(Audio Version)
Introduction
In 52 years
of life I have never witnessed a time in our country and maybe even the world
where people were more divided. The title of our lesson is a spin-off of a
saying used in some mottos and even some songs that says, “United we stand,
divided we fall.” No one really knows the origin of the phrase but we can see
the principle of the idea at work when Jesus said, “If a kingdom is divided
against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself,
that house cannot stand (Mk 3:24-25).” I sense that there is a calculated
effort to divide our country and our world; Not along the lines of ideas but
along lines where division is unnatural and destructive. For example, some
political leaders, along with their political operatives, recognize that it is
easier to consolidate their power within smaller groups than it is within the
larger populous. How is this accomplished? Division! Women are pitted against
men with the “war on women” offensive anytime someone suggests even the slightest
restriction on murdering babies through abortion. Non-white people are turned
against white people with the liberal use of the “racism” card whenever a white
person even hints at the disproportionate danger that the failing public school
system, government subsidies and the welfare state poses for racial minorities.
The rich, pejoratively described as the “millionaires and billionaires,” are
demonized consistently as victimizing the poor by building wealth on the backs
of the poor as though no one benefits from the wealth of the rich because we
all know that the rich don’t employ or otherwise support millions of other people
but instead bury their money in a hole in the backyard or hide it between their
mattresses {read: sarcasm}. Even
children are shamefully used to blame their parents for all the ills of our
country. Anyone who doesn’t embrace the militant gay-rights agenda and same-sex
marriage is labeled a “homophobe.” The elderly are constantly warned by the fear-mongers
that those who are younger believe they are a strain on the financial system
and might have to forfeit their social security and medical benefits. Union
bosses fan the embers of hatred that always seem to be present between its
unionized constituency and management. And these are just a few of the
divisions that are constantly being manipulated. But worst of all, Christians
are afraid to take stand up for biblical truth and shine a light on the evils
of our culture because they are immediately labeled as hateful and intolerant
as though name-calling somehow changes the truth about evil. Power brokers,
fear-mongers and race-baiters might look at this and see an effective strategy
but I see something deeply troubling and evil. We are not meant to be divided
along any of these lines. This is not division based on ideas that might be
natural since we are uniquely created individuals. This division is unnatural
and evil with the final result being hatred of one another. And who benefits
most when people hate each other? Temporally, people seeking power and fame
might benefit by peoples’ hatred for one another but ultimately, Satan benefits
when humanity is divided and bathed in hatred. We think that our difficulty is
with people who have different ideas than we do. But differing ideas don’t, in
and of themselves, create hate. Differing ideas can be good because the can
open our minds to another way; maybe a better way. As I said before, differing
ideas are the result of uniquely created human beings. Instead, we are fighting
against the Devil who uses sinful humanity to advance his cause of leading as
many people away from God as possible. It is an age-old, yet brilliantly
devious, strategy of turning humanity against one another. Hatred and division
are the great obstacles to being in relationship with God. One cannot love God
yet hate humanity (1 John 4:20; 21). Paul spoke of the unity of the Church in
his letter to the church in Ephesus—the unity between all people: husbands and
wives; children and parents; masters (employers) and slaves (employees). In the
context of Paul’s teaching about unity in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul uses
a military illustration to make his point. There is a battle raging, but it’s
not a battle of ideas and even though it appears on the surface to be a battle
between people, it’s really a battle between good and evil. Satan knows that
once humanity is divided, sin will take its natural course and grow into
hatred. Satan also knows that an environment of unity is the most conducive environment
for nurturing love. This is the environment of the Church; at least it should
be. The Church is the place where love must flourish. It’s no accident that the
Church is called the “comm—unity” of faith. Satan knows that United We Love, Divided We Hate.
Subject
Text
Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, be
strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your
stand against the devil’s schemes. 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.13 Therefore put on the full
armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your
ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the
belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness
in place, 15 and with
your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take
up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of
the evil one. 17 Take
the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all
occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert
and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Context
Everything
about Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is about unity. The language of unity
permeates the entire letter from the very beginning. Paul tells the Ephesians
that it is God’s will that all things in heaven and earth are to be brought
together under the lordship of Christ (Eph. 1:10); that God has removed the
division between Jew and Gentile (Eph. 2:12; 13); that Jews and Gentiles are
now members of one body through Christ (Eph. 3:6); that God has provided
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to build up the body of
believers to complete unity (Eph. 4:12; 13); that husbands and wives are to
live in unity with one another (5:22-33); that children and parents are to live
in unity with one another and slaves and masters are to live in unity with one
another (Eph. 6:1-9). This leads us right into our Subject Text.
Text
Analysis
Paul’s
instruction in v. 10 is to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. We
are never expected to fight spiritual battles with our own strength. Instead, “Paul
emphasizes the superiority of the power of God and the supremacy of Christ. He
demonstrates that believers have access to this power by virtue of their union
with Christ, thereby enabling them to resist the vicious attacks of the hostile
powers.”[1]
The Greek word for “be strong” is translated in the middle voice here in the
NIV but it is best read in the passive voice so that it reads “to be made
strong.” “The power does not come from the believer but from an external
source. This usage is similar to that in Paul’s prayer that believers might be
strengthened with power and might through his Spirit (Eph 3:16) and his final
exhortation to the Corinthian believers to be strong (1 Cor 16:13).”[2]
Now that Paul identifies what we must
do, he continues on to tell us how we
are to do it.
In v.
11a Paul tells us that we are to be strengthened by putting on the “full armor
of God.” It is interesting imagery Paul uses but perhaps not irrelevant
considering Paul is writing this letter while he sits in a Roman prison being
guarded by armed guards in full armor. Technically, the text could be
understood as armor provided by God, armor worn by God himself or armor that is
God himself. However, an argument could be made that it might be any of the
three depending on need. “The context clearly implies the first, namely that
God provides weaponry for believers. At the same time, in light of the
description of armour of Yahweh and his Messiah in Isaiah 11:5; 52:7; 57:19,
which stands at the centre of Paul’s sustained imagery throughout the passage
(esp. vv. 14-17), it is important to recognize that the armour given to
believers is God’s own. The Isaianic references depict the Lord of hosts as a
warrior fighting with his own armour in order to vindicate his people. Further,
some of the weapons believers are to don, namely, truth, righteousness, and
salvation, suggests that we put on God himself, or at least his
characteristics…Accordingly, we can conclude that ‘in the end all the armor
language is a way to talk about identification with God and his purposes.’”[3]
Now that we know the what and how of Paul’s instructions, we can move
on to the why.
In
vv. 11b-12, Paul says that the reason we are to be strong in the Lord by
wearing the full armor of God is so that
(why) we can stand firm against the Devil’s
evil plans. Paul goes on to explain that we are at war but not against flesh
and blood. Instead, our battle is against a spiritual evil that rules this
world by way of rulers, authorities and power as well as spiritual forces from a
heavenly realm. It is important to remember that Paul is referring here to a
spiritual battle against demonic forces. However, “The devil and his minions
are able to rule the lives of men and women who belong to his ‘tyranny of
darkness’ (Col. 1:13)—they are called ‘children of disobedience’ at Ephesians
2:2—and the powers exploit culture and social systems in their attempts to
wreck the creative and saving work of God.”[4]
This concept is often difficult to fully grasp and that’s normal because there
is a battle raging in a realm that is visible to the human eye as well as a
realm that is only visible to the spiritual eye. Judas is perhaps a good
illustration of this. Judas clearly had an expectation of the Jewish messianic
figure that Jesus did not conform to. Judas, already inclined toward
disobedience and sin, was used by Satan to accomplish what Satan believed was a
victory over God’s plan of salvation by betraying Jesus. However, what Satan
believed would be a victory turned out to be his ultimate defeat. To the casual
observer, none of this was obvious but to those of us who are familiar with the
story, we can step back and see how the battle was being waged not just in an earthly
realm that involved humanity but how the events were really being directed by
the combatants of a war that was being waged in the spiritual realm between God
and the forces of evil trying to subvert God’s plan of salvation for humanity.
This earthly realm and spiritual realm make up what is referred to as the
“heavenly realm.” “Paul distinguishes between heaven in the ultimate sense of
the dwelling place of God, and the heavenly realms which are part of the
created order, and which will one day be renewed along with the earth…The
heavenly realms, therefore, refer to the spiritual sphere in which God, Christ,
the powers of darkness and the believer exist together, and as well as sharing
Christ’s reign and receiving the blessings of salvation, the believer is
involved in spiritual warfare.”[5]
We now understand the what, why and how of Paul’s instructions and so we can move on to the when.
Paul
instructs us that we are to stand strong wearing the full armor of God in order
to battle Satan’s forces when the
“day of evil” comes. Many have presumed that Paul is speaking in v. 13 of a
specific point in time when there will be an ultimate war between good and
evil. This is true, but only in part. Paul knows that the “day of evil” is more
than a singular point in time marking a cataclysmic event. Instead, it includes
specific events of evil in the life of all believers. “Day of evil” might be
better understood as the “age of evil.” “It refers to the entire span of the
believers’ life or the whole of the present age, which parallels with the ‘evil
days’ of 5:16; it refers to critical times in believers’ lives when special
diabolical hostility seems strongest.”[6]
Combining all these elements, Paul then tells us that we are to take a stand.
The force of the text tells us that we are to “dig in our heels” and stand
firm.
Remember
that Paul is writing from prison with a personal view of fully armed Roman
soldiers. With this imagery so close at hand, Paul begins to use the various
components of such armament in vv. 14-17 to illustrate the spiritual weapons at
our disposal as we take our stand and dig in our heals against the Devil’s evil
assaults. The first article of armor identified by Paul is the belt. This
particular belt is not like a belt we would wear today. Yes, it was made of
leather that was used to bind loose clothing, but it was not unlike an apron
that protected the lower abdomen and thighs of the soldier. This article of the
armor provided both protection and made it possible for the rest of the armor
to fit more properly—this was an essential element for being prepared for
battle. Paul says that we are to put on the belt that is truth. For the
believer, truth is an essential element for being prepared for battle.
“Believers have girded their waists with God’s objective truth, which in turn
has become a part of them. This enables them to be reliable and faithful as God
is reliable and faithful. This piece of armor is basic to all other pieces
because truth and trustworthiness are basic to all the other qualities that
believers need in order to withstand diabolical attacks.”[7]
Still in v. 14, Paul describes the next article or armor
as the breastplate. It seems pretty obvious that the breastplate covering the
vital organs of the soldier is critical in battle as protection against arrows
and spears from distant assault and from swords and other lethal blows in
hand-to-hand combat. Like the belt, it is a defensive part of the armor. Paul
refers to the breastplate as “righteousness.” “In this text some regard it as
justifying righteousness or a right standing before God, but most regard it as sanctifying
or subjective righteousness (1 Cor 1:30), which, of course, has its basis in
justifying righteousness. Isaiah 59:17 refers to God putting on his attribute
of righteousness as a breastplate. Likewise, in this context believers are, by
appropriating God’s righteousness, to act righteously in their daily dealings
with God and humankind.”[8]
Righteous living with the power of the Spirit’s sanctifying power protects the
believer’s heart like a breastplate protects the heart of a soldier.
V. 15
seems less glamorous in the discussion about battle armor as Paul identifies
proper footwear. But footwear was extremely important for the Roman soldier.
Unlike the everyday footwear of average citizens that was more like a sandal,
“The Roman soldier frequently wore caliga,
a half-boot, which was not strictly a weapon but part of his equipment that was
used especially in large marches.”[9]
For the Roman soldier, proper footwear was crucial in battle and Paul likewise
claims that believers must have their feet properly fitted. But in this case,
Paul is not speaking of footwear. Instead Paul says that the feet of believers
should be fitted with readiness—a readiness that comes from the gospel of
peace. “The language has obviously been borrowed from Isaiah 52:7, ‘How
beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who
publishes peace’—words which, in a shortened form, are applied by the apostle
to those sent to preach the Christian gospel (Rom. 10:15).”[10]
It is odd to speak of peace in the context of preparing for battle. But this
proclamation for peace is not aimed at the one who wages war against believers.
The proclamation of peace is for the benefit of those who are still considered
enemies of God because they have not yet accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.
“Christ, who is the embodiment of peace, has made peace through his death, and
announced this good news far and wide, to Jew and Gentile alike. Those who have
appropriated that peace for themselves have their feet fitted with this
‘readiness’, a preparedness to announce the gospel of peace. Paradoxically,
they are prepared to announce the gospel of peace as they engage in a spiritual
warfare!”[11]
Paul continues in v. 16 saying that the believer is to
take up the shield of faith. This is not the smallish round shield used by
gladiators in hand-to-hand combat. Instead, “Paul has in mind the large shield
Roman infantry used to protect their whole bodies. Such shields were four feet
tall and two and one-half feet wide and were constructed of leather stretched
over wood, reinforced with metal at the top and bottom. Especially if soaked in
water, they were effective at stopping burning arrows.”[12]
The believer’s faith is this shield. The language Paul uses, “take up,” implies
that we are to appropriate God’s promises of protection confident that nothing
can harm us behind this mighty shield of faith. The flaming arrows of the Devil
are a metaphor for all things that the Devil might throw at us—persecution,
doubt, fear, temptation, suffering, confusion or anything else that may derail
or demoralize us—even the possibility of death. Safely protected by this shield
of faith, we can continue to confidently stand firm in truth and righteousness
proclaiming the gospel of peace.
In v. 17 Paul stays with the language of appropriation
when he says we are to “take” the helmet and sword. These are the final two
pieces of armor necessary for the battle. The imperative mood suggests a sense
of urgency and the middle voice indicates that it is the believer’s
responsibility to take up the helmet (v. 17a) and sword (v. 17b). Roman helmets
were fairly comprehensive, usually made of bronze and near the middle of the
first century were designed to cover the back of the neck area as well. Helmets
included protection for the eyes, nose and cheeks as well. It seems clear that
Paul is again referring to Isaiah 59 where God is referred to as wearing the
“helmet of salvation” and bringing wrath and judgment upon his enemies. Just as
the soldier feels secure in the face of battle with head protected, the
“Believers’ possession of salvation gives them confidence of safeness during
the assaults of the devil.”[13]
To this point, the parts of the armor that have been described have all been
defensive in nature. But now in v. 17b, we get to the all-important offensive
instrument of a sword.
The language in v. 17b changes where previously the
belt=truth, the breastplate=righteousness, the shield=protection and the
helmet=salvation. Here, however, the sword is “of the Spirit” or “belonging to
the Spirit,” the sword is God’s word (cf. Heb. 4:12) made effective and
powerful by the Spirit alone. “In their [Christian] warfare with the powers of
darkness, they are to take hold of the word of God, the gospel (cf. 1:13;
6:15), and to proclaim it in the power of the Spirit…What is in view here is
not some ad hoc word addressed to Satan, as though what we speak against him
will defeat him. Rather, it is the faithful speaking forth of the gospel in the
realm of darkness, so that men and women held by Satan might hear this
liberating and life-giving word and be freed from his grasp.”[14]
Paul
completes his instructions in v. 18 by admonishing believers to pray in the
power of the Spirit. The grammar makes clear that the instruction to pray is
not a singular event but a continuous process of praying. Furthermore,
Christians are to be attentive to the needs of other Christians and pray for
them continuously as well. And why are we to pray continually? Because Satan’s
evil schemes and plans are a never-ending assault. Therefore, the battle never
wanes or ceases. Satan is always on the prowl like a lion seeking someone to
devour (1 Peter 5:8) and all-the-better if it is a Christian! We must remember
that the armor of God is not something one retrieves from some kind of armory.
Instead, these tools for battle are acquired through prayer and faith and
continuously part of our daily lives. “Satanic wars cannot be won by human
energy. Thus, Paul has warned the saints to constantly pray and remain alert,
ready to don the helmet of salvation and grasp the sword of the Spirit in order
to do battle at a moment’s notice. Neither of these pieces of armor, nor any
other pieces, are available as the result of human endeavor.”[15]
Prayer is the currency with which we acquire the armor needed to be victorious
in our battle against Satan and his hordes. Do not forsake the admonition to
pray for yourself and for all others. Dig in your heels and stand firm with the
belt of truth wrapped tightly around your waist; with the breastplate of
righteousness always guarding your heart and your feet always ready to advance
the gospel of peace to the battlefield of a broken and dying world; hidden
behind an impenetrable and indestructible shield of faith; always protecting
your mind with the security of a helmet that is your salvation and finally,
confidently brandish the Spirit’s razor-sharp sword of God’s word—a sword sharp
enough to cut the Devil’s plans into pieces.
Application
I
know this lesson has been detailed and complex with many elements. However, I
want to bring us back to the overall theme of Paul’s letter to the
Ephesians-unity. Is it really so hard to imagine Satan creating division in
order wage a more effective battle? It is a well-known military strategy known
as “divide-and-conquer!” A single wolf or a pack of wolves will not try to
devour an entire herd. Instead they will divide the herd until an opportune
victim presents itself. Satan, like the wolf, is an opportunity feeder ever
dividing in order to expose the weak. To advance that strategy, he uses men and
women, much like he did Judas. Do not be deceived Church! Satan will use men,
women, blacks, whites, rich, poor, old, young, parents and children and anyone
else in any way necessary to create division. And what is the natural consequence
of division? Hatred! Division inevitably spawns hatred and when we hate each
other, we cannot love God and when we cannot love God we are separated from God
and when we are separated from God we cannot stand against the Devil’s attack.
Division will be our ultimate destruction, unless we take a stand and dig in
our heels with God’s strength and reject division, and unless we take our stand
using the truth to shine a bright light on the liars who would divide us in any
way. However, our lives must reflect the righteousness that comes from God if
we hope to have any credibility when we speak the truth. Our feet must always
be prepared to advance the gospel of peace that will trample the lies that
create division and hatred. We must use our faith as the shield that deflects
the lies that are thrown at us—lies that say if we are men then we hate women;
lies that say if we are white then we hate non-whites; lies that say if we are
poor then we hate the rich; lies that say if we are old then we hate the young,
or lies that say if we are children then we hate our parents. These lies are
simply Satan’s flaming arrows intended to destroy us. We must lean into the
certainty of our salvation with the knowledge that nothing can separate us from
God unless we ourselves turn our backs on Him through our hatred for one
another. We must skillfully wield the sword of the Spirit for it is the word of
God that will break down all the walls that divide us.
During the years when East
Germany and West Germany were divided by the Berlin Wall, the respective
governments of the two countries, and to some extent its citizens, at best
mistrusted one another and at worst disliked one another. However, when the
wall was destroyed in 1990 and East Germans and West Germans danced arm-in-arm,
a stranger to the scene would not have been able to discern which person
belonged to which country. Mistrust and hatred flourished when the wall created
division, but when the division was destroyed, mistrust and hatred was defeated.
Some
think that human legislation can remove division from humanity and force people
to love and accept one another, but this is not possible. Satan is far too
powerful to think that some human institution could marshal the strength to wage
war against anything that is conceived in the spiritual realm. To complicate
matters, many don’t accept the reality that Satan exists, many don’t care that
Satan exists, and many have no idea what Satan’s warfare even looks like. What
combination could be more lethal than unbelief + complacency + ignorance? It is
the perfect combination to feed Satan’s insatiable appetite to divide and
conquer. We cannot battle Satanic forces with human institutions because the
battle is not against flesh and blood. The sooner we face that reality, the
sooner we will begin to pray continuously that we would be fitted with God’s
armor to be able to stand our ground, withstand the assault, and fight back
with confidence and strength knowing the battle has already been won. Satan was
defeated when Jesus’ grave was empty on the third day! Nevertheless, daily we
hear the battle cry when Satan uses sinful humanity to create division. Until
Jesus’ return, the battle rages on. However, we need to learn what Satan already knows—United We Love, Divided We Hate.
[1]
Gerald F. Hawthrone, Ralph P. Martin, Daniel G. Reid, eds., Dictionary of Paul and his Letters,
(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 247.
[2]
Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians, An
Exegetical Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), pp.
820-821.
[3]
Peter T. Obrien, The Letter to the
Ephesians, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999), p.
463.
[4]
Ibid., p. 468.
[5]
Hawthorne, et al, eds., DPL, pp.
382-383.
[6]
Hoehner, Ephesians, p. 833.
[7]
Ibid., p. 840.
[8]
Ibid., p. 841.
[9]
O’Brien, Ephesians, p. 475.
[10]
Ibid.
[11]
Ibid., p. 479.
[12]
Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians, The NIV
Application Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), p. 343.
[13]
Hoehner, Ephesians, p. 850.
[14]
O’Brien, Ephesians, p. 482.
[15]
Hoehner, Ephesians, p. 859.
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