Introduction
We’ve
just gone through an extremely contentious election here in America that has
left the country quite divided. This is nothing new, of course, when there is a
two-party or multiple-party political environment. However, I sensed something
very different taking place even before the highly publicized campaign season
hit its stride. I sensed that there was a calculated effort to divide the
country. Not along the lines of political ideology but along lines where
division is unnatural and destructive. Some political leaders along with their
political operatives recognized that it was easier to consolidate their power
within smaller groups than it was within the larger populous. How was this
accomplished? Division! Women were pitted against men with the “war on women”
offensive. All non-whites where turned against whites with the liberal use of
the “racism” card. The rich, pejoratively described as the “millionaires and
billionaires,” were demonized consistently as victimizing the poor by building
their wealth on the backs of the poor. Toward the end of the campaign, even
children were shamefully used to blame their parents for all the ills of our
country. Anyone who wasn’t supportive of the gay-rights agenda and same-sex
marriage was labeled a “homophobe.” The elderly were constantly warned that
those who were younger believed they were a strain on the financial system and
might have to forfeit their social security and medical benefits. Union bosses
fanned embers of hatred always present between its unionized constituency and
management. And these were just a few of the divisions that were identified and
manipulated. Political strategists might look at this and see an effective
strategy but I see something deeply troubling and evil. We were not meant to be
divided along any of these lines. This is not division based on ideas which
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 doesn’t
create hate. As I said before, differing ideas are the result of uniquely
created human beings. Instead, We Are At
War 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 and slaves (See previous
post—Title: The Power of Love and
Submission; Label: Pastoral Care; Date: 11/14/12). In the context of Paul’s
teaching about unity in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul uses a military
illustration to make the point that We
Are At War and that is the basis of this week’s lesson.
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. Although Paul’s
instruction in our subject text is certainly applicable in all areas of life,
let’s make sure to remember that Paul is using it in the context of his
instructions to the Ephesians on unity. Let’s now take a close look at 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 wearing
the full armor of God is so that 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 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 while at the same time including
specific events of evil in the life of 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 defense 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 my 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. “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 all 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. We
Are At War! Therefore, 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, that is, 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 blacks, lies that say if
we are poor 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. It is interesting to
note that 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 We Are At War but not against flesh and
blood and 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 created division. Until Jesus’ return, the battle
rages on—We Are At War!
[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.
