STRENGTH To STAND-VIII—Ephesians 6:10-20
Attention:
A charter boat was returning to the dock with a huge marlin that was much bigger & heavier than the fisherman who caught it. Another fisherman had just netted a bucket of mullet & was on his way to the cleaning shed, when he walked by just in time to see the marlin being proudly weighed & displayed. The mullet fisherman stood among the many gawkers oogling & ogling over the marlin.
The mullet fisherman looked at the marlin, then turned to the one that had landed it & said, “Only caught one, huh?”
Likewise, God’s people must find their Strength to Stand firm in Christ.
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)Truth
6. MANNER(:14b)Righteousness
7. PEACE(:15)
8—God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious thru a distinct...
FAITH(:16)
Explanation:(:16)
:16—“above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
One aspect of the Roman soldier’s defensive armor that enabled him to stand, was his large full-body “shield.” It was ~2 1/2 ft. wide X ~4 1/2 ft. tall. The “shield” was the main defensive weapon. It was a weapon employed to prevent arrows, rocks, etc. slung from a distance, from penetrating to the soldier’s body. Whatever the enemy brought to the soldier or whatever the enemy hurled at the soldier, the “shield” was his first line of defense.
This defensive weapon is to be enlisted “above all”! In other words, ‘If you lose all else, keep this one thing.’ Yet if your faith in the Lord Jesus is true & not mere sentimentality, then you will also hold to the remainder of the armor as well!
When properly held in tandem with that of fellow soldiers in a phalanx, the “shield” was used as a powerful means by which the united foot-soldiers would advance as one while under fire. “Faith” recognizes that it increases the strength of others, & is itself strengthened when in the presence of others of the same faith.
Thus in the Christian’s wrestlings with the ever-present ‘spirituals of wickedness’(:12), dependence upon their “faith” in God thru Christ is absolutely vital to battle survival, aiding in leaving the Christian standing thru it all(:13).
Any offensive on your part invites an opposing offense—“fiery darts”!
One’s personal trust in God dismantles such “fiery darts” of accusation. The devil hurls lies & accusations with the intent of maligning God’s credibility. The devil can accomplish this by hurling abuse at & thus injuring God’s servants...by using worldly, political & popularized teaching, & governance to dismantle Christian belief.
If Christian “faith” in God can be dismantled, punctured, or damaged, then God is discredited & His servants are fools.
In Roman days, the tips of arrows would be wrapped in pitch-soaked cloths & set afire just prior to shooting. On impact, burning bits would be spattered setting ablaze anything flammable.
The faithful soldier in the Lord’s army, who properly wields “the shield of faith”, will very effectively, “quench” the enemy’s most frightening “fiery” missiles. Satan’s missiles are set on fire in hopes of making the believer retreat to flesh for protection.
Job 2:3-10—“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless & upright man, one who fears God & shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” So Satan answered the LORD & said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand now, & touch his bone & his flesh, & he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, & struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God & die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, & shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”
When we Christians are caused to question our “faith”—when we lower our guard or do not maintain & utilize our shield...When we do not see fit to gather with the saints, when we do not pray(:18-20), then We become vulnerable to even deadly injury.
In such situations we will lose our passion for God & thereby, lose our witness.
Our “faith” is built on the fact/reality God’s truth—on His design & order. Thus if truth is compromised(:14) then “faith” is also compromised.
And if “faith” is compromised/damaged, then all else is immediately vulnerable.
And if one man’s “faith” is compromised then the integrity of the entire phalanx of brothers & sisters(the church) becomes vulnerable to the lost ,& likewise, to some of the faith.
“The shield of faith...makes Satan's sowing of doubt about the faithfulness of God & His Word ineffective.”—Jerry Miller
“Above all”—epi pasin—=‘Besides/Against All.’
“Taking”(See :13—“Take up”; :17)—analambanw—2Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Plural—1) To take up, raise; 2) To take up(a thing in order to carry or use it). Strong—To take up. Used 13X.
From—ana—a primary preposition & adverb; properly--Up; but by extension, used distributively--Severally, or locally--At(etc.).—&—lambanw—a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; To take(in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active--To get hold of).
“Shield”—yureov—Noun Masc.—1) A shield, a large oblong, four cornered shield. Strong—A large shield(as door-shaped). RWP—Large & oblong(Latin scutum), aspiv being smaller & circular Used 1X.
From—yura—apparently a primary word [compare “door”]; A portal or entrance(the opening or the closure, literally or figuratively).
“Faith”—pistiv—Noun Fem.—1) Conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God & divine things, generally with the included idea of trust & holy fervor born of faith & joined with it; 2) Fidelity, faithfulness. Strong—Persuasion, i.e. Credence; moral conviction(of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly--Constancy in such profession; by extension--The system of religious(Gospel) truth itself.
“With”(See :14, 15, 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]).
“Able”(See :11, 13)—dunamai—Verb—1) To be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability & resources, or of a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom; 2) To be able to do something; 3) To be capable, strong & powerful. Strong—To be able or possible.
“Quench”—sbennumi—Verb—1) To extinguish, quench—1a) Of fire or things on fire—1a1) To be quenched, to go out, 1b) metaph.--To quench, to suppress, stifle—1b1) Of divine influence. Strong—a prolonged form of an apparently primary verb; To extinguish(literally or figuratively). Used 8X.
“All”—pav—
“Fiery”—purow—Verb—1) To burn with fire, to set on fire, kindle—1a) To be on fire, to burn—1a1) To be incensed, indignant, 1b) Make to glow—1b1) Full of fire, fiery, ignited—1b1a) Of darts filled with inflammable substances & set on fire, 1b2) Melted by fire & purged of dross. Strong—To kindle, i.e. passively--To be ignited, glow(literally), Be refined(by implication), or figuratively--To be inflamed(with anger, grief, lust). Used 6X.
From—pur—Fire.
“Darts”—belov—Noun Neuter—1) A missile, dart, javelin, arrow. Strong—A missile, i.e. Spear or arrow. Used 1X.
From—ballw—a primary verb; To throw(in various applications, more or less violent or intense).
“Wicked One”(See :13—“Evil”; :12—ponhria)—ponhrov—Adj.—1) Full of labors, annoyances, hardships—1a) Pressed & harassed by labors, 1b) Bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith & steadfastness; causing pain & trouble; 2) Bad, of a bad nature or condition—2a) in a physical sense: Diseased or blind, 2b) in an ethical sense: Evil wicked, bad. Ponhrov is a word at once stronger & more active than kakov, it means mischief-making, delighting in injury, doing evil to others, dangerous, destructive. Kakov describes the quality according to its nature, ponhrov, according to its effects. Strong—Hurtful, i.e. Evil(properly, in effect or influence) figuratively--Calamitous; also passively--Ill, i.e. Diseased; but especially(morally)--Culpable, i.e. Derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular)--Mischief, malice, or (plural)--Guilt; masculine (singular)--The devil, or (plural)--Sinners.
Argumentation:
Heb. 11:1-3, 6—“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”.....“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, & that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Heb. 11:4-5, 7, 8-11, 12-16, 17-22, ...—
Mat. 8:5-13—“Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come & heal him.” The centurion answered & said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, & my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ & he goes; & to another, ‘Come,’ & he comes; & to my servant, ‘Do this,’ & he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, & said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east & west, & sit down with Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping & gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; & as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.”
Mat. 9:18-22—“While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came & worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come & lay Your hand on her & she will live.” So Jesus arose & followed him, & so did His disciples. And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind & touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” But Jesus turned around, & when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.”
Mat. 14:23-33—“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him & said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; & beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand & caught him, & said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came & worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
2Cor. 12:7-10—“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Heb. 3:14-4:3—“For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
Mat. 21:18-22—“Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it & found nothing on it but leaves, & said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” So Jesus answered & said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith & do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed & be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
1Cor. 13:2b—“...& though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
Lk. 17:1-10—“Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, & he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; & if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, & seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots & be planted in the sea,’ & it would obey you. And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once & sit down to eat’? “But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, & gird yourself & serve me till I have eaten & drunk, & afterward you will eat & drink’? “Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”
Mk. 9:17-29—“Then one of the crowd answered & said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, & becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him & said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, & he fell on the ground & wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire & into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us & help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out & said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf & dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him & enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, & came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand & lifted him up, & he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer & fasting.”
Lk. 1:35-38—“And the angel[Gabriel] answered & said to her[Mary], “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, & the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; & this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”
Lk. 18:27—“But He[Jesus] said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
Gen. 18:1-15—“Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.”.....“Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, & behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)Now Abraham & Sarah were old, well advanced in age; & Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ “Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, & Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”
Illustration:
‘What If I Stumble’
by: DC Talk
The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today
Is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips...
Then walk out the door & deny him by their lifestyle.
That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.
What if I stumble?
What if I fall?
*Is this one for the people?
Is this one for the Lord?
Or do I simply serenade for things I must afford?
You can jumble them together, my conflict still remains
Holiness is calling, in the midst of courting fame
*Cause I see the trust in their eyes
Though the sky is falling
They need Your love in their lives
Compromise is calling
*Refrain:
What if I stumble, what if I fall?
What if I lose my step & I make fools of us all?
Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?
What if I stumble, & what if I fall?
What if I stumble, what if I fall?
You never turn in the heat of it all
What if I stumble, what if I fall?
Father please forgive me for I can not compose,
The fear that lives within me
Or the rate at which it grows
If struggle has a purpose,
On the narrow road you've carved
Why do I dread my trespasses will leave a deadly scar?
Do they see the fear in my eyes?
Are they so revealing?
This time I cannot disguise
All the doubt I'm feeling
Refrain:
Everyone's got to crawl when you know that,
You're up against a wall, it's about to fall
Everyone's got to crawl when you know that...(2x)
I hear You whispering my name [You say]
"My love for You will never change" [never change]
Refrain:
What if I stumble, what if I fall?
You never turn in the heat of it all
What if I stumble, what if I fall?
You are my comfort, & my God
Is this one for the people, is this one for the Lord?
Songwriters: Daniel Joseph / Toby Mckeehan
*Charles Blondin was a famous French tight-wire or high-wire walker/He was known far-&-wide for the increadible stunts which he performed on the high wire/It is said that he occasionally practiced blindfolded/On June 30, 1859, ~25,000 onlookers gathered at Niagra Falls to watch Blondin walk across the Falls/160 ft. above the water & walked ~1500 ft. to the opposite side/Once after he had pushed a wheelbarrow across & returned, Blondin asked his audience, “How many of you believe that I can put a one of you in this wheelbarrow & push them across the wire to the other side?”/All of the crowd yelled, “I believe you can do it!!”/Then Blondin asked, “Who will get in?”/The roaring crowd suddenly grew silent/None took him up on the offer...but eventually, his own agent Harry Colcord took Blondin at his word/Harry knew Blondin’s ability/You see, It doesn’t make much difference if you are yelling “I believe” while standing on the edge, But it makes all the difference if your trust is in the one in control of the wheelbarrow—as with Blondin’s agent/Is your faith(confidence) in Jesus, enough to take you where you cannot possibly go without Jesus in control?/There is a difference—that of ‘saving faith’ versus that of merely ‘mental faith’(falling)/A Distinct FAITH
OR...
The Solid Rock[#337]
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood & righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face[seems to hide His face],
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high & stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope & stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
‘Have faith in God’[#376]
Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely;
He sees & knows all the way you have trod.
Never alone are the least of His children;
Have faith in God, have faith in God.
Chorus:
Have faith in God, He's on His throne;
Have faith in God, He watches o'er His own.
He cannot fail, He must prevail;
Have faith in God, have faith in God.
Have faith in God when your prayers are unanswered;
Your earnest plea He will never forget.
Wait on the Lord trust His Word & be patient;
Have faith in God, He'll answer yet.
Have faith in God in your pain & your sorrow;
His heart is touched with your grief & despair.
Cast all your cares & your burdens upon Him;
And leave them there, oh, leave them there.
Have faith in God though all else fails about you;
Have faith in God, He provides for His own.
He cannot fail though all kingdoms shall perish;
He rules, He reigns, upon His throne.
Application:
?Your FAITH give you & others, strength to stand victorious?
?You acquired Strength to Stand victorious over wickedness?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The mullet fisherman to the marlin fisherman, “Only caught one, huh?”
Action:
God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious thru a distinct...
8. FAITH(:16)
1. STRENGTH(:10)
2. ENSEMBLE(:11)Clothing/Array/Dress
3. CONTENTION(:12)
4. RESISTANCE(:13)
5. REALITY(:14a)
6. MANNER(:14b)
7. PEACE(:15)
Pts. 7 only! Presented 08/13/2017am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
