A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ
Eph 6:10-20
Introduction
Consider warrior in Eph. 6 in context of whole book – whistle stop tour of book
· Book basically split up as follows:
o Ch 1-3 Gods Purpose – That we should have the blessing of being in the body of Christ
o Ch 4-5 Our walk / manner of life as a result of being members of this body and that we might enjoy what God has given for ourselves
o Ch 6 Our defence when Satan tries to stop us enjoying what God has given
· Often called believers’ wealth, walk and warfare – watchman nee calls it sit, walk, stand.
· The book can also be considered in parallel with the people of Israel claiming the promised land:
o God to Abraham – look to east west, far as eye can see – all this will I give you
o Then the Lord says to Joshua “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given you” – They begin to claim / enjoy the blessings of God for themselves.
o And in the book of Judges the enemy tries to creep in and the People of Israel need to defend the land
§ He writes to Timothy and tells him to flee in the face of youthful lust – but here the devil is making inroads to our personal enjoyment of the blessings of the lord and Paul will say you must stand and fight - Be strong in Lord and power of his might, put on whole armour of God
We will consider this passage under the following headings:
· Warriors Enemy
- The need for Protection
§ Why do we need armour?
· Warriors Armour
- The need for Perception
§ What will be attacked? / Need protected?
- The need for Prevailing
§ How we can know victory by withstanding the Devil
· Warriors Duty
- The need for Prayerfulness
§ How we can know help when feeling the attack of the Enemy
- The need for Pastors
§ How we can offer help when others feel the attack of the enemy
WARRIORS ENEMY
Why do we need armour – let us consider something of the enemy
His Strategy (v11)
o In ch1 we see the importance which God places on you (individually)
§ The passage speaks about how God could best please himself
§ The bible says of God “He made the stars also” – here phrases such as “counsel of his own will” gives the idea of deliberation
§ He decided he could please himself best by choosing you (that we might be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ)
o Now we have the importance the Devil places on you (individually) thought behind ‘wiles’ is the strategy of the devil as he tries to trap and snare believers – to take joy of salvation. An example of this is Job.
His Authority (v12)
o The Devil is not omnipresent as God is, but controls an army, again thought of strategy – his desire is to bring down the Christian
o As a general in the army would he makes his attack on the areas which are of most danger
§ Perhaps we are being left alone by the Devil because we are not interested in furthering our spiritual development
§ We want to be the best employee at work, the best parents, the best at sports but do we want to be the best Christian or are we satisfied with mediocrity
His Opportunity (v13)
o Not an evil day before Devil came, but a particular day
o Perhaps it’s a day when you are down
§ Peter at the crucifixion – “I know not the man”
§ Perhaps no-one helps you in a particular avenue of service, perhaps the saints complain when you are doing your best, business not doing well, illness in family
§ Lord knows – to 7 churches “I know thy works”
§ But its this sort of day that the Devil makes his attack – he sees’ an opportunity and whispers “I don’t know why you bother at all – no thanks for it
§ It’s not harmless thoughts, it’s a frontal charge, an attempt at the killer blow that will rob you of the enjoyment of your salvation
His Weaponry (v16)
o The Devil prompts sin, the world promotes sin and the flesh produces sin
o Sometimes the Devil attacks with suggestions like what we have looked at, sometimes he uses others – even Christians (Lord to Peter “get thee behind me Satan). We must therefore be careful how we speak to our brethren and sisters lest we cause them to stumble.
o Therefore the Devil doesn’t make you sin – for example Adam and Eve chose to sin - so no Christian can look at the attack of the Devil in this passage and say that the Devil attacked them and they were forced to sin
o Now the devil is the one who prompts you to sin, but in the context of this ch. he is the ‘accuser of the brethren’ questioning your salvation and questioning your life as a believer – trying to take the enjoyment of salvation from you
o This passage of scripture is written so that when the Devil comes with his suggestions we can say “Get thee behind me Satan for thou savourest not the things that be of God”
WARRIORS ARMOUR – protect our self
Our Loins protected by Truth (v14)
o Devil attacks our enjoyment of salvation by causing us to sin
· Jacob wrestling with God, touched in the thigh and his walk was changed – Devil tries same
· Loins speak of the character of the believer and Paul says that it must be protected by truthfulness and integrity
· The Christian must practice what they preach / no hypocrisy
§ Paul in Romans “thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal”
§ 3 John “No greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”
· If what I do doesn’t match what I say then I am not girded with truth and the Devil can make his attack – to take your joy of salvation
o To be girded with truth is to be restricted in order to be protected
· The Christian cannot do what they like –
§ Abstain from evil / appearance of evil
§ “walk not as gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind”
§ 2 Cor “renounced the hidden things of dishonesty…but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to everyman’s conscience in the sight of God”
§ The Christian should lead a different lifestyle from the world in order that they may enjoy what God has done for them
Our Breast protected by Righteousness (v14)
o Devil attacks our enjoyment of salvation by causing us to love something else
· Breast speaks of love and affection
§ The disciple whom Jesus loved leaned on his breast
§ Bride desires that her well-beloved should lie on her breast
· Moved on from what we do to the motivation for what we do
§ If I love something above God then I am no longer interested in what God has done for me
§ Ananias and Sapphira – love of money
§ Demus – love of world
o How can I put on the breastplate of righteousness
· Jehovah described as putting on breastplate (Isa 59)
§ He loves righteousness and hateth iniquity
· Therefore what we love must be righteous
§ Case of Samson – love what God hated (took a wife of the Philistines)
o Bible gives examples of what we must love and not love
§ Husbands love your wives
§ Forbearing one another in love
§ If a man love me let him keep my commandments
§ John says “Love not the world neither the things which are in the world…” – not things which are wrong in themselves
Our Standing protected by Assurance of Peace with God (v15)
o Devil attacks our enjoyment of salvation by causing us to doubt its reality
· John the Baptist “art thou he that should come…” he is questioning all that he has lived for
· The quickest and most effective way for a battle to be won is to knock the other man down – this is what the Devil does when he causes you to doubt if you are saved
§ Roman soldier – nail like grips in his shoe - grip that keeps us up is our trust in God – not to say we cannot be knocked down
§ 2 Cor “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed” – knocked down but not knocked out
§ Sometimes Christian get knocked down – and the Devil takes the enjoyment of our salvation – but he never takes our salvation
o Some suggest it could speak of proclamation of the gospel
Our Head protected by Helmet of Salvation (v17)
o Devil attacks our enjoyment of salvation by causing us to be weighed down with cares of this world (In Thess: ‘Hope of Salvation’ – particular care bothering the saints is to do with the resurrection, so the particular aspect of salvation they must enjoy is the return of the Lord)
· Many examples of men who have let worry rob them of enjoying a relationship with God
§ David weeping for Asalom
§ Elijah under the juniper tree – what doest thou here – renew to me the joy of my salvation
· If we draw our minds back to ch 1 we will see the many blessings which Gods has bestowed upon us
§ In whom…redemption
§ In whom…predestined
§ In whom…ye trusted
§ In whom…ye were sealed with holy spirit of promise
· In ch 2
§ Ye who were dead…made alive
§ Ye who were far of…made nigh
· In other scripture
§ Behold what manner of Love…
§ Let not your heart be troubled
Meditation on these things will result in a more consistent enjoyment of salvation – sometimes think on anything in the bible but what God has done for you
Take the Shield of Faith (v16) – the armour for our armour
o Everything else linked to shield
· Ever wondered why Samson was so successful in fighting the Philistines despite not following the direction God wanted him to take – Heb. Tells us it was because he never lost his faith in Jehovah
· By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing wither he went
· By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season
§ There are things to be enjoyed in this world but by faith we believe ours is a far more exceeding weight of glory
§ Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him – these things are accepted by faith
· By faith Joseph when he died made mention of the departing of the children of Israel
· By faith the walls of Jericho fell down
§ Perhaps there is something in your life which is as big a problem as the walls of Jericho – If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove
o Importance of having a shield to a warrior – ultimate form of defence
§ Sometimes faith is weak – pray to God “Help thou my unbelief”
Take the Sword of the Spirit (v17)
o Lord demonstrated how it could be used – put Devil to flight
o Any armour, including the Armour of God is useless without a sword - for the enemy can keep attacking until the armour gives way - how important then is it to be acquaint with the Sword of the Spirit. This, like the sheild will protect the whole armour.
· If we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin
§ David confesses sin was against God
· We love him because he first loved us
· Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand / my fathers hand
· Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat / put on – Life is more than meat and body more than raiment – ravens / lilies
· Able to put Devil to flight no matter where he attacks
o Must be comfortable with sword if it is to be used in battle – Jonathon slays 20 philistines
· Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth
· Have you read your Bible today?
WARRIORS DUTY
There are two main things the importance of which are impressed upon a soldiers mind – Need for communication with superiors and to care for fellow-soldiers (v18)
Communication
o Reasons that a warrior would communicate
· Know help when enemy attacks
§ I can do all things through Christ
· Which direction to move
§ Paul – spirit suffered us not
· We have more reasons for prayer
§ Worship
§ For sick
o Very few chapters in Acts in which Christians are not praying
· Prayer is largely regarded as unimportant
· Personal prayer – few words to salve conscience
§ Like Samson, perceive not that spirit of God is not with us
§ Like Mary + Joseph it’ll take longer to find the Lord
§ Have we prayed today
· Prayer meetings no longer ‘all with one accord’
§ Why don’t you go – some have reasonable excuse
§ Can’t expect blessing in gospel if we don’t ask at prayer meeting
o Uriah the Hittite was in the hottest part of the battle and his fellow soldiers withdrew from him on the command of King David - We do the same thing to our fellow soldiers when we withdraw our prayers from them
o Let us like the early church be given to communication
Care
The good soldier will have a desire to see other soldiers going on well (seen in all epistles) not critical because they gave thanks for the bread 5 mins early / or sat in your seat – endeavouring to keep unity of spirit in bond of peace. However, the soldier would have a particular responsibility towards two groups:
o The wounded
· Gal 6.1 – if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness
§ What is our attitude to a Christian who has sinned – concerned or critical
§ We often trample on the wounded soldier
o The weary
· Gal 6.2 – Bear ye one another’s burdens
§ Depression is one of the biggest problems in churches today
§ Along with many other illnesses and problems which keep many saints from attending the meeting
§ Do we phone / write / visit to remind them that the saints thoughts are with them or do we not care
o And in doing these things we will care for our fellow-soldier
The soldier is not a mercenary – he is part of an army, a victorious army
Let us seek to overcome the Devil till we see the captain of our salvation, the king of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ face to face.
