Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 5 (weeks 21-24; May 26–June 16, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com.
______
Lesson Aim: Stand strong in the power of the Lord against the forces of evil.
______
By Mark Scott
The scholar Oscar Cullmann distinguished Good Friday from the
Second Coming with an analogy. He likened Calvary to D-Day and the Second
Coming to V-Day. D-Day was a decisive battle in WWII when the allied forces
stormed Normandy, France. That battle was the beginning of the end for Hitler’s
forces. But the war was not over that day. There would be many skirmishes until
victory could be secured. That is not unlike our text today. On Calvary’s hill,
Jesus had already won the decisive battle with sin, death, and the devil. But
the final victory had not yet been secured. Today Christians live in the
tension of the now (saved and sanctified) and the not yet (new Heaven and new earth).
Following
the church section (4:1-16), the ethical section (4:17—5:21), and the household
section (5:22—6:9) of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the apostle taught about
how to
wage war against the defanged dragon. The final section deals with spiritual
warfare and the skirmishes against our defeated enemy.
Find Strength | Ephesians 6:10
If believers win against Satan it will be
because they found wherein their strength lies. The phrase “Be strong” means “to be clothed with.” The same words
translate the first phrase of
6:11, “Put on.” Christians must be clothed
with strength from God to put up a valiant fight with the accuser of the brethren.
Two significant prepositional phrases locate where this strength is found: “in the Lord” and “in his mighty power.”
Too many times followers of Jesus try to fight the enemy in the power of the
flesh instead of in God’s power. Even Jesus himself knew better than this (Matthew 4:1-11).
Know the Enemy | Ephesians 6:11, 12
Paul called Christians to stand against
the devil’s schemes (i.e. methods) by putting on the armor of God. Paul developed the particulars of this in
later verses. In these verses Paul reminded believers that our struggle (this is the only time in the New Testament where
this word occurs) is unique. The enemy is not neighbors, government, or the
church down the street. Those are small potatoes. The enemy exists in the heavenly realms—not flesh and blood (human). The enemy is
unseen and spiritual in nature. The enemy works through a four-fold force: rulers,
authorities, powers of this dark world, and spiritual forces
of evil. Do we know the enemy’s “methods?” Do we know his “mind” (2 Corinthians 2:11)?
Get Dressed | Ephesians 6:13-17
If we are to be successful in fighting the
enemy, we must avail ourselves of the armor that God provides. Paul used a
different expression for put on this time. The phrase
means “take up.” Christians are take up their armor to stand (i.e. to the point of resistance) “when” the day of
evil comes.
Paul might have been looking through the
door of his Roman house prison (Acts
28), watching the Roman soldier who was guarding him, when he wrote
these words. Perhaps he compared the pieces of armor of that Roman soldier to
the experience of spiritual warfare for believers. He connected six pieces of
armor with six qualities of the Christian life. Truth was like the soldier’s
belt. A belt holds a person together. Righteousness was like the breastplate. God’s
standards protect the heart. Peace was compared to the soldier’s shoes. They
equipped the soldier to evangelize (see Romans 10:15). Faith was like the shield. The shield (often made of
leather and immersed in water before battle so as to douse flaming
arrows from the enemy) could protect the entire life. Salvation was like the
helmet. The mind of Christ had to be protected for thinking through God’s
deliverance. Finally, the Word of God was likened to the sword of the Spirit. The only offensive weapon of the armor was
what the believers used in battle. Putting on those six qualities each day will
ensure victory.
Pray Like Crazy | Ephesians 6:18-20
Since prayer was not mentioned as part of
the six pieces of armor, Paul drew down on it in closing. Christians are to pray in the Spirit. Kenneth Taylor had this right by
translating it, “Ask God for anything within the Holy Spirit’s wishes” (Living Bible). Christians are to pray on all occasions
(1 Thessalonians 5:17). Christians
are to use different types of prayers. Christians are to pray by
interceding for the saints. Christians are to pray for church leaders—Paul even
requested prayer for himself. Christians are to pray for boldness (translated, fearlessly) so that the revealed secret of God (gospel) will
be made known.
The battle is won but skirmishes remain. May we be like Winston Churchill when he said, “There is nothing more exhilarating than being shot at without success.”
_______
Lesson study ©2018, Christian Standard Media. Print and digital subscribers are permitted to make one print copy per week of lesson material for personal use. Lesson based on the scope and sequence, ©2018 by Christian Standard Media. Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, ©2011, unless otherwise indicated.
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. He also serves as minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin.
0 Comments