight the good fight and use what God has given us. And we are set free from captivity. By grace, these things are made ours by adoption, and with that adoption comes the peace and security of assured victory.
But we are in the fight, and to deny that is to not be ready, and the possibility of falling is greater. Satan is ready to pounce like a lion, so if we are not ready, he is. So let me close with Paul’s words to Timothy, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
For me it gives me confidence to know that if I have to fight, at least I will be victorious one way or the other. Because I think the victory is not so much in winning the fight, or having complete control over sin and temptation. To bring people to repentance and salvation. The victory is having the faith to enter the fight. Then no matter what happens you are victorious.
