To conclude Ephesians, Paul stresses the superiority of Christ, unity of the church, and what it means to be “in Christ” moving forward in our walks of faith.
The purpose of these final words of Paul is a series of “battle orders” calling the Christians to remember we live in a new kingdom, the Kingdom of God, and that evil still exists but that it has been defeated by Jesus Christ and it no longer has power to discourage us.
1-Instructions for armor- Why? Struggle
2-Instructions for armor-What it is
3-Instructions for armor-How we get it
1-“Put on” in vs. 11-In Ephesians, Paul had prayed the Christians would know God’s power, now he is praying that we would take that power and use it.
Not just once, but continuously. We must come to God daily for empowering. That is what it means to be “in Christ”. It means that when we put on the armor, we are putting on Christ Himself and walking so close to Him that we can draw what we need from Him who gives generously.
This power is to be used for one purpose: to stand with God against evil, for Christianity is an active faith.
Here is something that must be clarified first. God is all-powerful, the devil is not. Although Paul sees the world in terms of 2 different kingdoms (God and evil) these kingdoms are not equal in power.
God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is the only real legitimate Lord and Master of all. The evil and demonic are just weak usurpers trying to gain power but they never will.
Jesus Christ defeated evil on the cross and through His resurrection, transformed death so that even death does not have the final word.
Evil is real and sin is real, but they don’t get the last word. The New Testament shows us that while there is still evil in the world, it has been defeated by King Jesus and as such evil doesn’t rule over us.
We can have hope in Christ! When you look at the world around you and see the brokenness, pray and turn to Jesus and focus on Him! Read the Gospels and you will see that we may struggle against evil, but we are standing on a defeated enemy!
2-What armor do we put on? God’s armor, His armor is Jesus Christ for He gave us these by giving us Himself and we have a responsibility and a duty to put them on daily.
2.1) Belt-Truth-this means both believing the gospel and resolving to live it out!
2.2) Breastplate-this is God’s righteousness and we are to reflect that righteous character and also to do righteousness (“Do what you see God doing”)
2.3) Feet fitted with readiness that comes from Gospel of Peace-this means that no matter what situation, we must be ready to apply the gospel, even the recent horrors that have hit our nation. We must always ask, “what does the gospel say to this situation?”
2.4) Shield of faith-By faith, this does not mean our power to believe (because we all have “weak faith” at times) instead, what protects us is our relationship with God and HIs faithfulness.
2.5) Helmet of salvation-When we receive salvation, we are assured of God’s protection. Even though we still have pain and go through rough times, we are always in His hands. Even if we die, we are still His people.
2.6) Sword-The Spirit-empowered message of the Gospel.
Remember, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and ideas. Even then, if we do not use our armor wisely and as a people of peace, then we may hurt those we try to help.
3-Instructions for the armor-How do we get it? PRAY
Seek God’s presence in your everyday life, for He is never that far from you. Submit to Him daily and let your whole life by a prayer.
Christianity is not just about getting into heaven. It IS about living with Christ and for Him. Life in Christ involves every part of us, from our work, family, all of it.
The challenge to live faithfully in an evil world is high, but so is the help God offers to us for free!
God does not fear evil, and if He has given us Himself, why do we need to fear it either? In Christ, we have nothing to fear, for what can hurt me if I am in Him?
Our identity is shaped by the parts of the armor, by His truth, His righteousness, His readiness, His faith, His salvation, and His gospel.
Evil has been defeated at the cross. The resurrection is proof that good wins in the end and that we are on God’s side! Summary of Ephesians: God has provided all we need in Christ, therefore let us live lives worthy of that gift!