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Rightly Dividing
the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
Established November 2008 Published
Weekly on Friday
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:3-4)
Ephesians (6:13-17) (Lesson 39)
Welcome to HBS.
The common
consensus is our Apostle Paul’s conversion occurred on the road to Damascus
about two years after Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, around 32-34 AD (Acts
9). Near the end of his life Paul spent
two years in Rome under house arrest.
There he wrote the prison epistles Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,
and Philemon. He also preached the gospel to Caesar’s household
unhindered until he was released around 61 AD (Acts 28:30-31). The major persecution of Christianity began about 64 AD while Nero was emperor. Paul’s second imprisonment in Rome, as an evil-doer, was around 67-68 AD (2 Timothy 2:8-9).
He was martyred by Nero shortly thereafter.
Paul’s final letter
to his protégé Timothy was written between the years 67-68 AD.
In this passage of
scripture Paul, the Lord’s bond-servant,
sums up his life:
“For I am already being poured out like a drink
offering, and the time of my departure (from this world) is at hand. I have fought a good
fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith;” (2 Timothy
4:6-7).
I instruct my Bible
students not to major on the minors.
When you’re looking at biblical events this far back in time, exact
dates are difficult to establish. So,
let’s not focus on the dates, but on the event(s) and the message. What I want y’all to see from this is Paul’s
ministry to the churches lasted approximately 30 years, and during that time he
suffered greatly for the cause of
Christ Jesus: “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of
you Gentiles – if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which
was given to me for you; (Ephesians 3:1-2).
After Paul’s
conversion, the risen Lord told Ananias
not to fear Saul of Tarsus because “He had chosen him
to bear His name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I
will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts
9:13-16).
In defense of his
apostolic authority, Paul wrote this message to the Corinthians: But in
whatever respect anyone else is bold – I speak in foolishness – I am
just as bold myself. Are they
Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I.
Are they servants of Christ? – I speak as if insane – I more so; in far
more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in
danger of death. Five times I received
from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I
was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I spent in the
deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers
from robbers, dangers from my
countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the
wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have
been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and
thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the
daily pressure on me of concern for
all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:21b-28).
In the following
scripture passage Paul said true Believers will
be persecuted but then goes on to explain how he was able to endure and stand firm for the faith. From this we should understand our life in
Christ Jesus will not be a walk down
Primrose Lane.
You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my
purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, my persecutions, and the suffering that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives
in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, (2 Timothy 3:10-12).
Paul relied on the
Lord’s strength to see him through the temptations and trials of life. This
continuous conflict is described as spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 and we’re
to recognize our true enemies as being the
flesh, the world, and Satan.
We’re going to have to deal with all three as we strive to walk worthy of the calling with which we
have been called. Paul likened the
individual’s walk to a race which is to be run in such a way
as to take the prize.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so
that I may share in its blessings. Do
you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the
prize? Run in such a way as to take
the prize. Everyone
who competes in the (Isthmian)
games trains with strict
discipline. They do it for a crown that
is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not
fight like I am beating the air. No, I
discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to
others, I myself will not be disqualified… (9:23-27).
Paul kept the faith; he dedicated his life to the
Lord and preached the gospel unadulterated
faithfully. He calls each of us to follow
in his footsteps not for notoriety or material gain, but to bring honor and glory to God (1 Corinthians 6:20,
10:31; 2 Corinthians 4:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).
Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ (1 Corinthians
11:1).
Brethren, join in following my example, and observe
those who walk according to my pattern you have in us (Philippians
3:17).
You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having
received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, (1 Thessalonians
1:6).
********
Please
open your Bible at Ephesians 6:13-17.
Therefore, take up
the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil
day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED
YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREAST-PLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and
having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition
to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take up the HELMET OF SALVATION, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Last
week we learned Paul made sure the Ephesian saints were aware their struggle is not against flesh and blood (each other and those
outside of Jesus Christ) but “against the
rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against
the spiritual forces of wickedness in
the heavenly places.”
The
word “rulers” is from the Koine
Greek word Arche, and it has various
meanings. The word “powers” is from the Koine Greek word Exousia, which means: power, ability, privilege. We note these words are used of both
human and spiritual powers. Then Paul
used the term “world forces,” which
comes from the Koine Greek word Kosmokator. This word is only used in the N.T. and it
means: lord of the world, world ruler. He
goes on to say, “against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places;” from this we note he
labeled these forces of wickedness
as “spiritual,” (not human), and they
dwell in “heavenly places.” They are not confined to hell, in other words
this comes later; hell was created for Satan and his forces of wickedness (Matthew
25:41).
At
this time I remind the group the world-at-large
denies the existence of Satan and his demonic forces. Furthermore, some churches teach Paul’s
message was meant for the first-century Believers only. These folks are saying our struggle is not against the devil and
his demonic horde today we’re up against life’s normal, everyday
run-of-the-mill problems. Do not be deceived!
The
point I want to make is we must be extremely careful that our understanding of
what truth is comes from the Word of God and not from other sources. Unfortunately, what most people believe about
Satan and spiritual warfare is derived from these other sources, such as cartoons,
fiction, magazines, the movie industry, T.V., and let’s not neglect mentioning erroneous
Christians. If you are following myths rather than God’s
Word, then you have already been deceived by the master deceiver and your
defeat is all but certain.
We
must understand Satan and his evil forces are real entities with real power,
but we must also understand their power is limited and true Believers need not
fear them, “Greater is He who is in you
than he who is in the world” (Job 1; 1 John 4:4; 2 Thessalonians 3:3). However there’s a fine line to walk between fear and complacency. Those who ignore the fact that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion
seeking someone to devour will find themselves succumbing to temptation and
his snares one of which is he doesn’t exist.
Therefore, take up (Put on) the full armor of God, so
that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to
stand firm (6:13).
Paul
is known for his usage of rich metaphors in his letters to the churches to help
Believers understand his message and we have one of these here. Paul knew people would recognize the imagery
of a Roman legionnaire dressed for battle. He became familiar with Roman weaponry while
serving the Lord Jesus Christ. His frequent
imprisonments would be one example. This
is when he had the opportunity to view Roman soldiers wearing their armor up
close and personal.
The
next thing we should understand is the primary message here is “stand firm.” We know this because he
uses the term twice more in this passage (see 6:13-14), so he’s definitely stressing
this teaching point to the Ephesians. Then
our Apostle Paul describes six pieces of armor.
I point out six is also the number of man symbolizing human weakness,
the evils of Satan and the manifestation of sin. All of these pieces were considered defensive
weapons except for the sword of the
Spirit this was to be used both defensively and offensively.
Paul’s
telling these folks if they’re going to stand
firm they’ll have to “dig in”
most of the time to defend the faith the
Holy Spirit delivered to them (Acts 16:6-15; Romans 10:17). This is what Paul meant when he said, “Stand firm therefore, HAVING YOUR LOINS
GIRDED WITH TRUTH” (6:14). Said
differently, “Hold the ground that Christ
Jesus has won, defend it; don’t surrender an inch to the enemy!”
As a result, we are
no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by
every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful
scheming; but speaking (what) the
truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects
into Him who is the head, even
Christ… (Ephesians 4:14-15).
While
standing firm we are wield the sword of the Spirit, offensively,
to advance the cause of Jesus
Christ. In plain English, “We’re to assist in winning souls for Christ,
teaching the ABCs of the faith, sharing the Word of Truth, rightly divided,
with those folks God places in our lives” (Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:10).
Did
you notice Paul divided the armor of God
into two sets of three? This number
is used 467 times in the Bible. It
pictures completeness, though to a lesser degree than the number 7. This number is the first of four spiritually
perfect numbers (the others being 7, 10, and 12). The three righteous patriarchs before the Noahic
Flood were Abel, Enoch, and Noah. After
the deluge, there was the three righteous “fathers of Israel” Abraham, Issac,
and Jacob. There are 27 books in the
N.T., which is 3x3x3, or completeness to the third power. Jesus prayed three times in Gethsemane before
His arrest. He was placed on the cross
at the third hour of the day and He died on the ninth hour. There were three hours of darkness that
covered the land while Jesus suffered on that cross (from the sixth to the
ninth hour). Three is the number of His
resurrection for He was dead three complete days and three nights, a total of
72 hours.
Getting back to Paul, he had observed that the
Roman soldiers guarding him never removed their belt, breastplate, or their
sandals. Here’s why. If the enemy launched a surprise attack the
soldier would be caught unawares and improperly dressed for battle. Because he was not prepared for the assault,
he would likely become a casualty.
Paul
introduces the next set of three with the words, “… in addition to all, taking” implying the shield, sword, and helmet could be placed aside
temporarily to be taken up when needed, in the case of a
surprise attack, for instance. This
battle Armor was a vital part of the soldier’s equipment. This is true today, although the technology
is far more advanced. While modern armor
is mainly centered on protecting the military and law enforcement from bullets
and shrapnel, the armor of Rome was designed to protect soldiers from projectiles
such as spears or javelins, arrows, swords, and daggers.
I
pray y’all remember from last week’s lesson Believers need not go looking for
the armor of God, He has already provided
these items. All we need do is be strong in the Lord and in the strength
of His might and Put on the full
armor of God.
The
Belt of Truth
Stand firm therefore,
HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH THE TRUTH (6:14a).
This
was a very important piece of the Roman Soldier's armor. The Roman
soldier put around his waist a very wide belt which held a lot of equipment (a
police officer wears a similar belt around their waist today). There was a loop, for example, for the
different swords. Other loops held ropes
and a rations sack. When the legions
conquered a city, the soldiers would empty out the ration sack to make room for
gold, jewelry, and other loot they picked up. There were loops on the belt for darts. The belt was tied in several places to stay in
place, so that no matter how the soldier moved about, fell down, climbed hills,
etc., the belt was always in place with weapons at the ready. If the belt
were not on straight, then everything would be out of place for the soldier. This would greatly reduce his efficiency in
battle and could cost him his life.
Spiritual
Warfare Application: the belt was the very
first thing the soldier put on, so Paul’s indicating the first thing we’re to
put on is the Word of Truth and bind it tightly around our core. The belt of truth gives the true Believer
inner strength and the necessary confidence when they confront “the father of lies.” Truth exposes deceit and falsehoods. As I mentioned, the Roman soldier doesn’t
remove his belt because in the heat of battle there’s no time to dress for
battle. Thus, the Believer must be
prepared beforehand. It is imperative that
we study the Word of God, acquiring a well-rounded knowledge of the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27; 2
Timothy 2:15). Sadly today when people
should be standing firm as teachers
of God’s revelations themselves, especially the revelation of the mystery of God’s grace, they need to be
taught again the basic principles of the
faith (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12).
Are
you prepared to defend the gospel of grace against those who preach another
gospel, such as the prosperity gospel or those who believe there are many ways
to heaven (Relativism - New Age concept)?
Are you prepared to defend the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ against
those who say He was merely a Jewish rabbi (teacher) and prophet but not the
Son of God?
The
Breastplate of Righteousness
Stand firm
therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE
BREAST-PLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS… (6:14b).
The
Romans had the ideas for armor design which provided light weight combined with
ease of movement and protection from multiple blows. This breastplate was attached to the belt by
leather thongs passed through rings on the bottom to keep it solidly attached. It was anchored to the belt, and it was above
the belt. Note: the belt had to be put on first, then the
breastplate. One key area the soldier's
breastplate protected was their heart. While
the heart is the one key organ responsible for sending blood through our
circulatory system which keeps us alive, our spiritual lives are less effective
if our hearts are not right with God.
Spiritual
Warfare Application: when you walk in the righteousness of God, it is
a weapon of defense against all those slanderous accusations and devious
strategies of the devil. The Bible
declares the heart of man is prone to be tempted (Matthew 26:41). However, those in Christ Jesus are justified
and the righteousness of Jesus Christ was imputed to us (Romans 3:21-26; 5:16;
2 Corinthians 5:21). So we are righteous
in God's sight, not because of anything we’ve done, but because of what the
Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. Thus,
the breastplate of righteousness is a “practical righteousness” which emanates
from our new inner man (our new
nature) that is said to be “created in righteousness and true holiness:
(Ephesians 4:24). This piece of armor
has to do with protecting our integrity, our morality, purity of thought and
life, and piety while performing that which is right by living a life of good
works.
Likewise urge the
young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example
of good deeds, with purity in
doctrine, dignified, sound in
speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame,
having nothing bad to say about us (Titus 2:7-8).
The breastplate of
righteousness
is a safeguard against the enemy’s attempts to discredit us and our message.
Feet
Fitted with Readiness
…and having shod
YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE (6:15).
Some
historians credit footwear as one of the greatest reasons why the Roman Army
was so victorious over its enemies. The
Roman Soldier was equipped with footwear that had spikes or nails on the soles
which provided them a strong enough stance and balance to give them a superior
posture in battle on hills and uneven terrain. The other part of their footwear was the
greaves which were fitted to their legs and designed to defend them from
danger. These were often made of brass
(1 Samuel 17:6). Again, these sandals
were put on and never removed.
With the preparation
of the gospel of Peace – it is difficult to determine Paul’s exact meaning. Paul is providing the imagery of a Roman
legionnaire dressed in full armor and true Believers were to resemble him; this
we know. An important part of this armor
or preparation for battle consisted in the covering and defense of their
feet. It was meant to preserve their
feet from danger, to facilitate their ability to march in rank and to make
their stance firm in battle.
Paul
may be saying true Believers are to be prepared beforehand with the principles
of the gospel of peace to assist them as they march through enemy territory and
to rise to the occasion, making their stance firm in battle. Peace manifests itself in many ways in Paul’s
writings. He mentions the “grace and peace from the God the Father,”
“peace with God,” “He (Jesus Christ) is our peace,” “the peace of
God that surpasses all understanding,” etc.
The Bible states quite clearly, if we have “peace with God” we are at war with Satan.
So,
this speaks to the heart and mind (the emotional state) of the true Believer in
Christ Jesus. Paul pictures the Ephesian
saints in the heat of battle, “fighting
the good fight of the faith.” Each
new day brings with it a new set of circumstances, new dangers, and conflict of
various kinds. So, our Apostle Paul
exhorts them, “Have your shoes on,”
be ready with the gospel of peace,
i.e. whatever you are called upon to face, let “the peace of God” which surpasses all understanding… keep your hearts
and minds through Jesus Christ” (Philippians 4:7).
Spiritual
Warfare Application: offensively this item
will help you to stand with your feet planted firmly on the Word of God and remain
there, unmoved by the devil's threats and lies. It will protect you when you walk through the rough places and keep you
steady in the heat of a battle.
The
Shield of Faith
…in addition to
all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows (darts) of the
evil one (6:16).
Paul’s
saying, “in addition to all,” that
is, in addition to all the equipment just mentioned, the Believer should add the shield of faith, helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit (6:17).
The first set of three were never meant to be taken off after being put
on, however, this set of three could be laid aside, but kept within arm’s reach
in case the enemy attacked.
The
Romans had a long, rectangular, knees-to-chin shield which protected them from arrows,
spears, and lances. They could kneel down
behind it and be protected during a flaming arrow barrage for example. It was quite a bit heavier and clumsier then
the smaller Greek circular shield; but there was a series of exercises, a
manual of arms, designed to give the soldier flexibility and strength in the
use of the shield. Groups of soldier who
were besieging a town could form close together and hold their shields over
their heads to make a huge circle to protect the group from the enemy’s fiery
arrows.
Spiritual
Warfare Application: in this verse, the
Roman shield stands for the faith of the Believer in the promises of God. The value of faith lies not in the person
exercising it, but in the person whom the faith is in. Faith is something that all people possess and
use every day. Every time you choose to
sit down in a chair you are exercising faith in that chair to support your
weight. I’ve been known to test a few
chairs in my time because of their rickety appearance, but normally I take a
seat without giving it much thought. My
questions for you are “Do you realize God’s promises to the faithful are yours
today, if you truly believe Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sin in
full? “If this is true, can you name at
least five of these promises (blessings)?”
Most Christians cannot.
One
writer declared the shield of faith is
the quick application of what we believe to be true, as an answer to everything
single thing the devil fires at us. We
must place our total dependence on God, “who
is a present help in time of need” (Psalm 46:1-2).
Paul
stated in Romans 10:17 “So faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Knowing the Bible and especially the writings
of our Apostle Paul produces greater faith.
Remember “What then shall we say
to these things? If God is for us, who
can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 –
BSB)
The
Helmet of Salvation
And take up THE
HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (6:17).
The
Romans had the best helmet of the ancient world. Many other nations used helmets of cloth
wrappings, animal hides or bones, or hooves, etc. The Roman helmet was made of
leather covered with strips of brass. This
helmet was designed to protect the soldier from various angles of attack. Its primary purpose was to protect the
wearers head.
Spiritual
Warfare Application: the greatest spiritual battlefield is in our
minds. This is the area the devil wants
to attack the most. One key area he
wants to damage is our assurance of salvation. Paul gives some good advice in Philippians 4:8:
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these
things.”
Our
mind is facing a continuous assault from the world, so we must guard what we permit to enter our minds. Satan is very subtle in these areas. He has blinded the world and he will do the same to the unsuspecting or careless Believer.
We must be sober (clear) minded in
order to be discerning in all situations. This is accomplished by immersing yourself in the word of God and frequent prayer.
The Sword of the
Spirit
Paul
spoke of one of five different types of Roman swords. This particular one was a two-edged sword with
the end turned upward. It inflicted much
more damage than the other swords. Not
only was it intended to kill, but also it could rip the enemy's insides to
shreds. It only needed to penetrate the
enemy a depth of two to three inches to mortally wound him. Another
advantage to this sword is the soldier did not have to turn his sword around to
inflict damage to the enemy. It cut in
two directions. This was seen as a very
deadly and powerful weapon. Paul
describes the word of God as an
awesome and powerful weapon of the true Believer.
Spiritual
Warfare Application: our sword of the Spirit is the word of God. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the
wilderness, He didn’t employ carnal weapons.
He quoted His Father's words and spoke them with authority. Consequently, each word spoken was like a
sword-blow to Satan's head! God has
given us the authority to use His words because we are all called to the ministry of reconciliation as ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians
5:11-21). This is the Believer’s ministry today and not the Great Commission of
Matthew 28:18-20.
It
is said the son of a Roman soldier who kept losing to his sparring partner
said, “Father, my sword is too short.”
To which the father replied, “Take one step forward son, and it will be
right length.” As we go on the offensive
against Satan and his many schemes, we too must take a step forward with the word of God to advance the cause of
Christ Jesus. This begins with
evangelism. Paul said, “Do the work of an evangelist” (2
Timothy 4:5). Every Believer bears the
responsibility to share Jesus Christ with others. Although churches have developed multiple
ways of drawing lost souls into their building, it’s a well known fact the lost
do not attend church. The most effective
tool at our disposal is the Scriptures.
God uses His Word to convict the sinner of their sin which is step
one. You have to admit you have a
problem, before the healing process can begin.
For the word of God
is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far
as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to
judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).
God
speaks as the Sovereign authority in the universe, and not the devil. He spoke and the world we know came into being
from nothing. When we speak God's word
according to his will, there is no power in the universe who can withstand it!
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved
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