Clothed and Ready

                                          Sunday School Lesson

                                            

Lesson: Ephesians 6:10-20                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  When a new recruit is inducted into the military, he’s issued the clothing and special equipment that he will need to carry out his duties.  No soldier is expected to bring his own rifle and ammunition from home.  Whatever he needs is provided by the government.  Christians are soldiers in the army of the Lord.  God does not expect us to wage spiritual warfare using our own weapons.  In fact, the battles we fight cannot be won in our strength.  We need to use the resources that Christ has provided for us.  This week’s lesson reveals the strength that is available to us in Christ.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  The church at Ephesus was founded in 53 A.D. on Paul’s return to Jerusalem from his Second Missionary journey.  He returned a year later on his Third Missionary trip, and stayed there for three years, preaching and teaching with great effectiveness (see Acts 19:1-20).  As a result, he became very close to them.  A few years later, Paul was sent as a prisoner to Rome.  While in prison, mainly under house arrest, Paul wrote this letter to the church and sent it by Tychichus.  The letter does not address any heresy or confront any specific problems; instead it is a letter of encouragement.  In chapter 1, Paul outlined God’s purpose in choosing a people for Himself, a people that might be to the praise of His glory.  He then related the steps by which God is fulfilling that purpose (see chapters 2-3).  In chapter 4:1through 5:20, Paul discussed practical aspects of the believer’s walk with Christ; this was followed by instructions in personal relationships (see chapter 5:21-6:9).  He then turned to the spiritual battle believers are engaged in which begins our lesson text. 
III. OUR CHALLENGE (Ephesians 6:10).  Our first verse says “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”  With the word “Finally,” Paul reached the conclusion to his letter and points back to all that he had admonished earlier in the epistle.  He begins the final section of this letter with a general exhortation to his readers: “my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”  The words “my brethren” indicate the closeness Paul shared with these believers. The phrase “be strong in the Lord” is in the Greek present tense and has the meaning of “be made strong.”  It’s clear that the believer cannot strengthen himself.  Our own strength is totally inadequate for the challenge, or battle that lies ahead.  Therefore, we must constantly draw upon the Lord for strength.  Each of us must find our strength daily “in the Lord.”  When we constantly seek the Lord’s strength daily, we also receive “the power of his might.”  Paul literally told the Ephesians to be empowered by the Lord rather than try to fight the battle on their own.  The almighty God is the infinite source of power for His people. 
IV. OUR ENEMIES (Ephesians 6:11-12)
A.  Prepare for combat (Ephesians 6:11).  Paul continued to say in this verse “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”  Christians are not called to comfort, but to combat.  The spiritual battle that we fight is real so Paul indicated the urgency to be prepared for it with the command to “Put on the whole armour of God.”  The words “put on” mean to “make use” of the complete armor that God provides for His people in their struggles against the devil.  Note:  Paul may have gotten the imagery of putting on armor from the Roman soldiers while he was in prison.  He used this well-known picture to illustrate the spiritual armor that God provides for His people in their struggles against the devil.  But it’s also possible that Paul may have gotten the imagery of the armor of God from the Old Testament.  In Isaiah 59:17, God Himself is described as putting on “righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head.”  The point here is that the spiritual conflict going on in the world is God’s battle before it’s ours.  God battles against the forces of evil; we are merely enlisted in His army.  If God Himself can be described as wearing armor, how much more do we need to make use of it!   Paul went on to say that we put on the armor supplied by God so that we “may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”  The “devil” is cited as the specific enemy we face.  The word “devil” means “slanderer” or “false accuser” (see Revelation 12:10).  The devil or Satan, is an angel who in pride rebelled against God (see Isaiah 14:12-17).  As a supernatural being, supernatural help is needed to fight him and his army of fallen angels.  The devil’s arsenal is called his “wiles” which refers to his schemes and cunning craftiness.  He is both strong and crafty and very often attacks us in subtle ways like spreading suspicion, disharmony, and false doctrines among Christians.  Sometimes the devil uses deceit, as he did with Eve (see Genesis 3:1-6; I Timothy 2:14), to snare unsuspecting believers.  For this reason, God’s people need to be equipped with God’s armor to stand against all such devices.     
B. Know your enemy (Ephesians 6:12).  In this verse, Paul said “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  One of the basics of military readiness is an accurate knowledge of the enemy.  We can’t stand our ground effectively unless we know who the enemy is.  In the same sense, we can’t stand against the devices the enemy uses unless we are aware of those devices.  First, Paul was clear about who the believer’s enemy was not.  He said “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood.”  Although Paul’s readers no doubt faced hostility from human authorities and others, they needed to know that their real battle was not “against flesh and blood” or human beings.  If we focus on human beings as the source of our struggles, we will end up fighting the wrong enemy and play into the hands of the real enemy.  Our main enemies are not evil people, but evil spiritual beings.  Paul gives a summary of the menacing forces gathered against us.  Both “principalities” and “powers” refer to authoritative figures within the demonic realm.  The word translated “rulers” was often used for those who desired world control.  Paul’s description of these demonic forces as “rulers of the darkness of this world” may serve as a reminder for  believers to be alert against demonic forces pretending to be messengers of light (see II Corinthians 11:14).  Unfortunately, Christians can be suckered into seemingly worthy causes that cover up a hidden agenda of evil.  The phrase “spiritual wickedness in high places” probably refers to those demons who affect people in high places to commit the vilest acts of immorality.  All of these evil forces are to be considered our enemies, but they cannot take control of people’s lives without receiving God’s permission (see I John 4:4).
V. OUR DEFENSE (Ephesians 6:13-17)
A. The purpose for the armor (Ephesians 6:13).  Having issued the challenge to God’s people to be strong and describing who the enemy is, Paul here says “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  The apostle essentially repeated his exhortation he gave in verse 11, saying “take unto you the whole armour of God.”  The only way to triumph in the battle is to take and put on the entire armor of God.  Each believer has to “take” the whole armor of God for himself.  God gives this responsibility to each believer.  He won’t put the armor on for us.  Neither can anyone else put it on for us.  The fact is that if we don’t put this armor on ourselves, it won’t be put on.  The purpose of putting on the armor was so that we “may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  The words “withstand” and “stand” are used here as military terms that speak of holding one’s position.  “Withstand” has the idea of standing one’s ground against an onslaught.  This onslaught comes “in the evil day” which seems to refer to any time Satan’s attack become most severe.  The phrase “having done all” refers not only to being prepared for Satan’s attacks, but also how much resistance we show during the attacks.  When we have done all we can, and made our preparations by putting on the armor of God, we are then ready “to stand” or hold our position.
B. Equipped to stand (Ephesians 6:14-15).
1. (vs. 14).  In this verse Paul says “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.”  Paul repeated the command to “stand” their ground and then went on to describe the preparations needed to do this.  He would now explain the armor he had already mentioned.  Notice that the spiritual armor is not merely an attitude adjustment; it includes definite elements or qualities that we are to take hold of.  Each quality of spiritual armor is illustrated by a specific item of armor from a Roman soldier’s equipment that is needed for Christian warfare.  The Roman soldier put on his gear for combat in an orderly fashion and Paul described each piece in the order in which they would normally be put on.  First, Paul said we are to have our “loins girt about with truth.”  This refers to the girdle or belt to which everything else was attached.  It was tightly worn around the “loins” or waist.  A roman soldier’s belt held his tunic in place and gave him freedom of movement.  Throughout Scripture the idea of girding is seen as a preparatory work for anything that must involve much action (see Luke 17:8; Acts 12:8).  Paul calls this belt “truth” which can refer to both the truthfulness and integrity of the Christian as well as the truth of God’s Word.  In both cases, a commitment to truth is crucial if the believer is to stand against the attacks of Satan.  Note:  In one sense the girdle or belt was not really a part of the armor, and yet it was so very essential to the armor that warfare was really impossible without it.  The girdle was the belt to which everything else was attached.  It was worn tightly around the waist.  The second piece we are to put on is the “breastplate of righteousness.”  Many understand this righteousness to refer to practical righteousness or doing what is right that should characterize the believer’s life.  But no person can stand against Satan in his own righteousness.  Therefore, righteousness here more likely refers to the righteousness of God, which is imputed to believers as a result of Christ’s sacrifice (see II Corinthians 5:21).  Those who stand in the righteousness of Christ are protected in the battle.          
2. (vs. 15).   In this verse Paul goes on to say “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”  The third piece of armor is the footgear.  Roman soldiers wore leather sandals designed to be lightweight, but at the same time they had spike-like nails in the soles that provided good traction even in difficult conditions.  Likewise, believers are to have secure footing spiritually by having their “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”  In order for a soldier to stand firm against an enemy, he must have firm footing.  It’s called the “gospel of peace” because it’s the good news of Christ’s salvation and brings us peace with God (see Romans 5:1).  Resting in the peace God gives us, allows us to remain calm in the midst of satanic assaults.   As Christian soldiers go into battle, they have the secure footing of the gospel message that they have experienced and now proclaim that Christ’s death has provided the means for peace with God.  God’s peace also allows us to stand firm when we share the “gospel of peace” with a lost world.
C.  Equipped to resist (Ephesians 6:16-17).
1. (vs. 16).  Now Paul says “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”  The shield carried by the Roman soldier was about four feet high and over two feet wide.  It was designed to protect the whole body.  Paul likened the “shield of faith,” the fourth piece of Christian armor, to the Roman soldier’s shield used for overall protection against the arrows of the enemy.  Among the many tactics military commanders used in first century warfare was having their archers launch flaming arrows in an attempt to start fires and to spread panic among the opposition.  In a similar way, the devil turns up the heat on Christians trying to make them turn back from advancing the gospel.  But remember, there is no armor for the back because the believer should never retreat.  To quench the fiery darts, God has given Christians the “shield of faith.”  As Hebrews chapter 11 teaches, faith takes God at His word, despite discouraging circumstances.  Faith in God deflects and extinguishes the doubts hurled at us by the devil.  By faith, Christians can proceed steadfastly in the cause of Christ with full confidence that the Lord will bring to pass what He has promised.
2. (vs. 17).  Continuing, Paul said in this verse “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  The fifth piece of God’s armor is “the helmet of salvation.”  Roman helmets were made of bronze with leather attachments, providing complete protection for the head.  Christians are to “take” or receive the “helmet of salvation” from God.  For the Christian, salvation must be received from God because it cannot be gained by human effort or works.  Satan never stops trying to cause us to question our commitment to God and His commitment to us.  When we are convinced that we are truly saved and cannot be eternally harmed by the enemy, our salvation becomes a helmet for the head in times of spiritual battle.  The sixth and final piece of God’s armor that we are to take is “the sword of the Spirit.”  Paul, most likely had in mind the short, two-edged sword used by a Roman soldier for cutting and thrusting.  It was an ideal weapon for close combat.  “Sword of the Spirit” means the sword provided by the Spirit.  Of course this is true since the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit (see II Timothy 3:16).  The sword itself is identified as “the word of God.”  The Roman soldier was trained in the expert use of his sword, so the believer must also become an expert in the Scriptures so that he can use them as God intended.  Just as Christ used the Word of God to counter the temptations of Satan (see Matthew 4:1-11), so Christians must use the Bible as we confront the attacks of the evil one.  Note:  The Greek term for “word” here is not logos which speaks of God’s Word as a whole, but rhema which speaks of individual words or statements.  Therefore, the emphasis here is on the specific use of applicable scriptural statements.  In other words, when we are under spiritual attack we must be ready to use specific truths and promises of the Bible to combat the enemy.  Whatever way Satan attacks us, we must do as Jesus did and use a specific Scripture against him that addresses the attack Satan is bringing.  Then we can with confidence say “It is written…”
VI. OUR DUTY (Ephesians 6:18-20)
A. Praying and watching for each other (Ephesians 6:18).  In this verse Paul went on to say “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”  Having completed his description of the believer’s spiritual armor, Paul now focused on the action a spiritually equipped Christian must take.  The action believers are to take after putting on the whole armor of God is “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”  This is important because prayer puts us in touch with our Heavenly Father, the commander of His army.  A well-equipped soldier is doomed to fail if he has no communication with his commanding officer in order to receive instructions.  For the Christian soldier, this means “Praying always” or being engaged in persistent, continual prayer.  The term “always” refers to praying at every occasion.  The phrase “with all prayer and supplication” indicates being thorough in praying for different needs.  “Prayer” is a general word for addressing God and “supplication” refers to specific requests made to Him.  However, in order for prayer to be effective in the struggle against evil, it must be done “in the Spirit.”  This means that effective prayer must be done with the Holy Spirit’s help and in agreement with His will.  The Bible is true, we really don’t know what we ought to pray for on our own; we need the help of the Holy Spirit, who makes “intercession for us” (see Romans 8:26-27).  Paul also said that in our prayers we also need to be “watching thereunto with all perseverance.”  The word “watching” means that we are to be alert and aware not only of the enemy and his schemes, but also of the needs of other “saints” or believers when we pray.  The word “perseverance” means that we must never let anything hinder our prayers or cause us to stop entering “supplication (special requests) for all saints.”  Prayer should not be self-centered.  We are called upon to pray for “all saints.”  Like soldiers who are each part of an army, believers are each part of a larger body, the church.  Victory cannot be achieved in spiritual warfare without the support, encouragement, and especially the prayers of our fellow believers.  There should be no limits to the areas of our prayer concerns. 
B. Praying for Paul (Ephesians 6:19-20).
1. (vs. 19).  In this verse Paul said “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.”  Paul singled himself out as one who was in special need of prayer.  The words “And for me” are a continuation from the previous verse when the apostle appealed to his readers to pray for all saints.  He too, was in the heat of spiritual battle and wanted to be included with those who needed prayer.  Paul was waiting for his appeal to be heard by the Roman emperor (see Acts 25:11).  He was well aware that it was possible for him to be intimidated when he came before the emperor.  Notice that Paul didn’t ask prayers for his release.  He requested that the saints pray that “utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly.”  In other words, he wanted to be able to speak boldly when he was given the opportunity to declare his commitment to Christ.  He desired boldness so that he would be able “to make known the mystery of the gospel.”  The phrase “mystery of the gospel” was the revelation that salvation by grace would bring everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, into one body, the church (see Ephesians 3:1-7).  Until apostolic times the idea that both Jews and Gentiles would make up the body of Christ was a mystery.  A “mystery” was something that was once hidden but now revealed in God’s Word.  Paul knew that he would have a golden opportunity to make the gospel known to Caesar.  He needed prayer support to strengthen him so that fear would not cause him to squander the opportunity.
2. (vs. 20).  Paul continued to say in our final verse “For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”  The words, “For which” refers back to the mystery of the gospel mentioned in the previous verse.  Paul was saying that because of the gospel, “I am an ambassador in bonds.”  As a prisoner, he was “in bonds” or in chains.  But at the same time, in reality he was “an ambassador” or special messenger for Christ sent on God’s official business (see Acts 19:21).  God had called Paul to share His message of the gospel to the world, even to the emperor himself.  Although the Roman government treated him as a mere criminal, Paul knew that God had actually given him a high calling (se Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1).  The phrase “that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” was Paul’s way of saying that as a messenger for God, who was in chains, he needed the prayers of the saints to be able to speak boldly as he should speak.  Note:  No doubt Paul was here referring to his upcoming trial at which time he desired to make a clear presentation of the gospel of Christ.  Despite his “bonds” he was an ambassador for the gospel.  He saw his trial as an arena to defend his claims that Jesus Christ is Lord.  For that reason he repeated his desire to be able to speak boldly as he should.  We should follow Paul’s example, using whatever opportunities God gives us to present His message of reconciliation to lost sinners with boldness.  We should also follow his instruction in persistently praying for fellow believers in their opportunities to speak up for Christ.  If we are faithful in these things, we will see victory.     
                                 
VII. Conclusion.  This week’s lesson has presented a very familiar text to most Christians.  It’s the wonderful word picture of the armor of a Roman soldier prepared for battle.  Everyone to whom Paul wrote would have known what Paul was talking about.  Today, we know from pictures how the Roman soldier was clothed, and the truths this passage teaches are precious to anyone who has gone through any battles in life. We already have this armor of God.  It was given to us by the Lord Jesus when we trusted Him as our Saviour and Lord.  When the Scripture says we should put it on, this means that we become aware that we have it, claim it as our own, and face our demanding life situations knowing we have God’s provision and protection for victory. Yes, the whole armor of God will protect us from the enemy of our souls.