Whose Footprint is That?
Safeguarding the Church Against Satan’s Schemes
Ephesians 4:25
Let’s start today off with a question? Is what you know about Jesus Christ making you more like Him? As you hear more sermons, and read more of the Bible, and come to more Bible studies, are YOU becoming more like Christ?
You see, Ephesians would be incomplete without chapters 4-6. These are the chapters that tell us our response to all the knowledge Paul gave us in chapters 1-3. And when we arrive at verses 25-32 we see that they are an expansion of what Paul has been saying since the first verse of this chapter. He said “Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Paul cannot help it. After expounding the incredible things of Christ in chapters 1-3, he logically and automatically went into the application of these truths of Christ in our lives. All commands in Scripture given to God’s people are rooted in the character of God.
So commands are not arbitrary or whimsical. The commands are meant to add depth to our Christian character. And that is the purpose of instructions in the Scripture, a deepening of our likeness to Christ. The Lord works from the inside out, changing the inner-man in order to change the outer-man.
There is in our passage this morning a list of commands Paul gives. I want you to notice as we read how these commands have an alternating pattern. He says “stop doing that, and start doing this.” This is important because this pattern is based on what he said just before in verses 22-24. He said “put off the old self and put on the new self”. So what does that mean? He tells us in the very next verses. Stop lying, start telling the truth. Stop sinning in your anger and deal with your anger. Stop stealing and start working honestly. Stop speaking filth and start speaking with grace. Stop acting like your old self, and start acting like your new self. The Christian life isn’t just stopping sinful behaviors, it is replacing them with righteous behavior.
You can see how these are important for relationships. The depth of our character is seen in how we relate to others. Are we men and women of character? Are we trustworthy? Do we really have integrity? All this is seen in our everyday relationships – Marriage, family, Church, work, etc.
Our sermon title today is “Whose Footprint is That?” When you see a footprint you know someone has been in the area. You know they have had activity in that spot. Peter, speaking of Satan says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8). Does the devil have footprints here at EFC? How about in your home? Our subtitle is “Safeguarding Against Satan’s Schemes”. I am playing on that phrase in verse 27 where Paul says, “and do not give the devil a foothold.” While Paul says that regarding our anger, I am taking the liberty of applying that to this whole passage. When we as believers live according to our old selves, in other words when we lie, steal, stay angry, speak with filth, and so on, then, that is when we give the devil’s footprints are all over our lives. That is when he is able to gain a foothold.
What is a foothold? The dictionary defines foothold as: “a secure position, especially a firm basis for further progress or development.” What that means is that when we are saved but we live like we’re not, we give the devil a secure position in our lives. Do you want the Devil to feel safe operating in your life? How about in this Church? When we don’t apply what God’s Word says to our lives we give the devil a secure position in our marriage, our family, our Church. And by doing this we give him a firm foundation for furthering his own agenda in our lives. When we live according to our old sinful self, Satan has power and opportunity. That is why we are not to live according to our old selves, Paul said in verse 22, “Put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”
Safeguard #1: Tell the Truth (v25)
Paul begins by telling Christians to tell the truth. Verse 25 says, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor…” He said something similar in Colossians 3:9, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Proverbs 12:22 says, “The Lord detests lying lips but he delights in men who are truthful.” Telling the truth is a top priority for Christians.
Illustration. Rain on Order: There was a store manager who heard his clerk tell a customer, "No, ma'am, we haven't had any for a while, and it doesn't look as if we'll be getting any soon."
The manager was Horrified, and came running over to the customer and said, "Of course we'll have some soon. We placed an order last week."
Then the manager took the clerk aside and scolded him, "Never, Never, never, never say we're out of anything--say we've got it on order and it's coming.
Now, what was it she wanted?"
The clerk looked at him and said, "Rain,"
How honest are you? How honestly are you answering that question? Each of us are to be devoted to truth. John Wesley said, “I would not tell one lie to save the souls of all the world.”
Some interesting research on lying will lead you to learn that according to statistics, Americans lie at least 11 times per week. If a conversation lasts longer than 10 minutes there is a good chance someone has lied at least once. January is the month that people lie the most. Men and women lie equally. We lie the most on the phone but least on the internet. One in 12 people lie on their resumes. Men with beards are viewed as more trustworthy.
Why do we lie? Research finds 2 reasons (and I would say that if we examined ourselves we would confirm the research). Reason number 1 is to make ourselves look better. Reason number 2 is so that we don’t hurt someone else’s feelings. Bigger lies are told to cover up things we’re ashamed of and want to hide.
Lying is a part of human nature. As Christians we read the Bible and we say it differently, lying is part of our old, sinful nature. That old self Paul said in verse 22 is “being corrupted by its deceitful desires” – It’s lying desires. Lying began with Satan in the Garden and he continues to lie to this day. Our Lord called him “the Father of lies” in John 8:44 and said that when he lies he speaks his native tongue. So when tell big or little lies, when we give half-truths, when we mislead, when we don’t tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we are looking more like Satan than Christ.
This is why lying is serious business. And this is why liars have the same destiny as Satan. In Revelation 21:8 the Lord includes liars in a list of people will not go to heaven. He says, “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
The Lord takes lying very seriously. And for good reason: because He never lies. In Numbers 23:19 God says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and then not fulfill?” Neither does the Son of God. First Peter 2:22 says about Jesus, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
So when Ephesians 4:24 says, “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” it is saying we are to be honest. Lying has no place in our new life in Christ. Ephesians 5:8-9 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth). God has given us the gift of His Spirit, who in John 14:17 is called “The Spirit of Truth”. We are born again not in the corrupt image of Adam, but, in the image of Christ, who is “the way, the Truth and the life…” (John 14:6).
But there is something Paul includes here to help us see another reason why telling the truth is so important. Now notice the last statement in Ephesians 4:25. Paul says “speak truthfully … for we are all members of one body.” The primary concern in Paul’s mind is unity in the Church. Lies destroy unity. Perhaps the words of Fredrick Neitche “What upsets me is not that you lied to me, but that from now on I can no longer believe you.”
The first example of this is in Genesis 3 when Satan lied to Eve. God commanded them not to eat from the tree and if they did eat they would die. Satan lied and said they would not die if they ate from the tree. He made God out to be a liar. Then Satan said in verse
No relationship will succeed without trust. Trust is built on truthfulness. I would recommend making a list this week of the different ways you find yourself telling lies. And we use a bunch of ways to do it. Exaggerations, falsehoods, cheating in school or on your taxes or on your job, betraying confidences, foolish promises, making excuses, withholding information… Write them down. Confess them on your knees to the Lord and ask Him to make you more truthful.
Conclusion:
We have a Savior who never lies. He is the same yesterday today and forever. His promises never change. We have a savior who is truth in the flesh. Jesus said, “I and the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me.” John 1:14 says that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. And Jesus said, You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.
Safeguarding the Church Against Satan’s Schemes
Ephesians 4:25
Let’s start today off with a question? Is what you know about Jesus Christ making you more like Him? As you hear more sermons, and read more of the Bible, and come to more Bible studies, are YOU becoming more like Christ?
You see, Ephesians would be incomplete without chapters 4-6. These are the chapters that tell us our response to all the knowledge Paul gave us in chapters 1-3. And when we arrive at verses 25-32 we see that they are an expansion of what Paul has been saying since the first verse of this chapter. He said “Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Paul cannot help it. After expounding the incredible things of Christ in chapters 1-3, he logically and automatically went into the application of these truths of Christ in our lives. All commands in Scripture given to God’s people are rooted in the character of God.
So commands are not arbitrary or whimsical. The commands are meant to add depth to our Christian character. And that is the purpose of instructions in the Scripture, a deepening of our likeness to Christ. The Lord works from the inside out, changing the inner-man in order to change the outer-man.
There is in our passage this morning a list of commands Paul gives. I want you to notice as we read how these commands have an alternating pattern. He says “stop doing that, and start doing this.” This is important because this pattern is based on what he said just before in verses 22-24. He said “put off the old self and put on the new self”. So what does that mean? He tells us in the very next verses. Stop lying, start telling the truth. Stop sinning in your anger and deal with your anger. Stop stealing and start working honestly. Stop speaking filth and start speaking with grace. Stop acting like your old self, and start acting like your new self. The Christian life isn’t just stopping sinful behaviors, it is replacing them with righteous behavior.
You can see how these are important for relationships. The depth of our character is seen in how we relate to others. Are we men and women of character? Are we trustworthy? Do we really have integrity? All this is seen in our everyday relationships – Marriage, family, Church, work, etc.
Our sermon title today is “Whose Footprint is That?” When you see a footprint you know someone has been in the area. You know they have had activity in that spot. Peter, speaking of Satan says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8). Does the devil have footprints here at EFC? How about in your home? Our subtitle is “Safeguarding Against Satan’s Schemes”. I am playing on that phrase in verse 27 where Paul says, “and do not give the devil a foothold.” While Paul says that regarding our anger, I am taking the liberty of applying that to this whole passage. When we as believers live according to our old selves, in other words when we lie, steal, stay angry, speak with filth, and so on, then, that is when we give the devil’s footprints are all over our lives. That is when he is able to gain a foothold.
What is a foothold? The dictionary defines foothold as: “a secure position, especially a firm basis for further progress or development.” What that means is that when we are saved but we live like we’re not, we give the devil a secure position in our lives. Do you want the Devil to feel safe operating in your life? How about in this Church? When we don’t apply what God’s Word says to our lives we give the devil a secure position in our marriage, our family, our Church. And by doing this we give him a firm foundation for furthering his own agenda in our lives. When we live according to our old sinful self, Satan has power and opportunity. That is why we are not to live according to our old selves, Paul said in verse 22, “Put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”
Safeguard #1: Tell the Truth (v25)
Paul begins by telling Christians to tell the truth. Verse 25 says, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor…” He said something similar in Colossians 3:9, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Proverbs 12:22 says, “The Lord detests lying lips but he delights in men who are truthful.” Telling the truth is a top priority for Christians.
Illustration. Rain on Order: There was a store manager who heard his clerk tell a customer, "No, ma'am, we haven't had any for a while, and it doesn't look as if we'll be getting any soon."
The manager was Horrified, and came running over to the customer and said, "Of course we'll have some soon. We placed an order last week."
Then the manager took the clerk aside and scolded him, "Never, Never, never, never say we're out of anything--say we've got it on order and it's coming.
Now, what was it she wanted?"
The clerk looked at him and said, "Rain,"
How honest are you? How honestly are you answering that question? Each of us are to be devoted to truth. John Wesley said, “I would not tell one lie to save the souls of all the world.”
Some interesting research on lying will lead you to learn that according to statistics, Americans lie at least 11 times per week. If a conversation lasts longer than 10 minutes there is a good chance someone has lied at least once. January is the month that people lie the most. Men and women lie equally. We lie the most on the phone but least on the internet. One in 12 people lie on their resumes. Men with beards are viewed as more trustworthy.
Why do we lie? Research finds 2 reasons (and I would say that if we examined ourselves we would confirm the research). Reason number 1 is to make ourselves look better. Reason number 2 is so that we don’t hurt someone else’s feelings. Bigger lies are told to cover up things we’re ashamed of and want to hide.
Lying is a part of human nature. As Christians we read the Bible and we say it differently, lying is part of our old, sinful nature. That old self Paul said in verse 22 is “being corrupted by its deceitful desires” – It’s lying desires. Lying began with Satan in the Garden and he continues to lie to this day. Our Lord called him “the Father of lies” in John 8:44 and said that when he lies he speaks his native tongue. So when tell big or little lies, when we give half-truths, when we mislead, when we don’t tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we are looking more like Satan than Christ.
This is why lying is serious business. And this is why liars have the same destiny as Satan. In Revelation 21:8 the Lord includes liars in a list of people will not go to heaven. He says, “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
The Lord takes lying very seriously. And for good reason: because He never lies. In Numbers 23:19 God says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and then not fulfill?” Neither does the Son of God. First Peter 2:22 says about Jesus, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
So when Ephesians 4:24 says, “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” it is saying we are to be honest. Lying has no place in our new life in Christ. Ephesians 5:8-9 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth). God has given us the gift of His Spirit, who in John 14:17 is called “The Spirit of Truth”. We are born again not in the corrupt image of Adam, but, in the image of Christ, who is “the way, the Truth and the life…” (John 14:6).
But there is something Paul includes here to help us see another reason why telling the truth is so important. Now notice the last statement in Ephesians 4:25. Paul says “speak truthfully … for we are all members of one body.” The primary concern in Paul’s mind is unity in the Church. Lies destroy unity. Perhaps the words of Fredrick Neitche “What upsets me is not that you lied to me, but that from now on I can no longer believe you.”
The first example of this is in Genesis 3 when Satan lied to Eve. God commanded them not to eat from the tree and if they did eat they would die. Satan lied and said they would not die if they ate from the tree. He made God out to be a liar. Then Satan said in verse
No relationship will succeed without trust. Trust is built on truthfulness. I would recommend making a list this week of the different ways you find yourself telling lies. And we use a bunch of ways to do it. Exaggerations, falsehoods, cheating in school or on your taxes or on your job, betraying confidences, foolish promises, making excuses, withholding information… Write them down. Confess them on your knees to the Lord and ask Him to make you more truthful.
Conclusion:
We have a Savior who never lies. He is the same yesterday today and forever. His promises never change. We have a savior who is truth in the flesh. Jesus said, “I and the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me.” John 1:14 says that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. And Jesus said, You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.
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