SIT, WALK, STAND
Ephesians
Introduction
Watchman Nee was a leader in the indigenous church movement in China, establishing local churches in the 1930s. He was arrested in 1952 and found guilty of a large number of false charges. Nee was imprisoned until his death in 1972. He wrote hundreds of books to help believers in their faith. Among them, Sit, Walk, Stand, an exploration of three major themes in the book of Ephesians.
Sit - our position in Christ (Ephesians 2:6)
Walk - our life in the world (Ephesians 4:1)
Stand - our attitude to the Enemy (Ephesians 6:11)
This is our Christian biography. The development and ongoing experience of our spiritual life with Christ, with Others, and against Sin. It is a reality for us as we start our life with Christ, and as we live it out every day.
Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians is like most of his letters, divided into two sections. 1-3 doctrinal, 4-6 practical. He begins his letter with the gifts of grace that God gives believers: adoption, redemption, forgiveness, Holy Spirit, inheritance, “every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph 1:3-14). He follows this with a prayer that Christians would have the eyes of their hearts opened to know the hope to which we are called in Christ (Ephesians 1:15-23). Paul is leading us to his main message - and that is we have the power to live the life to which God calls us! In Chapter 2 he begins at the beginning and encourages us that the first place we find strength for the Jesus Life is by sitting with him.
1. SIT - Receive the Gift of God’s Grace (2:5-10)
Ephesians 2:5-10 ESV
...even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Stott: “…Only ‘mercy’ could reach the helpless, for ‘mercy’ is love for the down and out. We were under God’s wrath: only ‘love’ could triumph over wrath. We deserved nothing at God’s hand but judgment, on account of our trespasses and sins: only ‘grace’ could rescue us…for grace is undeserved favor. Why then did God act? Out of his sheer mercy, love, grace, and kindness.”
We begin our Christian life by receiving this grace. When we are seated with Christ, we are not making an effort to get him to love us or save us - He already has enacted that plan. Nee “The secret of deliverance from sin is not to do something but to rest on what God has done.” Even when we are baptized, it is an act of submission, not an act of the will. God is the only one who is working!
The same is true in our daily lives - in our frantic pace, we lose touch with God because we do not remember we are seated with Christ in heavenly places. When we SIT with Christ and allow the grace of Christ to transform our hearts and thinking. This is the foundation of our Christian life. Being seated with Christ enables us to WALK.
2. WALK - through this world with Christ (4:1-3)
Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
In Ephesians Paul issues seven instructions about the Christian walk / how to Conduct your life / Live your life. When we are seated with Christ, we are then able to walk with Him every day.
The Jesus life is empowered by God’s grace. It is a daily walk. Paul here gives five basic words of the Christian Walk.
Humility - “the virtue on which all the other virtues depend and from which they come.” (Barclay)
Gentleness - “Every instinct and every passion, every motion of his mind and heart and tongue and desire, under perfect control.” (Barclay)
Patience - two aspects (Barclay)
Endurance: The spirit that will never give in.
Longsuffering: Has the power to take revenge, but which never does so; refuses to retaliate.
Love - agape - unconquerable benevolence
Peace - (vs. 3) “When self dies and Christ springs to life within our hearts, then there comes the peace, the oneness, the togetherness, which is the great hallmark of the true Church.” (Barclay)
The example is Christ (Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.)
When we SIT with Christ and allow his grace to transform us, we can then WALK with Christ, living the life that reaches out to the world with the peaceful and loving message of Jesus. But, there is an enemy.
3. STAND against the defeated enemy (6:10-18)
Ephesians 6:10-12 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Nee: God has an archenemy, and under his power are countless demons and fallen angels seeking to overrun the world with evil and exclude God from His own kingdom.
Stand in his power (10) “hold your ground”. This is not a command to advance - it is to stand. Nee: “We are not to march, but to stand. The word stand implies that the ground disputed by the enemy is really God's, and therefore ours. We need not struggle to gain a foothold on it…. We do not fight for victory; we fight from victory.”
Stand against the Devil’s schemes and power (11). The forces against us are powerful, wicked, and strategic.
Stand Prepared and Empowered! (Ephesians 6:13-18)
Ephesians 6:13-18 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints...
The belt of truth – Revealed through His Word. It is the light from heaven that dispels the darkness around us.
Breastplate of righteousness – Protects our hearts from the attack of the enemy.
Feet fitted with the readiness of the Gospel – We are prepared to see duty, prepared to do God’s will, and prepared to proclaim the Gospel of Peace.
Shield of Faith – When we take the shield of faith we are putting God between us and the enemy.
Helmet of Salvation – We can be sure that our head will be protected against the lies of the enemy.
Sword of the Spirit – The only offensive weapon in our armor. The Word of God.
Paul adds prayer (18).
Stott: “Because it is to pervade all our spiritual warfare … It is prayer in the Spirit, prompted and guided by him just as God’s word is the ‘sword of the Spirit’ …Thus Scripture and prayer belong together as the two chief weapons
which the Spirit puts into our hands.”
Stott: “Prevailing Christian prayer is wonderfully comprehensive. It has four universals…at all times … with all prayer and supplication … with all perseverance … for all the saints.”
“Be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Vs 18b) (Sit, Walk, Stand - pray through all!)
Conclusion
Nee: “Only those who sit can stand. Our power for standing, as for walking, lies in our having first been made to sit together with Christ. The Christian's walk and warfare alike derive their strength from His position there. If he is not sitting before God he cannot hope to stand before the enemy.”
We don’t sit, walk, stand only once, but this is the virtue of our everyday life. We face everything in our life first by Sitting in Christ’s presence, Walking in obedience, standing against all attacks of Satan.
Watchman Nee spent the last twenty years of his life in prison for his faith. He was not even allowed to attend his wife’s funeral. When he died, the family was contacted only after he had been cremated. His great niece, went into his jail cell and found a note under his pillow that read:
"Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners and resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ. Watchman Nee.”
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Discussion Questions
1. What are the implications of being “raised up with Christ” and of being seated with him “in the heavenly realms”? (Ephesians 2:6)
2. God’s grace is a free, undeserved gift. Why do you think it’s hard for some to accept his grace as a free gift? (Eph 2:8-9)
3. How are we “God’s handiwork” (NIV) or “workmanship” (ESV)? What does that mean to you? What does it tell you about your purpose in life? What hinders us from doing the good works God prepared for us to do?
4. The theme of “walking” is a big theme in Ephesians. Take a moment to read each of the seven occurrences and
describe the Christian walk as Paul present it: Ephesians 2:2; 2:10; 4:1; 4:17; 5:2; 5:8; 5:15.
5. In Ephesians 4 Paul gives us five hallmarks of the Christian walk. Jesus is our ultimate example in each of these areas. Can you name one story in the life of Jesus that exemplifies each of these: Humility, Gentleness, Patience, Love, Peace? Which one of these do you have to work the hardest to attain?
6. Which piece of the spiritual armor is difficult to utilize (in your opinion) and why? How can you learn to actively “take up” that weapon? How do we take up the armor?
7. In what way is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, an offensive weapon in contrast to the other defensive weapons?
8. Was there anything else you wanted to discuss from this message?
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Resources
Barclay, William. Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians. Westminster, 1958.
Carr, Greg.
https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/sit-walk-stand-greg-carr-sermon-on-basics-of-christianity-161632
Caballero, Angel.
https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/sit-walk-and-stand-angel-caballero-sermon-on-authority-135790
Nee, Watchman. Sit, Walk, Stand. Tyndale, 1977.
Sexton, Luther.
https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/sit-walk-stand-luther-sexton-sermon-on-walk-in-christ-238672
Stott, John R. W. The Message of Ephesians: God’s New Society. Inter-Varsity Press, 1979.
Williams, Jefferson.
https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/sit-walk-stand-jefferson-williams-sermon-on-salvation-249056
Wright, N. T. Ephesians: 11 Studies for Individuals and Groups. InterVarsity Press, 2009.
