I am Victorious

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8:40am Service | 10:00 Service | 11:20 Service | Sermon Audio

Good morning Chapel family! Today we are finishing up our summer series on Ephesians. By the way, next week is Labor Day weekend; I know some of you will be away, but I won’t be, and I’m so excited about the message. I’m going to be collaborating with a member of our Chapel family who has an amazing story to tell. So you are not going to want to miss church next week.  

So today we come to the end of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. And of all the things Paul could end with, he talks about spiritual warfare. Our struggle with the dark forces of Satan and demons. Because if you’re going to be serious about living out your new identity in Christ, you will encounter opposition. And you need to know where that comes from and how to handle it. 

So let’s finish the letter—Ephesians 6, from verse 10 till the end. This is God’s Word for us today… 

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. 

21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. 

23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. This is the Word of the Lord. 

Here’s the first point: The Battle is Spiritual. The battle is spiritual. Verse 12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. This was written by a man who knew flesh and blood suffering really well. He was stoned nearly to death. He was whipped. He was slandered and maligned. He was put in chains—in fact, while he was writing this letter, he was in chains. And all those things were done to him by flesh and blood people. So how could Paul say that our struggle is not against flesh and blood? Because he knew that behind all those human actions, there was a deeper force. Specifically, every one of those acts was instigated and energized by rulers and authorities and powers that the human eye cannot see. And Paul is saying, “You’ve got to know: that’s what we’re really struggling against.” 

Do you believe that? Do you believe that you woke up this morning with a battle raging around you? A battle for your soul, and the soul of everyone you love? Do you believe what it says in 1 Peter 5:8—that your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour? Because in 21st century, upper-middle class North Jersey, it’s really easy to not believe that. Or, it’s easy to say you believe it, because you know that’s the biblical answer, but to not live with any kind of real awareness of it. And through the Word this morning, God wants to open your eyes to this reality. You need to know this. 

One of the guys in my men’s group leads Bible studies in Otisville Federal Prison up in New York. And he said, “If there was any doubt in my mind that Satan is real, I have no doubt anymore. When you talk to some of these guys, and you hear what they’ve done, and you see the look in their eyes, there’s no way to describe it except evil.” He’s not saying the guys are evil; he loves these guys. But he realizes they’ve been influenced, heavily, by evil. And it’s chilling.  

A few years ago, Justice Antonin Scalia, the US Supreme Court justice, was interviewed by New York magazine. And he said he believed in the existence of the Devil. And the interviewer seemed surprised. He said, “Have you seen evidence of the Devil lately?” And Scalia said, “You know, it is curious. In the Gospels, the Devil is doing all sorts of things. He’s making pigs run off cliffs, he’s possessing people and whatnot. And that doesn’t happen very much anymore…It’s because he’s smart.” The interviewer said, “So what’s he doing now?” And Scalia said, “What he’s doing now is getting people not to believe in him or in God. He’s much more successful that way.” 

When you see the darkness of this world, it’s so easy to blame the politicians or the entertainment industry or social media, or whoever your favorite villain is. But this passage reminds us that the real enemy—the enemy behind all those enemies—is Satan himself. Jesus clearly believed that. And it’s good for us to know that, because when you realize the battle is spiritual, you know you need to fight it with spiritual weapons.  

Secondly, The Battle is Personal. Look at verse 11: Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. We are talking about an intelligent being who has schemes. He has methods. He has strategies. In other words, he takes a personal interest in you, he knows your weak spots and he has intentional ways to target you.  

In the Bible we find at least three titles for Satan. The first one is Liar. Look at John 8:44—second part of the verse. This is Jesus talking about Satan: When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. You sit down to pray. And within the first 30 seconds, you have this strong thought: There’s nobody listening. You’re wasting your time. Or maybe even stronger: God doesn’t even exist. What are you doing? You’re acting like you’re in some religious cult. There are so many more useful things you could be doing right now. And you force yourself through two or three minutes of prayer, but the doubts come over you like a dark cloud—you know that feeling? It’s oppressive. Because you have been lied to , by the Father of Lies, who hates it when you pray. And he lies in countless other ways: Watching porn doesn’t hurt anybody. There’s no such thing as hell. God doesn’t care what you do with your body. He’s a master of lies.  

Here’s the second title: Satan is the Accuser. Revelation 12:10— 

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: 

“Now have come the salvation and the power 
    and the kingdom of our God, 
    and the authority of his Messiah. 
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, 
    who accuses them before our God day and night, 
    has been hurled down. 

You walk into church and you start singing a worship song. And all of a sudden you hear this inner voice: “You hypocrite. You’re such a fake. You know what you’ve done, and you stand here acting all holy. God is disgusted with you.” Or you lie in bed and re-live your mistakes, and the ways you’ve hurt people. And it’s hard to stop those thoughts, because you’re being targeted by the accuser. 

Here’s the third title: Satan is Tempter. Right before Jesus went public with his ministry, he spent forty days in the desert, fasting. And Matthew 4:3 says The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Satan is a master of temptation. It started in the Garden of Eden, it continued with Jesus, and it goes on today. And when Satan tempts you, he knows your weak spots. You’ve struggled with drinking and now you’ve been sober for three months, and you’re at a birthday party. A family party—innocent gathering. And you that voice: “Don’t be such a prude. Loosen up and have a glass of wine. Just one—you can handle it.”  

You’re a married woman, and your relationship with your husband is okay, but kind of boring. And there’s a guy at the gym who really listens to you. And he seems so nice. And here comes the voice: “This is what you need. You never had this with your husband! This guy would make you happy. And don’t you think God wants you to be happy?” It’s subtle and logical and insidious. 

I don’t know where your weak areas are. But there’s an enemy who does. 2 Corinthians says he masquerades as an angel of light. In other words, Satan comes to you in ways that seem good and right and appealing.  

That doesn’t mean we can blame Satan for our bad choices. We have to own our choices. But the Bible consistently warns us: Be aware. You’re more vulnerable than you think.  

Jesus said that Satan has been granted the freedom to operate for a temporary time. In John 12:31, Jesus calls Satan “the prince of this world.” So for now, Satan has some authority. And the most insidious way he uses his power is to blind people to the gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. So Jesus calls him “the prince of this world,” Paul calls him “the god (lowercase ‘g’) of this age;” and his main goal is to destroy people’s souls by blinding them to the good news of the gospel. Have you ever talked with someone about the gospel, and how it’s changed your life, and they’re like, “No—I just don’t see it”? That’s more than an intellectual barrier; there’s a spiritual battle going on. They’re being blinded.  

So this battle that we’re in is spiritual; it’s personal; here’s the incredibly encouraging news: The Battle is Winnable. Look again at the first verse—verse 10: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Paul starts this section by using three words for power: strong, mighty, power. You know where we saw those same three words? All the way back in chapter one, where Paul is praying that God will open the eyes of our heart to understand the power available to us. Look at this—Ephesians 1:19—That power is the same as the mighty strength (there’s those same three words again—power, might, and strength)—that he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, (listen to this…) far above all rule and authority, power and dominion… Listen: when Jesus was raised from the dead, the battle was won. There was a brief moment, at the cross, where it looked like evil won! Jesus was dead, and there was rejoicing in hell. But the party did not last long. Because on the third day, he rose again. Amen? And that resurrection was the defeat of evil.  

And Satan knows it. He knows his days are numbered. He knows that one day, the victorious Christ will cast him into the lake of fire, where he’ll be tormented forever and ever—Revelation chapter 20. He knows that! In the meantime he’s trying to drag down as many people with him as possible.  

In other words, yes, Satan has some power. But Christ’s power is infinitely greater. It’s not like a neck and neck race; it’s total domination. Satan loses; Christ wins; and you have the power of Christ in you. Amen? Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Infinitely greater. 

And therefore—verse 13—put on the full armor of God. So that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground… “The day of evil” is those moments in life when the temptations are strong. And the sin looks really appealing. We need to prepare for those days before they come. Don’t say, like some people say, “I wake up every morning and I put on the full armor of God.” Why would you ever take it off at night? God is giving us resources and power that are designed to be worn all the time. So let’s walk through this… 

First—verse 14: 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist… The first piece of armor is truth. We talked about this a few weeks ago: if you’re a person who’s used to living in a world of half-truths and covering things up, you are much more likely to give in to temptation. Why? Why would liars fall into temptation more? Because you can do it and lie about it! You can lie to yourself and you can lie to other people. And yet we follow a Savior who said “I am the truth.” Remember: Satan in the father of lies, but Jesus is the truth. So putting on the belt of truth means you resolve that you will always speak the truth, straight up. And if you’re walking in sin right now, truthfully confess it and repent of the sin. Speak truth! It takes so much less energy than lying, and it’s so freeing.  

Second part of verse 14: with the breastplate of righteousness in place… The breastplate was the main piece of armor that protected a soldier—it covered his chest and his back. So Paul is saying, “Make sure you cover yourself in righteousness.” You know where Christians find our righteousness? It’s not in ourselves—he’s not saying, “Make sure you keep all the rules—do everything perfectly!” That’s the kind of righteousness the Pharisees tried to cover themselves with, and it was self-righteous, and hypocritical. We find our righteousness in Christ alone. The only reason we’re right with God is because of what Jesus did for us. 

Martin Luther once wrote a letter to his friend, who was struggling with guilt, and he wrote this: “So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: ‘I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? For I know one who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God. Where he is, there I shall be also.’” 

I have a hard time making it through that line without getting emotional. Because I’m so aware that I have no righteousness of my own. But Jesus covers me, and I cling to that truth. The breastplate of righteousness protects us from the Accuser. So cling to the righteousness of Christ. 

Next one—verse 15: and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Roman soldiers would wear boots with metal studs on the bottom so they would be ready for any kind of terrain. They wouldn’t slip. And Paul equates that readiness with ‘the gospel of peace.’ Remember, back in chapter two, it said that before Christ, there was no peace between Jews and Gentiles. But then Christ came and died for the sins of everyone—Jews and Gentiles. That’s the good news of the gospel. So now all of us connect with God in the same way—through Christ—which means the wall that used to divide people is gone. The gospel brings peace between people.  

So…as you walk through life, the peace in our relationships gets challenged all the time, right? So put on your gospel shoes, and you’ll be ready for anything. When you’re tempted to not forgive someone, the gospel will remind you how much God forgave you. When you’re tempted to exclude someone, the gospel will remind you how God included you. The gospel is the key to peace.  

Keep going in verse 16: In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. One of the tactics of ancient warfare was to dip the tip of an arrow into pitch—like tar—and then set it on fire and shoot it. So your shield was extremely important. Shields were made of a wood frame with leather stretched over it, and they would sometimes soak the leather in water so it would extinguish the arrows more quickly. The flaming arrows represent temptations; the shield represents your faith. Faith that God is with you. Faith that when you’re tempted, God will always provide a way out.  

Thomas a Kempis wrote this centuries ago: “Yet we must be watchful, especially in the beginning of temptation; for the enemy is then more easily overcome, if he is not suffered to enter the door of our hearts, but is resisted without the gate at his first knock.” In other words, when temptation comes, don’t toy with it; don’t see how close you can get before crossing the line. Put up your shield and deflect it and move on. Have faith that God is more powerful. 

Verse 17: Take the helmet of salvation… Knowing that you’re saved—knowing that you’re a son or daughter of the King, and that nothing can separate you from him, is great power against temptation. So you don’t resist the temptation in order to win your Father’s love; you already have your Father’s love, and all you want to do is serve him and please him, which makes temptation lose its appeal. 

Okay—two more—second part of verse 17: and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Do you realize this is the only offensive weapon on the list? All the other things are defensive; this one is about striking back. And the thing we strike back with is the Word of God. Remember how Jesus answered Satan’s temptations in the wilderness? “It is written…” And he quoted a Scripture that refuted what Satan was saying. The more you know the Word, the more you can use it and the stronger you’ll be.  

Here’s the last one—verse 18: 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. The people with the most spiritual power and the most spiritual protection are people who pray. I don’t mean they throw up a lame, 2-minute prayer in the car on the way to work. I mean they set aside time to build their relationship with God. And then on top of those times, they pray without ceasing. They pray in the car. They pray in the shower. They pray at work. Because there really are no atheists in foxholes. Because when you’re in a battle, and the danger is real, there’s no time for games. So you pray. If you believe there’s real evil, and a real enemy who’s actively working to destroy you and the people you love, it should drive you to your knees in prayer.  

And that’s why I have a strong request of you. I’m asking you to please do this: put on your calendar the evening of Tuesday, September 9, 6:30-8:30pm. Tuesday, September 9, 6:30-8:30. Because as we prepare for a new season of doing battle with the forces of darkness, we are calling the Chapel family to fasting and prayer. So here’s the deal: we are asking you to fast—as in no food—starting after dinner Monday night, and then join with your Chapel family on Tuesday at 6:30; we’re going to pray together for God to pour out his power in this new ministry year; we’re going to pray for friends and family who are far from god; we’re going to pray for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit in our church…and then we’re going to break our fast together. And of course we’re going to do that by eating Christian food: Chik-Fil-A. So we’re putting together a huge Chick-Fil-A order, and we need you to register! So go to our web site; click on “Events,” and register for the prayer gathering—it’s called “Reset”—because we’re going to be re-setting our hearts and minds on things above.  

Of all the things Paul could end this letter with, he talks about spiritual warfare. Satan is real and Satan is powerful, but Christ is so much more powerful. So put on the full armor of God.  

Paul wraps up the letter like this—verse 21: 21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. 

23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. 

And then Paul put away his pen, and he rolled up the scroll. I imagine him kneeling in his cell and praying over the letter before handing it to this guy, Tychicus, who walked away from the prison and carried the scroll all the way to this little church in Ephesus—this little upstart group of Jesus-followers, surrounded by the power of the Roman Empire. When you look back in history, you would have zero reason to believe that little group would survive. How could they? And this short little letter would get lost or burned up and forgotten. 

But here we are 2,000 years later. The Roman Empire is ancient history. And we’re sitting here reading the letter to the Ephesians. Do you realize how crazy that is? The only explanation that makes sense is that this is truth, and it’s been preserved by the power of God. The God who created you. The God who sent his Son to die for you, and who invites you to believe in him and to build your identity on Christ alone.  

Would you rise for a closing prayer? And I’m going to invite our worship team to come and close out this whole series with a final song.