10 Finally,
be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on
the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and
flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so
that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything,
to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth
around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As
shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel
of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which
you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take
the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in
the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep
alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray
also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known
with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an
ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
Year B
August 21-27
August 23, 2015
Cross~Wind UMC
August 30, 2009
Cross~Wind Ministries
August 31, 2003
Crawfordsville First United Methodist Church
Title: Preparation for Living
I am going to be following the theme of wisdom for a few
Sundays. Wisdom is doing what is right, even when other people do not. This
suggests that living wisely can be a battle. Paul is going to equip us for the
battle in this passage.
Going deeper [I used this study as background, but obviously, did not bore people with all of this]
The theme of Ephesians 6:10-20 is
the spiritual war. The armor of God is at the disposal of the Christian
witness, with the armor consisting of truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith,
salvation, and the Spirit or Word.[1]
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord
and in the strength of his power. [Here is an introduction, affirming that the saints know God's
superior power. God has not left
Christians to their own devices. Paul has a limited period in mind. It began with the cross and resurrection and
ends when the Bride is met by the Bridegroom.
The strength comes from outside humanity. No strength other than God's own can
strengthen the saints. Be strong is the
passive form. Strength is not something
we bring with us into the fray. Rather, strength is a quality that comes as a
gift from God.]
[The author emphasizes the
combative nature of the Christian encounter with this world by invoking
military images throughout this exhortation.
We might want to explore the use of military metaphors in Paul's
environment. The use of military imagery
here is dictated by literary rather than personal experience. In the Old Testament, the War of the Lord was
described in warlike images. There were
also stories about miraculous weapons used by soldiers. The imagery is more closely related to OT
than to Marduk's battle with Tiamat.
Markus Barth also rejects the connection with the Iranian "Prime
Man" or Ur-Mensch. The Stoics
called life a military service because it was an on-going struggle between
reason and passion, though Barth rejects a direct connection. Barth rejects any association with
Gnostics. Nevertheless, he suspects Paul
was aware of the Qumran war ideology and here repudiates it. In verses 11-13, Paul compares the power of
God to an imposing armor which is God's and which saints now have available to
them. They need this because the
opposing forces are superhuman. Left to
themselves, they would be defeated.
However, God provides the power to resist. Paul's description of the Christian warrior
is very nearly a description of the Roman soldier of the time (vv. 11-17).
Throughout the Roman world, soldiers defending and keeping the peace of the
empire were everywhere, including Ephesus, part of an occupied territory. Hence, Paul's imagery cuts both ways: He uses
the portrayal of the soldier fully equipped for battle as an image of strength
and readiness, but at the same time, there may also be a subtle dig at the
empire. The Christians of Ephesus and the surrounding cities knew the
oppression of occupation forces - be they of Caesar or of the evil one. In
Revelation the connection of Rome with Satan is made even more clearly, albeit
symbolically. The author reminds the readers that the first responsibility of a
combatant is to equip him- or herself with the necessary accessories of battle.
Of course, as is described, the armor is not of metal and leather fashioned by
human hands, but is of spiritual stuff fashioned and given by God. What the
author describes in this passage is not a passive, defensive collection of a
rebellious rabble. It is a significant strike force that is the match of any
demonic presence. The passage may seem obscure to many modern Christians, but
the emphasis on the reality of evil and the Christians' call to combat evil
with God's goodness and truth is not one Christians can ignore in any day.]
11 Put on the whole armor of God,
so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [Christians receive strength, then, by
putting on the whole armor of God to protect and prepare them for their
encounter with the wiles of the devil that will assault them. The whole armor could refer to the entire
stock of protective apparatus available to soldiers going into combat. The next section of exhortations begins with
additional military language, encouraging the Christian soldier to stand. We are able to stand only by wearing this
promised armor that God provides.
Mentioning peace in the midst of these images of war and conflict is
startling. The final piece of equipment
itemized here is the only potentially offensive one, the sword of the
Spirit. Prayer, the war the author
envisions is fought with both the power of prayer and the sword-like word of
God. Markus Barth believes "splendid armor" rather than "the
whole armor of God" is correct.
"Whole armor" denotes completeness. Barth believes the author describes the
armor's quality more so than its completeness.
The portrayal of the struggle of the faith has moved Christians of every
era and every position on the spectrum of theology, along with the description
of the "armor of God" that protects the believer.] 12
For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against
the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present
darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. [To Paul, the believer's most essential
struggle is not against enemies that they can see. Rather, the believer wages
his or her true battle (or contest) with the "rulers,"
"authorities," "cosmic powers of this present darkness" and
"the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Paul
introduces an athletic term here. Thus,
life is not all battle. However, the
attacks against Christians require that they stand their ground as "good
sports" and good soldiers. In other
texts, the flesh is the opponent. The
"principalities and powers" are at the same time spiritual entities
and concrete historical, social, or psychic structures or institutions. Because of the death and resurrection of
Jesus, these powers are already subject to God in Christ, and they face total
subjugation in the future. Not all of
these powers are evil, note Romans 8:38-39.
Whether good or evil, they face total subjection to the Messiah. Here, the author mentions only the evil
forces mentioned. These forces could
refer to the demonic in the synoptic gospels.
Markus Barth believes it refers to social tensions and pressures: 1)
Ephesians emphasizes the dimension; 2) the fiery missiles are influences,
temptations, tests, persecutions, rather than fleshly desire or personal
affliction. "Blood and flesh"
includes the internal conflicts of people.
3) kosmoknatoieV refers to world
rulers, 4) "the spiritual hosts" make their attacks from heaven and
are combated with stronger aims provided by God. God equips the saints to combat them. A
superficial reading of the text might lead one to assume that Paul describes a
cosmos that is dualistic in nature. Canonical and extra-canonical texts can be
found that would support a dualistic universe. The cosmic battle motif was
common to the literature of Judaism from the prophets to the scrolls of Qumran.
One also finds it in Revelation (12:7). However, Ephesians does not describe
this as dualism, for no power is the equal of God's power. In this passage, God
is not calling together the angelic forces. The author does not juxtapose "The
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" against the spiritual
forces of good in the heavenly places. Rather, God provides Christians with
protection and the proper weapons to stand firm against the enemy. The forces
of evil are real and do affect human history - nevertheless, the outcome of
God's plan of salvation is never in doubt. Still, for most Christians
influenced by critical scholarship and modern scientific objectivity, the
description of spiritual warfare with the devil seems remote from this secular
age. The implication of the passage - pointing to a world that is a hostile
place inhabited by demonic powers - is not a generally accepted description of
reality as secularity and science would describe it. Yet Paul would not want
the readers of his day or ours to be naive.]
13 Therefore take up the whole
armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having
done everything, to stand firm. [All who have had to stand firm in the face of persecution,
imprisonment, and violence or who have confronted unjust structures and evil
institutions, find solace in these words. However, the author of the epistle
dismisses these flesh and blood confrontations as relatively inconsequential.
Believers offer resistance to the devil here on earth, not "in the
heavens," as Gnostic interpreters would suggest. katergazomai
can mean "to defeat." Four
commands: Take up arms! Form the battle
line! Attack and defeat the enemy as
arranged! Occupy and hold the
field! However, the word rarely is taken
in that sense. It usually means,
"to prepare," as in preparation for battle, and the context
emphasizes the preparations rather than the battle itself. "The evil day" = "darkest
day." In the OT, it could relate to
"the day of the Lord." Mark 13
and Revelation are almost quietistic in reference to the last day. Ephesians 6 and Qumran would suggest active
resistance. However, those tribulations
are beginning now. Although Paul believed that Christ had risen and was
triumphant, the struggle of life remained, and he anticipated an apocalyptic
confrontation with the evil one. Hence, he calls for the believer to stand firm
in the face of the coming conflict and to remain strong. The strength Paul
encourages does not come from an internal self-discipline - rather, it comes
from God. In Philippians, Paul writes,
"I can do all things through him [the Lord] who strengthens me"
(4:13). Strength that comes from anywhere else but from the Spirit of the Lord
is not going to be sufficient for the upcoming battle. Therefore, the author
calls upon the believer to trust God and accept the gift of the "whole
armor of God" that is given (6:13).]
[In verses 14-17, Paul lists six
aims provided as armor. The list follows the steps a Roman soldiers takes in
preparation for battle. The majority are defensive weapons. God's weapons are transferred from the
Messiah to all the saints. If they were
sufficient for Christ, they are sufficient for the saints.] 14
Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, [the girdle for the soldier was made
of leather. There are three
possibilities: 1) the leather apron that protected the lower abdomen; 2) the
sword-belt, the last item put on in preparation for battle; 3) the special belt
or sash designating an officer. Markus
Barth believes #3 best suits context.
Note the reference to Isaiah 11:5.
Thus, in this battle, there is no room to distinguish between officers
and enlisted people. No distinctions are
made, for God's power is available to all.
Those who march wrapped in the truth of God are both protected and
marked as God's own. The OT viewed truth, righteousness, steadfastness, faith,
peace, salvation, the Spirit, and the word of God as part of covenant. It is not a catalogue of ethical
virtues. They denote social
relationships.] and put on the breastplate ["Breast plate" protected
anything between shoulders and loins.
Originally, it was made of leather, but now it was made of metal. ] of righteousness. [The saint is
made nothing less than a judge is. The
battle is not in the field but the courtroom.
The breastplate of righteousness reminds the reader that they are part
of a covenant that will secure their salvation - their "heart," so to
speak, is protected. "Righteousness" is an allusion to Isaiah 11:1-9,
means help, salvation, and peace. Only
the Messiah can establish it. It is a
gift of God. "Righteousness"
was a word associated with God's covenant with the chosen people. God wrote the
new covenant not on stone but upon the heart. However, it shows its power in
its effect upon persons. In all cases in
the OT where righteousness is "put on," it is a cloak of dignity and
responsibility. It is that person's
responsibility to make sure that righteousness is practiced. This confirms that all saints are ranking
soldiers.] 15 As
shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel
of peace. ["Gospel
of peace," is a lofty paradox in the context of military imagery. Note Isaiah 11:4-9. en etomasia
is usually translated "preparation" or "preparedness." Barth suggests "steadfast." The shoes were that worn by the Roman legion,
which left the toes free and were ankle high.
Allusions to Isaiah 52:7 may have been intended here ("How
beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces
peace"). God's peace unites and draws all believers together to withstand
the demonic attacks. God's peace is also the promised goal of history, and so
the battle - no matter how fearsome - will resolve itself according to the
peace of God in time.] 16 With all of these, take the
shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows
of the evil one. [Verse
16 offers no indication that the shield will be more important. There were two types of shields, and this was
the larger one. Those of high rank had a
shield-bearer. Though it could be viewed
as defensive, soldiers advancing behind the large shield were measuring, like
modern tanks. "Faith" refers
to the believer's own faith, and its opposite would be fear. "Fiery missiles" were arrows dipped
in pitch. These were also arrow-throwing
machines. Note that the Lord's offensive
weapons are not mentioned. The enemy
uses fire rather than the saints. The OT
and apocalyptic references suggest God will use fire against them. As God's peace draws Christians together in
common defense, so then the community lifts up their shields to provide a
united front of protection from the "flaming arrows." However, the massed shields also provide a
powerful offensive capability.] 17 Take the helmet of salvation, [The helmet originally was a cap, but
became highly decorative and was bronze, protecting them from the fiery
missiles. The helmet of victory is most likely in mind. It is a gift of God. They are in full confidence of the
outcome. God's victory is given to all
the saints. As to whether a future or
present salvation is referred to cannot be determined.] and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God. [The shared faith of a strong community, protected from
any incoming projectiles by the "helmet of salvation," pushing
forward not only with shields raised but also with the "sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God" would present a formidable opposition.
"Sword" is the short, more defensive type of weapon rather than the
longer one. Grammatically, the sword
means the Spirit and the Spirit is identified with God's Word. It could be "spiritual sword,"
similar to 5:19, spiritual hymns.
Alternatively, it could refer to the origin "the sword which is
given by the Spirit." The giving of
spiritual gifts would then be the closest parallel. The "sword of the word" probably
refers to the preaching of the gospel, rather than the OT.]
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times
in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere
in supplication for all the saints. [Verses 18-20 are the exposition of verses 11-17, making sure
that peace and not crusading is his intent.
The armed struggle of the Christian involves peace and prayer. It exhorts the saints to be vigilant in
prayer and proclamation. He urges
intercession for one another, for there is dependence upon God and one
another. He does not accept the notion
that there are self-made individuals. Though this letter has been concerned about
peace, Paul uses war imagery. However,
this is a "holy war," not a crusade.
There is an issue of whether "prayer" is in effect a seventh
weapon. Markus Barth believes this is
unlikely. Note that the connection
between verses 18-20 and the preceding verses is very close. Prayer could be the essence and made of the
whole process of arming oneself. Prayer
is the vehicle for receiving the armor. Keeping alert is a common warning
sounded by Jesus in the Gospels and Paul in his letters. The warrior must be
able to take up the banner of battle at any time the command comes. The
repetition of "all" suggests the whole life and strife of the
community is to be a prayer to God. 1)
one's whole lifetime; 2) the whole range of types of prayer; 3) the whole range
of personal existence; 4) for the whole community, especially the weakest
members. Paul also uses different words
which denote prayer. Both proseuche and deesiV
refer to petition. "Stay
awake," the purpose of which is to pray rather than put on armor. The imagery is literal in Gethsemane and in
parables, but it came to mean spiritual alertness. Conzelmann suggests eschatological
overtones. It speaks of constant
resistance to temptation. The climax is
intercession on behalf of the saints.
Pannenberg says that unceasing prayer lifts prayer to central
significance for the Christian life, a place it would not have if limited to
formulated address to God. At issue is the ongoing attitude in which the life
of faith is to be lived and which permeates all the individual activities of
believers.[2]
In v. 19-20, that prayer is extended to unbelievers.] 19 Pray also for me, so that when
I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery
of the gospel, [Paul
puts himself in the foreground, considering himself as a special case. He is least of the apostles. He is identified with a specific
commission. He is in prison. However, by intercession they can stand with
him and be involved in his wider mission.
He does not identify the word, for only God can give him that word. Note that Paul does not ask for release from
prison. Paul closes this passage
reminding the readers he is a prisoner of war. Paul, too, faces the opposition,
and so asks for prayers that he might be given strength. Yet, Paul tells them
to pray for the saints - other believers located in every village and town.
God's army is spread throughout the land.] 20 for which I am an ambassador in
chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. ["Ambassador" is a
political term, as well as legal, including the full power to represent the one
who sent him. The opposite of
"fearless" would be being ashamed of the gospel.]
Introduction
Why are you here?
Why did you come to church this
morning?
Maybe you are here out of habit.
Maybe going to church is “what you do” on Sunday morning.
Maybe you are here because your parents dragged you into the
car, kicking and screaming, and you would rather be anywhere else.
Maybe you are here because you are lonely.
Maybe you are here because you feel something is wrong or
missing in your life.
Maybe you are here hoping that something in here (building)
will make you different in here (point to heart).
Although our country is involved in
two wars, although American troops are in several countries, such matters seem
distant – unless you have a loved one or friend there. Even for soldiers, their
notion of body armor has changed. However, unless something has happened to
personalize it, war imagery seems alien to us.
One can add on top of that, many
Christians feel uncomfortable with war imagery. Over the years, I have become
increasingly comfortable with it. We are in a spiritual battle, whether we
intentionally engage it or not. If you want something to make a difference in here
(heart), you will need to prepare for battle.
I like to exercise. It has been a
long time since I stopped for some reason. I used to do so. I had to work very
hard to get back up to the strength I had. If you want to stand with Jesus
today, now is not the time to stop and think you can just ease your way into
eternity.
One pastor saw someone in worship
that he hardly ever saw more than twice a year. He said to the person, “You
need to be part of the army of the Lord.” The person responded, “Pastor, I already
am.” The pastor responded by commenting on his weak attendance record. “I am
part of the secret service,” he responded. If the church has have ever needed a
“secret service,” today is not it.
A
rabbi described how tough it is to be a Jew in Greenville , North Carolina
Application
Paul
addresses people facing troublesome times. The government has targeted them for
attack. He reminds them the battle is not just with people, culture, economics,
or politics. The battle is spiritual. He tells them to put on the whole or
splendid armor of God, including the belt of truth, the breastplate of
righteousness, shoes for spreading the gospel of peace, the shield of peace,
the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
When Paul says that we need this armor to wage the battle he reminds us that
the battle is not just with time and money. The battle we face is far deeper
than we often know.
We do not face attacks from
government. What we do face is a culture that increasingly goes its own way,
leaving behind the many Christian values and principles that helped shaped it
in the beginning. The church will need increasing abilities in discernment to
distinguish Christian teaching and values from simple accommodation to a
culture that increasingly separates itself from the church. You see, many things in our culture are quite
all right. I suspect the grace of God has helped us get to a place where we
value freedom, respect for the rights of others, the improvement of daily life
through technology and science, and so on. The culture is not evil. It is an
expression of the human struggle for worth and dignity. As such, it often has
remarkably excellent things in it, as well as things of which we need to be
careful.
A secular and free culture largely
ignores the church. Being a Christian today is neither natural nor easy. Thus, you had better not go out there
unarmed. It is tough out there. It is tough to be ignored, ridiculed,
dismissed by one's culture, a culture which is not, overall, willfully
unbelieving. It is simply too
self-consumed, too jaded to make the effort to believe or disbelieve. Increasing numbers of us are finding that to
be a great challenge. The world is
giving Christians fewer and fewer breaks.
Now we are just trying to hold on, stand firm, keep our story straight,
keep our values clear.
Think of your presence here this
morning as training. Think of your involvement in the various groups of the
church as part of your training. Paul’s urge toward armament puts matters like
daily prayer and devotional reading, membership in a weekly Bible study group
into perspective. Do not even get in this fight if you have not done the
training.
Your reaction to all this talk of
armament and preparedness will greatly depend upon your assessment of the
gospel and of the world in which we must live that gospel. If you think that
Christianity is roughly synonymous with good common sense, then you do not need
discipline for that. Just act naturally.
What strikes
me in this passage is that we clothe ourselves in this armor through prayer.
Our growth as Christians and as human beings seems to come through engaging
this battle. We will have pain, setbacks, and discouragements.
First,
prayer must be constant.
We live our lives with a sense of
the presence of God. We make our choices, speak our words, and do our work,
with an awareness of the commitments we made to Jesus Christ when we became
Christians. When I am talking with people, I can be at prayer.
Second,
prayer must be intense.
Jesus often said we were to
persevere in prayer. All of us have prayed for something that did not happen.
We must keep on praying anyway.
Carver
McGriff tells of praying to discover his way in life, and he lost his job. He
continued to pray for guidance to discover his way in life, and he experienced
business failure. He continued to pray for guidance in life, and sensed a call
into the ministry. He would eventually grow a church that remains the largest United Methodist
Church
Harry
Emerson Fosdick tells of a time when he prepared a series of sermons on prayer.
As he reflected in his study, he noticed a book by Hugh Latimer, a man whom the
English government burned at the stake for his belief. He imagined Latimer
turning to him and saying:
So you are going to preach on prayer.
What do you know about praying? I am going now from my knees to the stake. Have
you any idea what tremendous moral issues prayer, when it is earnest, can
present to a man’s conscience? You modern preachers have made prayer safe,
easy, comfortable, fitted for narcotic purposes. Tell them something about
dangerous praying, in which one’s duty becomes the compelling will of God which
cannot be escaped. And you there, in your overstuffed chair, if you are going
to preach about praying, experience it a little?
Third,
prayer must be unselfish.
Paul invites the church to pray for
him, and therefore for the non-Christians to whom he seeks to reach. Notice
that he does not ask them to pray for his release from prison. Shakespeare
(Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1, 180-7) said of the mercy that one offers
to another: “It is twice blest; it blesses him who gives and him who receives.”
We can say the same of prayer for others. Such prayer influences how we treat
people, so that the love of God which flows into us in prayer flows out of us
toward those for whom we pray, whether in the community or in the home.
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