Ephesians 6:18-20
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction: Undefeated: There was a lot of talk about the Chiefs going undefeated this year. They are currently 2 and 3. So much for that.
Will the Seahawks make the playoffs?
We have been talking about being in a wrestling match for a few weeks now…but how do you know if you are winning? Or how do you know if you are doing things that will end in getting your hand raised by the referee at the end? What does winning look like for those of us engage in a battle with “spiritual forces of evil?”
When we think about spiritual warfare, we so often become consumed with ourselves. We make it all about us and our experience. And there certainly is a massive element that is centered on our personal walk with Christ and the development of our practical holiness. But that is not where it ends.
We know that Scripture teaches we ultimately win in the end, because Jesus Christ rose and ascended. All of His enemies will be made HIs footstool and Satan will be tossed into the Abyss. We know that and Satan knows that. So in a sense…when He tempts us to despair because of ongoing sin it isn’t so that He can drag us down to his place of judgement and torment. No…Jesus said...
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
So what is Satan’s end goal with coming at us with many dangers, toils and snares? Heres the deal, he wants to put roadblocks in our way as we walk the narrow road so that it is hard to do what we have been called to do by King Jesus. We are to make disciples who make and mature more disciples. We are commissioned to be Gospel (Good News) proclaimers to those who are still in the clutches of their sin and Satan. Satan attacks us so that we feel less confident in sharing the liberating message of the Gospel so that others don’t experience what has been given to us.
Your “Christianity” is not just about “you and Jesus,” it is about “you and Jesus and all your blood bought brothers and sisters in Christ.” If Satan attacks you, it will impact the rest of the Body. How is this a true statement? How have you seen that be the reality?
Satan will put up road blocks. He will try to block our mouths so we won’t proclaim. He will also put road blocks up in front of non-believers hearts so that even if we do what we are commissioned to do, that is share the the liberating message of the Gospel, a road block will be set up before unbelievers hearts so that the message is stopped.
He will also take down the road blocks on the broad road that leads to destruction so that people can bury the proverbial pedal in the metal as they give themselves over to any and every passion that promises life, but in the end delivers death.
We must not make the spiritual battle we are in all about us. We are being attacked so that others remain in their bondage. What Paul is going to say in the verses we look at today is this: You need to personally stand against the devils schemes so that others might have a chance to stand.
Let’s look at this text.
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Prayer:
These verses are fascinating. We have said before that as we come to any text we want to pay careful attention to repeated words or concepts because when we see repetition, that clues us in to important matters. Before we interpret and make application with these verses let’s just make some observations:
OBSERVATIONS:
There is an appeal for varied prayers, at all times for all the saints.
Prayer (2 times) - Supplication (2 times)
ALL - 4 times
Words, mouth, proclaim, Gospel (which means good news), ambassador, declare, speak.
The way Paul ends this letter is with a massive appeal for us to be people of two things: Prayer and Proclamation.
More specifically...
Textual Idea: Paul wants us to persevere in prayer, so that we, as God’s purchased people will have power to proclaim.
Textual Idea: Paul wants us to persevere in prayer, so that we, as God’s purchased people will have power to proclaim.
Spoken like a true preacher. Look at all those “P’s.” I would have gotten an “A” in Alliteration class in seminary.
Have you ever wondered what to pray for? Have you ever come across someone who said, “I don’t know what to pray for or how to pray.” Now you can answer them. Pray for God’s people to unflinchingly proclaim the Good News of Jesus.
We must Persevere in Prayer
We must Persevere in Prayer
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Prayer is maybe the most important means that God has given us in our battle against the enemy of our souls. It is the communication device that we have been graciously given by the Lord of Hosts as we are on the frontlines of the battle. Prayer is like the oil that keeps all the components of the engine in your car actually functioning. If you drive your car for a while without oil, the engine will seize up. You will still have all the parts of your engine, but it won’t function. Over the last few weeks you might have been able to take up all the pieces or your armor, but constant, varied prayers is what you need in order to make progress in your brawl against the enemy.
Our prayers must be continual.
Our prayers must be continual.
Here, it is clear that Paul has become familiar with the teachings of Jesus in Luke 18:1
1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
Jesus teaches about a widow who was persistent in her request for justice from a non-God fearing judged. The crooked judge finally broke down and gave the justice that was deserved because of her persistence. Since this is the case, then surely, God, the One whose foundation of His throne are “righteousness and justice” like Psalm 89:14 says…surely this God of Justice will grant assistance to us in our time of need. Jesus make some applicational truth available to us. Jesus goes on to say,
7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
The “elect” in the applicational teaching of Jesus here are “crying day and night.” Jesus uses a literary devise called a merism in order to show the completeness and constancy of the believers prayer life.
It’s like if I said, “I’ve searched high and low for something.” It means I have seemingly looked everywhere for it. Jesus says, believers cry out to God “day and night” and at every moment in between for God to intervene in their current situation. And Jesus says certainly God will help, and He will do so “speedily.” The response to our prayers will not be delayed…it will happen speedily. God will respond to our prayers, we just need to be watchful and thankful like Paul tells the Colossians in 4:2 of his epistle. Jesus ends this little teaching segment with a question.
He concludes with, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Meaning, when He looks down upon His dear children, will he see them as cars with seized up engines and out of commission for the King, or will they be smoothly firing on all cylinders as they make progress down the path of holiness? If so, He will come to their assistance.
We are to pray “at all times” and we are to, “be alert.” Prayer is an activity that we must always actively engage in.
Our prayers must be varied.
Our prayers must be varied.
It is interesting that Paul uses two different words for prayer here. The first word we see is just kind a general word for interacting with God.
προσεύχομαι
προσεύχομαι
it means to speak or to make requests. This should be very common for us. We speak to God…at all times. But sometimes we engage in...
δέησις
δέησις
This is the word translated as “supplication” or “petition.” This word carries a great sense of urgency. It is crying out. It is pleading for intervention. I have this need and I have looked to the hills, but my help doesn’t come from there, it comes from You God, the Maker of the heavens and the earth. I need your ear right now! There is an intensity to this prayer.
Both are necessary in a battle right? Our communication with God will sometimes be normal and sometimes it will be intense, but one this for sure is that it is to happen at all times and in all circumstance.
In either case, Paul says all this communication with God is done, “in the Spirit.” This is not referring to some specific sign gift…this is simply pointing out the means by which we are to pray…we do so by the guidance and assistance of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit.
So often in times of battle I don’t even know what to pray for? Deliverance? God’s will to be done? Consuming fire to fall down from heaven to obliterate those opposed to God’s moral laws? What words should I say? Paul reassures the Romans that their ignorance is no problem for the Spirit.
Have you ever wondered what to pray for? How does Romans 8:26-27 bring you encouragement?
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
This is a great comfort to me and it should be to you as well. God’s will, will be done, as He hears us cry out to Him while engaged in the ongoing spiritual battle.
But, there is something very specific that Paul instructs us to pray about.
It was said that our prayers must be, “continual, varied and in line with our purpose.” Interact with that statement as a group.
Our prayers must be in line with our purpose as God’s purchased people.
Our prayers must be in line with our purpose as God’s purchased people.
What are we to be in constant prayer about?
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Paul wanted the Ephesians to pray that the Good News, the liberating news of Jesus Christ would be proclaimed boldly…because that’s what God’s purchased people, “OUGHT” to do.
In the Gospel that Matthew compiles there is a great inclusio. Think of a massive set of parentheses. Matthew is going to start something in chapter 4 and then end something at the end of chapter 9. It will be bracketed off and there will be a very clear teaching at the end that we must make applicational.
Matthew, in this bracketed off section, is going to show how Jesus taught about the “Gospel of the Kingdom” and Jesus will also demonstrate the healing power of the Kingdom. Jesus is going to teach with authority and Jesus is going to demonstrate power.
Ok…so here is the first parenthesis.
Matthew 4:23–25 (ESV)
23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Then you get chapter 5-7 where Jesus gives the “teaching of the Kingdom,” the Sermon on the Mount and that is followed by Jesus demonstrating the healing power of the Kingdom as a whole bunch of people get healed in chapters 8-9.
He heals a leper, heals the centurions servant by speaking, heals Peter’s mother in law, he rebuked the wind and the waves when the disciples boat was sinking, heals a demon possessed man, heals a paralytic by pronouncing that the man’s sins were forgiven…the religious leaders did not like that one at all.
Then he calls Matthew to follow him and reclines at his table with a whole bunch of tax collectors and sinners, and the religious leaders were even more appalled.
What did Jesus exemplify in the great inclusio of (Matthew 4:23-9:36)? The T_______________ of the Kingdom and the P________________ of the Kingdom.
Then a ruler whose daughter just died comes to Jesus and asks him to come and lay a hand on her so she might be made well and as he stand us to go, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for 12 consistent years comes up and grabs him and is healed, and then he goes to the rulers house and says… “Good one guys..the girls not dead she is only sleeping.” The crowd laughed…Jesus took the girl by the hand…and the girl arose. He healed her.
Have you ever felt busy as you served in God’s Kingdom? We aren’t done yet.
He leaves the house of the ruler and two blind men follow and cry out for mercy, and he touches their eyes and they can see and he was leaving a demon possessed man who was mute was brought to him. Jesus casts out the demon and the mute man spoke…and the crowds said,
Matthew 9:33 (ESV)
33 “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.”
but the Pharisees said,
34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
What? Wrong. Anyway…Jesus has just taught on the Kingdom and demonstrated the Kingdoms power and the Matthew closes out the parentheses with this.
Matthew 9:35–36 (ESV)
35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
There are broken and lost people out there and it is overwhelming to Jesus and he has compassion for all these people in there brokenness and sees them as if they were sheep without a shepherd…and so he turns to his disciples and say:
Have you ever not known what to pray for? What is one thing we can always be in prayer over? (Matthew 9:37-38)
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Now you know exactly what God wants you to pray for. Our purpose as God’s purchased people is to be purchased people who proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ so that His Gospel can bring healing to as many people as possible.
We are surrounded by brokenness. The harvest is plentiful…brokenness and sin and destruction are abounding, but there is a LORD of the Harvest that wants to have compassion on those who are harassed and helpless and so He says ask God to send out people who are being conformed to the image of Christ so that they can powerfully proclaim the Gospel and bring the Gospels healing to people the way Matthew portrays it and exemplifies it in Jesus Christ Himself in chapters 4-9.
There is a Lord and He has a harvest and He allows us to be His laborers to bring in the goods. What a privilege to be like Christ in this way. What a constant, urgent prayer request and marching orders we have!
Illustration: This is corn harvesting season. Or at least it was. Those tractors are awesome. (Ed Koistra). My boys were jumping all over them. They are amazing, but they would be an amazing waste of money if you don’t actually go drive them out in a field with corn in it.
Ya you might impress 5 year old and 8 year old boys…even 41 year old boys, but if you don’t send them out into the harvest…they will not have fulfilled their purpose of their creation. You would have spent a lot of money to not accomplish your goals.
Dear Christian, there was a lot of capital spent on you. Judas may have gotten 30 pieces of silver for selling out Jesus, but we have been bought with His priceless precious blood.
You are more valuable than an 10 row chopper…but so many of us are not being sent out to accomplish that which we have been bought for. We might not be sitting in a barn, actually we are sitting in a barn, but you get what I mean. We might not be sitting a barn but we are here now sitting within the protective cover of these 4 walls and that is good for a time for routine maintenance but we need to be out in the fields.
There is a harvest. And there is a Lord of the harvest who has summoned us to “Pray earnestly to the Lord to send out laborers.”
Now, we feel comfortable with that. Ya, I’ll pray...let somebody else do the field work.
There were people that came in contact with Jesus in the Gospel that were pretty intrigued with Jesus, but didn’t actually follow Jesus. They said things like:
I’ll follow you, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.
I’ll follow you, just let me first go and bury my father.
I’ll follow you, just make sure I have a place to lay my head at night.
I’ll pray, but send someone else to actually do the work. Tragic!
But what did Isaiah’s prayer sound like when He came in contact with the beatific vision of the Lord of the Harvest? After his dirty mouth was cleansed, He said, “Here I am! Send me!” Isaiah cries out to God, He prays…make me a laborer. Send me. Send me. I want to go into the field. I want to do some harvesting. I want to go…it would be awesome if others went, but make sure you send me. And the Lord of the Harvest says to him,
“Go.” And he was sent out with a very difficult message to deliver, but what we see is that Isaiah actually went and proclaimed.
We must be people who pray prayers in line with our purpose for our existence, but we also need to be the answers to our own prayers as we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus so that His healing power can be administered to those in their broken state. They are sheep without a shepherd…so introduce them to the Great Shepherd and let Him bring the healing.
When was the last time you verbally shared the Good News of the Gospel with someone?
If you do that…be certain of this, Satan will do everything he can to destroy all your efforts. He will try to shut us up with cultural pressures. He will show you your hypocrisy so that so that you don’t feel comfortable proclaiming that which hasn’t brought you healing in certain areas yet. Not only that, he will also try to construct impenetrable barricades around unregenerate hearts so that even if the message comes to them, they reject it because they will think that a crucified Jewish person who lived 2000 years won’t help them in their current predicament. And although the message of the cross is the power of God for those who believe, they will reject it and say it is foolishness.
But we must keep praying and we much keep preaching. That is what Paul says. Paul says, pray that God fills my mouth with words so that I can say those words to others because that’s what I / we as blood bought, born again people ought to do.
How to remain undefeated.
How to remain undefeated.
Okay, now let’s bring this message full circle and back to the opening question? How do you know if you are on the road to victory in your personal battle against the forces of evil? We are in a war and we may lose battles from time to time, but how can we rise up one day undefeated? In what sense are Christians to go undefeated in this spiritual battle?
How can we remain “undefeated” in our battle against Satan?
When we do what we are called to do, regardless of the outcome, we will rise victorious. All we are responsible for doing is to pray and to proclaim and leave the rest to God. You do that, you are going to have your hand raised in triumph in the end of your wrestling match with Satan.
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
Some plant by means of their prayers. Some water by means of their proclaiming. We all do both those things at all times…but it is God’s responsibility to cause the growth. So just keep praying. Just keep preaching. All the time and you will win against the “spiritual forces of evil.”
Your perspective on spiritual victory must be adapted. Your purpose for existence isn’t to just stop sinning. Our purpose for existence is to be a
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)
9 a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
So yes…we want to be consistent in putting to death the misdeeds of our bodies and make progress in our own personal holiness, but the reason we do that is so that we can be people who make much of God…that we might proclaim his excellencies.
Paul’s perspective on life was as such. If I die…that is gain for me. If I continue on, that will mean “fruitful labor” for me. What was the fruitful labor? Speaking the word without fear.
What is the end goal of our Christianity? Here it is, God made us “for our joy and for His glory.” When we make much of Him by Gospel proclamation in the face of adversity, or as Paul says here, while engaged in a war against, “spiritual forces of evil,” if we refuse to be silenced, but keep praying and proclaiming the truth of the one who defeated death by means of His own death, we are undefeated.
If we keep talking about the message that...
2 Timothy 1:10 (ESV)
10 has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
We win!
If we keep speaking about the One who once spoke to the burial clothing of Lazarus to, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
We win!
If we keep speaking of the one who said of himself,
Revelation 1:18 (ESV)
18 (I am) the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
We will be undefeated in our battles against the “spiritual forces of evil.”
Communion:
Benediction:
Benediction:
The essence of our warfare against our enemy is trying to ensure that the Word of God is going out and that it falls on hearts that are composed of fertile soil. If I were to ask you to show me maybe the best section of Scripture to talk about the very nature of spiritual warfare…many would go to Eph. 6 or maybe 2 Cor. 10. Those are good, very good passages. But let’s go to the very teachings of our Savior because they nail it right on the head.
Think about the Parable of the Sower.
What is happened? A word is going out in seed form. An enemy is trying to snatch it up, choke it out, or burn it up. But if the seed falls on the right soil, it produces and amazing harvest.
We are to be Gospel proclaimers, and we need to pray earnestly that the seed we sow falls on ears to hear and Spirit softened hearts. We can’t control if it takes root, we can only control if its spread by our proclamation and watered by our constant prayers.