STRENGTH To STAND-V—Ephesians 6:10-20
Attention:
But I Don’t Want To Be A Pirate:
When Jordan was 6, he always told everyone he wanted to be a medical doctor when he grew up. One day he was running through the house & into the corner of a chair & hurt his eye. He cried for a while & thru his tears he kept saying, "Oh no, oh no, now I can't be a doctor when I grow up."
His grandmother assured him he could still be a doctor & Jordan kept telling her he couldn’t. Finally she asked, "Why can't you be a doctor?"
Holding one hand over his eye, Jordan said, "Because now I will have to be a pirate!"
Need:
Courage—to stand firm for & in Christ—against the lost world’s direction.
Confidence—knowing that we cannot compromise with the opponent.
Perseverance—knowing that the Lord’s armor holds & protects thru every battle.
Paul urged the Ephesian church to find their strength in the Lord by effectively arming themselves.
The church must acquire God’s strength to stand victorious.
Where & How can the church find strength to stand victorious?
12 distinctions of the Christian soldier’s strength for victory.
We have found that—
...God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious..or..acquire victory thru a distinct...
1. STRENGTH(:10)
2. ENSEMBLE(:11)Clothing/Array/Dress
3. CONTENTION(:12)
4. RESISTANCE(:13)
5—God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious thru a distinct...
REALITY(:14a)
Explanation:(:14a)Truth
:14—“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,”
“having girded your waist with truth”:
The Christian’s “standing” before God against active wickedness, is secured when he/she “girds” the “waist.” That is, the “waist” was wrapped with a belt-or some form of securing garment. “Girding” ensured that no loose article would interfere with or limit the soldier’s ability.
In Roman soldiers of the time, the short tunic(kilt-length--above the knees) would be gathered in & secured at the “waist.” The belt also kept the lower end of the breastplate in place. It was also an attachment point for a short sword & long sword(EBC), as well as a point upon which his shield could be rested(James Lee @ SermonCentral).
The soldier’s belt was also used to strengthen the body as does a weight lifter’s belt or a back brace.(JL @ SC)
As the belt tied tightly around the waist indicated the readiness of the soldier, so to loosen/slacken the belt was an indication of off-duty status.(EBC)
—I can remember my Daddy loosening his belt when he sat in his La-Z-Boy rocker.—
Since Satan is the originator & promoter of lies(Jn. 8:44), then deception plays a prominent role as a means of dismantling “truth.”(Jerry Miller). Knowing “truth” thereby dismantles deception.
Likewise, “truth” itself is that which holds together the package of armor.
God’s “truth” keeps the serious soldier of Christ from slowing his pace or falling to the ground from neglect of it.
We are kept from stumbling thru adherence to “truth.”
*If a person puts no trust in God’s word as “truth,” then his entire ensemble/array of protection & offense will partially(if not wholly) fail as a result. He will be led astray with disconnected pieces of protection that are woefully out of place.
Thru completely denying God’s revealed truth & His continuing truth, a person obviously lives in a false world of their own concoction/devising/fabrication.
Even Christians can fall victim to such concoction/devising/fabrication, thru being only partially obedient to God(1Cor. 3:11-15).
*1Cor. 3:11-15—“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; & the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
Lk. 3:16—“John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He[Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit & fire.”
The Scripture is absolutely full of warnings(for His people) about that which is ‘false’ as opposed to His “truth.”
“Truth” is a vital part of “the whole armor of God”(:11, 13)...BUT, like all the other parts of the soldier’s ensemble, it is not enough by itself! All are intimately related to & bolstered by the other parts of the ensemble!
“Stand”(See :11, 13)—isthmi—2Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Plural—1) To cause or make to stand, to place, put, set—1a) To bid to stand by, [set up]—1a2) To place, 1b) To make firm, fix establish—1b1) To cause a person or a thing to keep his or its place, 1b2) To stand, be kept intact(of family, a kingdom), to escape in safety, 1b3) To establish a thing, cause it to stand; 2) To stand—2a) To stand by or near—2a1) To stop, stand still, to stand immovable, stand firm—2a1a) of the foundation of a building, 2b) To stand—2b1) Continue safe & sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared, 2b2) To be of a steadfast mind, 2b3) of quality--One who does not hesitate, does not waiver. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary staw; To stand(transitively or intransitively), used in various applications(literally or figuratively).
“Therefore”(See :14)—oun—Particle—1) Then, therefore, accordingly, consequently, these things being so. Strong—apparently a primary word; adverbially--Certainly, or conjunctionally--Accordingly.
“Girded”—perizwnnumi—Verb—1) To fasten garments with a girdle or belt; 2) To gird one's self; 3) metaph.--With truth as a girdle—3a) To equip one's self with knowledge of the truth. Strong—To gird all around, i.e. (middle voice or passive)--To fasten on one's belt(literally or figuratively). Used 7X.
From—peri—1) About, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near. Strong—properly, Through(all over), i.e. Around; figuratively--With respect to.—&—zwnnumi—To bind about(especially with a belt).
“Waist”—osfuv—Noun Fem.—1) The hip(loin)—1a) To gird, gird about, the loins; 2) A loin, the (two) loins—2a) The place where the Hebrews thought the generative power(semen) resided. Strong—of uncertain affinity; The loin(externally), i.e. The hip; intern. by extension--Procreative power. Used 8X.
“With”(See :15, 16, 18; Also See :10—“In”)—en—Preposition—1) In, by, with etc.. Strong—a primary preposition denoting (fixed)position(in place, time or state), & by implication--Instrumentality(medially or constructively), i.e. A relation of rest(intermediate between eiv[into, unto, to, towards, for, among] & ek/ex[out of, from, by, away from]).
“Truth”—alhyeia—Noun Fem.—1) objectively—1a) What is true in any matter under consideration—1a1) Truly, in truth, according to truth, 1a2) Of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly,; 2) subjectively—2a) Truth as a personal excellence—2a1) That candor of mind which is free from affection, pretense, simulation, falsehood, deceit. Strong—from alhyhv; Truth.
Argumentation:
Mat. 13:3, 7, 22—Then He[Jesus] spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.”.....“And some fell among thorns, & the thorns sprang up & choked them.”.....“Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, & the cares of this world & the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, & he becomes unfruitful.”
?Is everything about you held tightly together & in place by God’s “truth” & not by some insubstantial substitute of it? It is vital for the Christian to be ever learning, ever praying, ever worshiping, ever advancing, ever withstanding, & ever standing.
1Pet. 1:13-16—“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, & rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Eph. 4:11-15—“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, & some pastors & teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith & of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to & fro & carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--”
Rom. 2:1-11—“Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, & doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, & longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness & your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath & revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, & immortality; but to those who are self-seeking & do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation & wrath, tribulation & anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first & also of the Greek; but glory, honor, & peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first & also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.”
Rom. 12:1-2—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.”
Jn. 8:31-32—“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. “And you shall know the truth, & the truth shall make you free.”
Politics cannot make you free. Politics that are founded on & guided by God’s truth ‘can’ produce an atmosphere for freedom.
Jn. 8:42-45—“Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth & came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, & the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, & does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar & the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.”
Jn. 14:6—“Jesus said to him[Thomas], “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Illustration:
A Christian mechanic recalls, “We had a customer, in our shop, who collected & restored vintage Camaros. He bought a lot of his cars from junk yards scattered around the country. He told me, once, how he drove to the upper western part of Tennessee to buy a Camaro from a guy who sent pictures of the car body & interior.
When he got there it was already dark & the guy seemed to be in a hurry to get the car loaded & get him out of there, so he could close up. He said he did the best he could with a flashlight to look the car over but it wasn’t until the next morning, with the rising of the sun that he noticed the Camaro he bought was nothing like the Camaro he saw in the photos. The seats were in bad shape & not even the same color or material & the body was in a lot worse condition than the Camaro in the photos.”
“To say the least, the description of that Camaro in no way reflected the truth of the delivered product.”—(JL @ SermonCentral.com)/REALITY
Gravity—Imagine you are at the top of Angel Falls in Venezuela(3,200ft--over 1/2 mi.--nearly 20X Niagra Falls height(167’)!)/If your ‘reality’ is such that you believe that you can stand at the top of Angel Falls & jump unaided & expect to land alive & enjoy a swim at the bottom--You are foolish--the truth is not in you/Reality tells you to enjoy the falls from a distance or with some sort of aid, which will overcome the reality of your limitations/REALITY
If your ‘reality’ is such that you believe that you can walk thru a house fire unscathed—I urge you to talk to a seasoned fire-fighter/He will tell you in no uncertain terms that only a fool with a death-wish would do such a thing--that the truth is not in you/REALITY
If you were to trust in the truth(God’s truth--Reality), where would it take you?
Application:
?Your REALITY give you & others, strength to stand victorious?
?You acquired Strength to Stand victorious over wickedness?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
“I can’t be a doctor because now I will have to be a pirate!”
Action:
God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious thru a distinct...
5. REALITY(:14a)
1. STRENGTH(:10)
2. ENSEMBLE(:11)Clothing/Array/Dress
3. CONTENTION(:12)
4. RESISTANCE(:13)
Pt. 5 only! Presented 06/25/2017am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
