Tonight we conclude this marvelous book…it’s been a privilege to walk with you through this small book but one packed with doctrinal truth and practical exhortation

Remember the theme we’ve used from our first night: Fitted Together: the Church as the Body of Christ -- we’ve learned that our salvation is solely the work of God, accomplished by God on our behalf while we were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2.1); that we are saved “by grace through faith” in Ephesians 2.8-9; and we’ve learned how to live in the truth that we are the body of Christ -- together with all other believers in this new society, the new humanity created by and for Jesus…we’ve learned to walk in a manner worthy of our calling; to live consistent with the fact that we have put off the old self and put on the new self; we’ve examined in detail the “household code” of relationships, and now we close the book with Paul’s explanation of how to engage in spiritual warfare, wearing the whole armor of God and armed with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

Turn with me to Ephesians 6.16-24 and we’ll read God’s word together

16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 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,19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.

23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

Let’s pray together

As we begin tonight, I’d like to spend a few minutes reviewing Paul’s prelude to the discussion of the whole armor of God…Paul begins this final section of the book with the word “Finally” 

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 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. 

I mentioned last week that one way to understand verses 10-12 is to see it as a soldier today would see it…the commander’s intent…the rules of engagement…and the intelligence assessment

Verse 10 fills the place of the commander’s intent, which conveys the direction and objectives of the commander, so that everyone is aware of the purpose of the operation and are prepared to support as required -- we are to operate in His strength, never in the power of our own flesh and ability…the rules of engagement are in verse 11…the Rules of Engagement, or ROE, are provided to everyone so that they know places to go or avoid, what equipment to have on your person and in what configuration, and even what uniform to wear…we are to operate using the equipment provided by the commander…in our case, the whole armor of God, half of which we examined last week, the other half we will examine tonight…and in fact, to never take it off…and verse 12 would be our intelligence assessment, giving us a detailed look at our adversary in the area of responsibility, or AOR…you can’t engage in this war without understanding who your enemy is, and in our case, we are up against, arguably, the most powerful and malevolent created being in the universe, Satan Himself, and his army of fallen angels, the demons of Hell

How are we doing so far? No worries, right? Actually, that’s true…Satan’s already defeated, but until he is fully and finally destroyed by God, he remains our adversary…and we even know his order of battle -- how he intends to prosecute this fight -- using the “schemes of the devil” -- the Greek word here is ‘methodeia’ (3180), to work by method, following or pursuing an orderly and technical procedure in the handling of a subject; translated in the Complete Jewish Bible as “the deceptive tactics of the Adversary”

And we learned that this fight is personal -- it isn’t a distant engagement, it’s hand-to-hand combat; and it’s supernatural -- our enemy is spirit, not flesh and blood, so you generally won’t even see who you’re fighting; and we must use the equipment from our commander, especially his power and strength 

So we need to understand this truth: we must be prepared and armored up so we can resist and withstand the deceptive tactics the Enemy will use to attempt to kill us

II Corinthians 10.3-4

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 

We walk in the flesh as human beings -- but we don’t fight in the flesh. The weapons from God don’t have human power -- they have divine power to destroy strongholds, rendering ‘ochuroma’ (3794), in this context a metaphor for human arguments against God…these weapons have divine power to pull down strongholds of unbelief and doubt and rejection…our weapon is the Word of God, wielded with praise and worship…that’s how we fight our battles, for our weapon is a melody, just as Ephesians 5.19 says that we “…addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart”

What is his base of operations? This lost and dying world. 

I John 5.19     19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

And one day, not many days from now, the Enemy will be fully and finally defeated, never to rise again, and the Kingdom of God will be established and will reign forevermore…but until that day, we have to remember that every day, we wake up in a war zone

Now let’s turn to tonight’s passage

I. The Whole Armor of God, Part II                     6.16-17

16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 

Paul now turns to the final three articles of our armor…beginning with the shield of faith

The Roman soldier had two shields in his equipment kit: a small round shield used for close-in combat with a single adversary, called a ‘clipeus’, and a larger, heavier shield, called the ‘scutum’ that would be used in unit engagements…the scutum was traditionally made of layered wood, covered with linen and then animal hide, bound at the top and bottom with iron and curved from side to side, as if it were a portion of a cylinder…clearly not appropriate for any type of combat that required quickness or agility…it was about four feet high and two and a half feet wide…it was used in the phalanx formation I mentioned last week, in which twenty to thirty or more Roman infantry soldiers would arrange themselves in a formation called the “tortoise” in which every soldier turned his shield outward on all sides of the rectangular formation, including above them, in a sense attaching them to each other…then when the enemy archers shot the flaming arrows toward the Roman army, the arrows would just thud into the shields to no effect…if you’ve seen the film “300” there is a scene very similar to what I just described

One thing we need to understand about this shield, and what it represents in our lives as believers, is that this shield was meant for operations alongside other soldiers…this is a very pointed illustration that Christianity is a community…our faith, while personally ours, is lived out in the context of a body, a group, together with others, not alone…if this book of Ephesians has taught us anything, it has taught us that we are meant to live life together, that we are a body, THE body of Christ…

What would happen if the enemy launched a volley of flaming arrows, and a Roman soldier broke ranks, dropped his shield, and stepped into the open? He would be dead…even with the armor, a few of those arrows would get through the armor, or hit the uncovered arms or legs or neck…we need each other in this battle…Paul’s illustrative choice of the large shield, the scutum, over the smaller shield, the clipeus, tells us that the church isn’t meant to be a collection of rugged individuals, but a team; in terms of a Roman legion, we are a phalanx, as it were, a single formation with many soldiers, or from the perspective of Ephesians or First Corinthians, we are one body with many members…each of us depends on the others in the body as we take on our mutual Enemy, our Adversary, Satan and his demons

So what does this look like in the life of a believer? It comes down depending on this shield of faith, to trust in God, even in the midst of the battle. It’s one thing to believe in God in a somewhat academic sense, to acknowledge His reality when you’re not in the heat and confusion and chaos of war…when you aren’t surrounded by the Evil One launching “flaming darts” at you…the real test isn’t trusting God when times are easy, it’s trusting God when times are hard, when the flaming darts of doubt, and rejection, and failure, and loss, and despair, and disappointment, and discouragement, and weakness, and lust, and criticism, and hypocrisy, and pride, and anger, and wrath, and rebellion, and fear are aimed right at your head and heart…it’s always easier to be a soldier before the shooting starts, not after…but we don’t get that choice…when you come to faith in Jesus, you now have your shield, and the commander says to use it

We have to cover ourselves with our faith, and sometimes we have to cover our brothers and sisters, too. Ever leaned on someone else’s faith when yours was lacking? Ever lifted a brother or sister up when they were hurting? That’s part of what it means to be a family, a fellowship, a body…we are many, yet we are one…

We see many pictures of saving faith, protecting faith in the Scriptures…I’ll highlight just two

Luke 8.49-56, the healing of Jairus’s daughter

49 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” 50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” 

In the worst moment of this young couple’s lives, Jesus says a remarkable thing: don’t fear -- trust Me. In the presence of faith and trust, God does miraculous things…but let us never forget: what makes the difference isn’t so much simply the act of faith or trust in someone or something…the critical difference in faith is the object of that faith…in what -- or in Whom -- have you placed your faith -- in this case, the difference wasn’t that the parents believed something…it was that they trusted in Jesus and His Word

We see a similar situation in John 11 as Jesus talks with Martha… 

John 11.25-27

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.

Jesus doesn’t simply call for faith, as if faith by itself saved; no, He says “Whoever believes in Me…everyone who lives and believes in Me” will never die…and then He calls for that faith from Martha: “Do you believe this?”

Ephesians 2.8-9 tells us that we don’t generate or create our faith on our own…our faith is a gift from God…

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

When our gracious Father grants us faith, and we hear the gospel, the sound that faith makes is “I believe” -- “yes, Lord, I place my trust in You”

So how’s your spiritual battle going? Are you daily placing your trust in Jesus and His Word? Are you on the battlefield catching flaming arrows with that faith? And are you a resource alongside your brothers and sisters who might need the encouragement you can give? 

The next article of the armor of God is the helmet of salvation

17 and take the helmet of salvation,

Paul simply says to “take” the helmet…we know why…because nothing is going to take you off the battlefield faster than blow to the head…you might survive an injury elsewhere, but probably not to the head…I know that if sleeping soldiers are awakened by an attack, they’ll reach for two things first -- their helmet and their weapon…if you let me have only two things, those are the two things I’ll choose… 

We can understand this helmet in two different ways

One way is what I’ll call present tense…we are saved today, now, and in the present, we experience the blessings of the salvation of God…according to Ephesians 1.4 the Father’s good intention and plan for His people was to bring them to salvation, at the right time and place…He assures us of that when Paul says that …He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him 

We experience and can describe this present tense salvation in many ways: we are forgiven for our sins through the sacrificial and atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross…His shed blood covers our sins and our guilt is taken away…we are also delivered from our bondage to Satan and the enslaving power of sin, along with freedom from the eternal penalty of sin; and we experience the blessing of adoption into God’s eternal family, the body of Christ, with all that means for our life in the church

But the other way we can understand the helmet of salvation is in the future tense…some of those blessings would include our full and final resurrection into our glorified bodies, entrance into God’s eternal Kingdom, and experiencing our home with God forever in the new heavens and the new earth alongside our brothers and sisters in the Lord, having received the rewards that the Lord sees as fitting for each of us

We understand this as living in the tension between the “already” and the “not yet” -- but this helmet of salvation protects in both ways -- we rely on the truth of our salvation now for the power and confidence we need to do battle with the forces of this present darkness…but we also lean fully upon the truth that our destiny is assured, that nothing in all of creation can shake our final blessing in Jesus -- so much so that in Romans 8.30 Paul speaks of our future salvation, called glorification in this passage, in the past tense, in language that reminds us of Ephesians 1 and 2… 

Romans 8.29-30  

 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

And in definitive terms, Paul assures us of our current and eternal union with Jesus Christ… 

Romans 8.35-39

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

   we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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.

Nothing can separate you from Jesus and His love for you. Your helmet of salvation is buckled on by the Son of God Himself -- rest in His protection and preservation.

So how is your spiritual battle going? Are you secure in the knowledge that you are fully and finally saved? And you’re not listening to the Enemy’s lies that God would never love you, or that even if you are saved that if you sin badly enough, God will take it all away, are you? I trust you are wearing your helmet of salvation all the time to defeat the attacks and lies of your Adversary

The third and final article of the whole armor of God is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

The word “sword” renders the Gr word ‘machaira’ (3162), a relatively short sword, about 18 inches in length, double-edged, with a hilt of sorts above the handle…it would be used in close-in fights or other situations requiring a combination of quickness and lethality… for the Roman soldier, the alternative to the machaira was the rhomphaia, or greatsword, often used in Scripture to picture judgment…

We are reminded of the scripture from the author of Hebrews comparing the Word of God to a two-edged sword, here again the word ‘machiaira’

Hebrews 4.12

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

Here in Ephesians 6, Paul makes a direct comparison -- the metaphorical sword of the Spirit is the word of God…and we would probably expect the Gr word ‘logos’ to be the source of the English translation “word” -- but it is not

“Word” renders the Gr word ‘rhema’ (4487)…’logos’ is the expression of thought, memorably used in John 1.1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   

“Rhema” instead stands for the subject matter of the word or the thing that is spoken about…this understanding led Dr. James Montgomery Boice to define ‘rhema’ as a specific word of God, indeed a specific Scripture…’rhema’ is also used in Romans 10.17 in that sense…

Romans 10.17         17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

And in this very book, in chapter 5 verse 26

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

Which we would understand as the Scripture, specific words from God…

It’s used also in I Peter chapter 1, again related to the Scriptural word of God

I Peter 1.24-25         24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

The word that is preached or taught, a specific portion of the Scripture, God’s Word, would be a ‘rhema’, God’s specific Word

Why does this distinction matter? Because the ‘rhema’ of God is our only offensive weapon…our sword is defined as specific Scripture truths, not God’s general expression of thought…’logos’ is still a vitally important concept, without question, however, when we engage in close-in combat with Satan’s demons, the weapon you will want to have in your hand is the Word of God, chapter and verse

Let’s take as our example the way the Lord Jesus responded to Satan in the Wilderness Temptations…

Matthew 4.1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 

3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 

4 But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

   but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

[Deut 8.3: 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”]

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up,

   lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

[Psalm 91.11-12: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”]

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

[Deut 6.16: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.”]

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God

   and him only shall you serve.’”

[ Deut 6.13: 13 It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.]

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

As always, following Jesus’s example is a very good idea…we need to be prepared in order to respond to the temptations and attacks and assaults of the Evil One and his minions…if Jesus can respond with three quotations from the book of Deuteronomy, I think most of us, me included, can be more diligent at understanding the Scriptures and preparing to defend ourselves against the attacks we know are coming…

Let me encourage you to consider where you have endured temptations from the Enemy before…was it in the area of money? Use of your time? Diligence in prayer? A desire for recognition, fame, or status? What about sexuality? Pornography? Alcohol or drugs? Controlling your speech? Excessive or inappropriate anger? In relationships? There are a lot of vulnerable areas for all of us -- and Satan already knows what yours are. Have you invested some time and effort in identifying and memorizing Scriptures which are useful to turn back the temptations when they come your way? 

The Word of God -- His direct, specific, and relevant word -- is the only offensive weapon you have. Jesus has shown us how to use it…now it’s our turn to prepare as He has shown us. 

So how’s your spiritual battle going? Are you practicing with your only offensive weapon, the word of God, His specific and relevant word? Are you aware of your weaknesses, where the enemy is likely to attack, and prepared to defend and resist at that point? 

II. The Primacy of Prayer                           6.18-20

18 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,19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Now Paul turns to the task that relates to all the articles of armor, including the sword…the critically important issue of prayer

He even gives us his mental outline through his word choice: specifically, the word “all”

“All times”

Are you serious, Paul? At all times? 

In a list of short imperative statements in the book of I Thessalonians, chapter 5, Paul includes this three-word direction

I Thessalonians 5.17      17 pray without ceasing 

Yes, I do believe Paul means it…so how can we implement that in our lives? What does the apostle mean when he says to pray “at all times”? It’s true that we can’t verbally be in a state of prayer at all times, but it’s also true that we CAN spiritually stay in a state of prayer…we are all capable, with practice, of ordering our thoughts on more than one level at a time…for example, while we are engaged in daily activities of life or business or school, we can, at a deeper level, remain engaged with the Spirit of God in an attitude of prayer such that we are conscious of praise to God, the needs of others and ourselves, of thanksgiving as we encounter blessings in life, of the need of confession when sin arises, for strength when temptations come…

It is not just possible, but commanded, that we remain connected with the Spirit of God in communion and communication throughout the course of our day

Certainly we are not to wait for only certain times or circumstances…such as mealtimes, set periods of quiet times, or prayer times within congregational events or services…while those are all worthwhile and important, if we find that we do not turn to God in anything like prayer during other times of the day or week, then I believe we must reexamine our prayer lives and see what might be lacking

“With all prayer and supplication”

If we are to pray at all times, then certainly we are to learn to pray for more than one or two types of things…

When believers are newborn, just birthed into the kingdom of God, it is common for them to regard asking for God’s blessings to be the extent of what the Scripture means by “prayer,” for sadly, that’s much, if not most, of what is heard in churches and group settings for believers…but just as children should not come to their parents only to ask for things, Christians should not come to our heavenly Father only to ask for things…there is so much more to say and to hear

If you have not developed the habit of a variety of conversations with God, let me encourage you to consider this tool to avoid the habit of falling into the rut of only asking for blessings in prayer…it’s a simple acrostic -- A C T S

Adoration: begin by praying praise to God…turn to Psalms 33, 47, and Psalms 145 through 150 for examples of Scriptures in the Psalms that do just that

Confession: after praising God, it’s time to bring your known sins before Him in repentance…if you need a starting point, try Psalm 51

Thanksgiving: there is so much for which we should thank the Lord God…look to Psalm 138, among others, to get started

Supplication: consider I Peter 5.7 and Psalms 18, 31, and 69, and don’t forget Matthew 7.7-12…He does care for you, and delights in meeting the needs of His people

“All perseverance”

There is a place for persistent or persevering prayer…some might say it shows a lack of faith to ask God more than once for a blessing, but Luke 18.1-8 seems to indicate otherwise…

Luke 18.1-8

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Note the purpose of the parable -- we should always pray and not lose heart…don’t give up praying 

Matthew 20.29-34

29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

Both examples show us that Jesus responds to persistent, faith-filled prayer -- I think that’s what Paul is encouraging us to pursue as he says to pray with “all perseverance”

“All the saints”

Who are you praying for? Is it basically your family, friends, and yourself? If so, and that’s true for many of us, then Paul would remind us that we are to pray for “all the saints” 

But what does that mean? Many of us pray for people on a spectrum of sorts…we definitely pray for ourselves, and often for people we know personally, and sometimes for people we know about but whom we don’t know personally -- those we hear of in a prayer request or perhaps through some internet or social media source -- but I think few of us are consistently praying for people in roles, offices, and ministry positions, or Christians we don’t know around the world…

What might that prayer list look like? 

One way to think of this is to consider two groups, which admittedly will overlap at some points, but let’s start with “all the saints” -- as Paul notes in Galatians 6, we are to do good to everyone, but our brothers and sisters in Christ are to enjoy our special care and love…

Galatians 6.9-10

 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Our “household of faith” would include all believers, not just those in our group or our church… Christians, churches, pastor-teachers, evangelists, elders, those we know who are in need or hurting, the sick, those who are persecuted, those on the mission field; you could pray specifically for areas, states, region, or countries…for believers all over the world…you don’t have to know everything they are going through, but as we are able to learn all we can about the work of the gospel around the world, it will certainly inform our prayers…

Also, Paul urges Timothy to lead the church at Ephesus to pray more comprehensively

I Timothy 2.1-2

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Who is included here? Local, state, national, and international leaders, those in authority, faculty and staff in educational settings, the military, first responders, health care workers, those who work in the food and services supply chains, utilities workers, people in nursing homes, widows, orphans, prisoners, the poor, those in addiction, the homeless

For what do we pray? For their those in high positions, as Paul would say, I suggest for them to lead and serve in a truly godly way…for others, for God’s sustenance and blessings; for the poorest and weakest among us, that God would raise up His church to serve those most in need

At a national level, I would suggest using II Chronicles 7.14 as a model

II Chronicles 7.14

14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 

That pretty much says it…such a call to prayer was once called a “solemn assembly,” when God’s people would turn back to God in prayer and repentance…if there was ever a time for a movement like that, it is now

And lastly, Paul asks the Ephesians to pray for him as he is still imprisoned under house arrest in Rome even as he writes the letter we’re reading tonight…but look at what he asks them to pray for…

19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

He prays for the words to preach -- something every preacher or teacher prays for, and asks that others pray for as well -- now Paul returns to the same place from which he began the book, speaking to the mystery of the gospel

And for freedom -- not his own freedom, but the freedom of the gospel, that it might go forth unhindered, even if Paul himself could not…he only asks for boldness as he is an ambassador in chains

III. Closing Benedictions                           6.21-24

21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.

23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

As Paul closes this magnificent book of Ephesians 

Tychicus -- four other references in NT in addition to this one in Ephesians

Acts 20.1-6

4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. 

Luke names Tychicus as a companion of Paul as early as Acts 20…and in Colossians, Paul refers to him as he does in Ephesians, as a personal messenger, “a beloved brother and faithful minister” -- in the book of Titus, Tychicus serves again as a trusted messenger, and then in the last book Paul wrote, II Timothy, Tychicus is again a trusted companion whom Paul sends to the church of Ephesus…he was one of Paul’s closest co-laborers, but one whom we know little about…but I look forward to meeting him in heaven

 And now we come to the end of the book…

23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

Paul shares four desires for the Ephesians: peace, love, faith, and grace

From whence do these blessings come? From God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…for there is no other source…and Paul closes with a simple statement -- grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love undying and incorruptible

Thus ends the book of Ephesians.

As we close both this book and this series, I am grateful to God for the opportunity to attempt to teach this book -- it is a privilege beyond words to do this, and I recognize that I will never deserve this but all I can hope for is that this effort, in some way, gives glory solely to God…may we seek His Face above all else and as we confess and repent our sins, that we may seek to glorify only Him

In the Name of the Sovereign Lord let’s pray together