STRENGTH To STAND-X—Ephesians 6:10-20
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 previously 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. FAITH(:16)
9. SALVATION(:17a)
10. WORD(:17b)
11—God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious in a distinct...
COMMUNICATION & DIRECTION(:18)
Explanation:(:18)Prayer
:18—“praying always with all prayer & supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance & supplication for all the saints--
Eph. 6:18[NASB]—“With all prayer & petition pray at all times in the Spirit, & with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance & petition for all the saints,”
“Prayer” is not a comparative with the soldier’s armor, as are truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, & the word. This is because each piece must be ‘put on with prayer’ as the hymn declares. Without prayer there can be no readiness in equipping nor any victory in the end.
Given the previous military attachments to our spiritual armaments, the activity of “prayer” 'could possibly' be representative of the soldier’s close conversation with his comrades in arms as they interact with one another & are involved in the give & take of the same skirmish & battle.
“Prayer” 'could' also 'possibly' be representative of the soldier’s ear ‘bent’ in anticipation of exactly following the marching orders from his superior(s). Yet such conversation is never as intensely personal as is “prayer.”
For the Christian there is to be a constant conversation in seeking God’s will for him/herself & others in the line of duty. Before putting on the whole armor of God(:11, 13) the preparing(-ed) Christian ready for spiritual wrestlings/battle(:12) against wickedness, is already immersed in conversation with God.
The Christian’s “prayer” is manifold(“all”/“at all times”) & all encompassing in approaching & bringing a ‘withstanding’(:13) thru the wrestling/battle. It involves general prayer as well as direct petition for specific need.
“All prayer” is to be exercised/levied/exacted “in” the power of “the Spirit.”
This implies that prayer ‘can’ become mechanical & mere meaningless repetition of words(Mat. 6:7) learned by habit/rote or mechanical repetition(Isa. 29:13) as we are taught our ABCs or The Pledge of Allegiance. But in order for prayer to be effective(Js. 5:16) it must be offered as what it is—A seeking for & relating of God’s will(1Jn. 5:14-15).
Isa. 29:13[NKJV]—“Therefore the LORD said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,”
Isa. 29:13[NASB]—“Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,
Mat. 6:7—“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.”
Js. 5:16—“Confess your trespasses to one another, & pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
1Jn. 5:14-15—“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
“All the saints” are to receive a special attention & consideration in our “prayers.” And our “prayers” are to meet the needs of those “saints” thru “all perseverance” & in “supplication,” considering their specific needs. This requires our thoughtfulness to nurture relationships with our brothers & sisters in Christ.
“Praying”—proseucomai—Verb—1) To offer prayers, to pray. Strong—To pray to God, i.e. Supplicate, worship.
From—prov—1) To the advantage of; 2) At, near, by; 3) To, towards, with, with regard to. Strong—a preposition of direction; Forward to, i.e. Toward(the side of, i.e. pertaining to); By the side of, i.e. Near to; The place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. Whither or for which it is predicated.—&—eucomai—middle voice of a primary verb; To wish; by implication--To pray to God.
*“Always/At All Times/On All Occasions/In Every Season.”—en panti kairwi—RWP—“At all seasons”(en panti kairwi). “On Every Occasion”
“With/By”2X(See :14, 15, 16)—dia—Prep.—1) Through—1a) of place—1a1) With, 1a2) In, 1b) of time—1b1) Throughout, 1b2) During, 1c) of means—1c1) By, 1c2) By the means of; 2) Through—2a) The ground or reason by which something is or is not done—2a1) By reason of, 2a2) On account of, 2a3) Because of for this reason, 2a4) Therefore, 2a5) On this account. Strong—a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; Through(in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional).
“All”3X—pav—Adj.— Strong—apparently a primary word; All, any, every, the whole.
“Prayer”—proseuch—Noun Fem.—1) Prayer addressed to God; 2) A place set apart or suited for the offering of prayer. Proseuch is a word of sacred character, being limited to prayer to God. Proseuch gives prominence to the element of devotion. Strong—Prayer(worship); by implication--An oratory(chapel).
From—prov—1) To the advantage of; 2) At, near, by; 3) To, towards, with, with regard to. Strong—Forward to, i.e. Toward(with the genitive case)--The side of, i.e. Pertaining to; By the side of, i.e. Near to; Whither.—&—eucomai—middle voice of a primary verb; To wish; by implication--To pray to God.
“Supplication/Petition”2X—dehsiv—Noun Fem.—1) Need, indigence, want, privation, penury; 2) A seeking, asking, entreating, entreaty to God or to man. Dehsiv is petitionary, & may also be used of a request addressed to man. Dehsiv gives prominence to the expression of personal need. Proseuch & dehsiv are often used together. Proseuch is restricted to prayer to God, while dehsiv has no such restriction. Dehsiv also refers chiefly to prayer for particular benefits, while proseuch is more general. Strong—A petition. Used 19X.
From deomai—To beg(as binding oneself), i.e. Petition.
From—dew—a primary verb; To bind(in various applications, literally or figuratively).
“In”—en—
“Spirit”(See :17)—pneuma—
“Watchful”—agrupnew—Verb—1) To be sleepless, keep awake, watch; 2) To be circumspect, attentive, ready. Strong—To be sleepless, i.e. Keep awake. Used 4X.
From — A(as negative particle)—&—upnov—Sleep, i.e. figuratively--Spiritual torpor.
“To this end/Thereunto/Unto This Very Thing”—eiv auto touto—
“With”—en—
“Perseverance”—proskarterhsiv—Noun Fem.—1) Perseverance. Strong—persistency. Used 1X.
From—proskarterew—To be earnest towards, i.e. (to a thing)--To persevere, be constantly diligent, or (in a place)--To attend assiduously all the exercises, or (to a person)--To adhere closely to(as a servitor).
From—prov—1) To the advantage of; 2) At, near, by; 3) To, towards, with, with regard to. Strong—a preposition of direction; Forward to, i.e. Toward(the side of, i.e. pertaining to); By the side of, i.e. Near to; The place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. Whither or for which it is predicated.—&—karterew—from a derivative of kratov(transposed)[vigor/force/strength/power/might/dominion]; To be strong, i.e. figuratively--Steadfast(patient).
“For”—peri—Preposition—1) About, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near. Strong—from the base of peran[(pierce)through]; properly, Through(all over), i.e. Around; figuratively--With respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case--denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case--the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period).
“Saints”—agiov—Adj.—1) Most holy thing, a saint. Agiov has probably as its fundamental meaning separation, i.e., from the world to God's service. If not the original meaning, this at any rate is a meaning early in use. This separation, however, is not chiefly external, it is rather a separation from evil & defilement. The moral signification of the word is therefore the prominent one. This word, rare & of neutral meaning in classical Greek, has been developed in meaning, so that it expresses the full N.T. conception of holiness as no other does. Strong—Sacred(physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated).
Argumentation:
Dan. 2:1-19, 24-30, 47—“Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s[king of Babylon] reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; & his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, & the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came & stood before the king. And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, & my spirit is anxious to know the dream.” Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, & we will give the interpretation.” The king answered & said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, & its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, & your houses shall be made an ash heap. However, if you tell the dream & its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, & great honor. Therefore tell me the dream & its interpretation.” They answered again & said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, & we will give its interpretation.” The king answered & said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying & corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, & I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.” The Chaldeans answered the king, & said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. It is a difficult thing that the king requests, & there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” For this reason the king was angry & very furious, & gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out, & they began killing the wise men; & they sought Daniel & his companions, to kill them. Then with counsel & wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon; he answered & said to Arioch the king’s captain, “Why is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel. So Daniel went in & asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, & made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel & his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”.....“Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went & said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, & I will tell the king the interpretation.” Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, & said thus to him, “I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.” The king answered & said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, & its interpretation?” Daniel answered in the presence of the king, & said, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, & the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, & He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, & the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: “As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; & He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, & that you may know the thoughts of your heart.”.....“The king answered Daniel, & said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, & a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”
Dan. 6:3-24—“Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors & satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; & the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. So the governors & satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” So these governors & satraps thronged before the king, & said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators & satraps, the counselors & advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute & to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree & sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes & Persians, which does not alter.” Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, & prayed & gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. Then these men assembled & found Daniel praying & making supplication before his God. And they went before the king, & spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered & said, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes & Persians, which does not alter.” So they answered & said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.” And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, & set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; & he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men approached the king, & said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes & Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.” So the king gave the command, & they brought Daniel & cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” Then a stone was brought & laid on the mouth of the den, & the king sealed it with his own signet ring & with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed. Now the king went to his palace & spent the night fasting; & no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning & went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! “My God sent His angel & shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; & also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” Then the king was exceedingly glad for him, & commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, & no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God. And the king gave the command, & they brought those men who had accused Daniel, & they cast them into the den of lions--them, their children, & their wives; & the lions overpowered them, & broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.” Don’t you supposed Daniel was praying during his ordeal?!
Lk. 21:29-36—“Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, & all the trees. When they are already budding, you see & know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven & earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, & cares of this life, & that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, & pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, & to stand before the Son of Man.”
Col. 4:12, 13—“Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect & complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, & those who are in Laodicea, & those in Hierapolis.”
2Jn. :8—“Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.”
1Cor. 9:27—“But I discipline my body & bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
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. 12:31-13:2—“But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. 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.”
Js. 5:16—“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Elijah prayed & rain came
Paul & Silas in jail
Illustration:
Road construction crew on two-lane road—They close down one side to traffic so the construction can take place safely/They set up safety cones all along the way/They station people to direct traffic at either end of the construction zone/These have a sign they can rotate which reads, ‘STOP’ on one side & ‘SLOW’ on the other/The traffic workers each have a ‘walkie-talkie’/The ‘walkie-talkie’ allows them access to each other/With the information from each end, the traffic folks can safely alternate traffic flow so that it won’t cause real problems/When the stopped traffic builds up to a certain point on one end, the traffic worker calls the other on their ‘walkie-talkie’/One will stop their traffic allowing the opposite end to go & vice-versa/Sometimes there is a ‘lead car-truck’ available to actually lead the traffic safely along the construction zone to the unaffected end/Neither of the traffic workers are to ‘just do what they want to do at any given time!—That would be disastrous!/COMMUNICATION & DIRECTION—‘Not what ‘I want’, but what ‘God wills’!
The first time I ever worked with Walkie-Talkies was at Carolina Rubber Hose, Inc. & then at UPS/Manufacturing-Shipping industries use them constantly/2-way communication over distance is necessary for the company in general, & for supervisors ‘on the floor’, to stay to achieve successful solutions regarding the various problems presented in any given day/COMMUNICATION & DIRECTION
Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus:
3. Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you,
ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor,
each piece put on with prayer;
where duty calls or danger,
be never wanting there.
Application:
?Your COMMUNICATION & DIRECTION give you & others, strength to stand victorious?
?You acquired Strength to Stand victorious over wickedness?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The dumpster's inability to 'stand' under the influence of the bear.
Action:
God’s people acquire strength to stand victorious..or..acquire victory thru a distinct...
11. COMMUNICATION & DIRECTION(:18)Prayer
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. FAITH(:16)
9. SALVATION(:17a)
10. WORD(:17b)
Pt. 11 only! Presented 10/22/2017am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
