Giants and Grasshoppers - Part Fifteen

Eph:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,

We will continue to look at the prayers in the Book of Ephesians in relation to the spiritual warfare.

This week's message will be presented by Steven Babine.

The full text of this message and supplementary questions can be found on our website: www.cornerstonejacksonville.com/messages

Transcript

Sunday August 8th 2021
Giants and Grasshoppers
Part Fifteen


1). Eph 6:10 ¶ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, 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 principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 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. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

We have seen over the past weeks of study of the spiritual warfare, how the whole armor that God has supplied for us is completely interconnected. And rather than comprising separate, independent pieces, we should view it holistically. Either through our faith and actions, we will possess all the armor, or we won’t. There can be no partial clothing with it
a). And we have also seen how having the whole armor of God is entirely dependent upon hearing and understanding the Word of the Kingdom. Just as we have seen in the Matthew 13 parables – 
Mt 13:23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word [of the Kingdom] and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

It would only be those who hear and understand the Word of the Kingdom and produce fruit who would have on the whole armor of God. And those seen in the fourth group in the parable of the sower, parallel the five wise virgins with the extra supply of oil, found in Matthew Chapter 25 – Mt 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

The extra supply of oil possessed by the wise pictures for us the result of being continually filled with the Spirit, which the Scriptures tell us is letting the Word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom. In other words, the extra supply of oil is the Word of the Kingdom, the gospel of the glory of Christ with which we are to be continually filled. That which is essential for us to navigate through this time of spiritual darkness.
b). And although nothing is said of this in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, we would know that those described as wise, will have put on the whole armor of God, and consequently the power of God would have protected them with respect to the salvation of their souls, with respect to entering into the wedding feast – 1 Pe 1:4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Pr 3:35 The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

2). We have also seen how the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God is to be used against the premeditated and systematic wiles of our enemy by putting to death our old man on an habitual basis – 
Ro 8:13 For, assuming that you are living habitually under the dominion of the sinful nature, you are on the way to dying. But, assuming that by the Spirit you are habitually putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are being constantly led by God's Spirit, these are sons of God. [Wuest – expanded translation]

It is the old man who has a direct connection to the god of this world and through whom the god of this world will work to try to bring about our downfall.
a). And the nature of this conflict we have seen in a previous study through Amalek fighting with Israel at Rephidim – Ex 17:8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

It will not escape our attention that ‘Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.’ And to follow the type, the man of the flesh, pictured in Amalek, will be put to death with the sword of the Spirit. And it is not a coincidence that it is Joshua, the Hebrew for Jesus, who is the Word made flesh, who strikes the blow that defeats him.
b). As we have seen from Romans Chapter 8, ‘the deeds of the body’ can only be put to death by the Spirit. We cannot do it in our own strength, it is the power of the Word of God alone that can accomplish this.
c). And interestingly, it is the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit which is the instrument of death to the old man and the Word of God that is the breath of life to the new man.
d). We will also remember from our previous study of the verses from Exodus Chapter 17, the significance of the role of Aaron and Hur in supporting Moses’s hands when they became heavy, so that Amalek could be defeated. And in this we had seen the role we are to play in supporting one another in the ongoing battle with the man of the flesh. Which would also be supporting one another in the spiritual warfare.
e). And this mutual support for one another we can see once again within spiritual warfare section of Ephesians Chapter 6 - 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,

And we had seen last week that within the Book of Ephesians as a whole, Paul recorded 2 prayers that he prayed for those in Ephesus, prayers within the context of what he knew was going to take place among them after his departure. These prayers then would also have to be seen in association with the spiritual warfare, prayers in anticipation of standing against the wiles of the devil when the savage wolves would come in not sparing the flock and men would rise up speaking perverse things.
f). The first of these prayers we had seen at the end of Ephesians Chapter 1, a Chapter that deals with the plans and purposes of God with respect to the 7th Day – Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

And the prayer that concludes this Chapter asks for the Ephesians to have a continuing and ever-increasing revelation of all that God has set in place for the 7th Day, so that they would be continually filled with the Spirit, enabling them to take the sword of the Spirit, along with the other pieces of the armor to gain the victory – Eph 1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. 

2). Following on from this, the second Chapter of Ephesians again focuses on the plans and purposes of God by and for His Son in the 7th Day, only this time with a more personal emphasis – showing what God has done for us individually, presenting the reason for our eternal redemption – Eph 2:1 ¶ And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,………..11 ¶ Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

And the third Chapter continues with the same focus giving the detail of the reason for Paul’s appointment as an Apostle to the Gentiles and an explanation with regards to the ‘mystery’ that was committed to him – Eph 3:1 ¶ For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles-2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
And so, in the light of the personal, individual content of Chapters 2 and 3, within the context of the ‘mystery’, Paul then prayed concerning a work of the Spirit within the Ephesians individually.
a). Paul’s overwhelming concern was that those in Ephesus should be found faithful amid the ‘savage wolves’ who would come in ‘not sparing the flock’, amid those from among themselves who would rise up ‘speaking perverse things’ and amid the ensuing onslaught of the world, the flesh, and the Devil; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life that would come with them.
b). And we would realize that this is not just Paul’s concern for those in Ephesus, but also God’s concern for all Christians throughout this dispensation and, particularly within our own setting, the eternally redeemed who have heard the Word of the Kingdom within the time of the Laodicean church at the end of this dispensation, as Satan tries to stop their fruit production – Eph 3:14 ¶ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Here at the conclusion to Ephesians Chapter 3 we see Paul bowing his knees ‘to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’, firstly, in complete submission to the will of God with respect to His plans and purposes for the 7th Day, which would include God’s appointment of Paul as an Apostle sent with the ‘good news’ concerning the 7th Day to the Gentiles, and secondly, in prayer for the church of Ephesus. Especially those who would be ‘faithful in Christ Jesus’.
c). This then is the second of the two prayers that we find recorded in the opening three chapters of Ephesians and both prayers need to be seen within the context of that which has preceded them on the one hand and what is to come after them with respect to the spiritual warfare on the other.
d). Paul’s request to God is that those who would be ‘faithful in Christ Jesus’ would – ‘be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man’. It is the ‘inner man’ the man of the Spirit who is to be strengthened so that the old man will not gain the preeminence, giving place to the devil. And the conflict that exists between the old man and the new man, Paul outlined in – Ro 7:21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

And again in - Ga 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

And we would realize that our old man does not become less wicked over time, on the contrary, he only becomes worse - Eph 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

And the strength we are to receive in the inner man, according to the Scripture, will come through a mighty, wonderful work, the Greek word ‘dunamis’ – through His Spirit.
e). This then is not a ‘charismatic experience’, but rather, as we can see from comparing Scripture with Scripture, it is a mighty, wonderful work of renewal and transformation - 2Co 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

Col 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

And we see here in Colossians, that the ‘new man’, the ‘inner man’ is renewed in ‘epignosis’ knowledge, is renewed by the meat and strong meat of the Word. Those things surrounding the coming glory of Christ and the Melchizedek priesthood and the realization of the purpose for our eternal salvation.
f). This would be the same thought found in - Eph 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be [continually] filled with the Spirit,

It is through our proper engagement with the Word of the Kingdom, being continually filled with it, keeping ever before us the focus of the 7th Day, that will find renewal and strength in our inner man. 
g). Our inner man is a spiritual man and can only be nourished through the Spirit via the Word – the ‘epignosis’ Word, the ‘Theoneustos’.

3). This is the process of transformation that we know as the ‘metamorphosis’, that we have previously studied from - Ro 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Eph 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

It is only by aligning our mind, our thinking, with that which God has planned for us in the future, the helmet of the hope of salvation, that we can find protection from the wiles of the devil. 
a). In fact, it is only by doing this that we can patiently endure through the continual uncertainty of the world in which we live, amid the spiritual warfare that surrounds us. 
b). But no matter how uncertain the world around us seems to be, we have, through the Word of God, the absolute certainty of what awaits us in the near future, that which has been guaranteed to us by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - 2 Co 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Eph 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Our guarantee is sure, and as we consider our ongoing battle against the old man from the vantage point of that guarantee, we should remember – 
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and age lasting weight of glory,

Paul’s prayer then continues by showing the very greatest strength our inner man can possess – love - 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God

Col 2:6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

We see from Colossians Chapter 2 that having received Christ we are to walk in Him, being rooted and built up in Him, to be established in the faith.
c). To be rooted in Christ and to be rooted in love would be one and the same thing as ‘God is love’. Paul’s prayer then, is that we would be able to comprehend ‘what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ’.
d). And the love of Christ is what we see expressed in Chapter 5 of Ephesians – Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Christ’s love is shown in His sacrifice to bring to fulfillment God’s purpose for the 7th Day. Christ’s love for us is demonstrated in His absolute obedience to His Father’s will because of the 7th Day – 
Heb 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We must have this same sacrificial love towards each other as Christ has for us, which will likewise be demonstrated through our obedience to the commands of Christ. And such practice on our part is so far removed from our soulical-self, our old man, that it can only come about through the strengthening of our inner man through the Spirit’s work of renewal Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

2 Pe 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To have sacrificial love for one another will mean that the old man must be put to death by the sword of the Spirit. And will be witnessed through our continual prayer for one another in line with the command of Scripture, through the prayers we have been given in the Book of Ephesians - 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,

The purpose for our prayer has been given to us, and what we are to pray for one another has been given to us. And in the antitype of Aaron and Hur, through our prayer, we will continue to hold each other up so that the man of the flesh may be overcome, and the spiritual warfare won. So, that with a view to that future Day, we can be in agreement with Paul – 1 Th 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

And finally, as an integral part of this, do not forget those who speak the Word of God to you - 19 and [pray] for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Because boldly speaking the mystery is what is needed if we are to grow to spiritual maturity, to add to our faith, to be able to put on the whole armor of God and to pray for one another according to the Scriptures; to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand.

More next time – if we remain and the Lord is willing.