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Stand & Pray

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V10, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

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V11, Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. …V13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

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• The word “schemes” in Greek is “methodeia.”

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V11, Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. …13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

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• Paul tells the Ephesians to stand firm four times (v11, v13 twice, and v14).

• Stand firm in the church (of Ephesus).

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Eph 4:14, Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

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V12, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

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• First, the struggle is against the demonic force in the city of Ephesus.

• Second, the struggle is against the evil structure in the Roman society.

• In Romans 13:1-7, the government is the servant of God but in Revelation 13:1-18, the government is the beast who becomes an ally with the devil.

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V14, Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

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16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

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• The six pieces of armor are not external body armor - like the thick skin of a rhino.

• They are internal armor - like the skull that protects the brain, and the rib cage that protects the heart and lungs.

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• The first item is truth.

• As a church, we need to relate to one another with sincerity and integrity - we can’t be duplicitous with one another.

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• The second item is righteousness.

• Our righteousness is from Christ and it is not based on our merits.

• Phil 3:9, (I, Paul) be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

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• The third item is peace.

• The good news of peace is God made peace with us while we were still His enemies.

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• Romans 10:15, And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

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• The fourth item is faith.

• Our faith in Christ shields us from the accusations of the devil.

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• The fifth item is salvation.

• The helmet of salvation protects our mind from the evil suggestions of the devil.

• The sixth item is the Word.

• The short Roman sword is the scripture that effectively cuts through the lies and deceptions of the devil.

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• Heb 4:12, For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

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V18, And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

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• Paul reminds the Ephesians to pray (five times in 2 verses).

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• Prayer is wartime communication with our Lord Jesus.

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