beginning at verse 10, Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you might be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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 in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. in all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication to that end keep alert with all perseverance making supplication for all the saints and also for me that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak." This is the word of the Lord. And you may be seated. Finally, that's the way Paul begins this last section with the word finally. He's about to deliver the concluding set of instructions that he has for these Christians in Ephesus, and this instruction from chapter 4 onward has been a broad portrait of how to live the Christian life. The flow of thought throughout this text is very important. From chapter 4 onward, the Apostle Paul has never diverted from his thought. There is a continuity to his admonitions. My point is simply that the Apostle Paul hasn't been giving random and fragmented directives. He hasn't been pausing between each section and saying, now let me see, what other tips could I give to help these Christians incorporate Christianity into their already complex lives? That's not what Paul is doing. Christianity isn't something you add to your life. It's not like adopting a philosophy or joining a club. Again, there is no such thing as a part-time Christian. And so redemption is not just an upgrade. It's not your life 2.0. No, it isn't a garage conversion or an add-on either. So many times we think of it that way. I'm just gonna add Christianity to my life. No folks, it's a different architecture built on a new and different foundation. We now belong to a different realm. This has been a theme throughout Paul's letter to the Ephesians. We've changed masters. Christ is now our Lord, and He is no part-time Lord, no compartmentalized Lord. We are, as Americans, infamous for compartmentalizing everything. We're very pragmatic. But I tell you this, that our Lord God is not just Lord on Sundays and Wednesday nights. He is not just Lord of our religious inclinations, as the world would try to tell us. He is not just Lord of our private devotion. Again, the world would say, keep that devotion to yourself, right? How can we? We belong to a different realm and a different master whom we serve every moment of every day. Now, He is Lord of all, and being in Christ changes everything. If you're in Christ, Paul says to the Corinthians, the old is gone and the new is come. And so Paul hasn't been bouncing around here trying to think of ways that he could help them integrate Christianity into their well-established lives. Now he actually came to dismantle their present lives so that they could have the life God intended for them to have. He's been showing us what it means then to completely forsake the old way of life and to begin to live as those who have a new identity in Christ. In many ways then, the book of Ephesians is a tale of two kingdoms. One righteous, the other evil. One a kingdom of light, the other a kingdom of darkness. One a fruitful kingdom, the other a barren kingdom. One a kingdom of life and the other a kingdom of death. Now, I should say at the outset that while these are opposing kingdoms, and the Apostle Paul is going to really get into detail in this passage to tell us about that opposition. Yes, they are opposing kingdoms, but they are by no means equal. We need to understand that at the outset. The power struggle is all one-sided. The rebellious kingdom of darkness rails against the heavenly kingdom of God, but God's kingdom is impregnable. So it is a one-way conflict, as it were, for God doesn't have to do anything at all. He just is, and all of Satan's assaults cannot penetrate. Nonetheless, we are not yet in the fullness of that kingdom. And so there is a danger for us that the Apostle Paul wants to point out. And so like the Ephesians, all of us have experienced both kingdoms. We were born into the kingdom of darkness and been rescued by Christ and taken into the kingdom of light. And we were once willing captives of that rebel kingdom, but we've been rescued. And so the contrast that Paul paints for us in this book is between who we were and who we now are in Christ. That runs throughout his comprehensive instruction on what it means to live as a Christian. We were once dead in sin, if you'll recall, he says, but God has made us alive. We were once children of wrath, but headed for eternal ruin. And now we are God's beloved people with a glorious inheritance. We were once estranged from God, he tells us, but now Christ has brought us near. We were once darkness, but now we are children of light. Folks, Paul makes it perfectly clear. God did not save us that we might continue living as we did before. Steve mentioned that this morning, a popular hymn, that there's nothing wrong with the words, just with the way people understand them. Just as I am, without one plea. Yeah, that's how we come to Him, without one plea. But just as I am isn't acceptable to God. That's why when we come to Him, He begins to change us. Right? It's so important. He saved us that we might no longer continue living that way. So we have to lay aside, He says, our old identity and embrace our new identity in Christ. And throughout this instruction, in that very same vein of contrast, Paul has showed us the difference between the destructive traits that we used to have, those destructive traits that used to characterize our actions, and he contrasts those with the godly virtues that ought to grace this new way of behaving. He's told us to abandon our futile, wicked way of thinking, that way of thinking that was just like the rest of the world, and instead now renew our minds to think righteously. He's told us to forsake falsehood and live genuinely, to lay aside our old conduct and embrace our new behavior, to use our words to edify rather than destroy, to forsake immorality. for purity, to trade foolishness for wisdom, to give ourselves to the Holy Spirit's control rather than the intoxicating influences of this world. All of this, Paul tells us, this contrast is real and we are called to something much better than the kingdom of darkness. And in the house tables, which we just finished last week, he shows us a new approach to our closest relationships. He shows us how we ought to treat spouses, how we ought to treat children and parents and those we work with. We're to lay aside the selfishness and the relentless pursuit of personal advantage that used to characterize our involvement with those intimate relationships. Instead, he says, we're to see those relationships as an opportunity to serve others and to glorify God. A completely different way of looking at it. Folks, we've been raised from spiritual death to new life. We have been granted citizenship in the heavenly kingdom. We have been adopted into God's own family. We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. And so we must no longer live like the walking dead who indulge their sinful passions, he says in chapter 2, who live under the power of the evil one. No, we've been raised to newness of life and we are called to live accordingly. Well, my point is, is that Paul has all of this in mind when he introduces this section with the word, finally. You see, this isn't some arbitrary directive that randomly is stuck on the end of the book here. It's not like the Apostle Paul was saying, oh yeah, you know what, I almost forgot, but before I leave, I ought to say something in the way of spiritual warfare. No, it's not disconnected at all. Finally is an expression, a favorite expression of the Apostle Paul, commonly used by him to introduce a summation. In other words, it's used to draw everything forward, to gather it all up and bring it together and say this now, all of what I've said before is applicable here. Hear what this says. This is the conclusion to the matter. It's not a bit of stand-alone information. He's bringing everything forward and summarizing what it's going to take to live out our new identity as the redeemed of the Lord. Since the beginning of chapter 4, He's been telling us what we must do in order to live out our new identity, but now He's going to tell us this is what it's going to take if you're going to be able to obey My commands. I mean, I've told you what God expects of you. I've told you what God has done for you. I've told you what you have to forsake and what to pursue. But basically what Paul is saying to us, this living of the Christian life is easier said than done. You don't need any more information than what I've given you in order to obey. The problem is, is you're still going to find it hard. And the Apostle Paul doesn't want us laboring under any delusions. The Christian life, folks, is no walk in the park. We have been freed from the kingdom of darkness. Thank God for that. And that rebellious realm, however, does not want to let us go. At present, our life is a battle. And here is the backdrop for all of this, the biblical storyline for all of this. Basically we have been saved in a war zone. It's a conflict that has raged ever since the serpent convinced Adam and Eve to join him in rebellion against God. And God himself set the parameters for the battle. The seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman will be in conflict. There will be enmity between the two. And so until Christ comes again, or until we go by way of the grave, we will continue living in this war zone. Folks, we presently occupy enemy territory. We live in a world that follows the prince of the power of the air, Paul says in chapter 2. And you know what? Satan doesn't have a live and let live mentality. He hates God. But since he can't touch the Almighty, we've already talked about this, this really is a one-sided conflict. He hurls everything he can at the kingdom of God, but it makes no difference. He cannot penetrate. So he can't get to God himself. So what does he do instead? He goes after God's people. and we are caught in a cosmic conflict. And so there will be struggles, there will be hardships, there will be adversity in this life. We will be pressured to conform to this world. The Apostle Paul knows this. That's why in Romans chapter 12 he tells us, do not be conformed to this world. We are going to be pressured and tempted to resort to that futile way of thinking from which we've been delivered. We will be tempted to participate in the unfruitful works of darkness." Folks, living as a Christian in a rebellious world of sin is a battle. Now, I can just almost hear someone objecting. Doesn't Scripture say that Jesus has already defeated the powers of darkness? Indeed. It's true. Matthew chapter 12, I mean, here's Jesus right in the middle of His ministry. Even then He says that He has authority over the powers of darkness because He's bound their ruler. He's bound the strong man. In John 12, 31, as the time is coming close for Him to go to the cross, Jesus was about to head to that final destination of his earthly ministry and he said at that time, now is the ruler of this world driven out. Later in chapter 16 he says the ruler of this world is judged and at the end of chapter 16 he says I have already overcome the world and it remains defeated. That's what he says at the end of chapter 16. then he goes to the cross. Well in Colossians chapter 2 verse 15 the Apostle Paul kind of puts this together for us as he tells us that God disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to an open shame by triumphing over them in Christ's atoning work. You see? By dying in our place, by rising again and ascending into heaven, the Lord Himself delivered the crushing blow to the serpent's head that was prophesied in Genesis 3.15. So Christ has won the day. And as Paul tells us in Ephesians 1, He already sits on the highest throne. You know why I'm not waiting for Jesus to come back to earth and take David's earthly throne? Because he's already sitting on a throne much higher. And He has been exalted far above all principality and powers. As Jesus said in His ascension, I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. So at this very moment, it's true, Christ is reigning from His heavenly throne. But here's the point. The fruit of His decisive victory has not yet fully matured. As Hebrews says, yes, the Father has put everything under Christ's feet and He says there is nothing outside of His control, even though we don't yet see everything subjected to Him. There is an already and a not yet to this victory, you see. So Christ is presently in the process of bringing everything together under His authority. But here's the point for our passage. Though the enemy has been severely weakened, and he has, he is still leading this world in rebellion against our Lord and he is continuous in his launching of attacks against God's people. He is a relentless foe. You know, I think one of the best illustrations of this that I've already heard, that I've ever heard, one of the best illustrations of the already not yet victory is what we saw happen in World War II. On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces invaded Normandy and they overran the German defenses. Now, at the beginning of the battle, it looked like those well-entrenched Germans might just repel the attack. It was a bloody battle, as it were. But eventually the Allies won the day and most historians cite that particular victory as the turning point, as the moment when the war was actually won. Now Hitler had to fight on two fronts. He didn't have the resources and it wouldn't be long until we would cut off the resources that he did have now that we were able to advance into enemy territory. But even at that, there were still 11 months of brutal battles yet to come, including the Battle of the Bulge. Do you remember that? The deadliest and most desperate battle of the war. Nonetheless, just 11 months later, 11 months after D-Day, came V-E Day, Victory in Europe Day. And the victory that was won when they took the beaches at France. That victory came to fruition and all the fighting ended. Well, in like fashion, Satan has already received his fatal blow. His power over God's people has been broken, but as I've heard it said, we're in the mop-up phase of the war, as it were. There's still stuff to be done. There are captives yet to be freed. Did you know in World War II, even after the battle was over, even after the war was won, there were still captives being freed for weeks and months afterwards, right? There's still things to be done. And so there are still skirmishes to be faced before the full effect of Christ's decisive victory is realized. And although our enemy has been mortally wounded, that doesn't keep him from lashing out viciously. You know, in some ways a wounded animal is far more dangerous because he's so desperate, right? Well folks, Satan doesn't give up easily. And as we'll see in the coming weeks, he marshals all of his resources against the people of God. So Paul is saying we must be careful. Since we're not yet glorified, sin still dwells in our members. And that's where we're vulnerable and that's where Satan attacks. Paul wants us to know that we have a persistent enemy who will oppose us every step of the way. As he tells the Corinthians, we must not be ignorant of the devil's schemes or he will outwit us. Listen, Satan has had thousands of years of experience manipulating human beings. He's much better at His job than we are at ours. He knows our weaknesses. And so, as Paul warns us in chapter 4, we must not give the devil opportunity. Now, I don't want you to misunderstand what I'm saying. We cannot blame the devil for our sinful propensities. Lots of people would like to do that. Right? There was a comedian whenever I was a kid who his famous tagline was, the devil made me do it. Right? Now the devil didn't make you do it. He offered it to you and you willingly took it. You wanted it. Right? So the point is, we have our own internal conflict to contend with, don't we? As Paul says in Galatians chapter 5, there's an inward struggle between the flesh and the spirit. But that's why Jesus says that we have to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. That's why Paul urges us to flee immorality, to put to death the deeds of the flesh, to not grow weary in well-doing because we have within us still that abiding sin which will continually pull us in those directions. But in this passage... What Paul is telling us then is that we not only have to contend with our own indwelling sin, that sin that keeps trying to draw us back to that old way of life, we must also understand that Satan is real and he preys on that internal conflict. That's what he uses. It's such an instructive word from our Lord when he tells his disciples that the prince of this world is coming, the ruler of this world is coming, but he has nothing in me. That's the difference between Christ and us. When Satan came to Christ, there was nothing he could get a hold of. Our problem is, is we have too many things for him to get a hold of, right? And so what it is, is that our enemy is really good at pouring fuel on the fire. So we not only wrestle with our own sin, we're opposed by the evil one who attacks us ferociously like a wounded animal because he is obsessed with defaming God. He can't get to God, so he's going to get to the people that God says he is purifying for himself. And so in this final instruction, Paul lays out a battle plan for us to follow. You know, in church we don't often talk about battle plans. Because most of the time our mind goes to physical battles, right? That's not what Paul's talking about here. This is a spiritual warfare. And so as we seek to lay aside the old way of life and pursue a life that's pleasing to God, Satan will surely put us to the test. We can expect it. As I mentioned to some of you, I've never seen it fail when we talk about what the scripture has to say about interpersonal relationships and the closest ones in our life. It never seems to fail that all of a sudden, many people are tried and tested in that very area. That's no accident. That's no accident. And so what Paul is telling us here is expect it. Be ready to stand against the onslaught of the enemy, of the evil one. This is combat preparation. That's what he's going to tell us. But as we'll see, it's not preparation for some conflict with men. And we'll talk more about that as we get to that point. But this is something important for us as Christians to be able to distinguish this because we're so offended many times by flesh and blood that opposes us. And we end up allowing them to cause us to sin and turn toward them. We are never justified in being hostile and hateful and vindictive. We are never justified in being arrogant and proud toward others. We are to be humble. We are to be kind. We are to show love. We are to be patient. And we get impatient with others, not realizing that our real struggle is not who we see in front of us, but the power influencing behind them. Yes, they're willing participants, but that's not the issue here, and the Apostle Paul wants us to know. So what Paul is equipping us for is combat with spiritual forces of darkness, those forces that drive this world's sinful agenda, those forces that unite the world in their rebellion against God. And so with that backdrop in mind, let's look at what Paul says we must do before we close this morning. He says, finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. The word translated strong means to be capable, to have ability, but the interesting thing is the verb is in the passive voice. Paul is saying, be made strong. Be made capable. Now, just how are we to be made strong? By our own efforts? By our own self-devised training routine? I've got myself a good routine. I'm going to build myself up. I'm going to make myself strong. No, Paul says, be strong in the Lord. In the Lord. It's a recurring theme throughout Ephesians. In the Lord, or in Christ is used throughout this book. In Christ we are blessed with all spiritual blessings. In Christ we are seated in the heavenlies. We have new life in Christ. We're brought near to God in Christ. We're united as one people in Christ. We grow into maturity in the Lord. We are light in the Lord. Children are to obey their parents in the Lord. And as we see here, we are strengthened in the Lord. Basically what this means is that we have none of that without Him. All that we have, all that we need, all that we are, and all that we will ever be is only in Him. Everything Paul says about us as Christians is through our relationship with Christ. If you don't have a vital union with Christ, you are none of His. That's what Paul says. And so indeed, as Jesus told His disciples, apart from me, you can do nothing. Most of the time we read that and I think what pops into our mind is apart from Christ, our options are limited. It's not what he says. Apart from Christ, there are some things we can do, some things we can't. It's not what he says. Apart from me, you can do no thing, nothing. Folks, it's Christ's substitutionary life, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension that provides us every resource that is available to us. It is only in Him. Paul then is admonishing us to lay hold of those divine resources that were granted to us by virtue of the fact that we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, by virtue of the fact that we are now in union with Him. And so the point is simple, we do not empower ourselves. Christ alone is our source of strength. We must look to Him. You know, this was prophesied by Zechariah. In Zechariah 10, 12, it says, "...I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in His name, declares the Lord." I will make them strong in the Lord, and they will walk in His name, declares the Lord. He is the one who makes us strong. If He doesn't make us strong, we remain weak. We cannot be strong in ourselves. Only can we be strong in the Lord. So Paul isn't telling us, I want you to muster up your own strength, I want you to marshal all of your concentration, I want you to really put your mind to this because you're in a battle. No, he says, be strengthened in the Lord because only God can enable us to live as he has called us to live. This is an important thing that we must understand. The only way we could ever obey what God has told us to obey, the only way we can ever live as he has called us to live is if he enables us and he gives us the strength. It will not happen on our own. Only he then can enable us to stand fast against the attacks of the evil one. And Paul recognizes this because in 2 Corinthians chapter 12, do you remember that passage where he talks about Satan's attacks on him? Paul actually mentions this thorn in the flesh, this messenger of Satan that he received in order to oppose him. And he prayed earnestly that the Lord would deliver him. Now, I've often wondered if the power people, the health and wealth people today, if what they were saying is true, why didn't the apostle Paul just rebuke the devil himself? All right? It's very interesting that the Word of God taken in context does not support their thesis at all. In fact, it's just the opposite. So the Apostle Paul prayed earnestly for deliverance, but the Lord said, my grace is sufficient for you because my strength is made perfect in weakness, in your weakness. You're weak? Trust in me. I have the strength you need. It's the only way you're going to get it. So folks, we are only strong in the Lord. You know, John doesn't say, greater are you than he who is in the world. He doesn't say that. He says, greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. And we see this throughout Scripture. You know, we often think about the great men of faith. Moses, for instance. Did you know Moses, there was a time when he could not withstand the temptation to disobey God? That's why he wasn't allowed to go into the promised land, right? David couldn't stand in the day of temptation. And don't think that his being home and the timing of Bathsheba's rooftop bath was a coincidence. This was a scheme of the evil one. I mean, yes, it was all a part of God's secret will, but Satan was the one providing the temptation. Good King Hezekiah, what happened to him? He was tempted and succumbed to his own pride. Someone says, well, that's all Old Testament folks. Okay, let's take Peter, all right? Peter was adamant, I have what it takes, Lord, I will stand with you. The rest of these guys, I don't know about. I have my doubts like you do, but me, no, I'm there. I'm gonna die with you if necessary, right? And then whenever the moment of testing came, what did he do? He fell right into Satan's trap. You know, Jesus had warned him. Somebody says, do you know that that was Satan? Of course it was, because Jesus warned him, Satan has desired, he's asked to sift you like wheat. But I've prayed that your faith fail not. Folks, it wasn't Peter's then, his own strength, because he was later restored, but it wasn't on his own strength that he was restored. His strength was tested and found wanting. No, after Peter's downfall, he was restored in the strength of Christ who had kept him through the whole ordeal. And somebody says to me, well, you know, that was also before the cross. Well, go to Galatians chapter two, and there you find the apostle Peter succumbing to the temptation of prejudice and hypocrisy. Where do you think the temptation comes from? Yes, the Lord again is in total control. He leads us down paths that will many times expose our own self-reliance so that we will humble ourselves and ask for His forgiveness. But Satan is the agent. He is the one who is contriving the schemes. And so, This is what we need to understand. We could go on, but the point is simple, is that we have to realize that apart from Christ, we are no match for the evil one. That should be a basic understanding that we all have. Luther had it right when in the second verse of his famous hymn, he said, did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing. What's the remedy? We're not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing. You ask who this may be? Christ Jesus. It is He. Right? It's true, folks. There is no room for human boasting. As Paul warned the proud Corinthians, Doesn't Proverbs 16, 18 say something very similar to that? Him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he falls. Well, Proverbs tells us pride goes before a destruction and a haughty spirit before a great fall. Saying the same thing. Paul's point is clear. On our own, we are no match for the devil. This is what we have to understand before we ever begin to understand what Paul is saying to us about this conflict. The good news is the devil is no match for God. That's the good news. We're no match for the devil, but he's no match for God. And so the only way we can be strong, the only way that we'll be able to stand is in the Lord. We must be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Quite simply, what Paul is saying is that God and God alone is the source of our strength. He is our captain. He is our warrior king. This is a phrase used in the Old Testament if we were to translate the Hebrew literally. He is our warrior king, the one who has defeated the powers of darkness and all of our enemies. And only He can give us the ability to live a life worthy of our calling. Paul starts this whole section with this command. Walk worthy of the calling. Right? The only way we can do that is in His strength, by His power, by His resource. Only He can equip us for battle. And so we have to rely on His mighty power. The strength of His might is the resource that we find only in God. And that's what enables us to do everything Paul has instructed us to do. It's the strength of His might. It could be translated the power of His exceptional ability. It's the same combination of words that the Apostle Paul used in Ephesians 1 whenever he prayed for the church that we might know the immeasurably great ability of God, the immeasurably great power, it's the same word used here, that powerful resource of exceptional strength that our Lord has for those who believe. He describes it as the very same power that was exerted when Christ was raised from the dead and the same power by which we ourselves were made alive when we were dead in trespasses and sins. Folks, this is what it takes to live as God has called us to live. And though Paul plainly tells us then what we are to do and how we are to live, he wants us to know that we can't do it in our own strength. Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Listen, if we go toe-to-toe with the devil, relying on our own strength, we will fail every time. And so this word, finally, that Paul uses draws all of that instruction forward and tells us what's necessary if we're going to obey these commands that have been given to us. Everything we are called to do is the redeemed of the Lord, the maintaining of the unity of the Spirit, the serving the body of Christ with the gifts that we are given, the renewing of our minds, the denying of our sinful passions, the walking in love as children of light, the walking in wisdom. We can do none of those on our own, folks, none of them. We have to look to God's gracious provision and His strength. And this is the only way that we will ever be able to address the internal conflict within us because of indwelling sin. It's by His power. I will never get the victory over indwelling sin in my life in my own strength, and neither will you. It takes the power of our God. And the same is true for standing firm against the forces of darkness. As I said, Satan uses our internal struggles with sin in order to draw us into disobedience. But God, the God who has retrieved us from behind enemy lines has set us on the front lines of His kingdom and said, stand for me. Stand here and I will give you the strength. In the coming weeks we'll look at all of the provision that God has supplied. It's His provision. It comes from Him. In fact, that which He gives us is His. It's His tools. It's His power. It's His wondrous weaponry. And so the ruler of this kingdom would like nothing more than to get us back under his influence. And so we must be on our guard and we must resist temptation and we must stand firm in God's mighty power. We must guard our Lord's work of grace in us and hold fast to all that He's provided us because in this present age we will be assaulted by the evil powers at the instigation of the Prince of Darkness. Therefore, 1 Corinthians 16, 13, I love what Paul says there. He says, be watchful, stand firm in the faith. And I like this part, act like men and be strong. Act like men and be strong. But the popular thing to say today is man up, right? The only way you can man up is relying on his strength, his power, his resources, because you are not a man on your own. Because of sin, you are far less than a man, and so am I. The only way I will ever be the man God has called me to be is by his strength and by his power. Only. Isaac Watts, I think, captured the sense of this passage beautifully, capturing the balance between both the struggle with ourselves and with the enemy in one verse of one of the hymns that he wrote, which encourages us to look to God for the victory. And let me read that to you as we close this morning. Hell and your sins resist your course, but hell and sin are vanquished foes. Your Jesus nailed them to the cross and sings the triumph when he arose. Should be sings. So hell and sins resist the course to which we've been called. We've been set on a path. Hell and our own sins are going to resist that. But hell and sin, we must remember, are vanquished foes. Our Jesus nailed them to the cross, and He sang the triumph when He arose. The victory is ours in Him. So truly we have been placed on the path from which the powers of darkness and our own sins will continually tempt us to stray. But we have to remember both Satan and our indwelling sin was defeated by Christ on the cross. Our triumph is in the resurrection power by which God calls us to himself. And so our victory is in Christ and in Christ alone. and to him be all glory forever and ever. Amen.