18. Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power

1 18. Be < strong >strongstrong > in the < < strong >strongstrong > >lordstrong >strongstrong > > and in His < < strong >strongstrong > >mightystrong >strongstrong > > powerWe now come to towards the climax of this great epistle. We started by consideringwho we are in Christ: chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, sealed by the then saw how we should live in a manner worthy of our calling and to be imitatorsof God. We are the children of God - let s act like that!We end with the final encouragement: Be < strong >strongstrong > in the < < strong >strongstrong > >lordstrong >strongstrong > > and in His < < strong >strongstrong > >mightystrong >strongstrong > > are at war. The human race has always been in the middle of a battle zone; whichI guess isn t surprising as we see the consequences of sin in people s lives beingdeath. The enemy has tried to drag men and women away from the one true God andconsign them to a lost we accepted Christ we ceased to be civilians, lost without Christ and haveentered into the battle.

2 It s a battle that commenced early in the history of creationand will end when Christ returns the battle is already won on Calvary, but the enemy still needs to be subduedand his territory occupied because he has not surrendered. You may win the battle,but some enemies do not lie down but show resistance and guerilla are we dealing with?Three Enemies: -The World: a system of thinking and values that oppose God s Sinful Nature: that nature within us that opposes God s Devil: a spirit being who opposes God s Rule. The latter is a < strong >strongstrong > opponent ashe actively works to undermine our you become a Christian you automatically made these three enemies althoughthey were always your enemies because you were lost.

3 But in becoming a ChristianYou allied yourself with the One True God who will one day destroy your enemies andtheir are in a battle. And the enemy is out to get us. He can t snatch us from God shand (John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out ofmy hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one cansnatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."), but he can kickyou into touch. The problem is that the church in Britain today is a Church, althoughnot quite in defeat but in retreat - we are a people who are snatching defeat out of thejaws of victory.

4 And that happens to us all too often as Described (Satan = Adversary, Devil = Slanderer) uses guerilla tecticsBe self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking forsomeone to devour. 1 Peter 5 : 8 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light 2 Corinthians 11 : 4 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murdererfrom the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks hisnative language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8 : 44 Satan s origins - look at worksheet in the Spiritual Living we like it or not we are opposed.

5 Some Christians find that immenselyworrying. Satan seems to deal with this in two ways - by suggesting that he is adangerous adversary - or that he isn t an adversary at all. For an adversary thatdoesn t exist, Paul seems to be making quite a lot of him here!But should we worry about an adversary who is out to get us and to keep us fromwalking the Christian walk and doing all the things we have been encouraged to allover the past weeks?NO - because we are protected from our enemies - all three of them. And that s whatthis passage is Finally, be < strong >strongstrong > in the < < strong >strongstrong > >lordstrong >strongstrong > > and in his < < strong >strongstrong > >mightystrong >strongstrong > > < < strong >strongstrong > >powerstrong >strongstrong > > . 11 Put on the full armourof God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

6 12 For ourstruggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in theheavenly we have what we ve just been talking about - our struggle is againstprincipalities & powers etc. We are called to be < strong >strongstrong > in the < < strong >strongstrong > >lordstrong >strongstrong > > . But most of allwe are called to stand because the winner is the battle is the one who continues tostand when the battle is ve made out so far that somehow we must defend ourselves in this battle. We recalled to be OFFENSIVE not DEFENSIVE. We do battle and we stand. After allwhat is the battle? It s not a battle to defend our lives, but to extend the kingdom ofGod.

7 We are here as God s army to rescue the human race and in doing so to extendGod s how can I stand against forces I scarcely know anything about or even recognise?Let alone win battles!! If you have the right equipment and superior force, you canbeat any enemy. We have that equipment and that overwhelming force. Be < strong >strongstrong > inthe < < strong >strongstrong > >lordstrong >strongstrong > > and in His < < strong >strongstrong > >mightystrong >strongstrong > > protects us. Put on the whole armour of God. It covers your body andallows you to be protected from an attacker who attacks you from the front - or whosneaks up on your from dealing with an adversary you need to be prepared. When soldiers go intobattle, they go equipped. Modern soldiers have Armoured Personnel Carriers, flakjackets, helmets, night sights, eye protectors, army boots and of course a of what a soldier takes into a battle is there to keep him alive - the rest is inorder that he can kill the enemy.

8 He is equipped with that which is both defensive andoffensive. It was the same for soldiers in Paul s soldier had armour to defend himself with and a sword to attack and he wasalways accompanied by others whom he worked in concert don t have time this morning to look into the armour in detail - we re going to dothat next time. But I want to give you this challenge this you realise that you are in a battle? Whether you like it or not, you re in themiddle of a war. There are no non-combatants or pacifists in God s kingdom. Weare called to kit up and stand. In fact the call comes twice in the passage you Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil'sschemes13 Put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be ableto stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to standWe are encouraged to kit up and stand - what is the alternative - we are wiped out bythe enemy!

9 A few years ago police made a raid on a house in Tottenham and sadly apolicewoman was killed in the struggle. She was stabbed through the heart. Thesedays most London police wear body armour, but unfortunately this woman was notwearing it because it was too uncomfortable. Are we wearing our armour? Notwearing it makes us vulnerable to attack, but the enemy can t get us if we are t want the battel? You have it and you re in it. What is the alternative tostanding - we are wiped out by the enemy! A bit to much to believe you think? Lookat the Church in Britain. Lincolnshire. Look in Norfolk. In retreat, in defeat, closedchurch buildings, irrelevant witness. The armour dropped, the Christians fled and theenemy took the an alternative version of Onward Christian Soldiers is more suitable for theBritish church today:Backward Christian soldiersFleeing from the fightWith the cross of Jesus,Nearly out of sightChrist our rightful MasterStands against the foeBut forward into battleWe are loathe to a < < strong >strongstrong > >mightystrong >strongstrong > > tortoiseMoves the Church of GodBrothers we are treadingWhere we ve often are much dividedMany bodies weHaving different doctrines,And not much charityCrowns and thrones may perish,Kingdoms rise and wane,But the church of JesusHidden will remain;Gates of hell can never Gainst that church prevail.

10 We have Christ s own promise,But think that it will fail:Onward, then, ye people!Join our lazy throng;Blend with ours your voicesIn a feeble songGlory, laud, and honourSing to Christ the King!But with our modern thinkingWe won t do a thing:We are called to stand, not to are we as a Church? I have been here 6 months almost exactly. We have lookedin Ephesians at the foundations of our faith. We started realising who we are. Nowwe know that we are the children of the living God, we are called to stand as Hispeople in Swaffham. The Church in Swaffham has been in retreat for here is difficult. Christians who should be standing together don believe that the < < strong >strongstrong > >lordstrong >strongstrong > > is telling us after 6 months of this ministry that we lie at acrossroads.