The Grace of God Prepares Us to Fight: Ephesians 6:10-24

/ Neal Embry

We’ve come to the end of our time in Ephesians. I hope you’ve come to understand more of how God’s grace changes everything in our lives. Now, as we leave and move forward, we’ll see how God’s grace enables us and prepares us to fight the good fight of faith.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”–Eph. 6:10-12

If we’re going to fight, it’s important to know what and who we’re fighting. The fight of the Christian is not against other people. We do not seek to lay hands on non-Christians in order to save them. That’s not how the gospel works.

No, our fight is against anything that keeps us from glorifying God in this life, against anything that would keep us from being holy and obeying God. Paul says we make war against the devil and his schemes, against sin and evil that pervades our lives and this world.

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”–Eph. 6:13-18

As a redeemed sinner, I often wonder why I struggle so much with the sin that remains. I often find myself asking, “What the heck is wrong with me?” We all struggle with besetting sins, and are all called to move forward in our pursuit of holiness. But praise God we are not alone. We cannot forget all of the gifts God has given us. Let’s look at those:

Belt of truth: A belt keeps you from being embarrassed. It keeps your clothes where they need to stay. As silly as that analogy may be, think about how truth is like a belt. Ever heard someone spout off something they thought was true, I mean, really thought was true, only to be told they were 100% wrong? It’s embarrassing, right? When you don’t know the truth, it leads to embarrassment. But in Christ, we know the truth. We have God’s Word. We don’t have to be embarrassed by lack of knowledge.

Breastplate of righteousness: We are righteous in Christ, and only because of what He’s done. But we are called to live out that righteousness and put off sin. When we live righteous lives, it stands as a critical piece of armor, protecting us from accusations of sin and immorality. There is much gain in godliness, while there is no gain in sin. Choose obedience.

Shoes outfitted with the gospel: Everywhere you go, share the gospel. The Great Commission says “Go make disciples.” Scholars have long understood that “go” in the original Greek means “as you go,” that is, whether we are on a “mission trip” or at the office, we are ready to share the hope of Jesus with everyone and anyone around us.

Shield of faith: Faith protects us from the “flaming darts” of Satan. He would accuse us of sin, but we have faith in the blood of Jesus. He would make us question God’s goodness, but we have seen and trust that the Lord is good. He would make us anxious, but we must trust that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

Helmet of salvation: Ever heard the expression “he/she’s got his/her head on straight?” We typically say that of someone who understands his or her responsibilities and is living a responsible, good life. When we know we are saved, when we’ve experienced the grace of God, we are able to move forward confidently in our lives, with our heads on straight, because we know we have Jesus forever, and nothing can take that away. The “helmet” of salvation allows us to think rightly about God, life and even death. Nothing can truly hurt us, not eternally, if we are in Christ.

Sword of the Spirit/Word of God: This is the only offensive weapon listed here. The Word of God is not to be hidden, but rather used to fight sin and point people to Jesus. Spurgeon once said of the idea of “defending” the Bible: “Defend the Bible? I would as soon defend a lion? Unchain it and it will defend itself!” The Bible is a tool meant to be used to help us fight sin and advance God’s kingdom by rightly understanding what it says.

Prayer: Prayer is not usually listed with the rest of these, but if we aren’t praying, the rest is pointless. Prayer connects us with God, who reminds us of all we have in Him. Prayer keeps us in connection with God.

“To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”–Eph. 6:18-24

Lastly, we must pray for and encourage one another. There is no such thing as “lone ranger Christianity.” You are either connected to a church as a Christian, looking for a church, or you are dying spiritually.

Paul was in prison, and he coveted prayers, not for his release, but for his faithfulness. What a testimony! How often do we pray for the safety or release of persecuted brothers and sisters, instead of their faithfulness? While praying for those things may not be bad, we must remember that God is sovereign, and His purposes in persecution are not just for safety, but for His glory. We should pray for the faithfulness of those being persecuted.

We must encourage one another so that we all can grow to love Jesus with “love incorruptible.”

Lord, may we love you and love each other. May we use the weapons and tools that you give us. May we grow to be more and more like you, and may we keep fighting the good fight of faith until we see you face to face.

God bless,

Neal E.

Pray Big Prayers: Mark 11:20-25

/ Neal Embry

When was the last time you prayed for something big? For the salvation of a lost loved one, or a much-needed change in your community? For victory over a besetting sin? For the salvation of an entire people group? For help in memorizing large chunks of God’s Word?

Jesus Himself authorized “big” prayers. Let’s take a look in the Gospel of Mark:

“As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”–Mark 11:20-25

Jesus has just kicked out the greedy businessmen in the temple, turning over tables and getting on the bad side of those who have gotten on God’s bad side. He’s made it clear that the temple of God was to be a house of prayer. Many commentators say the fig tree that withers represents the temple, which has “withered,” fallen away, from its intended purpose. So now, where do the disciples go to pray? How do they pray?

Jesus instructs them to pray to God by themselves or in a community of believers. One of the wonderful things Christ does for us in His death and resurrection is clears the way for us to have access to God through Him; that is, if we go to God trusting in the person and work of God the Son which cleanses us from the sin that keeps us from God, we can have fellowship with God without needing to go to a temple to worship because Christ has sent the Spirit into our hearts (Eph. 1:13). The veil is torn, and mankind can now go to God without the help of an earthly priest or temple.

Because of this, Jesus says we could literally pray to toss a mountain into a sea. We now have the Son of God interceding on our behalf and God the Spirit dwelling in our hearts. We have access to the power of God, which could toss Mt. Everest like a beach ball.

Now, should we actually pray for that? Probably not, as Jesus makes it clear in the Lord’s Prayer and also in 1 John 5:14 that believers are to pray “according to God’s will,” and for God’s will to be done on Earth and in our lives. In my few short years of following Jesus and studying Scripture, I don’t see anything showing that God’s will is to toss a mountain into a sea just for sake of it.

But the point is that we ought not be afraid to go to God with big prayers, with world-changing, eternity-shaping prayers that would make tamer people question our sanity! We ought to pray that God save lost people, that God be glorified in our lives as we overcome sin, that God bring reconciliation between families and friends and churches and communities, that God work through His church to change the world.

Jesus says we ought not doubt, because if we pray in this way, it will be done for us! If you pray for the salvation of lost people, God will save lost people! If you pray for help in overcoming sin, you will overcome sin! If you pray for God’s work to be done in the world, you get to see God at work and join Him in it!

Now, a couple of caveats. While all of this is true, we must understand it rightly to avoid making God a genie or having false views of who God is.

  1. We pray according to God’s will. It’s worth repeating: God is not the genie from Aladdin; He is not your fairy-godmother, and He does not exist simply to grant your wishes and make you happy. He exists to glorify Himself and by His grace He created us so as to allow us to find joy in worshiping Him and find ultimate purpose in glorifying Him. Prayer is one tool we have to enjoy God and glorify Him. We shouldn’t expect God to answer prayers that would rob Him of glory and cause us to sin.
  2. We are to forgive others (verse 25). If we are praying for God’s will to be done, for God to do big, God-glorifying things in our life through prayer, obedience is expected. After all, part of God’s will is that we forgive others. If we have forgiveness in Christ, we are to forgive others. So, if you pray for God to be faithful, seek to be faithful in your own life.

But what if God doesn’t answer the way I wanted Him to? What if I don’t understand? Has he failed to answer?

While God has promised to answer prayers according to His will, He has not promised we will understand, or even like, the way He answers. Remember, we pray, not to glorify ourselves or accomplish our will, but to glorify God and do His will. If we pray according to God’s will, it follows God will answer according to His will.

We may not understand His answers, but God is faithful. And we can trust Him. So pray big prayers. Change the world through prayer. Join God in His work through prayer.

Lord, may we pray big prayers. May we trust your faithfulness, even and especially when we don’t understand your answers. May we seek to advance your kingdom and your will on Earth through prayer. May we always pray in a way that glorifies you.

God bless,

Neal E.