We live in a world of escalating tensions—between nations, political persuasions, racial & ethnic groups. People march for peace & justice; too often it degenerates into destruction & violence. Humanity needs help.

The ‘Mission of God’ is God’s project to rescue humanity & restore his fractured creation. That’s why he sent the Son & the Holy Spirit. God’s mission involves reconciliation on multiple levels—between humanity & their Creator, between diverse people-groups and (ultimately) between heaven & earth–God’s realm & the created sphere. Paul calls God’s goal, his “long-range plan [that] everything would be brought together & summed up in Christ, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.” God invites us—the Church—to first experience, & then join, his peace-making mission. Ironically, God’s peace-making mission involves war—warfare against the destructive powers of darkness.

God has a mission that he is actively carrying out on earth, to bring the beauty and blessings of heaven to earth. And God wants you and I to join him in carrying out his mission. But so many of us feel unqualified for such an endeavour because of who we know we are in our sinful selves. And that’s why Paul writes in Ephesians 1 unveiling our true identity “in Christ.” He wants you and I to get really clear about who we really are now that we are believers “in Christ.” “In Christ” God chose us to join him in his mission. “In Christ” we are part of his family. “In Christ” we are forgiven, redeemed! “In Christ” we are perfectly positioned by God to join him in his mission on earth. Paul would simply ask us to acknowledge what God has done for us, and for us to give God the praise that he is due! How will you respond to God?

The mission of God is founded in the nature and community of the Triune God. God’s mission is to expand His community to include humanity. We together as the church are called to join with God in His mission. However, before we can do that we need to be qualified. In ourselves we are not qualified but the Trinity has worked collectively to qualify us so that we can join His mission. 

The Father works in and through the Son and the Son and the Spirit continue the work based on what the Father has done. The Son lavishes his grace on us in redemption and forgiveness of sins. The Spirit seals us, making us God’s own possession and also securing our inheritance as children of God both today and in the future. This is all because we have heard and believed the gospel. We really are the most blessed people.

Commentators say Christianity in North America is too shallow; it’s ‘a mile wide, but only an inch deep.’ They prescribe a deeper engagement with the Trinity—God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. Current COVID?restrictions afford us a golden opportunity for a deeper dive. Today’s topic, ‘God’s Mission Changes Everything,’?points the way. God’s mission begins in God’s own being in eternity; God is ‘missionary’ by nature—reaching out to enlarge the community of the Trinity. Ephesians 1 tells how God’s mission reached us to change our identity and destiny. Now we are God’s people, the church, invited into God’s mission, issuing in the praise of God’s glory. Exalting, adoring anything or anyone else disappoints; glorifying God fulfills.

After Paul opened the believers’ eyes to see how God has so richly blessed them in Christ (Eph. 1:3-14), he then prays that they would know God even better than they already did (1:15-23). This prayer helps us in two ways: 1) it shows us an amazing pattern that Paul lays down for those who are praying for others, and 2) it helps us to see how we can pray for ourselves. Prayer is not us praying endlessly about our difficulties and circumstances. Rather, it’s a means for us to know God better and a practical way for us join him in his mission.

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1 is not like most of our prayers. His prayer is for others to have spiritual wisdom and revelation to know God. Furthermore he prays for their hearts to be enlightened to know three things. To know the hope of God’s calling, to know the wealth of God’s inheritance in the saints and to know the immeasurable greatness of His power. There is so much more for us to know regarding these three things. 

Our hope is much more than going to heaven when we die. The fact that we are God’s glorious inheritance should profoundly change the way we relate to Him. The power that is available to us is much greater than we can imagine. All of these need our spiritual eyes to be opened.

Today many people reject the supernatural; yet they can’t explain the evil manifest in horrendous violence  and  cruelty, war  and  genocide. The Bible traces the cause back to cosmic powers of darkness, spiritual forces of evil which impact humanity. Paul’s readers were well aware of unseen evil powers; they feared these hostile forces. Now Paul brought good news—Jesus’ death not only took care of trespasses  and  sins, but also (in a decisive battle at the cross) defeated these dark satanic powers, bringing freedom from bondage  and  fear. Plus, Jesus rose  and ascended to rule the universe, launching his kingdom of light. Today the same divine power is available to us, the believers–his church, as we ‘wrap up the war’ against the evil powers. Together let’s learn how to be warriors in this spiritual warfare.???

In the book of Ephesians Paul only mentions sin twice (Eph. 1:7; 2:1). We can safely conclude that sin is not the main problem being addressed in this letter. So what is? Something deeper, darker and much more sinister: the evil powers who have us in bondage and are controlling us. In this message we explore how in his life, ministry, death and resurrection Christ fought with and victoriously defeated those evil powers, and in doing so liberated humans from their control. We also discover that the biblical narrative, from beginning to end, presents a picture of Christ’s work as Victor, rather than one who only came for a single event, the crucifixion.

Much of the world is in chaos and Covid-19 has increased the level of chaos in 2020. While most people look to politicians or local leaders to solve the problems of chaos some would even turn to violence. First we need to see the source of all chaos and then we need to see the source of salvation from chaos. 

James Dunn describes the pre-Christian state as “dead in trespasses and sins under the domination of evil powers (angels) who led them astray. ” All people before becoming Christians not only committed sins and trespasses but also were under the control and domination of evil power. 

Christ defeated Satan and the evil powers through his resurrection and ascension. As believers we are united to Christ and because of Christ’s victory we have authority over the evil powers. Based on the fact that we are joined to Christ we are spiritually alive, we are raised with Christ and seated with Christ in the heavens. Our faith has brought us into an union with Christ who is the victor over the evil powers. That makes us victors as well. Hallelujah! 

A classic statement in Ephesians says we are ‘saved by grace through faith (not by works).’ This was the Reformation’s clarion call. But let’s ask: ‘saved from what?’ Some focus solely on the legal aspect: Jesus’ death saves us from God’s wrath; he paid our sins’ penalty, so God—the Judge—can acquit  and  forgive is. But, being saved in Ephesians is much more—it’s being saved from spiritual death, from the domination of dark cosmic powers  and  from our inherited sin-nature. This happens through ? union ?with Christ—Christ is in us  and  we are ‘in Christ,’ and through? participation ?‘with Christ’—through faith we were co-enlivened, co-raised,  and  co-seated together with Christ (Eph. 2:5-6). Let’s learn how to apply our union ‘in Christ’  and  our participation ‘with Christ’!

In Ephesians 2:11-22 we have further proof of the power of God and the victory of Christ at the cross. In the first ten verses of Ephesians 2 we saw how God’s love and mercy rescued us from our dead state and made us alive in Christ. In this second section, Paul points to yet another victory of Christ at the cross, namely, his killing of all racial, ethnic and social divisions! Where is this unity and harmony to be displayed? In the church. Paul says “a new humanity” was created in Christ. By God’s Grace we must endeavour to live out this new humanity for all to see.

In spite of constant conflict around us, everyone in the depths of their heart wants peace. Yet this peace is only found in Christ. In our fallen nature we tend toward divisiveness. Yet Christ’s death on the cross broken down every barrier that separates people from from each other in order to bring peace. This does not mean that there are no differences between people. However, these differences do not prevent us from accepting one another as fellow citizens in God’s kingdom and loving one another as members in the family of God. This is our new identity: fellow citizens of God’s kingdom and members in the family of God. Peace does not mean merely the absence of hostility. It means embracing one another even though we may be different in many ways. Peace reflects the gospel and also reflects the relationship of the divine Trinity. This is what Christ died to achieve. Let’s live in this new humanity in peace.

Audacious claims merit justification; the title: ‘Greatest of all Time’ applied to an athlete is substantiated by trophies won. Military victories are celebrated with monuments. Ephesians claims God in Christ won a cosmic victory at the cross. That assertion is substantiated by his achievements (Eph. 2) culminating in the Church as God’s masterpiece, his temple. The Church—composed of Christ’s believers–is the lasting monument, the trophy celebrating God’s triumph. What does it mean that the Church is God’s living Temple among humanity? Today’s message examines these issues.

Eden: God’s Garden-Temple

In Ephesians 2:21-22 we read that we are God’s holy temple and his dwelling place. While this might be a new thought for you, the truth is that from the very first page of the Bible God has shown us that this was his intention all along.

In the garden of Eden we see more than just a beautiful green space that provided food. We see all the trappings of a temple. God dwelt there with his creation. And humans centred their lives on him.

After humans rejected God, God didn’t abandon his desire. He set up the tabernacle and temple as sacred spaces for he and us to dwell together. In the New Testament Jesus is the tabernacle and temple (Jn. 1:14; 2:19, 21), and he tells us that we are his temples here  o n earth!

God’s good pleasure and his desire is to be united with us and to dwell within and among us. As his temples God accomplishes that. But it doesn’t stop with us.

The church is God’s Temple today, where He dwells & is worshipped. The church as Temple fits in the Bible’s overall narrative arc. Eden was the initial cosmic temple for God to dwell among his creation; Revelation ends with the ultimate Temple. Creation as God’s cosmic Temple implies that, not only humans, but also, all God’s creatures were made to worship God. Psalm 148 reflects this theme; Revelation also portrays all creation united in songs of praise to God & the Lamb (Rev. 5:13). If the whole creation—animals, birds, fish, etc.–worships God, so should we. This realization ought to affect our appreciation of nature and our care for God’s creation.

How far does God’s work of reconciliation reach? What is the scope and impact of the accomplishments of Christ’s cross? The typical answer is that it reaches to and impacts sinful humans. It saves, regenerates, renews and reconciles us to God and to one another. And while that answer is not incorrect, it is incomplete. God’s creation was affected by the fall of humanity. It groans under the weight of God’s curse (Gen. 3:17-18; Rom. 8:22). It longs to be set free and liberated so it too may fully glorify God as it was created to do. Colossians 1:20 says that Christ’s cross reconciled “all things!” In its context, “all things” points to all creation. Do we have a salvation story that includes the renewal of God’s creation for his glory, or does it stop with humans?

The revealing of the mystery of God’s mission needed a person to reveal it.  God used various people to reveal and carry out His mission. Paul was one of those who received grace for his part. He was charged as a steward to carry out this mission. The grace given to him was for the sake of others. 

This mystery or secret was revealed that both Jews and non-Jews were given equal status as well as reconciled to be one body, one church to show the multi-faceted wisdom of God. God is multi-dimensional and needs all different kinds of people with all their differences in order to fully show forth who He is. The more diverse the church is, the more all the aspects of God are show. 

The question is are we able to be enlarged to receive all these differences.

The cosmic powers played a role in the nations’ dispersion after the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11). God appointed ‘guardian angels’ over each people-group (Dt. 32:8). However, these ‘gods’ led the Gentile-nations astray into bondage, idolatry & immorality. Christ defeated them on the cross. Paul’s mission was to reverse the curse of Babel, proclaiming salvation to the Gentiles, producing multi-ethnic, multi-racial churches as portents—warning signs–to the evil spiritual forces.?This kind?of church?displays God’s wisdom to the cosmos & fulfills God’s purpose. They are God’s ‘outposts,’ planted in ‘enemy territory,’ engaging in spiritual combat against the powers of darkness.

When we arrive at Ephesians 3:1 & 4:1 we read that Paul was an actual prisoner. That’s right, the Apostle Paul was arrested and put in prison. Why? Because of his unflinching faithfulness to the revelation God had shown him: the Gentiles (non-Jews) are included in God’s plan of salvation!Of course, the Gentiles rejoiced at this news. The Jewish rulers, not so much. So, they doggedly hunted Paul down and found a way to get him thrown into prison because of his erroneous teaching. And that’s why Paul says he is a prisoner “on behalf of the Gentiles” (Eph. 3:1b).But, and this is a critical question, how did Paul see his imprisonment? Not as a prisoner of Rome or its authorities, but “of Christ Jesus!” His God was sovereign over all things. To Paul this meant God wanted him in that prison for a reason. Because of that realization, many were saved through his imprisonment and he wrote many letters while he was in there. In other words, the gospel continued to advance (Phil. 1:12-13).There are times that we too find ourselves in prisons of sorts: health limitations, lingering in past hurts, financial hardships, delays in medical procedures, COVID-19 lockdown. How do we see our prisons? Is God sovereign for you? How will you respond while God has you there?

After three long chapters of an incredible vision, Paul falls to his knees and asks God to give the believers in Ephesus all they needed to bring the vision into reality. He is not expecting them to be able to do what God desires based upon their own efforts and strength. His prayer includes both a personal and collective aspect. On a personal level, they needed strength from the Spirit in their inner being so Christ could make his home in their hearts. And, on a collective level, they needed strength to comprehend more dimensions than they currently did, and to know Christ’s love more than just mere knowledge.

So many of us might think that the teaching by itself is good enough. But Paul knew that unless God added his strength to the believers, it just wouldn’t work. And that’s why he prayed as he did. We too can pray for ourselves and those we care for in the same pattern as Paul did. Give it a try this week.

Solomon’s prayer dedicating the Jerusalem Temple was a high point in Israel’s history. God responded by filling his house with glory. Echoing that event, Paul tells the believers they are God’s dwelling place, then he prays for the believers as God’s Temple, especially that they would grasp the dimensions of the church as God’s multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-generational household. Realizing that we are God’s NT Temple has major implications for us.

After three chapters of Paul opening our eyes to see how God has blessed us in Christ and who we now are in Christ, he begins in chapter four to make everything very, very practical. He talks about us walking or living a life that matches who we are in Christ. He calls is a walk worthy of our calling!

That walk begins with an inner attitude that comes from God, but is directed towards others. It’s a walk with all humility, all gentleness, with patience and a walk that bears with one another.

The walk is further described as being based on the oneness of the trinity. He himself enjoys a wonderful life of community. Based on that oneness we see that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. Why are we walking in unity? Because the life within us from God is one.

By the power of the Spirit we live a worthy life full of God’s virtues and unity.

Unity, Diversity & Ministry

Paul expands his explanation of the worthy walk in 4:7-13. In verses 1-6 we saw that the new life we have from God has virtues for us to live out as we engage with others. But Paul shows us that this life wa are called to live is not based on our own self-efforts, but on who God is. What is the secret to living a worthy walk? Remain in daily relationship with God!

Then in verses 7-13, Paul points out that God has done everything for us to be able to join him in his mission here on earth. First, he has graced each and every one of us with diverse a gift, so we can serve others (unity with diversity). Second, he has provided gifted people to help us to do the work of building up the body of Christ as we serve others (ministry). All we need to do is take the gifted ones’ help so we can be more effective in our serving. Will you take the help, or will you just live a solo Christian life?

Christ gives gifts to each believer & gifted people to his church. Paul portrays Christ’s cosmic tour of a 3-tier universe (standard in 1st century science) to obtain the church. In the OT, God led Israel from Egypt via Sinai to Mt. Zion. Now, in the NT, Christ conquers his foes at the cross. Then he descends to Hades the realm of the dead, asserting his authority, changing our destiny & trajectory. From the depths Christ ascends to the heights as Lord of the universe & gifts his people. No sphere in the cosmos is outside his control. No event—life or death, depression or disease–can separate us. No being—good or evil; human, angelic, demonic, or satanic—can defeat God’s mission to build his church. The church is not just another human institution; it’s the end-product of Christ’s cosmic tour; the church has cosmic significance!

Jesus was crucified & buried on Easter Friday; he rose early Sunday. Where was Jesus during the interval? We hear a lot about ‘Good Friday’ & ‘Easter Sunday,’ very little about ‘Holy Saturday.’ What (if anything) did Jesus do that day? His body lay in the tomb; what about his (immaterial) soul & spirit? Were they with God the Father? Or did they simply “continue in the state of the dead” (Westminster Catechism)? Paul says Christ “descended into earth’s lower regions” (Eph. 4:8). The Apostles’ Creed’s cryptic phrase, “he descended into Hell ,” echoes this; did they get it right? If so, why did Jesus descend; what does Scripture say? Diverse NT texts—from Jesus, Peter, & Paul–support the Creed’s descent clause. What did his ‘descent’ accomplish? Plus, what does all this imply for us today?

I’m a firm believer that part of our human DNA is the desire to grow & mature! We see this in the youngest children, in teens, in young adults, and even in older people. Well, it shouldn’t surprise us then, that when we read the Bible, we God’s desire for us to mature and also our own desire to do likewise. In Ephesians 4:13-14, Paul expresses God’s goal for our maturity & how remaining as children (immature) is so very dangerous for us.

How do we then mature? In verse 13 we read of the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God. One is objective and the other subjective. We need to know what it is we believe (the faith), and we need to know experientially our Jesus. These two things can help us in our maturity, and prevent us from being tossed & blow around by those who cunningly and in a scheming way are determined to harm us in our walk (v. 14).

The Bible repeatedly urges Christians to progress from the basics, ‘milk,’ to ‘solid food’ (profound, life-changing truths). Moreover, God wants a mature church, not just a few, full-grown Christians. Ephesians provides the key to a mature church–it’s ‘truth-ing in love’ (Eph. 4:15 literal). ‘Truth-ing’ is not merely speaking the truth; it also includes doing, living & practicing biblical truths in our personal & community life. Guided by the Spirit of truth, let’s walk the way of truth together, step-by-step developing godly habits which will gradually change our disposition, enriching our church-life until we all, as a church, arrive at maturity.

“Ephesians 4:13-16 presents spiritual maturity as absolutely necessary and the lack of it as a dangerous state for the church to be in…” [Emmanuel Mbennah, Mature Church , p. xii]

“A Christian [could] participate…in Church activities & yet be spiritually immature…One could reflect good observable [Christian] behaviors, actively participate in church [outreach] activities that…lead to growing [church] membership, & contribute financially…[to] the church without [becoming] spiritually mature.” [E. Mbennah, Mature Church , p. 136]

In Ephesians 4:17-24, Paul reminds the believers of not sliding back into their old lives. Using words like futile, darkened, excluded and more, Paul paints a picture of what life was like prior to them receiving Christ. But then he contrasts that old life with the new life they have in Christ. Sliding back into our pre-Christian life is not as uncommon as you may think and in fact you yourself may have made many, many trips there. Paul asks the believers to put off that old life and to put on the new life we have in Christ. We do that by being renewed in our minds day by day. God’s word, prayer, meeting together with other Christians, worship and so many other things all aid us in being renewed and learning Christ.

In Ephesians 4:25-32, Paul continues to contrast the old and the new. In 4:22 & 24 he said to put of the old and put on the new because they are in God’s new humanity. But it is a struggle, often a daily struggle. What Paul sets up for us in these verses follows a pattern: a negative command, a positive command, and finally the reason for that command. What’s striking, is that “reason.” We are in something together. Why lie to, steal from, damage, and divide what God has done so much to unite in Christ? In 4:30, Paul tells us that our poor behaviours also “grieve” his Holy Spirit! God is grieved when we mistreat a fellow-member of Christ’s body. So that should sober us as we consider what we are about to say or do to our spouse or kids , or to those we serve with at CIT. In 4:23, Paul gives us a way to align with God’s desire each day: “Be being renewed in your mind.” That is a continual and ongoing process. It’s not once for all. How are you doing that each day?

I don’t think any sane person would ever say that a parent of a small child was cruel and unloving because they put protective covers over electrical outlets, and safety gates to keep the child from falling down the stairs. In fact, those measures are sourced in their deep love for their child. Preventing hurt or damage is foremost in their minds. And let’s be honest about the few parameters that parents install, they don’t  hinder the child’s freedom to roam  in all other areas of the house. How is it that when we are given certain parameters we cry “unfair,” or, “I should be able to do whatever I want.” Isn’t that true freedom? But is it?

I n Ephesians 5:1-7 , lays out two incredible facts: 1) we are God’s beloved children, and 2) God has set up a few parameters to keep us from damaging others and ourselves. As the God who knows all because he deeply understands how all things work well, why would we think we know better than him? We do this  quite often don’t we. May we see that our relationship with God is sourced in a deep, deep love, and therefore he will let us know what will benefit us and what will not. Don’t merely focus on a few parameters and feel God is a killjoy. Focus on the freedom in every other area of life and explore it.

New Testament directives can sound like they are demanding the impossible, e.g. ‘Be imitators of God.’ But such directives are always based on what God has done for us. Technically, this is ‘the indicative-imperative relation.’ Some suggest the slogan—‘Be what you are.’ But that neglects our new creation status. It’s better rendered: “Become (in Christ) what you already are in Christ .” You’re God’s ‘beloved child,’ which equips you to ‘imitate your Father.’ We are loved by God, so we can ‘walk in love.’ We are ‘light in the Lord,’ so we can ‘walk as children of light.’  This week we examine what that means. It’s not asking for the impossible; it’s not an unattainable ideal. Paul gives practical pointers. Plus we will consider the puzzling saying: “Awake, sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you .”

In Eph. 5:16, Paul states something that if we aren’t careful we will miss its importance. He says the days we are living in are evil ! In the entire book of Ephesians he continually alerts us to the oppressive, divisive and destructive work of the evil cosmic powers. But he also shines light on God’s mission in Christ that defeated them, and released people from every tribe, tongue and nation from their bondage. But just because we are released from their control in Christ doesn’t mean we can live in a manner that is oblivious to their continued influences in our days. 

In Ephesians 5:15-18, Paul gives us an overarching principle and two practical ways to navigate through the darkness and evil we live in. We are encouraged to first lean into God’s wisdom and then walk in it by understanding his will and by being continually filled by his Spirit. These very things give us the way to make the most of every opportunity in our lives by demonstrating the Christian life to our family members, friends, colleagues, neighbours and classmates.

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The air that the Ephesians breathed was one steeped in hierarchy and patriarchy. As a male Roman citizen who owned land and an estate, you were a patriarch. And the society and culture around you, where more than 50% of people were slaves, served for  so that you would gain  benefit . As  a  patriarch, you were part of a  very small minority of the total population.  Nevertheless, no matter what, you as a patriarch would come out on top.

As a patriarch there would be certain household relationships as well: husband/wife, father/child, and master/slave.  He again  enjoyed the place of au thority and power in each of tho se relationships. But what happens when that patriarch became a follower of Jesus? ( Eg: Book of Philemon ). Were  they  to live as  their  society and culture  expected? Paul subtly subverts the expected  societal  behaviours in a typical household in Eph .  5:22-6:9 , as husbands/fathers/masters were called to live in a new manner toward their “subordinates” . As we see in Jesus, we don’t serve and live out of power and authority, but out of love and a heart of humility.

The New Testament ‘Household Codes’ (Eph. 5, 6; Col. 3) mandate the roles of wives/husbands, children/parents, & slaves/masters. They enshrine in Scripture modified versions of Roman-Greek ethical codes. In our era they have generated heated debate & bitter controversy; 150-years ago they were used to justify US slavery. Are they timeless divinely-ordained principles or historic protocols irrelevant today? Do they reflect ‘universal norms’ or an ‘interim ethic’ which tolerated 1st-century patriarchy and slavery? How can we treat them as “God’s Word,” and apply them today in our cultural context? What can we learn from Paul’s interaction with slavery on both personal & institutional levels?

The daily life we live in North America is usually so wrapped up with our daily affairs (kids, school, work, groceries, friends, etc.) that very few of us are even aware that we are in a war. And that war is not with our government or even with one another. Ephesians 6 shows us that our warfare is against evil, cosmic powers! That’s right, an unseen, but, oh, so real, foe. This spiritual warfare we are in is not a thought tacked on at the end of this letter. Rather, it’s a crucial theme that Paul weaves throughout.

Being aware of one’s enemy is a key component to successfully fighting a war. We don’t want to underestimate nor overestimate their ability. What we see in Ephesians is that these evil, cosmic forces have hijacked God’s good world and hold it, humans included, in their enslaving grip. But God has broken that grip through Christ’s death on the cross. Now those who are set free through Christ’s death, the church, are a sign of God’s victory on earth and are to display God’s wisdom to those enslaving and evil powers.

The Bible declares God is warring to reclaim his world from opposing cosmic forces. Jesus Christ’s cross marks God’s ‘D-Day invasion’ securing a beachhead in enemy-0ccupied territory. Believers are co-opted into this combat. Neutrality is not an option; we’re on one side or the other. We don’t fight ‘flesh & blood,’ humans–they are merely ‘pawns,’ proxies. Some assert the ‘powers’ inhabit earthly institutions, corporations, & social structures; but our opponents are heavenly, spiritual. There’s an ‘air war’ against ‘rulers & authorities,’ plus a ‘ground war’ against the ‘evil cosmic power alliance’ of Sin, Death, & the Flesh. ‘Sin,’ like a wild animal, needs subduing; ‘Flesh’ highlights our vulnerabilities. Yet, God supplies his mighty strength & his full armor. We align with God by applying Christ’s victory & offering our whole being to God. Let’s fight the good fight!

What are the universal, over-arching schemes of God’s enemy? That’s what we will look at this week. But we have to see who the devil and the satan are to do that. The devil is the accuser of all people (Rev. 12:10), & the satan is the adversary who opposes every good thing. This spirit-being is God’s enemy. He wants nothing more than to steal, kill and destroy (Jn. 10:10a). He is a liar and the father of lies (Jn. 8:44). So what are his schemes? 2 Corinthians 2:11 tells us not be ignorant of them. So what are they?

In Gen. 3 we see 3 specific schemes that the satan and the devil use to trap us: disguise, deception & doubt. He comes in forms you and I would not expect as a way to engage and entice us. He deceives! It’s all he knows to do. Deception is at his very core! Lastly he sows seeds of doubt in our hearts about God’s word & God’s good motives. I hope you would not simply dismiss these things as they come to you. First, recognize them and then, lean into God for his strength to stand firm in the evil day (Eph. 6:10, 13).

Most of us are quite aware of our weaknesses & vulnerabilities, our insecurities & fears. But, I wonder if we have put it together yet that these are also where the devil often aims his attack? His attacks are carefully designed to attack our weak points and others at their weak points. He did exactly the same thing to Jesus in the wilderness (Lk. 4:1~13). He didn’t use the typical temptations to lure him into sin: sex, power & money. Rather, he tempted him with very real things to him, things that he could do, but chose not to.

How then do we stand against the schemes of the devil? God has given us his word so we can understand his will and the direction he would like us to take. We need to take it in each day. We have the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:11). We have to learn to remain in its effectiveness. We have the helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:16b, 17a) with which we can protect out minds. And, we have the name of Jesus (Phil. 2:10, 11). We need to hide ourselves in that victorious name by speaking it, breathing it & relying on it for strength.

This letter alerts us that we’re under satanic attack. We need weapons to survive and prevail. The good news is that God—the Divine Warrior—provides his own battle-tested armor. The Armor of God is given us to complete the Mission of God. The first piece is the ‘belt of truth;’ a ‘belt’ restricts, stabilizes, and fortifies us. ‘Truth’ here is not ‘my truth,’ or yours; it’s God’s truth embodied in Christ, witnessed by the Spirit, attested in God’s Word. Truth becomes our ‘weapon,’ not merely by affirming doctrines, but by being applied—Paul calls it “truth-ing”—so that it governs our personal life & church-life. So let’s ask: will we as a church be fortified & restricted by God’s truth as we ‘fight the good fight’? Popular spiritual warfare strategies—‘territorial spirits/defilement,’ ‘spiritual mapping,’ ‘interrogating demons,’ ‘generational curses,’ etc.–should be subjected to the ‘truth-test’ prior to implementation.

God gives us his battle worn and battle tested armor to stand in the evil day. Each piece of his armor is one of his attributes that we stand and resist in. Without these attributes we will be tossed around by the devil and his schemes. So what kind righteousness are we called to `take up`? It isn’t our self-righteousness (Phil. 3:9a) because we know that that is like a stinking rag to God (Isa. 64:6). It`s also not merely God`s imputed righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). While that is important, it can`t be that alone. It must also be practical or ethical righteousness lived out of us (Eph. 5:8b~9).

God asks those who follow Jesus to stand against the devil`s schemes by taking up his armor. He gives us this responsibility to finish the job that he started. Whether it be at home, at work, at the mall, we need to be properly armed in righteousness each and every day. 

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Paul charges us to ‘take up the shield of faith’ in order to repulse the devil’s attempts to distract, deceive, & discourage us. But, what is this ‘faith’? Christians are not just generic ‘people of faith,’ nor vaguely ‘spiritual.’ Biblical faith is not mere assent to church creeds, nor simply passive trust. The bedrock of Christians’ belief is Jesus Christ; he’s the ‘capital’ for their lifelong commitment. The Bible’s term for ‘faith’ (Greek: pistis ) encompasses belief, trust, & loyalty (faithfulness), issuing in action. This key word describes the faithfulness of God & Christ, the believing that unites us to Him, plus the fruit of faithfulness in our lives. When we respond to the Lord’s leading with believing obedience we build our faith and faithfulness; faith’s ‘shield’ is enhanced. Faithful following enrolled the OT saints in God’s ‘Hall of Faith,’ where each record starts with the words, “By faith …” May we leave a similar mark!

Salvation is the helmet we wear into daily battle against the evil powers! God gives us his complete and tested salvation, just as he wore himself into battle for his people in Isaiah 59. His salvation is all that he has done for you and I to rescue, redeem, renew, revive and restore us from sin, death, and those evil powers. Paul charges us to take, or grab the salvation that God provides for us so we can protect us from the damaging and discouraging thoughts that Satan loves to inject into our minds.

God`s salvation not only deals with our past. God is still saving us in the present, and promises that we will obtain salvation even in the future (1 Thess. 5:9). What is our battle plan against Satan`s attacks? First, we take every thought captive and tear down any strongholds or fortresses that have been established in us (1 Cor. 10:4~5). Second, we think on all the good things that God has done and is doing in and around us (Phil. 4:8).

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This week we will do an intense dive into what it can look like for a follower of Jesus to TAKE the word of God (Eph. 6:17). In today`s age it`s easy to get caught in the trap of being very superficial. We have superficial social media connections, we interact with important news events quite superficially because the news shifts to something else so quickly, and many of our real relationships can be reduced to being superficial as the pace and hurry of life doesn`t allow us to really spend quality time with our loved ones.

In order to stand and resist in our evil day, Paul tells us to TAKE the word of God! No one else can do this for us. Either we do it, or it just doesn`t happen. In this message we explore 5 ways to TAKE God`s word into ourselves: hearing it, reading it, memorizing it, studying it and meditating on it. Our prayer for you is that this message will not end once our time together is done. Our hope is that you will begin a new journey or revive an old one to engage with God through his word. In doing so you will arm yourself to resist the devil`s attacks by putting on God`s armor.

Paul draws his thoughts and counsel on God`s armor to the believers in Ephesus to a close. In doing so he advises them to pray! He is making a vital and definite connection between the two. If you want to experience God`s armor more and more try putting more emphasis onto your prayer times each day. 

Paul is not too important to ask for prayer and support from the believers. Do you have some who you are willing to open up to about what you are struggling with? Some who can support you in prayer? Paul encourages us through his example to fight through prayer, to stand through prayer, to take God`s armor through prayer. Make it a critical part of your Christian walk.