Ephesians 6:10-20

How To Be Strong

A1 Scripture

Ephesians 6:10-20 WEL Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the highest spiritual forces, powers, rulers of darkness of the world, and spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies. 13 Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to resist on that evil day, and after doing everything possible to still stand. 14 Therefore, stand having truth fastened around your loins and having the breastplate of righteousness on, 15 And your feet shod, prepared by the Gospel of peace. 16 Most importantly taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts from the wicked. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. 18 Always be praying in the spirit with all prayer and requests, and be alert in the same with full perseverance and request for all the saints. 19 And for me, so that a message may be given to me, so that I may boldly open my mouth to make known the mystery of the Gospel. 20 For which I am an ambassador in prison, that in there I may speak boldly as I should speak.

A2 Outline

B1 Command—Be strong

C1 In the Lord

C2 In the power of His might

B2 Put on

C1 Full armor of God

D1 Why—to stand against the wiles of the devil

D2 Why—because we don't wrestle/fight humans but

E1 Principalities

E2 Powers

E3 Rulers of the darkness of this world

E4 Spiritual powers in the heavens

D3 Why—To withstand in the evil day

D4 Why—After doing everything possible to still stand

C2 Armor pieces

D1 Truth around the waist

D2 Righteous around the chest

D3 Prepared for the Gospel on the feet

D4 Faith, the shield to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one

D5 Salvation on the head

D6 The Word of God (the Sword)

C3 With

D1 Prayer

D2 Petition

D3 In all occasions and situations

D4 Praying when alert

D5 Never giving up

D6 For all God's people

D7 For Paul

E1 So he will be bold with the Gospel

E2 In prison

E3 Bold wherever he is

A3 Notes

B1 Brothers

C1 This is addressed to "brothers," that is, all the saints.

C2 W Pickering's notes in his New Testament notes at this passage: Only some 3% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit “my brothers” (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.), but since the whole letter is written to Christians, there really is no doubt. Besides, how could an unbeliever put on the full armor of God? Note that Paul writes “our” wrestling match—apostles are also under attack, not to mention pastors, etc.

B2 Be Strong

C1 The opposite would be give up in the Lord. Be strong in the Lord means to not give up in the Lord. We are to remember He is faithful. Hebrews 13:5-6 GNB  Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never abandon you."  6 Let us be bold, then, and say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?

C2 The word strong means to be endued with strength, so take strength, become stronger in our faith in God. How do we get stronger?

C3 Compare

D1 We ask God: Psalms 138:3 NKJV  In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

D2 We encourage each other: Isaiah 35:3-4 NKJV  Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.  (4) Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.

D3 God gives strength when it is needed: 2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

D4 We have confidence and faith in God’s ability: Philippians 4:13 NKJV  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

C4 Yet, there may be afflictions, hard times for a SHORT while. 1 Peter 5:10 NKJV  But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

B3 In the power of His might.

C1 Power here is kratos, vigor. It has the idea of the strength of a young man. It is fresh strength as opposed to strength that is waning, decreasing.

C2 Compare

D1 Isaiah 40:28 NKJV  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

D2 2 Timothy 4:17 NKJV  But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

B4 Whole armor. If any is missing, Satan may take advantage of that weakness.

C1 Compare: 2 Corinthians 6:7 NKJV  By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.

B5 Wiles of the devil.

C1 Tricks, underhanded tactics, lying, slander, abuse, anything to manipulate us to sin/rebel against God or lose hope and faith in Him.

C2 Basically three areas of temptation. 1 John 2:16 NKJV  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

D1 Lust of the flesh

E1 Good lusts are those sanctioned by God and done in moderation as hunger.

E2 Evil lusts are those not sanctioned by God and done without moderation as gluttony.

D2 Lust of the eyes

E1 Good lusts are enjoying beauty and done in moderation.

E2 Evil lusts are enjoying beauty and not done in moderation as "it looks good so I am going to eat it" even though not hungry.

D3 Pride of life

E1 Good lusts are doing work the best to one's ability.

E2 Evil lusts are thinking that the work done by one is better than anyone in the world regardless if true or not true.

D4 Satan uses these in such a way as to motivate us to overdo or to neglect. Overdo would be as a workaholic.

D5 No guilt. The idea that I am a good person.

D6 False guilt. Flashbacks of past failures and/or sin.

B6 Principalities, etc.

C1 These are different strengths, classes, ranks of demons.

C2 These are not human, because the Bible says, "We are not wrestling against humans but..."

B7 God's armor is

C1 For mounting resistance against the Devil's wiles.

C2 Not for mounting an attack against the Devil.

C3 After we have done all we can, it will still protect us.

B8 Truth (a protection for the innards).

C1 Fact and evidence

C2 The only source of 100% truth is the Bible understood in its plain, normal sense.

C3 Anything else may be subjective, that is, we have to decide if it is true or not. This would also include false methods of Bible interpretation.

C4 This protects our innards, abdomen.

C5 It is the tool belt of the soldier.

C6 The Roman name is cingulum or balteus.

C7 It is also had leather pieces hanging from it to protect the lower body.

C8 God’s truth will protect us. If Adam had believed God’s truth concerning the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam would not have sinned.

B9 Righteousness (a protection for the chest).

C1 To protect the heart, lungs, shoulders.

C2 Righteousness is as God defines it. No one is sinless, but can be blameless. Philippians 2:15 LEB  In order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world.

C3 We have to know God's rules for the church.

C4 We have to obey God's rules for the church.

B10 Shoes (for the readiness and boldness to preach the Gospel).

C1 For traction.

C2 For protection from thorns, etc.

C3 We must have the correct Gospel.

C4 We must have willingness to share it with others.

B11 Faith (Shield)

C1 For protection by having a movable blocker.

C2 One has to be alert to watch and hear when and where the projectile is coming from. If one is not alert, they will not know where to turn the shield.

C3 Faith is believing and obeying God. This is the Bible, God's Word to us.

C4 We must resist God’s words (the Bible).

C5 This peace is peace with God.

C6 Society will be better off to for the preaching of the Gospel, because they will be obeying God's rules.

B12 Salvation (Helmet)

C1 We must be truly converted.

C2 Without the helmet all the other armor is useless.

C3 Isaiah 59:17 NKJV  For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak.

B13 The Bible, the Word of God (Sword)

C1 Without knowledge, there can be no fight.

C2 Reading the Bible is good but studying it is a must. We must study and be taught.

C3 Again, we must be alert to know where to strike.

C4 Even if our memory is poor, the Holy Spirit will help us.

C5 We need a stubbornness to hold tightly to the Scriptures.

C6 Proverbs 30:5 NKJV  Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

C7 2 Corinthians 4:2 NKJV  But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

C8 Hebrews 4:12 NKJV  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

C9 Used of

D1 Jesus

D2 Message to the prophets

D3 Jesus' message

D4 Apostle's message

D5 Gospel

D6 All is God's message to humanity

B14 Prayer

C1 Is talking to God. It is part of fellowship with God.

C2 Always. This is to not give up. God always answers prayer—usually it is no. Sometimes, God answers it "yes," but it is not the right time or will be answered in a roundabout way.

C3 Let's not given up.

B15 In the Spirit.

C1 Does not mean in a trance and not alert, for then we would not be alert to Satan's wiles.

C2 Does not mean to read a prayer or someone else's prayer but to pray ourselves without own words.

C3 Does mean to pray pleasing things to God, instead of praying selfish thing as being rich. We are to pray for the salvation of loved ones.

B16 Pray for all the saints (God's people) and also for Paul. Since Paul is dead we can apply this to our pastors, missionaries, or anyone preaching the God to be bold in the faith—Gospel, doctrine, discipline.

A4 Applications

B1 In these days of darkness, we must endeavor to have this armor on always.

B2 We must be constantly alert. It is not the time to be in “the silence.”

B3 We must believe the words of Scripture. Our faith is a reasonable faith, not a blind faith.

B4 We must trust God to help us.

B5 We must pray for one another.