Lesson 86 - November 16, 2003
Intro:
Eph 1-3 = Our wealth in Christ
Eph 4-6:9 = Our Walk in Christ
Eph 6:10-20 = Provision for our Warfare!
There is a conflict, an angelic conflict, and we get a glimpse of it here, of a fight that is raging night and day with Satan and the forces at his disposal.
Normally what we see are human beings and strategies and values that oppose the plan of God. We do not see a literal Satan in person or his demonic forces because they are spirit beings. Doesn't mean that they are not there or not real.
He is saying that behind the scenes and working through people and the world system are powerful demonic forces. (6:12) [Primary causes]
Satan will do everything he can to hinder us, to neutralize us, or destroy us spiritually.
He will attempt to work from within the body (the church) to stir up trouble.
He will work through religious people as the Jews of Paul’s day or the cults of our day.
He will work through the general philosophies, ideologies, and myths of the world.
He will work through politics, or economics, or government, or the work place.
Some Observation on Satan and the Believer
Question we need to answer? Are we just putty in Satan's hands??
Is it not interesting that the Epistle in which we have the most info on the provision we have in the warfare with Satan, with the unseen forces which he commands is the same Epistle in which we have the most emphasis on our position in Christ - Ephesians.
If we fall prey to Satan's wiles, his strategies and his false teachers, its not because we have to!
As a believer who is in Christ, we do not need to be depressed or oppressed by any of Satan's demons.
Where is your strength??
Is any demon or Satan himself able to overcome your position in Christ?
We should rejoice in the fact that when Christ died on the cross he gained victory over Satan and his demon operatives, and when you believed in Jesus Christ, you were entered into union with Him in heavenly places and His destiny is now yours.
Paul often uses 2 metaphors to express aspects of the Christian life.
#1 Athletics; Several in 1 Cor 9:24-27 running, boxing;
#2 Military [primarily the one here; not uncommon by Paul;
- 2 Tim 2:3; 1 Tim 6:12; Phil 2:25;
Outline:
1. Power for the Struggle; 6:10-11
- Its provision 6:10
- Its Imperative 6:11a Put On; clothe yourselves Cmd
- Its Promise 6:11b able to stand
2. Nature of the Struggle 6:12 [What's it all about?
Who is the enemy??
3. The Command that is to govern the Warfare 6:13
4. The Weapons for the Warfare! 6:14-20
- this is divided into 2 areas;
- Personal preparation 6:14-18a
- Expands to intercessory prayer for others
At some point as believers we must come to the realization that we are in a battle; that the Christian life is in a very real sense a battle ground; it is not a playground where everyone is happy and everything is going their way.
The focus here is seen in 6:11 "that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." KJV "wiles"
The schemes refers to his modus operandi which is by deviousness, craftiness, it speaks of the ingenious stratagems that he uses to neutralize believers in their Christian life; or to blind the thinking of the unbeliever to their need of responding to the gospel. [2 Cor 4:3-4]
The main focus of his strategies are his indirect attacks which primarily come through 2 channels; #1 is the world and the other is the flesh.
Now that we are believers we no longer have to live life where these things dominate our us. No longer do we have to be enslaved to them.
The most basic of the 2 channels is the flesh, the sin nature.
When we are operating under the sin nature's rulership we need to remember that we are then operating from a wisdom that has no connection at all with God. Jas 3:15
#1 "earthly" = evpi,geioj; on the earth, this speaks of a wisdom that springs from man's limited, frail, finite life under the influence of his sin nature.
#2 "natural" yuciko,j > yuch soul; speaks of that which is human in source in contrast to that which is spiritual; it describes what comes from the soul enslaved by the sin nature.
#3 "demonic" daimoniw,dhj; here is the tie to Satan's indirect influence through sin nature.
One thing that you can count on is that this kind of "wisdom" will exalt man and rob God of the glory that rightfully belongs to Him.
The World System: the other great channel of Satan's indirect influence.
- In reality the world system out there is being guided by Satanic value judgments, Satanic pride and philosophy; all the while being totally unaware of it.