(1) BE STRONG IN THE LORD
You see, we have many weak Christians today. This explains why so many Christians are being beaten up by Satan.
There is a great need in all churches for Christians to grow strong in the Lord. It is one of the greatest needs in most churches.
BUT HOW DO WE BECOME STRONG IN THE LORD?
Notice, after receiving the command to BE STRONG IN THE LORD, he tells us how.
(2) IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT
OUR POWER is HIS POWER.
Sometimes you will hear someone who is not saved, giving their excuse for not accepting the Lord as their Savior saying, “I do not want to be a Christian yet, because I cannot live the Christian life.”
Listen, that is true, but they can never live a victorious life over the devil until they recognize that we live this Christian life by His might. None of us are a match for Satan.
But we can say what the apostle Paul said, in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
With every trial that we face, comes enough strength to overcome the obstacle that is placed before us. Paul truly desired that these Ephesian Christians live victorious lives.
Illus: A prison inmate scratched his philosophy of life on the wall of his cell: "Born to lose." Christians believe that they were born to win. (Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).
In order for us to be winners, we need to learn how to be strong in the Lord. Let’s look at this passage of scripture. Let’s look at-
I. THE COMMENTS
Notice, this section that deals with the ARMOR OF GOD is at the end of the book of Ephesians. This is why he says, “Finally, my brethren…”
Sometimes the best is saved for last. We generally do this when we are eating.
Illus: One man was eating his desert before he ate his meal. Another man asked him why was he doing that. He said, “Because the rapture of the church might take place any moment, and if it does, I do not want to leave this wonderful desert behind for the anti-christ and his crowd. I will leave them my beans, squash and carrots.”
The desert is generally considered to be the best part of a meal, and when we are eating those things that are good for us that we do not particularly like, we know the best is YET TO COME!
The book of Ephesians has some wonderful spiritual food, but now we are coming to the best part, “Finally, my brethren…”
Paul had lived a victorious life, and he wanted to share with them how they could also live a victorious life.
HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT!
We could not talk to a better person in learning how to be victorious than Paul.
• The best person to talk to about plumbing problems is a plumber.
• The best person to talk to about electrical problems is an electrician.
• The best person to talk to about spiritual problems is someone who is spiritual.
We would be wise to listen to what Paul has to say about how we can live a victorious life, in this passage that deals with the ARMOR OF GOD. He knew a great deal about SPIRITUAL MATTERS!
We looked at THE COMMENTS, now look at ...
II. THE CHRISTIANS
He says, “Finally, MY BRETHREN...." It is clear that Paul is addressing those who are part of the family of God, by using the word “brethren”.
Paul is not writing to sinners, for he knows that they are not interested in the power of God to overcome sin. They are servants of sin.
The sinner is a puppet in the hands of Satan.
• He tells them what to think
• He tells them where to go
• He tells them what to watch on television
• He tells them what to read
• He tells them who to associate with
• He tells them how they should live their life
Every day they live a defeated life.
Paul’s instructions in this opening verse remind us of two realities:
A. THE CHANGE OF FAMILY
Look at Eph. 2:1 3, we read, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
In these three verses of scriptures he reminds them what they were "in time past".
•?They walked according to the course of this world
• They walked according to the prince of the power of the air
• They walked in the lusts of their flesh
• They fulfilled the desires of the flesh and of the mind
• They were by nature the children of wrath
Notice, as he speaks of their old life he speaks of it in the PAST TENSE.
Then in the following verses, he speaks of the mercy and love that brought them into the family of God and made them God’s children.
Look at Eph. 2:4, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us.”
We who have been adopted into the family of God, are special in that through HIS LOVE and MERCY we have become members of the family of God. Through the new birth WE have been made the children of God.
We looked at THE CHANGE OF FAMILIES, now let’s look at-
B. THE CERTAIN FIGHT
We have been delivered from the darkness of sin.
Look at Eph. 5:8, “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”
Just because we are CHILDREN OF LIGHT does not mean the battle is over. In fact the attacks of the enemy against the life of one who has been born of God certainly are multiplied from the moment of the new birth.
Satan seeks to ...
• DEFILE US
• DETOUR US
• DISTRACT US
• DISCOURAGE US
• DEFEAT US
WHY DOES HE DO THESE THINGS? So that we will not be effective in the battle we are involved in.
Christians need to realize that we are in a battle, and we must "war" against the forces of the enemy.
We looked at THE COMMENTS and THE CHRISTIANS, now look at ....
III. THE COMMAND
We read, “Finally my brethren, BE STRONG IN THE LORD."
It is interesting to take the Epistle to the Ephesians and trace how many times Paul has reminded them of what they were to "be." There are at least FOURTEEN references to the believer’s responsibility to "be" what they should "be" in Christ.
1. "be holy and without blame" (Eph. 1:4)
2. "be to the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:12)
3. "be strengthened with might by his Spirit" (Eph. 3:16)
4. "be filled with all the fulness of God" (Eph. 3:19)
5. "be no more children" (Eph. 4:14)
6. "be renewed in the spirit of your mind" (Eph. 4:23)
7. "be ye angry, and sin not" (Eph. 4:26)
8. "be ye kind" (Eph. 4:32)
9. "be ye therefore followers of God" (Eph. 5:1)
10. "Be not ye therefore partakers with them." (Eph. 5:7)
11. "be not drunk with wine" (Eph. 5:18)
12. "be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18)
13. "be obedient...your masters" (Eph. 6:5)
14. "be strong in the Lord" (Eph. 6:10)
This is the final "be" command in the epistle, and may be one of the most important.
God never gives the command without the sufficient resources to fulfill the responsibility of the believer.
A. OUR COMPANION
The Holy Spirit is our companion.
Look at 1 John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Paul reminds them in the third chapter of Ephesians that they had the resident Holy Ghost within them.
They could be :
•?"strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man" (Eph. 3:16b)
•?"filled with all the fulness of God" (Eph. 3:19b)
Remember, “...greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
We have OUR COMPANION, but also we have-
B. OUR COUNSEL
We have the Scriptures to guide us. The second resource God has given every believer is HIS WORD.
Look at Matt. 4:4, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
We draw strength from the Scriptures...
IN TIMES OF TEMPTATION
•?Psa. 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
IN TIMES OF TRIAL
•?Psa. 119:50 “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.”
We have OUR COMPANION and OUR COUNSEL, but also we have -
C. OUR COMRADES
We are glad we have the Comfort of the HOLY SPIRIT and the SCRIPTURES, but we are also glad we have the COMFORT OF THE SAINTS.
Though it may be the least among the resources in our battle against the forces of darkness, it is an accepted fact that our companions and peers have an influence over us for good or for evil.
Look at Prov. 13:20, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
We cannot wage war and fight the battle while fraternizing with the enemy.
Illus: Henry Kissinger said the battle of the sexes will never be won because there is too much fraternizing with the enemy.
Spiritual people should be our closest friends and our constant companions, so that we might stand together in the battle.
We have looked at THE COMMENTS, THE CHRISTIANS, and THE COMMAND, but let’s look at one more thing -
IV. THE CHRIST
"…in the power of his might"
Look at our victory over sin in Zech 4:6b, “...Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
I want to remind you again, we Christians are no match for Satan. But through Christ we can beat the socks off of the devil any day of our life.
But we are STRONG when we recognize we are WEAK. It is when we recognize we are weak and helpless, that we place our trust in the Lord and we can become strong.
lllus: It would be fitting to post a sign on the door of the church, "Wanted Weak People for the Work of the Lord." That is, we are only strong when we are weak.
WE ARE BANKRUPT WITHOUT HIM!
Look at John 15:5b, "...for without me ye can do nothing."
We must realize that without Him we can do nothing! Our Savior did not say “without you I can do nothing,” for it is obvious that He is well able to do without us. Yet we are absolutely bankrupt without Him.
Conclusion:
Illus: Years ago, in June of 1872, a 37 year old housewife and mother was busy with her household duties.
• Suddenly, Annie Hawks became consciously filled with a sense of nearness to the Savior.
• She was also filled with a sense of wonder or amazement – "how could anyone ever live without Him, either in joy or pain?"
Suddenly the words rushed into her mind – "I need thee every hour..." She wrote the four stanzas of a song and showed them to her pastor, Dr Lowry of the Hanson Place Baptist Church of Brooklyn New York.
Dr Lowry was a noted pastor musician of his day, and it is from his pen we have such gospel favorites as :
• "Christ Arose,"
• "Nothing But The Blood,"
• "Shall We Gather At The River."
Dr Lowry quickly composed the music to this beloved hymn as well as the refrain – "I need Thee, O I need Thee, Every hour I need Thee! O bless me now, my Savior– I come to Thee."
We can say with Mrs. Hawks, "I need Thee every hour!"
We can rest in the fact that the Lord supplies the need that we have.
Through the MIGHT of the Lord Jesus, I want to show you in this series on the ARMOR OF GOD that we can be victorious.
But in this first sermon, you need to recognize the victory we as Christians can enjoy is because WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS US.
Never has this spiritual war been as great as it is today.
• We thought it was bad enough when the devil began to produce all the rebellious music that many listen to each day.
• We thought it was bad enough when you can not hardly turn your television on because of all the filth that is being promoted from Hollywood, from the scum of the earth.
• But today the devil has a new weapon, it is called the Internet. All across this country we hear about people getting on the Internet and chatting with all kinds of people, and after they are on there for a period of time they leave their children and mate to meet a total stranger they do not know a thing about.
These are dangerous times in which we live, and we better understand as Christians, if we are going to be victorious, we must have the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD on!
In the weeks to come, Paul in this series is going to show us the need for putting on the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD.
I. THE COMMENTS
II. THE CHRISTIANS
III. THE COMMAND
IV. THE CHRIST
