Biblical Places Spiritual Spaces Ephesus

Our identity to God is firmly established. We are gladly chosen by Him to become members of His Family and our sins which used to separate us from a personal relationship with Him are forever washed away.

 Regardless of how we feel at any given moment, or what others tell us, this is our reality as determined by the Creator of this universe.

 He has told us what is to come when all things will be brought under the control and authority of Jesus our King, whom we have personal contact through His Holy Spirit who dwells inside our spirit souls, which was given to us now so that we would experience God in a manner like never before, providing proof that all these concepts are very real.

But why would God choose to do these things? What is behind the curtain of this dimension that is bigger picture that we are now part of? How can we comprehend the full extent of this miraculous event in our lives?

How we were.

What God did.

Why He did what He did.

¹ And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, ² in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. ³ Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Principle: We were spiritually dead before received Jesus as our Lord.

Dead: nekrós; a corpse. a dead person, dead body, corpse. Figuratively, those dead to Christ and His gospel, meaning spiritually dead.

Our former lives were channeled by two forces:

The evil that is resident in our world:

Course of this world: aiṓn; Age, referring to an age or time in contrast to kósmos, referring to people or space. Denotes duration or continuance of time, but with great variety; an indefinitely long period or lapse of time, perpetuity, ever, forever, eternity; The present world, with its cares, temptations, and desires; the idea of evil, both moral and physical, being everywhere implied

And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world (aion) and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Matthew 13:22

  And Satan, the one to whom mankind gave authority over this world.

Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.  And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.   And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus. 12:7-9, 17

In the midst of this oppressive atmosphere, God decided to act:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ

Rich: ploúsios; wealth, abundance, riches. Rich, wealthy. Figuratively meaning happy, prosperous, lacking nothing.

Even though we did not deserve anything from God, on His own choosing, because of His love for us, He adopted us into His family and promoted us into positions of responsibility and purpose.

⁷ so that in the ages (aion) to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Principle: We are part of a grand strategy of God to demonstrate his character to others in the ages that come next.

John's Church in Ephesus 

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 Principle: Religion is based on our own righteousness that we achieve through our obedience to the rules therefore making ourselves acceptable to God. Christianity declares that there is nothing righteous in us and that salvation is a gift from God, free to us but very costly to Him.

¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Prepared beforehand: proetoimázō; to make ready. To prepare beforehand. In the NT equivalent to predestinate, to appoint before; The only two times this verb is used in the NT, it is used of God's foreordaining for good, referring to glory and to good works.

Walk: peripatéō; contracted peripatṓ, fut. peripatḗsō, from perí (G4012), about, and patéō (G3961), to walk. To_tread or walk about, generally to walk; dependent or attached to a place or manner.  Figuratively, to live or pass one's life, always with an adjunct of manner or circumstances,

Principle: Before the creation of Earth, God had a plan for bringing humanity into his family that includes specific things that each of us are assigned to do. We have a Divine purpose and destiny on our lives.

Principle: God has a specific purpose for our lives here on Earth and in the Ages to come.

 The Story of the Hebrew Scripture is God taking a wandering people onto the land bridge between Africa, Asia and Europe where they would be a witness of God, His character and His love to all the other residents of those continents and others across the oceans. Paul explains how this impacts his Greek and Roman friends.

¹¹ Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— ¹² remember that you were at that time separate from Christ,  excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

 ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near  by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, ¹⁵  by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might  make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. ¹⁷ AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; ¹⁸ for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

 ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, ²¹  in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:11-22

 Principle: God has created a community of sons and daughters from every culture on Earth. We are like a building with Jesus as the Cornerstone.

The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone.
²³ This is the LORD’S doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
²⁴ This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:22-24

Principle: Christianity is the most inclusive movement in human history, inviting those of all races and ethnic groups to share in His Glory and participate in his rule of the Universe.

Ephesian Cats being fed at John's Church

Chapter 3

​¹ For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— ² if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; ³  that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. ⁴  By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; ⁶ to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, ⁷  of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

Paul understands his source of ministry and one of the reasons why God chose both Greeks and Gentiles to be part of His Family.

 ⁸ To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; ¹⁰ so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and  confident access through faith in Him. ¹³ Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
 

Manifold: polupoíkilos;  diverse, various, multi- colored. Manifold, multifarious, greatly diversified, abounding in variety.

 Principle: There are others watching the drama that is taking place on Earth. Angelic beings and perhaps other created beings are witnessing the result of the rebellion in Heaven that is being played out on Earth. What God has chosen to do with mankind is demonstrating God full spectrum wisdom to those watching.

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
²⁰  Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, ²¹  to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

Comprehend: katalambánō; to take. To apprehend, attain, obtain, find. To lay hold of, seize, with eagerness, suddenness. In allusion to the public games, to obtain the prize with the idea of eager and strenuous exertion, to grasp, seize upon, Figuratively, to seize with the mind, to comprehend.

God's love for us is Four Dimensional:

Breadth: There is no sin that will keep you out of the Family of God- all is forgiven!

Length: God's love continues throughout Eternity- it never ends.

Height: God's Love takes us to the throne room of the universe where we are seated with Christ above all others!

Depth: God's Love for us took Him into the depth of Hell to pay for our sins.

 Because of all these concepts in chapter 1 thru 3,  Paul now turns to the practical application:

The Walk of a Follower of Jesus

 Principle: Life with God is described as a path which we are walking, step by step, through this life.

 ​¹ How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the  path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night. Psalms 1:1-2

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall observe it to the end.
³⁴  Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law
And keep it with all my heart.
³⁵ Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it. Psalms 119:33-35

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. Psalms 119:105

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
¹⁹ The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they  stumble.
²⁰ My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹  Do not let them depart from your sight;
Keep them in the midst of your heart.
²² For they are life to those who find them
And health to all their body.
²³ Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
²⁴ Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.
²⁵ Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
²⁶  Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
²⁷  Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:18-27

For centuries, philosophers, gurus, prophets and enlightened leader have tried to shown us the way to God, and to true life.

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”

 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:5-6

Way: hodós;. Way. (I) In respect to place, a way, highway, road, street. Metonymously of Jesus as the way, i.e., the author and medium of access to God and eternal life

 Jesus invites us to follow Him on His Way

Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:18-19

The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” John 1:43

 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;  and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. John 10:27-28

If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; John 12:26

²³ And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. Luke 9:23-24

Follow: akolouthéō; attendant, follower, a way. To attend, to accompany, to go with or follow a teacher. The individual calling to follow Jesus involved abiding fellowship with Him, not only for the sake of learning as a scholar from his teacher, but also for the sake of the salvation known or looked for which presented itself in such fellowship.

The first thing involved in following Jesus is a cleaving to Him in believing trust and obedience. Those cleaving to Him must also follow His leading and act according to His example. Hence constant stress is laid by the Lord Jesus upon the need of self-denial and fellowship of the cross. Following Jesus thus denotes a fellowship of faith as well as a fellowship of life, sharing in His sufferings not only inwardly, but outwardly if necessary. Such outward fellowship with Jesus, however, could not continue without inner moral and spiritual fellowship, without a life resembling His and a self-denying sharing of His cross.  Complete Word Study Dictionary, Spiros Zodhiates

Letter to the Ephesians Chapter 4

¹ Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, ³ being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Walk: peripatéō; to walk. To tread or walk about, generally to walk. Figuratively, to live or pass one's life, always with a connection or awareness of manner or circumstances. 

Principle: We are to live out the steps of our lives with a humble and gentle attitude, being patient and tolerant of others, doing nothing to separate ourselves from our fellow members of God’s Family.

 ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵  one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Principle: We are all united together with the same promise of eternal life, under the kingship of Jesus, having faith that He paid the price for our sins and declares us righteous, who has given us a divine purpose to life.

⁷ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

⁸ Therefore it says,
“WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”
⁹ (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)

 The writer of Proverbs expresses a similar thought:

Who has ascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name or His son’s name?
Surely you know! Proverbs 30:4

Grace: cháris; to rejoice. Grace, particularly that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification, favor, acceptance, for a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude. A favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor.

Cháris, when received by faith, transforms man and causes him to love and to seek after the righteousness of God. Cháris is initially regeneration, the work of the Holy Spirit in which spiritual life is given to man and by which his nature is brought under the dominion of righteousness. The maintenance of this condition requires an unbroken and immense supply of grace. Grace remains constant in, and basic to, a believer's fight without against the devil and his struggle within against sin. Renewal is stimulated and impelled by God's illuminating and strengthening of the soul, and will continue and increase so long as the soul perseveres. God's grace insures that those who have been truly regenerated will persevere until the end of life. This entire work is called sanctification, a work of God "whereby we are renewed in the whole man and are enabled more and more to die daily unto sin and to live unto righteousness" as is stated by the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Complete Word Study Dictionary, Spiros Zodhiates

¹¹ And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, ¹²  for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the  knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

 ¹⁴  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; ¹⁵ but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Apostle: apóstolos; to send, one sent, ambassador. to act as an ambassador (2 Cor. 5:20; Eph. 6:20). The messenger or ambassador. The Lord chose the term apóstoloi to indicate the distinctive relation of the Twelve Apostles whom He chose to be His witnesses because in Class. Gr. the word was seldom used. Therefore, it designates the office as instituted by Christ to witness of Him before the world. However, the denomination seems from the very beginning to have been applied, in a much wider sense, to all who ministered as colleagues of the Twelve and bore witness of Christ, such as Paul, Barnabas, Andronicus and Junias.

Prophet: prophḗtēs; In the NT prophḗtēs corresponds to the person who in the OT spoke under divine influence and inspiration. This included the foretelling future events or the exhorting, reproving, and threatening of individuals or nations as the ambassador of God and the interpreter of His will to men. Hence the prophet spoke not his own thoughts but what he received from God, retaining, however, his own consciousness and self-possession. Specifically of those who possessed the prophetic gift or charisma imparted by the Holy Spirit.

Evangelist: euaggelistḗ to evangelize. One who declares the good news. A preacher of the gospel. He was often not located in any particular place but traveled as a missionary to preach the gospel and establish churches. Paul lists the five kinds of ministers which have been given by Christ to His Church with evangelists being third: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. The first three of these were itinerant ministers, apostles, prophets and evangelists, who were preaching wherever they found an opportunity, while pastors and teachers were attached to some congregation or location.

Pastor: poimḗn; Shepherd, one who generally cares for flocks.

Teacher: didáskalos; to teach. Instructor, master, teacher. They are to be viewed as in a special sense acquainted with and interpreters of God's salvation. To them fell the duty of giving progressive instruction of God's redeeming purpose, a function which, according to Eph. 4:11, may have been united with poimḗn, pastor, in one person; included not only those men who held the office of teacher but also those endowed with the teaching gift who ministered in an unofficial capacity.

Equipping: katartismós; to make fully ready. Perfection or completion.

Work: érgon; Work, performance, the result or object of employment, making or working. Labor, business, employment, something to be done. Generally; of the work which Jesus was sent to fulfill on earth. The work of the Father which He gave Christ to do, which He began and left to be continued by His disciples, e.g., the cause of Christ, the gospel-work.

Service: diakonía; deacon, servant. Service, attendance, ministry. Service towards a master or guest, at table or in hospitality. Ministry, ministration; Diakonía involves compassionate love towards the needy within the Christian community. Every business, every calling, so far as its labor benefits others, is a diakonía. Therefore, diakonía is an office or ministration in the Christian community viewed with reference to the labor needed for others, both in the case of individuals, and generally as a total concept including all branches of service.

Building: oikodomḗ; a building up. The act of building, building as a process, also that which is built, the building. NT meanings: a building, edifice; edification, spiritual profit or advancement

Mature: téleios; goal, purpose. Finished, that which has reached its end, term, limit; hence, complete, full, wanting in nothing. Specifically of persons meaning full age, adulthood, full-grown, of persons, meaning full-grown in mind and understanding; in knowledge of the truth; in Christian faith and virtue.

Speaking the truth in love: alētheúō; real, actual, not counterfeit. To act genuinely, truly. In Eph. 4:15, the expression "speaking the truth in love" is alētheúontes, meaning to endeavor to express the truth in a loving manner.

Grow: auxánō, To grow, increase, to augment, to add to something. For someone or something to grow, it must be acted upon by an outside power or have the element of life within him or it. For example, the lilies grow (Matt. 6:28; Luke 12:27); the seed is grown (Matt. 13:32); the fruit comes from the seeds (Mark 4:8); the mustard seed grew to a tree. In all these instances, it was something living that could grow because of the element of life within it. This growth, however, was not because of any special ability of the seeds, but because of the quality of life so implanted by God Himself.

Joints: haphḗs, to connect, adjoin, apply. A joint by which other members of the body are connected together (Eph. 4:16). Indeed, the Lord joins us to His body (1 Cor. 12:13) and to each other, but every member must make its own contribution to the welfare of the whole body. Joints or parts of contact are very important among the members of Christ's body even as the joints are to the body (Col. 2:19). Spiritually, these joints receive their nourishment from the Head, Christ (Col. 1:18), but how we are joined together with other members of Christ's body affects the whole body of Christ, the Church.

Complete Word Study Dictionary, Spiros Zodhiates

Love: agape; to have love for someone or something, based on sincere appreciation and high regard. Louw Nida Greek English Lexicon

·         Agape refers to love for one with no other reason than who the person is.

·         Philia is a brotherly love which based on mutual respect, shared experiences and mutual interests, with a connotation of mutual benefit to one another.

·         Eros is a romantic, passionate love; that between a husband and wife.

·         Storge refers to familial love, the natural affection and loyalty between parents and children, as well as between siblings.

Principle: The goal for the Christian life is maturity, reflecting the character of Jesus, adopting and exercising his values and behavior.

Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. 1 Cor 14:20

We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. Col 1:28

 Therefore you are to be perfect (mature), as your heavenly Father is perfect Matthew 5:48

 How do we get there?

According to Paul’s description here, it is a joint effort between:

·         the indwelling Holy Spirit,

·         men and women who have been spiritually gifted to be ambassadors to places and people groups, proclaimers of God’s Words and Heart, compelling preachers of the Gospel, compassionate caregivers to the Body of Christ, and skilled teachers who understand the principles of the Bible in its cultural context and its modern practical application,

·         who all prepare God’s people for effective ministry of the discipleship efforts of the church along with compassionate service to the community through business, industry, farming, government service, medical care, education, and any other activity that benefits the entire community and individuals within.

·         Each individual plays his or her part, interacting with other members of the Christian community, providing the essential interaction that causes personal and communal growth of love in the Kingdom of God.

Because of your identity in Christ, and having an understanding of your calling and future, and with an understanding of the dynamics of personal and corporate growth to maturity, Paul now exhorts his friends in Ephesus

•          to recognize where they have come from and
•              what is their destination, and
• ·         how to stay on the path that will get them there.

¹⁷  So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸ being darkened in their understanding,  excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; ¹⁹ and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

This is the moral and spiritual state where you where when your received Christ as your Savior and Lord.

 ²⁰ But you did not learn Christ in this way, ²¹ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, ²² that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and put on the new self, which  in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Principle: The goal of the Christian life is to live in the new self, which is being created within you as you make each decision to abandon the morals and thinking of the old self.

 This is done in momentary decision to leave a self-centered life and begin to live another’s centered life, while being aware of the strategies of Satan to influence your thinking and behavior. Paul gives contrasting behavioral examples.

²⁵ Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.

 ²⁶  BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not give the devil an opportunity.

 ²⁸ He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

 ²⁹ Let no  unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

³⁰  Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

³¹  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³²  Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

 Old Self – New Self Contrasting Behaviors:

·         Don’t lie to one another but be truthful to those around you;

·         Don’t steal from others but work hard so that you can give to others;

·         Don’t use words that demean others but use your words to build up those around you.

·         Don’t be mean and angry and use nasty word to put down people but instead be compassionate and empathetic forgiving every offense that may come against you.

·         Don’t be ignorant of the spiritual world you live in! Know that Satan will do all he can to control you while the Holy Spirit, who loves us with strong emotion, will do all He can to strengthen you

​¹  Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; ² and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Principle: As God’s children, we are to imitate God’s other-centered, self-sacrificing love, which will bring Him great pleasure!

³ But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; ⁴ and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. ⁵ For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Immorality: porneía, to commit fornication or any sexual sin. Fornication, lewdness, or any sexual sin

Impurity: akatharsía; unclean. Uncleanness or filth in a natural or physical sense: moral uncleanness, lewdness, failure to restrain sexual appetite; any kind of uncleanness different from whoredom; any unnatural pollution, whether acted out by oneself, or with another.

Greed: pleonexía; Covetousness, greediness; Pleonexía is a larger term which includes love of money to hoard away, avarice. It is connected with extortioners & with thefts, with sins of the flesh.

Filthiness: aischrótēs; indecent. Impropriety, a summarizing improper conduct whether in action or word or even thought and intent; indecorum of any kind; conduct which when exposed by the light makes the person ashamed of himself; ugly, shameful conduct of any kind;

Silly Talk: mōrología; speaking foolishly; It is that type of speech which betrays a person as foolish.

Coarse Jesting: eutrapelía; Facetiousness, coarse wittiness, ribaldry,  a witty person, is sometimes used in a bad sense meaning a scoffer, a sneerer, or a coarse joker

Principle: If we are walking on the path of following Jesus, and consciously putting on the new self in our thinking and behavior, then our personal life should not include any of the above attitudes or behavior, which would cast doubt on our relationship with Christ.

 ⁶  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not be partakers with them; ⁸ for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light ⁹ (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), ¹⁰   trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹  Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even  expose them; ¹² for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. ¹³ But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. ¹⁴ For this reason it says,
“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.”
¹⁵ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, ¹⁶   making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

“Wisdom is your competency in regard to the complex realities of life”  Gerhard von Rad The Wisdom of Israel

“Wisdom is the ability to know the right thing to do in the 80% of situations where the moral rule don’t apply.” Tim Keller

 ¹⁷ So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

 Principle: The Bible is God’s revelation to mankind of His personality, values and plan for mankind.

 ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be (continually) filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; ²⁰  always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to  God, even the Father; ²¹   and be subject to one another in the  fear of Christ. Ephesians 4:1 - 5:21

 

Principle: Time is our most important resource. We should not waste this unrenewable resource on frivolous activity but allow the Holy Spirit to continuously fill us with His presence, desires, and power.

Principle: Cultivating the presence of God on a moment to moment basis is important for us to stay on the path.

Now Paul turns to how God’s grace and His calling affects our walk through the most significant relationships of human society. First the Family -- the husband & wife, father & mother & children relationships.

The family unit is God's foundation for human civilization. A  husband/father, with the wife/mother in a caring, loving, monogamous committed and intimate relationship with obedient children who will carry on God's plan to the next generation.

 And be subject to one another in the  fear of Christ. Ephesians 5:21

 ​subject: hupotássō, to place in order. To place under in an orderly fashion.

1) Active Voice. to subjugate, place in submission.

2) Middle Voice. hupotássomai, to subject oneself, place oneself in submission.

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

 From the Complete Word Study Dictionary:

In the relation of a wife to her husband: (1) Eph. 5:22; Col. 3:18; 1 Pet. 3:1, 5; Titus 2:5. In these verses the duty of the wife to submit herself to her own husband is clearly enunciated (Gal. 3:28; 1 Pet. 3:7). Although there is an ontological spiritual equality between men and women, there remain physical, positional and functional differences. There are designated functions for a husband and a wife which man cannot change because God has ordained them.

 Any endeavor to effect change will bring frustration, vanity, and emptiness (mataiótēs [G3153] in Rom. 8:20). God has made one woman to become a wife to one man, and she is so constituted by God Himself. But this is not due to her being inferior to her husband, for they are both equal before God.

 It is a willing personal subjection demonstrated in Eph. 5:21, "submitting yourselves [hupotassómenoi] one to another in the fear of God."

 The word translated "one to another" is allḗlois, in the pl. dat. indicating equality of all concerned. In society all humans, all men and women in various positions of leadership or following and dependence, are equal, yet their functions vary and their responsibilities are diverse. We are all equal before God and the laws of society, and yet we have varying functions and responsibilities.

If we accept certain functions under a fellow- human, we must subject ourselves to that individual to accomplish a common goal. So it is with a wife placing herself in the proper and divinely-fitted position under her husband. Only a wife can bear children, and to do this she must subject (hupotássetai) herself to her husband. The functions are equally important although different. And they are different not because we want them to be, but because God made them to be so.  Complete Word Study Dictionary, Spiros Zodhiates

 How is the church subject to Christ?

He is the provider; He has been given authority; Because of his sacrifice on the cross, he has been given the loyalty of the church. We partner with Him doing our part as He leads.

 Principle: Wives should understand the physical and emotional differences between man and woman and the equal stature each has before the Lord, with differing functions in the family, therefore voluntarily placing themselves under the authority of the husband for the benefit of the family unit.

²⁵  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ²⁶  so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. ²⁸ So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; ²⁹ for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of His body. ³¹  FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. ³² This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

How did Christ love the church?

He made himself as a sacrifice for the church. He did what the church needed, even though it cost him his life.

As Paul pointed out to his friends in Philippi:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but  emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8

Christ also nourished and cherished the church:

Nourish: ektréphō; to nourish, rear, feed. To nurture, rear, to bring up to maturity such as children; To nourish or cherish one's own flesh (Eph. 5:29)

Cherish: thálpō; To make warm, heat. In the NT, used figuratively meaning to cherish, nourish

Principle: Husbands are to feed, bring to maturity, and care for their wives in a warm, affectionate manner, considering their needs before his own.

³³ Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she  respects her husband.

Many surveys among Christian husband-wife couples ask the husband:

“Does your wife love you?” The answer is usually “Yes.”

The next question: “Does your wife like you?”

 Many husbands answer “No.”

“How do you know she doesn’t like you?”

“She doesn’t show me respect.”

Love: agapáō; To esteem, love, indicating a direction of the will and finding one's joy in something or someone.

Respect: phobéō; To put in fear, terrify, frighten. (II) Morally, to fear, reverence, honor (Eph. 5:33)

Principle: God has emotionally wired men and women differently to meet the assigned functions of the Family Unit. Women need to feel high esteem for who they intrinsically are, and not what they do from their husbands. Men need to have honor and reverence from their wives for their moral courage and willingness to give sacrificially of themselves to provide and protect their families.

​¹  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ²  HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), ³ SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.
⁴  Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 5:22 - 6:4

Obey: hupakoúō; to hear. To hearken, obey.
(I) To listen to something, hearken with stealth, stillness, or attention in order to answer.
(II) To yield to a superior command or force (without necessarily being willing).

Provoke: parorgízō; to anger, irritate. To provoke to anger, irritation or resentment.

Discipline: paideía; to instruct. Originally instruction of children. It evolved to mean chastening because all effectual instruction for the sinful children of men includes and implies chastening, correction.

In Eph 6:4, en paideía . . . kuríou means such training as the Lord approves.

By synecdoche, taking a part for the whole, it means correction, chastisement (Heb. 12:5, 7, 8, 11; Sept.: Prov. 3:11; 22:15). See nouthesía (G3559), which means instruction mainly by word, while paideía is by deed.

To be distinguished from kólasis (G2851), penal infliction, punishment and timōría (G5098), penalty, punishment which denote penal retribution while paideía speaks of correction, educative discipline.

Instruction: nouthesía; to admonish. Admonition, warning, exhortation (1 Cor. 10:11; Eph. 6:4; Titus 3:10). Nouthesía is any word of encouragement or reproof which leads to correct behavior. Paideía is instruction and training by act and discipline. Nouthesía is the milder term without which paideía would be incomplete.

In both words there is the appeal to the conscience, will, and reasoning faculties. Complete Word Study Dictionary, Spiros Zodhiates

Principle: In the family unit, where the husband is providing, protecting, and caring for his family in a sacrificial manner, children are obligated to follow the lead of their father and give attention the instruction and commands of their father, even when they don’t understand or want to submit their will to his.

Principle: Fathers should be diligent to know God’s morality, His values and principles for living on Earth and teach his children these things in a diligent manner sensitive to the varying personalities and needs of his children.

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him. Proverbs 22:15

Foolishness is different from childishness.

It is willful acts that show a lack of good sense, judgment, or discretion.

Children are immature and not knowledgeable of the realities of life and its consequences.

Regarding God’s morality, values and principles, fathers are instructed to:

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. ⁷  You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Now to the next most important relationships: The Marketplace

⁵  Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; ⁶  not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. ⁷ With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸  knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

⁹ And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. Ephesians 6:5-9

 There are some things to consider about slavery in the First Century:

• Slavery has existed in every human culture throughout history. It was only Christians in the 18^th and 19^th Century in England and the United States who took principles from the Bible and ended slavery in the British Empire and America.
• In Roman society, according to the Anchor Bible Dictionary and other historical sources, slavery was not ethnic or racial but often was voluntary with a time limit providing job security. Slaves were often captives from conquered peoples. Most slaves were valuable additions to homes and businesses and well cared for and eventually freed after the age of 30.
• Slaves had the same social and economic status as their masters with educational opportunities as free men, along with responsible positions of authority in business and government.
• The slave population of Roman cities has been estimated to be 25 to 40%, thus a very common element of society.

With all this in mind, let’s think of the word ‘slave’ as ‘employee’ and ‘master’ as ‘boss’.

Regarding ‘work’, Christianity has a very different view of manual labor than any world religion.

In the Creation account in Genesis, God is actively involved in work.

 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

​¹ Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. ² By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. Genesis 2:1-3

God is one who actively creates.

This is contrary to Greco-Roman, Middle Eastern and Asian accounts of the creation of Earth, where the gods abhorred work and created mankind to work for them.

God creates man and assigns him work to cultivate the garden:

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:27-28

Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Genesis 2:15

Cultivate: āḇaḏ: A verb meaning to work, to serve. This labor may be focused on things, other people, or God.

Principle: Our Creator Yahweh actively worked to create this world, and has assigned us to cultivate this planet in accordance with His design.

 When God appeared as a human on Earth, he also was a creator:

Jesus went out from there and came into  His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. ² When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? ³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” Mark 6:1-3

Carpenter: téktōn; to fabricate, to produce, bear, bring forth. An artificer, especially a worker in wood, a carpenter. A craftsman of wood; an artificer of iron; of brass, a chief constructor.

Thus work has the dignity assigned to it by God Himself, who involved Himself in work.

Principle: All work that benefits mankind has dignity and worth according to God. God provides for mankind through the efforts of men and women in agriculture, manufacturing, science, education, health care, and government.

This concept of the divine dignity of work and vocation revolutionized society during the Reformation and caused Western Culture to rapidly advance ahead of the rest of the world in all of these aforementioned fields of human endeavor.

Paul echoes these concepts of the workplace to his friends in Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea:

Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

 ²³ Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, ²⁴  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.

 It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

 ²⁵ For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.
​¹ Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven. Colossians 3:22 - 4:1

Principle: Employees should be obedient to their bosses as they are to Christ, following their lead sincerely, with whole hearted effort, as if they were serving Christ Himself.

Principle: Employers should treat their employees with dignity and respect, providing the best working conditions, fare wages, and constant affirmation as they would expect.

Now Paul shifts his attention to how we are to walk out our lives in the spiritual world that we live in.

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ¹¹  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against  flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Be Strong; endunamóō; to make strong, vigorous, to strengthen. Present Imperative tense- a command to do something in the future and involves continuous or repeated action.

Strength: krátos; Strength or might, more especially manifested power, dominion. Denotes the presence and significance of force or strength rather than its exercise.

Schemes: methodeía; to work by method. Method, the following or pursuing of an orderly and technical procedure in the handling of a subject. In the NT, connected with evil doing, a device, artifice, art, artificial method, craft or wile.

 Devil: diábolos; to accuse. A false accuser, used for the devil; One who falsely accuses and divides people without any reason. He is an accuser, a slanderer, the Devil; Satan is called by that name because originally he accused or slandered God in paradise, being averse to the increase of man's knowledge and happiness.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” ² The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; ³ but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” ⁴  The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:1-5

Satan accused God of not having mankind’s best interest at heart, and he tempted Eve and Adam to be independent of God and become like God. He slandered God and lied to mankind. Jesus describes him as the father of lies.

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

 Struggle: pálē; to shake, vibrate. A wrestling, struggle or hand-to-hand combat. It was used of the wrestling of athletes and the of the hand-to-hand combat of soldiers both of which required deftness and speed.

Principle: In this wrestling match, this hand-to-hand combat that we will have with the devil, we are given strength by God and understanding of the enemies strategy and tactics.

In our First World culture, the ideal of personal, individual evil personalities is not considered real. We have rational explanations for evil.

“A gulf has opened in our culture between the visibility of evil and the intellectual resources to cope with it.  We've jettisoned in the West the idea of cosmic evil or transcendent evil or supernatural evil. We don't believe in that. In fact, we don't even like to use the word evil, because it implies value judgments and moral absolutes, so we use medical terms like dysfunction or pathology.”  Andrew DelBanco, Columbia University, The Death of Satan

Yet everywhere else on Earth, the spiritual world is understood as real, and there are demonic forces that are constantly waging warfare against mankind.

The Bible is very clear regarding God’s other created beings, angels, and this spiritual war that we are experiencing. As we look at the Scriptures, we see that these angelic beings fall into two categories:

 First, evil spirits (also called demons):

 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.” Then Jesus asked, “What is your name?” And the spirit replied, “Legion, because there are many of us here inside this man.”    Mark 5:8-9                                                                                                                  

And there are God’s angels:

For I, the Son of Man, will come in the glory of my Father with His angels and will judge all people according to their deeds. Matthew 16:27

There are three angels mentioned by name in the Bible: Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer. It seems that one of these chief angels, Lucifer, decided that he was worthy of the praise and worship that God received. That’s when the problems began. Ezekiel describes what happened:

“You were the perfection of wisdom and beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone. . . . I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire. You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you.”                         Ezekiel 28:12-15                                                                                                

What was Satan’s specific sin? Isaiah tells us that it was pride. The entire account is in Isaiah 14:12-17.

For you said to yourself, “I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.” Isaiah 14:13                                                 

Once Satan felt that he was as worthy as the Lord was for honor and praise, he led a rebellion against God, and a third of the angels joined him.

Suddenly, I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. His tail dragged down one-third of the stars, which he threw to the earth.                           Revelation 12:3-4

Michael and the other angels fought against the rebels and forced them out of heaven and onto the earth.

Then there was war in heaven. Michael and the angels under his command fought the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle and was forced out of heaven. This great dragon¾the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world¾was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.      Revelation 12:7-9                                                                             

Now, Satan and his fallen angels have a plan to wage war against the human race, especially the members of the body of Christ.

He stood before the woman as she was about to give birth to her child, ready to devour the baby as soon as it was born. . . .

Then the dragon became angry at the woman, and he declared war against the rest of her children¾all who keep God's commandments and confess that they belong to Jesus. Revelation 12:4,17                     

Jesus gave us a great description of these fallen angels and how they operate in Matthew 12:43-45.

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and clean. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”    Matthew 12:43-45

These evil spirits (rebellious angels):

• exist inside and outside of humans;
• travel;
• make decisions;
• have individual identities;
• remember and make plans;
• can unite in battle with others; and
• vary in degrees of wickedness.

These fallen angels have schemes or strategies against us.

But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11

One of their schemes against us is our unforgiveness.

BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not give the devil an opportunity. ²⁸ Ephesians 4:26-28

Holding anger is another strategy against us.

And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; ⁵ but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. ⁶ Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ⁷  If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:4-7

CS. Lewis, in the introduction to his book Screwtape Letters, says there are two equal and opposite errors you can fall into with regard to demons and demonic.

“On the one hand, you can overestimate their strength. You can have an unhealthy interest in them, or ascribe all evil to them, or ascribe too much power to them. On the other hand, to disbelieve in them, to not believe in them at all. The devils, are equally pleased with both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”  C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

According to Richard Baxter, a 17^th Century British pastor who wrote a book on melancholy, what we call Depression, sometimes it is a physical issue, and we need food, rest or medicine. It may be psychological, which may require lots of love and affirmation. It could be a moral cause, maybe you feel guilty about something, and you need repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. The other possible cause may be demonic oppression.

John White, Missionary, Professor of Psychiatry 

“Here's how the devil works. Take a piano and open up the top and sing a note into it. And whatever string that your voice is attuned to, a string will vibrate. It's the string that's attuned to your voice. You haven't even touched it. You haven't touched the key, you haven't touched it, and yet it's vibrating to your voice. That's what the devil does. The devil cannot make a good person bad. The devil makes a flawed person worse. The devil plays on what's already in you.”

In a message on Spiritual Warfare, Tim Keller says

“There are two basic categories of strategies according to the Bible, temptation and accusation.

 Temptation essentially gets you to have too high a view of yourself. So you go and do things you shouldn't. Accusation is the devil's way of trying to get you to have too low and self-hating a view of yourself. So you go and do things you won't, you shouldn't. They're both ways of work. They both work.

In temptation, Satan is actually hiding from you God's holiness and how much he hates sin. He hides that from you, he plays up the love. But in accusation, he hides from you God's love. He plays up to God's holiness and his wrath on sin and he hides God's love.”   Tim Keller

We have an adversary that is crafty in his strategies to take us away from relationship with God, who wants us to have a full, abundant life with Him.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.  Jesus in John 10:10

Where is the battle fought?

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, ⁴ for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. ⁵ We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

12th Century Crusader Castle walls at Caesarea

Principle: The battle for the mind is fought one thought at a time.

 ¹³ Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, ¹⁵ and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; ¹⁶  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

As we read Paul’s description of the armor of God, notice that all the pieces¾the belt of God’s truth, the breastplate of His righteousness, the helmet of salvation bought by Him, the shoes of God’s peace, a shield of faith in God’s promises, and the sword of God’s Word¾all rely on our relationship with Him. It has nothing to do with ourselves; it all comes down from Him.

This spiritual armor is the defense that a close and obedient relationship with God gives you.

• Believing His truth vs. Satan’s lies;
• knowing your relationship as an adopted son or daughter of God Himself, right standing before Him, and the legal rights that go along with that relationship;
• your willingness to share the good news of this relationship;
• your faith in God to protect you because of this relationship; and
• your knowledge that you have eternal life with Him no matter what may happen here in this life, because He has died for your sins and promised you that you will spend eternity with Him.

This is the defensive armor that God offers us.

But there are offensive weapons as well.

The “sword” in the spiritual realm is God’s Word—

• truth to apply to every situation where you feel yourself under spiritual attack;
• truth about your identity;
• truth about God’s promises to you;
• truth about the limited power of the evil one over you.

The other weapon He gives us is prayer—communion with Him.

• Prayer to align ourselves with God and His will;
• Prayer that empowers us to overcome the evil one;
• Prayer to move with Him to accomplish His plan for our lives and for this world.

Principle: Truth and prayer are powerful dynamics in the spiritual realm.

 Do we actually believe all this? Of do we sometimes forget the defensive armor and our offensive weapons? Are we like Jesus’ disciples?

Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. ²³ But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. ²⁴ They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. ²⁵ And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” Luke 8:22-25

Of course we are just like them. We forget about the things that God has done for us.

God wants us to remember these things!

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Principle: We should not fear the devil and his minions. He has limitations in his power over us. We God’s assistance, we have the ability to stand firm when the attacks come, as they will.

 Paul finishes this letter with a request for prayers for him and his mission in Rome, and a blessing of grace and peace for his friends in Ephesus.

¹⁸  With all prayer and petition  pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view,  be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, ¹⁹ and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

²¹  But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you. ²²   I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.
²³  Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. Ephesians 6:10-24

With all this, how will we walk out this life here on Earth?

Handy Links

Go to Biblical Places Spiritual Spaces

Ready for some delicious coffee? Check out our Rio Coco Beans!

Help out our school project.

Purchase Echoes Into Eternity, The Vision Behind the Verses and Living In The Spiritual World

Back to Biblical Studies