Ephesians 6:10-12, Beloved, We are at War

Ephesians 6:10-12
Beloved, We are at War

            Illustration:  “At 11:15am on September 3^rd of 1939, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain gave a radio broadcast to his nation in which he announced the following words:

‘This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final Note stating that, unless we heard from them y 11 0’clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us.  I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this country is at war with Germany.’”

 

Beloved, we must realize that we too are at war.  The Church of Jesus Christ has been in a state of war right up to this very hour.  Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build My Church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”  This is a truth that each of us must feel more deeply.  It must shape our way of seeing this world.  We cannot underestimate the reality of the situation.  In other words we need to sober up and get serious.  Someone has rightly said that too many Christians act as though they are on a playground when the Bible over and over again describes this world as a battlefield. 

 

We do not come here to be entertained.  We come here to be equipped.  Jesus Christ did not stand in boats to preach, or enter synagogues to teach, or sit on the Mount of Olives to instruct for the purposes of entertainment.  He did not travel with His “act” to bring smiles and applauses. 

 

Let us never tolerate the tickling of an entertainer.  Let us rather demand a warrior in the pulpit, a soldier to stand up here, one who fights the good fight and takes hold of the kingdom of God with force, waging war not with weapons of this world, but, rather with spiritual weapons that have divine power to tear down strongholds and put down arrogant arguments that rise up against the knowledge of God. 

 

Why would you demand that of a preacher?  Because you know what you are – you are soldiers.  And you are at war.  And you refuse to call comedians and clowns to train you for the war you are in; you refuse to go to war armed with jokes and punchlines.  You demand to be equipped and trained with the sword of God’s Word, just as Ephesians 4:12 says, “He gave some to be pastors and teachers to prepare God’s people…”  Prepare them for work, and, for war.  Everyone who sits under a teacher of God’s Word has the right and the responsibility to require of that man an answer to this question:  “How are you making me better prepared to live the Christian life and be a soldier for Christ with your ministry?”  That should be your expectation when you come here on Sunday mornings.  It is your obligation to Christ to come for the purposes of your own preparation.  We are not at play, Beloved, but rather we are at war.

 

            Paul has instructed us in a variety of relationships so far.  He has taught us how to behave with each other as fellow Christians and heirs of eternal life and the glories to come.  He has commanded us concerning our marriages, our parenting, and our employment.  As he approaches the end of his letter, his attention now turns to one final relationship for the believer:  his relationship with his enemies.   

 

Let us examine 3 Point of this War as an introduction into our study of Paul’s closing comments to the Ephesians.

#1:  Our Work Invites War

            First of all we must comprehend that fact that our work invites this war.  Satan opposes us because of who we are first of all – we are children of God and no longer belong to Satan.  Think of how much more delightful it is to see someone fall when they bear the name of God.  Think of how the world watches you when you say you are a Christian, think of how they expect you to be better, and all of us have encountered those who seem eager to see us fall.  Where does that come from?  It comes from the prince of the air, the ruler of this dark world.  They reflect his desire to see the children of God fall and blaspheme the name of God.

 

We are opposed for who we are, and, we are opposed for what we do.  We build the Church.  We proclaim the truth of the Gospel.  We live for Christ.  We spread the fragrance of Christ wherever we go (2 Cor. 2:14-17).  We shine the light of Christ into the darkness of men’s eyes hoping God will shine it in their hearts.  We display holiness before an unholy audience. 

 

We are called to work.  He said in 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us.”  And then in 2:19-22 and 4:12-16 we see how the Church builds itself up.  We are workers, working hard at our work.  And this invites war. 

 

Because of who you are and because of the work that you do to glorify God, you have an enemy that wants to destroy you.  You must be ready for work, and for war. 

 

A great illustration of this is in Nehemiah 4:16-18.  Turn with me to Nehemiah 4:16-18.  The situation going on is fascinating.  Israel’s captivity is over with and they are given permission to go back to their own land to rebuild their temple and city.  They are led by a man named Nehemiah.  When he gets back to Jerusalem and begins the work of rebuilding the city walls he faces all kinds of opposition.  He is threatened constantly by neighboring countries who don’t want to see Jerusalem rebuilt (Read 4:1-2). 

 

Since they had so few people and they couldn’t afford to have people only be soldiers or only be workers, everyone functioned as both.  They had to work vigorously while always being ready for war.  One eye was on their work while another was looking for the enemy.  Look at how Nehemiah arranged this in 4:16-18… [read]

 

Beloved, we are to be busy with the work of building the Church up but knowing that we and the work we do is threatened all the time.  Like Nehemiah’s men, we need to be vigorous in our work and vigilant for the war - Laboring in our tasks, yet looking carefully for the enemy. Like Nehemiah’s men we need to keep a trowel in one hand and our sword in the other.  Why?  Because our work invites war.

 

#2:  Our War is a Spiritual War.

            Our war is a spiritual war.  It is spiritual in nature.  It is not a physical war first, although it involves the physical world.  Notice verse 12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but, against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

 

We are not in a war like the wars of this world.  Paul spoke of this in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.  Turn there with me if you will.  Our war is a different war.  It is a spiritual war.  We don’t use guns and bombs but truth and righteousness.  Our enemies are not seen, but unseen.  We are not trying to kill men, on the contrary we are trying to bring dead men to life. 

           

Certainly the evidence of a spiritual war is evident in our physical realm.  We see false religious systems across the world, false teachings and twisted views of who Jesus Christ is.  We see the truth and righteousness of God suppressed everywhere.  The evidence of Satan’s work was seen in the Pharisees, whom Jesus rebuked in John 8.  He told them that Satan was their father – not God as they supposed – and that they were doing the will of their father, meaning Satan.  Furthermore, Peter’s denials of Jesus were the work of Satan.  Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was the work of Satan. 

 

But the source of all this is not the physical realm.  The source is the spiritual world.  The origination of heresy and false doctrines is with the demonic.  First Timothy 4:1-2 says, “For the Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceitful teachings, doctrines taught by demons, which come through hypocritical liars…”  Notice the false teachings come from demons but they come through human agents.  Paul said something similar in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “Satan masquerades as an angel of light.  No wonder that his ambassadors masquerade as workers of righteousness.”

 

Satan wants to harass us in our labor, distract us from focusing on Christ above, discourage us, cause doubt, lead us into disobedience, tempt us into sin, and play on every weakness we have.  We’ll explore this more as we go through this passage. 

 

Does this mean that the spiritual war we are in never touches the physical world we are in?  No.  Job is a classic example.  He was a part of this war.  He suffered physically.  His wealth was taken from him, his 10 children were killed, he was covered in boils from head to toe all at the hand of Satan.  But, was that Satan’s objective?  Only to make him suffer?  No.  The physical suffering was Satan’s strategy to get job to commit a spiritual sin.  Listen to what Satan said to God in Job 1:9-11 and 2:4-5…

 

            Invisible, unseen.  Elishah’s servant’s eyes opened to see the angelic armies of God in 2 Kings 6:8-18.  Angel appeared to Daniel after being delayed by demonic power (Dan. 9).

 

#3:  Our Assignment is to Stand, and Stand Strong

            Our Assignment is to Stand, and Stand Strong.  Notice the word Paul says over and over again – “Stand”.  [Read verses 11, 13, 14a].  Paul’s concern was that believers stand. 

 

God said in Isaiah 7:9, “If you do not stand firm in your faith you will not stand at all.”  First Corinthians 10:12 says, “So if you think you are standing firm be careful that you do not fall!”  In 16:13 Paul says, “Be on guard, stand firm in your faith!”  Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  Second Thessalonians 2:15 says, “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold on to the teachings we passed on to you…”  James 5:8 says, “You too, be patient and stand firm because the Lord’s coming is near.” 

 

#A:  We can only stand strong in our weakness.  We do it not in our strength, but, in our dependence on the strength the Lord provided.  The Christian life is not lived in the power of self.  Nor is the power of God a turbo booster to help us as we do it in our own strength.  No, strength comes from a recognition of our own weakness and a reliance upon the strength God provides.  God says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.” 

 

#B:  Standing Strong also requires what Ray Pritchard calls “A Warfare Mentality”.  He says in his book, Stealth Attack, “Adopting a warfare mentality means understanding that we are always at war, that a battle is raging all around us, and that we are frontline soldiers.”  That we are to have A Warfare Mentality is very much what the Apostles urge Christians to adopt.