Get under the Waterfall...and Stay There!

Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible (Eph 6:24).

As he signs off, Paul gives us a good shake to make sure we were paying attention to what he’s written.  He points us back to God’s grace.  He points us back to Jesus’ undeserved goodness.  This letter starts with grace.  This letter ends with grace.  This letter drips with grace.  In a first century “Hello, McFly!” moment, the apostle grabs us by the ears and makes his point.  “Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible” (v24).  Grace.  Grace!  GRACE!!!

Back in the opening lines of his letter, Paul works his tail off to get us to see God’s goodness toward us.  God didn’t just “like” our status on Facebook.  He didn’t just give us a retweet.  He didn’t just drop us a card in the mail.  He drenches us in His overwhelming goodness.  Or in the words of the apostle, “According to the riches of His grace which he lavished upon us” (Eph 1:7-8).  Paul’s purpose is to get us to stand under the waterfall of God’s grace.  Only then can we have any clue about all that He has done, is doing and will do for us.  Now at the end of this letter, the man from Tarsus doesn’t want us to experience the exhilaration just once.  Don’t just stand under the flow for a moment.  This is so much more than a vacation photo op.  He wants us to stay there.  

Get under the waterfall of God’s grace.  And stay there!

In case you’re just jumping onto this Ephesian party wagon and are new to the story, let’s get you up to speed.  Paul’s in a Roman slammer waiting for his appeal.  The pastor over in Colossae hunted down the apostle for help.  A group of spiritual hucksters have stirred up a truckload of trouble in his church.  They’ve fooled Jesus’ followers into believing Christ might be good but He’s not God.  In order to ensure our place in God’s kingdom, they say we need to follow a complicated list of religious rules and regs.  And lookie there, they just happened to have it with them.  Imagine that!  After writing a letter to the Colossians in order to get them back on track, Paul fires off another to his friends in Ephesus.  They’re just 100 miles up the road from Colossae.  If his letter to the Colossians is treatment for the disease, Ephesians is an inoculation against it.  The apostle knows that when we understand who Jesus is, what He’s done and who we are in Him, there’s very little chance we’ll buy any of this spiritual snake oil.

That means constantly realizing the scope of God’s grace.  This is that great Greek word charis.  It means an overwhelming and undeserved goodness.  It’s unexpected pleasure.  It’s unmerited favor.  It’s kindness given for no reason.  The Bible is a collection of letters and writings over the scope of 1,500 years that tell the story of God’s overflowing grace.  He creates the universe out of His goodness.  He creates people out His irrepressible love.  And even after we jack it all up, He’s coming back to fix it all because of His crazy good kindness.  Just as Ephesians is all about grace from beginning to end, so is the entire length of Scripture.  

Get under the waterfall of God’s grace.  And stay there!

Paul ends his letter with the phrase “Grace be with you all” (v24).  Hmm.  That seems familiar.  VERY familiar.  Flip back to the opening lines of this note from a Roman jail.  The apostle kicks this thing off by wishing “Grace to you” (Eph 1:2).  Similar.  But different.  He sends his wish of God’s grace at the beginning of his letter.  Now at the end, he wants us to know and live in the light of God’s grace.  Once we realize all that we really need we already have in Jesus, we can experience His grace.  Take one long, last drink of God’s goodness that the apostle has gone to great lengths to explain in this letter.  Start with the Tsunami of Blessings in Ephesians 1:3-14, that amazing run-on sentence where Paul bubbles over as he becomes so excited about all God has done for us.  He blessed us, chose us, predestined us, adopted us, redeemed us, forgave us, lavished riches on us, made His will know to us, given us an inheritance, predestined us (just in case we missed it the first time!) and sealed us with His Holy Spirit.  His entire purpose is that we would have “the eyes of our hearts enlightened” (Eph 1:18) to all that God has done for us.  Live in light of God’s “grace with you” (v24)!  His grace just doesn’t stop!

Get under the waterfall of God’s grace.  And stay there!

And as they say in the infomercial, “but wait there’s more!”  Paul reminds us of our situation BC: before Christ.  We used to be stumbling around like spiritual zombies as members of the Walking Dead (Eph 2:1).  But our gracious God came to our rescue and brought us to life in His Son Jesus (Eph 2:4).  Just in case you might miss how good God and how little we deserved what He’s done, we read, “By grace (Gr. charis) you have been saved...For by grace (Gr. charis) you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:5, 8-9).  God has placed us under the waterfall of His grace so He could show off “the immeasurable riches of His grace (Gr. charis) in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7).  That’s because His grace just doesn’t stop.

Get under the waterfall of God’s grace.  And stay there!

Later we see that Jesus has blasted down all the walls between race, religion and culture and invited everyone to the party (Eph 2:14).  Through His death on the cross at Calvary, He brings both Jews and Gentiles together into one body we call His church (Eph 2:15-16).  This is a HUGE deal!  Jesus makes outsiders insiders (Eph 2:17-22).  And He handpicked Paul specifically to spread the Word to non-Jews (Eph 3:1-13).  If you’re not Jewish and Jesus has saved you, then you should be eternally grateful for this specific move of God.  I know I am!  The apostle goes on to tell his friends in Ephesus that God’s grace keeps on rolling.  He’s given us unlimited and mind-blowing power through the Holy Spirit living in every believer (Eph 3:16, 20).  That’s the only chance we have to wrap our brains around the massive scope of the love Jesus drenches on you and me (Eph 3:19).  That’s because His grace just doesn’t stop.

Get under the waterfall of God’s grace.  And stay there!

So is that all of His grace?  Is that all He’s done for us?  Absolutely not!  Check this out.  “Grace (Gr. charis) was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Eph 4:8).  In what Paul describes as the Grace Parade, Jesus gave a group of spiritually gifted people to His people in order to give them everything they would need to live in the fullness of His grace.  These are “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers” (Eph 4:11).  Jesus puts them in place to teach us, lead us and build us up in God’s Word so that we’ll be grow into unity and Christ-like maturity (Eph 4:15-16).  He gives.  And He gives.  And He gives.  And He gives.  His grace just doesn’t stop.

Get under the waterfall of God’s grace.  And stay there!

Once we position ourselves in front of God’s fire hydrant of goodness, it changes everything.  We become God imitators (Eph 5:1) who walk around loving others selflessly like Jesus did (Eph 5:2).  We become shiners of God’s light (Eph 5:8-9).  His grace impacts our marriages (Eph 5:22-33), our families (Eph 6:1-4) and our jobs (Eph 6:5-10).  God’s goodness impacts every inch of our lives.  Or as Paul tells the folks in Corinth, “His grace toward me was not in vain” (1Cor 15:10).  God’s no grace waster.

Get under the waterfall of God’s grace.  And stay there!

Keep the Main Things the Main Things

Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 6:23).

Not too long ago, Elvis Costello asked the musical question, “What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?”  A couple of thousand years before, Paul told his friends in Ephesus that peace, love and faith are a VERY big deal.  In many ways, they are the main thing when comes to following Jesus.  The apostle begins signing off his note to the Ephesians by writing, “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v23).  Peace.  Love.  Faith.  He hits the highlights of his letter.  Peace.  Love.  Faith.  These are the main things.  As he wraps things up, he summarizes the big ideas.  Peace.  Love.  Faith.  

Keep the main things the main things.

Too many times I blow right past the opening and closing lines in Paul’s letters.  I want to get to the good stuff.  I want to get to the meat.  But the apostle doesn’t waste any words.  This IS the good stuff.  This IS the meat.  So let’s slow down.  And let’s dig in.  Because Paul uses these parts of his epistles in very important ways.  They almost always contain the big ideas.  The main things.  His letter to the Ephesians is no different.

From a prison cell in Rome, the apostle wishes “peace to the brothers” (v23).  This is so much more than a call for folks to stop fighting.  He uses the Greek word eirene, which means harmony, welfare, freedom from anxiety and tranquility.  In many ways, Paul is referring to the wonderful old Hebrew term shalom.  Throughout the Old Testament, this word describes the perfect rhythm of God’s original created order.  Think back to the way things were in Eden before we jacked up the whole deal.  Everything flowed together in divine synchronicity.  God created His handcrafted paradise for Adam and Eve to enjoy.  Other than one tree, our first parents could eat and savor every bit of God’s unspoiled goodness. And don’t forget about the fact that clothes had not been invented yet.  This is the perfect rhythm of our Creator’s original design.  Shalom.  Peace.  It’s completeness.  It’s contentment.  It’s the absolute opposite of the chaos that our sin brought on the scene.

If you thought that it was a big deal that Justin Timberlake brought sexy back, check out what Jesus has done.  He’s bringing peace back.  He’s bringing shalom back.  He’s bringing God’s perfect rhythm back.  That’s why it’s one of the main things in Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.  Right out of the chute, the apostle tells his readers, “Grace to you and peace (Gr. eirene) from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:2).  This peace isn’t just an idea.  It’s a Person.  Jesus “himself is our peace (Gr. eirene)” and has smashed the walls divided all races, religions and cultures (Eph 2:14-15).  Christ showed up and “preached peace (Gr. eirene)” to both insiders and outsiders (Eph 2:17).  This makes a ton of sense when we look back at what the prophets said about the Messiah to come.  Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah announced that He would be the “Prince of Peace (Heb. shalom)” (Is 9:6).

The Prince of Peace isn’t just the embodiment of God’s peace, He gives us peace as a gift.  He gives us His peace so that we can begin to live in that perfect rhythm of God’s original creation.  We see the impact of this peace on our church.  A big part of walking in a manner worthy of Jesus’ calling on our lives is living “bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Gr. eirene)” (Eph 4:1-3).  An important part of God’s armor are the cleats which make us ready to share “the Gospel of peace (Gr. eirene)” (Eph 6:15).  Yeah, peace.  It’s kind of a big deal.

Keep the main things the main things.  And one of those things is peace.  God’s peace.

Next, Paul encourages his readers to realize and practice God’s “love” (v23).  Another one of his main things.  This is the Greek noun agape.  If you’ve been around the church for any length of time, you’ve heard this word.  The problem is that God’s idea of love is nothing like our culture’s definition of love.  Movies (especially romantic comedies) have corrupted the idea of love as simply the emotion of a deep and warm fuzzy feeling.  But that’s NOT God’s definition of agape.  This love is a choice that’s put into action.  This is a love that does.  This is a love with hands and feet.  Love isn’t just a feeling.  Love is a verb!  As a matter of fact, the verb form of love is agapao.  Want the greatest example of love the universe has ever seen?  “God shows His love (Gr. agape) for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).  Love doesn’t just feel.  Love does.

Love is one of the three main things in Paul’s letter to his friends in Ephesus.  Let’s hit the highlights.  “In love (Gr. agape)” God handpicked us for adoption into His family (Eph 1:4).  We used to be among the Walking Dead but God brought us to life in Jesus “because of the great love (Gr. agape) with which He loved (Gr. agapao) us” (Eph 2:4-5).  God gives us His Spirit so that we have a chance to wrap our minds around “the love (Gr. agape) of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Eph 3:16-19).

Once we’re blown away by God’s love, we can’t help but love.  We’re to imitate God by walking “in love (Gr. agape) as Christ loved (Gr. agapao) us,” living a life of self-giving and sacrifice (Eph 5:1-2).   Over and over and over, Paul tells married men to follow Jesus’ example of love in action.  “Husbands, love (Gr. agapao) your wives, as Christ loved (Gr. agapao) the church...husbands should love (Gr. agapao) their wives...He who loves (Gr. agapao) his wife loves (Gr. agapao) himself...let each one of you love (Gr. agapao) his wife...” (Eph 5:25-33).  Yeah, so do you get Paul’s point?  Love is kind of a big deal.

Keep the main things the main things.  And one of those things is love.  God’s love.

The apostle makes the very important point that God’s love doesn’t travel by itself.  Elvis Costello missed on this one.  It’s “love with faith” (v23).  Paul uses the word pistis, which means trust, belief and assurance.  He’s encouraging us to place our faith in the only truly reliable Person to ever walk the planet.  Jesus.  We place our trust in the fact that He’s done for us what we could never, ever do for ourselves.  We place our faith in His flawless faith.  He was faithful to live the perfect life that I completely failed to live.  He was faithful to die the brutal death for my sin that completely deserved to die.  And He rose to a breathtaking new life that absolutely do not deserve.  I place my faith in who He is and what He’s done.  That’s why Paul writes, “By grace you have been saved through faith (Gr. pistis).  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8).

Our faith in who Jesus is and what He’s done becomes the one thing that draws us together no matter our backgrounds.  We’re to be unified in “one Lord, one faith (Gr. pistis), one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:5-6).  God uses human leadership to build up His church so that “we attain to the unity of the faith (Gr. pistis)” (Eph 4:13).  Paul tells us to never forget to take our “shield of faith (Gr. pistis)” into battle as protection against Satan’s attack (Eph 6:16).  You see, our faith isn’t based on how much faith we can muster.  It’s not based on the strength of our faith.  Our faith is completely dependent on the Object of our faith.  That’s Jesus.  He’s totally and unshakably faithful even when we’re not (2Tim 2:13).

Keep the main things the main things.  And of those is faith.  Faith in Jesus.

Elvis Costello was close.  Very close.  

The Mail Man

So that you may also know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything (Eph 6:21).

There’s a mystic about the image of the High Plains Drifter.  You know, the character that Clint Eastwood made famous.  That lone dude who roams the land alone.  Relying on no one.  Solitary.  Self-sufficient.  Bringing law and order to every town along the trail.  There’s an image of the Apostle Paul that’s a lot like that.  Rolling into the city.  Kicking butt.  Taking names.  All in the name of Jesus, of course.  Then mysteriously moving on to the next town as everyone wonders, “Who was that man?”  

There’s only one problem with that picture of Paul.  It’s not true!  He was no Lone Ranger.  He was no High Plains Drifter.  He was rarely alone on his divine assignments.  You’ve probably heard of his partners, guys like Barnabas, Silas, Timothy and Titus.  But there’s another “go to” guy that doesn’t get the headlines.  Tychicus.  In several key situations, the apostle counts on Mr. T to get the job done.  This is one of those instances.  “So that you may also know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything” (v21).

Call him the Mail Man.  Because he always delivers.

Let’s set the scene once again.  Paul’s locked up in a Roman joint waiting for his appeal to be heard by Caesar.  He’s just gotten a surprise visit from Epaphras, the dude who planted a multisite church in Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea.  A group of spiritual hucksters have duped Jesus’ followers there into believing a lie.  They’ve fooled folks into thinking Jesus might be good but He’s not God.  According to these goobers, to ensure your place in God’s kingdom, you must save yourself by following a complicated list of religious rules and regs.  After writing a letter correcting the Colossians, he fires off another one to his friends in Ephesus, just 100 miles down the road.  The apostle knows that if we truly know our identity in Jesus, who He is and what He’s done for us, we won’t fall buy any spiritual snake oil.  

In a dark prison cell, Paul licks the envelopes of these letters and hands them to Tychicus.  The Mail Man.  He counts on Mr. T to deliver these crucial communications.  It will be Tychicus who will tell the Ephesians of the apostle’s situation.  “So that you may also know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything” (v21).  Writing under the influence of God’s Spirit, the apostle instructs and encourages his readers.  Meanwhile Tychicus will tell the folks in Ephesus how Paul is doing, what he looks like and his hopes for release.  

Paul gives the Mail Man quite a reference.  He gives him the apostolic seal of approval by calling him “the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord” (v21).  When you’ve got the Paul telling folks you’re legit, then you certainly must be the real deal.  He makes it clear to the Ephesians that he loves him some Tychicus.  As a matter of fact, he loves him like a brother.  This is a great reminder of just what it means to be a member of God’s family.  Paul and his handpicked courier come from completely different backgrounds.  The apostle grew up as a hardcore Pharisee in Tarsus.  He admits to being a former first-team all star in the Jewish big leagues (Phil 3:5-6).  There’s a better than even chance that Tychicus is a Gentile from Ephesus.  We see a couple of clues in Scripture.  First of all, he’s from Asia (Acts 20:4).  In that same verse, Dr. Luke describes Mr. T and Trophimus as some sort of Asian Dynamic Duo.  Back in Jerusalem, things went nuclear when Jewish hardliners thought the non-Jewish Trophimus went to “Hebrew Only” section of the temple (Acts 21:28-29).  So his buddy Tychicus is also probably a Gentile follower of Jesus.

Let that sink in for just a moment.  Paul and Tychicus, the former Pharisee and the foreign non-Jew, are best buds.  Or in the apostle’s words, “the beloved brother” (v21).  Despite all of the racial and religious discrimination that was a big part of the day, Paul loves this dude like a brother.  A brother in Christ.  Do all your friends look like you?  Do they all have the same background?  Jesus is up to something crazy in His kingdom.  He’s busting down walls between races, religions, cultures, genders and nations (Eph 2:13-14).  He’s making insiders out of outsiders.  He’s bringing folks who are far apart and making them family.  He did it for Paul and Tychicus.  Let Him do it for you too.  You can almost see the big bear hug between these two before the Mail Man hit the road.  “Love ya, bro.”

The apostle also wants the Ephesians to know what an awesome servant of Jesus their letter carrier is.  He’s “the faithful minister” (21).  While we don’t know exactly what Tychicus’ ministry is, he seems to be some sort of special projects guy.  Whenever something big comes up, the Mail Man is on Paul’s short list.  And we see why.  He’s faithful.  That means a couple of things.  He’s placed his faith in who Jesus is and what He’s done for him.  Tychicus is a man of faith.  It also describes his never-give-up-never-say-die devotion to his assignment.  When the going gets tough, he gets going.  Paul sends him to Crete to relieve Titus (Titus 1:5; 3:12).  And in the months before his death, the apostle sends him to Ephesus one more time (2Tim 4:12).  There’s no doubt that’s why the man from Tarsus counts on the Mail Man.  Because he always delivers.

Flip back a few years and you’ll see when these two friends got acquainted.  During Paul’s second missionary journey, he was collecting money for the church in Jerusalem that had fallen on very hard times.  As each church contributed to the cause, they also sent along men to accompany the apostle for security and accountability.  “Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Seconds; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus (Acts 20:4).  So the T-Man was part of the bigger posse that traveled with Paul as he delivered the financial support from the churches of Asia, Macedonia and Greece to the home office in Jerusalem.  Like his mentor, Tychicus rarely traveled alone.  Here he makes the trip to Crete with Artemas.  Previously he rolled with Paul’s big posse to Jerusalem.  On the assignment to Ephesus and Colossae, the runaway slave Onesimus was his partner (Col 4:9).

As I mentioned earlier, Tychicus is the courier who delivers not just this note to Ephesus but letters to the church at Colossae as well as one to Paul’s buddy Philemon.  The apostle gives him a very similar glowing recommendation to the Colossians.  “Tychicus will tell you all about my activities.  He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.  I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts” (Col 4:3-4).  When the Apostle Paul vouches for you not once but twice, you must be the real deal.

Do you have a brother or sister in Christ that you can lean on?  Someone that you can count on?  Someone who’ll always deliver?  And are there folks who can count on you?  Are you a “beloved brother?”  Are you a “faithful minister?”  Are you someone who will always deliver?  Following Jesus is a team sport.  Paul and his boy Mr. T are proof of that. 

A Chain Letter

...for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak (Eph 6:20).

Don’t you just hate chain letters?  You know what I’m talking about.  Some so-called “friend” sends you something that promises ridiculous rewards if you’ll just send it along.  These annoying notes have been around for years.  They’ve survived the transition from snail mail to email and now to Facebook.  I’m beginning to believe that the only things that will survive the apocalypse are cockroaches and chain letters.  But there is one kind of chain letter that I love.  It’s the kind that Paul writes to Ephesus.  He tells the folks opening the envelope that it’s because of the Gospel “for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (v20).  

As the apostle wraps up his note to his Ephesian friends, he reminds them of his current situation.  He’s in the joint.  He’s in prison.  He’s behind bars.  And the reason he’s there is because he’s devoted his life to telling non-Jews that Jesus has thrown the doors of God’s kingdom party open to them too (Eph 3:5-6).  The resurrected Christ mugged Saul outside of Damascus and transformed him into Paul, His number one apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:1-5, 15).  From ambushed to ambassador.

In using the term “ambassador” (Gr. presbeuo), the man from Tarsus describes what it means to be an official representative for a king.  It’s to act as an ambassador or envoy sent on special assignment by the government for high level negotiating.  In this case, Paul’s an ambassador sent by the King of Kings.  Over in one of his notes to the Corinthian church, he lets us know that every one of Jesus’ followers are sent by King Jesus.  “We are ambassadors (Gr. presbeuo) for Christ, God making His appeal through us.  We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2Cor 5:20).

There’s a big difference between Jesus’ ambassadors and those serving in embassies and consulates around the world today.  Modern ambassadors have diplomatic immunity.  That basically means an envoy can’t be arrested or prosecuted when on assignment in another country.  Paul didn’t enjoy diplomatic immunity.  He’s “an ambassador in chains” (v20).  He’s in custody in a Roman prison.  The Greek word halusis means exactly how it’s translated.  A linked, metal instrument that binds any part of the body, usually the hands.  In other words, a chain.  

The demon-possessed dude who lived in the Gerasenes graveyard was often “bound with chains (Gr. halusis) and shackles” (Lk 8:29).  An angel busted Pete the apostle out of the joint as “the chains (Gr. halusis) fell off his hands” (Acts 12:7).  When Roman soldiers took Paul into custody at the temple riot in Jerusalem, the commanding officer ordered that he “be bound with two chains (Gr. halusis)” (Acts 21:33).  It can certainly mean an imprisonment.  But most likely the apostle is in handcuffs.  He wants us to hear the chain rattle and clank as he writes and we read.  That’s what makes this a chain letter.  Linked In meant something VERY different in the first century!

But being behind bars wearing the latest in jail jewelry isn’t going to get in Paul’s way.  He sees this as an incredible opportunity to tell folks in the joint about Jesus, “that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (v20).  The apostle uses the Greek verb parresiazomai, which means to speak openly without fear or talk freely and boldly.  He holds nothing back.  While he might not have earthly diplomatic immunity, he holds the ultimate “Get Out of Jail Free” card.  He knows that no matter what happens on this side of eternity, Christ has come to eventually set the prisoners free (Lk 4:17).  That’s what allows him to speak boldly about Jesus.  

The former Pharisee pulls no punches in sharing the Gospel of grace.  This is full disclosure.  He doesn’t just tell folks what they want to hear.  He tells them what they need to hear.  In order for the Good News to be REALLY good, the bad news has to be REALLY bad.  And it is VERY bad.  We’ve fallen short of God’s perfect standard.  We’re more than good people who’ve made a few mistakes.  We’re sinners.  We’re rebels fighting against His kingdom.  As a response, Paul fires both barrels.  The bad news.  The Good News.  And he declares it “boldly” (v20).

This fearlessness has put Paul in prison once again.  It’s not his first time.  He and his sidekick Silas had the privilege of checking out the inside of Philippi’s correctional institution (Acts 16:24).  Jewish leaders cooked up a plan to nab Paul once he returned to Jerusalem.  That resulted in his arrest at the temple (Acts 21:33).  He probably spent most of the next eight years in custody before appealing his case to Caesar.  He was locked up in Judea for a couple of years.  He spent over a year sailing as a prisoner to Rome.  And Paul finished his bid in Rome for a couple more years.  There he had a chance to write a series of chain letters.  He wrote to the Ephesian church (Eph 3:1, 4:1), the multisite churches based in Colossae (Col 4:3, 18), as well as his friend Phil (Phm 1, 9, 13).  He’ll eventually be released only to be re-arrested and executed.  You can read the last letter he wrote before his death to his pal Tim (2Tim).  

These chain letters certainly aren’t annoying.  But they are convicting.  VERY convicting.  It’s very difficult for me to comprehend the kind of courage it takes to tell others about Jesus at the cost of incarceration.  I’m incredibly convicted by Paul’s passion and commitment to Christ.  He’s willing to go to jail for Jesus.  I’m rarely willing to share the Gospel with my friends at work.  Lord, give me the boldness, the openness and the courage to tell others about You.  

Full Disclosure

And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the Gospel (Eph 6:19).

When the bailiff swears in a witness to testify in a trial, he asks them if they are willing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  No half truth.  No shaded truth.  The whole truth.  Nothing but the truth.  It’s absolutely necessary that the witness spill the beans.  There’s a need for full disclosure.  Paul asks the Ephesian church to pray for him.  “And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the Gospel” (v19).  He realizes that he needs supernatural power in order to make a difference for Christ.  Paul knows the importance of full disclosure.

Paul asks for prayer.  It certainly makes sense that he wants prayer.  He’s in prison for crying out loud!  In the very next verse, he says that he’s “an ambassador in chains” (Eph 6:20).  That’s his way of saying he’s locked up in the joint.  But the apostle doesn’t ask his Ephesian friends to pray for his release.  He doesn’t ask them to pray that he’ll be moved to a better cell.  He doesn’t even ask them to pray that he’ll get better food.  He pleads with them to pray that God will give him courage in telling people about Jesus.  The man from Tarsus sees his incarceration as an opportunity to share the Good News with anyone who will listen.  So he wants boldness.  Godly boldness.  He’s going to leverage his prison bid for Christ.  He sees his stretch in the slammer as a unique privilege to tell prisoners and guards the Gospel.

Do I see every circumstance that way?  When things don’t go my way, do I understand that my situation could actually be a divine appointment?  Has Jesus placed me where I am “for such a time as this?” (Est 4:14)?  Here’s my problem.  All too often, I’m too hung up on myself and my problems to worry about anyone else.  Woe is me.  Or in the words of the great philosopher and theologian Warren Zevon, “Poor, poor, pitiful me.”  Rick Warren is right on target with the opening line of “The Purpose Driven Life.”  “It’s not about you.”  Good or bad, my situation is NOT about me.  Paul understands that.  I’m still not there yet.  I’m still obsessed with me.  It’s like what the self-absorbed dude said.  “Well, that’s enough about me.  What do you think about me?”  Well, enough about me…

Paul wants the Ephesians to ask God to give him the words to say to tell folks about Jesus.  But he’s not looking for slick techniques or clever illustrations.  He wants to be able to speak “boldly” (v19).  This is the Greek word parresia.  It’s a compound word that literally means to speak everything.   Don’t hold anything back.  It’s to speak openly, frankly and freely.  The apostle wants to speak fearlessly in the face of intimidating circumstances.  Courageously.  Confidently.  Publicly.  Without reservation.  With cheerful courage and a joyful sense of freedom.  It’s free speech.  Americans commonly call this exercising our First Amendment rights.  The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Full disclosure.

Just as that’s not the case in most countries around the world, it was certainly not the case in the first century.  Jewish leaders intimidated people to such a point that “no one spoke openly (Gr. parresia)” about Jesus (Jn 7:13).  Later many of these same religious leaders are blown away by “the boldness (Gr. parresia) of Peter and John” as they told about the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter (Acts 4:13).  The writer of Hebrews encourages folks to hang on tight to their courage in living for Christ and the “boldness (Gr. parresia), which has a great reward” (Heb 10:35).

The Gospel was and is a threat to culture.  In the earliest days of the church in Jerusalem, religious leaders were doing everything possible to shut up Jesus’ followers and wipe them off the face of the earth.  As authorities dropped the hammer on the church, believers prayed, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness Gr. parresia)” (Acts 4:29).

Full disclosure.

So what’s this whole truth that Paul so desperately wants to share?  “The mystery of the Gospel” (v19).  Here’s the problem.  We don’t really have an English word that translates the original text very well.  For us, a mystery is something that’s darn near impossible to explain or understand.  But the Greek word musterion describes something just a bit different.  This is a secret that has been revealed or something hidden that has been disclosed.  It used to be a mystery.  It used to be a secret.  Not anymore.  It’s a secret in the past tense.  We now know what’s behind door number three.  God is revealing His amazing goodness to His church.  Jesus told His crew that they were in on this divine breaking news.  “To you it has been given to know the secrets (Gr. musterion) of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Mt 13:11).

Paul’s past tense mystery is the “Gospel” (v19).  The Greek word (Gr. euangelion) simply means good news.  News that makes you happy.  Info that causes you joy.  Words that bring you a smile.  Jesus uses the man from Tarsus to break into programming with the most spectacularly Good News the universe has ever heard.  God’s impossible standard has been met!  Jesus has lived the perfect life that I’ve failed to live.  He died the brutal death for my sin that I should have died.  He rose to a spectacular new life that I certainly don’t deserve.  God sees me as His spotless, sinless Son when I place my trust in Jesus.  He did for me what I could never do for myself.  That’s not just Good News.  That’s GREAT NEWS!!!

But the apostle’s divine assignment has a special focus.  Jesus has handpicked this former Pharisee to reach out to non-Jews (Acts 9:15).  The Jewish Messiah isn’t just for Hebrews anymore.  When Jesus throws open the doors of God’s kingdom to Gentiles, the fecal matter really hit the whirling device.  There were a lot of folks at the home office in Jerusalem who thought that Gentiles must convert to Judaism before they could follow Christ.  After a big confab of church leaders, they decided that if Jesus was saving them who were they to say differently (Acts 15).  

This certainly was very Good News to the folks in Ephesus.  On Paul’s second expedition, he dropped into this massive seaport for three years (Acts 20:31).  Dr. Luke spends an entire chapter of his sequel telling what went down there (Acts 19).  While he started his work there telling Jews about Jesus, synagogue leaders soon gave him the boot.  At that point, he started spreading the Gospel to everyone who would listen.  Jews AND Gentiles.  Earlier in this letter, Paul reminds his readers that Jesus drafted him to be His spokesmen to tell non-Jews the Good News (Eph 3:1-9).

For the apostle to do so took boldness.  That means full disclosure.  No half truth.  The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  For the Good News to be good, the bad news has to be bad.  REALLY bad.  And it is bad.  REALLY bad.  We can’t meet God’s perfect standard.  Not no way.  Not no how.  Not without Jesus anyway.  To tell folks the Good News means telling them the bad news.  That takes boldness.  So Paul asks for prayer to tell folks the whole truth.  He knows that the grace of Jesus is the only real hope.  So he needs boldness.  In the opening portion of his letter to the Romans, the apostle puts his hands on his hips and writes, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (Gr. euangelion), for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16).

Full disclosure.

Am I willing to ask people to pray for my boldness to share the Gospel?

All. About. Prayer.

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all saints (Eph 6:18).

As he finishes handing out God’s armor, Paul gives us one last instruction when using it.  We need to pray.  Every chance we get.  Without prayer, this supernatural weapons system is just a pile of scrap metal.  With prayer, we can take on the enemy’s most viscous attack.  As we put on the truth belt, pray.  As we strap on the righteous flak jacket, pray.  As we lace up the Gospel cleats, pray.  As we grab the faith shield, pray.  As we buckle the chin strap on the salvation helmet, pray.  As we swing the Spirit sword, pray.  “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all saints” (v18).  Pray.  In the power of God’s Spirit.  Pray.  Keep our heads on a swivel.  Pray.  

The great Bible teacher Howard Hendricks says that anytime one of the authors of Scripture repeats a word, we really need to pay attention.  If that’s the case, there’s a really big point that Paul doesn’t want us to miss here.  He uses the word “all” four times here.  And he drops the idea of prayer four times as well.  Praying.  Prayer.  Supplication.  Supplication (a second time!).  All.  Prayer.  So it’s pretty stinkin’ clear that the apostle is talking all about prayer.  Hey, I may have been born at night but it wasn’t LAST night!  

It’s all about prayer.  So pray all about it.

Paul’s first command here is when to pray.  “Praying at all times” (v18).  Prayer is quite simply talking to God.  It’s letting Him know what’s on your heart.  You might as well be honest with Him since He already knows what’s going on.  Tell Him your hopes.  Tell Him your fears.  Tell Him your dreams.  Should you expect Him to respond?  Absolutely!  Scripture is clear that God will answer you in one of three ways.  Yes.  No.  Not yet.  Will He answer audibly?  Well, that’s a little tricky.  I think He can.  There are a handful of folks I respect who say they’ve heard Him.  Can’t say for certain that it’s ever happened to me.  God may give you an incredible sense of peace about a decision.  He may also shove you in a direction you never expected.  But the most common and most reliable way He responds is through Scripture.  Think of it this way.  We talk to God with our mouths.  He talks to us through His Word.  And just in case you think He’s communicated something to you, ALWAYS double check against His written truth.  Do not pass “Go.”  Do not collect $200.  Check what you’ve head against His Word.  God never contradicts Himself.  If you believe He’s telling you one thing and Scripture says something else, you may be hearing from last night’s pizza rather than the Creator of the universe.

So, we’re to be “praying at all times” (v18).  My first response in reading this is to look at this verse like my dog looks at television.  What?!?  All the time?!?  Come on.  Get real.  But let’s take a closer look at what Paul’s telling us.  He uses the word “times,” which is the Greek noun kairos.  It does NOT mean all of time.  It describes a moment or an opportunity or a particular season, like football or baseball season (baseball kairos is probably my favorite kairos!).  Rather than seeing this as some non-stop prayer-a-thon, think of it as praying every chance you get.  Pray at every opportunity.  This idea of jumping on every chance we have to talk to God is a running theme throughout the Bible.  Paul tells the Colossians to “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Col 4:2).  He was straightforward to the Thessalonians: “Pray without ceasing” (1Th 5:17).  The apostle urges his Philippian friends to pray about absolutely everything (Phil 4:6-7).  And a heart that’s always ready to pray is the key to hope.  “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Rom 12:12).

It’s all about prayer.  So pray all about it.

So what’s Jesus’ attitude about prayer?  Let’s check it out.  First of all, He’s all for it.  When His posse asked Him to teach them how to do it, He was more than happy to give them a model to follow (Lk 11:1-13).  Christ taught them to “pray and not lose heart” (Mt 18:1).  He told His boys to ask and keep on asking.  Seek and keep on seeking.  Knock and keep on knocking (Mt 7:7-8).  But the biggest endorsement Jesus can give about prayer is that He did it regularly.  A quick read of the Gospels will let you know that He’s always sneaking off to talk to Dad.  When the disciples can’t find Him, that’s usually where He is.  So if God incarnate finds it necessary to pray, we probably should too.

It’s all about prayer.  So pray all about it.

Paul wants us to know that there’s a certain Someone who plays a critical role in our prayer life.  That would be the Holy Spirit.  We’re to pray at every opportunity “in the Spirit” (v18).  Let’s make sure we’re clear what this is NOT.  Praying in the power of God’s Spirit isn’t some goofy seance where we use a Ouija board.  Remember, His Spirit has come and made Himself at home in each one of Jesus’ followers.  And one of His jobs is to be there to help us when we pray.  “The Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words...the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom 8:26, 27).  Ever struggle with how to pray?  Is the situation too difficult to talk to the Father about?  That’s EXACTLY what the Spirit does for us.  He’s got your back.  He’s there for prayer.  He makes sure that your heavenly Dad hears your heart.  The Spirit is all about prayer.  

We’re told to “keep alert” (v18).  This is the Greek word agrupneo.  It literally means don’t sleep.  Keep your eyes open.  Pay attention.  Look around.  My old high school football coach would tell us to keep our head on a swivel.  Know what’s going on around you.  Don’t get caught off guard.  Don’t get blindsided.  This was EXACTLY Jesus’ point when He was with Pete, Jimmy and John in Gethsemane.  “Watch and pray that you may not enter temptation” (Mt 26:41; Mk 14:38).  Keep your eyes open.  Pay attention.  Look around.  That’s the only way to really know how to pray, when to pray and who to pray for.  There’s actually a hilarious example of failing to keep alert during prayer over in Acts 12:6-18.  A group of Pete’s friends have gotten together to pound on the doors of heaven and pray for his release from the pokey.  After angel busts him out of the joint, he makes a beeline to the prayer meeting.  When the servant girl named Rhoda tells them that Pete’s at the door, they tell her she’s crazy.  Can’t be possible.  He’s in jail!  That’s why we’re praying!  Eventually they let him in and celebrate.  That’s a fantastic example of NOT being alert during prayer. 

This is a fantastic verse.  But it’s incredibly convicting for me.  That’s because my prayer life is awful.  Do I pray.  Sure.  But it’s not with the depth or passion that Paul’s calling for here.  Do I pray at every opportunity?  Fail.  Do I pray in the Spirit.  I sure hope so.  He’s the only chance I have at a successful prayer life, whatever THAT looks like.  Do I keep alert?  Sadly, no.  Occasionally, I’ll wake up and talk to Jesus about something.  But too often, I’m absolutely oblivious.  Do I pray for all of the other believers around the world?  Epic fail.  When I do pray, too often it’s about me and my needs (or should I say my “wants!”).  I’m so VERY thankful that my standing with God isn’t based on my need to have a perfect prayer life.  Jesus did that for me.  The Spirit does that for me.  Where would I be without them?  

It’s all about prayer.  So pray all about it.

Buckle Your Chinstrap and Swing Your Sword

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph 4:17).

Paul is introducing us to this incredible weapons system that God gives every believer.  So far he’s shown us the truth belt, the flak jacket of righteousness (Eph 6:14), the Gospel cleats (Eph 6:15) and the faith shield (Eph 6:16).  He makes it VERY clear that we need this gear to protect us from the terrorist ambush that Satan has planned (Eph 6:11, 16).  The apostle instructs us that this equipment must be used in its entirety.  Twice he calls it “the whole armor of God” (Eph 6:11, 13).  I need all of it.  Cherry picking certain parts of our gear gives the devil a soft spot to attack.

From his prison cell in the Roman joint, Paul wraps up his his description of God’s armor with the last two components.  “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (v17).  The salvation helmet.  Critical protection for my head.  And the Spirit sword.  The only offensive weapon in the system.  These last two pieces of gear are absolutely essential to survive the impending assault by the enemy.  If I have any hope to standing in victory, I need my salvation helmet and my Spirit sword.  

I’m reminded that this isn’t battle gear that I’ve designed or manufactured.  This is God’s gear.  Like Q showing 007 the latest gadgets designed in the lab, Paul goes over the supernatural weapons system that Jesus supplies.  We see that when we look closely at that little word “take” (v17).  This is the Greek verb dechomai, which means to receive what is offered or accept an something that the giver initiates.  Paul thanked his friends in Philippi for the financial support they gave, “having received (Gr. dechomai) from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent” (Phil 4:18).  Dr. Luke describes how the Gospel was turning things upside down with non-Jews as “Samaria received (Gr. dechomai) the Word of God” (Acts 8:14).

In the same way, God gives us the helmet.  He is giving us our salvation.  We don’t earn it.  He gives it to us as an act of grace.  He gives us what could never do for ourselves.  Jesus lives the perfect life that I failed to live.  He dies the bloody death for my sin that should have died.  He rose to a glorious new life that certainly don’t deserve.  He takes my sin and gives me His perfection, goodness and righteousness (2Cor 5:21).  He takes and He gives.  All I do is place my complete trust in what He’s done for me.  That’s when He gives me the salvation helmet.

This “helmet of salvation” (v17) is critical to my safety.  Soldiers wear helmets.  Athletes wear helmets.  Workmen wear helmets.  A blow to the head can stun or even kill.  You have to protect the noggin.  The word here is perikephalaia. This is a compound word that literally means “around” (peri-) the “head” (-kephale).  This isn’t a ball cap.  It’s no knit cap or toboggan.  This is a heavy duty helmet that can take a wicked hit.  Think a soldier’s helmet.  Football helmet.  Motorcycle helmet.  This is a bucket to withstand the biggest blow.  It wraps all the way around your head and protects your skull and brain.

But this salvation helmet is so much more than the most advanced lid the Department of Defense issues to GIs.  God’s helmet protects us by assuring us of our salvation in Christ.  If Jesus has saved you, take it to the bank.  Satan will attack you and me with doubt.  You’ve heard the whispers.  You’ve heard the lies.  Jesus doesn’t care about you.  You such a screwup.  There’s no way you could ever REALLY be on of God’s kids.    The devil will tempt me, taunt me and try to get into my head with his lies straight from the pit of hell.  

In many ways, the entire letter to Ephesus is the helmet of salvation.  Paul works his tail off to tell these believers who Jesus is, what He’s done and who they are in Him.  It’s not what we do, it’s what He’s done for us.  Flip back over to that spectacular opening chapter and read through the Tsunami of Blessing (Eph 1:3-14).  He blessed us.  He chose us.  He predestined us.  He adopted us.  He redeemed us.  He forgave us.  He lavished His grace on us.  He made His will know to us through Jesus.  He gave us an inheritance.  He gave us His Spirit.  Know that.  Believe that.  Don’t believe the enemy’s lies.  Put on the salvation helmet.  Flip over to chapter two for more.  We were among the Walking Dead before Jesus brought us life (Eph 2:1, 5)  And if that’s not enough, we get to sit right next to the King of Kings in heaven’s throne room (Eph 2:6).  Know that.  Believe that.  Don’t believe the enemy’s lies.  Put on the salvation helmet.

Last and certainly not least, Paul hands us “the sword of the Spirit” (v17).  This is the only offensive weapon in the system.  Everything else is critical for our protection.  Here is something we can use to attack our enemy.  This isn’t a long saber.  The apostle uses the word machaira, which means a short sword that Roman soldiers use in close combat.  It’s about 6-18 inches long.  Think of the large knife that Crocodile Dundee carries (“Now THAT’S a knife!”).  This is the weapon Pete uses to lop off Malchus’ ear in Gethsemane (Jn 18:11).  Don’t let the size of the small sword fool you.  This isn’t just any dagger.  This is the Spirit sword.  As the third Person of the Trinity, God’s Holy Spirit has unlimited power at His disposal.  It was His power that was behind Jesus’ eruption from the stone cold tomb (Eph 1:19-20).  Luke Skywalker’s light saber is burned out flashlight compared to the Spirit sword.  

The Spirit sword is also the only piece of this equipment that Paul tells us exactly what it is.  It “is the Word of God” (v17).  God’s truth.  God’s promises.  Scripture.  We’re to use God’s Word to attack the lies of the enemy with Scripture.  So just how does this leather-bound Bible work as an offensive weapon?  Do I throw it at the devil?  At least David had five rocks to take on Goliath!  We use God’s Word to attack Satan by knowing the truth.  When the devil tries to take us down with one of his lies, we go see what God has to say about that.  One swing of the Spirit sword does the trick.  But we need to know our sword.  We need to know God’s Word.  We need to know the promises He’s made us.  We need to know the truth He’s shared.  God’s Word is sharp.  It can do some serious damage.  It’s so sharp that Jesus uses it on us to do spiritual surgery (Heb 4:12).  Learn how to use the Spirit sword.  Become skilled in it.  Read it.  Study it.  Meditate on it.  Obey it.  Be ready to attack with your Spirit sword when the time comes.  Swing that sword, baby!

Let’s take just a moment to be clear about who our enemy really is.  Use this weapon against the devil.  Don’t beat your friends up with your twelve pound King Jimmy.  Delicately and gently use Scripture to show them the Good News of Jesus.  Save that for Satan.  The ambush is coming.  The terrorist attack is certain.  Be ready.  So put on that salvation helmet and buckle up your chin strap.  Become proficient and skilled in swinging the Spirit sword.  Put on God’s gear.

Grab Your Faith Shield

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one (Eph 6:16).

Paul continues to roll out God’s armor, piece by piece.  We’ve already buckled on the truth belt and the body armor of righteousness (Eph 6:14).  We’ve laced up our Gospel cleats (Eph 6:15).  Now he introduces us to the next component in our supernatural weapons system.  “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (v16).  The faith shield.  And he lets us know exactly what it’s for.  Satan’s gonna fire flaming arrows our way.  This will provide complete protection from his demonic darts.

Don’t forget the situation in Ephesus and the need for such God given gear.  Just 100 miles down the road, churches in Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea have come under attack by false teachers.  They’ve spread a heresy of do-it-yourself salvation that’s caused tremendous damage.  According to these hucksters, Jesus can’t save you completely.  We need to finish the job by following a complicated list of religious rules and regulations.  In his cell in a Roman slammer, Paul gets wind of the Colossian casualties and shoots a letter to get them back on track.  He then fires off another note to believers in Ephesus.  A big part of the second letter is protection from the impending attack.  That’s why they need “the whole armor of God” (Eph 6:11, 13).  

Just because you and I don’t live in first century Turkey, we can’t get cocky and over confident.  Heresy doesn’t die of old age.  It’s still a threat.  False teaching is all around us.  We need God’s armor as much or more than Paul’s friends in Ephesus.  So as the apostle explains and demonstrates each piece of gear, let’s listen up and put it on.  

The apostle begins with the phrase “in all circumstances” (v16).  This shield isn’t an optional piece of equipment.  We’ll always need it.  Which means we’re always a target for our enemy’s flaming arrows.  It reminds us that God’s armor is a complete weapons system.  We need all of it.  Going into battle with some and not all of our gear leaves us vulnerable.  Forgetting to grab my shield is a fatal mistake.

But this isn’t just any shield.  It’s “the shield of faith” (v16).  It’s not some flimsy piece of cardboard you used in the backyard as a kid.  And it’s not the super cool disc Captain America carries.  Paul’s thinking about the massive shield a Roman soldier carries.  This thing is big.  REALLY big.  As a matter of fact the Greek word for shield is thureos, which comes from the term for door.  Think of a shield that’s big enough you can actually hide your entire body behind.  It’s as big as a door.  The soldier’s shield is a a large oblong, four-cornered piece of protection.  When the enemy’s army would launch a volley of arrows, Roman troops would squat down behind their door-sized shields.

As sweet as the Roman shield might be, our faith shield is is even sweeter.  And the key is what is made from.  Captain America’s shield might be crafted from vibranium.  But the shield of God’s armor consists of faith.  Paul is NOT describing my faith or yours.  It’s NOT about the strength of our faith.  It’s all about the strength of the object of our faith.  The object of our trust is Jesus.  He’ll never flinch.  He’ll never falter.  He’ll never fail.  It’s better to have weak belief in a great object than a great belief in a weak object.  No matter how much we trust in something weak, it’s going to let us down.  We place our faith in Jesus.  We place our faith in who He is.  We place our faith in what He’s done.  He lived the perfect, sinless life that completely failed to live.  He died the bloody death for my sin that I should have died.  He rose to a breathtaking new life that I certainly don’t deserve.  I’m placing my faith in Him.  As a result, something crazy happened at the cross.  At Calvary, God swaps Jesus’ perfection and obedience for my complete and utter failure so that I actually “become the righteousness of God” (2Cor 5:17).  Forget what you’ve heard about Brock for Broglio.  This is the most lopsided trade of all time.  Luther calls it the Great Exchange.  I’m placing my imperfect faith in the perfect object.  Paul tells his boy Tim that even when our faith falters, Jesus “remains faithful” (2Tim 2:13).  It’s not the strength of my faith.  It’s about the strength of the object of my faith.  Jesus.

An incredibly important part of trusting in Christ is trusting in His obedience.  Trusting in His perfect and complete obedience.  He never violated the tiniest law.  He never broke any of His Dad’s commands.  Jesus is “holy, innocent, unstained” (Heb 7:26).  And it’s not like He’s Superman pretending to be Clark Kent.  Jesus is fully God AND fully man.    He faced the full brunt of the very same temptations you and I feel each day.  But He never stumbled.  Never.  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who in every respect was tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15).  The bad news is that I’m still going to fall flat on my face on this side of eternity.  The good news, or I should say Good News, is that He’s 100% obedient.  So placing our faith in Jesus is placing our faith in His faithfulness and obedience.  His faith never fails.  He’s our shield when the flaming arrows fly.

When you come under attack, hide behind Jesus.

We desperately need the faith shield because of the type of attack we’re going to face.  It’s the only way we “can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (v16).  In the first century, archers would soak arrows in some sort of petroleum based goo, lighting them before launching them.  As if the garden variety arrows aren’t deadly enough!!  These suckers are on fire!!!  But here’s a little trick the Roman army had up its sleeve.  Troops would soak their massive leather shields in water before battle.  That would snuff out the  enemy’s flaming arrows.  Our faith in Jesus extinguishes the devil’s fiery attack.  Don’t miss the fact that no arrow makes it through when we use our faith shield.  It puts out “ALL the flaming darts of the evil one” (v16, emphasis added).  Remember, Christ has already won the war.  Keep that in your noggin at all times.  “And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith!  Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1Jn 5:4-5).  That’s the faith shield.  An essential component of God’s weapon system.

When you come under attack, hide behind Jesus.