Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 56:1–8

“Thus says the LORD: ‘Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil. Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely separate me from his people’; and let not the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ For thus says the LORD: ‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.’ The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, ‘I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.’” (Isaiah 56:1–8, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 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 firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:10–20, ESV) 

*****

[Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Introduction

Although the sermon today will focus only upon verses 18 – 20 of Ephesians 6, I have read verses 10 – 20 because these verses belong together. What Paul says in verses 18 – 20 will bring this entire section of his letter to a conclusion. 

We are to remember, therefore, the original command stated in verse 10: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might”, the Apostle said. This we are to do by taking up the whole armor of God — the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for our feet, the readiness given by the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And we are to take up this armor so that we might stand against the schemes of the evil one in the evil day. 

But here in verse 18, Paul adds these words: “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication…” (Ephesians 6:18, ESV). It is interesting how he worded this. Notice, he did not begin a new sentence to issue a fresh and distinct command, as if to say, stand, having put on the armor of God. And, oh yes, don’t forget to also pray… Instead, he used a participle in the perfect tense, which is translated as, “praying”. The perfect tense indicates that our praying is to be constant and continual. And the participle links the exhortation to pray back to the command of verse 14, “stand there”. The meaning is this: Christians are to be strong in the Lord. They are to stand firm — this is the Apostles command. And they are to stand having put on the armor of God, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, etc. They are to stand, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” 

Brothers and sisters, you must put on the armor of God. But I think you would agree with me that wearing armor will not make you a strong and courageous soldier. The armor is essential. God has provided you with all the heavenly armor you need in Christ Jesus. You had better put it on! But something more is needed. You need spiritual courage. You need spiritual strength if you are to use this armor effectively to stand firm. And this is why Paul adds, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” This is how we are to be strong in the Lord. This is how we will stand firm. By putting on the whole armor of God for protection, praying continuously to our Father in heaven, to be empowered by him as a soldier of Christ our Lord. Prayer is not another piece of armor. Instead, to pray is to dependence upon God for strength and courage in the battle. We are to put on the armor of God prayerfully, and in full dependence upon him.  

The passage that is before us this morning is very brief, but it reveals a lot about prayer. Notice seven things:

*****

Praying At All Times

First of all, the Apostle commands us to pray at all times. Stand, therefore, clothed in your spiritual armor, (verse 18) “praying at all times…”, is the Apostle’s command.

Of course, this does not mean that Christians should do nothing but pray. Paul is not here encouraging a life of monkish solitude wherein a person retreats from the world to devote themselves entirely to prayer. That way of life is inconsistent with the Christians’ calling. We are to live in the world, but be not of it, remember? This means that we must engage in activities common to life in this world. You will need to work, raise your children, clean the dishes, do the laundry, and mow the lawn. You will engage in social activities with believers and nonbelievers alike. You will engage in commerce. You will eat and drink. All of these things you are to do to the glory of God.

When Paul says, “praying at all times” he does not mean, do nothing but pray, but rather, pray continually, in every circumstance, and at every occasion. The Apostle wrote something similar to the churches in Thessalonica. To them, he said, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, ESV). The meaning is the same in both passages. When Paul says “pray at all times”, or “pray without ceasing” he means that the Christian is to have prayer as a regular and constant habit. Prayers are to be offered up, not once a week, nor once a day, but throughout the day, from moment to moment. And more than this, prayers are to be offered up, not only in times of distress but also in times of joy and success. Throughout the day the one who is in Christ should find it natural to call out to God, saying, “Lord, help me”, or “Lord, help them”, or “Lord, I thank you for your goodness. I bless your most Holy name.”  

Prayer for the Christian should be more like breathing than eating. We sit down to eat at certain times, and then we rise from the table to then live off of the nourishment of the food we have eaten. We do not eat without ceasing.  But we do breathe without ceasing. We breathe naturally while we go about many different tasks. Yes, sometimes we breathe more heavily. And yes, sometimes we are more aware of our breathing. But we breathe naturally, at all times, and without ceasing. And prayer to God should be something like this in the life of the believer. It should be natural to live in constant to communion with our Maker through faith the Redeemer as we sojourn in the world that he has made.

Furthermore, to pray at all times means to pray at every occasion. If I were to guess, I would imagine that most who pray, pray mostly during times of distress. Have you heard the expression, “there are no atheists in foxholes”? I don’t know if that expression is entirely true. I suppose that some atheists have managed to remain consistent in their denial of God even in times of distress. But I think the expression is generally true. Even those who live their lives as if there is no God will often cry out to God in times of extreme distress. The Christian’s prayer life is to look very different from this. If we are in Christ, then we have been reconciled to God and adopted as his children. We are to live in constant communion with our heavenly Father. We are to cry out to him when we are fearful, overwhelmed, and perplexed. And we are also to pray to him when we are filled with joy and satisfaction. More than this, we are to communion with God in prayer, not only when we are affected by extreme emotion, be it on the side of joy or sorrow, but even in the mundane moments of life. Tell me, friends, when you do something as common as drinking a cup of cold water, does it lead you to give glory to God in prayer? When you feel the warmth of the sun on a cold day or a cool breeze on a warm day, does it prompt you to pray and to give thanks to God for these gifts?  

 In Christ we are to stand firm, clothed in spiritual armor, praying at times and at every occasion. Yes, we are to pray for strength and courage for ourselves and others in times of difficulty, but all of our prayers are to be filled with thanksgiving. 

*****

Pray In The Spirit

Secondly, the Apostle commands us to pray “in the Spirit”.

What does it mean to pray “in the Spirit”? Well, it does not mean to pray silently, as if the Apostle were commanding us to pray quietly and in our hearts. Many of our prayers offered up to God throughout the day will be silent prayers — prayers offered up in the heart — but this is not what the Apostle is here referring to. Nor does it mean to pray in some spiritual language or tongue. That idea is nowhere found in this text, and it is based upon a misunderstanding of the gift of tongues as it existed in the early days of the church, in the age of Apostles. Instead, to pray in the Spirit means to pray, being lead by the Spirit, and with his assistance. 

We should not divorce what Paul says here about “praying… in the Spirit” from what he has said in the rest of this epistle about the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and in the church. The work of the Holy Spirit is a central theme in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. We should remember that the theme of his letter is “unity in God’s inaugurated new creation” (Baugh). The new creation is present in the world now. And it is present in the world through the church, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. And Paul is urging us to maintain the “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. Stated differently, in the new creation everything will be Spiritual, that is to say, filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The new creation will be physical, of course, but it will be Spiritual in the sense that it will be filled with the glory of God, empowered by, and under the complete control of the Holy Spirit of God. And here in Ephesians (as well as in other places), Paul is teaching that the new creation is present in this world now because the Spirit has been poured out upon those who believe, and these have been gathered together within Christ’s church, the temple of the Holy Spirit. He is urging the new creation community (the Church) to maintain its unity, which is a unity brought about by the agency of the Holy Spirit.

Here is a brief survey of what Paul has said regarding the Holy Spirit in this letter:

1:13: “In [Christ] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit…” 

2:18: “For through [Christ] we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” 

2:22: “In [Christ] you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

In 3:16 Paul reported praying “that according to the riches of [the Father’s] glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being…” 

In 4:3 we were urged to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” 

In 4:4 the basis for this unity was identified: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—” (Ephesians 4:4, ESV)

In 4:30 we were warned, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30, ESV)

In 5:18 we read, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit…”

And then in 6:17, we are commanded to “take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…”

When all is considered, it is clear that the believer and the church (which is the assembly of those who believe) is set apart in this world by the Holy Spirit. If you are in Christ you are sealed with the Spirit and filled with the Spirit. It is through the Spirit that we have access to the Father. It is by the Spirit that we are joined to Christ, and thus to one another. Together we are the temple of the Spirit, a dwelling place for God. The Spirit strengthens the believer, and he strengthens the church.

When Paul says, pray “in the Spirit” he means that we are to pray individually and together being lead by the Spirit and with his assistance. 

What is the alternative to praying in the Spirit? Well, I suppose it would be possible to pray being driven by the flesh. If a worldly person were to pray, how would he pray? What would the unspiritual and unregenerate person pray for? Worldly things, I assume. I doubt his leading petition would one, “Our Father in heaven hollowed be your name”, or “you kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The worldly and unregenerate person will not pray for the forgiveness of sins, nor that the Lord lead him not into temptation. Instead, worldly people pray for worldly things — health, wealth, and prosperity. I am not saying that the Christian should not pray for worldly provisions. Indeed, Christ taught his disciple to pray, “give us this day our daily bread”. But that is very different than having health, wealth, and prosperity as your leading and exclusive concern. 

When a Christian prays “in the Spirit”, the Spirit of God leads them to pray for spiritual and heavenly things — the glory of God in all things, the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom, which is the salvation of souls and the growth of the church. The one who prays in the Spirit is concerned that God’s will be done, and not their own. For the one who is born of the Spirit and lead by the Spirit sees the world differently. They know that a spiritual battle rages. They live being mindful of that battle and for the world to come. 

Stand firm, clothed in armor, “praying at all times in the Spirit…”, the Apostle commands. 

*****

Pray All Kinds Of Prayers

Thirdly, Paul commands us to pray all kinds of prayers. Stand, therefore, clothed in spiritual armor, (verse 18) “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Ephesians 6:18, ESV).

Paul uses two words to refer to the prayers of God’s people — prayers and supplications. “Prayer” refers to prayer more generally. “Supplication” is a particular kind of prayer. When we supplicate, we ask for something earnestly with a sense of urgency. I will not belabor this point, for I have already said that God’s children should bring all kinds of prayers to him. We are to come to him with needs — our needs, and the needs of others. We are to come to him with thanksgiving. Indeed, we are to pray for many things: the glory of his name, the advancement of his kingdom, strength to keep his will, provision of our daily bread, the forgiveness of our sins, and the deliverance from evil. The child of God is to pray for all sorts of things. These prayers will take the form of prayers and supplications. 

And notice that Paul also says that we are to pray with all prayer and supplication. Not only are we to pray for a variety of things, but we are also to pray in a variety of ways. 

The Christian may pray silently and in her heart, or from the heart and out loud. God hears our silent and our verbalized prayers. 

The Christian may pray alone and in a concentrated and deliberate way. This seems to be what Jesus himself was referring to when he said, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6, ESV). It is imperative, I think, for Christians to devote themselves to private prayer — prayer that is individual and concentrated. 

Do you have a time and place set aside for prayer, brothers and sisters? You know it is my view that it is best to use the Lord’s Prayer as a guide for prayers such as this. Set aside a time, a place, and have a plan. Pray through the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. Do not merely recite those petitions from memory, but having memorized them, use them as a guide and expand upon them, filling those petitions out with your particular desires and concerns.  

Not only should the Christian set aside a time and place for concentrated prayer, he should also pray spontaneously and throughout the day. These prayers do not need to be long, nor do they need to be out loud. Bring your prayers and supplications to the Lord throughout the day. Live in communion with your Maker through Christ the Redeemer and in his Holy Spirit. 

Christians might also pray with others spontaneously. If someone is sharing some frustration or concern with you, or if they are sharing some praise, then do not hesitate to say, “let’s pray, brother”, or “let’s pray, sister.” This is a wonderful way to minister to one another, through prayer. 

Christians might also pray with others in a concentrated way. I hope that you are praying as families, in your Gospel Community Groups, and in other groups that are committed to regular prayer. Again, it is important to pick a time, a place, and to have a plan. But the plan need not be complicated.

And certainly, we are to pray as a church corporately. This can be done in two ways. 

One, someone may pray on behalf of the congregation and the rest say “Amen” which means, it is true, or, I agree. When we pray in this way it is important for those who lead to pray prayers that are true, reverent and that express the concerns of the body, and for those who are listening to listen well, to pray along with the one who is leading in the heart, and to offer their hearty “Amen” at the conclusion. 

Two, the congregation might also gather for corporate prayer where the members themselves are invited to pray. This is what we are doing on the Lord’s Day evening. We conclude the service with a time of prayer that is open to the members. Members should come prepared to pray. Prayers need not be eloquent or complicated. In fact, the scriptures do exhort us to pray simple and brief prayers. But our prays should be reverent. Those who are praying should pray according to the truth, and those who listen should listen well, pray along in the heart, and offer a hearty “Amen” to each prayer at the conclusion. 

Stand firm, clothed in armor, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” 

*****

Pray With Alertness

Fourthly, Paul commands us to pray with alertness. That is what he says in the middle of verse 18, “To that end, keep alert…” To be alert is to be awake. Not only does this mean that we are to be alert while praying, but even while we live so that we might know what to pray for. Are you alert, brothers and sisters? Are you aware of the battle that rages around you? Or have you grown sleepy and dull?

Friends, we should not struggle to find things to pray for. In fact, if we are alert we will have the opposite problem. It will be difficult for us to be concise in prayer so as to not go on and on in it to the neglect of the other responsibilities of life and aspects of corporate worship. If you are alert — mindful of the battle that rages, of your needs, and of the needs of others — you will never struggle to have something to bring as a prayer or supplication before the throne of grace. 

I have been exhorting you, brothers and sisters, to come to corporate prayer prepared. In other words, come to prayer — be it private prayer or corporate pray — alert to your own needs and the needs of those around you.  

*****

Pray With Perseverance

Fifthly, the Apostle commands us to “pray with all perseverance…” 

The Greek word translated as perseverance means “to continue to do something with intense effort, with the possible implication of despite difficulty—‘to devote oneself to, to keep on, to persist in’” (Louw Nida 68.68). Why would we need to persist in prayer? Because God does not always answer our prayers immediately, nor does he always answer them in the way we expect. Sometimes he answers our prayers very slowly, but he does always use the process of waiting and trusting to refine us. Do not give up in prayer, brothers and sisters. Persist in it. God’s timing may be different than yours, and his ways are often mysterious to us.

There is a parable that Jesus told on the subject of persistence. In Luke 18:1 we read: “And [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1–8, ESV)

This parable can be easily misunderstood, I think. Does Jesus here teach us to nag God with our prayers? Does he teach that God will give into our nagging if we would only persist long enough? Of course not! To the contrary, Jesus encourages persistence in prayer by appealing to the goodness of God and his love for his elect. The point is that the widow got justice for herself through persisting with an unrighteous and godless judge. How much more reason we have to persist in our prayers given that we pray to our heavenly Father, who is perfectly powerful, good, and just. If God does not answer your prayer right away, or in the way that you think he should, it is not because he is lacking in power, wisdom, or love. To the contrary, he is all of these things and perfectly so! We must persist in prayer knowing to whom it is that we pray — our Father who is in heaven. 

That question that Jesus asks at the end of the parable is a haunting one: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Will he, brothers and sisters? Will he find faith on earth? The implication is that if he will find faith on earth when he comes again, he will find his people persistent in prayer. May it be true of us. 

*****

Pray For All The Saints

Sixthly, Paul commands us to pray “for all the saints…” “To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…” (Ephesians 6:18, ESV).

“Saints” are not some class of supper Christians, as the Romanists teach. Instead, all who are in Christ are saints. They are those washed in the blood of the lamb. They are those with the righteousness of Christ imputed to them. They are those who strive after holiness as they sojourn in this world. “Saints” are Christians. And Paul commands that prayer be offered up for all the saints.

Do not pray only for yourselves, brothers and sisters. Do not pray only for your family or close friends. Pray also for the saints. Pray for the saints at Emmaus. Pray for the saints that you know in other bodies. Pray for the saints in other associational churches. We are to lift one another up in prayer. This is called intercessory prayer — prayers offered up to God on behalf of others. 

We do have a wonderful tool at our disposal here at Emmaus. On the Realm we have a list of regular attenders and members. Even the names of the children of members are listed there. It would not be difficult at all to pray through the membership of Emmaus, to take a few families a day or a week, and to make intercession for them. I do something like this. I have the members of this church divided into four groups and I pray for those groups one per week. Also, we can share prayer requests on The Realm. I think it is wonderful when people share requests. Let us be sure to follow through on praying for those requests that are shared. 

Pray for all the saints. Pray for specific needs, but also pray for general things — growth in Christ, perseverance, fruitfulness, a worthy walk. This is what Paul did. He practiced what he preached. We know he prayed for all the saints because he revealed the content of his prayers for the Ephesians in 3:14ff., saying, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:14–21, ESV). When we make intercession for one another for things spiritual, we cannot go wrong in praying as the Apostle prayed for the Ephesians. 

*****

Pray For The Success of The Gospel

Seventhly, and lastly, Paul commands us to pray for the success of the gospel, which means the salvation of souls, the strengthening of Christ’s church, and the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom. Verse 19: pray “also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:19–20, ESV)

Here we are reminded of where Paul was writing from — a Roman prison. And as we think about this it is worth noting what Paul does not request prayer for — freedom, kind treatment from his captors, comfort. I would not fault him if did ask for prayer for these things. Those would be legitimate and reasonable requests. But evidently these things were not Paul’s primary concerns. Instead, he requests that the Ephesians pray that God would grant him boldness. 

Now, why would Paul request prayers for boldness? Would it not be because sometimes he felt timid and afraid? This must be the case. When we read of Paul’s missionary journeys in the Book of Acts we are often impressed with his boldness. He was very courageous to stand for the cause of Christ. It cost him much, and it would eventually cost him his life. But we should not assume that Paul was immune from fear and anxiety. We should not assume that he was not sometimes tempted to abandon to the cause of Christ and to go the way of Demas who was “in love with this present world” and deserted Paul, to go to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10, ESV). Paul stood strong. He finished the race set before him. But he was human. And this is why he coveted the prayers of the Ephesians and others. 

Brothers and sisters, are you praying for the success of the gospel? Are you praying for ministers of the gospel — evangelists, shepherds, and teachers — that “words may be given to [them] in opening [their] mouth[s] boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel… that [they] may declare it boldly, as [they] ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19–20, ESV). When Paul speaks of the “mystery of the gospel” he is speaking of the gospel that was first revealed dimly to Adam, and then with every growing clarity through Abraham, Moses, and David until it was fulfilled in Christ the Redeemer. This gospel — that God has provided a Redeemer for all the peoples of the earth must be preached! But it will always be offensive. It will always be met with hostility, for in it men and women are called to turn from their sin and to trust in the work of another, Christ Jesus our Lord.

May the Lord give boldness to those whom he has called to preach the word, and may he sent out laborers into his harvest, for the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few (Matthew 9:37).

*****

Conclusion

In the meantime, may this church be a house of prayer. May we, individually and corporately, stand firm in the Lord, clothed with spiritual armor, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication… alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also [that]… the mystery of the gospel” would be declared boldly as it ought. (Ephesians 6:18–20, ESV).

Baptist Catechism 33

Question: How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?

Answer: The Spirit applieth (applies) to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling. (Eph. 2:8; 3:17)

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:1–10, ESV)

*****

[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Instruction

The salvation of God’s elect was accomplished by Jesus the Christ nearly 2,000 years ago through his obedient life, sacrificial death, victorious resurrection, and glorious ascension to the right hand of the Father. That was when our redemption was accomplished. That was when the victory was won. When Christ said, “it is finished” at the time of his death, this is what he meant: he had finished the work that the Father had given him. He had accomplished our redemption.

But how do the elect of God come to be redeemed? How do they come to be saved? 

They are not born into this world “saved”. They are not born into this world alive to God and in a right relationship with him. To the contrary, even the elect of God are born into this world in sin, dead spiritually, and enemies of God. That is what Paul teaches in that passage we have just read. He was writing to Christians in Ephesus when he said, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—” (Ephesians 2:1–2, ESV). And a little bit later he said that they were “by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind”  (Ephesians 2:3, ESV). Paul was not saying that this was who these people were at the time of his writing, but rather, this is what they used to be. They were in the past “dead in their sins”. They were “by nature”, that is to say, from the time of their birth, “children of wrath”. 

But his point in this passage is that something had changed. Instead of being “dead in their… sins”, these had been made alive with Christ (v. 5). And instead of being “children of wrath” they were now “raised us up with [Christ] and seated… with him in the heavenly places…, so that in the coming ages [God] might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward [them] in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6–7, ESV). 

That is quite the change that the Apostle is speaking of. These people — and we must picture real individuals like you and me — were changed from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive. They were moved from being children of wrath (meaning that they stood guilty before God and deserving of his wrath), to beloved children of God. That is a very radical transformation. And it is the same transformation that all who are in Christ have experienced. They have gone from death to life, from children of wrath to beloved children of God, from filthy to clean, from guilty to not guilty, from bondage to freedom. 

More can be said concerning this change. But if we wish to speak of this change generally and in one word, we may simply say “redemption” or “salvation”. What does it mean to be redeemed? Well, specifically, it means to be purchased and set free. But generally we might use the word to speak of all of those wonderful benefits that belong to those who are in Christ Jesus. The redeemed are those who have been made alive, set free, washed, justified, adopted, etc. And we use the word “salvation” in a similar way. Specifically, to be saved is to be rescued from danger. But when we use the term generically (as we often do), it refers to many the benefits that belong to those who are in Christ Jesus. 

Christ accomplished our redemption — he earned our salvation — a long time ago. And the question that is before us is how do we come to be saved? How do we come to have this redemption which Christ has earned, along with its many benefits, as our own?

Question 32 of our catechism started in the right place by saying, “We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us, by His Holy Spirit.” This is certainly true. The Father sent the Son to accomplish our redemption, and the Father and Son have sent the Spirit to apply the salvation that Christ has earned to the elect of God in every age. “How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?” Well, to start with we must know that it is by the Holy Spirit. The accomplishment of our redemption was the Son’s work. But the application of the redemption to the elect of God is the Spirit’s work. As I have said, our salvation is Trinitarian. Who saved you? The answer is not only Jesus, therefore, but God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! 

Question 33 builds upon this. It clarifies how the Spirit effectively applies the redemption purchased by Christ. Again, the question: “How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?” The answer is very helpful, because it is biblical: “The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.”      

I would like to briefly work backwards through this answer, taking it in three parts. 

First of all, notice the little phrase, “in our effectual calling”. I will not spend too much time here explaining what “effectual calling” is, for we will have an opportunity to focus on that next week. In question 34 we will ask, “What is effectual calling?” So for now let us simply acknowledge that it is the Spirit of God who calls sinners to repentance and faith. We might also say that the Spirit draws sinners. This he does through the preaching of the gospel. When the gospel is preached men and women are called to faith and repentance by other men and women. This an essential calling, but this is not an “effectual calling.” What do I mean? Well, it is essential that the gospel be preached, and that Christians call men and women to faith and repentance. But this call is not effective by itself, because it is merely external. If the gospel call is going to be effective, the Spirit of God must call inwardly and effectually. This is what Jesus was referring to when he spoke to the crowd, saying, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44, ESV). Jesus preached the gospel to the crowd. There was that external call, which is essential. But at the same time he acknowledged that no one could come to him unless the Father draws him, and this the Father does by the agency of his Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s call is called effectual because it is always effective. He gets the job. Those he draws will in fact believe upon Christ and be raised up on the last day, as John 6:44 says. More on “effectual calling” next week, Lord willing. 

Secondly, notice the little phrase, “thereby uniting us to Christ”. “Union with Christ” — this is a very important doctrine that is often over looked. To be redeemed is to be united to Christ, and to be united to Christ is to be redeemed. In Christ, we are adopted as sons. In Christ, we have an inheritance. In Christ, we are set free. In Christ, we are raised from death to life. In Christ, we are washed. Have you ever noticed how often the New Testament, and particularly Paul, makes reference to our union with Christ with that simple little phrase, “in him”? In fact, we can stay in Ephesians to make the point. Look at 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him…” (Ephesians 1:3–4, ESV). 1:7: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace…” (Ephesians 1:7, ESV). 1:11: “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,” (Ephesians 1:11, ESV). And 1:13: “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit….” (Ephesians 1:13, ESV). Many other examples can be given, but perhaps my favorite is Philippians 3:8 where Paul says, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:8–11, ESV). The point is this: if you wish to be saved, then you must be “in Christ” and clothed in his righteousness, for salvation is found in no other. And this union with Christ is a real union. It is not a figure of speech or a merely hypothetical union. It is a real union that is wrought (brought about) by the agency of the Holy Spirit. There are many passages that teach this, but perhaps the most famous is that John 14 passage where Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit. In verse 15 he says, “‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’” (John 14:15–23, ESV). This is what our catechism is refering to in that little phrase, “thereby uniting us to Christ”. To have  redemption is to be united to Christ, and to be united to Christ is to be redeemed. This union is real. It is wrought by the Holy Spirit.  

Lastly, notice the phrase, “by working faith in us”. So how do we come to have this redemption that Christ has earned as our own? How do we come to be saved? Well, the Spirit does that work. He effectually applies the redemption purchased by Christ to the elect. And how does he do this? “By working faith in us.” Faith is the instrument whereby salvation is received. It is through faith that we come to be saved, just as the Apostle says in Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith…” (Ephesians 2:8, ESV). And what is faith except trusting in Christ. Just as you receive a gift at Christmas time by opening the hand, so you receive the gift of salvation by faith — faith is the open hand by which the gift of salvation is received.  We will talk about faith more as we progress through this catechism together, particularly in questions 90-104. For now, please understand that we come to be saved, not by works, but faith in Christ alone. As Paul says in Romans 4:16, “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all…” (Romans 4:16, ESV). Salvation is not a reward for us to earn, but gift for us to receive, and we received it by faith, which means that we trust and rest in the work of another, namely, the work of Jesus the Christ, our Redeemer. We are saved, not by the keeping of law, nor by good works, but by God’s grace alone and through faith in Christ alone. And one more thing needs to be said, even the faith is a gift from God. Did you notice that our catechism said, “by working faith in us.” Who works the faith in us? The Spirit does. He is the one who enables the elect of God to believe. 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV)

*****

Conclusion

Let me now conclude with three very brief suggestions for application. 

One, let us be grateful to God for this underserved favor that he has bestowed upon us. That Ephesians 2 passage that we read at the start is very dramatic as it reveals to us how terrible our natural condition was and great the lovingkindness of God is to save sinners such as you and me. How could we not be grateful! How could we fail to serve him with all that is in us now that we are his redeemed?

Two, knowing that our faith was a gift from at the beginning, let us pray to God and ask him to strengthen our faith from day to day. Of course, there are things that we must do to strengthen our faith. But it is also right for us to ask God to strengthen our faith. I am reminded of that passage in Mark 9 where a father brought his sick child to Jesus for healing. Jesus implored the man to believe, and the man cried out to Jesus saying, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24, ESV). It is right that we strive to grow in the faith. But is also right to rely upon the grace of God even in this.

And three, let us know for sure that all of the benefits of redemption come to us only through our Spirit wrought union with Christ, and may this produce humility within us. We are holy only because he is holy. We are righteous because his righteousness has been imputed to us. We are adopted as sons, but only because we are in Christ, the beloved Son of God. We have inherited the new heavens and earth, but only because we are co-heirs with Christ. We were born into this world in Adam and in our sin, with death as our reward. But we have been re-born in Christ and in righteousness with, with eternal life as our reward. All of this is received by faith, and all of this is by God’s grace. Let us walk humbly before God and man, for there is no room for boasting.    

Question: How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?

Answer: The Spirit applieth (applies) to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 11

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim. But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west, and together they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put out their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites shall obey them. And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching breath, and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals. And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.” (Isaiah 11, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Ephesians 6:14-17

“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” (Ephesians 6:14–17, ESV).

*****

[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Introduction

In the passage that we considered on the last Lord’s Day Paul commanded Christians to be strong on the Lord. This should be our aim — maturity in Christ. Strength in Christ. Sometimes one Christian will say to another who is experiencing some difficulty, hang in there, brother. Or hang in there sister. And while I think it is fine to encourage someone in this way (I know that I have), I do hope that we have it as our aim to not merely “hang in there”, but to thrive in the Christian life — to be mature in Christ, to be strong in the Lord. This must be our aim, for this is what the Apostle commands. 

And we know that one of the ways that we will grow strong in the Christian life is to daily gird ourselves for battle. This is the second thing the Apostle commands: “Put on the whole armor of God”, he says. If we are to be strong in the Lord we must choose to dress ourselves with the armor of God daily. 

And why do we need armor? Because we are not at home in, but we are sojourners in a hostile land. We are not living in peacetime, but are at war. We have a fierce enemy who is always scheming. We wrestle, not against “flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, ESV). For this reason, we must “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13, ESV).

*****

Stand

You will notice that the passage before us today begins with another command: “Stand, therefore…” the Apostle says. So this is the fourth command found in this section. “Be strong in the Lord…” (v. 10). “Put on the whole armor of God…” (v. 11). “Take up the whole armor of God…” (V .13). And now the Apostle says, “Stand, therefore…” (v. 14).

The image is that of a Roman centurion taking a firm stance against an enemy that is seeking to overrun him. Can you picture it, brothers and sisters? Can you see with your mind’s eye the strong and courageous soldier with his feet firmly planted? He will not give an inch of ground but is resolved to repel the enemy at all costs. This brothers and sisters, is to be your posture in the spiritual battle that is even now raging all around you. “Stand, therefore…”, the Apostle says. 

Sadly, many who profess faith in Christ do not stand. They are very easily moved. And the reasons for this are many, I think. 

Perhaps they are unaware of the battle that rages all around them, and so they wander casually and carelessly about, oblivious to the enemy and his schemes. As I have said before, naïveté and complacency are a particularly deadly combination during wartime. We have a fierce enemy who never rests, friends. We are not at peace. There is a spiritual battle that is constantly raging. It is a battle for souls. It is a battle for your soul. 

Or perhaps men and women do not stand because they have not learned where the battle lines are. So many who profess faith in Christ are willing to be pushed around by the world. In no time at all, they begin to think like the world, speak like the world, and act like the world. The world, friends, is under the sway of the evil one. The kingdoms and cultures of this world are often opposed to God’s kingdom. If we are in Christ then we must be prepared to stand against the currents of the culture. And if we hope to stand, we must first know where to set our feet. We must know God’s word. We must be governed by his truth. And never should we give an inch when the evil one uses the world presses hard upon us. We must know where the battle lines are if we hope to stand.

Or perhaps the one who professes faith in Christ is aware of the battle, knows where they ought to stand, but is weak in faith, and is easily pushed this way and that by the enemy. I’m afraid that this is often the case. If we are to stand against the evil one then we must be strong in the Lord. The evil one will certainly press hard against us, and so we must be strong if we are to withstand it. Are you strong in the Lord, brothers and sisters? Are you in good shape, spiritually peaking? Or have you grown soft and weak? All who are in Christ need to be exhorted in this way, but I think it is particularly important for our young people to hear. You have grown up under the shelter of your parent’s home. And of course, the enemy has attacked you even there — I am not denying that! But you have enjoyed a level of protection being raised in a Christian home by a Mom and/or Dad who has faith in Christ. But there will come a time when you will go out to establish a household of your own. Will you be ready to stand when that day comes? You will not stand all alone, for you will have the church of God to stand with you. Nevertheless, the challenges and pressures will be greater as you move on into adulthood and independence. Will you be ready to stand? That is my question. If you are very young right now, you probably don’t feel ready for it at all, and that is fine! I trust that you will be ready when the time comes. I am simply encouraging all of our young people to grow strong in the Lord even now so that you will also be able to stand with us in Christ as you emerge into adulthood. The pressures that the enemy puts upon the people of God as we sojourn in this world can be very great. 

The command is to “stand”. But notice that Paul commands us to stand in the armor which God has provided. If we are in Christ, then we are in the Lord’s army. And never should a soldier of the Lord be found on the battle line unprepared and ill-equipped. God has supplied you with armor, and here you are commanded to have it on.

*****

The Belt Of Truth

Specifically, we are commanded to stand, “having fastened on the belt of truth…” (Ephesians 6:14, ESV). 

Though we might think otherwise, a belt is among the most important items in a soldier’s armament. This was especially true in ancient times. The clothes that a Roman centurion wore were loose and free-flowing. The belt held everything together and in place so that the soldier could move freely and unhindered as he fought. And this is what truth does for the believer. Truth — God’s revealed truth — truth properly understood, sincerely believed, and consistently applied — is like a belt for the believer. It holds everything together. To know the truth, to sincerely believe it, and to live according to it will enable the believer to fight with freedom and efficiency. But to be ignorant of the truth, to be plagued by doubt or hypocrisy will lead to a cumbersome existence. The Christian who is ignorant, doubtful, and hypocritical will find themselves often entangled with many of life’s difficulties. They will often stumble and fall when the enemy presses hard against them. 

Do you know the truth, brothers and sisters? And even more to the point, do you believe the truth sincerely in the mind and heart and strive to live according to it? Please here me: the Christian has not “fastened on the belt of truth” if she has merely learned the truth, but has not believed it sincerely, leading to obedience. Instead, she fastens on her belt when she knows the truth, believes it, and obeys it. There is a great difference, brothers and sisters, between merely knowing the truth, and knowing it so that we believe and obey. As James says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22, ESV).

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ walked in this world “having fastened on the belt of truth”.  In that Isaiah passage that we read at the start of this sermon it was predicted that in due time a Savior would arise from Israel, “a shoot from the stump of Jesse.” And in that passage we learn many things about this Messiah, one of them being that he would have “righteousness” and “faithfulness” as “the belt of his loins”. The Hebrew word that is translated as “faithfulness” could also be rendered “truth” or integrity”. The meaning is that the Christ would walk in the world with perfect integrity and according to the truth. And this he did!  Truth was Christ’s belt. He revealed the truth to us and lived according to it always. We are to do the same if we are in Christ. We are to be clothed by him, and we are to walk as he walked.     

So have you “fastened on the belt of truth…” (Ephesians 6:14, ESV), friends? Have you “put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and [received] with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21, ESV). Have you believed God’s word sincerely to live according to it? This you are to do daily so that you might move freely and unhindered as a soldier of Christ, which will enable you to stand firm.   

*****

The Breastplate Of Righteousness

Secondly, Paul commands us to stand,  “having put on the breastplate of righteousness…” (Ephesians 6:14, ESV). 

The breastplate was a piece of armor that would cover from the neck down to the waist in both the front and the back, protecting the vital organs of the soldier. To be without a breastplate on the field of battle would mean almost certain death. The soldier’s heart would be exposed to every thrust of the spear and every dart thrown in his direction by the enemy. And the Apostle says that the Christian’s breastplate is righteousness. To be righteous is to be right before God, guiltless and pure. Only if we are righteous will our hearts be guarded against the attacks of the evil one, which come in the form of accusations. The evil one is called “the accuser.” He attacks the people of God in many ways, one of them being to accuse them of their sin and guilt. How important it is for our hearts to be guarded against these attacks. We must put on the breastplate of righteousness if we are to withstand them. 

But the question remains, where do we get this breastplate righteousness? Where does this righteousness come from? It is our righteousness? Or is it the righteousness of another? Friends, it must be the righteousness of another, for we do not have a righteousness of our own. Truth be told, we stand guilty before God if left to ourselves. The evil one is in fact correct when he accuses of sin and reminds us of our guilt — that is unless our sin has been atoned for and our guilt removed.

This “breastplate of righteousness” that we are here commanded to put on is not our own. This breastplate is made from the righteousness that belongs to Christ. He was without sin and guilt. He was truly righteous. And we come to have his righteousness as our own when we turn from our sin and believe upon his name. It is at that moment — at the moment we believe — that a great exchange takes place. Our sin and guilt are removed (Christ having paid for it on the cross), and his righteousness is imputed (applied)  to us.   

The same Paul who wrote Ephesians also wrote Philippians. And there in that epistle, he says concerning himself, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…” (Philippians 3:8–11, ESV). When Paul commands the believer in Ephesians to put on the “breastplate of righteousness”, he cannot mean, put on your own righteousness as a breastplate. He must instead mean, put on the righteousness of Christ which is yours by the grace of God alone and received by faith alone, for he himself teaches that we do not have such a breastplate of our own, but must be clothed in Christ’s righteousness. 

And Christ does in fact have righteousness to give. In another passage in Isaiah (the one that we read last week at the start of that sermon), the coming Messiah was described in this way: “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak” (Isaiah 59:17, ESV). When Christ “put on righteousness as a breastplate”, he put on his own righteousness, for he was truly righteous. Never did he sin. He always did what was right before God. And this righteousness that is his he now gives to all who call upon his name. 

So what does it mean for the Christian to put on the breastplate of righteousness as Paul commands? What does that look like practically speaking? 

Well, we should remember that Christ’s righteousness is given to us the moment we turn from our sins and believe upon him. It is then, at the start of the Christian life that we come to have Christ’s righteousness as our own. But here the Christian is commanded to pick up that righteousness that is already theirs, having been received by faith, and to put it on as armor. We are to pick up this spiritual breastplate and put it on daily and momentarily so that when the enemy comes to attack, delivering blow after blow in the form of accusation, we are able to deflect those blows. This means that we must regularly be reminded of the gospel that we have believed. We must hear that good news preached, and we must even preach it to our own souls, lest we be overrun by the Accuser.  We must remember what Christ has accomplished for us. He has removed our guilt and has given us his righteousness, all of this received by faith. We must not move on from these gospel truths but remember them daily. This is what it means to put on the breastplate of righteousness.  

I’m reminded of that wonderful little passage in the allegory, the Pilgrim’s Progress, where Apollyon (who represents our advisory the Devil) comes against Christian to accuse him. He reminds Christian of his sin and of his unfaithfulness to Christ. This is indeed what the evil one does. He accuses the brethren. But I love the response of Christian in that allegory. He answers Apollyon’s accusations, saying, “All this is true; and much more which thou hast left out: but the Prince whom I serve and honor is merciful and ready to forgive.” Though Christian does not mention Christ’s righteousness imputed to him (which is our focus here), the illustration is still helpful, I think. When Apollyon accused Christian, he did not defend himself by appealing to his own righteousness (for he knew that he had none). He did not say, no Apollyon, I’m not really so bad. To the contrary, he said you don’t know the half of it, Apollyon. I’m far worse than you say! And then he appealed to the mercy of God and to the forgiveness that he had received through faith in Christ. We must do the same. I think this is what it means to put on the breastplate of righteousness. We are to deflect the accusations of the evil one by appealing to Christ, to the forgiveness of sins that we have in him, and to his righteousness imputed to us and received by faith. 

And then having been clothed in Christ’s righteousness — our hearts being guarded by that alien righteousness imputed to us — we are to go on living a righteous life ourselves. And in so doing we will guard our hearts all the more so against the attacks of the evil one. Having been clothed in Christ’s righteousness, we are to live righteously. Having been made holy, we are to live holy. Perhaps this righteous walk is also in view when the Apostle says, put on the breastplate of righteousness. But it cannot be the first thing that he means. If we are righteous — truly right before God and therefore impervious to the accusations of the evil one — it is only because Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to us.

“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness…” (Ephesians 6:14, ESV).

*****

Shoes For Your Feet, The Readiness Given By The Gospel Of Peace

Thirdly, in verse 15 the Apostle commands us to put on “shoes for [our] feet… the readiness given by the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15, ESV).

Roman soldiers wore sandals with thick leather soles embedded with pieces of rock for traction. They were tied to the soldier’s feet with numerous straps. They were strong but lightweight, enabling the soldier to stand firm but also to move with agility on the battlefield. Paul identifies the Christian’s spiritual shoes as the “readiness given by the gospel of peace”. 

There is some debate as to what this refers to. Does Paul mean that the gospel and the peace that it brings enables the Christian stand firm and to move about with agility in this spiritual battle? Or does he mean that the Christian is to be prepared to take this gospel of peace and proclaim to those who do not yet believe?

No doubt, the gospel is to be proclaimed by the believer. As Paul says elsewhere, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:15, ESV). But his emphasis here is that the gospel of peace makes the Christian ready. It provides the Christian with a sure footing. It enables her to stand firm in battle so that she does not slip. The shoes of gospel preparedness enable the Christian to run swiftly through life, with grace and agility. The gospel of peace makes the Christian happy and cheerful, light on their feet.

The gospel of peace — that is, the good news that through faith in Christ we are made right with God — must be taken up and applied to the feet of the believer date after day. Do you wish to stand firm? Do you wish to run swiftly, with grace and agility? Then do not forget the gospel of peace. Stand firm upon the foundation of this gospel. Take this good news with you into every situation, into ever endeavor, into every relationship and conversation. Do not leave it behind, but stand upon it always. The gospel of peace — that wonderfully good news that we are at peace with God, through faith in the Savior has provided —  is to be with us always. It is our foundation, our footing. 

I suppose this is true of all items of clothing, but it feels especially true of shoes. Your choice of shoes will be dictated by the activities you plan to engage in on that day. If you are going to the beach you will wear sandals and not work boots. If you are going to a wedding you will wear dress shoes and not sandals. And if you are working in the yard you will wear boots and not dress shoes. Each and every day you decide what shoes to put on, and that decision is dictated by the activities of the day. 

But what are the shoes that we are to apply to our spiritual feet? No matter what the activities of the day might be, the Christian is to have the gospel of peace as shoes for their feet. With the gospel of peace as shoes for our feet, we will be ready — well prepared to face the day. The gospel is to go with us into each and every situation in life. We are to take the gospel with us. We are set our feet down upon it. It is our sure foundation, our confidence. It is our peace and joy. No matter what life brings, the gospel remains true. Our peace with God is secure. 

It was the gospel of peace that enabled Paul to write these words: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31–39, ESV)

How could Paul maintain such a firm and unwavering disposition amid such awful trials and tribulations? He had the gospel of peace as shoes for his feet! And do you wish to run with this confidence? Do you wish to be this light on your feet, impervious to the trials and tribulations of life? Then put on “as shoes for your feet… the readiness given by the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15, ESV).

*****

The Shield Of Faith

Fourthly, Paul commands us to “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16, ESV).

In ancient times soldiers would often carry a shield into battle. The shields would sometimes be covered in leather, and the leather would be soaked in water to extinguish the flaming arrows flung by the enemy. The shields would also be used to deflect other objects hurled in the soldier’s direction — stones, spears, and the like. The evil one does send flaming arrows, stones, and spears in our direction. They are lies, insults, insinuations, and accusations. Only a shield of faith will deflect these blows and extinguish these arrows. 

“Faith” here does not refer to generic faith, as in faith in something, or baseless hope, or wishful thinking. ”Faith” here means faith in God, faith in Christ, faith in his very great promises. To have faith is to believe in God and in Christ. To have faith is to know for certain that God will keep his word. To have faith is to live with confidence — confidence, not in yourself, but in God who is ever faithful. 

The evil one will cast many arrows in your direction. His arrows are lit aflame with the fires of hell. He seeks to consume you. He will say things like, God does not care for you. He has abandoned you and is nowhere to be found. His word is not true. He has lied to you. It would better for you to live, not for him and for the world to come, but for yourself and for the pleasures of this life. When the flaming arrows of the evil one are cast in your direction, you had better have the shield of faith. 

You professed faith in God and in the Christ he provided at the beginning. You claimed to trust in him for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. But here the Apostles is exhorting you to walk by faith and not by sight, to daily take up the shield of faith so that you might repel the constant attack of the evil one, to trust in and rely upon God and Christ always. 

*****

The Helmet Of Salvation

Fifthly, Paul commands the Christian to “take the helmet of salvation…” (Ephesians 6:17, ESV)

The helmet of salvation belongs to Christ. He used it to defeat all of his and our enemies. Again, Isaiah 59:17 prophesied concerning the coming Messiah, saying, “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak” (Isaiah 59:17, ESV). This helmet of salvation belongs to Christ, for he has earned salvation. But he gives it to us, and it is received by faith. 

If you are in Christ — if you are united to him by faith — then you are saved in him — saved from your sins; saved from the evil one; delivered from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of light; rescued from eternal death and heirs of life eternal. This salvation that was earned by Christ and that is yours through faith in him is to be applied daily as a helmet for your head to guard your mind. 

I am reminded of what the Apostle revealed to us concerning his prayers for the Ephesians back in 1:15, saying, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:15–21, ESV)

Friends, do you know how rich you are in Christ? Do you know how great a salvation he has accomplished for you? Do you comprehend the “immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe”? I think this is what it means to take the helmet of salvation. The Christian is to forever grow in his comprehension of these things. He is to think upon them. And having considered this marvelous salvation that is ours, he is to lift his head with joy and confidence, knowing that the victory has already been won by our King.

*****

The Sword Of The Spirit, The Word Of God

Sixthly, and lastly, Paul commands us to take up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17, ESV). 

The sword is the only offensive weapon mentioned in this passage. All other pieces of armor are defensive. And sword for the Christian is the word of God. It is called the sword of the Spirit because it is the sword that the Spirit of God supplies. The Spirit inspired the word, and the Spirit does apply the word to the believer — he uses it to convict of sin, to instruct in way of life, and to encourage. The believer is to take up this sword to fight back against the evil one as he attacks.

This is the very thing that Christ did. Being tempted by Satan in the wilderness, he repelled the attack by answering three times over, “it is written.” How did he counter Satan’s lies? By striking back with the word of God. So while it is true that the blows of the evil one may be absorbed and deflected by the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation, the Christian has been supplied with a weapon with which to strike back, the living word of God. 

Regarding the word of God, Charles Hodge has said, “This puts to flight all the powers of darkness. The Christian finds this to be true in his individual experience. It dissipates his doubts; it drives away his fears; it delivers him from the power of Satan. It is also the experience of the church collective. All her triumphs over sin and error have been affected by the word of God. So long as she uses this and relies on it alone, she goes on conquering; but when anything else, be it reason, science, tradition, or the commandments of men, is allowed to take its place or share its office, then the church, or the Christian, is at the mercy of the adversary.”

*****

Conclusion

“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” (Ephesians 6:14–17, ESV).