Monday: Finding Strength in Christ
Paul ends his letter with a powerful call to battle that draws together themes and ideas important to the letter as a whole. He begins by announcing the overarching theme of the conclusion, offered in the tone of a commander’s battle cry: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10, ESV). The rest of the passage, Ephesians 6:11-20, illustrates and unpacks this large theme.
Read again Ephesians 6:10-20. How do you see the reality of the great controversy, which involves literal supernatural powers, as central to Paul’s point? Why is keeping this crucial truth before us so important in our own daily walk with God?
Image © Jeff Preston at Goodsalt.com
Paul identifies Christ as the Source of believers’ strength with his phrase, “in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10, NKJV) since “Lord” refers to Christ, as is consistently the case in Ephesians (Ephesians 2:21; Ephesians 4:1, Ephesians 4:17; Ephesians 5:8; Ephesians 6:1, Ephesians 6:21). “The Church’s strength lies in the almightiness of her risen Lord, the Captain of her warfare.” — G. G. Findlay, The Epistle to the Ephesians (New York: Ray Long & Richard R. Smith, 1931), p. 398.
Paul uses repetition in Ephesians 6:10, employing the synonyms power and might to underline his point: the power to be exhibited by the church is not inherent in believers but is derived. It comes from the Lord, from Christ. Paul summarizes here an important theme of the letter, God’s power shared with believers (Ephesians 1:19-22; Ephesians 2:4-6; Ephesians 3:16-17). Strength for every current and future conflict is to be found in believers’ solidarity with the resurrected and exalted Christ.
While the initial command announces Christ as active in providing strength to believers (Ephesians 6:10), all three members of the Godhead are engaged in strengthening them for spiritual combat against evil. God (the Father) makes His own weapons available as the “armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11, Ephesians 6:13; compare Isaiah 59:17). Earlier, Paul has identified the Spirit as active in strengthening believers. Paul prayed that God may grant you “to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16, ESV). Here, it is the Spirit who issues the sword, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Also, believers are to pray “at all times in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18, ESV). Paul wishes his hearers to understand that the triune God is fully engaged in equipping them to battle against these evil powers.
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Whereas Paul calls for battle, King Jesus Christ calls us for a different approach (Matthew 5:44).
King Jesus Christ's words in Matthew 16:6 alludes to what Paul says in Acts 23:6.
"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear", King Jesus Christ in Matthew 11:15.
In Matthew 16:6, Jesus is speaking of those people that we see as our enemies. Paul is speaking of the great battle that is going on behind the scenes. Whether we have human enemies or not, we are all in this great battle "against principalities and powers".
Nina said it well. Jesus was referring to our behavior in the physical realm. Paul's counsel actually supports Christ's teaching. He was referring to the battle that goes on in our minds - the battle against self and selfishness, which is the opposite of the self-forgetful love that Christ taught us to exercise. If we follow the teachings of Paul, our lives will reflect the character of Christ.
2 Timothy 3:16 KJV
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
We should not see the word of God as being of Paul or peter and so on. ALL SCRIPTURE is inspired of God. Jesus also called for battle: Matthew 10:33-35 KJV
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. [34] Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. [35] For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
If I were to pick the phrase of the day, it would be,
"Strength for every current and future conflict is to be found in believers' solidarity with the resurrected and exalted Christ."
There isn't much to add to this. It says it all! Although Jesus' death is the fact that changed our possibilities completely, Paul refers to a living and active Jesus, the One who died specifically to continue His (victorious) work in us!
I think it could be very easy to make the battle about human beings rather than spiritual beings and forces unless we remember that “we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12).
It’s too easy to see other people as Satan’s minions which leads us to interact with them as enemies. But our mission is to “make known the mystery of the gospel “(Ephesians 6:19) and rescue those who have been deceived by Satan. We can then see them as people who need our help and God’s love.
"You are not alone in the warfare against wrong. Could the curtain be rolled back, you would see heavenly angels fighting with you.This they must do; it is their work to guard the youth.
“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall
be heirs of salvation?”
Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels minister to the youth." —The Youth’s
Instructor, January 1, 1903.
This message is valid for each of us, regardless of our age!
Let's put on the armor of God every day!
My text for today is Eph 6:18, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." The word supplication means to beg. The word perseverance means to continue in a course of action even when success does not seem to be evident. Paul says the we should do this "in the Spirit." This brings up the following questions. (1) What does the bible mean by admonishing us to pray in the Spirit? (2) What should we be begging the Spirit for? (3) Why should we perseverance in doing this, meaning, that we should not stop doing it? Praying in the Spirit is not just a quick 2 minute prayer before we hurry of to the rest of the day's activities. It is a deep conversation with God, begging him for the infilling of the Holy Spirit so that he could change our carnal nature to that of a spiritual nature. Only the Holy Spirit could do it for us. However, we have to constantly beg him for it. Our prayer should be, " Holy Spirit, I give you permission to change me into what you want me to be, so that I would constantly be reflecting the glory of God, and that everything that I do will be done to give glory to God." So, Holy Spirit, change my motives, my thought patterns, my cravings, my decision making directions, my tastes, my desires, etc. If this is my prayer, I will not be the same person year after year. I will grow spiritually and the Spirit will us me as a witness of his glory (Romans 8:16). This is what Jesus meant when he said, "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, they are the ones that will be filled."
Amen, Melvin Pascall.
The demonic forces and the battles they cause are certainly a part of this passage, but I don't really feel it's the emphasis. I think it can be dangerous to be too preoccupied with evil forces. However, we need to know two things - that we need Jesus' power and that we are only protected by wearing God's armor. Whenever we get complacent in our supposed power, that's when we likely need a reminder of the reality of evil forces.
Just like in the Old Testament temple services where a lamb was slain in the morning and also in the evening by the Priests every single day for thousands of years until Jesus came antook their place as High Priest and also Lamb of God, we need to daily, morning and evening, exercise our faith and accept for ourselves Jesus' very blood, flesh, bones and mind as we walk daily and live for God every day now and until He shows up to take us home for eternal dwelling with Him: This is His Whole Armour for us in Him.