Sermon Tone Analysis
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*Text*: Ephesians 6:10-17
*Thesis:* To look at the spiritual battle in which we are engaged and to emphasize God’s plan for victory.
*Introduction:*
(1) Sitting in a Roman prison, Paul daily saw Roman soldiers coming and going.
(2) With this image in his mind, he concludes this letter with a reminder of the battle in which Christians are engaged and an exhortation to wear the armor that God provides for victory.
* *
*Discussion*:
I.
The Exhortation to Wear the Christian’s Armor (vv.
10-13)
A.
We need strength (v.
10).
1. “Be strong” is best understood in terms of “be made strong.”
a. God alone is the source of strength.
b.
His strength will empower us to overcome all obstacles.
(1) Matt.
19.26 – With God, all things are possible
(2) Phil.
4.13 – I can do all things through Christ
(3) Rom.
8.37 – We are more than conquerors through him
2. We gain this strength when we put on the “armor of God” (v.
11a.)
a.
This is best understood in terms of the armor that God supplies.
b.
We must equip ourselves with the “full” armor of God.
(1) The expression “full armor” refers to “a complete set of instruments used in defensive or offensive warfare.”
(2) The emphasis upon the “full” is made in order to highlight the danger and seriousness of the threat facing us and to emphasize the importance of total dependence on God'’ strength.
B. We are in a battle (vv.
11b.
– 13).
1.
We need God’s strength~/armor because Satan is coming to battle us (v.
11b.).
a. Satan will “attempt by his ‘insidious wiles’ to turn believers aside from pursuing the cause of Christ and achieving this goal.
b.
One wrote, “Mention of the ‘schemes’ of the devil reminds us of the trickery and subterfuge by which evil and temptation present themselves in our lives.
Evil rarely looks evil until it accomplishes its goal; it gains entrance by appearing attractive, desirable, and perfectly legitimate.
It is a baited and camouflaged trap.”
(1) Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Cor.
11.14).
(2) There are some deceiving pleasures in sin (cf.
Heb.
11.25).
2. The battle is a spiritual one (v.
12).
a. Jesus affirmed this in John 18.36 – My kingdom is not of this world
b.
Further, Paul noted this in 2 Cor.
10.3-5:
“/For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ/”
c.
The word “struggle” suggests “that the battle being described here is one in which close-quarter struggling is involved.”
(1) “In this close struggle, hand-to-hand combat is in view, not the firing of computer-guided missiles from a distance!”
(2) As one wrote, “Only the power of God can defend and deliver us from the might, the evil and the craft of the devil.”
3. The battle may be won (v.
13).
a.
This is possible when we put on God’s armor.
b.
We will be able to resist “in the evil day.”
(1) “Evil day” does not refer to:
(a) “Day of Judgment” – That day will be a day of rejoicing for Christians
(b) “Battle of Armageddon” – Pre-Millennialism is false
(2) It does refer to:
(a) “Critical times in believers’ lives when demonic hostility is at its worst.”
(b) Synonymous with the “evil days” in Eph.
5.16 – referring to the whole of the present age between the ascension of Jesus and His Second-Coming
c.
With God, we will be able to stand~/overcome.
(1) Rom.
8.31 – If God is for us, who can be against us?
(2) God has never lost a battle and never will lose a battle.
(3) We must not retreat nor surrender, instead we must continually battle~/stand against the devil.
(4) We may temporarily lost battles when we fail to utilize fully God’s armor, but, if we stay with God, in the end, we will win the war!
II.
The Description of the Christian’s Armor (vv.
14-17)
A.
The armor is comprised of:
1.
The Belt of Truth –
a. “For a Roman soldier this belt probably refers to the leather apron which hung under the armour and protected the thighs.”
(1) “The idea of fastening clothing securely around one’s waist signifies preparation for vigorous activity, in this case, readiness for battle.”
(2) The belt held everything together.
b.
For the Christian, this belt is “truth.”
(1) This refers to God’s revelation (cf.
John 17.17).
(2) This is the foundation for the Christian.
(a) Psa.
119.11 – Thy word have I laid up in my heart
(b) Prov.
23.23 – Buy the truth and sell it not
(c) John 8:32 – The truth will set you free
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness –
a. “The soldier’s breastplate was to protect primarily the human heart.”
(1) It was “a piece of armor covering the chest to protect it against blows and arrows.”
(2) “This defensive armor was made in hoops or bands that literally wrapped around the soldiers body.”
(3) Some have argued that this protection was only provided for the front of the soldier, not his back; thus, this protection was only given when the soldier was fighting, not fleeing.
b.
For the Christian, this breastplate is “righteousness.”
(1) This refers to “God’s justifying, forensic righteousness which results in a right standing before him (cf.
Rom.
3:21-26).”
(2) “God’s sovereign verdict of acquittal through Christ’s death provides the basis for believers standing firm in their spiritual struggle.”
(3) Phil.
3:9 – Righteousness through faith in Christ that comes from God and is by faith
(4) “By putting on God’s righteousness believers are committed to being imitators of him and acting righteously in all their dealings.”
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