“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Closing Of Ephesians (6:21-24)

But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

To the Ephesians written from Rome, by Tychicus.

In this devotional, we continue to look at the book of Ephesians, Paul’s personal letter to the church at Ephesus. We have already looked at the two main divisions of the book… “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3) and “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6).   As we draw this study to a close we will be looking at Paul’s closing to this letter found in 6:21-24…

EXPOSITION:

(Ephesians 6:23-24) Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. To the Ephesians written from Rome, by Tychicus.

Paul’s final wishes to his Christian brethren at Ephesus…

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith,

Paul wishes upon his brethren:

1. peace – harmony, unity, quietness, rest

Paul desired for the church to have unity within the body and peace towards Christ, their brethren and others around them.

2. love with faith – self-sacrificial love with persuasion and conviction

Two of the greatest needs for servants of Christ is to possess a love towards others and assurance of salvation and conviction of the truths of God’s Word.

Paul’s wishes for them centered upon helping them to be better servants of the Lord. Instead of wishing for increased material possessions or physical health, his greatest concerns for them involved that which would be of spiritual benefit.

from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul understood that all spiritual blessings originate with God the Father and flow through Christ and His work, which is the channel for all blessings for mankind. As he prayed for the Ephesian saints, he was going ot the source of these great benefits for them.

Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

3. grace – the giving of that which is beneficial and undeserved

Apart from the specific needs that Paul requested for the Ephesian church, he now requests the very general gift of God’s grace. It is through God’s grace that all of our needs are supplied. Here, Paul is basically saying… “Lord, please graciously give those who love you whatever they may need to serve you”.

He desires these blessings to come upon those who genuinely love Christ sacrificially.

Amen.

Paul finishes his letter with “Amen” which means “so be it”.

In other words, “ I have said all I know to say, may it accomplish what it was meant to accomplish”… “May the Lord’s will be done”.

To the Ephesians written from Rome, by Tychicus.

This is a notation, probably not in the originals, clarifies the place of writing (Rome) and the recipient (the Ephesians).

When it says “by Tychicus” it could be saying that Tychicus delivered the message to the Ephesians, or Tychicus was the scribe that wrote this letter for the Apostle Paul.

Our next devotional series… “To Love As Jesus Loved” will begin, Lord willing on Monday July 7^th, 2014.

Until then we will be presenting individual devotional lessons.

APPLICATION:

With this devotional, we come to the end of our Ephesians devotional series. I wanted to thank everyone who has so graciously given of your time to follow this series. My prayer for you mimics that of the Apostle Paul for the Ephesians:

May the Lord bless you with His grace and grant to you overflowing grace and peace as you seek to serve Him as His chosen, called and faithful.

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Closing Of Ephesians (6:21-24)

 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.
Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
To the Ephesians written from Rome, by Tychicus.

In this devotional, we continue to look at the book of Ephesians, Paul’s personal letter to the church at Ephesus. We have already looked at the two main divisions of the book… “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3) and “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6).   As we draw this study to a close we will be looking at Paul’s closing to this letter found in 6:21-24…

EXPOSITION:

(Ephesians 6:21-22) But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

Paul’s concern for the Ephesian believers was a reciprocal one. Here, Paul acknowledges their concern for his wellbeing …

But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

Because the Ephesian believers were concerned about his welfare, in the imprisoned Paul’s absence, Tychicus would go to them. He would be delivering this letter to them as well as informing them of Paul’s current condition. In doing so, both Paul and the Ephesians were treating each other with the love, respect and appreciation they deserved.

“[Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” (Romans 12:10)

“But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

Are we concerned about the welfare of those who care for us? Or do we take them for granted and do not appreciate them as we should?

Also, please notice that Paul described Tychicus as:

1. a beloved brother – Tychicus was loved by Paul with a self-sacrificial love. Paul looked upon him as a member of his family… a spiritual brother in Christ.

2. a faithful minister in the Lord – Tychicus was a trustworthy, reliable servant in the service of Christ

What a wonderful testimony to be had by anyone who is called by the name of “Christian”!

He was loved greatly loved by other servants of Christ (to the point of being considered a member of their family), he was known as a person who was reliable, and also as one who was ministering for Christ… what better testimony could we possess?

“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5)

Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs,

Paul recognized their desire to know of his welfare and sent Tychicus to inform them. Although Paul could simply write of his current condition, he knew that it would be more easily understood if he sent a witness to confirm his words and answer any questions they might have.

and that he might comfort your hearts.

Paul’s motivation to inform them was not from a prideful selfishness, but he was doing it for their welfare that their loving concern for them might be eased.

APPLICATION:

In this first part to Paul’s closing, we can see both the need to reciprocally hold concern for those who care about us and to make a loving effort to ease their concerns and keep them informed of our wellbeing.

How often have we asked others to pray for us without keeping them informed of changes in our circumstances?

How often do we not notice others’ concern for us, slight them and ignore their attempts to show concern?

How often do we have opportunity to meet the needs of our spiritual brethren but pay no attention to their needs and “pass by on the other side”?

May we all love, and return love that is shown to us, in our pursuit to become more like Christ, our wonderfully kind, forgiving and loving Savior!

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.   

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of PREPAREDNESS (6:1-10-20)…

One of the greatest needs for Christians is to prepare beforehand for the spiritual warfare in which they face. The Bible clearly speaks of the need to recognize our enemy, the devil, and properly prepare for his attacks upon us …

 1Pe 5:8-9 KJV – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:   Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Need For The Armour Of God (vs 10-13)
II.        The Identity Of The Armour Of God (vs 14-17)
III.        The Empowerment Of The Armour Of God (vs 18)
IV.        The Ministry Enabled By The Armour Of God (vs 19-20)

EXPOSITION:

Just as, our prayer and ministry to others is a very important aspect of our Christian service, so too others ministering on our behalf is of great importance.

(Ephesians 6:19-20) And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Paul now requests prayer on his behalf for the enhancement of his ministry…

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, 

Paul now requests for prayer for:

1. utterance – the proper words to be given to him
a. the proper words are used to clearly express the truths of God’s Word
b. the proper words are used to present the Word in a kind, loving way

2. boldness – an attitude of confidence and courage
a. the message of truth being presented with a confident attitude, knowing it is the truth from God’s Word and that it will accomplish that which the Lord pleases.
b. the message of truth being presented with a courageous attitude, willing to share it with those who oppose the Word and publically teach error.

to make known the mystery of the gospel, 

The “bottom line” to Paul’s request is that the gospel be proclaimed to those who are around us at every opportunity that is opened to us. It is only through receipt of the utterance and boldness that this can take place.

Why does Paul describe the message of the gospel as a mystery? The word translated “mystery” does not mean “that which is unknown”. In actuality it means “that which is unknown to the uninitiated”.  In other words, the gospel is a mystery to those to whom it has not been revealed.

Paul, by using this term, is saying that his desire was to share the gospel with the lost, especially to the lost who have never heard the gospel message. This is Paul’s ministry in a nut-shell. He took the gospel of Christ to a Gentile world that, in many cases, had never heard the gospel message before.

For which I am an ambassador in bonds:

It was this same ministry of this gospel message that had resulted in the imprisonment of Paul. Paul was willing to be in prison for the sake of the gospel being proclaimed.

Another description of Paul’s ministry is found in the title “ambassador”. In other words, Paul is describing himself as “a senior representative” for Christ and the gospel message.

that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Paul here, simply relates to us that due to the importance of his ministry (taking the gospel to those who had not received it) and his calling of God (a senior representative for the gospel), he greatly desired boldness to enable him to speak the truths of God as he should (in an understandable, loving way).

APPLICATION:

May we all be greatly concerned about our personal ministry for Christ as was the Apostle Paul. May we all see the need to be graced of God with the proper words and attitudes to be Godly representatives of His gospel. And finally, may we be encouraged to share the gospel message in every opportunity that is opened to us. Understanding that the gospel, His enabling, and the opportunities that are opened to us are all divine acts of grace and love that He has bestowed upon us.

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

 Ephesians 6:10-20

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of PREPAREDNESS (6:1-10-20)…

One of the greatest needs for Christians is to prepare beforehand for the spiritual warfare in which they face. The Bible clearly speaks of the need to recognize our enemy, the devil, and properly prepare for his attacks upon us …

 1Pe 5:8-9 KJV – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:   Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Need For The Armour Of God (vs 10-13)
II.        The Identity Of The Armour Of God (vs 14-17)
III.        The Empowerment Of The Armour Of God (vs 18)
IV.        The Ministry Enabled By The Armour Of God (vs 19-20)

EXPOSITION:

Previously, we have looked at all 6 pieces of God’s armour: the Girdle of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, The Shoes Of The Gospel Of Peace, Shield Of Faith, the Helmet Of Salvation, and the Sword of The Spirit. If we are equipped with all six pieces of armour what can we still be lacking? Prayer and a concern for others…

(Eph 6:18) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Once we are equipped with the complete armour of God, our next step is to minister to the needs of others. Please notice this ministry has two aspects to it: prayer and watching over others…

 1. Prayer… 

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,

Here, the words “praying” and “prayer” comes from a fusion of two Greek words that mean:
1. wishes or desires
2. towards or alongside

In other words, we are being told to send away our wishes and desires towards God. We are to verbally take them to the Lord using “supplications” (requests or petitions). As we take our requests to the Lord, we are to be led by the Holy Spirit.

When we are being led by the Spirit:
1. He will intercede on our behalf (Romans 8:26-28)
2. He will lead us to make requests that are pleasing to the Lord based upon His revealed will for us (Ephesians 5:15-20)
3. He will give us a spirit of submission to the Lord’s will concerning the requests we have made. (Psa 143:10)

2. Watching Over Others…

and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Besides prayer, we are to also begin specifically looking for opportunities to help others in need. We are to be actively “watching” to recognize others in need.

The word “watching” is really interesting and helps us to understand the importance of this area of ministry for others… the word “watching” means “to keep awake” or “to lie awake” and can be understood in at least three different ways:
1. we are to be always vigilant, never “falling asleep at the switch” as we seek ways to help others.
2. we are to lie awake at night, out of concern for other’s needs.
3. we are to lie awake at night, reflecting on our day and those we have met, making sure we have not missed the opportunity to help those who have come our way.

This watching is to be done in association with “perseverance”, in other words with persistence and carefulness. Also, we are to watch with “supplication”, making a request to the Lord for guidance and the ability to recognize the opportunities open to us.

APPLICATION:

The basic principle is this, once we have properly protected ourselves through the putting on of God’s armour, we are to then work to serve the Lord by meeting others needs. The Christian life is not a selfish one, solely concerned about taking care of our needs only. A Christian is to care about being well equipped for the service of Christ for their own benefit, as well as for the benefit of others.

By being protected and strong spiritually the Christians is able to best serve Christ in serving the needs of others.

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of [this] life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
And if a man also strive for masteries, [yet] is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, [even] unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” (2 Timothy 2:1-10)

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more!

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.   

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of PREPAREDNESS (6:1-10-20)…

One of the greatest needs for Christians is to prepare beforehand for the spiritual warfare in which they face. The Bible clearly speaks of the need to recognize our enemy, the devil, and properly prepare for his attacks upon us …

1Pe 5:8-9 KJV – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:   Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Need For The Armour Of God (vs 10-13)
II.        The Identity Of The Armour Of God (vs 14-17)
III.        The Empowerment Of The Armour Of God (vs 18)
IV.        The Ministry Enabled By The Armour Of God (vs 19-20)

 EXPOSITION:

Previously, we have seen 5 pieces of God’s armour: the Girdle of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, The Shoes Of The Gospel Of Peace, Shield Of Faith, and the Helmet Of Salvation . Now, Paul looks at the final piece of armour… the Sword of The Spirit…

(Eph 6:17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The Sword Of The Spirit:

1. It is called the “Sword Of The Spirit, which is the Word of God” – Here we find that our piece of armour given to us is clearly defined for us as “the Word of God”.

The symbolism used to picture the Word is that of a sword:

a. It is symbolized by a sword… due to its effectiveness against our spiritual foes. A sword is a very sharp piece of equipment that can be very effective when used properly.

The Word throughout the Scriptures is pictured as powerful tool used to perform great deeds, a few of those include:
the creation of the world (Psa 33:6, Heb 11:3)
the salvation of lost individuals (Romans 10:13-17)
the perfect basis of judgment (Hebrews 4:12)
always accomplishes its chosen purpose (Isaiah 55:11)

and most importantly for our study…
the perfect equipment for living a spiritual life (2 Timothy 3:16)
the defeat of Satan during times of temptation (Matthew 4:1-11)
the final defeat of the powers of darkness (Revelation 19:15-21)

b. It is described as being “of the Spirit”… to emphasize that the Holy Spirit reveals the Word and produces its effectiveness and power:
the Spirit reveals God’s Word to us (John 14:16-17, John 16:13, 1 John 2:27)
the Spirit empowers the ministry of the Word (Acts 1:8, Col 3:16, Eph 3:20)
2. The sword is used to protect our entire being – Any temptation we face uses one of three areas of our fallen nature… the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). The Bible emphasizes these three areas on temptation in the historical accounts of the two most important temptations we find in God’s Word:

a. the temptation of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, which produced the fall of all mankind (Genesis 3:1-7);

b. the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, that resulted in the public declaration of the sinlessness of Christ (Luke 4:1-13).

It is very important for us to notice the example Christ set for us in the temptation that He faced (Luke 4:1-13). In that temptation, he used His Word to combat Satan’s temptations in all three of these areas…

…And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

…And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

…And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:And in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

In this text, the Lord clearly showed to us that His Word is able to attack Satan in the midst of any type of temptation, bringing the temptation to a halt and working his eventual departure. Hence, the Sword of the Spirit is represented to us as the key to effectively attacking Satan and gaining the spiritual victory in every area of our life.

3. It is the ONLY offensive weapon that is spoken of in our Ephesians text. All the other pieces of armour we have studied were defensive in nature, able to protect us against the attacks of the powers of darkness only. However, it is through the Sword of the Spirit, that we are able to not only defend against Satanic temptations, but to actually drive Satan away, which is shown in the temptation of Christ in the wilderness.

Keep in mind, in the origin temptation (Adam and Eve in the wilderness), Satan is shown perverting the Word of God that had been received by Adam and Eve. In doing so, Satan was attempting to mislead and “beguile” (totally confuse) Eve (2 Cor 11:3), while taking away her only means of driving him away.

APPLICATION:

May we always highly value the Word of God and make it the central part of our day to day walk with Christ (Provs 4:20-22). May we thank and praise Him for His Word and the many benefits that it brings into our lives (Psalms 119:11-16).

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.   

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of PREPAREDNESS (6:1-10-20)…

One of the greatest needs for Christians is to prepare beforehand for the spiritual warfare in which they face. The Bible clearly speaks of the need to recognize our enemy, the devil, and properly prepare for his attacks upon us …

1Pe 5:8-9 KJV – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:   Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Need For The Armour Of God (vs 10-13)
II.        The Identity Of The Armour Of God (vs 14-17)
III.        The Empowerment Of The Armour Of God (vs 18)
IV.        The Ministry Enabled By The Armour Of God (vs 19-20)

EXPOSITION:

Previously, we have seen 4 pieces of God’s armour: the Girdle of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, The Shoes Of The Gospel Of Peace, Shield Of Faith . Now, Paul continues to give us a description of this armour. In this devotional we will be looking at …

(Eph 6:17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The Helmet of Salvation:

1. It is called the “Helmet Of Salvation” – What is “salvation”? Salvation, in its most basic definition, means “deliverance” or “defense”.  Not only does “salvation” refer to our initial experience of deliverance from the penalty of sin (justification) and power of sin (progressive sanctification), but also it can refer to our FUTURE deliverance from the presence of sin (glorification).

Which phase, or aspect, of our salvation does this text speak? To help us come to a clear understanding of this text, we need to look at another reference to this “helmet” spoken of by Paul …

“But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”   (1 Thessalonians 5:8-10)

When Paul speaks of “the hope of salvation” he is clearly speaking of the final stage of our salvation experience which is the future glorification of our bodies and the complete deliverance from God’s eternal wrath and deliverance from a sinful fallen world. This is the salvation, yet to be received, that the Christian hopes for in this life (1 Pet 1:3-5, 1 Pet 1:13, 1 John 3:1-3).

This is the “salvation”, I believe, Paul is speaking of in our Ephesians text.

2. This helmet protects our head – the head is a symbolic representation of the thought processes that we possess. It is our head (brain) that is the container of our knowledge, desires and will. Our knowledge of our coming glorification, along with our strong desires and appreciation for it, will motivate us to make the proper choices as we fight the spiritual battle place before us.   It is the motivating force behind us as we “keep on keeping on” in the midst of very difficult trying times that we may face.

It was the source of strength and endurance for those declared to be the most faithful of God’s servants we find in the Bible….

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”  (Hebrews 11:13-16)

3. It is a defensive piece of armour, and as such is an effective tool in thwarting the attacks of Satan. When we control our thought life (dwelling upon the many wonderful promises of God) and make choices based upon this great hope, we will find ourselves rejecting this sinful world’s offerings and temptations placed before us. We will confidently choose to remain faithful to Christ, knowing we will obtain far greater eternal riches in eternity.

“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ:Whose end [is] destruction, whose God [is their] belly, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Philippians 3:18-21)

APPLICATION:

May we always hold the future promises of eternal blessings in the center of our minds. In doing so, may we allow them to motivate us to always choose the Lord’s will over the temporary riches of this world .

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”   (Romans 8:16-18)

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more!

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of PREPAREDNESS (6:1-10-20)…

One of the greatest needs for Christians is to prepare beforehand for the spiritual warfare in which they face. The Bible clearly speaks of the need to recognize our enemy, the devil, and properly prepare for his attacks upon us …

1Pe 5:8-9 KJV – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:   Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Need For The Armour Of God (vs 10-13)
II.        The Identity Of The Armour Of God (vs 14-17)
III.        The Empowerment Of The Armour Of God (vs 18)
IV.        The Ministry Enabled By The Armour Of God (vs 19-20)

EXPOSITION:

Previously, we have seen 3 pieces of God’s armour: the Girdle of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, The Shoes Of The Gospel Of Peace. Now, Paul continues to give us a description of this armour. In this devotional we will be looking at …

 (Eph 6:16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Above all, taking the shield of faith,

The Shield Of Faith:

1. It is called the “Shield Of Faith” – What is “faith”? This idea is expressed Biblically with several different terms: belief, trust, assurance and fidelity. Put very simply faith describes reliance, conviction or trust.

Biblically, faith is to be exercised in Christ in several aspects. Four of the main areas of faith in Christ for the spiritual warrior are….

a. We are to have faith in Christ as our Savior – relying upon Him to pay our sin debt and grant us deliverance from our sin through His work on the cross.
b. We are to have faith in Christ as our Leader/Lord – willfully following His teachings and example without hesitation.
c. We are to have faith in Christ as our Protector – trusting in Him to only allow what is beneficial into our lives, while keeping away from us all that is detrimental.
d. We are to have faith in Christ as our Enabler – trusting Him to supply all that is necessary to serve Him in any ministry to which we are called.

All of these aspects of faith in Him are necessary as we enter spiritual warfare for Him.

During times of warfare,…
a. we can find encouragement and peace knowing our sins have been paid for and forgiven through Christ.
b. we can look to Him for leadership and guidance
c. we can know that He will be our protector during this war, controlling all aspects of it and using it for His glory
d. we can rely upon Him to supply our every need and enable us to fight “the good fight” and be victorious.

“For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10)

 “But the salvation of the righteous [is] of the LORD: [he is] their strength in the time of trouble.And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.” (Psalms 37:39-40)

2. It covers all areas of the body – the shield was a door sized shield that allowed the warrior to hide his entire body behind it. This helps us to understand that our reliance upon the Lord should be exercised in EVERY area of our life.  Every area is touched by sin, unable to serve the Lord, and rendered useless in this battle. Apart from the enabling grace of the Lord, we would be totally open to attack and destined for great defeat.

Because of this inherent disability, we must be constantly trusting in Christ for every spiritual battle that we face. It is only through the eyes of faith and the enabling of Christ given to us through the Holy Spirit, that we can find strength, ability and peace as we war against Satan and the darkness of this world.

“Blessed [be] the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.   The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.The LORD [is] their strength, and he [is] the saving strength of his anointed.” (Psalms 28:6-8)

3. It is a defensive piece of spiritual armour – When we fight in this battle, we are to trust in Christ alone as our enabler and defender. We are not to trust in other men, for they will fail; nor are we to trust in ourselves for we are impotent and defenseless apart from Him.

“If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.”   (John 9:33)

 “I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”   (John 15:5)

wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

How is this shield to be used? It is designed to “quench all the fiery darts” that proceed from Satan and his minions. The idea of “quenching” involves extinguishing, or putting out a fire.

“Fiery darts” back then were used as weapons of warfare to send flames into combustible areas of the opposing army.  Satan does the same in our lives. He sees openings and vulnerabilities and aims directly at those areas of our lives that are the weakest and most susceptible to temptation.

However, through Christ’s intervention in our lives, as we place our faith in Him, He will supply all the protection that we need. He does this by “putting out” the fiery darts that are being sent to harm and destroy us. This protection can only be had by placing our reliance upon Him to deliver us.

Divine intervention in spiritual battle based upon the faith of His people is perfectly pictured in the physical war of the Israelites as they defeated of the Hagarites…

 “The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, [were] four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war.And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab.
And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that [were] with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him.And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand.
For there fell down many slain, because the war [was] of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.”   (1 Chronicles 5:18-22)

APPLICATION:

May we always enter into spiritual battle placing our trust in Christ as our Savior, Lord, Protector and Enabler. It is just as Paul told the church at Corinth….

“…for by faith ye stand”.(2 Corinthians 1:24)

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.   

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of PREPAREDNESS (6:1-10-20)…

One of the greatest needs for Christians is to prepare beforehand for the spiritual warfare in which they face. The Bible clearly speaks of the need to recognize our enemy, the devil, and properly prepare for his attacks upon us …

1Pe 5:8-9 KJV – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:   Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Need For The Armour Of God (vs 10-13)
II.        The Identity Of The Armour Of God (vs 14-17)
III.        The Empowerment Of The Armour Of God (vs 18)
IV.        The Ministry Enabled By The Armour Of God (vs 19-20)

EXPOSITION:

Previously, we have seen 2 pieces of God’s armour: the Girdle of Truth and the Breastplate of Righteousness. Now, Paul continues to give us a description of this armour. In this devotional we will be looking at …

(Eph 6:15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

The Shoes Of The Gospel Of Peace:

1. It is called the “Shoes of the Gospel of Peace” – What is the “gospel of peace”? It is the good news of Christ and His work for us that brings temporal, and eternal, peace to all mankind (Isa 9:6-7).

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciledIn the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:” (Colossians 1:20-22)

2. It covers the feet – the feet are used by messengers to take their message to the recipient. So much more the feet of God’s people should be used to deliver the gospel message to those around us. We are to take the gospel into a lost and dying world and share with them the message of peace that can be had through Christ…

“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:12-15)

3. It is a defensive piece of spiritual armour – When we minister to the Lord, we are to proclaim Christ and His work alone. Our message is not to include man’s wisdom, psychology or motivational methods…. It is to simply reveal Christ and His work to those who face such great need in their lives.

By limiting our message to Christ and His work, we are being defensive against the many false gospels, teachings and carnal methods that Satan desires to be included in our ministry. Satan may try as hard as he can to corrupt the truth of the Word, but by keeping our eyes on Christ and His work alone, we will find defense against that temptation that Satan will bring before us.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:(For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.  
Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [your] house, neither bid him God speed:For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” (2 John 1:7-11)

APPLICATION:

May we all be equipped with the genuine, scriptural “gospel of peace” as we enter into spiritual warfare.

May we NEVER take our eyes off Christ and His work and begin replacing His message with the message that centers on sinful man and the false gods of this world

May we NEVER forget the instructions the Lord has given to us and begin ministering using the carnal methods of this fallen world in the hopes of manipulation the lost to make a false profession in Christ.

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more!

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.   

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of PREPAREDNESS (6:1-10-20)…

One of the greatest needs for Christians is to prepare beforehand for the spiritual warfare in which they face. The Bible clearly speaks of the need to recognize our enemy, the devil, and properly prepare for his attacks upon us …

1Pe 5:8-9 KJV – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:   Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Need For The Armour Of God (vs 10-13)
II.        The Identity Of The Armour Of God (vs 14-17)
III.        The Empowerment Of The Armour Of God (vs 18)
IV.        The Ministry Enabled By The Armour Of God (vs 19-20)

EXPOSITION:

Now Paul turns our attention to a description of this armour…

 (Eph 6:14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

In this devotion, we will be looking at the first piece of the armour of God, the girdle of truth that is placed about the loins.  There are three main aspects to this piece of spiritual armour.

The Girdle of Truth:

1. It is called the “girdle of truth” – this girdle represents sincerity and genuineness in our service to Christ.

Jesus was said to “teach the way of God in truth” (Mark 12:14), setting the example for all His followers to proclaim the Word in a genuine, sincere way. (We can also see the word “truth” used in this way in Acts 10:34, Acts 26:25, 1 Corinthians 5:8 etc.)

Please note: “Truth” can be used to describe the Word of God (2 Corinthians 6:7, Ephesians 1:13, 2 Timothy 2:15, James 1:18). However, the Word as a piece of the armour of God is clearly symbolized as a sword in vs 17, therefore it is best to understand the symbolism of “truth” in this section of Scripture as a different spiritual attribute.

2. It covers the “loins” – the loins represent the seat of strength and stability in a man.

“To gird up your loins” spoke of hardening (strengthening) oneself in preparation for service or warfare (1 Kings 18:46, 2 Kings 4:29, Job 38:3,1 Peter 1:13 etc) When our service is motivated by genuine sacrificial love (for Christ and others) it leaves a powerful testimony of the love and care of Christ for His sheep (Ephesians 5:2, John 15:12-13).

3. It is a defensive piece of spiritual armour – When we serve others from the heart (as an act of genuine love for Christ and love/concern for the spiritual welfare of others, it is not a direct attack against Satan, but we are protecting ourselves against one of His most used methods of attack… hypocrisy in service.  Another way to look at it is simply “going through the motions” of worship and service without Godly motivations.

Keep in mind that the Lord, himself, strongly opposed hypocrisy in the worship and service of God (Mark 7:5-9, Matthew 23:13-29)

APPLICATION:

One of the greatest ways we can strengthen our testimony and service to Christ is through displays of sincerity and genuineness.

Think about it.   How powerful it is to live a life that backs up our verbal testimony of Christ!   Instead of “going through the motions”, we live lives dedicated to His service and spiritual living being motivated from hearts of love.

Sincerity of service can easily be seen in the consistent walk of life with Christ, where our actions are in alignment with our words. On the other hand, when our speech and acts contradict one another what a sad testimony we placed before a lost and dying world.

Do we sincerely serve Christ out of a heart of love and concern for others? If so, our lives will match our speech, our actions will support the message that we proclaim. Do we have a consistent testimony of sincerity and genuiness?

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more!

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

Ephesians 6:10-20

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of PREPAREDNESS (6:1-10-20)…

One of the greatest needs for Christians is to prepare beforehand for the spiritual warfare in which they face. The Bible clearly speaks of the need to recognize our enemy, the devil, and properly prepare for his attacks upon us …

1Pe 5:8-9 KJV – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:   Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:

I.        The Need For The Armour Of God (vs 10-13)

II.        The Identity Of The Armour Of God (vs 14-17)

III.        The Empowerment Of The Armour Of God (vs 18)

IV.        The Ministry Enabled By The Armour Of God (vs 19-20)

EXPOSITION:

Now Paul turns our attention to the necessity of this armour…

(Eph 6:13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

To summarize the Christian’s need for the armour of God, Paul emphasizes the importance of remaining faithful to the Lord in the midst of the attacks of the powers of darkness.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,

“Wherefore” refers back to Paul’s previous teachings on:
1. the type of warfare – personal warfare that is totally reliant on Christ’s enabling for victory
2. and enemies in that war – the powers of darkness that are active in every realm of the creation of God

In other words, based upon the Christians’ warfare, and the enemies of darkness that they face, they MUST be prepared with every aspect of God’s armour, or face certain defeat…

2Co 10:3-6 KJV – For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, 

The armour of God allows Christians to stand firmly against the day that is filled with harmful influences and activities that are set against us by the powers of darkness.  It truly is harmful to us, seeking to destroy our testimony and ruin our service for the Lord. Without the Lord’s enabling armour, we are facing spiritual “shipwreck”, our works for Him being brought down to rubble…

1Ti 1:18-19 KJV – This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

Also, please note that this verse uses the phrase “may be able to”, this helps us to understand that, without the armour of God upon us, standing against the warfare of darkness is absolutely impossible. It is only through His armour that we will receive the ability to stand against them.

and having done all, to stand.

The whole armour of God is all that is required to prepare for spiritual warfare. When EVERY piece of armour is in place in our lives, we have done all that is possible to prepare for the workings of Satan against us.

Once we have brought all our preparations to a full completion, we are then to stand boldly in faith.   We can do this by knowing that we have properly prepared for this war, and the enabling and sustaining grace of the Lord will be with us and bring us to a certain victory.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:35-37)

“But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58)

APPLICATION:

May we thank the Lord for His gracious supplying of the armour that will give us victory as we battle in His name.

How wonderful it is to know that although we face:
1. “principalities” (those who hold top rank among the wicked powers);
2. “powers” (those who possesses varying levels of authority over wicked powers);
3. “rulers of the darkness of this world” (those who rule the world and control the sinfulness of this age);
4. and “spiritual wickedness in high places” (depravity and evil that exists on earth, in outer space and in our atmosphere).

When we take time to consider the overpowering force that oppose our service to Christ, we can come to a better understanding of the absolute necessity of His armour. We can praise the name of the Lord, for He has given us the victory over all of these through His gracious intervention in our lives. It is through this intervention that He empowers us and protects us through the use of His wonderful spiritual armour.

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.   

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of PREPAREDNESS (6:1-10-20)…

One of the greatest needs for Christians is to prepare beforehand for the spiritual warfare in which they face. The Bible clearly speaks of the need to recognize our enemy, the devil, and properly prepare for his attacks upon us …

 1Pe 5:8-9 KJV – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:   Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Need For The Armour Of God (vs 10-13)
II.        The Identity Of The Armour Of God (vs 14-17)
III.        The Empowerment Of The Armour Of God (vs 18)
IV.        The Ministry Enabled By The Armour Of God (vs 19-20)

EXPOSITION:

Now Paul turns our attention to the necessity of this armour…

 (Eph 6:12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The necessity of this armour is entirely based upon the nature and power of the enemy of the Lord’s people. In this verse, we will see a detailed description of the enemy that is constantly at work to bring down each one of us.

For we wrestle 

The nature of the warfare in the life of a Christian is described as “wrestling”. From this term, we can learn several things:

1. It is a “personal war” – it is a one on one struggle. We are personally accountable to prepare for this war properly and to ready ourselves for this battle. Although other men may encourage and help us prepare, ultimately we face our enemy in a very personal, singular way, in which on other man can fight the battle for us. Although Christians entirely find their sufficiency in God, they must choose to follow Christ and to resist the temptation comes before them. (Hebrews 12:4)

2. It is a war of strength – This shows us the need to rely upon the Lord’s enabling. In and of ourselves, we do not come close to possessing the spiritual strength to gain the victory. (Romans 8:37, 1 John 4:4)

3. It is a war of endurance – Unlike many other contests that are won or lost in a single action, wrestling involves gaining victory gradually, as the strength of the opponent wanes. Many times the temptations and battles that take place are extended over a period of time. Victory requires a patient, continued trusting in the Lord by faith. (James 1:2-6, Romans 12:12)

4. It is a war that offers rewards to the victor. In Paul’s day wrestling was one of the chief competitions of the Olympic games. Upon gaining the victory they would be rewarded with a crown. So, too, there is a special crown awaiting the Christian for being faithful, and triumphant, in the spiritual war we face. (Romans 2:6-7, James 1:12, Rev 2:10)

not against flesh and blood, 

This warfare is not one the physical level, nor is it reliant upon physical strength…

2Co 10:2-6 KJV – 

“But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

but against principalities, 

Our warfare IS on a spiritual level, that pits us against several types of spiritual beings…

1. “principality” – those who hold top rank within a group

against powers, 

2. “powers” – those who possesses any authority over others

against the rulers of the darkness of this world, 

3. “rulers of the darkness of this world” – those who rule the world and control the sinfulness of this age.

against spiritual wickedness in high places.

4. “spiritual wickedness in high places” – depravity and evil that exists above the earth (in outer space and our atmosphere). The phrase “high places” comes from a term that clearly means “above the sky”. This tells us that spiritual wickedness exists in outer space. This Greek word NEVER describes a position of authority as being a “high place”. It always is used to describe a physical location (ie. a place above the physical sky). I can see no other way to understand this phrase.

It is necessary for me to make a few points about this description of spiritual wickedness:

a. This limits the extent of the influence of wickedness to all of God’s creation. Although Satan desired to be exalted ABOVE the heavens (Isa 14:12-15), he was foiled, cast out of the third heaven (God’s abode) and them limited in influence to the creation of God (outer space, the atmosphere of earth, earth and beneath the earth.

b. Keep in mind, sin has touched all of God’s creation including outer space, our atmosphere, the earth and under the earth. These will all be purified and then remade into the “New Heavens and New Earth” at Christ’s coming (Isa 65:17-25, Rev 21:-22: etc.) This is why spiritual wickedness is not only described as affecting this earth, but “in high places” as well.

c. Please note: to say that spiritual wickedness exists in “high places” does not, necessarily, describe weird sci-fi events pictured in movies about alien visitations etc. There are modern day Bible teachers who claim that this phrase is proof positive of the existence of demonic aliens that live on other planets that are now visiting the earth.

However, on the contrary, it simply is describing the fact that Satan and his demons can be present in outer space as well as earth. An example of this would be that modern day astronauts can still face temptation and demonic influence and oppression while traveling into space. Although Satan is not present everywhere at one time, our sinful flesh, and other demonic spirits also play a role in this temptation and spiritual warfare against the saints. In this sense, there is nowhere in this creation to which man can flee to escape the presence of spiritual wickedness.

These three points are the basic Scriptural understanding of this last title for wickedness given to us by Paul.

(On a personal note. I do not believe in the existence of aliens nor alien visitation on earth. I believe it is very possible for Satan to place these thoughts and remembrances in the minds of the supposed “witnesses” confusing men and turning them from the truths of God to attract them to the false teachings of these beings.)

APPLICATION:

May we thank the Lord for His gracious supplying of the armour that will give us victory as we battle in His name.

How wonderful it is to know that although we face:
1. “principalities” (those who hold top rank among the wicked powers);
2. “powers” (those who possesses varying levels of authority over wicked powers);
3. “rulers of the darkness of this world” (those who rule the world and control the sinfulness of this age);
4. and “spiritual wickedness in high places” (depravity and evil that exists on earth, in outer space and in our atmosphere).

When we take time to consider the overpowering force that oppose our service to Christ, we can come to a better understanding of the absolute necessity of His armour. We can praise the name of the Lord, for He has given us the victory over all of these through His gracious intervention in our lives. It is through this intervention that He empowers us and protects us through the use of His wonderful spiritual armour.

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.   

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of PREPAREDNESS (6:1-10-20)…

One of the greatest needs for Christians is to prepare beforehand for the spiritual warfare in which they face. The Bible clearly speaks of the need to recognize our enemy, the devil, and properly prepare for his attacks upon us …

 1Pe 5:8-9 KJV – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:   Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Need For The Armour Of God (vs 10-13)
II.        The Identity Of The Armour Of God (vs 14-17)
III.        The Empowerment Of The Armour Of God (vs 18)
IV.        The Ministry Enabled By The Armour Of God (vs 19-20)

 EXPOSITION:

Now Paul turns our attention to the need to prepare for the spiritual warfare that we face as Christians…

 (Eph 6:11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.   

Put on the whole armour of God,

The description of this armour:
The Christian is to clothe themselves in the “complete, full” armour of God. Why is the armour that God supplies to us described as “whole, full, or complete”?:

1. The armour of God gives us complete, “full” protection to every part of the Christian’s being. When every piece is worn properly, there will be no vulnerable areas for Satan to wound us. It is the whole armour of God because it is complete and affords us complete protection from Satan. It is lacking nothing.

2. Based upon the complete protection that we can have, the phrase “the whole armour” also emphasizes to us the need to be certain we are wearing each and every piece of armour. We are to put on the “whole” armour of God, not pick and choose the pieces we will wear.

It is the armour “of God” because it is graciously developed, supplied, and strengthened by God as the perfect offensive and defensive weapons for the warfare we are facing.

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” (Romans 13:12)

“But in all [things] approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and [yet] true;As unknown, and [yet] well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and [yet] possessing all things.” (2 Corinthians 6:4-10)

 “Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:6-10)

that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.   

The purpose of this armour:
We are to wear this armour so that we might abide, or continually remain standing, against the Satanic opposition we will face. Through the proper use of this armour, the Christian will not be trodden down and defeated in this battle.

Satan’s workings against us are described as “wiles”. What does this term mean? This term is translated from two different Greek words that are fused together:
1. meta – to be with, to associate or to accompany
2. hodeuo – to travel or to go on a journey

Basically, this word means to travel with someone, to accompany on a journey. The only other time it is used in the NT is found in Ephesians 4:14 and is translated “to lie in wait” (ie to stealthly observe and follow someone as they travel, waiting to attack them).

When Paul describes Satan’s workings as his “wiles”, Paul is helping us to understand that:

1. Satan, demons and others dwelling in darkness, will be accompanying us throughout our life’s journey. We should never assume that there will be periods where Satan is not present and we will be able to “put our guard down” and remove this armour.   The powers of darkness may refrain from showing themselves to us, but we can be assured they are there.

2. Their purpose of accompanying us is to overtake us and defeat us. It is much like robbers who would attack unprepared travelers, overtaking them and leaving them for dead.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

In our next devotions we will look at:
3. The necessity of this armour (vs 12)
4. The victory found in this armour (vs 13)

APPLICATION:

Paul was very careful to emphasize and clearly explain to us the need for this precious armour of God. May we all take heed from our text this morning and seek to always be properly equipped!

In this text we have seen the clear need for Christians to secure the entire armour of God to defend against Satanic attack. We have seen two different truths about this armour:

1. The description of this armour: The Complete and Full Armour of God
2. The purpose of this armour: We May Stand Against The Onslaught of Satan

May we thank the Lord for His gracious supplying of the armour that will give us victory as we battle in His name.

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.   

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-20)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of PREPAREDNESS (6:1-10-20)…

One of the greatest needs for Christians is to prepare beforehand for the spiritual warfare in which they face. The Bible clearly speaks of the need to recognize our enemy, the devil, and properly prepare for his attacks upon us …

1Pe 5:8-9 KJV – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:   Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Need For The Armour Of God (vs 10-13)
II.        The Identity Of The Armour Of God (vs 14-17)
III.        The Empowerment Of The Armour Of God (vs 18)
IV.        The Ministry Enabled By The Armour Of God (vs 19-20)

EXPOSITION:

Now Paul turns our attention to the need to prepare for Satan’s onslaughts by trusting in the enabling grace of Christ…

Eph 6:10 KJV 

(10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Finally, my brethren,

Paul begins the last instructional section of his letter to the Ephesian believers. Notice that he emphasizes the fact he is writing to members of the family of God…. his brethren.   This helps us to understand that ONLY those who have been adopted into the family of God, having been saved by grace through faith, can find strength and enablement in the armour that God.

be strong in the Lord,

Paul now begins to explain to God’s family the need to receive strength which originates in Almighty God.

What does Paul mean to be “strong”? The word translated “strong” is the Greek word “dunamis”; it is from this word that we get the English word “dynamite”.   Dynamite can do what a pick and an axe cannot. Dynamite can do what human strength cannot. In other words… The basic meaning of this word is simply “the ability to perform any given task”.

This same word is found in Philippians 4:13 and is translated “strengtheneth”… “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Please notice the strengthening we receive from Christ will allow the believer to “do all things”. In other words, the believer is given the ability to perform any task GIVEN TO THEM BY THE LORD.

This is the type of strength EVERY believer can possess through the gracious intervention of Christ into their lives. This is the type of strength that is the subject of this section of our study.

and in the power of his might.

This strengthening, which is found in the Lord, is found through “the power of His might”.

This helps us to understand HOW the Lord grants us this strengthening. It is through the gracious exercise of “the power of His might”. Here, the idea of “power” involves His dominance and control, while “might” involves the ability that He possesses.

To put this altogether, Paul is telling us that, as members of the Lord’s family, we are in desperate need of the Lord’s gracious enabling intervention in our lives.

When the Lord intervenes in our lives…
1. through His sheer force,
2. He can take control of our lives,
3. and enable us to be victorious in any task that He may lead us to perform.

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

WHAT AN AWESOME THOUGHT. Through our Lord’s dominating strength and intervention, He can give us the ability to do “all things” to which He has called us!  This leaves all praise for man out of things. It gives all the glory to the Lord for any spiritual victory we may experience in life. To God be the glory… for truly… great things He hath done!

“Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: [so] will we sing and praise thy power.” (Psalms 21:7-13)

“The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.   The LORD [is] their strength, and he [is] the saving strength of his anointed.   Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.” (Psalms 28:7-9)

APPLICATION:

Let’s all take a moment to thank the Lord for His gracious, enabling intervention in our lives and the spiritual victories we have enjoyed through it. Also, may we continue to place our faith in His enabling grace as we face the many upcoming challenges that will present themselves as we continue to serve Him!

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-21)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of AUTHORITY/SUBMISSION (6:1-9)…

For those who are under the authority of another, there exists a great opportunity to follow the example of Christ, who was under the authority of His Father during His earthly ministry.

For those who hold authority over subordinates, there exists a great opportunity to reveal Christ, who was exalted as Head above all, to those who are around them. Also, keep in mind that those who are given authority over others remain under the authority of the Lord.

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Role Of Children (vs 1-3)
II.        The Role Of Fathers (vs 4)
III.        The Role Of Servants (vs 5 -8)
IV.        The Role Of Masters (vs 9)

EXPOSITION:

Now Paul turns our attention to the responsibilities that authority holders are given in respect to those under their authority…

(Eph 6:9) And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

And, ye masters,

Paul uses the word “kurios” to describe those who are masters…
1. This word’s most basic meaning is “controller”.
2. By implication, it can speak of many differing positions of authority and rulership.
3. It is commonly translated by the word “Lord” and applied to Jesus in many New Testament verses.

Paul is speaking to anyone who exercises “control” or “authority” over others. In today’s time, it would apply to authority holders in the government or the workplace as well as any other areas where authority is possessed.

do the same things unto them,

What is the “same things”? This refers back to the responsibilities held by those under a higher authority. This principle reminds us of a very basic truth found in the Word…

Luke 6:31 KJV – “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” 

Let’s note some of the servant’s responsibilities that would apply to authority holders as well…
1. Fear Of the Results Of Disobedience (vs 5)
2. Singleness of Desire to Meet Needs of Their Servants (vs 5)
3. Recognizing That Keeping Responsibilities Are A Type of Service for Christ (vs 5).
4. Do Not Exercise Authority “For Show” (vs 5)
5. Be Motivated By A Desire To Please and Glorify Christ (vs 6)
6. Accompanied By Love and Kindness For The Servant. (vs 7)
7. Exercise Auhtority As If They Were Serving Christ. (vs 7)
8. Recognizing Their Exercise Of Authority Has Eternal Consequences. (vs 8)

The only responsibility possessed by those under a higher authority that does not apply to the authority holders would be “Be Obedient”.

However, we saw this term meant to listen attentively to instructions and then seek to fulfill those instructions.   Of course, this would not literally apply to an authority holder, however, in principle this would apply. Authority holders are to observe and listen carefully to the needs of those under their authority and work to fulfill those needs when possible. Those under a higher authority are to be accepted as if they were a member of the authority holder’s family and should be cared for as such. In that sense, the authority holder should actually be working for the good of those who are under their authority.

This is exactly how Paul asked Philemon to treat his servant Onesimus….

Philemon 1:12, 15-18 KJV – “Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:… For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.”

 forbearing threatening: 

Authority holders are to “resist” or “walk away from” making these threats to those under their authority. Remember, if those under a higher authority is properly serving the authority holder there is absolutely no reason to threaten those under their authority.

Although it is very easy to allow authority to “go to our heads” it should never be allowed to do so. The use of threats (to force those under a higher authority to do whatever they are commanded) many times is looked upon by a lost world as a mark of the power and strength. A Godly authority holder will resist this type of manipulation.

Colossians 4:1 KJV – “Masters, give unto [your] servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.”

knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

One of the great motivations for authority holders to treat those under their authority properly is a knowledge that they must answer to their Lord for their actions. Every authority holder is given their authority through the Lord who is in control of all things. This granting of authority then translates into the need to use that authority responsibly, in a God fearing way. This is much like a steward who is held accountable by the landowner to control his property wisely.

Romans 13:1 KJV – “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”  

APPLICATION:

As authority holders, let us always be thankful to the Lord for the authority He has graciously given to us.   May we all seek to exercise that authority in a Godly way bringing honor and glory to our Lord.

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-21)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of AUTHORITY/SUBMISSION (6:1-9)…

For those who are under the authority of another, there exists a great opportunity to follow the example of Christ, who was under the authority of His Father during His earthly ministry.

For those who hold authority over subordinates, there exists a great opportunity to reveal Christ, who was exalted as Head above all, to those who are around them. Also, keep in mind that those who are given authority over others remain under the authority of the Lord.

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Role Of Children (vs 1-3)
II.        The Role Of Fathers (vs 4)
III.        The Role Of Servants (vs 5 -8)
IV.        The Role Of Masters (vs 9)

EXPOSITION:

(Ephesians 6:6-8) Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Paul continues to describe the service that should be given to “masters according to the flesh” (human authority holders, and by implication, service to Christ) in verse 5.

Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers;

Principle of Godly Service #5 – Do Not Serve “For Show”

“Eyeservice” describes “laboring for the eyes”. Being a “manpleaser” is being a person who “seeks personal gain by being agreeable with others”

In other words, it is serving out of a heart of pride, only serving so that it will be seen and praised by those around us.   It is not an act of self-sacrifice, but one of selfishness. It is not an act of submission, but an act of manipulation and control.

but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 

Principle of Godly Service #6 – Be Motivated By A Desire To Please and Glorify Christ

For the Christian, obedience to a higher human authority is, first and foremost, an act of obedience to Christ. The Christian is to serve others motivated by a desire to please Christ and glorify Him.

With good will doing service, 

Principle of Godly Service #7 – Accompanied By Love and Kindness.

“Goodwill” describes a mind that is full of kindness. It is serving wanting to meet the needs of the master out of love and mercy, not obligation and debt. (Although the service may be performed to pay off a debt, it is done wanting to help not simply as an obligation). It is saying “I WANT to meet your needs”, not “I MUST meet your needs”

as to the Lord, and not to men:

Principle of Godly Service #8 – Serve Men As If Directly Serving Christ.

When a Christian serves their master, it is to be as if they are personally serving Christ. That means giving 100% effort to solely please their master.   It is giving their absolute best, every time they are called upon to serve.

Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Principle of Godly Service #9 – Serve Recognizing It Has Eternal Consequences.

When Christians serve their master, in a God pleasing way, they can count on the Lord rewarding them for their faithfulness. The opportunities given to serve are in actuality, opportunities to please the Lord and glorify Him through acts of kindness and submission to human authorities.

APPLICATION:

So far in our study we have seen that:

Principle of Godly Service #1 – Be Obedient
Principle of Godly Service #2 – Fear Of the Results Of Disobedience
Principle of Godly Service #3 – Singleness of Desire to Please and Meet Needs of Others
Principle of Godly Service #4 – Recognizing Serving the Master a Type of Service for Christ.
Principle of Godly Service #5 – Do Not Serve “For Show”
Principle of Godly Service #6 – Be Motivated By A Desire To Please and Glorify Christ
Principle of Godly Service #7 – Accompanied By Love and Kindness.
Principle of Godly Service #8 – Serve Men As If Directly Serving Christ.
Principle of Godly Service #9 – Serve Recognizing It Has Eternal Consequences.

are all aspects of Godly servanthood.

“Servants, obey in all things [your] masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

(Colossians 3:22-24)

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more!

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”
“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)

Eph 6:1-9 KJV
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.
a. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
b. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
c. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
d. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
e. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
f. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
g. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
h. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-21)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of AUTHORITY/SUBMISSION (6:1-9)…

For those who are under the authority of another, there exists a great opportunity to follow the example of Christ, who was under the authority of His Father during His earthly ministry.
For those who hold authority over subordinates, there exists a great opportunity to reveal Christ, who was exalted as Head above all, to those who are around them. Also, keep in mind that those who are given authority over others remain under the authority of the Lord.

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I. The Role Of Children (vs 1-3)
II. The Role Of Fathers (vs 4)
III. The Role Of Servants (vs 5 -8)
IV. The Role Of Masters (vs 9)

EXPOSITION:

Paul continues to describe look at Godly responsibilities given to servants.

Ephesians 6:5 – Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

Servants,
Paul, now, addresses those who are “servants”.

In this text, the word servant comes from a word that means “to be bound”. Normally, this word is used to describe a person who serves out of compulsion or duty. Rev 6:15, it is translated “bondman” as compared to “free men”.
Paul is addressing those who are serving out of obligation. In other words, he is serving his master to pay off a financial debt, or to fulfill some other type of obligation that is due his master.

Paul was addressing those who were serving out of obligation, not of a free will. They were enslaved due to obligation not serving their master out of choice. In this type of servitude, it would only be a natural reaction for a servant to not give their all in their service to their master. They would be tempted to serve begrudgingly, only doing the minimum necessary to fulfill their obligation.

Paul addresses these servants, hoping to encourage them to give their all in their position of servitude, so as to be Godly examples to the world around them.

Please keep in mind… as Paul writes to the local church at Ephesus, he is not only describing the responsibilities of physical servants towards their master, but he is also sharing principles that will apply to all of God’s people (the spiritual servants of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ).

61) Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and [his] doctrine be not blasphemed.
2) And they that have believing masters, let them not despise [them], because they are brethren; but rather do [them] service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.
3) If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, [even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; … (1 Timothy 6:1-3)

Why would “bond servants” be good pictures of the servants of Christ? Although we should be willing servants who have chosen to follow Christ, our responsibilities go much farther. A Christian’s service to Christ is not simply an issue of choice. Folks, stop and think about all our Lord has done for us. We can never begin to pay Him back for all that He has done for us. We need to understand that we OWE Him service with our entire life.

We were saved to offer up spiritual sacrifices to the Lord…
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5)

It is, truly, only the reasonable thing to do…
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

Paul begins to list for us the responsibilities of servants.

be obedient to them that are your masters

Principle of Godly Service #1 – Be Obedient
The word translated “obedient” is the same root word we found in the instructions for children in verse 1. We saw this word carries with it two basic ideas:
1. Literally, “obey” means “to listen attentively to a higher authority”. This is why it is translated “hearken” many times in the New Testament.
2. However, based upon its context, it can also imply “compliance to that which is heard”. That is why it is also translated “obey” and “to be obedient” in the New Testament.

From this, we can see that the servant’s first responsibility Paul gives us is:
1. to listen carefully to the instructions of the authority holder
2. and then to follow those instructions

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.” (Psa 123:2)

“[Exhort] servants to be obedient unto their own masters, [and] to please [them] well in all [things]; not answering again; Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.” (Titus 2:9-10)

according to the flesh,
Paul is reminding them that the believers at Ephesus have a great responsibility towards their human masters.

But also, Paul is giving them a subtle reminder that they have another master, the Lord Jesus Christ, who should be the ultimate authority of their life.

1Pe 2:13 KJV – “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; “

with fear and trembling,
Principle of Godly Service #2 – Fear

The obedience of the servant is to be accompanied by a spirit of fear (to be terrified) and trembling (to shake visibly).

This type of fear is to be had realizing the possibility of punishment at the hand of their earthly master, as well possibly of feeling the chastening of the Lord. It is not simply speaking of a “reverence” of the Lord, but clearly includes a true fear of His chastening hand and the physical results of unresolved sin in the life of the Christian.

in singleness of your heart,
Principle of Godly Service #3 – singleness of desires to please
The obedient servant is to serve with a “singleness of heart”. In other words, to have clear, undivided desires pointed towards submission and obedience.

as unto Christ;
Principle of Godly Service #4 – recognizing his service is a type of service for Christ.

This servant, as he obeys his earthly master, is to serve as a form of service to Christ, who has commanded him to do so. Folks, service to earthly authorities is truly a great privilege. In doing so, we can accomplish several goals for the glory of Christ:
1. we are actually obeying Christ and will be rewarded eternally for doing so.
2. we are setting the proper example for the lost around us, showing to them the need to trust in and be submissive to their ultimate authority, Christ.
3. we are setting the proper example for the saved, showing them the proper way to serve both their earthly master and their Heavenly Master.

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him…. Servants, obey in all things [your] masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” (Colossians 3:17-25)

APPLICATION:

So far in our study we have seen that:
Principle of Godly Service #1 – Be Obedient
Principle of Godly Service #2 – Fear Of the Results Of Disobedience
Principle of Godly Service #3 – Singleness of Desires to Please
Principle of Godly Service #4 – recognizing his service is a type of service for Christ.
are all aspects of Godly servanthood.

May we all remember the great opportunity around us to be a shining light for Christ by submitting ourselves to the authorities that are over us (government, church, family, employment etc). May we all submit to these authorities recognizing we are pleasing to the Lord and glorifying Him in our lives.

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more!

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)

 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-21)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of AUTHORITY/SUBMISSION (6:1-9)…

For those who are under the authority of another, there exists a great opportunity to follow the example of Christ, who was under the authority of His Father during His earthly ministry.

For those who hold authority over subordinates, there exists a great opportunity to reveal Christ, who was exalted as Head above all, to those who are around them. Also, keep in mind that those who are given authority over others remain under the authority of the Lord.

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:

I.        The Role Of Children (vs 1-3)
II.        The Role Of Fathers (vs 4)
III.        The Role Of Servants (vs 5 -8)
IV.        The Role Of Masters (vs 9)

EXPOSITION:

Paul now begins the next subject in this text. It involves the relationship between servants and their masters.

(Eph 6:5-9) Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

Just as in our previous sections, Paul addresses both parties in the relationship. In this case, he is speaking to both the servant (vs 5-8) and their master (vs 9). And, again, both parties must be fulfilling God’s will for the relationship to be at its best.

Very quickly we can see that the servant’s responsibilities towards the master involves:
1. obedience to master (vs 5)
2. recognition of master’s authority (vs 5)
3. singlemindedness (vs 5 )
4. sincerity (vs 6)
5. benevolence (vs 7)

The same type of responsibilities apply to the master as well:
1. obedience to the Lord (vs 5,9)
2. recognition of Lord’s authority (vs 5,9)
3. singlemindedness (vs 5,9)
4. sincerity (vs 6,9)
5. benevolence (vs 7,9)

Please allow me to emphasize, as I did in the other sections of this study, the great need for both parties to following these responsibilities. When only one party is seeking to fulfill God’s will, they are open to abuse and mistreatment by the other party.  When this abuse and mistreatment exists, it makes it very difficult for the abused party to continue to fulfill the will of God for their lives.

This is one of the great temptations that Christians face in today’s society… the need to be faithful to Christ, even in the face of great abuse and mistreatment by those who are in authority in the workplace (also government, church leadership and even within our own families).

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)

One of the great lessons found in this part of our study is that those who are in positions of authority over others are still servants to the Most High God. Therefore, the authority holders in this world (family, government, church, and workplace) are not free to do their own will, but will be held accountable by God. Biblically, they are recognized as stewards of the position of authority with which they have been blessed.

“Servants, obey in all things [your] masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.Masters, give unto [your] servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.” (Colossians 3:22-4:1)

In our next devotional, we will begin looking at the responsibilities of the servant in a much more detail.

APPLICATION:

May we all come to a better appreciate for the position of authority with which God has blessed us. In doing so, let us all strive to be faithful to our Heavenly Master and exercise that authority in a Godly kind way.

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

“Reflections Of His Grace”

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

This devotional, continues to look at the second main division of the book of Ephesians. Previously, we have looked at “Reflections Of His Grace Revealed” (chaps 1-3). It that section, Paul revealed to us the gracious works of the Lord in the lives of His chosen people.

In this new section “Reflections Of His Grace Applied” (chaps 4-6) Paul will be explaining to us the practical effects of God’s grace in the lives of His people.

1. The Grace Of Unity (4:1-6)
2. The Grace Of Maturity (4:7-16)
3. The Grace Of Renewal (4:17-32)
4. The Grace Of Imitation (5:1-14)
5. The Grace Of Wisdom (5:15-21)
6. The Grace Of Relationships (5:22-33)
7. The Grace Of Authority/Submission (6:1-9)
8. The Grace Of Preparedness (6:10-21)

The next effect of God’s grace we will be looking at is the grace of AUTHORITY/SUBMISSION (6:1-9)…

For those who are under the authority of another, there exists a great opportunity to follow the example of Christ, who was under the authority of His Father during His earthly ministry.

For those who hold authority over subordinates, there exists a great opportunity to reveal Christ, who was exalted as Head above all, to those who are around them. Also, keep in mind that those who are given authority over others remain under the authority of the Lord.

Keeping all this in mind, let’s turn our attention to this is a very basic outline of this section of Scripture:
I.        The Role Of Children (vs 1-3)
II.        The Role Of Fathers (vs 4)
III.        The Role Of Servants (vs 5 -8)
IV.        The Role Of Masters (vs 9)

 EXPOSITION:

After looking at the responsibility of children towards their parents, we now have our attention turned to the father’s responsibility towards their children.

(Eph 6:4) And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Please keep in mind, that this is a two way street, not only is the father to treat the child properly, but the child must honor their parents for the family unit to be blessed with the greatest amount of peace and harmony.

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:

Paul presents to us a three-fold responsibility the father has towards the child….

#1 – the need to “provoke not your children to wrath”

The idea of “provoke” and “wrath” come from the same root word. This root carries with it the ideas of “exasperate”, “enrage”, or “frustrate”.

How can a father (or mother as well) frustrate or enrage their child?

a. By having a “do as I say, not do as I do” attitude. It is very frustrating for parents to not live according to the same standards they are placing upon their children.

b. By expecting the impossible from their child. Children are children and need to be given goals and expectations that they are capable of fulfilling.

c. By making selfish decisions that puts the ease and comfort of the parent ahead of the wellbeing of the child. When a child recognizes a spirit of selfishness in the life of the parents, they will naturally become frustrated and angry.

These, and I am sure many others, create great unneeded frustration and anger in the life of the child.

“Fathers, provoke not your children [to anger], lest they be discouraged.” (Colossians 3:21)

but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

#2 – the need to “bring them up in the nurture …of the Lord.”

The word translated “nurture” refers to a combination of:
1. verbal teaching
2. training by example
3. revealing wrongdoing
4. punishing willful disobedience

One of the great responsibilities of the Father, as spiritual leader of the family is to nurture “of the Lord”. In other words the nurturing is to be done based upon the truths of God’s Word and in alignment with His will.

#3 – the need to “bring them up in the admonition … of the Lord”.

The word translated “admonition” means “to place in the mind”. It describes being a lasting influence in the life of the children by making a lasting impression on their knowledge and decision making processes.

Once again, this is to be done “of the Lord”…

It is helping a child to look at things from the proper perspective, enabling them to discern the will of their Lord in any situation.

“Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, [to] my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.We will not hide [them] from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

That the generation to come might know [them, even] the children [which] should be born; [who] should arise and declare [them] to their children:That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation [that] set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.” (Psalms 78:1-8)

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

“If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

“Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?For they verily for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure; but he for [our] profit, that [we] might be partakers of his holiness.” (Hebrews 12:7-10)

APPLICATION:

May we recognize the great need to bring up our children in God honoring ways. It is only through the proper rearing of our children that we can facilitate their coming to Christ and living lives that are pleasing to Him.

May we all get a clearer picture of our Lord and Savior, and the great grace He has shown to us. Let us be always watchful to keep His great acts of grace on our behalf in the center of our attention… In doing so, may we be motivated to LOVE Him more, APPRECIATE Him more and SERVE Him more! 

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com