You're listening to audio from Ascend Church. For more information about Ascend, or to access more gospel-centered tools to grow as a disciple of Christ, visit AscendKC.org. Welcome again to Ascend Church. My name is Ben Arant. I'm the director of worship and creative arts here at the church, and so I get the privilege and responsibility to preach God's word this morning. But I just, before I do that, I just want to publicly recognize and thank our worship team this morning. They put a lot of effort in seen and unseen, to get ready to point us to Christ, to lead us to looking to Jesus each week, and specifically Isaac, who led us this morning. We had VBS, as you can see, all the extra decor, if you will, on stage this week, and he was a key piece of that all week, and so he's had a long week. So can we just thank them this morning? All right. Well, you know, I don't often, I was trying to think, maybe this is my third or fourth time doing this in this context, so it's a little scary for me. So if you would pray for me this morning. But more importantly, I just pray that you would see God's word go forward, and that the Holy Spirit would illuminate it for us, and that Christ would be put on display. Amen? Amen. So let's dive in this morning. I want to start with this this morning. Have you ever been in an emotionally charged argument, and somewhere along the way, you forgot what you were even arguing about? To the point where you felt you were right, so you must be right. Married couples have never experienced that at all, I don't think. Or maybe on the other side of the spectrum, you had all the answers, you did all the studying, you were ready for the battle, I mean argument, and you knew you were right. Didn't matter whose feelings got hurt, you were right. I want us to take this morning both kind of those extremes and consider sort of drawing a comparison to our faith with this statement. Theology Unapplied is a theology that is not fully understood. After all, application is implicit or implied in good theology. And application, on the flip side of that, application unattached from good theology is such that it will most surely lead us astray. Or maybe better said another way by Francis Schaeffer, an early 20th century pastor and theologian, doctrinal rightness and rightness of ecclesiastical or church's position is very important. But only as a starting point to go on into a living relationship and not as ends in themselves. So as we engage with the text this morning, I want you to ask yourself the question, to what maybe extreme on those sides am I more likely to swing, and how is God calling me to grow this morning? You obviously already know that we had VBS this past week and the kids got the opportunity to engage with the armor of God. And so I thought it might be a helpful exercise for us to do the same. So we're gonna be camping out in Ephesians chapter six. That's what we're gonna set up this morning. And the title of today's message is Jesus is so we can. But I just wanna pump the brakes for a moment on the pieces of armor and get us a little bit of context. Here we have Paul sitting in a Roman prison writing this letter to the Ephesians. We see incredible theology on display. In chapter one, you've got spiritual blessings that were predestined to be adopted as sons, having an inheritance sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit. In chapter two, we're reminded that we were dead in our trespasses and sins, but God made us alive together with Christ. In chapter three, the mystery of the gospel is revealed in Christ. And then in chapter four, Paul makes a turn to take this incredible theology and to apply it in some different contexts. He says at the beginning of chapter four, therefore I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling that God has placed on your life. A call to walk in unity, a call to walk in love. So we get, finally, to chapter six, and Paul actually starts off by saying, finally, as if to sum up all of the theology that he's unpacked and the practical application and instruction with these verses. So with that as the backdrop this morning, let's get into it. The big idea is this. Any attempts to engage with the spiritual forces behind Satan's world system, apart from the proper source, will leave you and us vulnerable to fall for his schemes. Chapter six, starting in verse 10 and point one, we're gonna come right out of the gate and say it, Jesus is the source. So Paul says, finally, well, finally what? What does he say? Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might. He gives us a call to be strong. Now you see this call, be strong, a few other times in scripture. In the Old Testament, Deuteronomy chapter 31, verse six, in Moses' final instructions to Israel, he calls them to be strong. And then in Joshua chapter one, verse nine, God commissions Joshua after the death of Moses to lead the people into the promised land. He calls them to be strong. Then move to the New Testament. Paul, again, in a different setting to the Corinthian church in chapter 16, calls them to be strong. And then finally, In Ephesians, here we are, be strong. You know who you are, you have what you need, so be strong. And of course, Paul knows better than most that his own human efforts and strength will time and time again come up empty and vain against the trials, temptations, and sufferings that we are going to face and that they face. You know, I had to get a running analogy into the sermon this morning, and so I figured I might as well get it over with quickly. Paul does it, so I can too, right? You know, I got into running a couple years ago, and I started running some half marathons, and it got to the point where I was like, okay, I'm gonna break a particular time in the half marathon. And so I came up with all these plans, and tried and tried and tried and failed and failed and failed, and I could never do it. And it wasn't until I was equipped with the right understanding, given the proper tools, and then really sent out with the right instruction by a coach, that I was able to finally accomplish the task. And I think Paul knows that the flesh, our self, is incapable of enduring the imminent trials that are going to wash up on our shores. He knows that on this earth we cannot and will not merely live in a theological classroom. We are going to have to fight. I mean, consider some of Paul's hardships for a moment. Whipped a lot of times, beaten with rods, pummeled with stones, shipwrecked, adrift at sea, I don't think it's a stretch to say that dire circumstances were pretty much on the regular for Paul. And if you were here during our study of Revelation, you would remember that God has given himself to us in Christ so that we can conquer and endure by the strength of His might. As it says, look, in verse 10, right? Be strong in the strength of His might. And this is the lens, in the strength of His might, this is the lens that we are going to look at the rest of the verses through this morning. So consider the Old Testament theme in the scripture of the Lord being our strength, especially in relationship to battles and hardships. A couple of verses that came to mind were Exodus 15, the song of Moses, the Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. The psalmist in chapter 46 says God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. And Proverbs 18 10, the name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous man runs into it and is safe. So again, Jesus is the source of our strength, just as he was for the Israelites, just as he was for Paul and the early church Christians, he is for us today, amen? Amen. So he continues in verse 11, as if to say, as you are being strengthened, you are to what? Put on the armor of God. Consider this put on statement for a moment. The Ephesian church would have actually already heard this statement back in chapter four when Paul calls them to put off their old self, life in the flesh, and to put on the new self, living in the true likeness of God in holiness and righteousness. Paul was also fond of encouraging others in the faith with the same language. To the Colossian church in chapter three, verse 12, he says, put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. To the Christians in Rome in chapter 13, verse 14, he says this, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for what? The flesh. to gratify its desires. All right, Paul, we get it. We're supposed to put on, right? Put on the whole armor of God. You ever have a, you ever, for those of you with kids, you ever been in a season where your kids just are in the why, you know, the why phase? I have five kids, so it seems like we're inevitably in that phase. Why, daddy, why, daddy, why, daddy, you know? Right? So imagine just for a second, you decide to take your kids to the grocery store, which, by the way, always ends up being a horrible decision, especially when you have five kids, right? But let's just say you made that insane decision, and just before you're about to leave, it starts pouring rain outside. and you go up to your Todd and you say, hey, could you put your raincoat on, please? And of course, the kid's response is, why? Why, Daddy, why? Now, a tempting response for most parents at times is to just say, just do it. But Paul isn't some grumpy, short-tempered parent with the churches that he's writing letters to. He actually shows tenderheartedness, kindness, compassion, and a care for them. So he gives them the answer, right? He gives them the answer of why they are to put on. What is the answer? What does he say? So they can stand. Stand against the schemes of the devil. This word stand is the Greek word stēko, meaning to stand firm, to persevere, to persist, to keep one's standing. Listen, as we've also seen in our study of Thessalonians, Satan is not omniscient or omnipresent, but he is always hard at work setting up a world system that schemes against any advancement of God's purposes here on this earth. So, Paul calls the Ephesian church to stand and he's calling us as well today to stand. You see, Paul is definitely not unfamiliar with the call to stand or stand firm. Just two verses before, he calls them to stand firm. To the Philippians, In chapter one, verse 27, he wants to see that they are standing firm in one spirit of unity, preaching the gospel that's been entrusted to them. To the Corinthian church, he also calls them to stand firm in their faith, like a tree whose roots grow deep because they are planted by the streams of water, like it says in Psalm chapter one. There's a real imperative reminder for us to willfully stand against any and all attempts to counterfeit the truth of God's Word by the lies of the enemy. And I think it's a beautiful truth to see the imperatives of Scripture jump off the page, calling us to respond, calling us to action, all the while reminding us of where our help comes from. Psalm 121, verses one and two. My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. We sang that this morning. And just in case you're wondering, Paul is not done yet giving us the call to stand. We'll see him continue to revisit this imagery later on in the text. But for now, just pause for a moment and reflect. Have you sensed the urgency of the imperatives that God is calling you to and placed in your life through Scripture? Are you standing in the strength of His might, or are you leaning on your own understanding, on your own work, on your own merit, on your own effort? We move to verse 12, where he says, 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. A bit of context here out of Acts chapter 19, I would just go read that on your free time, maybe later this afternoon. It shows how Ephesus was a place that welcomed sorcerers and magicians, that they believed they drew their power from the false god Artemis. And Paul knows full well that in the unseen realm or heavenly places that there are evil spiritual forces at work. And it might be easy for us to get bogged down with questions like, what exactly are the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, et cetera. And I don't think that those are bad questions at all. But I think Paul is maybe in this moment less concerned about what those are and more concerned about how we fight. Consider the foundation he laid all the way back in chapter one of Ephesians. Starting in verse 20, I'll read it for you. That he, God, worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. So, ultimately, who has authority over the unseen realm and heavenly places? Christ. Amen? Amen. Remember the big idea. Any attempts to engage with those spiritual forces behind Satan's world system, apart from the proper source, will lead us to a place where we are going to fall for those schemes. Jesus is that source. which enables us and gets us to the place where we can go to point number two, so we can fight and endure. Jesus is that source, point number one. Point number two, so we can fight and endure. Verse 13 and the beginning of 14. At this point in the passage, my legs are already just getting tired thinking about all the standing we're supposed to be doing. But Paul is intent on making his point very clear. After all, repetition is the key to learning, and the key to learning is repetition. Some of you are awake. You know, I have this picture of old war movies in my head where each army formed battle lines and stood against another ready to attack. You can see the picture on the screen. That was the best one I could find. But just for a moment, imagine the scene is set, each army marches into position on the grassy fields to make their stand, but one of the armies shows up with no supplies, no weapons, and no gear. Essentially showing up to the battle to ensure their own defeat, right? Paul understands that God has given the tools and resources to us to fight, but it might not be in the way that we exactly think. This is not a pull-up-the-bootstraps kind of moment. There's a reason why Paul writes in verse 10, before he gets to the tools, remember, again, who that source is. Many times while Christians live in the theological space of by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone, the way they functionally live their faith out can start to look more like a works-based religion as they suit up for battle without engaging the true source of strength and victory, Christ. Is that you this morning? Well, I want to submit to you that Jesus is not only the true source of strength that enables us to conquer and endure, but he is actually also the armor itself. So let's take a closer look at that this morning. Jesus is the armor of God. Think about it. Starting in verse 14, stand therefore having fastened on the belt of truth. Jesus is the truth and the standard by which all things hold together, Colossians 1, verse 27. Swinging back to the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 32, verse four, the rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice, a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. And of course, in the New Testament, John 14, 6, Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And then John writes in Revelation chapter 19, verse 11, the one who was sitting on the throne is called faithful and true. Listen, in a Satan-contrived world system where truth has become an ever-fluid emotional construct, we are to cling to the untarnished, unchanging truth of God's Word and His standard. If we do not, we will be very easily tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, swayed by the culture's socially acceptable truths. John 17, 17, sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. And as we know, Jesus is the word himself. He is the embodiment of truth itself. So when you are faced with the attack on your worldview and are tempted to bend the truth, put on the belt of truth and the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are tempted to twist the truth somehow to access a promotion at the workplace, put on the belt of truth and the Lord Jesus Christ. And when you were tempted to tell maybe a half-truth to your spouse for fear of how they will respond or look at you, put on the belt of truth and the Lord Jesus Christ. As you stand, suit up, and fasten this belt on, know that you are putting on Christ. So how will you access and put on the belt of truth this week? Next, verse 14, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, Jesus is the righteousness, humanity's only hope before God for the remission of sin, protecting our spiritual heartbeat from the wages of sin, death. You can see 2 Corinthians 5, chapter 5, verse 21, or Romans 3, verses 23 and 24. You see, in the Old Testament, that righteousness was credited to Abram, or Abraham, through his faith in the future promises of God. God then flipped the light fully on as he fulfilled his covenant with his people through Christ himself. Now our righteousness is counted to us through the person and work of Jesus himself, the only perfect, sinless, righteous one. So a primary realization for every believer is that as we suit up with this breastplate to fight against the cosmic powers, as the text says, in the heavenly places, we are actually, again, putting on Christ himself. For as his bride, we are clothed in his righteousness. But we must also recognize that we are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling that God has placed on our lives, as it says in Ephesians chapter four. We are actually to practice this righteousness. The psalmist says in chapter 106 verse 3, blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. And remember, we are not just living in a theological classroom. We are in a living relationship with the God of the universe, who enables us then to fight and endure. If we love him, we will obey his commandments, John 14, 15, and walk in uprightness. So first question this morning, have you admitted that you are a sinner? believed in your heart that the righteous, perfect Jesus is who he says he is, did what he said he would do in dying on the cross for your sins and mine. If you have done that this morning and committed your life to following him, you are now justified by the righteous Jesus, not by your own merit or effort. If not, Let today be that day for you. Let today be that day for you. Second question, if that's you this morning, if you have done that, are you accessing this breastplate of righteousness to give you the strength to endure the daily onslaught of the evil one and his world system, bent on your failure and destruction? Next he moves on, he's not done yet. Verse 15, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Jesus is the gospel of peace, who from heaven condescended to earth to reconcile humanity to God by absorbing the penalty of sin that once separated God and man. Listen, it's not too difficult to look around and see one of the objectives of Satan is to sow fear, hostility, discord, anger. It's also not too difficult to see that where the gospel moves, persecution follows. You see it all throughout Scripture, and you see it today. And again, Paul is no stranger to hammering the same truths. He reminds the Ephesians back in chapter two of this book, verse 14, that Jesus is the reason we have peace. Also consider Isaiah in the Old Testament, chapter 52, verse seven. How delightful on the mountains are the feet of the one who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of salvation. So not only are we to recognize the theological reality of where peace originates, but we are also to strap on those shoes as believers, equipped and empowered by the one who sends us to proclaim the mystery of the gospel that was talked about in chapter three of this book, And again, we will see at the end of chapter six. Paul is reiterating the mission this morning, reminding us of the source, and releasing us to lace up the shoes of the gospel of peace as we engage with this spiritual battle, because there is a spiritual battle. So, are you in your life demonstrating the readiness of the gospel of peace? Are you, in your life, demonstrating the readiness of the gospel of peace? You know, Jeff would be so proud of me. I had to fit a baseball, you know, analogy into the sermon, so I can't believe I did that. But, you know, here we are. Just imagine for a second You've got a batter who's got their batting gloves on, they've got their uniform, they've got their helmet, they've got everything that they need, but they are just unwilling to step inside the batter's box. They have all their tools, they have everything they need, but they just won't step in the batter's box and swing. Maybe some of us look at our faith and walk like that. We have everything we need right in front of us, but we are unwilling to engage with and step into the fight and the battle and swing, enabled by the power and the work of the Spirit in our lives. Is that you this morning? Well, he doesn't stop there. He continues in verse 16. In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. Jesus is the object of our faith, which is the ultimate defense for our acquittal before God. Our faith is not measured by how much we exert, but in whom we place our faith in. 1 John 5, 10 through 12. First, to frame the imagery of the shield for a moment, we see it used actually quite often in the Old Testament. A few verses that came up when I looked for them were Genesis 15, verse one, fear not, Abram, I am your shield. Psalm chapter five, verse 12, for you bless the righteous, O Lord, you cover him with favor as with a shield. Proverbs 30 verse five. Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. There is a very real sense in the Old Testament of a shield symbolizing a covering or a safe place over the people of Israel by the Lord, the Almighty. Ligonier Ministries, which was started by R.C. Sproul, has a devotional that says it this way. I'll be up on the screen. The shield that Paul's metaphor would have brought to mind for his first century audience was not a small disc, but a large body length shield that a Roman soldier used to shelter his entire body. The soldiers would dampen these shields and otherwise prepare them to put out the flaming arrows and other objects that were often launched at them from behind enemy lines. Goes on to say, our faith serves a similar purpose in our conflict with Satan. Not because faith in itself is a substance that has magical sheltering properties, but because it is the means by which we lay hold of God and all his promises. To take up the shield of faith is to rest in Christ himself. Listen, if we take an honest look at the pattern of scripture, we can see that God does not, God's plan does not usually involve removing us from trials, temptation, and suffering. See basically every biblical character. But what he does promise is that he will remain faithful when we are faithless. For he cannot deny himself, 2 Timothy 2, verse 13. He promises to never leave or forsake us because He has given us Himself, the faithful one, to help us conquer and endure. So with the emblem of the cross sealed on the shield of faith because of the person and work of our Savior, we are able then to withstand anything that the enemy might throw our way, anything that the world system tries to launch into our lives. We have the shield of faith because we have Christ. Amen? We have Christ. And I don't know what your circumstances all involved today. And I also don't know how they're gonna change over the next year, and they will. But I do know this, you are going to face trials of various kinds. But maybe in this moment, take heart in what's already been mentioned in Psalm chapter 46. Though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters foam and roar, Though the mountains tremble at its swelling, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Whatever you're facing today, resolve to take up this shield of faith in the confidence of your faithful Savior. Resolve today to take up this shield of faith in the confidence of your faithful Savior. We continue in verse 17, the beginning. and take the helmet of salvation. Jesus is salvation, the only way to God, Acts 4.12, in whom our entire worldview is conceived and by whom we understand reality and from whom we receive, as it says in chapter one of this book, every spiritual blessing. In the Old Testament, Isaiah chapter 12 verse 2. Behold God is my salvation. I will trust and will not be afraid for the Lord God is my strength and my song and he has become my salvation. Consider a few chapters earlier how Paul is theologically and practically reminding the audience that it is by grace you have been saved in chapter 2. It is a gift of God not by works so that none can boast. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul also uses the same imagery as the helmet of the hope of salvation. I think Paul is reminding us once again in this text that the dark clouds are going to roll in. The path forward may at times seem impossible. We might feel like we are succumbing to the enemy and his schemes. But Jesus, who is the light of the world, extends to us the helmet of salvation and will not, as believers, let us be destroyed. What he began in us, he will bring to completion. And when the fog finally lifts, we will find ourselves secure in the hope of the salvation that we have in Christ alone. Amen? Have you received this morning the helmet of salvation that Christ is extending to you, where both present and future hope can be found? And if you are saved this morning, are you walking in the assurance of Christ's work and not your own, not letting the enemy get a foothold on your confidence of the finished work of your Savior, imputed to you by his atoning sacrifice? Verse 17b, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Jesus is the word of God, John 1, 1. The word literally made flesh, John 1, 14. The exact imprint of God's nature, the message incarnated for us to know and to see and whose message is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow." Hebrews 4.12. Listen, we were reminded earlier that Jesus is the object of our faith. And if the extent of our theology rises and falls on Jesus loves me, which is true, well, what's the object of that sentence? Me. I think too often we're attempted to approach God's word with an egocentric self-lens, making our application the actual pinnacle of its purpose, and in effect, making us the hero of the story, which I hope and pray you realize that is not the case. We are not the hero of the story. We must continue to see the primary purpose of this amazing book that God has gifted to us as the revelation of Christ himself. And as we know and see Christ more clearly in the theological classroom as we study, it is then that we will be able to more faithfully and effectively pick up the sword, his word, and fight the enemy. As we know and see Christ more clearly in the theological classroom, it is then that we will be able to more faithfully and effectively pick up the sword and fight the enemy. Jesus modeled this when he used the word of God as he engaged Satan himself. He quoted Deuteronomy 8, verse 3, when he responded to Satan in the wilderness by saying, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Even in his confrontation with Satan, he's reminding us that we are ultimately sustained by the Word of God. Amen? And we know that his word is living and active. There is power in the word of God. In the beginning of Hebrews chapter one, the writer reminds us of the supremacy of God's son by saying he is the radiance of the glory of the Lord, the exact imprint of his nature. And the universe is upheld by the word of his power. Remember, we are in a spiritual battle. And if you attempt to engage with the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers in the heavenly places without the main offensive weapon, the sword of the word of God, you will find yourself vulnerable to fall for his schemes. We are going to find ourselves vulnerable to fall for the world system and Satan's schemes if we do not pick up the sword and fight. That's quite a bit. So we're gonna kinda ramp down here this morning, but Paul takes a turn out of these weapons and he transitions to verse 18, praying at all times in the spirit, praying with all supplication. And I think prayer can oftentimes be the resource and the tool that falls off the table for us as believers, can't it? And yet Paul calls the Ephesian church, within the context, mind you, of all of these weapons, to pray continually. He calls the Thessalonian church to pray without ceasing. Often, prayer can be relegated to mealtime, or when maybe the circumstances are super tough. But Paul recognizes the need and the urgency to pray continually. And I love how Peter O'Brien in his commentary, Letters to the Ephesians, says it. It'll be up on the screen and I'll read it for you. This is a good summary here. Believers are to pray continually because their struggle with the powers of darkness is never-ending. And their prayers are to be in or by the Spirit, that is, inspired and guided by the same Holy Spirit through whom they have confident access to the Father. As those who have been built into God's dwelling place in the Spirit and who are being filled by the Spirit, they are to pray to the Father, prompted and guided by the Spirit. So as we close, brothers and sisters, let's resolve as individuals and as a church to access this amazing resource and tool and pray continually. After all, it's one of the pillars of our church, and it should be a pillar of our family. It should be a pillar of our faith, amen? That we both seek the Lord in prayer, and we also encourage and equip and strengthen our brothers and sisters through the way that we engage with prayer for them and with them. So how can you grow in this fight today, given all the circumstances that we find ourselves in? You have the tools. And Paul says we must keep alert and persevere as we make supplication for the saints. Let's remember the source is Jesus. All the way back to the beginning, the source is Jesus. Let's remember that we are in a spiritual battle and we have the tools we need to fight in Christ. And let's remember, as Paul finishes this section, that we have a mission to proclaim the mystery of the gospel. How are you doing with that this morning? How are you doing with the fight? How are you doing with the proclaiming of the mystery of the gospel for which Paul and we are ambassadors today. Full circle in the strength of his might.