Ephesians 6:10-13
Attention!
I have never served in the military, and I think I regret that. Even
so, as I understand it, the command "Attention" is an often used
command to bring the troops to their feet, the minds to focus, and
their ears to listen for the next command.
When I read this Bible passage, I think of the soldier being called
to attention.
Let us look at this passage for a few moments to see what God might
have for us.
I. Note to whom the Attention Command is given:
Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the
Lord, and in the power of his might.
A. This isn’t a passage or a book written to the lost. It is
written to the saved.
B. If you thought trusting Jesus as your Savior was to get you an
easier life, I have bad news for you.
1. In getting saved, you just jumped out of the frying pan
into the fire.
2. You got on the winning side, but now the devil is after
you and will not quit until you are with Jesus.
II. \\#10\\ Notice the command: Be strong
A. In the Lord - Person
1. I don’t know if you have ever been bullied or not, but if
you have, I hope you learned the key to overcoming him.
2. Hang around with someone bigger than the bully.
3. Christian, your strength does not come from within you. It
comes from hanging out the God who is bigger than all of
your bullies.
B. In the power of his might - Power
1. Our God has given to us every tool we need to defeat our
spiritual enemies and to withstand our earthly ones.
2. I think of them as an arsenal.
a. He will mention some of them in the following verses.
b. However, the strongest weapons in the world are
useless unless:
(1) You are strong enough to pick it up an aim it.
(2) You know how to operate it.
3. In this phrase, Paul is telling us we need to get strong
enough to be able to pick up the weapons God has given to
us.
III. Notice the enemies:
A. \\#11\\ The Devil
Eph 6: 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that
ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil.
1. We are being told to be strong against the devil’s wiles.
2. The word "wiles" means tricks.
a. This phrase suggest not only who we need to watch for,
but how he will attack us.
b. The devil is not much on attacking head on, at least
not unless he feels he has a much, much superior
force.
c. He will use cunning, surprise tactics, and terror.
d. He will attack from cover and from directions one
would not expect.
e. I think Job is a good example. God gave the devil
permission to attack Job but instead of attacking
Job, he destroyed his crops, his cattle, his
children, then used his wife and friends to
discourage Job to death.
B. \\#12\\ The World
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.
1. Some people think the world is merely a place, a detached,
unbiased, harmless location.
2. That might would be true if it were not for those who have
control over it.
3. Notice who rules over it:
a. Principalities
b. Powers
c. Rules of the darkness
d. Spiritual wickedness in the highest places
4. I have studied these authorities before, but I have never
understood exactly what Paul meant by each one of them.
a. This much I am certain of:
(1) I will never find any of these authorities listed
in the local phone book.
(2) If I ever did find them listed in a phone book,
none of them would ever allow me to see them.
(3) If I ever did get to see them, none of them would
listen to a word I had to say.
b. That means these authorities are all well beyond me.
c. They can do what they want, when the want, how they
want; and I can’t do anything to stop them.
d. Paul identifies them as my enemy.
IV. Notice what we are to do:
A. \\#14\\ Stand
1. I think this entire passage is God calling Christians to
"Attetnion!" through Paul; but if I had to pick a single
word in the text that does so, it would be this one.
2. I used to see that word and think it meant that even
though I was bruised and battered, I was to stand.
3. Much like the American flag at Fort McHenry when it was
attacked by the British on September 13, 1814. Although
the British hit the fort with everything they had all
night long, when the son came up the next morning, amidst
all of the rubble and smoke, there stood the American
flag, standing unbent and defiant. Seeing that battle
and the standing flag from the harbor, Francis Scott Key,
a 35 year old lawyer, took out a pencil and paper to
write our national anthem.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-story-behind-the-star-
spangled-banner-149220970/
Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
4. Well, as stirring as that might be, that is not what I
think Paul meant any longer.
a. I now think God was calling the raw recruits to
"Attention!" Those kids who did not know the barrow
from the butt of gun, but who had visions of glory
in their eyes. Those who had only shot at targets,
but still they thought they would destroy the enemy
and have a chest full of metals.
b. I think God was calling them to "Attention!"
c. He is telling the Christians, "Get off your backsides,
and stay alert! The enemies are out there and they
treacherous. Stay awake. Stay alert. Stay on your
feet."
B. Stand with the Proper Equipment. Because of the time, all I
can do this evening is mention these weapons; however, these
are some of the arsenal weapons that I was referring to
earlier.
1. \\#17\\ Salvation
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation…
a. If we are not saved, we are not in the right army at
all.
b. I am honest when I say that I don’t know why Paul
mentioned salvation so late in the text. Let me
hasten to say, I know his placement is correct and
my confusion is ignorance, but I really do not know
why it is not first.
c. If you are going to be in a battle for the Lord, you
must be born again to have anything for which to
fight.
2. \\#14\\ Righteousness
Eph 6:14 …and having on the breastplate of
righteousness;
a. As Christians, righteousness is not just what we do.
It is also what we are.
b. We do not simply try to do right.
(1) Doing right is the starting point, and it is a
consuming point of beginning.
(2) We want to do right in all the areas of our life:
family, church, work.
(3) Before all of the people of our life: God,
family, co-workers, friends, strangers, and even
enemies.
c. But while we are doing the right actions, we want to
be righteous.
(1) We want the right attitude, the right goals, the
right outcomes.
(2) We are not living life to win, but to glorify
God.
3. \\#16\\ Faith
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the
fiery darts of the wicked.
a. Faith has many meanings, but I will just refer to one
aspect of our faith, believing.
b. We want to be a people who believe.
c. In what? There are many truths revealed through the
Word that God wants us to believe. Some are:
(1) We want to believe in the Word of God.
(2) We want to believe in the God of the Word.
(3) We want to believe in the plan of God.
(4) We want to believe in the reward of God.
4. \\#15\\ Peace
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation
of the gospel of peace;
a. Christians are not violent or trouble makers.
(1) We are not of those who want to hurt.
(2) We are not of those who want to fight.
(3) We are not of those who want to argue.
b. We are of those who want to tell, be in talking,
teaching, or preaching.
c. We only want to tell those who want to hear.
(1) This is not my idea, but Jesus’.
Matt 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you,
nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that
house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
(2) Always remember, God only wants those that want
Him. Love them. Talk to them often, but do not
try to force anyone to Christ.
(3) We are a people of peace.
5. \\#17\\ With the Word of God
Eph 6:17 Take… the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God:
a. The only offensive weapon we possess is the Word of
God.
b. In love and meekness, let them have the Word of God—
not our opinions of the Word of God—with both
barrows.
c. Notice, we might be the spokesperson for the Bible,
but is belongs to the Holy Spirit of God. He and He
alone will effectively use it.
6. \\#14\\ Truth
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt
about with truth….
a. With all of the weapons we possess, how could we stand
to use them if we were not going to be honest and
truthful?
b. I don’t mind a person being wrong about spiritual
matters, as long as they are honest in their search.
(1) If you are a little confused about eternal
security, I can deal with you as long as
you are handling the Scriptures honestly.
(2) If you are a little confused about baptism, I
can deal with you as long as you are
handling the Scripture honestly.
(3) But if you want to create a salvation to where
everyone is saved, sin doesn’t matter, and there
is no hell, I have nothing for you.
(a) You are a liar and a child of the devil.
(4) If you want to put women in the pulpit, make the
Bible cultural, and say homosexuality is all
right with God, I have nothing for you.
(a) You are a liar and a child of the devil.
c. Truth, honest, integrity—these are the weapons that
are ours to use.
7. \\#18\\ Prayer
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit….
a. And making the list come out at seven, prayer.
b. What can we say about prayer except of all the things
a Christian can do, prayer should be at the top.
c. Even preaching, witnessing, and reading the Bible mean
nothing until we have first prayed.
Attention! God is calling us to our feet, our minds to focus, and
our ears to await His next command. Are you a Christian ready to
serve?
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