STRENGTH To STAND-VI—Ephesians 6:10-20
Attention:
NO OPENER
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. REALITY(:14a)
6—God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious thru a distinct...
MANNER(:14b)
Explanation:(:14b)Righteousness
:14—“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,”
“having put on the breastplate of righteousness”:
The Christian’s “standing” before God against active wickedness, is also secured when he/she has in place, “the breastplate” which is composed “of righteousness.”
The “breastplate” was usually made of bronze but for those soldiers of higher rank it could be of chain mail. The bronze was cast or hammered to represent the perfection of a physically fit soldier’s underlying torso, intensifying the perception before the enemy, that a man of imposing heavy muscular constitution was advancing.(MNTC/EBC)
For the vast majority of soldiers—those of lower rank—the Roman soldier’s breastplate was commonly made up of small overlapping metal plates(secured to leather or heavy cloth) which were fastened together. It had an opening for the head, & was open at the sides so it could be easily placed over the shoulders like a mantle. Once in place both front & back were bound up tightly together down the sides of the torso under the arms. It was also secured at the waist.
This protected the entire torso of the soldier.
The “breastplate” was known among the Romans as that which protected the heart(EBC), as well as other vital organs & soft tissue otherwise vulnerable to attack.(MNTC)
The bottom of the “breastplate” was fastened to the belt(MNTC/JL @ SC), so that truth is the basis of righteousness & holds it all together.
The “Righteousness” which function is compared to a military “breastplate, is NOT SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS nor doing what I may think is right(Judges 17:6; 21:25; Prov. 14:12; 3:5-8; 16:9).
Judges 17:6—“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Judges 21:25—“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Prov. 29:18—“Where there is no revelation[vision], the people [perish]cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.”
Prov. 14:12—“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”
Prov. 16:9—“A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”
Prov. 10:23-24—“To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom. The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted.”
Prov. 3:5-8—“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD & depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”
Rather, “righteousness” is doing what is right in God’s eyes...Doing that which pleases God & which HE DIRECTS.
It is NOT doing what may be considered ‘good’ by your country/society/culture/family!
God’s righteousness is NOT having the world at large be the rule by which you measure ‘righteousness.’
Example: someone shared with others & myself that—‘normal’ for many families, involves a ‘bong’ on the coffee table &/or surrounded by Bud Lite cans.
Therefore, at it’s heart, “righteousness” is more than mere appearance of right or good deeds. Thus seemingly ‘good deeds’ driven by society, self-interest, & self-righteousness are not ‘good deeds’ in God’s eyes.
“Righteousness” maintained as a “breastplate” involves general uprightness(driven by pure motives built on godly morality)— & integrity of character that originates with God— & finds it’s power in surrender to His will thru Christ(:10).
*Unfortunately, true godly “righteousness” can be mimicked behaviorally while being absolutely empty of any substance!
2Tim. 3:1-5—“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”
Putting on the breastplate of righteousness pictures incorporation of “...the practical righteousness of a life lived in obedience to God’s word.”.....“Imputed righteousness makes practical righteousness possible, but only obedience to the Lord makes practical righteousness a reality.”—MNTC
“Righteousness” 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!
Argumentation:
Isa. 11:1-5—“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom & understanding, The Spirit of counsel & might, The Spirit of knowledge & of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.”
Isa. 59:17—“For He[God] put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak.”
1Thess. 5:8-10—“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith & love, & as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”
The emphasis in Eph. 6:10-20 & elsewhere is on the godly protection represented by the item, & not so much the item itself!
Rom. 8:1—“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
*Mat. 12:34-35—[Jesus said]“Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, & an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”
*1Cor. 1:27-31—“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, & God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; & the base things of the world & the things which are despised God has chosen, & the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--& righteousness & sanctification & redemption-- that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”
*Titus 3:3-8—“For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts & pleasures, living in malice & envy, hateful & hating one another. But when the kindness & the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration & renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, & these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good & profitable to men.” Php. 3:3-14—“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, & have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, & count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ & be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him & the power of His resurrection, & the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind & reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
*Rom. 6:13-14—“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, & your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
*Rom. 9:30-33—“What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone & rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
*Rom. 10:1-10—“Brethren, my heart’s desire & prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, & seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or,” ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth & in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
*Love always operates in righteousness & vice-versa!...
*1Cor. 13:1-13—“Though I speak with the tongues of men & of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, & understand all mysteries & all knowledge, & though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, & though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long & is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part & we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Illustration:
Our FBCC property lines are very confused along Storrs Ave(Ave. A)/The city property line actually runs across our front porch-entryway!/Should they enforce their eminent domain? They have not as of yet!/MANNER
NFL Football/Watch the player’s interaction with the opposing team after a play/Look for the one’s who threw themselves into an opponent, or lost their footing, & are flat on their backs on the field/Look for the one’s who help the downed players up to their feet!/99% of the time, team players help each other/BUT...I love it when an opposing team member helps their opponent to their feet/They are worthy of respect/They exemplify true sportsmanship/Such players make it plain that they are playing a game & no malice was intended/They make it plain that they are in the game together/Such a player draws a picture for others of Christian righteousness/I’m not saying that those players are Christians but that their manner pictures God’s compulsion in His people/MANNER
When the church approaches one another in a manner that is God’s, then God’s righteousness is lived out & reigning, & souls are won. The church—God’s Church—& God’s truth gains it’s proper respect among the lost/MANNER
If somebody else is always ‘wrong’...If you are holding someone(other than yourself) to blame for something, & you are the miserable one...supposing someone owes you something(an apology, a pat on the back, recognition, restitution, etc.)...You are in actuality, holding them accountable to yourself & you have set yourself up as the judge & lawgiver in place of God(Js. 4:11-12), .....Therefore YOU are the one that is not right with Jesus!...And ‘saving face’/self-protection becomes a work of flesh!
Js. 4:11-12—“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother & judges his brother, speaks evil of the law & judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save & to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”
Rom. 14:1-15:2—“Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, & let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; & he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; & he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, & gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, & no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; & if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died & rose & lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead & the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. I know & am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating & drinking, but righteousness & peace & joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God & approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace & the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, & not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.”
Application:
?Your MANNER give you & others, strength to stand victorious?
?You acquired Strength to Stand victorious over wickedness?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious thru a distinct...
6. MANNER(:14b)
1. STRENGTH(:10)
2. ENSEMBLE(:11)Clothing/Array/Dress
3. CONTENTION(:12)
4. RESISTANCE(:13)
5. REALITY(:14a)
Pt. 6 only! Presented 07/02/2017pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
