Grosey's Messages

Ephesians 6:10-13  Ready For Battle - Enlisted.

The Christian life is not a playground—it's a battleground. And whether we like it or not, every Christian is called to be a soldier and to " fight the good fight" (I Tim. 6:12). No good soldier enters a battle without being fully prepared and protected.

Likewise, God does not expect us to go to war unarmed. He has given us the armor and weapons we need for the fight, and He expects us to use them. Ephesians 6 tells us, " Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (vv. 10-13).

The entire book of Ephesians talks about our posture as Christians.

Watchman Nee was a famous Chinese evangelist during the time of Mao. He wrote some great books, one was called "Sit Walk Stand!" It was a summary of the book of Ephesians. The first three chapters describe the wealth that we have inherited through faith in Christ. Because of His grace, we have the privilege of being seated with Christ in the heavenlies (see 2:6) and of sharing in His riches.

In chapter 4 Paul moved from talking about our wealth in Christ to our walk in Christ: " I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (v. 1). Because today we have the privilege of sitting with Christ on His throne, we are to walk in the will of God and according to the calling He has given us. This means that we are to "walk not as other Gentiles walk" (v. 17) but instead should "walk in love" (5:2) " as children of light" (v. 8), being careful to "walk circumspectly" (v. 15).

Anyone who is seated with Christ on His throne and is walking with Him, revealing Him to an evil world, is going to be attacked by the Enemy. Spiritual warfare goes hand in hand with our wealth and our walk. The privilege of partaking in the riches of Christ's grace and glory as part of His Body is not without its responsibilities. We should not expect to sit and walk with Him unless we are also willing to stand for Him in the battle against Satan. He has already won the war for us—it's our responsibility to hold on to His victory.

You ARE Soldiers!

Self Identity has become the catch cry of our secular age.

We can self identify as anything.. We ran into some interesting people on a train a few years ago. This girl identified as a cat.  A very large cat. She was in a cat costume and believed she could not be held responsible for doing anything as a human anymore, after all she was really a cat.   

I hope she is still eating her catfood and sleeping in her cat box!

When she came near one old guy he started barking like a dog!

But at least there is a recognition that as we identify ourselves in some ways, we will live in those ways.

We are reminded in God's Word that we are soldiers in a battle. 

Isaac Watts wrote a hymn

Am I a soldier of the cross, A follow'r of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies On flow'ry beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas?

Notice the emphasis Paul placed on the word " stand" in this passage. We are told to " stand therefore" (v. 14), fully clothed in God's armor, so that we "may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (v. 11) and to "withstand in the evil day" (v. 13). Having done all this, we will then be able to stand (see v. 13). Why this emphasis on standing?

As soldiers of Christ, we not only need to be ready for our ongoing battle with Satan, but we also have several responsibilities that we must fulfill if we are going to hold on to our inheritance and fight from victory—not for victory. Our responsibilities are threefold: (1) We must know our enemies; (2) we must use the equipment; and (3) we must depend on the energy that God provides.

Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord;
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word.

You Are Soldiers in an Enemy's Country

Who is the Enemy? Ephesians 6:11 tells us, " Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Paul then went on to describe the Enemy we are fighting: " For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against

principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (v. 12).

Satan is not merely a flesh-and-blood human or a concept of evil; he is a living, personal, literal being with the power to control people and to perform many evil deeds.

It is important to note that the phrase " in high places" in verse 12 may also be translated " in the heavenlies."

Of recent days there has been a bit of an emphasis on podcasts etc about the "heavenly counsel found in Job 1 and 2 where Satan comes into God's throne room. He tries to incite God against Job. But God knows His purposes and He knows His man Job.

God knows us and He knows our opponent, Satan. And God knows what He is about in this spiritual battle that every Christian will experience.

He says "don't underestimate your enemy!"  England underestimated Hitler in 1933-1939.  Look at the disaster that unfolded into the Second World War!

Don't underestimate Satan.

It is extremely important that we know our enemy. And, of course, our enemy has always wanted to deceive us concerning himself. It has always been the purpose of our enemy to pull the veil of darkness across his kingdom, and his cleverest ruse is to make people believe that he does not exist at all. And there are many people today, including one theology professor that I had when I was in college, who did not even believe in an actual, literal, personal devil. He said that the devil was the personification of evil, or some sort of a figure of speech, or simile, or whatever, but there was no such thing as a real devil. Well, of course, the devil's behind that business, because if people don't believe in the devil, they're not going to make any preparation for defense, and therefore they're going to go by default.

But there is a devil, and I want you to notice how the Apostle Paul described our enemy.

A. He Is Subtle

First of all, he's subtle. Notice in verse 11: "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Ephesians 6:11) Underscore the word wiles,  Greek "Methods"  He is Wily. "Wile E Coyote" in the Road Runner cartoons was pretty smart. He used all sorts of technology etc.  Satan is smarter. He has deceit. Satan is devious.  The devil is a very subtle person. He is clever. He uses devices;; he uses all kinds of trickery. As I've already said, one form of trickery is to make men believe that he doesn't exist.

Now, how does he do that? Well, he has gotten out the idea that the devil is a little guy with horns and a suit of red underwear and a pitchfork. And so, there are people who say, "Well, I don't believe in that; therefore, I don't believe in the devil." But you never find that description of the devil in the Word of God. That's come from folklore and medieval literature, but not from the Word of God. Jesus called the devil "the god of this age," (2 Corinthians 4:4) and he is a clever counterfeiter. And he always appears not in a red suit with horns, but he appears in camouflage. He appears by counterfeit; he appears in disguise.

And he's in religion up to his ears. The Bible speaks of an unholy trinity in Revelation chapter 16 and verse 13: of the devil, the beast, and the false prophet. (Revelation 16:13) Just as there's a Holy Trinity, there is an unholy trinity. Why, the devil even has his churches. The Bible describes them in Revelation 2, verse 9, as "synagogues of Satan." (Revelation 2:9) Many people today would call them churches. Satan has his ministers. Satan has supplied many a pulpit.

B. He Is Spiritual  Satan is spiritual. Notice in verse 12—he is spiritual: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness"—"against spiritual wickedness"—"in high places." (Ephesians 6:12) Now, so many people don't understand that the devil is a spiritual person. They think if a thing is "spiritual," that's good. They say, concerning a man, "He's a very spiritual person"—and that means that he's a good person. Not necessarily! It could mean that he's a very wicked person. Some of the most wicked people I know are very spiritual people. You see, there are all kinds of spirits. The Bible says, "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God." (1 John 4:1) Satan is a spiritual person; that is, we're not wrestling against flesh and blood.  Satan likes it when we rwrestle against one another. He gets a fight going and stands over in the corner and enjoys it when someone feels they are so right they must condemn everyone else.

He works through people.. remember Peter? He went from Hero to zero in just a moment. One moment the Holy Spirit guided him to say Jesus was the Christ!

Matt 16: 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  ²¹ From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.²² And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you."²³ But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

The Devil used Ananias and Sapphira, filling them with greed and lies (see Acts 5:1-11) and pride. The Enemy loves to control us, causing us to do and say things we shouldn't.

Satan is not an abstraction. He is a real person, and he uses people, including people in the Church. Ephesians 6 was not written to idol worshipers and unbelievers; it was written to people in the church at Ephesus. Satan wants to work in the Church, using it for his evil purposes.

He Is Strong He is strong and powerful. Devil; diabolous.. In the Bible he is described as a lion, a dragon and a destroyer (see I Pet. 5:8; Rev. 20:2; I Cor. 10:10; Ps. 17:4; Jer. 4:7). His strategies and wiles are subtle and deadly. He is well organized; he has a whole army of demonic forces at his command.  but against principalities, against powers."

(Ephesians 6:12) Notice those words: principalities, powers, and then rulers.. Satan has authority; he has great authority. Now, don't make light of the devil. I hear people make slighting remarks and jokes about the devil. Michael the archangel that he "dared not bring a railing accusation against the devil,"—I'm talking about a mighty archangel— "but he said, 'The Lord rebuke you, Satan.'" (Jude 1:9)

For still our ancient foe          Doth seek to work us woe

His craft and power are great,      And armed with cruel hate    On earth is not his equal

He Is Sinister He is subtle. He is spiritual. He is strong. And then, he is sinister. How wicked is Satan! Notice how the Bible describes him as "the rulers of the darkness of this world …spiritual wickedness" —"wickedness." (Ephesians 6:12) Satan hates you. Do you know why he hates you? Because God has set His affection on you. Satan's war is not really with you; Satan's war is with God. The only reason Satan wishes to harm you is to get at the heart of God. Do you know people have known for a long time that when there's someone, and you cannot hurt that one, the best way to get to them is to hurt someone they love? Like their daughter! Someone who doesn't know how to defend themselves!  Therefore, we must know our Enemy, use the armor we have been given and depend on the energy and strength that God alone can provide if we are to win our war with Satan.

You Are Soldiers Under Your General

Eph 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

He promises you the strength to stand and withstand to wrestle and to win! There is a greater power than the power of Satan, and Satan's back has already been broken at the cross. "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them:"—that is, the powers of darkness—"because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Who is "he that is in you"? The Lord Jesus Christ, if you've been born again. Who is "he that is in the world"? The prince of darkness, the devil. And the Lord Jesus Christ is greater, far greater.  "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them" (Colossians 2:15). And remember the Bible says we wrestle against principalities and powers, in verse 12; but Colossians 2, verse 15, tells us that Jesus has spoiled those principalities and powers. This word spoiled means that He has "rendered them inoperative," that He has "stripped them." Satan's power was broken at the cross. When Jesus Christ prepared to go to that cross, in anticipation, Jesus said, "Now [is] the prince of this world cast out" (John 12:31).  Satan has already been defeated—not will be defeated. Oh, we as Christians need to learn that the devil hopes that you never learn that, "greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." The devil hopes that you'll never learn that his power has been stripped from him, and that Jesus said, "I give you authority over all of the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19).

Did we in our own strength confide     Our striving would be losing

Were not the right Man on our side     The man of God's own choosing

Dost ask who that may be?                 Christ Jesus, it is he

The Lord of hosts, His name               From age to age the same        And He must win the battle

2Thess 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command.5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Strength to withstand the evil flesh and blood, wicked and evil men!

Strength to withstand the evil one himself!

I hope you never have to face Satan himself. I think we more often fight principalities and power of the invisible world. Demonic angels. Satan has his hierarchy of demons serving his purposes. But should you ever have to face the most evil one, God promises He will strengthen and protect you against the evil one.

1 Peter 5: 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

You Are Soldiers Who Wrestle to Win

It is Essential to Wrestle Because Satan is Real

It is Essential to Wrestle Because Sin and evil are Real

It is Essential to Wrestle Because Salvation is Real

It is Essential to Wrestle Because World History is Real

It is Essential to Wrestle Because Victory is Real

Eph 6:13 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

He intends us to withstand and to stand!

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Rom 8:37

Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. 1John 4:4

(Verse 3) And though this world, with devils filled      Should threaten to undo us

We will not fear, for God hath willed          His truth to triumph through us

The Prince of Darkness grim                      We tremble not for him

His rage we can endure                        For lo, his doom is sure         One little word shall fell him

(Verse 4) That word above all earthly powers,    No thanks to them, abideth

The Spirit and the gifts are ours  Through him who with us sideth

Let goods and kindred go     This mortal life also

The body they may kill       God's truth abideth still         His kingdom is forever