Tag Archives: Bible Study

Battle Plan – Strategy 7 – The Reason for God’s Wrath

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(The list of these strategies in chart form can be found here.)

Strategy 7: I realize that participating in and supporting immoral, sexual activities is making me a part of the reason God’s wrath is coming on the world.

 In Ephesians 5:3 we read the following:

“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;” (Ephesians 5:3, NKJV)

Paul continues listing various sins and then concludes with this:

“For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.” (Ephesians 5:5–7, NKJV)

Paul gives another such list in 1 Corinthians:

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9–10, NKJV)

So God is saying that people who live in the life styles listed here will not inherit the kingdom of Christ and God. Now before you get too self-righteous, be sure to notice that he doesn’t include just the sexually immoral. He also includes those who are characterized by covetousness, idolatry, drunkenness, and thievery and swindlers among those who will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Then he goes on (in Ephesians 5)  to tell us why we shouldn’t involve ourselves with these sorts of behaviors. The reason is because these sins are the reason why God’s wrath will come upon the earth. How can we justifiably participate in activities that are the cause of God’s judgment? It doesn’t make any sense for children of God to live in this way. Add to that the thought that others, maybe even some friends, who live in a similar way, or who get involved in such activities with us — these other people who don’t know Christ will perish for all eternity. What will they think of you who participated with them and encouraged them by your participation, are now enjoying eternal salvation while they are condemned. The whole picture doesn’t make sense.

When we come to Christ there is a basic change in our nature. In this same passage in verse 8, Paul writes:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8, NKJV)

There is a change. We’ve gone from darkness to light. It makes no sense to have fellowship or common bond with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph 5:11).

Priority Goal 7: Today, every time I am tempted to look at or participate in anything that God says is wrong, I will remind myself that it is because of these very things that God’s wrath is coming. Do I want to be a part of God’s reason for judging the world?

Battle Plan – Strategy 6 – Avoid the Second Look

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Strategy 6: I’ve learned to control my eyes by avoiding the second look. I have made commitments not to look on or lust after evil.

Consider Job’s testimony: ““I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman?” (Job 31:1, NKJV)

Also consider this commitment from David: “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.” (Psalm 101:3, NKJV)

These are examples of two men who made the decision not to take that second look. Sometimes we cannot help what we see at first, but we can turn our eyes away from those things which incite us to lust for things which God has forbidden.

Lust is the kind of thing that is never satisfied. We think that we will be satisfied if we just take one more look, or one more bite, or view one more scene. But lust is going to come back stronger and will demand more and more from us. It is a powerful force!

When Eve was tempted to eat the fruit which God had commanded her not to eat, she looked at it too long. Look what the Scripture says, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6, NKJV). She first noticed that it was good for food. Then as she looked at it, she realized that it was also pleasant to look at. The more she listened to the serpent and thought about the fruit, she began to think that it could make her wise as well. She didn’t turn away after the first temptation as she should have done.

In Daniel 1:8 we learn that Daniel had purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king’s food. This was a decision he had made ahead of time. We need to make that determination in our hearts and before God that we will respond in righteous ways when temptation is placed in front of us. Trying to make those decisions on the fly doesn’t work.

Priority Goal 6: Today I determine not to take that second look when confronted with any kind of temptation.

Battle Plan – Strategy 5 – Put on the Armor

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Strategy 5: I have put on the whole armor of God so that I will be able to be standing when each skirmish is over.

Paul gives us this admonition in Ephesians 6: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10–11, NKJV)

We already discussed the fact that our strength and power comes from the Lord. As we work, He works (Philippians 2:12-13). Paul tells us here in Ephesians that we are to be strong in the power of His might. Obviously we are not strong in our own might. Our defeats day by day are enough evidence of that.

In order to stand against the schemes and tricks of the devil, we are to put on the whole armor of God as explained in this passage. There are pieces of armor for the head and for all the other parts of the body. They are mostly defensive, but He has given us the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, as our offensive weapon. We are to put the armor on. It won’t put itself on.

Why do we need this armor? Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of wickedness. This is a dirty battle and the enemy is deceitful and cruel. Therefore we need all the protection we can get.

We need the belt of truth. Don’t believe the lies, even the lies you tell yourself. Know the truth and base your life on it.

We need the breastplate of righteousness. This cannot be our own righteousness because our righteousness is porous – full of holes. Paul writes in Philippians: “[that I might] be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;” (Philippians 3:9, NKJV)

We need God’s righteousness as our breastplate.

We are to have the gospel as our footwear. We need to preach the gospel to ourselves every single day. Christ died for our sins and paid the death penalty for us. He was raised the third day and is ascended into heaven where He makes intercession for us.

We are to have the shield of faith to quench those fiery darts. Faith is believing God, taking Him at His word. Faith involves acting on what He says. Faith which doesn’t act is not faith. As James tells us, such faith is dead.

We are to have the helmet of salvation. In other words, we are to be a regenerated person. A person who has been given a new heart, a new spirit and new inclinations toward God.

And we are to have the Word of God as our defensive and offensive weapon. Remember how Jesus responded to the temptations Satan brought him?  He said, “It is written.” We must know and use our Bibles effectively.

Priority Goal 5: Today I will make sure I have the armor on. I will think through the components of God’s armor and make sure I am securely protected by them. I will do this consciously and intentionally with my mind and heart focused on its importance for a successful battle. So that having done all, I will still be standing.

Ephesians 5:19

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“…addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.”

Last time we talked about what it means to be filled with the Spirit. But Paul’s sentence doesn’t end at the end of verse 18.

Beginning in verse 19 he begins to explain some of the natural results of being filled with the Spirit. First, he addresses speaking. He says we will be speaking to one another. How will we speak to one another? In psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

So, I have a question. Is he saying that since we have been filled with the Spirit, as a result we will sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to one another during the 20 minute song time in one of our worship gatherings? I don’t think so.

In the first place, he says speaking, not singing. Second, the speaking is a continuous sort of action used as an adjective. So people who have been filled with the Spirit will be speaking-to-one-another-in-psalms kind of people. I need to ask myself if I’m that kind of person.

Recently I was teaching on the book of Malachi, which in 3:16 says,   “Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.”

When people speak to one another about the things of God, He listens, and, according to Malachi, he makes a note of it in His book.

Would that we could be the kind of people that would have psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs on our minds so that we could and would share these with one another often as we speak to each other.

Also in verse 19, he writes that we should be singing and making melody to the Lord with or in our hearts. As the Spirit fills us moment by moment, there will be a resulting song that arises in our hearts. Words from the Psalms will come to mind as will the lyrics of other godly hymns and spiritual songs that form the basis of much of our Christian meditation. Let me emphasize that this is a result of the filling of the Spirit, not a stand-alone command. The Spirit’s presence in our lives produces fruit, and this kind of speaking and singing is one of those fruits.

Battle Plan – Strategy 4 – Control the Body

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Strategy 4: I have taken control of my body and mind, keeping them in subjection.

Consider the following passages of Scripture:

1 Corinthians 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Romans 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

1 Peter 4:1 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.

In the Christian life we are charged with responsibility to actively pursue the battle for our minds and bodies. We have the promise of God that as we work, He works (Philippians 2:13).

He provides the strength and power to do what needs to be done. In these passages we see Paul’s determination to bring his body into subjection. Our bodies should not rule over us and dictate what we do. Our body has its desires for food, pleasure, and sex, but is not to set the agenda. Paul tells us in Romans 6:12 that we should not allow sin to reign in our mortal body. It’s our responsibility to set the terms for what our body does.

Even the thoughts of our mind are to be brought under control and “into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” That’s not an easy proposition, but nevertheless, is it not impossible because of the victory Christ has already won for us.

Priority Goal 4: Today, I will take control of my body and mind by the power of the Spirit of God at work within me. I will keep my body and mind under subjection to the will of God.

Ephesians 5:18

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“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

We are now into Chapter 5, verse 18. Just as in some of the previous passages, Paul writes and tells us to avoid something. But it never stops there. When there are things to avoid, there are things to replace it with.

So, in verse 18 we are told not to get drunk with wine, but …. Although the drinking of wine is not prohibited in Scripture, being drunk is prohibited. God never permits our losing our self control, turning that control over to the influence of some substance.

Rather, we are to be filled with the Spirit. We are to be under the influence and control of the Spirit, instead of wine or any other substance.

There are several characteristics of this word ‘filled’ that we need to think about. First, it is an imperative. That means it is a command. We are told to do something. Paul is the one writing, but because he is writing under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, we must respond as though it were God speaking directly to us personally.

Second, it is a passive verb. That means we are not the actor. Something or someone else is the actor and we are on the receiving end of that action. The action here is the filling of the Spirit. “Be filled with the Spirit.”

If we are not the actor, how can this be a command? I assume it means that we are to allow or to be open in some way for the action to take place. So what I think is that God is telling us that we need to allow, or open ourselves up to being filled or controlled by the Spirit of God, rather than being controlled by wine.

Suppose when you were a kid, your dad would have told you that your brother needs to practice his football passing skills. He asks you to go out and be the receiver for him for awhile.

While this is kind of a simple example, it shows that you can be directed to go and be on the receiving end of some action over and over for a period of time. To be a good receiver for your brother you have to be alert and prepared to receive the football.

Third, the word is in the present tense. Present tense means now, today. Also, in Greek, the present tense is a continuing action. Therefore, we could think of the command this way: Continually allow yourself, or open yourself up to, being filled with the Spirit, moment by moment, and day by day.

When you go out to be a receiver for your brother, you know that the intention is that you receive the pass more than just one time.

How can we do this? We have busy lives and our minds are in hundreds of different places thinking about things and making decisions all day long.

I think we need to be sure we are having regular times of prayer each day, as well as memorizing and meditating on the Scriptures. If we do this on a regular basis, we will then have the foundational and fundamental mindset that is directed toward God and spiritual things.

If this is our pattern, then, I think, we will be better equipped to yield moment by moment to the Spirit’s filling and control.

Ephesians 5:15-17

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“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Paul begins verse 15 telling us to be careful therefore. Therefore what? We are not to take part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them to the light. Let Christ shine on us. Walk in the light as He is in the light.

Therefore..

Therefore do not be unwise. He doesn’t use the word ‘moronic’ here, but unwise. Being unwise is foolish, but it has a different aspect to it. It emphasizes that there is a wise way to live life, and the warning here is to choose that wise way rather than avoiding it.

So, we are to live as wise people, making the best use of time. Literally it means to buy back the time, to ransom it back to freedom, to noble and godly purposes. We live in evil days. The days have always been evil. But we are to be alert and wise about the way we live. We are to be deliberate about how we use our time. Don’t just fritter it away. Make the best use of it.

Therefore. Because of that admonition to be careful, God tells us not to be foolish or unthinking. Instead, we need to understand what the will of the Lord is. That means we need to spend time learning more about the Lord Jesus, and we need to spend time getting to know Him, i.e., reading His word, meditating on it, and praying. As we spend significant blocks of time in this way, we will understand more and more about what the will of the Lord is. In turn, we will grow in our ability to buy back our time to make it an important tool in living for God.

Ephesians 5:12-13

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Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,

It’s been more than a month since I’ve written in this commentary. Life gets busy and attempts to bring order and discipline in the midst of busy-ness is difficult.

In verse 11, Paul told us that we should not take part in the unfruitful works of darkness. But instead, we are to expose them, to let the light shine in. That is what expose means. He makes his point clear in verse 13. “When anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible.

It’s interesting to me that just as in the discussion about putting off certain things, Paul had added that not only should we put off, but we must put something on. Here in this passage, we should not partake in or even speak of the things they do in secret. But it’s not just a matter of avoiding. There is something to do. The unfruitful works of darkness should be exposed.

Verse 13 tells us that anything exposed by the light becomes visible. Rather than being done in secret, these things must be made visible. But it is a puzzle to me how to shed light on secret, unfruitful behaviors, without speaking about them. It seems as though speaking would be the only way to expose. But perhaps he is saying that speaking is necessary, but it is shameful at the same time. For me at least, this passage is going to take more meditation.

More on this passage next time.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:25 AM July 17, 2021.

Ephesians 5:3

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But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

In the previous chapter Paul taught us the principle of putting off and putting on. Here in chapter 5, we are learning that we should be imitators of God. Here again we are given instruction as to what should be part of our Christian life and what should be avoided.

In verse 3 we are given some additional things that should not be part of our Christian life. The first is sexual immorality. The Greek word here is porneia. We can immediately see that we get our word pornography from this Greek root word. Pornography is basically sexual immorality displayed in word or picture form.

God tells us here that sexual immorality should not even be named among us. Two other things will be included in this list. But think of it! Immorality should not be even named among us. However, in our day, because of our ability to see virtually any immoral behavior portrayed on our computers or phones, porneia is not only named among us, but indulged in enthusiastically. This should not be!

The second thing he says shouldn’t even be named among us is impurity, uncleanness. This fits in with the idea of sexual immorality because we all, especially as young people, knew the difference between a “clean” or a “dirty” joke. We know the kinds of things that pollute our minds and hearts. None of this uncleanness should be representative of our character.

The last thing he mentions in this short list is covetousness. In Colossians 3:5, Paul calls covetousness idolatry. When we covet something, we are revealing the existence of an idol in our lives. Idolatry is not part of the character of a Christian.

These three things, sexual immorality, uncleanness, and covetousness should be put off so that the true character of the new man can be put on.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:16 AM April 14, 2021.

Ephesians 4:1

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I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:1

There’s a transition now from a more “doctrinal” section to what some might say is more practical. He’s basically says, “Because of what I’ve taught you in the first three chapters, I am now going to challenge you to live in a certain way.”

Paul is a prisoner, but the Ephesians were out there living their lives. He urges them to live in a way that fits the calling that they have received.

We as believers, have been called out of the world and into a relationship with Christ. We have been called to be followers, disciples of the Lord Jesus. Jesus lived a life of teaching and example for His followers. Paul is urging all of us to live in a way that fits the calling we’ve been given. If we live our lives in the old way as unbelievers do, there is a clash between that walk and the way Jesus would have us walk.

That should be our challenge as we begin this new year — live a life worthy of our calling.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:57 AM January 8, 2021.