AT WAR (2): FITTING IN OR STANDING OUT (Ephesians 6:10-13) Our subject is spiritual warfare.

The approach of many Christians is like the man from Brooklyn who came to court requesting a name change from Kelly to Feinberg. Two years later he was back again changing from Feinberg to Garibaldi. The judge was a bit exasperated: Are you trying to make the court look foolish with these name changes? The man replied, Not at all, Your Honor. Its just that my neighborhood keeps changing. He just wanted to blend in. That reminds me of me at times, and of many Christians who are far more interested in fitting in than they are in standing out. They are like the young military couple who were watching Forrest Gump at the base theater. The crowd was quietly watching until the scene when Forrest graduates from college and is met by an Army recruiter. As the recruiter approaches Forrest, someone from the back of the theater cries out, Run, Forrest, run! So many of us are running from spiritual warfare rather than preparing for battle. Many of us see Christianity not as an entrance into warfare, but as an exit from trouble. We see it as a solution to all our problems. If we are sick, Jesus will make us well. If we are out of work, Jesus will find us a job. We view Christianity as a luxury ride on Cloud 9 something that the Bible never promises. What Jesus actually said was, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. The gospel is often misrepresented as about Christ meeting all our needs. We have no concept that true believers have signed on to share in the sufferings of Christ. We have joined to do battle with the opposition as He did battle with the opposition. The guarantee is not safety, but suffering; not prosperity, but pain. Listen Jesus give more joy than we can ever imagine, but He does not promise nor does He intend to solve every physical problem. They are there for a reason. Paul says in Romans 8:16-17, The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. The glory is coming, but for now -- we are at war! So Pauls burden here is Be prepared. We are studying his instruction from God under the outline the Wartime Perspective (10-13): Wartime Provisions (14-17) and Wartime Power (18-20). Last week we started
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Wartime Perspective. This is our Day-One orientation. This is the big picture and our outline is I. The Opposition; II. The Objective; III. The Orders; and IV. The Obstacles. Last week we saw that the opposition is a real-live, personal Devil (v. 11) and the angelic beings who have joined his rebellion against the Lord. The battle is truly spiritual. In light of that, we want to look today at our major objective, then later we will look at our orders for achieving that objective and the obstacles to be overcome. I. The Objective The passage leaves absolutely no doubt about our wartime objective. Four times in the space of 3 verses we are told to stand. Verse 11, Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (skip to v. 13). 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore . . . You would have to be dumber than a fencepost not to get the main point here, right? Dont fit in Stand out! Paul uses the same Greek word in all four instances in this passage the word (histemi). It is used 154 times in the NT most of the time meaning to stand physically, like a person standing as opposed to sitting, or a building standing. Normal usage. But Paul is using the term metaphorically, indicating that we should take a position for or against something. We use the term that way when we urge our children to take a stand against drugs, for example. Histemi is also sometimes translated establish as when Paul instructs regarding correcting faults in Corinth and cautions Every charge must be established (literally, stand) by the evidence of two or three witnesses (II Cor 13:1). That captures the sense in our passage. We are to be established against those waging spiritual warfare against us. We must not be taken down removed from conflict because we are compromised. Two sidenotes: Where (The Battlefield) -- Remember we said last week that the reason Paul introduced this section on spiritual warfare was in protection of the teaching on conduct in this practical half of the book of Ephesians. Our daily lives are the battlefield on which this warfare is being waged. To be more specific, in Ephesians 4:1-16, Paul urges unity within the church. In the section from Ephesians 4:17 through 5:14 (the "dress for success" section), Paul urges personal holiness. In 5:15 through 6:9 he urges Spiritcontrolled personal relationships. Thus the battlefield for spiritual warfare is in our church, in our personal life, in our family life, and in our work life.
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It's everywhere that we are. In essence, we take the battlefield for spiritual warfare with us everywhere we go. Therefore, we have to be ready to take a stand at all times. We must be constantly prepared for attack, at church, at home, at work, in our personal lives. We are like the young soldier who was on duty in Iraq. His mother called one day and asked if he had to work on Sundays. He replied, "Mom, we have to work every day. Were at war." Thats us! Its 24/7, Beloved. There is no R & R. When (The Evil Day) -- To see the when, notice verse 13: " Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. When is the evil day? It could be a future day of judgment. However, if Paul were referring to a future day like that he likely would have said "in the coming age," or "at the end of the age." Pauls interest here is the present! He is not saying, "Get ready to wrestle against principalities and powers." He is saying, "You already are wrestling against principalities and powers. Against those you must stand now!" We see this timing in Ephesians 5:16, "making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. The evil days are NOW! The present. This does not mean that there are not good and enjoyable times. Thankfully, most of us have many of those to look back on and to anticipate. But anyone with an ounce of appreciation for reality knows that the general trend of the days in which we live is not good. Bad news dominates the media. Heartbreak is part of our daily experience as we watch friends and loved ones experience the ravages of age, disease, and eventually death with absolutely no ability to prevent the inevitable. We enjoy companions only to eventually have them move away, become disinterested, betray us or die. We often betray our own standards of behavior and sense of right and wrong and experience the consequences that come. Our body is in a constant state of decay and decrepitude, the only issue being how fast it will happen. One lady was complaining about how bad her passport photo looked. The agent just looked at her and said, "Maam, believe me, in 10 years you are going to love it." The days are evil, Beloved. Immorality threatens to swallow us alive, whether it is societal greed, sexual temptation and misconduct, laziness at work, addictions whatever. Satan and his crowd have done everything they can to make it so and to make it continue to be so. So when Paul says the evil today, he mainly has in mind the age in which we live. It is an evil day as compared to the great day of the Lord which is coming, which is our hope, which is what we as believers look forward to with great anticipation the
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day which Peter calls in Acts 2:20: the day of the Lord, the great and magnificent day." Great, that is, for those who love the Lord. But, in addition to referring to this age in general, I believe the term "evil day" also has in mind those particular times when temptation is greatest, when we are being oppressed almost beyond endurance, when it seems that God has disappeared, doubt assails us and hope flickers dim. It is in those times, the battle is most fierce, that we must stand in particular. When we are tempted to put ego above unity, when our personal holiness is bombarded with the constant availability of pornographic images or the promise that this adulterous relationship will bring true happiness, when our boss has made life a true misery, when the relationship with our spouse has reached a fever pitch of conflict that seems irreparable those are times of spiritual warfare and we must stand in the strength of Gods might. Those in particular are the evil days that we must prepare for. The objective is to stand out, not fit in! A. Stand on Defense Now, I went to look at two ways that we must stand. We must stand on defense, and we must stand on offense. What is the objective of our life as spiritual warriors? It is to stand, against the schemes of the devil, to withstand in the evil day, to stand firm, and to stand. Three times the word is histemi stand. Even the phrase stand firm" is simply the word histemi stand! The word withstand is anthistemi histemi with a prefix ana, up. It simply intensifies the command. Stand up, or withstand. This combination of words eliminates any thought of retreat. Retreat is not an option; there are no back doors for spiritual warriors. James uses histemi in 4:7: Resist (stand up to) the devil, and he will flee from you. There is a promise we can live with, right? Stand against the devil and he will retreat. Not us, him. Jesus endured 40 days of intense struggle against the devil at the beginning of His ministry. But at the end of the time we read in Matthew 411, " Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. So many times we miss the opportunity to see the backside of the devil retreating because we beat him to it. We fit in rather than stand out. Put us in a group of people who are mocking the Christ and before long just like Peter we join right in. We are such wimps sometimes, beloved. We retreat instead of standing.

Generally, God enabled me to have a good Christian witness in my business career. But I had my moments. I can remember being in a car one day driving to and from lunch. The president of the company was driving and two of my colleagues were along. The conversation turned to abortion and everyone agreed only some right wing extremist reactionary would object to abortion. I knew at the time that I needed to stand. Not in an obnoxious manner but in a way calculated to suggest that if God is God and the author of life perhaps there is some reason in a pro-life position. It would not have been difficult. Instead, I said nothing. I fit in; I retreated. Went along with the crowd. God wants us to stand firm. He says in verse 13 and having done all, to stand firm. What does he mean when he says "having done all." It means having made all preparation that is having put on the whole armor of God. That is what will allow us to stand. That is why we are studying this passage. Otherwise we will be like I was, and we will retreat. But not if we have armed ourselves. Not if we have put on the whole armor of God. Jesus makes a wonderful promise in this regard in Luke 21:12-18. You won't find this passage read at very many evangelistic meetings, but this is the Christian life, Beloved. 12) They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my names sake. 13) This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14) Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15) for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand (stand up to) or contradict. 16) You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17) You will be hated by all for my names sake. 18) But not a hair of your head will perish. Tell me, how can Jesus say in one breath that some will be put to death, and then turn right around and say that not a hair of your head will perish? What is that about? The key word is "perish." What he is saying is, Stand up for me and I will give you words that your adversaries will not be able to stand up to. That doesn't mean they won't hate you. That doesn't mean they won't mock you. That doesn't mean they won't make fun of you. That doesn't mean they won't try to ruin your reputation. That doesn't mean they won't kill you. They may do any or all of those things. But you will not perish. You are eternally secure. To perish, dear people, means to suffer eternal separation from God. That is something to be concerned about. But the momentary inconvenience of being mocked or laughed at, or even killed is nothing by comparison.
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In his book Loving God, Chuck Colson tells the story of Jim Vaus. Vaus was a close mob associate of Micky Cohen who controlled Los Angeles during the 1940s and 1950s. Vaus experienced a radical conversion during Billy Graham's 1949 campaign in Los Angeles. At the risk of his life, he cut ties with the mob, and sold his house and car in order to make restitution for some of the crimes he had committed. His actions eventually to the notice of the media and a news article documented what he had done. So Cohen called. He said to Vaus, How are you going to get around with no car, Jim?" Vaus responded, Well, the buses and streetcars are still running." Cohen persisted: Sure, but lookit, let me loan you a car. To which Vaus replied, Thanks, Micky, but no." "Why not? asked Cohen. I am working for a new boss now Micky. There are new rules. I can't take something that somebody got through crime." Would you be willing to take that kind of a stand -- with a mob boss? Let's face it, sometimes we retreat among our friends and relatives. We go along with the crowd. We dont want to be isolated or thought different or thought unintelligent or stupid. We wimp out to fit in. God is saying, Stand out. Defend your faith. If you were to go to the visitor center at Manassas, Virginia site of the First and Second Battles of Bull Run, you would see just outside the door way a great statue of Stonewall Jackson mounted on a horse. On the day of battle, the Confederates were about to be overrun by the Union army but Jacksons brigade was holding firm. He urged General Bee to get his troops lined up as well and Bee issued one of the most famous lines in American history. Bee urged his men to line up behind the Virginians with the cry, There stands Jackson like a stonewall! Its a great image of holding the line against the devil. And some have interpreted that that is all Paul is saying here. No retreat. There are no backdoors, no backward looks in the Christian life. He is urging a defensive struggle. B. Stand on Offense But that is not all He is urging, Beloved. God didnt tell us to get armed merely to wait around for spiritual attacks. Those Roman soldiers would not have won many battles by getting all armored up and then waiting for the enemy, right? The Broncos dont get their uniforms on and take pre-game warm-up so they can go out and play defense all afternoon. They want to get on offense as much as possible, and so must the Christian soldier. Listen we are not getting armed to wait; we are getting armed to advance.
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So, what does Paul mean when he says stand? I believe his emphasis is on keeping your feet as you move forward. When I was growing up in Hutchinson, Kansas, we played a lot of sandlot sports informal, not organized. I didnt start playing organized sports until I was in Junior High School. Now, I loved sports and I was into drama! Whether it was football, baseball, basketball, volleyball didnt matter. I would leave my feet anytime, anyplace to try to make some impossible play. Once in awhile, that tactic would succeed, right? But most of the time, those efforts resulted in me being on the ground and out of play as the other ream rolled forward. It took awhile for smarter coaches to convince me you gotta stay on our feet, McNeff. Dont let yourself get blindsided. Dont go for the fake. Stay on your feet. The instruction isnt just hold your ground its advance, but keep your feet while doing so. For a soldier in ancient times to fall inevitably meant death, so God tells us, stand firm, stay on your feet. If standing defensively were all that is required, we might as well join or a monastery, right? That would make the job much easier. But the Lord wants us to be maintaining unity in His body, the church, to be living progressively more holy lives, to be showing His character in relationships all positive, forward moving activities. But as we are doing that, His point is, be ever on the lookout for the enemy. Keep your feet. Keep moving forward inch by inch, foot by foot, day by day. Discipline yourself against the critical nature that wants to right every wrong, but is really self-righteousness in disguise. Dont leave your feet. Discipline yourself against the appeal to greed that comes disguised as a promotion to a better position with more money, but less time for family. Discipline yourself to recognize sharing a personal issue under the guise of a prayer request for the gossip it really is. We must discipline ourselves against any semblance of disrespect for husband or wife, whether public or private recognizing it as a scheme of the enemy. We must discipline our children yes, but because we love them, not because we are frustrated with them. Keep your feet. Stand firm. In June, 1967, what was then known as the United Arab Republic (Egypt, Jordan and Syria) attacked Israel with the intent of destroying that nation. The odds were heavily stacked in their favor. But, the world watched in disbelief as the Israelis demolished the military capabilities of that coalition and took over strategic territory, including the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the Gaza strip all within six days. It was a stunning display of military might. One story that came out of that event had two dispirited Egyptian soldiers discussing how this disgrace could have happened. One soldier said,
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We relied too much on the Soviets and their military weapons? The other replied, No, no. It was because we relied too much on the Soviet military textbooks, and the bottom line of their military strategy was simply withdraw deep into your own territory, draw the enemy in after you -- and wait for the winter snow to destroy them! That strategy works great in Russia not so much in Egypt! And neither can we simply adopt as Christians a defensive strategy. To stand means to be able to defend, yes. To know Satans strategies which we will study, and to be able to defend our faith. But it also means to keep our feet as we advance. Positively fulfill the Lords instructions and expectations for our conduct taking new territory in our marriages, our families, and in our work and church relationships. Little by little making progress. Paul says in Romans 8:37, No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. We are not just here to hold ground we are here to conquer. Commentator William Hendriksen says, The standing of which Paul speaks (verses 11, 14) is not that of a brick wall that is waiting passively, as it were, for the assault of the battering ram. The soldiers referred to here are drawn up in battle array and rushing into the fight. They are both defending themselves and attacking. Conclusion Now, let me ask you a personal question. Do your friends know that you belong to Christ? Do your acquaintances know that you claim Christ? Do the people you work with, the other parents at the ball field or the club members know that you are a follower of Christ? Or is your life so compromised that you are already down and out. Out of the battle. Fitting in instead of standing out! A Sunday morning Christian, who probably isnt a Christian at all. Do you seek the benefits, but not want to pay the price? A Charlie Brown cartoon showed Charlie asking Snoopy, who is holding a tennis racket, Are you sure you want to play at Wimbledon? Second frame: Charlie Brown says, Youd probably come up against players like Ashe, or Connors, or Borg. Third Frame: Snoopy thinks, Thats true . . . I hate playing guys like that. They keep hitting the ball back. Thats what the true Christian life is, Beloved. We are at war and will be for the whole time of this life. The ball is coming back and back and back. Are you ready? Are you in it? Our objective is clear stand. Stand in the evil day against the evil. Stand firm. Keep your feet while gaining new territory. Are we armed and dangerous, or do we wimp out? Fitting in or standing out? Lets pray.