Move…In Love Ephesians 6:10-20 August 26, 2018
- Oh, how it seems like the Evil One is always on our tail, always at our side, seeking to entice us into destructive behaviors. Flip Wilson’s “The Devil Made Me Do It” skit with “Geraldine.”
- From experience, we know we cannot resist the path of darkness on our own. We need a mightier power than we can summons on our own. We need what Paul calls the full armor of God. We are presented with this coat of arms upon salvation, upon giving our lives to God in Christ.
- Wesleyan way of salvation: God’s grace and your surrender = salvation
- Verse 10: “YOU BE strong in the Lord.” How do we be strong in the Lord? Surrender
- Examples of Surrender
- 2 Cor. 12:9 “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’”
- Moses in Exodus 4:10-15, “O, Lord, I am not eloquent.
- Isa 40:29-31 “He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases.”
- The great American sage Ralph Waldo Emerson put it like this in his essay The Over-Soul: From within or from behind, a Light shines through us upon things, and makes us aware we are nothing, but the Light is all.
- Grace is amazing! It takes the pressure off. Victory is already won. Our salvation, our salve, our healing, is secured. We have nothing to prove, nothing to earn on our own. No more puffing ourselves up, or blaming others. We just surrender and then go about our work. Jesus often says to his disciples: Do not be a afraid. Now go…Peace be with you. I send you. And because of this grace we can move through life with a calm cheerfulness. Having surrendered and always receiving God’s grace in greater and greater supply, we can put on the full armor of God. The armor of God what gives the Christian that assurance, that calm cheerfulness, that allows us to comport ourselves with dignity, patience and without fear.
- Story of Wesley and the Moravians aboard ship being tossed about the Atlantic Ocean. John Wesley was onboard a ship bound for the Georgia colony in early 1736 when a ferocious storm shredded the main sail and flooded the decks. Many of the English passengers aboard screamed in terror that they would soon be swallowed by the deep. But a group of Moravian missionaries from Germany calmly sang throughout the squall. They were unafraid of death.
- Yet, we are also tempted by darkness, by death, by the realization that it is appointed unto men once to die ( 9:27), to leave the place of surrender and chase after things of the world before our time runs out: power, possessions and privilege. Our impending deaths create a spiritual warring within us that we must be watchful of, aware of. This darkness is a corrupting influence that seeks to entice us away from surrender and calm cheerfulness of the Christian life to a place of unquenchable desire. Last week we learn the biblical word for this unquenchable desire is debauchery, which literally means to be enticed away from one’s work at hand.
- Paul dealt with this in his life. He writes in Romans 7:21, “I find then a law, when I would do good, evil is present with me.”
- To overcome this temptation, we must always be surrendering to grace. This is an active, mindful decision. It is called consecrating ourselves to the Lord. Samuel Powell writes, “Consecration is another name for our desire to live in the way that agrees with God’s grace.” This is our part. WE must put on the armor of God gifted to us by God’s grace through Christ Jesus. The armor is no good if we don’t put it on. God’s grace is of no use if we do not surrender to it.
- The full armor of God is God’s sufficient grace in action. It is what happens when we employ the “therefore” of our Christian walk of which Paul speaks of earlier in Ephesians.
- Belt of Truth: Aletheia. Reality, opposite of illusion. Truth that you are a child of God; Indwelt with the Divine; Vessel of eternity
- Breastplate of Righteousness: Dikaiosune. Divine justice; integrity; purity of heart; do the right thing.
- Readiness of feet that comes from the Gospel of Peace: Preparation; discipline; focus; prayer life; affirmation of life.” How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns” (Isa. 52:7); Not a negative Nelly.
- Shield of faith: Belief; confidence in God’s goodness; Walk through life confidently, knowing, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28); It is our first defense against the flaming arrows.
- Helmet of Salvation: Soteriou; Rescue, safety, deliverance; Keep on your mind heavenly things. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil. 4:8). Stay out of the gutter, negativity, whiny mealy-mouth.
- Sword of the Spirit: Pneumatos. God’s breath. The Wind. Referred to in the Scriptures as a gift, pouring forth, bringing wisdom, directs us, opens our eyes, brings newness. This is our offense against the darkness of the world. Through the Spirit the love and power of our Trinitarian God pours out through us into the world to make is a brighter place.
- Finally, Paul comes back to prayer. Pray in the Spirit. Prayer keeps the armor of God fastened and tight. Keeps us alert, watchful, and mindful that we are all fighting the same battle. So Paul says to pray for all the Lord’s people.
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