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Ephesians 6:10-24 This Present Darkness · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  We're in Ephesians chapter 6, if you guys would like to turn there. We finished this evening concluding our study of the book of Ephesians. Thank you, Henry. And you guys, honestly, one of my favorite books. I can't wait to teach this book again. I can't wait. We'll wait a while until everybody forgets everything that I said. And then we'll go through it again because I just, I love it so much. But we'll be in chapter 6. We're going to look at verses 10 to 24. 10 to 24, I've titled the message, This Present Darkness. It comes straight out of your text.
• 0:28
  Tonight, you'll recall from last week, Tom Miller's message on the end of Ephesians 5 and beginning of Ephesians 6, and specifically his focus on husbands and wives from last week. I loved the last two minutes of that message. I loved. I thought such a vivid and powerful example of illustration of what it means for husbands to be the protectors and providers in their homes. He had that umbrella.
• 0:56
  Right. He described the umbrella as God's grace. This is God's grace. Right. This is not my protection of my wife. This is God's protection of my wife. But it is my job to hold it up.
• 1:07
  I'm the one. I'm the one who is called in my home. And so he was standing up here with that umbrella. And he says, and I've invited my wife into this. And she has graciously agreed to come. She has. And that is the role of submission in the home, right? She has agreed to come under this umbrella of God's grace. I hold it up. But with her support, what a vivid, vivid picture of husbands and wives. I don't think I will be able to hear again a sermon about husbands and wives from that text without thinking of that illustration.
• 1:36
  The umbrella of God's grace. Well, tonight we talk about war. The end of the book of Ephesians is about spiritual warfare. That we are all embroiled in, engulfed in a war. And what's funny is that we don't tend to act like it. I'm coaching junior high baseball. Junior high baseball is a funny experiment. It's one of the demographics I have never coached before. I've coached t-ball. I had little tykes.
• 2:09
  Where there was no pressure. Nobody cared. You know, parents are all laughing and having fun and high-fiving in the stands. I've coached high school where nobody's laughing and everybody cared. Right? And parents are not high-fiving in the stands. I've coached that. And now I'm, for the first time in my life, coaching junior high boys. Junior high, 7th and 8th grade boys. And it's weird because Brian Bowen and I are both coaching this team together.
• 2:38
  And I feel like the parents all care and the coaches care, but I'm trying to figure out if the boys care. It's really funny. They seem to just walk around in a fog. And it's not like I'm unfamiliar with boys. I mean, I've had three of them. I've got three of them. My son is on the team. But I feel like sometimes Brian and I are just saying the same things.
• 3:06
  Over and over and over. Same three or four things. And you guys, they just can't figure it out. We had a game yesterday against Kent, Denver, a private school on the south side of town. And man, pretty nice neighborhood. Holy cow, you guys were driving through. I don't know what it costs to go there, but a couple bucks is my guess.
• 3:33
  We're playing against these boys, and our boys were actually playing pretty well, and I was proud of them. But you guys, they're just completely clueless.
• 3:42
  At one point, we've got runners on base, and I'm coaching third base, and I'm telling them when to advance, and I'm giving signs. And you guys, I at one point had a kid on second base. He's on second base. He's supposed to be looking either at home plate where the action is going to happen or at me where I'm going to tell him what to do next. He's supposed to be looking one of these two ways, but I'm not kidding. He's standing on second base looking directly out to center field.
• 4:07
  I'm yelling his name. I'm swinging my arms. I mean, the ball is in play. At one point, the catcher actually threw the ball mistakenly into the outfield. He's just standing. He's just looking into the outfield. I don't know what he's looking at. He's just looking in the center field. I'm yelling his name. All of the parents in the crowd are all yelling his name. Everybody, he's just in a fog. He's in his own little world. I don't know. What's going on? You know, my voice has been hoarse for the last month and a half because I've just been yelling like, guys.
• 4:35
  Come on, figure this out. People ask me at times why I have such a passion for God's people and God's church. My answer is always the same. Because we're at war. And most people don't seem to know it. Eighth grade boys are in a game. They don't even seem to know it. But there is an easy spiritual parallel there. We're at war. And many of us don't seem to know it. 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 4.
• 5:08
  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. He talks about the Christian life holding weapons. Do you feel like you're holding weapons? 1 Peter 5.8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Man, you may not feel like a gazelle, but you are. You are. Whether you feel like you're at war or not, the devil is at war with you.
• 5:40
  2 Timothy 2, verse 3. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 1 Peter 2, verse 11. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. We talked about the first half of the letter to the church at Ephesians and to our church as well as being an encouragement to believers to understand their position in heaven doctrinally. That when you become saved, you are positionally...
• 6:11
  Part of God's kingdom. You've crossed over from death to life. You've been redeemed out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. That's chapters 1 through 3. But chapters 4 through 6 are practice. How do we then live? Is what those chapters, that final section of the letter Paul writes. He says that Christ exalting lives do not just happen. We actually have to become involved in our Christian walk. And he says in chapter 6 that opposition is...
• 6:42
  certain. Now the apostle acknowledges the existence of evil, reminds his readers that they have an enemy who hates them and wants them to fail. And if I'm honest, I don't know that most Christians that I meet, and maybe even I myself, live that way. I don't know that I live day to day, moment by moment, as if I have an enemy who wants me to fail and is scheming and
• 7:10
  firing things at me. I mean, really, I kind of just float along in my Christian life as if everything is okay, as if nothing will ever change. This final challenge on our way out the door was meant to inspire and motivate his readers to action. Doctrine is over. He says, now let's go and live it. And what's clear throughout is his clear teaching that the battle cannot be won without help.
• 7:37
  Verses 10 to 24 talk about our need and our need specifically for three things. The first is our need for power. Look at verse 10. Finally, he says, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. If you understand anything about human nature, you will agree with me that in the Lord and his might would probably be assumed because none of us.
• 8:06
  is strong if we're honest and none of us is mighty. You know, the only people that I ever hear say that they can endure temptation or the word that is usually used is handle temptation. I can handle it, right? The only people I ever hear say that are immature believers. I never hear mature believers say, you know what? This movie's fine. I can handle it.
• 8:33
  These people are fine. These friends are fine. These parties are fine. This environment is fine. I can handle it. I never hear mature people say that. Mature people understand. I can't handle it. I can't handle it. And so I am going to establish every roadblock I can between me and temptation. Because if I'm honest, if you've grown to the point where you can be actually honest with your own heart, you will admit, I will fail. You put temptation in front of me. I've failed enough times before.
• 9:04
  Why would I think this time would be different? Steve Lawson has said, put your weak life into God's strong hands. He will uphold you even through the valley of the shadow of death. King David said this in Psalm 23, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Period? There's no period there, right?
• 9:34
  Can you imagine that if there were a period there, it'd be different. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. I can handle it. But that is not what he says. Here is the man after God's own heart. I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. David couldn't handle it. The presence of God, he says, is what sustained him through the valley of the shadow of death. That's first our need for power. Notice second, our need for protection. Verse 11, put on the whole armor.
• 10:05
  That you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Notice it is not sufficient to simply put on some of the armor of God. Choose your favorite pieces and employ them. He says put it all on. Put the whole armor of God on. I think it helps me to think of the schemes of the enemy. Those fiery darts, right? More like a fire hose than as water balloons.
• 10:33
  Most of the time I think about them like water balloons, right? And if I could just block them using something, then I'll be okay. But that's not how it describes it. It's more like a fire hose. You've got to be head to toe, completely covered, or it's not going to work. It's not going to work. Put on the whole armor of God. Continue in verse 12. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil.
• 11:03
  In the heavenly places. Notice the implication in verse 12 is that we do wrestle. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are in a wrestling match. Some of you guys know my little nephew named Danny. Danny was a junior high boy. He's in the sixth grade. I'm going to say he's 12, 13. 12 or 13. I think he's 12. When he was really little, just a little squirt.
• 11:32
  He used to come up, it was funny, he used to come up to me, anytime, you were never safe sitting down, anytime you sat, if your eyes were at his level, he assumed that meant it was on, right? He just, you were fair game, okay? If you were standing up.
• 11:46
  And it really was kind of this jockeying through their house all the time. Don't sit down because you're going to get six kids on you. Okay. And so anytime I sat down, Danny would come over and he was so funny because he was only maybe three or four years old. But he would come up to me and just as soon as I'd sit, he'd stand across and he'd say, let's wrestle. Right. And I mean, you guys, that was the only warning you got. And he was just headlong. Boom. He'd hit you. He'd be hanging on you, whatever. And honestly, the funny part of it was you had no choice.
• 12:16
  It wasn't like you could say no. It was let's wrestle and wrestling. I mean, that was it. And that's the idea. There's no bowing out. There's no tapping out. There isn't. You can't just say politely, you know, no, thank you. I'm okay. I don't want to wrestle. This is your wrestling. You are. You are wrestling. But this wrestling match is not against flesh and blood. It's not.
• 12:40
  By your own might that you can overcome, he says, but against rulers and authorities and cosmic powers over this present darkness, spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. We are at war. We are wrestling currently. And if we are going to stand, if we are going to stand, we better armor up. Take a few moments and just walk through the armor of God in verses 13 to 17. Continue verse 13. Therefore, take up.
• 13:11
  the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. Now that evil day is described like a flood, right? It's not something that you can resist without. It is not a sprinkling of rain. It is not like the blizzard we got today, right? Predicted to be bad, but kind of fizzled out. It's not like that. This is an actual flood. It is going to consume you. And notice the only people who can withstand
• 13:37
  Stand it according to 13 are the ones who are wearing this armor. The only people who will be left standing after the battle is done are the people who wear the armor of God. Continue in 13. And having done all to stand firm. Stand therefore. Now let's go through them. We'll go one at a time. Beginning with the belt of truth. Stand therefore having fastened the belt of truth. Now this is interesting.
• 14:09
  It's important, the Bible says, for us to hold the truth. Scripture says that believers have been entrusted with the truth of the gospel. We hold the truth. The New Testament is replete with commands like 2 Timothy 1 verse 14. Guard the good deposit entrusted to you. 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 15. Always be prepared to make a defense.
• 14:38
  To anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, be prepared to defend the truth. Titus 1.9. Elders in the church must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that they may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and to rebuke those who contradict it. An elder in the church is supposed to be one who understands the truth of God, can teach the truth of God, and defend the truth of God. The Bible says that we are to hold the truth. Now what's interesting about this idea,
• 15:08
  is that the belt of truth assumes that the truth is actually holding you. Not only are we holding the truth, but if the truth is like a belt, and if your waistline is getting more and more like mine, then who's holding who? Are you holding up the belt, or is the belt holding up you? And so what Scripture does here is twist it around. He says, don't think you're the one holding truth up. That is true to a degree, but really it's the truth holding you up.
• 15:44
  Colossians 3.15, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Jesus said, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. Abide, live there, live in the word of God and allow the word of God to live in you. Are you at home in God's word? And is God's word at home in you? You can always tell when you're home because it's the place that you feel comfortable, right? As you go through the word of God,
• 16:19
  Are you comfortable with it? Or do you feel like a fish out of water? And as you begin to apply the word of God to your own life, is it comfortable in you? Or is it still kicking over rocks and finding things that aren't all that pleasant? The belt of truth. Second, notice verse 14. Having fastened on the belt of truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. And more than anything, the soldier's breastplate was meant to protect him from attack.
• 16:47
  And nothing will protect you from attack better than righteous living. What is the best protection we have against the schemes of the devil? It's not our sword and it's not even our shield. This is the breastplate of righteousness. You want to know how to succeed? The best defense we have is a good offense. Live a righteous life, he says, and you'll find that you can stand on the day of temptation.
• 17:19
  I used to teach high school many, many years ago. When Hallie and I were first married, I was a high school teacher. I taught seniors. And this senior boy came to me. His name was Stephen. And Stephen came and he said, Mr. Gardner, I'm having a hard time. Why? Because I keep getting invited to these parties and these parties are a real temptation. I go to these parties and I do all these stupid things. Okay. And he says,
• 17:48
  Why can't I be more like, and there was another boy named Kevin. Why can't I be more like Kevin? Well, what do you mean? Well, Kevin never gets invited to those parties, so it's not a temptation for him. Why do you think Kevin never gets invited to those parties? Well, because they know he won't go. Connect the dots, son. Right? Why do you think he won't go? Well, because he never goes. So you're telling me if you stop going, you'll stop getting invited. Yeah. Okay, man. Answer your own prayer.
• 18:18
  God doesn't need to answer this one for you. Answer it. Live righteously and temptation will actually decrease. Isn't that true? Walk in the light and you won't find yourself in the darkness. The breastplate, defense of righteous living. He continues in verse 15. And as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. The gospel is described as shoes. Shoes for our feet. The gospel. There's two ideas here. First,
• 18:49
  Only people with their shoes on are ready for a trip, right? You guys with young kids, you give the five minute warning, right? At your own house, at somebody else's house. Hey, five minute warning. Start getting your shoes on, right? I mean, it's always hard to even just get your kids out the door. Start getting your shoes on. Start getting ready, right? Kids who don't have shoes on aren't ready to go. And here it describes the gospel as shoes for our feet. Are you ready? Are you ready to walk out the door?
• 19:21
  We ask the Lord for gospel opportunities. Are you ready for that? Do you have your shoes on? A second idea, and I like this one. It seems to imply that if we are not actively sharing our faith, if we are not engaging the gospel, then we're not moving. Right? Because if the gospel is our shoes and we're not sharing the gospel, then we're not going anywhere. If we've stopped sharing our faith, then the gospel, although alive in us,
• 19:52
  has become rather than a river or conduit of blessing to all peoples, which is what it was meant to be, instead becomes a reservoir unto ourselves, which it was never designed to do. If we're not actively sharing our faith, then we aren't even moving. We will be stunted both in our own spiritual maturity and we will stunt the kingdom's advance. If you guys feel like you're at a place where you're just stuck.
• 20:19
  You feel like you're not growing. You feel like you're not maturing. You feel like you're not getting anything out of God's word. My encouragement to you would be start walking. Right? Start walking. But the only way we walk is through the gospel. Begin sharing your faith and see what the Lord does. Continues in 16. In all circumstances, he says, take up the shield of faith which you can extinguish all the flaming darts.
• 20:49
  Of the evil one, the shield of faith. Now, faith here is firm confidence in the Lord and in his word. That is what faith is. Faith is not just believing something that you can't see. OK, it is. We can't see God. We believe in him. We have faith. Right. You must first believe that God exists. But here is not only believing in it, but having confidence in the Lord and in his word that he will follow through on his promises.
• 21:14
  Although opposition to spiritual progress is constant and our enemy is vigilant, there will be times when the attacks will be especially focused. It's at times like these that we will have to lean on our deepness of faith. And in the same way that Job leaned on the promises of God in times of confusion, so also we as believers must take up the shield of faith. Have you ever thought about what you would do if your life were devastated tonight?
• 21:51
  I think about that sometimes, but I have the faith. And if I'm honest before the Lord, you can't be anything but honest before the Lord, right? He knows anyway. Lord, man, I don't know. I don't know if my faith is deep enough. What's interesting is, you know, you talk to God. You just talk to God, right? Talk to Him. And, you know, what's an interesting kind of conviction that He brings on my heart?
• 22:24
  In moments like those where I say, God, if you took everything from me tonight, I don't know. I don't know if I'd keep walking. The conviction that I usually come back to and that he puts on me is, then why aren't you strengthening your faith in times of peace? You don't wait until you're at war to start strengthening your defenses, right?
• 22:46
  You use the times of peace. That's when you begin to build those walls and build and broaden the wall and the defense and everything. You're in peace. If you know your faith is weak, strengthen your faith so that if that day comes, you will stand. Use those times of peace. The shield of faith. Verse 17. And he says, take the helmet of salvation. The helmet of salvation. This is my favorite one.
• 23:19
  Paul's teaching could not be any clearer here. Salvation definitely involves your brain. It's a helmet. Right thinking preempts right action. If we're to gain victory in the battle, it will be because we have renewed and transformed our minds. We can't do it apart from Romans chapter 12. You have to think rightly to live rightly. If you think like the world, you will act like the world. You will live like them.
• 23:44
  But if you think like Christ, if your mind is being renewed all the time, transformed by renewing your mind, then you will begin to think like Christ. You will have the Spirit of Christ in you and even take on, 1 Corinthians says, the mind of Christ. You will literally begin to think like Him. Philippians chapter 4, verse 8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and just and pure and lovely and commendable, if there is anything excellent and worthy of praise,
• 24:15
  Think about these things. The scriptures are clear. We are to think about praiseworthy things. We are saved because of doctrinal truth, what we understand about the gospel and submit to with our hearts. It involves our brain. And now that we are saved, this says we are to meditate upon only praiseworthy things. The helmet of salvation. This is the famous one. And he says in verse 17, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
• 24:46
  The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The Lord Himself exemplified this statement perfectly during His threefold temptation. Three times He quoted the Word of God. Right? All three times. When the devil came to Him and tempted Him, He combated the devil with the Word of God, the sword. And not just random statements, but verses to fit the occasion.
• 25:07
  What that means is that he had actually learned, memorized so much of the scriptures, and he had them in such ready response and at his disposal that he could use them in any circumstance. In any circumstance. The staff right now are going through on Tuesday mornings, holding each other accountable to memorize the word of God. We are committing as much as we can to memory. We have committed to, in 2019, memorizing 60 verses together.
• 25:35
  60 verses that have been predetermined. It's a whole memory verse program. 60 verses. And you guys, the reason we're doing that is not just because we know we're supposed to. Well, I should be memorizing more. Why? Well, it's not just to check it off of a list. We actually want to have them ready.
• 25:53
  And at our disposal so that we can use them. Can you imagine 60 verses topically driven so that anytime there's a key word that comes up about the patience of God or His omniscience or His grace or His comfort. Pastor Danny, do you have any verses on comfort or peace or Christ being Lord of our lives or the gospel or about crucifying our sins, right? We've got all of these verses now ready to go. That was the example of our Lord Jesus. He did the same thing.
• 26:22
  The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Last, point three. Notice we also need, not only do we need power, and not only do we need protection, but we also need prayer. I'll just cover this quickly and we'll be done. Notice Paul's description here of prayer in verses 18 to 20. Praying at all times. All times. All the time. Continual. In other words, we must always be looking up to God.
• 26:50
  In prayer, pray at all times in the Spirit. It should be in spirited prayer. Not contrary to the Word of God, not contrary to the will of God, but in line with the Spirit's leading in spirited prayer. Continues with all prayer and supplication. It should be varied. I heard one man say, variety in prayer is God-pleasing prayer.
• 27:15
  To resist temptation, for wisdom, for the Spirit's power and courage, for self-control, for protection of others, for spiritual growth, for conviction over sin. What do you pray about? You pray about everything. Pray about everything with all prayer and supplication. He continues, to that end, keep alert with all perseverance. Notice he said this should be persistent prayer. If you don't get the answer you need, continue to pray until you change God's mind.
• 27:46
  Or he changes yours. Right? Continue to pray. If he's putting that conviction on you, you should be praying. Then continue to pray at all times with all prayers. Making supplication, he concludes, verse 18, for all the saints. For all the saints. My prayers, if I'm honest, are too personally driven, selfishly driven. I pray for myself a lot. He says, pray for everybody.
• 28:11
  Pray for the saints. Pray for your friends. Pray for your family members. Pray for the believers of this church. Pray for the pastors of this church. The Lord knows we need it. Pray and pray and pray and pray. The last two verses expose Paul's own weakness and need for prayer. And you'll notice it's a reflection of our own weakness and need. He says in verse 19, Pray also for me that words may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains.
• 28:38
  then I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak. So he says, pray for me, because sometimes when I want to share, I don't. And so pray for boldness as I share my faith. Here's how he concludes in verses 21 to 24, and then we'll end. So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts. Peace be to you, brothers.
• 29:05
  Love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. He began his letter with grace and peace, and that's how he ends. Do you know you're at war? I think we would all say yes. The question really would become, do you act like it? Are you arming yourself, putting on the whole armor of God or other pieces in that list that you'd say, I'm neglecting, I'm neglecting that.
• 29:34
  I'm neglecting the renewing of my mind. I'm neglecting the memorization of God's Word. I'm neglecting righteous living. I'm neglecting the belt of truth. I'm holding it, but it's not holding me. I'm neglecting the gospel shoes that I should be wearing. I haven't moved in years. This would be a challenge to us to commit to do something about it, to live differently, to pray at all times, to commit, to dwell on what is true, and to arm ourselves for the war.
• 30:06
  God, thank you for the book of Ephesians and thank you, Lord, for holding the snow at bay so that we could worship together, so that we could rejoice over our kids, so that we could hear Sheila's testimony and hear from your word. God, we are so grateful to have had these last 14 weeks. And as we come into a break season now, some Wednesdays off, I pray, God, for all of the volunteers, that they would get some rest and enjoy some time on Wednesday nights with loved ones and friends. God, that we would come back for VBS and hit that hard.
• 30:36
  God, I pray that you would bring kids for that. I pray that our energy would be up. I pray that you would sustain us. God, I pray that many young ones would hear the truth and be saved. That is our desperate plea. God, glorify yourself in this church. It is your church and not ours. We love you, Lord, and it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.