EPHESIANS Chapter SIX

Ephesians 6:1-9

PARENTS AND CHILDREN

“6 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 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

CHILDREN’S RESPONSIBILITIES 

 

Obey your parents for this is right

 

1. Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment which has a promise
   1. That is may go well with you
   2. That you may enjoy a long life on the earth

FATHER’S RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Fathers do not exasperate your children
2. Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord

 

SLAVES (EMPLOYEES) AND MASTERS (EMPLOYERS)

 

“5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.”

 

SLAVES (EMPLOYEES)

 

1. Obey your earthly masters
   1. With respect
   2. With fear
   3. With sincerity of heart
   4. As you would obey Christ
   5. Not to win favor when they are watching you
   6. But like you would Christ with your heart
   7. Serve wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord not men
   8. Because you know that the Lord will reward you for doing good, because you do it for God

 

MASTERS (EMPLOYERS)

 

1. Treat your slaves in the same way

Do not threaten them, for you both have the same Master in Heaven and He shows

 

THE ARMOR OF GOD

 

The passage in Ephesians 6:10-18 is our battle briefing as to the armor made available to us from our Heavenly Father to protect us in the spiritual conflicts in which we will be engaged.

 

Ephesians 6:10-18

“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.  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.

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,”

 

As servants of God and soldiers in this spiritual war we are called upon to put on our armor of light and truth. The weapons we possess to fight the spiritual battle are not like those of human engagement. They have power of divine origin and can demolish demonic strongholds and anything that would hinder God’s Kingdom. Because we fight a spiritual battle only spiritual armor can protect us. Also remember that this isn’t “our” armor, it is God’s armor! We simply put on the armor He provides us as Disciples of Christ, His Son.

 

John Calvin stated the following regarding the Christian in regards to spiritual warfare;

 

“We have been forewarned that an enemy relentlessly threatens us an enemy who is the very embodiment of rash boldness, of military prowess, of crafty wiles, of untiring zeal and haste, of every conceivable weapon and skill in the science of warfare. We must then bend our every effort to this goal, that we should not let ourselves be overwhelmed by carelessness, nor faintheartedness, but on the contrary with courage rekindled stand our ground in combat.”

 

PAUL’S FIRST COMMAND – EPHESIANS 6:10

 

“10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

 

It is important that we read and apply verse 10 before we read and apply verse 11. The Lord God Almighty is the source of our strength. While the armor God provides is mighty, powerful, efficient and adequate its effectiveness is due to the strength of HIS might. He is the source of the power behind the armor. We cannot adequately appropriate the armor and effectively defend ourselves in spiritual battles if we don’t have complete submission to the fact that it is God’s strength and might that assures the victory.

 

Ephesians 1:18-19

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might.”

 

Jesus Christ is our example of how strong God’s empowerment can be. Jesus walked in His Father’s strength and relied upon it all through His ministry. You see Jesus’ life as a strong consistent example of the power of God being manifested as He performed His Father’s will. You also see God’s strength in the numerous miracles that Jesus performed. Jesus healed people from illness and demonic possession through the power of God. You also see the power of God when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Jesus never wavered and used the Sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, to overcome the temptations Satan presented. God’s power was also dramatically shown in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Such demonstrations of God’s power should strongly encourage us when we face a spiritual battle to remain strong “in the Lord and the strength of His might!”

 

You must stand firm against satanic schemes when you become a Christian, because you are in harm’s way. You’re a walking target. Satan knows your strengths and weaknesses. He wants to ruin you wherever and whenever he can. We must be BATTLE READY and have a MENTAL ATTITUDE of VICTORY!

 

While we are to seek to be strong at relying upon God for provision and strength, we are to be strong IN THE LORD and the strength of HIS MIGHT, not our own!

 

1 Corinthians 16:13

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

 

It is very important that you rely upon the resources that God provides in this armor and not in your own skills, abilities and resources to avoid being deceived and overcome by Satan. You also must remember that Satan hopes that you doubt his existence. He also desires that you don’t believe in him or think he is able to invade your space. While Satan is not omnipresent like God, he does have a vast army of demonic angels that do his bidding at all hours of the day and night.

 

We must also remember that as we are faced with spiritual battles in life that we are ultimately fighting for God. Yes, it seems that the battle is all about us at times, but actually we are in a world-wide conflict between good and evil. Each of us is one Disciple in God’s kingdom, one soldier in His “spiritual” army. In any war America has ever participated in, soldiers know that they are serving their entire country when they go into battle to defend freedom and battle for what is right. While a soldier is on the battlefield, the conflict can get extremely personal at times during intense hand to hand combat. This gives the soldier in such a battle the feeling the struggle against the enemy is all about him or her, this perception is only normal; but ultimately the soldier is representing a much more widespread conflict between nations and governments. The same is true in the spiritual battles we face as Disciples of Christ. We must fight the battles that come our way as dedicated Christians, and while the conflicts are extremely personal at times, we must remember that they are part of a much greater conflict between good and evil, the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. There is no doubt at all who will win, but the battle rages on until, in God’s timing, Satan and his demonic horde will not only be defeated but cast into the Lake of Fire.

 

In 2 Chronicles 20:14-16, we wee God communicating through Jahaziel that battles and conflicts are the Lord’s battles, he says, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.”

 

Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones states it this way in his commentary on Ephesians; “…we have got to realize as we fight this fight of faith and wrestle with these principalities and powers and face the assaults of the world and the flesh and the devil, that God is involved in it with us…The ultimate battle is the battle between God and the devil, between heaven and hell, between light and darkness…This is God’s battle we are given the privilege of being in it and of fighting as individual soldiers, but God’s honor is involved in it all. He cannot allow this to fail because His character, His glory, and His honor are involved at every point. ‘Be strong in the Lord;’ remember that He is there, and that it is His battle.”

 

Psalms 34:7 tells us that God provides for those in the battle. It says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” We are never abandoned by God. He is always with us because the Holy Spirit is within us as a Disciple of Christ.

 

Romans 8:37-39 is also an encouraging portion of scripture for us when we are in the battle and sensing we are being overwhelmed by the enemy. “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

Another precious passage to remember is Philippians 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” This reminds us that even though we feel inadequate at times in the midst of a battle and feel like we are too weak for the intense warfare we are facing God is right by our side assisting us with His power and His armor that He bestows upon us.

 

We are also told in 1 Thessalonians 1:5, that there is power in the Gospel of Christ and this is given to us through the Holy Spirit. It says, “…for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction…”

 

Yet another informative scripture about God’s power that is given to us for spiritual battles is in 1 John 4:4, “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

 

As Disciples of Christ we have a responsibility not only to God and our fellow Christians but also to the world. Pastor Ray Stedman states in his book, Spiritual Warfare;

 

“Battling against these forces of darkness is what makes human life possible on this earth. If Christians, who are the salt of the earth, were not giving themselves to an intelligent battle with Satan and satanic forces, fighting along these lines which Paul suggests – being ‘strong in the Lord and in the power of His might,’ it would be absolutely impossible for human life to exist on this planet. If this were not going on, life on earth would be horrible, unending hell. It is the presence of Christians – and those who are affected by their testimony and by their teachings – and the spread of the gospel throughout the world which makes possible those moments of enjoyment of life which even the non-Christian is able to know.”

 

 PAUL’S SECOND COMMAND – EPHESIANS 6:11a

 

11a “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm…”

 

Here Paul instructs us to put on or take up the Complete Armor of god!

 

“Put on” in the Greek is “enduo” (en-doo’-o); (Gives the impression of sinking into a garment); to invest in the clothing you put on with your person (literally or figuratively).

 

“Stand” in the Greek is “histemi” (his’-tay-mee); which means to abide, appoint, bring, continue, covenant, establish, hold up, lay, present, set (up), stanch, stand.

 

Paul’s instructions for Disciples of Christ are to “put on the full armor” and to “stand firm.” This command implies that spiritual strength comes from the divine truth communicated to us through the Word of God, as well as the righteousness, peace, faith and assurance of salvation we receive as we continue walking like Christ and keeping in step with the Holy Spirit who inhabits us. The Spirit is a gift given by God to us when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to enable and empower us to live like Christ and grow in knowledge and grace.

 

Several scripture passages which speak of this spiritual battle in which we are engaged are as follows;

 

Romans 13:11-12, 14

“The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light…But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

 

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 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, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” 

 

THE ENEMY’S METHOD – EPHESIANS 6:11b

 

11b “…against the schemes of the devil.”

 

“Schemes” in the Greek is “methodeia” (meth-od-i’-ah)” and means “travelling over, travesty (trickery): to lie in wait.”

 

Satan is a professional in trickery, lying and scheming. He is as intelligent and crafty as he is evil. He is ever watchful of your life and actions and knows exactly how to attempt to trick or tempt you into sinning or stumbling. While Satan cannot read our minds (only God can do that) it appears from scripture he can influence our thoughts through external means of tempting us, but he cannot insert thoughts into our minds. Ron Jones of the Titus Institute explains,

 

“We are safe from Satan’s and demons’ attacks in our minds. Satan cannot overwhelm us. He will attack us through what we see and what we hear in the world, but we can always turn away from him and his external attacks. If Satan or demons could attack our minds from within, we would be hopelessly confused and easily overwhelmed. The desires that we have to sin are from our fleshly natures, not Satan. Those desires are from within and we can allow them to become powerful in our lives, but they are not Satanic. They are not demonic. We do not have to fear them, but we do have to control them. And we can when we trust and obey God. Satan is powerfully active in spreading his lies throughout the world and those lies create very real temptations to us as believers. Watching for his lies and always examining ourselves to make certain that we are not believing those lies is what we need to do on a daily basis to turn away from his attacks!”

 

Satan knows us better than we know ourselves at times. The Devil studies his victims and watches their actions and behaviors. He is such a good observer of our behavior and has had such extensive experience with the human race he can often appear to read our minds. He develops schemes by which he can attack us through external influence as he appeals to our sinful flesh. While we have a new nature in Christ, we still live within a fleshly body that is attracted to the temptations of the world.

 

Kent Hughes states in his commentary on Ephesians: “Satan has no conscience, no compassion, no remorse, no morals. He feeds on pain and anguish and filth.”

 

Our answer to dealing with the “schemes of the devil” is found in Romans 12:2;

 

Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

 

It is also true that while we have a new nature, we have past habits and memories that can rise up to cause us to stumble if we are not relying upon the Holy Spirit within us, living by the Holy Scriptures and walking as Jesus walked. We must have protection through Godly strategy to combat what we know of Satan’s scheming.

 

You don’t want to provide Satan with any opportunity with which he can take advantage of to cause you to stumble or fall in your spiritual walk. The Devil is relentless and creative in how he seeks to attract you to his temptations. He uses surprise and deceptive tactics to pull you in to his schemes. He is cunning and smart and he preys on ignorant Christians. Satan also uses false teachers and their publications to deceive and cause confusion among Disciples of Christ if they are not applying themselves to spiritual growth.

 

2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”

 

OUR ENEMY DEFINED – EPHESIANS 6:12

 

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.”

 

“Struggle” in the Greek is “pale” (pal’-ay) and means (to vibrate); wrestle (as in close contact with an opponent).

 

Satan and his demonic army are not “flesh and blood,” they are spiritual beings. Because of this fact their presence cannot be detected by our five natural senses. Even their power and influence at times cannot be adequately identified or diagnosed. They can only be discerned spiritually. While we may experience their influence or witness some of their manifestations at times, it is very difficult for us, as physical beings, to deal with the spiritual warfare that they bring into our lives.

 

Our spiritual battles and struggles are often very intense and personal. These could be compared to the sport of wrestling where the athletes are always looking for a strong hold, a new move that will pin the other to the ground so they can conquer their opponent and win. In other words, Satan and his demons analyze, study and contemplate people as to how best to trip them up, catch them in a snare, cause them to sin so that they can frustrate God’s will for their lives. You could say that the “Spiritual forces of wickedness” are in a sense a “spiritual mafia.”

 

“Rulers/Principalities” in the Greek is “arche” (ar-khay’) or “archegos” (ar-khay-gos’) and means chief, chief leader, author, captain, prince, magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule.

 

Here in verse 12 of Ephesians 6 we find out that the enemy we war against as Disciples of Christ has an organized hierarchy of demonic rulers, powers, and forces of wickedness. These are relentless agents of evil who are the “Top Guns” in what they do. They are looking for any evil method they can by which they can shoot you down in your walk with Christ. They are also, “Rulers,” which indicates that there is some sort of chain of command or order of the demonic agents of destruction and evil. They have powers and skills. They are invisible forces that influence people and impact world events.

 

While some Christians attempt to identify these divisions of Satan’s army, this is impossible to clearly discern in Scripture. If we were meant to know about such a structure of this satanic army, Paul would have described it in more detail. Very likely he was simply trying to illustrate for us that there is a structure and organization to Satan’s demonic army. We need to remember that no matter how well organized, equipped and prepared Satan is with his demonic horde, God is going to win this war in the end.

 

The late John Stott, dedicated pastor, teacher and commentator on the Word of God states, “Wobbly Christians who have no firm foothold in Christ are an easy prey for the devil. And Christians who shake like reeds and rushes cannot resist the wind when the principalities and powers begin to blow. Paul wants to see Christians so strong and stable that they remain firm even against the devil’s wiles and even in the evil day, that is, in a time of special pressure. For such stability, both of character and in crisis, the armor of God is essential.”

 

PAUL’S THIRD COMMAND and ITS RESULT – EPHESIANS 6:13

 

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.”

 

Paul begins verse 13 with the word, “therefore.” Whenever you see a ‘therefore’ in the Bible, you have to see what it is ‘there for’! ‘Therefore’ marks the transition from what has been said and what the results or consequences are of what has been said.

 

Paul began in verse 10 telling us to be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might.

 

He next instructed us in the first part of verse 11 to put on the full armor of God and in the second half of verse 11 he also gave us the reason we are to put on the armor of God; in order that we can stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

 

He then described in verse 12 the type of struggle we have with the demonic forces in the world and gave us a brief breakdown of the agents who seek to do evil.

 

The “therefore” here in verse 13 informs us that because of what has been described of our enemy and their tactics as well as their methods, we need to “take up the full armor of God!”

 

Whenever you see a “therefore” in scripture you should always ask; “What is it there for?” A “therefore” usually indicates that a concept that has previously been introduced has results or necessary actions associated with it.

 

Notice what Paul does not say here. Paul does not tell us that God places this armor upon us; we must put it on ourselves which means we must appropriate it for use in our life of spiritual warfare. God provides the armor; makes it available to us through the saving work of His Son Jesus Christ. It is up to us to take measures to place the armor upon our body in a “spiritual” sense.   

 

The Greek work for “take up” is “enduo” (en-doo’-o) and means that we put on the armor in the sense of sinking into a garment, or we invest ourselves into the armor as we would place ourselves within clothing that we wear. It means we array about ourselves this armor, clothe ourselves with it either literally or figuratively.

 

Paul gives this command because it is the only way in which we can resist the devil in the evil day. What we must realize is this “evil day” is NOW! This battle we are in is a vicious, murderous, serious battle!

 

In this continuous evil day in which we live as we put on the armor of God we are able to stand firm in spiritual victory. When we grow spiritually in knowledge and maturity as mentioned in Ephesians 4:11-16, we are also able to discern and detect the devil’s schemes with which he attempts to hinder, tempt and destroy us. When we have on the armor of God we are also always ready for anything, be it a satanic attack or a temptation that comes our way. Remember the “evil day” is now, not sometime in the future.

 

Harold Hoehner states, “The believers should be aware that they must be prepared, not only for everyday evils but for the times of heightened and unexpected spiritual battles. For example, when the devil failed to tempt Jesus to sin, he left Jesus until an opportune time (Luke 4:13).”

 

THE ARMOR OF GOD

 

Paul writes Ephesians as he is held prisoner in Rome, chained to a Roman soldier. Very likely his observations of the guards he was chained to gave him the visual aides he used to describe the spiritual armor we have available to battle Satan and his demonic followers. These “physical illustrations” of spiritual armor that Paul used in his letter to the Ephesians help us visualize the internal, spiritual and invisible armor we possess as Disciples of Christ.

 

SEVEN PIECES OF ARMOR – THREE CATEGORIES

 

The armor that Paul describes can be divided into three different groups.

 

The first two groups are divided by the tenses of the verbs Paul uses.

 

The first group includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the boots or shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace. In real life such pieces of physical armor were actually fixed in position onto the body of the soldier. The belt, breastplate and shoes of a soldier had to be belted or attached onto their body in some fashion. Soldiers always wore these pieces of armor in their daily lives as soldiers. In our lives as Disciples of Christ these pieces of “spiritual” armor are ones we took up when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and they remain attached to us throughout our lives.

 

The second group includes the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. These pieces of armor are ones that we must take up on a regular daily basis as we walk in our daily life, modeling Christ-like thoughts and actions as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.

 

The last group is a single piece of armor or weapon and is to be used daily and continually, this is our prayer life.

 

An easy way to remember these pieces of spiritual armor is by the following letters:

 

B:        Belt of Truth

            Breastplate of Righteousness

            Boots (Shoes) of preparation of the Gospel of Peace

 

S:         Salvation (Helmet)

            Shield of Faith

            Sword of the Spirit (Word of God)

 

P:         Prayer

 

ARMOR OF GOD – GROUP ONE

 

This Division of Armor covers the first three pieces of armor discussed in this passage in Ephesians. These pieces of armor are ones we have put on in the past when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. This is indicated by the tense of the Greek verb used in this passage of scripture.

 

“having girded your loins with truth”

                                                “having put on the breastplate of righteousness”

                                                                                    “having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel”

 

THE BELT OF TRUTH – EPHESIANS 6:14

 

14a “Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH,”

 

Here in the New American Standard Bible as well as in the original Greek, this portion of verse 14 does not actually state that a “belt” is part of a Christian’s armor. But it can be implied from the visual symbols that Paul is using. Paul’s use of a Roman soldier’s battle armor is an attempt to help us visualize what actually exists in the spiritual realm of our lives as Disciples of Christ.

 

The Roman soldier wore a tunic (skirt-like toga) and a belt around their waist. In battle mode, they tucked this tunic/skirt up around the belt so that they could be free to move without tripping over their tunic.

 

If you’ve ever watched a professional football game on television have you noticed how tight all the uniforms are? This is because they don’t want anybody grabbing any part of the player’s uniform to bring them down. They’ve also devised what they call breakaway shirts. You see them in college games when players try to pull down a player and instead the shirt will simply rip off and the player can continue running down the field or court with their shirt gone. The same is true on the real battlefield. You want to make sure in hand to hand combat you do not want something tangling you up and wrapping you up where you can’t defend yourself.

 

So “girding our loins with Truth” braces us and prepares us for action in life. It also frees us up to actually participate in the spiritual battles we face. Securing ourselves in Truth gives us a sense of security supplied and empowered by God. It gets us ready, makes us alert and gets us toned up for action in spiritual warfare.

 

Regarding the portion of scripture which states; “having girded your loins with truth,” Pastor and Theologian Martin Lloyd Jones states “The Apostle is not interested in our actual physical loins, he means the loins of our mind…the body’s loins determine the body’s strength. They form the pivot on which the whole body turns, and therefore you must start with them.”

 

1 Peter 1:13 helps us understand this concept. “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

In a similar illustration Paul instructs young Timothy in how to live like Christ in the battles of life in 2 Timothy.

 

2 Timothy 2:3-5

“Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.”

 

Here as Paul writes to Timothy he is instructing him to be careful entangling himself with daily affairs because it may distract and pull him away or down from God’s call on his life. He also instructs him in the behavior of athletes who strive to win a prize, do it with honor, integrity and truthfulness.

 

In Ephesians 6 we are instructed by Paul to gird our loins with “truth.” The Greek word for truth here is “aletheia” which means, “to be true in doctrine and one’s profession of it.” It can also imply to speak or tell the truth. Basically it means living a life of truthfulness according to the Word of God. Knowing the truth of God should lead to a life of truthfulness that is lived out on a continual basis day in and day out.

 

This can assist us in applying the concepts of what scripture teaches in our everyday lives. A simple way to explain what this passage is communicating to us might be;

 

“Much like a soldier girds his waist with a belt to hold his weapons, as well as cinch up his tunic to prevent it from impeding his battle readiness…

 

…the Truth of God empowers us with the wisdom of God, the character of Christ’s life and the ministry of the Holy Spirit to think, behave and minister in a trustworthy, truthful and obedient manner.”

 

The truth spoken of here in this verse can also be associated with the “truthfulness” expressed in the life of a person of integrity where Christ Jesus is expressing Himself through the Christian who lives a godly and holy life. For us as Christians the Person who is our model of truthfulness is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Truthfulness in a person’s life is a witness of their commitment to God, the Son and the Spirit. The attitude of the Disciple of Christ on a daily moment-by-moment basis should be one of an attitude of readiness and commitment to be used by God in any situation. There should be no hypocrisy in their lives. When you are supported or “girded up” with “truth, your relationship to God is strong and intimate because you are dedicated to God’s truth contained in His Word and you are living it out in practical everyday life.

 

Hebrews 12:1-2

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,…”

 

Another aspect of this truth is presented by Pastor Ray Stedman when he states regarding the “Belt of Truth,” “When you became a Christian you girded up your loins with truth. What does this mean precisely? It means to remind yourself that in coming to Jesus Christ you found the truth behind all things, you found Him who is in Himself the truth, the key to life, the secret of the universe, final reality!”

 

Jesus Christ; all He is, was and always has been is TRUTH! He spoke the Truth. He lived the Truth. He was the Truth. He epitomized how to live truthfulness perfectly.

 

The famous English preacher Martin Lloyd-Jones also believes the truth spoken of here is the Truth contained in the person of Jesus Christ. Lloyd-Jones states; “I therefore interpret the word ‘truth’ in this context to mean a belief in, and a knowledge of, the ‘truth as it is in Christ Jesus.’”

 

Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

 

Below are some scriptures which speak of Jesus Christ as our model for living a life of truthfulness and which use the same Greek word for truth as in Ephesians 6:14.

 

John 8:31-32, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth (aletheia), and the truth (aletheia) will make you free.”

 

John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth (aletheia), and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

 

Ephesians 4:21, “…truth (aletheia) is in Jesus…”

 

The Truth is also contained in the person of the Holy Spirit as you can also see in the following scripture passages.

 

John 14:16-17, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;  that is the Spirit of truth (aletheia), whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”

 

John 16:13-14, “But when He, the Spirit of truth (aletheia), comes, He will guide you into all the truth (aletheia); for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.  “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

 

The coming Messiah, Jesus Christ is spoken of in Isaiah 11:5, “…so righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt about His waist.”

 

So you can see that the “Truth” we are to “gird our loins” with is Christ Himself as well as the truthfulness we live out in our daily lives as we walk as Jesus walked and keep in step with the Spirit.

 

THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS – EPHESIANS 6:14

 

14b “and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,”

 

The Breastplate of a Soldier covered the upper torso, but also the back as well because attacks can come from any angle; front or back. The upper torso contains organs necessary to proper function of the body; heart, lungs, liver intestines to mention a few. A serious wound in any of these could mean certain death within hours if not in minutes. The Breastplate protects the bowels; which in Old and New Testament times was considered to be the core of your emotions. The Breastplate also protects the heart which was thought to be the seat of your thoughts and intentions for everyday life as well as our desires and will.

 

God knows that our feelings and affections play a prominent part in how we live, make decisions and deal with adversity. Therefore the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use the visual aide of the Breastplate to help us understand how righteousness can protect us in the spiritual battles of life. Paul also knew that the Devil is well aware of this as also.

 

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are no longer under condemnation for our sins because of God’s love shown to us through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Because of this fact, we grow in faith and love for God because of the righteousness of Christ which is given to us at our conversion. A passage in Romans 8 communicates to us how we are freed from God’s condemnation of sin.

 

Romans 8:1-2

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

 

Because we are forgiven of our sins by our Heavenly Father through acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we experience great and lasting joy in our lives. This joy we experience is based on being in a right relationship with God. This joy is also of great value to us in the spiritual battles we face because we are not hindered by guilt of sin. Nehemiah tells us when the Law of God was read to the Jewish people, they wept because of conviction of their sin. But Nehemiah and the priests encouraged them with the following words.

 

Nehemiah 8:10

“…the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

 

When we are in a right relationship with God we are wearing the Breastplate of Righteousness and there is joy in our heart because we know God’s truthful Word communicates to us His great love for us in the work Jesus Christ on the cross and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit within us. This joy of the Lord is our strength as we face the battles with the world, the flesh and the Devil.

 

While joy is an emotion, we must make sure that we are not basing our joy on an emotional state. We are basing it on the reliable truth of God’s Word and His character. The source and foundation of the godly joy spoken of in Nehemiah originates from the strength and power of God and His holy unchanging nature.

 

The following old hymn written by John Campbell Shairp communicates this eternal truth;

 

From Noon of Joy to Night of Doubt

John Campbell Shairp

 

“From noon of joy to night of doubt our feelings come and go;
our best estate is toss’d about in ceaseless ebb and flow;
no mood of feeling, form of thought, is constant for a day,
but thou, O Lord, thou changest not; the same thou art alway.

 

I grasp thy strength, make it my own, my heart with peace is bless’d;
I lose my hold, and then comes down darkness and cold unrest.
Let me no more my comfort draw from my frail grasp of thee;
in this alone rejoice with awe, thy mighty grasp of me.

 

Out of that weak, unquiet drift, that comes but to depart,

To that pure heaven my spirit lift, Where Thou unchanging art;

Lay hold of me with Thy strong grasp, let Thy almighty arm

In its embrace my weakness clasp, and I shall fear no harm.

 

Thy purpose of eternal good let me but surely know;
on this I’ll lean, let changing mood and feeling come and go;
glad when thy sunshine fills my soul, not sad when clouds o’ercast,
since thou within thy sure control of love dost hold me fast.

 

Paul communicates to us in 2 Corinthians 4 that the treasure of having an intimate relationship with God, knowing His Word and being filled with the Holy Spirit which is contained in our frail human body is both an amazing fact as well as a greatly encouraging truth that can empower us during fierce spiritual battles of life.

 

2 Corinthians 4:7-10

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;  always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”

 

In 1 Thessalonians we realize that this piece of armor, the Breastplate of Righteous, is also known as the Breastplate of Faith and Love.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:8, “…having put on the breastplate of faith and love…”

 

We know from 1 Corinthians 13:13 that faith, hope and love form the supreme triad of Christian virtues and so the Breastplate of Righteousness can also contain elements of faith and love for protection against demonic attacks. Our faith in God has several aspects to it. We have faith in God’s person, His character and trustworthiness. Our faith means we also trust God’s power over all things in existence; even Satan and his demonic hordes. Lastly we also have faith and can trust in God’s promises. He always keeps His word and we can rely upon our Heavenly Father to stand by His promises.

 

But we should explore more about this “righteousness” that is symbolized in this piece of armor, the Breastplate. Salvation through Christ is a sovereign act whereby God claims us to be righteous while we are still in a sinning state. Therefore, you have Christ’s righteousness as a Disciple of Christ. You can’t be protected if you don’t have salvation through Christ. This means those who have not accepted Christ as their personal Savior and Lord have no armor, no weapons, no hope to survive a satanic attack or demonic deception.

 

There are three types of righteousness. Two of which the Christian possesses and the other one the Christian is told to avoid.

 

There is “Self-Righteousness” which is not true righteousness by God’s standards at all. It is righteousness set by the variable standard of men. Romans 3:10 tells us that “…there is none righteous, no not one.”

 

Christians should avoid self-righteousness for it was a character trait of the Pharisees and originates from pride in ones self.

 

The Christian’s overall righteousness consists of two blended areas of righteousness in their life.  

 

There is also Imputed and Imparted Righteousness which are closely associated with one another.

 

“Imputed Righteousness” is the righteousness of Jesus which is credited to us when we receive salvation enabling us to be justified in the eyes of God, forgiven of our sins because of the sacrificial ministry of Jesus on the cross.

 

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we receive the gracious gift of God of “Imparted Righteousness.”  This is given at the moment of our new birth in Christ and enables us as a Disciple of Christ to strive for holiness and sanctification.

 

In summary, it has been said;

 

“The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed; the righteousness by which we are sanctified is imparted.  The first is our title to heaven; the second is our fitness for heaven.” 

 

Philippians 3:9 describes Imputed/Imparted righteousness, “…that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith…”

 

Practical Righteousness is the righteousness we practice and the purity we express when we obey God’s Word, walk as Jesus walked and keep in step with the Holy Spirit within us.

 

Philippians 3:10-14 illustrates for us that practical righteousness is when we live like Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit according to Biblical instruction; “…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

 

John also describes this practical righteousness in 1 John 3:7, “the one who practices righteousness is righteous”

 

Practical righteousness does not save you. It does not guarantee your salvation. It simply is a witness that you are living appropriately the way a Disciple of Christ should live according to scripture and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Practical righteousness is expressed when we deny ourselves and seek to live holy and pure because of our love for our Heavenly Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who lives within us. We live a righteous life not by our own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

I must be clear that the practical righteousness that we demonstrate as we live for God originates in the righteousness God gives us when we are saved. It is only by the pure, holy and powerful righteousness of Jesus Christ that is “imputed or imparted” to us when we are saved and is continually imparted to us through our lives each day as a Disciple of Christ that is our full protection.

 

As Martin Lloyd Jones states regarding the imputed righteousness God gives us at the moment we are saved; “it means utter, absolute dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness. It means an application to our case and condition of the glorious doctrine of justification by faith only…It is a part of putting on the breastplate of righteousness that I remind myself daily of where I am, and where I am going.”

 

Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

 

THE SHOES (BOOTS) OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE – EPHESIANS 6:15

 

15 “and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;”

 

In the beginning of this portion of this passage Paul instructed us to “put on the armor of God” in order that “we can stand” against the schemes of the devil. It is obvious that you cannot have a firm foundation for standing unless your feet are prepared to anchor you to the soil beneath your feet. You do not stand on your head or your chest. You stand upon your feet. They give you the stability for withstanding attacks from the evil one. The peace we have here originates from God’s Gospel of Peace which is contained in Holy Scripture and communicates to us what is necessary to have peace with God, that is; salvation from our sins. Once we repent of our sins and give ourselves to serving Jesus Christ, we have peace, we walk in peace and we can withstand spiritual attacks because there is peace in our heart, mind and soul with God. But in order to have peace within your heart there are things we must consistently practice and observe to have peace and walk in peace.

 

Pastor Ray Stedman has some wise advice for how you deal with spiritual battles and possibly why Paul listed the pieces of armor in this particular order.

 

“Remember, though; do not try to start with peace. When you get troubled or upset, when attacks come, do not try to start with making your heart feel at peace. This is a mistake many people make. They try to conjure up some kind of feeling of peace within and succeed only in upsetting themselves more. Do not start with peace. Start with truth. Work your way back down through truth and righteousness and you will come out at peace. This is the way to begin.”

 

The Greek word for “shod” here is “hupodeo” (hoop-od-eh’-o), which means “to bind under one’s feet, to put on shoes or sandals.”

 

The Greek word for “preparation” “hetoimasia” (het-oy-mas-ee’-ah), in this verse means “prepared, adjusted, ready.”

 

The Roman army of soldiers often won their battles solely by the fact that their shoes were of the highest quality of the time. They were made of strong leather and often had metal studs on the bottom to give traction and enable them to endure the hard stony ground were battles were often fought. Such superior shoes enabled them to travel great distances at a fast pace. Enemy armies calculated how long it would take the Roman army to reach their city or fortification to do battle. But often they overestimated this time, because they were unaware of the superior shoes that Roman soldiers wore. Therefore due to superior shoes the Roman army often surprised their enemy and won the battle. There was no such thing as a “bare-foot” Roman soldier.

 

Paul’s instruction to “shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace” is a visual illustration for us to consider and encourages us to make sure we will be able to not only stand firm in our faith, but also to withstand any attack from the demonic realm. Roman soldiers needed a firm footing to survive in battle. They had to be prepared to remain steadfast to hold their ground when the enemy attacked. We as Disciples of Christ are no different. Paul in 1 Corinthians communicates this concept of standing firm in our faith.

 

1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

 

When we are born into this life we have not stepped onto a “playground” but into a BATTLE GROUND! Only when we accept Christ as our personal Savior and Lord are we given the armor that can enable us to not just endure the attacks of Satan but also overcome them and live victoriously.

 

When we go about our daily walk as a Disciple of Christ we must prepare ourselves for battle by reminding ourselves of the shoes (boots) of the peace of God with which we are to put on. This symbol Paul uses here portrays how we guard our steps by resting in the POWER of GOD as we go about our daily life. These shoes of peace reflect the confidence we have in out Heavenly Father, His Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit that lives within us. The power implied here comes from the PEACE we have because we are a child of God forgiven for our sins, a soldier of Christ walking as Jesus walked and a student listening and obeying the guidance of the Holy Spirit so we can be filled with His power. Peace with God consists of staying in close contact with Him not only in our prayers, but also in our thought life and behavior. It is a godly truth that as we walk with shoes of peace according to Holy Scripture, in the manner in which Jesus walked and in step with the Holy Spirit who resides within us; we foster a godly strength that enables us to stand firm in times of temptation; especially in spiritual battles that take place in our life.

 

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we obtain peace with God. Romans 5:1-2 tells us that because we have been justified by faith we obtain peace with God because of the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

 

Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”

 

This peace we have with God is made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:3)

 

This peace we have with God is maintained as we confess our sins to one another (James 5:16).

 

This peace is continually supplied as we keep short accounts of our sins and shortcomings with God through moment by moment confession and repentance (1 John 1:9-10).

 

This peace is proven as we walk in the same manner as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6).

 

This peace with God enables us to have peace in our inner spirit as we face the battles of life.

 

Because we are at peace with God our feet take us into battle everyday and they are not only protected, they are also prepared to prevent us from stumbling.

 

Galatians 5:25 tells us, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” This walk is made possible by having peace with God through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

 

ARMOR OF GOD – GROUP TWO

 

This Division of Armor covers the second three pieces of armor discussed in this Ephesians passage. These pieces of armor are ones we must put on in the present moment as we walk in faith as Jesus did and with the help and power of the Holy Spirit. Again, this is indicated by the tense of the Greek verbs used in this passage of scripture.

 

“taking the shield of faith”

 

“take the helmet of salvation”

 

“take the sword of the Spirit”

 

16a “in addition to all,”

 

 THE SHIELD OF FAITH – EPHESIANS 6:16

 

16b “taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”  

 

The Greek word for “faith” here is “pistos (pis-tos’)” and means “objectively trustworthy; subjectively trustful: assurance, belief, faith or fidelity.”

 

Roman soldiers often had two types of shields, a small one attached to one arm and a very large shield that measured 2.5 feet wide by 3.5 feet tall. It was also curved so that there was also some side protection for the soldier. This large shield was the most important one for major battles fought against large numbers of their enemy. This large shield was called a “Scutum” and helped Roman soldiers form their famous “Turtle” battle formation. This formation allowed protection for soldiers while allowing mobility as well. A stationary form of this formation helped repel the attacking enemy. Soldiers in a front line would put their shields next to one another and kneel behind them. Soldiers behind the first line would raise their shields above their heads and the heads of those in the front line. Either of these types of formations allowed the unit of soldiers to form a huge protective shield above all of the soldiers preventing arrows and spears from penetrating their battle line. This shield for the Roman Soldier was made of either metal, or wood covered in metal, as wood alone would have a tendency to burn from the flaming arrows of pitch that were often used by the enemy.

 

Peter also; in his epistle of 1 Peter is very likely referencing the fiery darts of Satan and/or his demons when he shares about the “fiery ordeals” that the Disciple of Christ may experience as they walk in faith in their daily life. He wished to assure his fellow saints that such experiences should be expected because we all face spiritual battles as we seek to “work out or salvation with fear and trembling” as we live for Christ. This mention of “fiery ordeals” can be found in 1 Peter 4:12-13.

 

1 Peter 4:12-13, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”

 

The Shield of Faith is our trust and faith in God. As we trust in the love of God for us and the power He has to protect us; we can be shielded from the attacks of Satan and his demons. These attacks come in the form of temptations aimed at the sinful nature that we still battle while a Disciple of Christ. It can also come in the form of oppression as Satan attacks our faith in God desiring to cause us to doubt God’s goodness, character or love. Satan is opportunistic and will take advantage of struggles we face in life to seek to discourage us and cause us to question the goodness of God. This is where a stable faith in our loving God and His Word can prevent us from succumbing to the spiritual darts and arrows Satan aims at us. This Shield of Faith represents our absolute trust in God’s love and concern for us as well as His mighty and powerful ability to keep us safe during demonic worldly attacks as well as fleshly attacks from our own sin nature. The Shield of Faith is the consistent and stable application of what and how we believe in our Heavenly Father to protect us, Jesus Christ the Son of God to intercede for us and the Holy Spirit to empower us to live a strong and stable Christian life!

 

In Hebrews 11 we find the listing of what is called the “Hall of the Faithful” people who obeyed God in many types of difficult situations that were related to spiritual warfare and persecution they endured. Here Hebrews gives us a definition of what godly faith consists of.

 

Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

 

Faith is acting upon the belief we have in God and His Word. Faith involves a decision to take action to bring resolution to the confrontation of the current situation. This is accomplished by girding up your loins with truth; both the objective truth of God’s Word as well as the truth of Christ’s ministry in our lives and His saving work upon the cross. It also involves putting on the breastplate of righteousness.

 

The fiery darts or arrows of the evil one that our Shield of Faith can protect us from are Doubts, Defeating Thoughts, Discouragements, Fears, Subtle Curiosities, Greed, Lust, Pride, Stubbornness, Presumptions, Imaginations, Exaggerations, Guilt, Unrealistic Expectations, Feelings of Hopelessness, Mental Anguish, Suspicions, Over Concern About Other People’s Reactions.

 

Numerous scriptures in the Old and New Testament speak of the spiritual fight that we are in and how we are to be bold in our faith as we fight the good fight. These scriptures not only encourage us, they give us the instruction necessary to “Keep the Faith” in our mind, heart, soul and actions.

 

Psalms 35:1-2, “Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of buckler and shield and rise up for my help.”

 

Romans 1:17, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

 

Galatians 2:20-21, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

 

Galatians 3:11-12, “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

 

1 Thessalonians 5:4-6, 8, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober… But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

 

Hebrews 10:35-38, “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH;”

 

THE HELMET OF SALVATION – EPHESIANS 6:17a

 

17a “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION,”

 

The helmet surrounds the head of a Roman soldier and protects it from flying shrapnel as well as the blows from the enemy. Our brain is the center of our thought processes and is also the nerve center for controlling how the other organs of the body function. It is of vital importance that it be protected in battle. Through our mind we memorize God’s Word, make decisions to glorify God in our lives, communicate our faith to others and express the love of Christ.

 

 The Helmet of Salvation is a symbol of our eternal hope in the salvation that God grants us through Jesus Christ.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:8 mentions both the breastplate and the helmet of God’s armor that we are given.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:8, “…having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

 

If you’ve ever been to a 3D movie you know you have to put on a special pair of glasses to see the depth or three-dimensional depth to the movie. Our salvation has a three-dimensional depth to it as well and we must in a sense, put on 3D spiritual glasses to view our salvation with a depth of past, present and future.

 

Our salvation that is given to us when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord has three aspects to it.

 

JUSTIFICATION (Takes place in the past at our conversion)

 

We are justified the moment we confess our sins and accept Jesus as Savior and Lord.

 

Justification is our being saved from the PENALTY of sin.

 

SANCTIFICATION (Takes place on a continual basis in the present)

 

After we are saved we begin a process of sanctification that continues all of our life on earth as we live like Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Sanctification is how we are continually being saved from the POWER of sin.

 

GLORIFICATION (Will take place in the future when we arrive in Heaven)

 

When we reach our Heavenly home we will be glorified and our salvation will be complete.

 

Glorification is when we will be saved from the PRESENCE of sin in Heaven.

 

The helmet of the Christian is the assurance of the salvation they have through Jesus Christ. This assurance of salvation is verified in Holy Scripture and gives us absolute security that we have eternal life because of God’s grace through Christ which is empowered by the Holy Spirit within our lives because He has sealed us for eternity. This salvation was planned and granted by our Heavenly Father and paid for by Jesus Christ His only son. This salvation is also guaranteed by the seal of the Holy Spirit placed upon us when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. What is symbolized here in the passage with this “spiritual” helmet is the fact that our mind is protected and secure with the knowledge that our salvation rests in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, not on our own abilities or work.

 

This assurance of salvation that we have in Christ gives us a position of strength and security, again…not in ourselves but in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Such an assurance can protect us from the enemy attempting to attack our perception of our life in Christ being questioned our doubted. This precious salvation that was given to us through Christ when we committed our lives to Him can never be removed by Satan or his demons.

 

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT – EPHESIANS 6:17b

 

17b “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

 

The main Sword of a Roman Soldier was called a “Gladius” (Latin), but in the Greek language it was called a “Machaira.” This double-edged deadly sword was an 18” dagger and very sharp. It was used for close combat and most often utilized for thrusting into an opponent rather than swinging laterally at an enemy. While being very sharp, a thrusting stab could penetrate vital organs and take down an enemy soldier much quicker and permanently than a glancing blow.

 

The Greek word for “Sword” here is “machaira” (makh’-ahee-rah), which means; a knife or dirk and can figuratively mean: war or judicial punishment.

 

“Word” in Greek is “rhema” (hray’-mah) which means; an utterance on a matter or topic (especially regarding a narration or command) or a word. This can also mean saying or verbalizing of the Holy Scripture.

 

This symbol of the “sword of the Spirit” is representative of the Holy Word of God.

 

The Sword of the Spirit is the first and only Offensive Weapon. Being the Word of God it can be used not only defensively to refute doctrinal error and substantiate wise decisions, it can also be used offensively by calling into question false teaching and refute evil ideas. The Sword of the Spirit; the Word of God, is useful not only in dealing with people but also with Satan and his demons. When tempted or challenged in some way in life by demonic influences or temptation, the Sword of the Spirit can protect us from being wounded mentally, spiritually and emotionally by demonic attacks. It can bring strength to us during trials and temptations and keep us on the straight and narrow path of obedience to Christ and His Word.

 

Thomas Guthrie, a Scottish Pastor stated once, “The Bible is an armory of heavenly weapons, a laboratory of infallible medicines, a mine of exhaustless wealth, a guidebook for every road, a chart for every sea, a medicine for every malady and a balm for every wound. Rob us of our Bible and our sky has lost its Sun!”

 

Today in these United States we see a constant erosion of respect for the Bible as a source of wisdom, guidance, strength and power. Charles Swindoll states that, “America has been robbed of its Bible, unless the Son shines through you!”

 

A few scriptures which talk about the impact of God’s Truth contained in His Holy Word are as follows;

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

 

Hebrews 4:12

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

 

Isaiah 55:8-11

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

 

PRAYER – EPHESIANS 6:18a

 

If you remember in the first part of this series on the Armor of God Paul gave us three commands:

 

His first command was in chapter 6:10; “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

 

His second command was in chapter 6:11a; “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm…”

 

Paul’s third command was in chapter 6:13; “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.”   

 

Now we come to Ephesians 6:18 which has three more commands from Paul which relate to our seventh and last weapon, PRAYER!

 

Throughout this single verse we not only have three more commands of Paul’s, but also four special instructions as to the manner in which these commands regarding prayer are to be carried out.

 

PAUL’S FOURTH COMMAND – EPHESIANS 6:18a

 

18a “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit,”

 

Prayer in the Greek here is “proseuche” and refers to our general communications with God. “Petition” or “Supplication” in the Greek is “deesis” which means specific requests for particular needs. Here Paul associates prayer with the armor of God as one of the believer’s defenses against spiritual attack and in many ways as an offensive weapon as well when we call upon God to act or intercede specifically in a situation of need.

 

Prayer could be viewed as the “Battle Cry” of the Christian. American battle cries have been; “The Red Coats Are Coming!”  “Remember the Alamo!”  “Remember Pearl Harbor!’

 

The Battle Cry for the Christian is “PRAY!” “PETITION FOR THE SAINTS!” “PRAY AT ALL TIMES!”

 

No Satanic evil or powers can withstand the prayers of God’s People. There is nothing as powerful as prayers by the blood of Christ claiming the power of God. Pray for one another by name. Pray for protection and peace. It is through the prayers of God’s people that we will withstand the enemy.

 

Prayer should be considered one of our most formidable weapons as Disciples of Christ. It is a spiritual discipline that we should practice regularly and frequently. It is a holy habit through which we not only communicate with our Heavenly Father; it is also a way to ask God to intervene in the lives of others as well as our own. Prayer should come as natural to us as a Disciple of Christ as breathing does to our physical life.

 

Prayer can travel great distances, through wood, concrete and metal walls. It can penetrate into the lives of others by the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit. There are no limits as to whom or what you can pray for as you seek God’s will be done on earth as well as in Heaven.

 

Elizabeth Elliott states, “Prayer is a powerful weapon. It is an indispensable weapon. It takes practice to wield it. It takes courage and time and spiritual energy.”

 

As we break down this portion of scripture on prayer we notice several points that describe how and why we are to pray.

 

We notice that in this single verse Paul mentions the word “all” four times as he describes the type, manner and purpose for which we are to pray.

 

First he mentions “with all prayer and petition.” By this he means with all types of prayers and petitions we are to pray to God our Father. This could include prayers that are public, private, verbal, silent, loud, soft, deliberate, spontaneous, planned and unplanned. It could also mean prayers that are requests, thanks, confession, humiliation, praise, standing, kneeling, and lying down on our face, lifting up our hands and others. He is describing the numerous ways that prayers can be lifted up to God both spiritually from our heart and physically in our posture.

 

Secondly Paul shares that we are to pray “at all times.” What does this mean? Are we to pray continually and never do anything else? What Paul is telling us here is we should be always ready, willing and eager to pray at a moment’s notice. Several scripture passages emphasize the importance of praying for strength, praying for everything, praying without ceasing.

 

Luke 21:36

“But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

 

Philippians 4:6

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

 

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

 

To pray “at all times” is very different than what the Jews often did in their spiritual lives. They were regimented and mechanical often in the way they prayed. It was a religious ritual or habit that they practiced. Judaism had formula prayers, set hours when to pray, how long to pray, places to pray, various postures to have when they prayed. Paul is not communicating this type of prayer life. Paul is describing a prayer life that involves a continual, attitude and readiness to pray “at all times” whenever the need, conviction or opportunity presents itself. It is being ever ready to speak to our Heavenly Father at a moment’s notice about anything or anyone when the Holy Spirit prompts us. It is living your life constantly aware of how God might call you to pray for yourself, someone else or a situation.

 

Paul also gives us a clue in the last part of this portion of scripture as to how we are to pray. He writes that we are to pray; “in the Spirit.” Because the Holy Spirit lives within us as Disciples of Christ as we become more and more sensitive to the Spirit’s leading in our lives, we will be prompted by Him as how and when to pray. We simply have to be sensitive to His promptings and willing to obey and follow through. As we grow in our spiritual life with God we become more attune to the Spirit’s leading. We become more sensitive to the needs of others around us that call for prayer and we sense a conviction of how to intercede in any particular situation with prayer. No matter how or why we pray, when or where we pray, for whom or what we pray; we are to pray in the Spirit. Jude mentions this in his letter in verse 20-21.

 

Jude 20-21, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God,”

 

Romans 8:26-27 also gives us instruction as to how the Holy Spirit assists us in our prayer life.

 

Romans 8:26-27

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;  and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

 

What it means to pray “in the Holy Spirit” is to pray consistently and intimately with the heart, mind and will of the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit communicates to us often with Holy Scripture, it is critical we grow in our knowledge of God’s Holy Word. But, when our scriptural knowledge fails us, when our emotions are too intense to know what to pray, the Holy Spirit will intercede with and for us and pray for us as He encourages us to pray to the best of our ability. Romans 8:27 above tells us that; “He who searches the hearts,” that’s God the Father, “knows what the mind of the Spirit is.” In other words, when you can’t put the words together to pray because of intense emotions, confused thoughts or traumatic situations, the Spirit helps you pray by interceding for you. We also see in this verse in Romans, that because your Heavenly Father knows the mind of the Holy Spirit, He can know what your thoughts and desires are and God will work His perfect will in your life. Praying in the Spirit is also praying in perfect harmony and perfect accord with will of God the Father.

 

John MacArthur states what we are to pray for; “So we need to pray for things we know God wills, our virtue, our holiness, our strength, our spiritual maturity, our usefulness, our service, a deepening of our love for Christ. Those are the things the Spirit prays for that God agrees with and our prayers need to be consistent with that.”

 

Now we continue with more of Paul’s commands and discover the third and fourth “alls” related to how we are to pray.

 

PAUL’S FIFTH COMMAND – EPHESIANS 6:18b

 

18b “and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance”

 

Anyone who has served his country in the armed forces has been trained in the skill of staying alert while on duty. The enemy does not announce his presence. He does not wish for you to know when and where he is going to show up. Therefore you have to be on alert 24/7 to be prepared for an attack. You can’t survive or do your duty as a soldier by being alert some of the time or even most of the time. Here Paul is giving instruction as to the manner in which we are to pray. We are to pray with alertness, this means we are to be aware of our surroundings, what is happening, how God is working, how Satan is attacking. A soldier must be alert of his surroundings and the battle ground to be able to discern how to do his duty. Jesus told Peter to be vigilant about praying so that he might not come into temptation.

 

Mark 14:38, “Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

 

In addition to being alert, you must also PERSEVERE in your alertness ALL OF THE TIME! You never know when Satan or one of his demons will attack and attempt to lead you astray. This does not mean you have to be nervous or stressed in your demeanor or emotions. Remember you have put on the shoes (boots) of the Gospel of PEACE. You simply are calmly alert and persevering in your commitment to God and awareness of the Holy Spirit within you. While you can never let your guard down, you are walking as Jesus walked – with the calm peace of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The best way to develop this skill of being “alert with all perseverance” is to grow spiritually in your relationship with the Lord and continually use and apply scripture to your everyday life. This is how you can remain alert with all perseverance.

 

This is Paul’s third “all” related to how we are to pray. Knowing that we are to pray in a variety of ways and at all times with the Spirit’s promptings, we are to also as Paul says; “be on the alert with all perseverance.”

 

The Disciple of Christ must have these same skills and abilities in life to serve God, live like Jesus and walk in the Spirit in their prayer life. But Paul also states we are to be alert “with all perseverance.” Not only are we to be aware of what is going on that requires prayer, we have to persist and persevere in our prayer lives. We don’t shoot off a short prayer and leave it at that. We continue to contemplate what we are convicted to pray about and persist and persevere in praying over time until there is an answer to our prayer; whether that is positive or negative. This does not mean we are to stop what we are doing, say at work or while we’re driving and pray until the sun goes down. It means we consistently and persistently continue to pray through the day and/or night as we are able and lift up our prayers to God. Often we will be persistent in praying at specific times of the day or night or even a day of the week about specific needs or requests over long periods of time. There are many stories of mothers or fathers, wives or husbands, even children who have prayed for spouses, family members, relatives and friends for years knowing that their persistent prayers have eventually been answered.

 

PAUL’S SIXTH COMMAND – EPHESIANS 6:18c

 

18c “and petition for all the saints,”

 

In the first part of Ephesians 6:18 we were instructed to pray and petition, praying at all times in the Spirit. This type of prayer is where we pray to God for strength, insight, discernment, power, help, and enablement as we seek to live our lives and deal with the spiritual battles we face. In this last part of verse 18 we are also called to pray and petition for “ALL” the saints. This is the fourth “all” of how we are to pray. Yes, we pray for ourselves as we face spiritual battles of life, but we also pray for our fellow Christians, our comrades in arms, our fellow Christian soldiers. We hold each other up in prayer as the darts of the enemy fly at us. We intercede for other Disciples of Christ as they face a specific onslaught or attack from the evil one. We lift each other up in prayer because we love others in the body of the saints.

 

We are not to play favorites in our prayer life. We are to pray for any and all Disciples of Christ whom God lays on our heart. There are some fellow Christians we will pray for in a moment’s notice. These are friends and relatives, people we are especially close to and care about. These are people who are possibly in great need with life threatening issues, financial hardships that are insurmountable or relationship trauma that causes our hearts and minds to feel sympathy for them. But, I am sure if we are honest with ourselves, there are others that we are tempted to ignore in our prayers. These are people we know that have irritated us, treated us badly or seem to just attract trouble because of their own decisions and irresponsibility. We often struggle with seeking to pray for them because we have a hard time overcoming our attitudes and perceptions about them. But Paul here in Ephesians does not allow any categories of Christians who are not to be included in our prayers. He does not say “pray for those who are easy to love,” or “pray for those who deserve your consideration,” or “pray only for those who have prayed for you and you are close to.” He says we are to “petition for all the saints.”

 

Prayer is a powerful weapon that we can use to impact the spiritual war that we are dealing with in our lives. William Cowper wrote a song in the 1700’s about how prayer is of such great necessity in the Christian’s life.

 

What Various Hindrances We Meet – William Cowper 1779 (Two verses)

 

Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw,

Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw;

Gives exercise to faith and love,

Brings every blessing from above.

 

Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;

Prayer makes the Christian’s armor bright;

And Satan trembles, when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees.

 

Another song regarding the importance of prayer in the life of the Disciple of Christ was written by William C. Poole in the early 1900’s. He challenges us in the frequency with which we pray. As you read the words to this song, you can see that it demands a persistent and continual prayer life take place in the life of the Disciple of Christ. See if these words don’t challenge you to grow stronger in your commitment to pray as a soldier of Christ!

Have You Prayed All Night Till the Break of Day

Author: William C. Poole 1915 (Three Verses)

1. 
   Have you prayed all night, till the break of day,
   And the morning light drove the dark away?
   Did you linger there, till the morning dew,
   In prevailing prayer, did you pray it through?

Refrain
Did you pray till the answer came,
Did you plead in the Savior’s name?
Have you prayed all night till the morning light,
Did you pray till the answer came?

2. Did you pray it through, till the answer came?
   There’s a promise true for your faith to claim,
   At the place of prayer, Jesus waits for you,
   Did you meet Him there, did you pray it through? [Refrain]
3. As the Master prayed in the garden lone,
   Let your prayer be made to the Father’s throne,
   If you seek His will, He will answer you,
   Are you trusting still, have you prayed it through? [Refrain] 

Os Guiness a Christian author, lecturer and theologian went to England to give a lecture series at Essex University. He was being introduced to the audience moments before he was about to speak he looked and noticed a young woman sitting in the front row. What caught his attention was that the young woman had the most peculiar expression on her face, a look of fierce anguish. Recalling a warning that he had received that anti-Christian protestors might attempt to disrupt his lecture series, Guiness paused to pray that God would bless the meeting and restrain Satan so that God’s message would go forth with power. Then Guiness stepped to the lectern and proceeded to give his talk. The lecture proceeded without interruption and was enthusiastically received. After his talk, the young woman with the strange expression walked up to him. She was angry and baffled. “How did you do that?!” she demanded. “How did I do what?” replied Guiness. She replied, “What sort of spell did you cast on me to keep me in my seat?” she asked. “You knew I had been sent here by the Witch’s coven to protest your talk didn’t you?” “And you put some kind of spell on me to keep me in my seat and keep me silent.” Guiness replied gently, “The only spell I used…”  “Was to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

A few weeks later, Os Guiness was back in America. A Christian lady asked him how his Essex Lecture Series had gone. “The reason I ask” she explained, “at the same time you were about to begin to your lecture in England, I was suddenly overcome by an impression of you standing on a platform and a woman seated in the audience near you. I had a sense that a battle was going on between the two of you. A spiritual battle between the power of God and the power of Satan and I immediately went to my knees and prayed for you and the woman in the audience.”

 

Charles Swindoll tells us concerning the necessity of prayer in the life of the Christian; “When you stepped into the Christian life you didn’t step into a playground, you stepped into a battle ground and you’ll never leave it and it will never get easier.”

 

In the history of warfare and knights who served their king, those young men who were about to be knighted went through a ceremony the night before of their recognition of service to the crown. The young man would often spend the entire night before he was knighted awake in the quietness of the castle chapel. While in there he would strip off all of the armor and spread it out before him as he offered up his soul to God. Each piece of his armor would be named and touched by the young warrior as he would declare his dependence on God for his courage and for his survival.

 

I would encourage you to look at this armor and in your mind and heart and place your hands upon this armor; the belt, the breastplate, the shoes, the shield, the helmet, the sword. For the sake of your courage and survival, claim God’s protection in whatever situation you find yourself.

 

For those of you who don’t know Christ as your Lord and Savior…you will never make it without Him. You can’t make it, you won’t make it. But the good news is God continues to wait for you to make a commitment to Him by accepting His Son, Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord and confess your sins. You are either saved or lost, a sheep or a goat. Don’t wait, time is of the essence.

 

THREE PRINCIPLES TO REMEMBER AS A CHRISTIAN WARRIOR

 

No satanic assault is stronger than God.

 

1 John 4:4, “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

 

No satanic attack can penetrate God’s armor.

 

1 Peter 1:3-5

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

 

No satanic evil can prevail over God’s church.

 

Romans 8:37-39

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

FINAL ADVICE – SPIRITUAL WARFARE DISCIPLINES 

 

Willingly refuse Satan’s lies. – Belt of Truth (John 8:32, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

 

Affirm your righteous position in Christ – Breastplate of Righteousness (Romans 8:38-39)

 

Reaffirm your testimony. – Shoes of the Gospel of Peace (I John 3:7-9)

 

Fix your faith on Jesus Christ as your shield. – Shield of faith (I John 4:4)

 

Appropriate your deliverance. – Helmet of Salvation (Colossians 1:10-14)

Renew your mind. – Sword of the Spirit (I Timothy 4:1)

 

Engage in intercession. – Pray (I Thessalonians. 5:17)

 

Around AD 110, a famous preacher, teacher and martyr; Ignatius of Antioch sent a letter to the very same church in Ephesus where Paul had sent his prison epistle of Ephesians. Ignatius described quite dramatically the corporate aspect of spiritual warfare. He stated;

 

“Make every effort to come together more frequently to give thanks and glory to God. For when you meet together frequently, the powers of Satan are overthrown and his destructiveness is nullified by the unanimity of your faith.”

 

The Holy Spirit dwells within each one of us as Disciples of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19), but He also dwells within the gathered community of Disciples, the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:21-22).

 

If you truly want to be prepared for spiritual attacks of the evil one and to stand firm in the protection of God you need to stay close to God’s people. As you fellowship with other Christians you will draw strength from their presence and encouragement (Hebrews 10:23-25).

 

I leave you with one final verse to challenge you in your daily living as a Disciple of Christ as you seek to put on the FULL Armor of God and Stand in the POWER of HIS Might!

 

Romans 13:11-14

“Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

 

One last quote from John MacArthur on the last part of the Armor of God:

 

“The final element of the believer’s weapon is prayer – prayer. You will remember if you’ve read Pilgrim’s Progress, the great classic allegory by John Bunyan, that the last piece of armor that Christian is given in that story is the weapon of all prayer – all prayer. It is given because it will stand him in good stead when all else fails. And with this weapon of all prayer, Christian is instructed that he will be able to prevail against all who come against him in the valley of the shadow. When he pours out his soul in prayer, he is most formidable.

 

That is, of course, a reflection of what our Lord says in Luke 18:1, that men ought always to pray and not to faint, no matter how difficult the challenge is, no matter how formidable the enemy, no matter how hard the victory, men ought always to pray and not to faint. There are the two options. You can pray or you can faint. The Lord opts for the praying side.

 

This instruction is essential – foundational in the life of every believer. When it comes to the armor of the Christian, of course, it is climactic, it comes at the end. It is all-encompassing, it is all-pervasive. The whole picture here then ends with this plea for prayer. But it’s not just the end, as it were, of the armor section; it’s actually the end of the epistle.

 

All that’s left in verses 19 and 20 is an application of the prayer principle and then some final words to sign off so that this majestic epistle, which begins in the heights in chapter 1 with one of the greatest theological statements written anywhere in the Scripture, in which we are lifted up and exalted into the heavenlies from which all blessings come, this epistle, you might say, that begins in the heights, ends on its knees. And it’s important, I think, to get the big picture to understand the importance of prayer.” 

 

EPHESIANS 6:19-24 SALUTATION

“19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. 21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. 23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.”