Text: Ephesians 6.10-17
songs available:
Glory to thy name, O God of peace, LIS 9: 1-3
O Jesus, according to thy word, LIS 295: 1-3
What is the strength and support LIS 149: 1-5
10 "Finally, brothers and sisters, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the whole armor of God so that stand firm against the machinations of the devil.
12 Indeed, it is not against the man we have to fight, but cons powers, against powers, against the rulers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take the whole armor of God so that resist in the evil day and stand firm after all supported.
14 Hold therefore farm : have around your waist with truth as a belt, put on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 put your feet like shoes zeal to preach the gospel of peace;
16 Take the shield at all times of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil.
17 take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit is to say the Word of God. "
(NASB 21, 2007)
Dear brothers and sisters
very well armed by God himself!
" [...] stand firm [...] resist" [...] stand firm [...] stand firm! [...] " This repetition, this insistence, she do not beat them reading of our text? The matter is serious, otherwise the apostle Paul would not insist on this point to call us to resist!
The opponent is tough, the tough battle and its outcome depends on our lot. Also, he said, "stand firm! "
But Paul is not pessimistic about the outcome of this struggle. Everything is good to know the enemy and not to be mistaken for weapons.
As we meditate today on
AFTER VICTORY
1.d a terrible fight
2.grâce arms of God
X X X 1 X X X
The victorious outcome of this terrible battle.
What is it, this terrible war? - "It is not against the man we have to fight, but against powers, against powers, against the rulers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. "
This is not a physical struggle, our struggle for believers. We are not engaged in a melee where we would see, feel or could enter our opponent. No, our opponents do not allow detection by our five senses. These are not "men" , humans (v. 12). They are invisible, untouchable, can not feel them nor hear them. These are "spirits" (v. 12) who have neither "flesh" or "blood" (v. 12; NSB). They have another mode of existence than us. They are part of a world that eludes us.
These are "evil spirits" (v. 12), demons, satanic army of fallen angels, at whose head is " the devil " (v. 11), " the Bad " (v. 16; NSB), the one by whom evil was introduced into the world, who seeks by all ways to retain humanity captive in the grip of evil, and we in particular.
The Apostle Pierre, meanwhile, also warned against him "Be sober, stay alert: your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. " (1 Pet 5.8)
Satan attacks us does not continuously. It "maneuver" cunningly (v. 11) and waits his moment. His trick is to lull us to make us believe that he will never do it to us. Yet it is on the lookout, "he prowls" around us and when we least expect it, he launched his "flaming arrows" (v. 16).
hounds Why does so against us? Why hate us so much? And what is the issue of confrontation?
Let's go back. Satan and demons are angels who rebelled against God, their Creator. For this crime of lese-god God has cursed and driven out.
What was their rebellion, their crime ? God does not tell us in the Bible. But it must have been a package of extreme gravity, because unlike mankind fell into sin, Satan and his "evil spirits" have no possibility of salvation. For them there is no Savior, no forgiveness.
They are wounded to death and know they are inevitably doomed. Hence their hatred against God. But they are powerless against him. So indirectly they are attacking him, attacking his creatures, to us humans.
We know how Satan has driven all of humanity into sin, and how he sabotaged and corrupted the wonderful work of God's creation.
Unfortunately, men have lent - and lend again - to play devil ... for their misfortune. Thus, through our own fault, through us, Satan comes to do harm to God (Gen 1 and 3).
Fortunately for us, God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to repair the evil that Satan has committed to reduce humanity in the bosom of God.
We know the story of the temptation of Jesus. The devil wanted to divert the Lord for His saving mission. He wanted us to stay permanently lost to God. But our Lord did not fall into the trap (Mt 4.1-11).
He even longer - and he put the money: his own life! - Jesus even "crushed" Satan (Gen 3.15) and "reconciled" the world with God (Rom 5.10). "Whoever believes in him" , who takes refuge in faith with the conqueror of Satan, "not perish" , is no longer driven by Satan under the curse of God, "but have eternal life" with Christ (Jn 3.16).
God has managed to save humanity in "a people belonging to him" (Tt 2.14). Satan is therefore against God's hatred against us as believers. Satan we see him escape. Jesus won forgiveness and salvation, not his. Understand that we dislike.
is why he is bent against us, not against the unbelievers, those, unfortunately, find themselves caught in the nets, without knowing it.
is why Satan sends his cronies, "rulers of this world of darkness, evil spirits" (v. 12), at our heels, those demons that hate and rabies inhabit and animate despair.
As for the arrows they décochent us, they are terrible. Paul calls them "the flaming arrows of the evil" (v. 16). As they reach their target, they trigger devastating burns.
See "boom" unchecked Adam and Eve: it gave the world to fire, succumbing to the temptation of the devil, Adam and Eve opened the door the corruption of the world and we have been guilty before God and mortals.
since "rulers of this world of darkness, evil spirits" (v. 12), trying to lead the churches loyal or faithful believers in "darkness" of error and infidelity by diverting from the truth. Some "arrows" well directed, and a family, a parish or a church can get to blaze.
Two chapters earlier, Paul speaks of "trick" and 'skill in maneuvering error " (Eph 4.14). Do not underestimate their subtlety. They pretty much succeeded: just see how many churches and sects have lost in part or in whole.
A first danger that threatens us is the lack of biblical knowledge. Unless your faith is firmly founded on the rock of the salutary word of God and your faith can more easily be transformed into human opinions without foundation, especially unrelated to the Savior.
Another threat is the pressure of society, people around us, maybe even close. And like Peter, urged by the staff of the chief priest, the question arises: Courage courage or not? I testify or I shut up? I do a color or camouflage and I hide my faith in Jesus Christ?
needle and yarn, camouflage becomes reality, lack of courage to show his faith we come to not believe at all. Satan has pulled it off.
Look, another temptation: that of compromise. Understood that in everyday life we must be able to compromise. Life in society is not possible otherwise. But in the Word of God in the realm of faith, God wants those who "limping on both sides" (1 Kgs 18.21).
are many passages that warn of "serve two masters, God and Mammon [money] " (Mt 6.24), thinking there might be a third voice, that of neutrality between the " with Jesus " and " cons Jesus (Mt 12.30),
And there are many more examples and relevant areas. In fact, all areas of life are.
"The wiles of the devil" (v. 11), its "arrows inflamed " (v. 16), its insidious temptations, all have a single goal: to bend us, break our resistance, we out of our communion with God, make us fall in " the darkness " of infidelity and unbelief, blindness and hardness of heart, in short, we finally draw against God.
How can you resist these temptations? They often look so ... reasonable!
X X X 2 X X X
The victorious outcome
through the armor of God.
Dear friends, we must recognize that we are not big to stand up to Satan. These cons "spirits" another monde we have no means to resist, no adequate defense ... yes ... unless, unless God does not come to our rescue by providing us with divine weapons, armor and weapons appropriate for this kind of battle. And that is what he does.
In His infinite goodness towards us, God is going to sacrifice his Son for us from the deadly nets of sin and Satan. They now have at our disposal all the divine weapons needed to "resist" (v. 13) and "stand against the wiles of the devil" (v . 11).
"Therefore" clothe yourselves with the whole armor of God, "take the whole armor of God to withstand in the evil day. " (v. 11 and 13).
Who among us has not known such "bad days" where the temptation was strong to let go under the onslaught of tough "sovereign this world of darkness " (v. 11)?
Also "take" arms " that God holds out! Accustomed us to wear them, do we exercise to handle them in periods of calm, to be ready "Wrong date" !
They are of two kinds, those "weapons" divine enabling us to resist victoriously. This is the list that Paul did:
"Be around your waist truth as a belt, put on the breastplate of righteousness;
put shoes as your feet with the zeal to preach the gospel of peace;
Take in all circumstances the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil.
take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit is to say the Word of God. " (v. 14-17)
What is striking about this list is the use - three times - the same weapon, but for different functions: " the truth " (v. 11), "the Word of God" (v. 17) and "Gospel" (v. 12), this Good News that God is reconciled with the sinners than we are, and thanks to the intervention and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, it was left for us and condemn us as well avoided suffering the consequences of our sin, damnation and eternal death.
"Keep your feet belt of truth! " Stand at any time in full light of divine truth: the false nature and mortal temptations of Satan will appear immediately.
The regular study of "the Word of God" , this is a good preparation for the battle victorious. Then we can respond to temptations as Jesus did in their opponent: "It is written! " (Mt 4.4). "The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God" puts Satan to flight.
Thus we can rule out compromise, resist the psychological pressure of society would have us abandon "truth" because the compromises we make life easier.
Will, "zeal" to resist temptations, only "the gospel of peace" can we give this promise that God is at peace with us despite our sins, He is with us, for the love of her Son.
This "peace" with God is dear to us. We do not want to lose it at any price. That's why "the gospel of peace" we "gives the zeal" to resist, to fight against anything that would break it, this precious and eternal peace.
And then - says Paul -: "put on the breastplate of righteousness; [...] under any circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil. Take the helmet of salvation. "
When we mistreat Satan when he wants us to fall into our shortcomings, when he assails the Church "resist him steadfast in the faith" (1 Pet 5.8), let us trust in God our Savior! He did not dedicate, does not betray the verdict of acquittal, absolution he made on us for the love of her Son.
We imputed the righteousness of his Son, he has bound us in the covenant of grace of Baptism: he will not abandon us in the middle of the fight and temptations.
History of the Church - especially that of the Reformation that we will commemorate next Sunday - watch how the certainty of forgiveness and salvation has thwarted "maneuvers" and "extinguished the flaming arrows" the devil.
Dear friends, if the Church of Christ has survived through the ages, if believers do not folded - if we have not folded - as assaults and "maneuvers" of Satan, never forget that there is nothing to take pride in, because it's not with us, but thanks God and his weapons that we have "resist and stand firm" .
And this can only last if we continue to make no mistakes weapons: only those that God gives us are suitable for this fight.
Are we carrying so assiduously and regularly work with such "armor of God" !
Etudes , are surveying " Scripture " (Jn 5.39) to be increasingly strengthened in " truth "of " the Word of God " !
Etudes , are surveying "the Scriptures" to be strong in faith in God our Savior, also fortified in the certainty of salvation that Jesus we won!
Yes, "strong in the Lord and in his mighty power! " (v. 10) " Take the whole armor of God to withstand " and God will make you invincible, invulnerable and victorious!
Amen.
Jean Thiébaut Haessig
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