WAGING WAR FOR PEACE!

Our communities are becoming increasingly filled with hatred, pain, cruelty, and gross brutality.  Instead of waging war, it is high time we “wage peace.” How can we be agents of peace in a society that has become so selfish and aggressively violent?

We are continuing our study of the Book of Ephesians. This week, we are continuing our look at Ephesians 6:10-20. The emphasis is still on unity and war, but not war, as we see it on TV or in the movies. Paul is recruiting brave soldiers willing to fight for peace. How do we become members of this army that is waging war for peace?

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Let Us Inviting God’s Presence:

God Most High, we join your army in this war against evil.  Help us to keep our eyes on our commander and chief and obey his commands.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (Split)

One of my favorite books is John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress while he was in jail. The book is a story, an allegory, about a man named Christian and his journey to the Celestial City. On his journey, one of Christian’s stops is a palace, where he is a guest. In the palace is a room filled with different weapons, which the Lord of the palace had provided for pilgrims. These weapons are for the soldiers who are in the Lord’s army. In this room, it says Christian was shown “all manner of furniture [weaponry], which their Lord had provided for pilgrims, a sword, shield, helmet, breastplate, all-prayer, and shoes that would not wear out. And there was here enough of this to harness [fit] out as many men for the service of the Lord, as there be stars in the heaven for multitude.” (Split)

Before Christian leaves the palace to continue his journey to the Celestial City, he is taken back to this room where it says, “They harnessed [fitted] him from head to foot with what was of proof [impenetrable], lest, perhaps, he should meet with assaults in the way.”

This suit was to protect Christian against future attacks during his journey to the Celestial City.

Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress in 1678, 1,600 years after Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians.

Like John Bunyan, Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians from jail.

In Ephesians, Paul sees those who accept Christ as a great army in which each member enters God’s armory room and suits up, putting on a divine full suit of armor. In God’s armory room, there is a battle suit for every member of His army. This suit of armor will keep us safe. It covers us in steel from head to toe. It keeps us safe as we move forward on this earth, waging peace in the Name of Jesus, our Commander and Chief.

This war for peace is not one that we must fight alone. Who fights this battle with us? Read Ephesians 6:10-20 and  Continue to Part 2: The Church A Unified Army

Ephesians

(Lesson 13)

Waging Peace

Part 2 The Church: A Unified Army

In Ephesians 6:10–20, Paul insists that our warfare is not against humans. Our warfare is not to be waged against flesh and blood but “against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12, R. V.)  

In fact, Paul is not talking about our own personal fight against evil. He is talking about the war against evil that involves the whole church. What does this say? We cannot expect to stand alone in this warfare. Thus, God expects us to be united. Therefore, we must be a  member of the church’s body. If you are fighting this battle alone, you are sure to lose. Therefore, we must unite with God’s commandment-keeping body of believers that have Jesus as their commander and chief. We are to unite with God’s army the church, and help wage the war for peace.

We, the church of God, are contending with supernatural forces, but we are assured of supernatural help. All the intelligences of heaven are in this army.—The Desire of Ages, p. 352.

Paul in Ephesians 6:10-20 depicts the church as a unified army waging peace. Greeks and Romans won wars not by each soldier fighting war as an individual. All the soldiers in their armies supported and helped each other in the heat of the battle.

Those attempting to fight a battle individually were seen as barbarian warriors who were doomed to defeat. Hence, Greek and Roman army leaders instructed their soldiers not to behave the same as barbarians. These wild men didn’t follow orders and tried to do things their own way. Thus, their behavior and actions repeatedly caused their armies to lose against the Greeks and the Romans. Fighting solo is a sure formula for defeat.

When we understand this idea, we can better understand what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 6:10–20.

Thus, Paul in Ephesians 6:10–20 is addressing God’s body of believers, the church. He is appealing to the church to become unified in its fight against evil; rather than each member attempting to fight this battle alone, he wants God’s body of believers to see their war for peace as a shared battle against evil. Here are some reasons we can be sure that Paul is encouraging us to unite in this war for peace.

• Ephesians 6:10–20 is the final part of a letter in which Paul addresses the church. Therefore, it would be strange for Paul to end his letter with the image of a Christian warrior fighting against evil alone. This quickly opens the door to despondency and discouragement.
• At the end of Ephesians 6:10–20, Paul calls for Christian camaraderie. In Ephesians 6:18-20, he asks the Ephesian Christians to join in prayer for “all of God’s people.”
• Finally, and most importantly, earlier in his letter, in Ephesians 3:10, Paul talks about the war that the whole church fights against evil. This war isn’t fought only by one person.

So, Ephesians 6:10–20 doesn’t depict an image of a warrior fighting against evil alone. He instead addresses the church as an army.

So, he speaks to the church the same way a general gives a battle speech to his army. Paul orders the church as a unified body to put on God’s battle suit (God’s full armor) and fight vigorously and unitedly in this war against evil.

It says in the Book Testimonies to the Church vol 5: The church of Christ may be fitly compared to an army. The life of every soldier is one of toil, hardship, and danger. On every hand are vigilant foes, led on by the prince of the powers of darkness, who never slumbers and never deserts his post. (Split)

Whenever a Christian is off his guard, this powerful adversary makes a sudden and violent attack. Unless the members of the church are active and vigilant, they will be overcome by his devices.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 394.

So far, Paul has used various metaphors or imagery to talk about God’s church. He compared the church to Jesus’ body in Ephesians 1:22, 23; Ephesians 4:1–16, a building/temple that belongs to God in Ephesians 2:19–22, and Jesus’ bride in Ephesians 5:21–33.

Finally, in Ephesians 6:13, Paul depicts the church as the army of God.

The point is that we are nearing the “evil day” when God’s people, the church, will fight the final war in the battle against evil.

We are all soldiers in Jesus’ army. So, it is time now that we be loyal to God and to each other.

Eternal interests are at stake here. We must put on the whole armor of God; we must resist the devil. When we do this, we have the sure promise that he will be put to flight.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, pp. 394, 395.

As a corporate body united in Christ around the world, we work together in the cosmic battle against evil in whatever form it presents itself. It, therefore, is in our best interest to suit up for battle. How can we be sure we are fully dressed? Continue to part 3: Belt and Breastplate

Ephesians

(Lesson 13)

Waging Peace

Part 3 Belt and Breastplate

In Ephesians 6:10-20 Paul paints us a picture of Christians getting ready for the battle against evil. Similar to what Paul tells us

Isaiah says in Isaiah 11:5

5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. 

I Peter 4:1 tells us.

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, (I Peter 4:1)

And I Peter 5:8 lets us know that we must

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (I Peter 5:8)

Finally, Romans 8:37-39 reminds us that

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 

39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

Paul in Ephesians 6:13 warns us of an intense battle that is coming. Here in Ephesians 6:11 and 13, he prepares us for his fourth and final call to stand. This battle will be the last battle between good and evil, just before Jesus comes back.

Paul expresses the desire in Ephesians 6:14–17 for Christians to be ready for this fight. He tells us what to do to get ready in Ephesians 6:13.

In Paul’s time, clothes were long and loose-fitting. So, people needed to tie their clothes up around their waists before they started working or fighting. Notice what it says in Luke 12:35, 37, in terms of tying up clothes to work. (Split)

35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;

37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. (Luke 12:35, 37)

And Luke 17:8

8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? (Luke 17:8)

Paul’s point is that Christians must do the same thing that Roman soldiers did before going to battle. A Roman soldier put a leather military belt with decorative belt plates and buckles around his waist. 

From the belt hung a number of leather straps covered with metal discs, together forming an “apron” worn as a badge of rank for visual effect. The belt was used to tie up their clothes while holding other items in place.

You see, Paul compares the truth to a belt. We must understand that we don’t own this “belt.” This belt belongs to God. It is a gift. The truth is a gift from God, just like salvation, as expressed in Ephesians 2:8. 

This gift of salvation is more than a mere idea, however. To experience God’s gift of truth, we must accept it and make it a part of our lives. So, we must “put on” God’s truth the same as we put on clothes. In a sense, we do not so much possess God’s truth as God’s truth possesses and protects them. Thus, it says in the Book God’s Amazing Grace:

“There is absolutely no safeguard against evil but truth. No man can stand firm for right in whose heart the truth does not abide. There is only one power that can make and keep us steadfast—the power of God, imparted to us through the grace of Christ…The Lord calls upon all who believe His word to awake out of sleep”.—God’s Amazing Grace, p. 30.

Next, Paul urges believers to put on the “breastplate of righteousness.”

Notice what it says about the breastplate in the following texts.

I Thessalonians 5:8

8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. (I Thessalonians 5:8)

This chest covering is from God, the same as the belt; it is of divine origin, being part of the armor of Yahweh in His role as the divine warrior.

Talking about the battle suit, Isaiah 59:17 tells us:

17 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak. (Isaiah 59:17) 

In Paul’s day, many Roman battle suits (body armor) were made from small iron rings that were connected together. It scales armor with small, overlapping scales of bronze or iron or bands of overlapping iron fastened together. The Roman covering protected the heart and other vital organs in the chest and belly from the enemy.

In the same way, Christians must accept the spiritual protection that God offers them when He gives them His holy life as a covering. Jesus’ holy life includes His righteousness.

In Ephesians 4:24; and Ephesians 5:9, Paul associates righteousness with holiness, goodness, and truth.

Therefore, when we put on this part of the battlesuit in our fight for peace, Our lives will change when we let Jesus live in our hearts. When this happens, we will respect others, be fair to them, and treat them justly. But God’s armor does not end with the belt and breastplate. There are other pieces. What are they? Find out in Part 4, Shoes: The Church Wages Peace (Split)

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