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SWORDS Bible Study Ephesians 6: 10-20 Conclusionby MariEph 6:16b ..quench all the fiery darts of the wicked…Many Christians think that the way to deal with sin is with the Law of Moses. However, Paul tells us that “the law is not made for a righteous man,” it is made “for sinners” (I Tim 1:9) to give them the knowledge of sin they need (Rom. 3:20) to show them they need a Savior! Paul tells us rather to “walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal.5:16), to fill our lives with serving Him, and in this way “neither give place to the devil” (Eph.4:27). He tells us to “think on” the good things he mentions in Philippians 4:8 so as to leave no place for sin and discouragement in our minds.Fiery darts are oftentimes dispensational arrows. Without rightly dividing the word of God, one is left open to fiery darts. When prayer promises like Matthew 21:22 (“all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”) and Isaiah 65:24 (“before they call, I will answer”) don’t work, the shield of faith in the grace message reminds us that these promises are meant for the coming kingdom of heaven on earth, as the next verse in Isaiah indicates. Knowing that these promises are not for today quenches the fiery darts of doubt that Satan fires so effectively at Christians that don’t know how to rightly divide the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)These fiery darts are designed to take us down fast, so if we are not prepared we will become a casualty for an hour, a day or even years if we don’t know what is going on! Many saints are hit with fiery darts daily, but because their shield has been soaked in the water of the word of God rightly divided (Eph.5:26), it kept those fiery darts from getting through! We need to take up our shield of faith so that we stay covered. But remember, it is not a shield from God unless it is soaked in the word of God by studying the word, praying, talking to God.Eph 6:17 a…Take the helmet of SalvationThe helmet of salvation is an incredible piece of our armor and we need to put it on, to remember the truth daily! Until death or the ‘catching away,’ when our new body will replace this body of sin, we need to protect our minds and our thoughts! And the Lord has given us a helmet to do so!When tempted to sin, remember the price that was paid for our salvation, the blood of the Son of God. This will give us second thoughts about sinning against God and the grace that has saved us.It is the helmet of salvation that allows us to go into battle, taking what we have learned to others, without fear and doubt! It wouldn’t be the whole armour of God without the helmet! And notice that this is another piece of armor that, like the shield of faith, we must “take” up, meaning that we can set it down! Take your helmet daily and your walk will be with the peace and joy that you seek in Him!Eph 6:17 bSatan hates that we put on the armor of God. He hates that he cannot take away our confidence in God, that he cannot instill us with a constant daily fear of so many doctrines that are not of God.Our Lord wants us strong in HIS strength, victorious in HIS victory, strong in the armor He created and has given us to stand! With His whole armor on we are like an F-16 or a super tank! Moving anywhere without fear, spiritually strengthened in Him, and able to speak boldly the mystery of the gospel!As you may be beginning to see, the whole armor of God is a large part of the tapestry of our walk on earth with God! It not only protects us and defends us, it begins to change our minds! We begin to see the mind of Christ as we take His mind, the word of God found in our KJ Bible, into ourselves by reading and study, walking in newness of spirit, in love, in peace, joy, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance! We grow with a great confidence in our marching orders from God, enabling us to take the gospel of the grace of God BOLDLY to others.Eph 6:17 b …the sword of the Spirit…In the spiritual armor that we have been studying, the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon with which we have been provided. The sword of the Roman soldier was an unmistakable offensive weapon. One look at the soldier, and you just knew that “he beareth not the sword in vain” (Rom.13:4). But the sword of the Spirit is no common sword of steel born by some mere Roman soldier! In the hands of a believer, our sword can do things that no ordinary sword can do…look here:Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.It has been said that the best defense is a good offense. We cannot lose a spiritual battle when the devil tempts us with false doctrine or our flesh tempts us to sin, if we use the offensive weapon of the word of God! The devil fled when the Lord resisted His temptations using the word of God (Mt.4:1-11), and the same sword that He used, His word, is available to us. When we use it to resist the devil he flees from us too! No wonder we can be at peace and be joyful!We do not attack Satan ourselves, we use the Word! Nothing can withstand the power of this sword wielded by believers, for it is the power of God’s own word!Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;Prayer is also not about manipulating God to do things for us or for others, it is about trusting in the will of God. It is interaction, our prayers to God and His answers through His word that changes us!Praying “without ceasing” (I Th 5:18) can only be done by making the choice to walk in the Spirit and through the prayerful reading of the word of God.Satan will use every device he has to distract us from praying. He will cause doubt, distraction, discouragement, and depression to seep into our lives trying to keep us from our true source of power. This is why we need to be praying regularly, not just when we feel like it. The enemy wants to keep us out of touch with God, to keep us occupied with other matters instead. But we must be constantly in prayer, because we are constantly in danger! It is what we have been studying in this passage! It is through these dangers that the Lord wants us to always wear the full armor of God!Eph 6:18 b PerseverancePrayers of supplication are part of the spiritual battle in which all Christians are engaged! The fact that Paul has to say this tells us that praying with all perseverance and supplication does not come naturally to us, we must fight to make praying for others a part of our life! It is not in our old man nature to pray always for our fellow members of the body of Christ; it is however, in our new man to pray for one another!Eph 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,Paul knew that if the saints were praying, and if they were praying for the things he is asking, then they are doing God’s will. If they are praying for his ministry then they are desiring to see God’s will done on the earth, the gospel preached and saints edified.When they were praying for his ministry, they were setting their affections on things above, not on things on the earth! Paul wanted to see them walk in the Spirit and grow in zeal. He knew that prayer is one of the best ways to accomplish this, and he desired to see this fruit in them.When we pray for ministries that are sharing the gospel of the grace of God, we can know we too are setting OUR affections on things above, not on things on the earth. We can know we too are in the will of God and that we too are bearing fruit!Eph 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.Despite being in bonds, Paul still was an ambassador and showed us the pattern of speaking boldly no matter where he was, the mystery of the gospel to all. God appointed Paul an apostle as His ambassador, and God has appointed each believer today an ambassador! We learn right division so that we will give the right gospel today! We want to accurately represent Christ! God has entrusted us with giving the message of reconciliation, and the gospel of the grace of God!We must never forget that God is calling out to a fallen world through us, His ambassadors! As though beseeching us…begging us…to be reconciled to God, and to take up the ministry of reconciliation, sharing this good news to others!2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.2Co_5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;It is not only a great privilege but a great challenge! The privilege comes with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Eph 1:3), and the challenge is fortified by the armour of God! (Eph 6:10-20) Our goal is to accurately depict the gospel, not pleasing men, but pleasing God.1 Thess 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.When Paul says, “that therein I may speak boldly”…he is saying therein, in that place, in respect to giving the mystery of the gospel, he wants to continue to speak boldly! And as he ends, “as I ought to speak.” As our pattern, given by God in this dispensation of grace, as WE ought to speak!THE GOSPEL THAT SAVES“I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved … that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”– 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (KJB)
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