23/09/2023
𝐒𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘
𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟏𝟑: 𝐖𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞
𝑀𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑇𝑒𝑥𝑡: “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 6:16, 17, 𝐸𝑆𝑉).
𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Our lesson this week is describing the armor of God as individual items (belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, sword). Paul paints before our eyes God’s glorious army of brave soldiers fully equipped for their mission. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑦’𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛? God’s soldiers are armored and ready to proclaim to the universe a message from Him, the message that God brings peace to the universe, to the people on earth, peace among the nations, peace in the communities, in the families, between generations and classes.
𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡: 𝐀 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐲
• In Bible times, Greeks and Romans won wars because all the soldiers in their armies supported and helped each other. The soldiers worked together to win.
When we understand this idea, we can better understand what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 6:10–20.
• Here, it doesn’t show us a picture of a warrior all by himself fighting alone against evil.
• Paul talks to the church the same as a general talk to his army. Paul orders the church to put on God’s battle suit and to go fight together as one army.
• The bride of Christ—the Church—is composed of different members fulfilling their specific roles within the body, different bricks forming the building/temple, and soldiers equipped to fight side by side until the glorious day when the Church can unite with her Bridegroom in eternal union.
• 𝑉𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑜𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑝𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐺𝑜𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑠.
𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲: 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞
• 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡, 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝑙𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ. Just as a belt holds your clothes together and keeps everything at the right and appropriate level, the belt of truth is the foundation and centerpiece of the armor of God.
• Because when we are anchored in the truth, we can determine what is false and fake. So the very first thing we need to do is be able to determine what is truth. How do we do that? By studying the word of God, the Bible.
• 𝑁𝑒𝑥𝑡, 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑅𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 which is perfectly centered right over your heart.
• This body armor or breastplate protected the vital organs from the blows and thrusts of the enemy.
• In an analogous way, believers are to experience the spiritual protection offered by God’s protective gift of righteousness.
• So, 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑅𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 (𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠) which protects our hearts actually belongs to Jesus.
• When we accept Jesus into our hearts and into our lives, we are no longer wearing our own Breastplates, but the one that belongs to Jesus and nothing can get through that.
𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲: 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐖𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞
• 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑜𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑒. Let the Gospel of Peace be your guide and take you from place to place. Be ready to share the story of Jesus and your story of meeting Jesus.
• Christians are messengers for Jesus. They announce Jesus’ peace and His win in the fight against sin.
• That is what Paul means when he says that Christians put on shoes the same as peace. These shoes help Christians stand ready to fight.
• At the same time, we must understand that Paul doesn’t want us to pick up real weapons and fight against our enemies. The shoes are only a word picture for the good news that fills hearts with God’s peace.
• Our feet must always be ready to share the gospel we have received, bringing peace to people's hearts. We should not "kill" or "defeat" our opponents. We should encourage them to switch sides and embrace the "gospel of peace."
𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲: 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝, 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝
𝐼. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑:
• Made of wood covered with leather and adorned with metal, the shield could completely protect a crouching soldier and prevent arrows or sword strikes from harming him.
• God is our shield (Psalm 3:3; 18:2). By faith, we face the conflict with complete trust in His protection. It is faith that will extinguish the darts of trials that the wicked one seeks to use against us.
𝐼𝐼. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑚𝑒𝑡:
• The Roman metal helmet had various pieces that protected the soldier's neck and cheeks, ensuring complete head protection.
• Our thoughts must be focused on the salvation that God has secured for us and the hope that this salvation will soon materialize in an eternal life without sin (1 Thessalonians 5:8).
𝐼𝐼𝐼. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡:
• With a length of half a meter and a straight, double-edged blade, the Roman sword allowed the soldier to both defend against enemy blows and counterattack.
• Paul speaks of the word of God as "sharper than any two-edged sword; it pierces to the division of soul and spirit" (Hebrews 4:12). This is the only weapon capable of turning the enemy into an ally.
𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲: 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫
• At the end of his war sermon, Paul asks his readers, as God’s soldiers, to pray for all Christians everywhere (Ephesians 6:18).
• In Roman times, armies prayed to their gods on the battlefield to help them win the war. In the face of the impending battle, Jehoshaphat called the people to bow in prayer before God (2 Chronicles 20:18).
• Even more so in the spiritual struggle in which we are immersed, prayer plays a primary role. It allows us to connect with our General, presenting our perplexities and receiving His instructions.
• 𝑃𝑎𝑢𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟:
(𝟏) 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞:
(𝑎) "𝐴𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠." We should never cease to pray, even when we do not see an immediate answer (Luke 18:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).
(𝑏) "𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡." The Holy Spirit transforms our prayers with "groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26 NIV)
(𝟐) 𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬:
- We should supplicate "for all the saints." We are not alone in the fight; we must support one another through intercessory prayer.
(𝟑) 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬:
- "𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒." Those called to proclaim the gospel especially need the prayers of believers to boldly present the message ("with confidence" NIV).
𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Our lesson this week reminds us that we are nearing the evil day (Ephesians 6:13) when God’s people will fight the final war in the battle against evil. We are all soldiers in Jesus’ army. So, we need to be loyal to God and to each other. When we join Christ’s army, we will be attacked by the devil and by all the other forces of evil that are working in us, as well. For this assault, we need the armor of God and the weapon of proclaiming His gospel of peace.
__________________________________
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__voVCEZo3w
