Bulletins - A Place Of Grace

I had to chuckle as I read Paul’s opening words to the next portion of this letter… “A Final Word:”… It’s like a pastor’s last point in his sermon, you know we are not done yet, but we are getting close. There is still yet a crucial point to be made and these words draw the listeners ears to attention.
What Paul states here needs our attention… It encapsulates all he has been writing the church in Ephesus.
There is an old Irish prayer that I felt was fitting as we come off our week of an Irish themed VBS and as we consider our enemy…
May those that love us, love us;
and those that don’t love us,
may God turn their hearts;
and if He doesn’t turn their hearts,
may He turn their ankles
so we’ll know them by their limping.
—Irish prayer
Introductory Thoughts
We have discussed in great detail in this letter our walk, now we learn to STAND FIRM. In Ephesians 6:10–13, Paul emphasizes the necessity of spiritual resilience, directing believers to identify the true enemy—the spiritual forces of darkness—and to prepare themselves accordingly.
This passage serves as a call to action, reminding Christians that their strength comes from an unyielding dependence on God, empowering them to withstand trials and temptations.
We are encouraged as believers to see ourselves as soldiers in a holy cause.
This life is no playground, when you came to Christ you stepped into a battleground
There is a battle for the cause of the Gospel… we are in the enemies crosshairs
The battle ground is our marriages, families, homes, workplaces, and our daily walk
Our passage today underscores the importance of unity in the body of Christ for collective strength and emphasizes engagement in prayer and scripture as tools for resistance against evil. There is a necessity for us to be prepared and equipped daily
Big Idea: The call to stand firm in the face of spiritual adversity is not only about personal resilience but also about embracing a collective identity as the Body of Christ, equipped and united to face the adversaries of faith together, reflecting God's glory in our battle.
Look at what Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10-13
Ephesians 6:10–13 NLT
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
Our Power
Verse 10 gives us the charge of WHAT we are to do...
This verse calls believers not to rely on their strength but on the Lord's mighty power
In our own strength we are no match for the devil and his forces
It's essential to recognize that the battle is spiritual, and only God's strength can equip us to face it
God is sufficient and we have a need to lean into His provision for spiritual warfare.
We have already looked at two of Paul’s prayers for the church here in Ephesus.
Paul mentions both God’s strength and power for us in his prayers.
He prays that the believers would “know the surpassing greatness of God’s power”
The verbs in our passage: (be strong, stand firm, and resist) imply there is an ATTACK!… and this attack is from an enemy.
There are three enemies… the world system, the flesh, and the devil
NOW… Consider the power we “stand in”
By His death and resurrection, Christ overcame
the world (John 16:33; Gal. 6:14)
the flesh (Rom. 6:1–6; Gal. 2:20)
the devil (Eph. 1:19–23)
As believers in Jesus Christ, we do not fight for victory—we fight from victory!
We do not need to engage there is already the power of CHRIST’S VICTORY...but we do need to STAND and we need to be PREPARED…
Our Preparedness
Verse 11 introduces the armor of God. One does not engage in battle unprepared or the results will be disastrous!
NOTICE: its divine origin (God’s Armor) and purpose (to equip Christians against spiritual adversaries)
The emphasis is on active participation—
Our 'putting on' the armor indicates a deliberate, mindful readiness.
Our “standing” strong in faith
These are ACTIVE preparations and participation
Each believer has a responsibility to actively engage by clothing themselves in God's resources daily.
Christ Himself, embodies the armor
It is He who is providing perfect protection for our hearts and minds against spiritual deception
It is Christ who is enabling us to stand firm against evil schemes
When we proactively engage in “putting on” the “Full Armor of God” it reflects the confidence we as believers have in the protection offered through our faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul goes on to explain WHY this preparedness is is crucial. He helps us have a correct perception of our enemy…
Our Perception
Verse 12 is crystal clear concerning our battle; it is against spiritual forces, not flesh and blood.
There is the need for spiritual discernment and unity within the church to stand together against these adversarial forces.
REMEMBER: Jesus Christ has already triumphed over these powers, this reminder provides you and I assurance and confidence as we stand firm.
Intelligence operations are vital to warfare, we need to know and understand our enemy. I feel in the Christian life we often get confused with who the battle is with and in our diverted attention, we engage in this battle poorly.
This verse illuminates the nature of our fight—
not against the people around us
Our battle is against spiritual wickedness.
It's crucial to recognize the enemy and the real battleground in order for us to:
Better strategize through prayer, scripture, and reliance on Christ’s.
This awareness brings a shift in our perspective from human conflict to a spiritual battleground. By knowing the enemy, believers can resist and stand firm with the authority and protection Christ provides.
Our Enemy Is: (Spiritual Beings) … not people
Kent Hughes has said it best concerning Satan: “Satan has no conscience, no compassion, no remorse, no morals. He feeds on pain and anguish and filth.” (There is no concern for people by Satan)
The Devil
Evil Rulers & Authorities of the unseen world
Mighty powers of the dark world
Evil spirits in the heavenly places
I have heard messages trying to decipher all of these, giving thier various tactics, they describe each of them how they look act and where they are in various parts of the world. (That is EXTRA BIBLICAL and very dangerous)
WHAT WE SEE IN THE TEXT:
There is organization
There is strategy, scheming, planned attacks
There is rank and roles… HOWEVER
We do not need to know and understand all of that nor is it even a good use of time. God can overthrow satan and his demons anytime, without effort! “Greater is He who is in YOU and ME, than he who is in the world!”
Swindoll summarized satan well:
The Bible teaches that Satan is an angelic creature of God (Ezek. 28:12–16) who can do nothing apart from God’s control or permission (Job 1:6–12; Luke 22:31). He’s not the counterpart of God but of the archangel Michael (Jude 1:9; Rev. 12:7). Satan is also the enemy and accuser of humans (Zech. 3:1–2; 1 Pet. 5:8). While we must not deny that Satan has the power to attack and ensnare us (Eph. 4:27; 6:11; 1 Tim. 3:7), we also must not attribute to Satan more power than he actually has.
Paul addresses the power we stand in, he speaks to our own preparedness, and our perception and understanding of the enemy… and he concludes with THEREFORE: Persevere
Our Perseverance
Verse 13 summarizes Paul's words in verses 10-12 and launches into practical battle readiness in verses 14-20!
Having made all the necessary preparations the believer is now ready and able to stand in defense.
Paul once again reiterated and emphasizes the exhortation to "stand firm" in this verse
You and I are grounded in, firmly planted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of His Living Word
Our footing is sure, our stance is resolute, and our ground is unshakable
Spiritual perseverance is achieved by using the God-given spiritual resources He has made available to us!!!
Church there needs to be active engagement as we stand anchored in the victory that Jesus has secured!!!
There is great necessity of the full armor “every piece” to withstand evil
The believer has a duty to remain resolute and poised through our various trials
CHURCH THERE NEEDS TO BE: a community-focused approach where we support one another by prayer and scripture sharing to maintain a steadfast stance against spiritual challenges. “we” “our” … this is something done as the Body of Christ!
Around AD 110, in a letter to the very same church in Ephesus as Paul’s prison epistle, the famous preacher, teacher, and martyr Ignatius of Antioch described quite dramatically the corporate aspect of spiritual warfare. Ignatius wrote to the church in Ephesus, “Make every effort to come together more frequently to give thanks and glory to God. For when you meet together frequently, the powers of Satan are overthrown and his destructiveness is nullified by the unanimity of your faith.”[156]
We are called to stand firm in our faith, relying on God’s provision and strength as we confront spiritual battles—not as passive bystanders, but as active participants equipped with the truth and righteousness that guide us toward living faithfully in a world of conflict.
It is true, our enemy is described as one who deceives, he is a snake, a wolf in sheep's clothing, devourer, a roaring lion , or a dragon… BUT look at what James 4:7 says when we stand firm, when we resist him… he fees like a scurrying cockroach!
James 4:7 NLT
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
It is not us but rather the Power of God in Us!
- - Ephesians 6:10–13NASB95
- - James 4:7NASB95

Introductory Thoughts

Our Power

Our Preparedness

Our Perception

Our Perseverance

Ephesians 6:10–13NASB95

James 4:7NASB95