Ephesians 5 vs 22-33 Study 2

Calvary Chapel Cherry Creek

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Ephesians 5 vs 22-33 Study 2

Calvary Chapel Cherry Creek

May 28, 2023 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Ephesians 5:22–33

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Assembly instructions have come with marriage just like a piece of Ikea furniture. It’s there, in the box, but it begins in pieces. But there’s hope. A little piece of paper that says, this piece goes here and this piece goes there. And if you follow the instructions, you get what you intended to buy…, if not, you have a pile of pieces. Now, sometimes putting that piece of furniture together with your spouse can be…trying, and the tools they give you in the box are just the worst. HA! But nevertheless, follow the instructions, and you’ll get what you want…

Ephesians Chapter 5 Verses 22 – 24, 33

In these verses there are essentially two directives towards wives, intentions that God had in designing the family and the home, that He has given us not to subject us to some sort of life-long hardship but rather to give us the keys to unlocking His plan for our marriages. There are only two things here and we will spend our time today exploring them.

Submit

The directive to submit has been so very damaged and twisted. No wonder. Jesus came and said, “God has said,” but the enemy came and said, “Has God said…” He’s been twisting scriptures since before they were scriptures. Submission is spiritually nothing about human person over person authority and everything about assembly instructions…, everything about love.

Most men, the vast majority and truly all Godly men, we don’t want or need or even truly benefit from submission, what we need and benefit from as a family and truly what we want is support support. One team. One purpose. One Home. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to His wife and the two shall become one. It is the support of one thing that allows the formation of the other. Unless the foundation supports the flooring, there will be no home. Unless the fuel supports the combustion, there will be no acceleration. To submit to your own husband is to formulate a response to faith personally that results in a peace within your home, family and even your husband himself. Wives, as the earthly companion to your husband, he should be able to assume with ease his God given responsibility in the home…

Proverbs 31:10-11, “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so, he will have no lack of gain.” A submissive wife is not a mousy wife but rather a life partner that adds to her home and to her husband all the things he has not on his own. Affirmation, stability, construction towards usefulness in the kingdom. God looked at man and said it’s not good for him to be alone. Even in the midst of perfection there was a discouragement in the man as he looked at how each animal had his companion and yet he did not. And so, God gave Eve to Adam to complete him and be his help-mate.

Proverbs 31:12, “She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” She is not his battle, she is the reason he wins his battles. And together they take on the world which pleases the Father as both His children whom He loves so dearly are sent out two by two to not be discouraged nor destroyed but to be established. Proverbs 31:23, “Her husband is known in the gates,” respected as a judge and leader of men…, because she supports his own growth towards Godliness and she props us his good reputation.

Proverbs 31:26, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.” This is the key ingredient in the recipe for support in the home towards your man. Kindness. Kindness is everything. Kindness means you work to center…, you wives initiate and lead the charge towards goodness in your relationship. This is the desire of your husband but he has no idea how to do it, and yet for the wife, this is the greatest and most effective tool you have in your quiver. Men are EASY. Tell us we’re pretty and show us kindness and we will thrive.

Proverbs 31:27, “She watches over her household,” takes accountability for the home, and her children and husband call her their biggest blessing and praise. This is all that it is to submit to and support your husband and this is why God has given him, brought him to you. Proverbs 31:30, “A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Your reward of supporting your husband will be that you are celebrated and the pieces come together to make what they were intended to become. This is to submit to your own husband as unto the Lord because all of that comes from fearing the Lord. Which leads us to the second thing, directive two of two towards wives in Ephesians 5.

FEAR

In the end of this verse set, this advice, guidance, counsel, design and directive of the Holy Spirit, we read, “Let the wife see that she respects her husband.” This is the only time, out of 93 times, that this word in the Greek is translated as “respect” in all of scripture. The word in the Greek is “phobeo,” which is every other time translated, all 92 other times, as to fear. What on earth are we talking about here?

Is respect an appropriate translation? Absolutely. After we look at this a bit in context of the entirety of scripture, I think “respect” hit the mark well. Other well mark hitters include, “reverence,” and to “treat with deference.” There’s something entirely special and unlike any other the way the wife is to treat the husband. Perhaps better said, the way the husband so desperately desires to be treated by his wife.

Ok, lets look at this word fear. Is it the right word to use here in the Greek? OF COURSE! This is the word of God! So is the wife to fear her own husband. Absolutely! BUT, what does that mean? Scripture really helps us out here and I want to step through a few things that make total sense and really, as a man, as a husband, resonate in my own mind and heart. Just one statement though, wife, are you afraid of your husband suffering? This really is the fear that I believe God is talking about… Do you care, is it something that even sets you to flight, puts you to action, the thought that he’s hurting and you could either turn that hurt off or help him in it? If so, you’re a good wife. And I think that is the foundation of this directive design given to us by God.

What does God mean by wives, a good wife, fears her husband (because that is literally what it says here)? Looking at the other 92 times this word is used in scripture is a huge HUGE help. Let’s start with what it is NOT. It is NOT to fear your husband in some sort of way in terms of hurt, abuse, misuse or domination. 365 times we read in the Bible that we are to “fear not,” and so there is no way God repeated Himself hundreds of times telling us to not be fearful and then turns around and tells wives to be fearful, so we are talking about something else entirely with what is demanded of wives in Ephesians 5.

1 John 4:18 tells us, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” And so, we know this fear as wives are to fear their husbands, has nothing to do with torment in anyway towards wives from husbands.

Ok, first stop, and I want to move through these rather quickly, Mark 4:41, “And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” To fear your husband is to look for things about him and physically affirm what it is in him that is admirable and wow-ing. Husbands, we love that, and from our wives turns our heart to joy.

Here's another example of that. Mark 5:15, “Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.” They weren’t afraid that Jesus was going to hurt or dominate them here. That’s not why they feared. They feared because they acknowledged His greatness and His power. A good wife will do this often for her husband. (Ladies are you taking notes? If not, what is wrong with you!? HA)

Mark 5:25-34, “Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the [affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her (that she had been healed), came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Is she afraid in a bad way of Jesus? Absolutely not. She is knowing, acknowledging, seeing, expressing, communicating how He has helped and supported and healed her and that is the emotion, the action of fear here. Wives, you are better for having your husband. What God has brought together, let no man break apart. A good wife takes the time to think through how she has been healed, helped, positively supported, partnershipped by her husband and she hides it in her heart and that creates KINDNESS towards him. And oh, by the way, if you tell him, you’ll heal anything broken in him… This woman told Jesus the WHOLE truth!

Next up, Mark 6:20, “For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.” This is a great example of such a wonderful fear from one person towards another. Most wives will receive Biblical counsel and correction from any man except her own husband and that is not only tragic but disastrous to a man’s inner self. When your man prays, teaches, exhorts, and perhaps even corrects, he ought to be treated with deference by his wife. Do you know that your husband is just and holy? See, so much needs to be corrected not in the relationship but in your own heart because if he is a Christian like you, he’s just and he is holy…, or you’re not… And this fear produced a desire to protect John. A good wife is protective of her husband and the first threat is her own sin…that is respect at its finest!

Look at this one…, Mark 10:32, “Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed (fearful). And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him.” Let your husband amaze you… Do you know why he doesn’t? Because you take him for granted…

How’d you get here today? In a car, right… First time you rode in a car, amazing…. 10,000th time, not so amazing. What changed? Being a good wife has very little to do with him, doesn’t it? See, we’re scratching on the intent behind Ephesians 5…

A few more, Luke 1:50, “And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.” Every man in this room who is a Christian is extremely EXTREMELY merciful…, to those who fear hurting him…

Acts 10:2, “A devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.” A person that is fearful in a great and Godly way is a giving person. Are you giving towards your husband? Good wives are, and without condition…. Enough said there…

Romans 11:20, “Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.” The opposite of fearfulness is pridefulness. A wife is to not approach her husband with a haughty spirit. There are only a few things that destroy a marriage faster and worse than that. Work towards center. When you argue, argue for the health of the relationship, not for the personal perspective you have… That is to fear…

One final one, Gal 2:12, “For before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.” This is an interesting use of the word and applicable in context to our discussion today. If you don’t fear your husband in a Godly way, he will fear you in a tragic way. A way that drives you apart. Respect is so important and such a need to a man, and specifically a husband, that to remain in close proximity to someone who doesn’t respect him literally destroys him over and over again in his heart of hearts. So, he will, MUST, withdrawal…

Now, this is a lot, I know…, wives, you’ll need to probably listen to this again, read these notes again, and if you truly desire to honor the Lord in your marriage, well, Paul says here, “Let the wife SEE that she respects her husband,” the result of what you’ve learned today won’t be a feeling, emotion, decision or thought but it will be action that you not only watch for and take inventory of but because you love the Lord and love your husband, these (just like they are to the Lord) are today non-negotiables to you personally. And God is going to richly richly bless your marriage and your family through you because you are now not submitted to your husband, but truly you are submitted and trusting in God.

Summary

Wives, two directives or the marriage remains in pieces:

1. Submit

a. Be your husband’s greatest support

b. Cultivate ease in your husband’s life

c. Affirm and stabilize your husband

d. Be the reason he wins his battles

e. Support his good reputation

f. Lead with kindness in your home and work to center

g. Watch over and protect your husband

2. Fear

a. Express respect towards your husbands

b. Treat your husband with deference

c. Be afraid of your husband suffering

d. Look for things about him that wow you

e. Acknowledge the great/powerful things about your husband

f. Be thankful for how he has partnered with you in life

g. Don’t take your husband for granted

h. Unconditionally Giving

i. Present Humility

j. Respect should be able to be inventoried

Ephesians 6 vs 17-24

July 16, 2023 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Ephesians 6:17–24

Ephesians Chapter 6 Verse 17 · Finally, we get to the offensive part of the armor…, the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit…, counter to the flesh, opposite of this world system, and yet immutable, undefeated and even inexhaustible! The more you spend in the Word of God the more you learn and see and discern and the more that is revealed! The Word of God is the codification of Jesus Christ, of God Himself and as you take in and apply the Word of God, you see the efficacy of God not only in your own life and the lives of others but even in the world and in the spirit. Think of it this way, the Word of God is how the Spirit of God wars FOR you in in your life! Ephesians Chapter 6 Verse 18 · Finally, the secret super kryptonite of Satan. The prayers of the saints! Welcoming, calling upon the work of the heaven in the realm of the earth. Praying not to conform God to your will but to conform to God’s will. This is the privilege of the child of God, along with the armor of God, secured and provided by the love of God through Jesus Christ! · And Paul says, “praying always!” What’s the right way to pray? Eyes closed? Eyes open? Alone in your prayer closet or corporately with others? Hands together, knees bent or hands to the sky, standing on your feet? Written, pre-prepared prayers or real-time off the cuff conversation with God? The simple answer is YES! Paul says, the Bible tells us, to pray ALL WAYS! Just pray! Do what you want to do and what connects your heart to the mission of God through communion with Jesus! · There is only one way to pray that is ineffective and disgusting to God and that is holding hands! HA! Just kidding! That’s just creepy in the flesh, totally acceptable to God, HA! Actually, though there is a manner of prayer that God detests and we find it in Matthew 6:5-8. “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” · Hypocritical, dramatic, vain prayers, prayers to be seen and heard by others rather than to be disassembled and undone before God. God already knows what’s up. He can see right into the intent of the heart. And prayer is personal. So, when we make it about only our own conveniences or comforts (speaking badly about others and such), well, that’s not prayer, that’s just conversation with your ego. Jesus goes on in Matthew 5 and gives a manner, a formula if you will for purity in prayer and He says in Matthew 6:9, “In this manner, therefore, pray, ‘Our Father in heaven,” remember whom you are addressing. Not just your Father but “our Father.” Not just concerned with your stuff, your well-being, your needs but equally concerned with those things for all others as well. In heaven, not on earth, so the cares of this world, the temporaries of this place, God is above all of that. Perfect, complete knowledge of the entirety of the people and situation… · “Hallowed be Your name.” Holy and above all and any of the drama. Perfect and good and righteous and impartial. One for us to call upon for His perspective because He is holy and not to force our perspective as correct. Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” I’m praying not to protect, establish or forward my cause but calling upon God to establish, forward and perfect His cause in my situation. Prayer in the Spirit is underminded by a heart-please to God of, “Bring heaven to earth through me…” · Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Finally, we get to a request. So often, most times, my prayers are only requests and Jesus gives us this model and instructs us to spend the first moments or the first portion of my prayer time on focusing on the Person and goodness and mission of God rather than jumping right to my needs. And the request is not to be flooded with resources but for God to give me just enough to fit my needs as He sees it and to grow my faith! There is a faith request in this statement! Today is enough, give me faith to pray again and trust You again for tomorrow! · Matthew 6:12, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Notice, before we talk about others, we address ourselves! Man do I fall short in this one all the time! Something is going on, there’s a circumstance, a problem, and of course the problem is THEM! HA, duh! But God says look, when did you ascend the throne of holiness? HA! Begin with asking God to reveal and to teach and to correct and to capacitate ME before I ask for the incapacitation of them! And there’s this embedded command…, your prayers turn right to hypocrisy if you aren’t willing to humble yourself and forgive. Forgive me, but I won’t forgive them…, that just simply doesn’t work. That’s pharisaical, dramatic, hypocritical, vanity! · Matthew 6:13, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” That’s it! Here’s the offensive kryptonite weaponry, that whatever the enemy has wrought, whatever the flesh has brought, what the world has taught, throw a beacon up, a flare, a lighthouse in the middle of that haze, that fog, that storm and I’ll come to shore. I’ll shore all that up as You God lead me and as I row into port, I trust in Your protection. · To follow my feelings, to get even, to hold the grudge, to be their judge, all of that appears to be the smart thing to do, but Your Word and Your Spirit tell me differently. Against my own fallen nature and in alignment with the cross of Calvary…, I’m going to choose to trust You! What more can the enemy do at that point? Ima bring pain. I trust God over my pain. Ima bring discomfort. I trust God over my discomfort. Ima bring inconvenience and Ima bring accusation…, you’re a fool for not hurting them like they hurt you! Well then, I’m a fool for Christ’s sake! He is God, I am not and His ways are perfect. His beacon will get me to shore, my boat out here is going to sink… And the enemy flees… why? Because you just reminded him of what he wasn’t willing to do himself… You’re stronger. · It’s been said that a prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian and that the enemy fears the weakest Christian as they pray! The Lord in you is stronger than all of his power because you just chose to serve the Lord over serving yourself which is exactly what got Lucifer fired, kicked out of heaven and what keeps him even today entirely unsettled, unhappy, unsatisfied. You just reminded him of his defeat and scared him away. That is the sword of the spirit and the power of prayer! “For YOURS is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. AMEN.” · Do you see that final statement? It’s in complete alignment with Ephesians 6. The enemy wanted the kingdom, he ascended to power and demands the glory…, but this prayer, this weaponry unveiled by Jesus in Matthew 6…, it’s the recipe, man. The secret sauce to quenching all of the fiery darts of the evil one and standing and withstanding in the evil day! Ephesians Chapter 6 Verses 19 – 20 · You know, just a note of encouragement. Paul calls himself an ambassador in chains, which is not an optimal position to be in at all. And Jesus is described by the church as the “chain breaker,” and He is… But Paul prays and asks us to pray that God would use him even from within his chains, and I find that encouraging. Anyone here perfected? Anyone here arrived? Anyone here sinless? The fact is, even all that I am in the Lord, I’m still carrying some chains. And God is working on me, with me, in me, just like He is in you. But it was Oswald Chambers that said, “Our righteousness is in Christ’s Christian perfection. Our Christian perfection is not perfection of performance but perfection of relationship.” Ephesians Chapter 6 Verses 21 – 22 · I love Paul’s heart for the comfort and service and endorsement of others. Here he is in captivity and yet his heart is for the comfort of others. Ephesians Chapter 6 Verses 23 – 24 · Paul ends the letter with outstanding love and encouragement but this is also a very sharp statement. Grace, peace, love to all those who hold to what God has said, because that proves that I love and trust Jesus Christ as Lord and he throws in these two very very sharp words, “in sincerity.” · The word “sincerity” is derived from the Latin roots of the word sincere. Sine, meaning without and cera meaning wax. According to oral history, dishonest sculptors in Greece and Rome would cover flaws in their work by using wax. If the sculpture was chipped, cracked or damaged, the dishonest sculptors would melt wax in the marble dust, using it to conceal the flaw or imperfection. It would look perfect, and full price would be assigned to the piece. But the issue is, first hot day, or first prolonged period of sun exposure…, you see there would be no consistency of quality. · That’s what the word/phrase means here in the original language. Grace is going to flow upon you, through you, in you…, peace is going to be your personage, love will be your legacy…, and even all six chapters of this book will be quite naturally who you are as you simply set your own identity, will and reason as a man or a woman that has chosen to and faithful in responding to God’s love for you by simply loving Him back…

Epehesians 6 vs 14-18

July 9, 2023 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Ephesians 6:14–18

Ephesians Chapter 6 Verses 14 – 17 · Paul begins the description of the armor of God with truth. I’m not sure anything is more under attack in our current world predicament than truth! It’s no wonder, this was the first thing ever in the history of the world to come under attack! Genesis 2:17, God stated a truth, “The tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” That’s a truth. Death never entered the world until sin entered the bloodstream and that happened at the original betrayal of God. So, in that day, everything, into everything death entered. · But Satan comes around and challenges, questions, attacks truth in Genesis 3:4 saying, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Truth under attack. First play of the devil. And man is he slick! Why would I say that…, because he attacks absolute truth with a lesser, carnal truth…! · Was Satan lying? Not exactly. Was he telling the truth? Not exactly. And here is the greatest leveled up attack on truth there is. Did they die the day they ate the fruit? Carnally, physically, literally, no! Spiritually, yes! And from that day forward, death was a thing, when it hadn’t been a thing. In fact, God was describing death as the knowledge of good and evil. Stay pure. Stay perfect. Stay without sin… · Your eyes will be opened, sounds good right? It means death. You will be like God. Sounds good right? It means self-exaltation. Knowing something that you don’t know today. Sounds good right? It means to know death… Crazy, right!? So, God presented truth, comprehensively. Absolute truth with spiritual, physical, eternal and comprehensive completeness. And Satan presents another truth as well, but this one only in the physical, while shrouding the spiritual, eternal and comprehensive elements. And that makes a truth, even a fact, a lie… See the attack? So so, slick! · Entirely, completely, eloquently and exactly what continues to transpire today in the individual life and on the global societal/cultural level! So, you, as well for me, we must walk in more than knowledge or power of intellect, we need wisdom! When the spiritual side is shrouded by the enemy, can you still see it? The comprehensive side, can you still discern it? This is what Paul is talking about in terms of gird your waist with the truth. · The belt of the armor is everything. Ties everything together. If you don’t know the truth and are not skilled by way of practice and study to discern comprehensive truth, in the battle, well you’ll be caught with your pants down! And its interesting, the belt is not particularly a piece of armor, but rather a gathering place, if you will, for all of the other armor! · Paul begins here because if your wreck-out on this piece of the suit, if you miss truth, all of the rest of the resources we have available to us become not only powerless for anything good but actually quite harmful in general! The enemy began this confusion, Jesus faced it in Pilate as Pilate looked Jesus in the eyes and said, “What is truth?” And the onslaught is not only continuing but heating up today as phrases like, “my truth,” and “personal truth” are far more important than absolute truth… Or a better term in my opinion, comprehensive truth. · One more thing here… We are witnessing and even a part of a steep and swift decline in the moral character of the world. Everyone is focused on self. The world economy markets to the individual wants and needs. Every element of the entertainment industry which is all things including the media, merchandise, restaurants and even political agendas are all focused on serving and catering to and attracting the individual by addressing personal wants and needs. And all of that not only sounds right but works! But that is not the highest, comprehensive truth… · All character is, all it is, is comprehensive truth in the inner man. That’s all it is…, and so why is the world in such a steep and swift moral decline? Carnal truth has ascended the throne of this world and it’s locked in… But when it comes to me, no way. How about you? · Paul continues and now talks armor directly, mentioning the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate would provide protection for the most vital organs, and just like that, this one is critically important. This is not my own righteousness, that is powerless against the enemy, because for everything I do right and well, guaranteed there are two things I don’t. · Revelation 12:10 says, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” The enemy is described as the accuser of the brethren not only because he is a dirtbag jerk, but also because there is plenty of material for him to work with! And so, my own righteousness has no chance of protecting me. · As a Christian, your righteousness is through Jesus Christ. What that means is that once you become a Christian, receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and therefore are forgiven of all your sin, the righteousness equal with Jesus Himself is imputed to you through faith. And this one is powerful. You and I are saved by grace through faith, and that’s it. Our right standing with God, our salvation is not through any works lest any man could boast. And so, when the accusations of the accuser come, you’re free to agree with Him… · All the things the enemy can accuse me of and try to shame me about and attempt to berate me for…, they’re all true! AND? AND? I’m yet beloved! I’m still accepted and affirmed and confirmed and I’m still redeemed, forgiven, not forsaken and I’m still empowered, indwelt and awesome because and by the Holy Spirit! See there’s no damage when you walk in the grace of God. Because you’re healed of the power and penalty of sin by Jesus Christ! Ephesians Chapter 6 Verse 15 · I like this one and it is related to the one we just talked about. What makes you worthy of walking this way, walking as tall as you do, walking as strongly as you do, walking where you walk? Not me…, the gospel! But Paul gives the gospel an interesting descriptor. He calls it the gospel of peace… · Peace is a powerful weapon. Folks don’t think of it like that because its weird to use peace and weapon as one thought but you need to know this. When your aim is peace, to bring peace, to originate it…, I’m not talking about quietness or putting and end to a conflict, but peace, real peace…, where there is balance and rightness and almost a tranquility, when that is your aim and you’re looking for it and not only that but looking to bring it, the enemy becomes very frightened of you. Why? · Because according to James, wars and strife come from the flesh… According to Hebrews 13, God is the God of peace…, and so when your aim is to calm the fleshly storm in first yourself and others through the activation of God through your life, oh man…, you can tread on the head of the serpent all over again. Ephesians Chapter 6 Verse 16 · Above all…, what is faith? All it is, is acting like God is telling the truth. Faith is not believing. If your beliefs never hit your feet then your faith is fake. Faith is active, outward, application of trust in God over your senses or circumstance. And Paul says that will stop everything the enemy tries to hurl at you! · The shield of faith would have been a door sized metal shield, covered with leather, soaked with water, to catch and stop all the fiery darts from all directions. And the darts come from all directions. Doubts, fears, insecurities, trials, difficulties, temptations, sins of others, even unseen enemies! And yet, trusting God, you don’t even have to watch, look, worry or predict…, all I do is take up the shield and it does the rest! Ephesians Chapter 6 Verse 17 · The helmet of salvation. Protect your mind! You are saved! You are in Christ! That’s who you are now… And no matter what, that cannot be taken away. John 10:28, Jesus said, “I GIVE them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” And Paul said in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” · You need to settle for yourself whose you are and who you are so that you don’t lose in the battlefield of the mind because even in all of this other armor, you’re still going to make mistakes and you’re still even going to lose battles. That doesn’t mean you’ve lost all and God is able to reverse anything, ANYTHING, and redeem the days, moments, weeks and years the locusts have eaten up! · It’s also a call to play the long game! When you’re in the grip, in the moment, in the circumstance, remember, heaven is your home. Remember that your redemption is yet ahead. Remember that this moment will pass and if you do not lose heart, God will again prove Himself faithful! Paul said, in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” And in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The helmet of salvation is the grit and toughness of the saint! PUT IT ON! · Ah and we get to the offensive part of the armor…, the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit…, counter to the flesh, opposite of this world system, and yet immutable, undefeated and even inexhaustible! The more you spend in the Word of God the more you learn and see and discern and the more that is revealed! The Word of God is the codification of Jesus Christ, of God Himself and as you take in and apply the Word of God, you see the efficacy of God not only in your own life and the lives of others but even in the world and in the spirit. Ephesians Chapter 6 Verse 18 · Finally, the secret super kryptonite of Satan. The prayers of the saints! Welcoming, calling upon the work of the Spirit in the realm of the flesh. Praying not to conform God to your will but to conform to God’s will. This is the privilege of the child of God, along with the armor of God, secured and provided by the love of God through Jesus Christ!

Ephesians 6 vs 10-13

July 2, 2023 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Ephesians 6:10–13

The Bible talks about our life as a walk. To walk with the Lord, to walk in the Spirit, to not walk in the flesh…, BUT this doesn’t mean that life is easy. Have you ever heard the expression, “This will be a walk in the park?” Well, that is definitely not what is meant when we talk about our walk with the Lord. What’s meant is that it is constant and continual. It is actually anything but easy. Every day, your enemy is committed to your destruction. I wonder do you know that? I doubt it as much as we partner with him! Imagine if you worked with someone who had been at your place of employment for 500 years. Do you think they know how to do a job better than you? The enemy has been working here for far longer than 500 years... Compared to him, you just got here. And you’ve been thrown into, born into, a system that he has been working to setup over generations. A system that 1 John 2:16 says, “All of it, all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father…” Then who is it of…? Paul called the enemy in 2 Corinthians 4:4, “The god of this age…” And so yes, my life is described in the Bible as my walk with the Lord, but the context and setting is actually from within a war. Even in my own heart, the flesh always pressing me towards sin, the Spirit always pressing me towards righteousness. The battles abound. And so, Paul launches off into these last comments, after all is said, after all is shared, after all is commanded and directed, just like a good friend, father, pastor and Christian, he pours his heart out preparing us and urging us to be awake to the war… Nothing easier to defeat than a sleeping enemy! Ephesians Chapter 6 Verse 10 · We are told to be strong because there exists the ability and temptation to also be weak. Isn’t it incredible, that in a time when the world is at its strongest, the church seems to be at its weakest. The church can be at its biggest in terms of numbers, programs, ministries, services, and still be at it’s weakest. Paul is very specific here to say to be strong IN THE LORD and the power of HIS might… · Paul actually got to the point where the weakness of his flesh was somehow and in someway, he was glad about it because it made him dependent upon the Lord. It activated a greater resource for him than he ever could have known being strong in and of himself. It’s often interesting also that the area you believe you are the strongest is often the area in which you are most vulnerable and have the greatest failures. Wherever and whatever it is about you that you believe you need no help in is a soft spot in your own crafted armor. Ephesians Chapter 6 Verse 11 · The power and the might of God, both are there, secured for me and for you by Jesus Christ at His death and His resurrection. Check this out, when Christ died, He defeated our enemy. Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” You may not have ever thought of it this way but look what Jesus said face to face with Satan in Matthew 4:7, “Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord YOUR God….” He just pulled rank… · And so, we have these things following described as the armor of God in order to tap into the resources we already have to fight a battle that’s already won! But the key is, you tap into the strength in the Lord and you tap into the power of His might by taking up, of your own free will, the armor that has been made available to you through Jesus Christ. Only awake people “take up…” · Implication is also here that if we don’t put on the whole armor, then we leave a weak spot, a toe-hold, so keep that in mind. Ever see a weed growing through the smallest of cracks in the cement? It’s like that… and left unuprooted, that cement, in time, is toast! · And this is important, not just information but a real call to arms for all Christians. Think of it this way… A police officer shows up at your door in uniform, well that gets a certain response; but a police officer showing up in full riot armor solicits a completely different response! How are you showing up to the battle for your life? The battle for your marriage? For your children? For this ministry? · Think of it this way… Paintball is not fun unless you have armor! Before you play the game you’re told, “Now look, keep your armor on because these things are flying at you so fast that if they hit you in the eye, your eyeball will be pushed to the back of your skull!” No thanks! Better have the armor! This is important! · Verse 11 says you won’t be able to stand without it, AND, you have got to make sure it’s the Lord’s armor and NOT your own. Look at Luke 11:21-22, “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his OWN palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.” The man in Luke 11 armored himself and there was one stronger. Who is stronger than God? No enemy is even difficult in any way for God! · Paul says this is how you stand and later he will use the word, “withstand.” I’ve seen Christians fully armored with intellect, superior knowledge, charisma, presence, force of character, command of all situations, in full control of anything they want to control and they are on their heels or backs spiritually and the enemy is just using them like a puppet, faith and all, to hurt them, keep them asleep, and harm the people around them. This is the armor, the only armor and all the armor, we need every bit of it in order to take our blood bought right to the power and might of God through the Holy Spirit! · Stand and withstand… We don’t need to gain any ground. Jesus already won all the ground. We have the armor, the enemy does not… So why are the majority of Christians either defeated, ineffective or “trying” constantly to be Christ-like while thinking, acting and performing like Jesus is some powerless false deity? It comes down to the will. Decision, resolve…as Paul says for you and for me to “PUT ON.” That’s an action of the will and it is personal… Ephesians Chapter 6 Verse 12 · One more thing on this whole subject that Paul dives into before telling us what we need to decide to do…decide to put on. He tells us that the issue, the battle, the war, the struggle is not in the physical realm, not in the flesh and blood of what we know, not able to be sensed naturally, but it is in the spirit. The results are sometimes very physical for sure… The works of the flesh, but the cause and the creation of every issue and battle and struggle in the flesh is rooted in the spirit. · Every problem situation, circumstance, person or place. That thing is rooted in the spiritual. If you don’t know how to navigate that realm, battle and find victory in that realm, then you will do very very poorly in this realm. If you can’t get to the cause, then you cannot get to the cure. The last thing that the demonic realm wants you to do is figure them out because they know if you figure them out, then you’ve got them. They’ve seen it in Jesus, they’ve seen it in Paul, they’ve seen it in Peter, they’ve seen it countless times… · We have to be strong in HIS might and HIS power because our might and our power doesn’t work in the spiritual realm, and God has given us everything we need to walk in victory in the spirit and to stand and withstand in the flesh… All of it wrapped up in His might, His power, tapped into through the armor of God. Ephesians Chapter 6 Verse 13 · Stand, withstand, stand. To be established, firm…, to uphold, to hold the line, to stay the course, to oppose, resist and to not fall. We need the whole armor of God. One more thing I’d like to offer before we close today. · John 17:9-16, Jesus prays, “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept (there’s the stand and withstand); and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. · The armor of God, the prayer of Jesus, prepares us to stand within the storm of the spiritual darkness that this world is. He doesn’t, because He cannot, tell us to be victorious by avoiding the battle. And here I believe the church has erred. We are to come out and be separate from the world, to be sanctified but that sanctification is not a removal, just as Jesus prayed, but it is an armament. We are to be in the world, and yet, in the armor of God, not of the world, so that we can affect the world for the truth and so that we ourselves even can fulfil our own personal purpose and glorify God. · Jesus continued in John 17:17-18, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As you sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” We don’t and I don’t and the church shouldn’t run lives but think about what Jesus prayed and think about this for just a moment. Protecting my children from evil influence is a recipe for disaster and failure. What we need to do is prepare them for battle from within the evil of the world. · It’s like preparing them to run from a storm that they cannot get away from because the storm is worldwide. We should rather prepare them to thrive within the storm and to teach others how to do so also. How? The whole armor of God. The knowledge of good and evil is part of this fallen realm. I’m not saying expose your kids to sin and wickedness. That’s stupid. I’m saying do what Jesus did. Prepare them, fortify them, teach them how to take up the whole armor of God. That’s far more difficult, loving and powerful than teaching them to deny its existence. We’ll talk about it next week and I’ll end with this, the most effective fiery dart of the devil is deception. We ought to be wise as serpents and as gentle as doves and as prepared and fortified as Jesus prayed!