Finally,
Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”
Finally….
Paul had begun this letter to the church in Ephesus, with:
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
Ephesians 2:6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”
Paul told of all the spiritual blessings that are ours….in the heavenlies….in Christ…
….as we are in Christ Jesus,…..those spiritual blessings can flow down to us, here on earth….
……and the means of getting those blessings to flow down….is to give Christ complete charge of our lives, as King. (Matthew 6:10)
He represents us up there before God the Father…so we are seated “in Him” in the heavenlies before God, too.
And we represent Him down here before the world…..and He is “in us” here before every person we meet with.
This is a great blessing….the Presence of God within us…..and those spiritual blessings, He has won for us.
The blessing of the Holy Spirit’s power within us (Eph. 1:13-14)
The blessing of understanding, and power (Eph. 1:18-20)
The blessing of quickening….both for salvation, and against sin. (Eph. 2:1-5)
The blessing of the works we are to walk in. (Eph. 2:10)
The blessing of letting the Gentiles into the church. (Eph.2:19)
The blessing of being rooted and grounded in Christ’s love (Eph.3:17)
The blessing of grace given in His measure…to us personally (Eph. 4:7)
Then after Paul speaks of all the blessings Christ has won for us…..those that should be coming down to us, in our every day life….
….he speaks of the practical life we are to live….as children, parents, workers, and employers.
Christianity is very practical. Eternal life is not for heaven alone…..but for the life we live now.
The Lord never intended us to be saved,…..and then wait for heaven to know His love or peace or joy or mercy or grace…..but, to have them now in active fellowship and communion with Him.
That is why the blessed Holy Spirit lives within us….to bring down to us all that Christ has won for us….and that we will use in obedience to Him.
Then…..”Finally, my brethren”…..
Paul is summing up his thoughts for this beloved church….by showing them another blessing….the blessing of the armor of God.
Armor (Greek “panoply”) is a covering for warfare.
And here, he states, it covers our “loins”….or the pivotal power of our body….the place of real power of our movement……our will.
And our will, needs to be covered by the truth…otherwise our will go this way and that….without purpose.
Our armor covers our chest….our heart and affections…..with righteousness.
(Righteousness is being right with God.)
It is given us by Christ….it is His righteousness that we are clothed with….but for the armor, it is also our righteousness….our seeing that we are kept right before God….our sins confessed….our obediences up-to-date. (1 John 1:9)
Our armor covers our feet….our movements in this world.
And they are to be in peace. This is to go with God’s peace firmly in place….not in fear….resting upon the promises of God….and then we will not slip. (John 14:27)
Our armor includes our shield….a moveable piece which can help….for extra covering against the “fiery darts of the wicked”.
This is our faith…..true faith overcomes. (1 John 5:4)
Faith stops those suggestions which “fly” at us….in our minds….and those emotions which come to us in our hearts….
….with the internal knowledge of God. Faith puts God in front of us…and if God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31-32)
Our armor….our covering for warfare…includes covering for our minds….the helmet of salvation.
Our Salvation is a complete one……God saves every part of us.
He firmly places over our thought life a covering….to keep us safe from every panic and imaginations which suggest that God is not able. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
Our armor gives us a weapon….it is the Word of God….it is like a sword in our hand….to use against the wiles (tricks, and flattery) of the devil.
The Word of God divides false from true….and shows us God’s Way to go. (Psalm 119:11,36-37)
Our armor is prayer…..and how many times has our prayer saved us, when we are under attack! Remember, God answers prayer because we believe Him….not because we say all the right words. (Peter when he was drowning…”Lord, save me.” Matthew 14:30)
A soldier does not put on his armor, after going into the battle….but a soldier puts his armor on….knowing the coming battle, and is prepared.
God has given us in Christ Jesus….by His Spirit, many blessings.
God has given us instruction as….how to live….
…..whether we are son, or daughter, father or mother, wife or husband, employee or employer….God has showed us that we are to think of each other in light of what Christ has done for us…..
….not what we or they have done.
And, finally….God has supplied His power to cover us…
….with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and His Word…and prayer…
….as a covering for us in the battle which we are in, here on earth.
Are we discovering all that Christ has for us?
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 