Series: The Book of Ephesians
Sermon: Spiritual Warfare #2
Bible Passage: Ephesians 6:11-13, 14a
I. Last week summary:
1. Believers are drafted into a lifelong spiritual warfare
2. Strength for this warfare comes from God (internal strength)
3. This strength comes when believers constantly remind themselves of their identity in Christ
II. Verse 11
1. Paul contrasts two characters in the warfare: the believers and Demon (ὁ διαβολος)
a. In verse 10, the verb “be strengthened” is passive, whereas in verse 11, the verb “put on” is middle
b. In verse 10, it looks like the believers are strengthened internally, i.e., psychologically—strength from their identity
c. For warfare, strength comes from what we wear—the “divinely sourced armor” (verses 14-18)
i. Belt of truth
ii. Breastplate of righteousness
iii. The Gospel of peace
iv. Shield of faith
v. Helmet of salvation
vi. The Word of God
vii. Prayer
d. The divinely sourced armor serves both for defense and offense
e. Paul uses a hoplite soldier as a model to explain how believers wage their war
f. The purpose of the complete armor is to “stand”—the opposite of “to stand” is “to fall”
g. The armor that Paul recommends originates from God (divine origin)
h. It has a psychological effect on the warrior in the battlefield
i. The divine armor has inherent power in it that makes a believer an invincible warrior
j. Because the source of the armor is God Himself, believers become powerful like “God” when they are donned with it (cf. Eph 1:21-23)
2. Summary of verse 10-11: Strength to fight spiritual battle comes from three sources:
a. Inner strength
b. Complete armor
c. Standing
III. While the believers fight like a hoplite warrior, the enemy, Demon, wages war differently
1. Demon uses trickery, wile, craftiness, cunningness, deception, …—the Greek word is methodia
2. “Trickery in warfare” is the antithesis to straightforward fight
3. While believers remain skilled in straightforward warfare, they should also be aware of the strategies of the enemy
a. Lies
b. Skepticism
c. Twists the truth
4. A good number of Christians feel defeated because they have not worn the divine armor—doctrine
IV. Verse 12:
1. Believers’ war with Demon is like “wrestling” —A hand-to-hand fight
2. The conflict is not against “flesh and blood”—not against fellow humans but against demonic forces
3. The conflict is against hostile spiritual powers—“the rulers, the powers, the world rulers of this darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens”
4. Satan and his hosts exist to bring their evil and destructive influences on the world and humanity at every level
5. The evil one works through the events of history,
a. Paul’s visit hindered by him (1 Thess. 2:18)
b. The casting of believers into prison (Rev. 2:10)
c. The inherent distresses of life (cf. Rom. 8:38)
d. Illness due to their demonic activity (Matt. 9:32; 12:22; Luke 9:42)
e. Doctrinal distortion by the principalities and powers (cf. 2 Cor. 11:13–15)
f. Heresy (1 Tim. 4:1; cf. 1 John 4:1)
g. Legalism to keep Christians in bondage (Col 2:20–21)
6. Verse 13: For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand
Take Away:
Put on the complete armor (let’s put the first armor)
1. Gird your waist with truth (Eph 6:14b)—the strategy of Demon is “lie”
2. The expression “with truth” refers to believer’s internalization of God’s relationship with believers (cf. Eph 1-3)
a. We are elected to be “holy and blameless”
b. God’s election of us is not based on us but on God’s sovereign plan
c. God never retracts from His relationship with us
d. God has sealed us with the Holy Spirit to mark His ownership over us
e. God has made us to be His “masterpiece”—we are special to God
f. God dwells among us
g. God has won the battle and you are on His side