Be Strong in the Lord
Ephesians 6:10
GWRBC
October 10, 2004
Paul is writing this letter, that we know as the book of Ephesians, to the people in the church of Ephesus. Ephesus was a pagan society. It was a prosperous city because it was the most accessible city in Asia, both by land and sea. But it was most noted for the temple of Ar te mis, the Greek goddess of fertility, which the Romans later named Diana. The temple Diana was one of the 7 wonders of the world. It was 425 feet in length. [That’s almost one and a half football fields]. Its width was 220 feet. Its chief attraction however was an image of Diana said to have fallen directly from heaven to earth. The temple was so popular among pagans that Ephesus emerged as the religious center of all Asia. And so it should be little wonder that when Paul showed up in Ephesus in the early 50’s that he met with such opposition from the locals as he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which stated in no uncertain terms that there are no gods but one and that is the God revealed in the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ who is fully God and fully man and who rose bodily from the dead.
Keep in mind that Ephesus had a great thing going. In many ways it was a tourist town as people from all over Asia came to pay homage to Diana. They would buy statues and trinkets related to Diana. It was an entrepreneurs dream. There were merchants all over the city selling anything and everything related to Diana. The temple also acted as a treasure house where the rich would store their money for safekeeping. It became a very influential power in the ancient world. Artists would come to paint this great statue of this well-known goddess. Pilgrims would flock from all over to worship there in Ephesus, much like Mecca or Rome today. In this letter Paul has identified the enemy. He knows that the people of Ephesus know who the enemy at hand is. Paul knew the enemy and knew the temptation for those believers in this famous city.
I would have to say that the city and people of Ephesus are not too much different than the people of our nation. What is our Diana? What or who do we worship in this nation besides God, the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised to send that is here with us and penetrates us and lead and guides us? What else do we worship besides our triune God? We worship our cars. We stay home on Sunday and wash it and wax it. We worship Atlantic City; we worship as the world turn, and one life to live with all my children in the general hospital. Soap Opera.
You see we worship all kinds of things, things that seem harmless. Even things that are helpful like cars and money, and our jobs. But when we worship these kinds of things it turns into our gods. No different than how the Ephesians’ were worshipping some statue made from stone. It is just a rock. Or in the Old Testament and the Hebrews, just exiled from Egypt by God, worship this man-made golden calf. What is the first commandment given to Moses? Do you think God just coincidentally made that one first? Or do you think God knew what he was doing, and knew that our challenges thousands of years after Moses carved those into a stone, that we would still face the same problem. And not only face it but that it would be a huge temptation – big enough that this commandment needed to be number one on that list of ten. In fact the first two commandments on this list deal with making false idols. Paul is here establishing a church and the people of Ephesus grew to become a struggling church. In Ephesians Chapter 4 up till chapter 6 verses 9 Paul had been discussing the believers walk. Now suddenly he shakes the reader and hearer, he changes course. He changes his homiletic direction. He says there is another way to look at the believer’s life in Christ. The believer’s life is a battlefield. Immediately upon receiving Christ, the believer finds himself in a constant struggle. He is engaged in an unceasing fight, an unending war. He is a fighter, a soldier in conflict. His calling is not to a life of enjoyment and ease, but to a life of hard conflict. There are foes within and foes without. From the cradle to the grave there is constant struggle against the corruptible lusts of the flesh and imposing temptations offered by the world and Satan.
There is a charge to the Christian soldier. Paul says
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of his might.
Paul start off by saying Finally, when all is say and done. Lastly, in conclusion, to end with, finish. I need for you to do this. Now note that this is directed to the believers. Finally my Brethren, Paul is connecting this important passage to the believers. This passage holds no merit to non-believers because Paul is informing us the believers how to live a life under attack. Finally my brethren, “BE STRONG IN THE LORD, AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT”.
Here is a great order issued by this mighty captain, the Apostle Paul an order for the day. Here is a word sent out to the Christian army gathered together, with the enemy there in position facing it. Here is the word that comes from this great leader who himself had had long experience in warfare personally, and who, as he reminds us so often, had the care of all the churches upon him, and had seen at first hand the scheming of the evil one against God’s people. Here then is a great order for the day, Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Hold on to this, do not forget it. In the heat and the thick of the battle later on in the day whatever happens never forget; never lose sight of this great guiding and controlling principle.
But what does it mean and how are we to do it? Be Strong in the Lord.
To read it, to repeat it, is not enough. But what does it mean in practice? Let us investigate the matter. Christianity is not a form of psychology. You do not just walk along the road saying, “Be Strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” using it as some kind of chant, repeating the phrases to yourself. That is not Christianity at all. It is perhaps the psychological method. You repeat the phrases such as every day and every way, I am getting better and better. You persuade yourself and you think less and less about your health and you therefore begin to feel better. This only works to a point. But in any case, as I say it is not the Christian message. So often we are in danger of abusing the Scripture in this way. So how do we stand up to temptations when we are in the street outside and what are we like at home? When you turn Scripture into a drug, into something, which gives you, a temporary relief without your knowing why or how, the effect does not last. It gives a temporary feeling of excitement but fails you when you are in the struggle and in the heat of the battle.
What, then is the true application of the Apostle’s precept?
1. The first thing to realize is the need to be strong because of the power of the enemy. Never under estimate that power.
· If you feel that you are a very strong Christian, let me ask you why you have failed so much and why you are still failing? What happens to your resolutions and resolves? Why are you sometimes attacked with feelings of utter hopelessness and almost despair. To what is it due? It is all due to the plain fact of our weakness, it if because we are insufficient and fallible.
2. The second reason, and a very practical one from the human side, is that if you are to be able to stand, and withstand in the evil day, you need this strength.
3. I wish to be strong in order to avoid personal failure; for I know that, when I do fail and fall into sin, I become miserable and unhappy.
4. Be strong because you are who you are, because you are what you are. We are individuals in this matter of salvation but we are not isolated units.
The believer must heed what God says in this passage; he must do exactly what God says in order to conquer the great enemies of life.
1. Be Strong
2. In the Lord’s power
3. In the Lord’s might
Each of these words is used to stress the utter necessity of the believer being strong and possessing power.
· The word strong means power, might, and strength. The believer must possess power, might and strength as he walks through the course of this life.
· The Lord’s power means His sovereign unlimited power and dominion over all.
· The Lord’s might means strength, force, and ability. If means His ability to use His strength and force wisely, that is in perfection.
The believer is to be strong in the sovereign unlimited power of the Lord, in the power of His might, in His ability to use His power exactly as it should be used.
Notice if you will, Paul say Be strong in the Lord. In other words Paul is saying be strong in our provider, be strong in our banner, be strong in our protector …
