True Christian Strength

Ephesians 6:14-18a
January 26, 2020
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

Dear Highland, you are in the middle of a war - a war between our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the enemy that is called Satan or the devil. This war has already been won by Jesus. But this war is not yet over for you. The enemy hates you and he attacks you with his schemes.

This is why you need armor. And the Lord has given you the best armor. It is a spiritual armor. It is a heavenly armor not made by man. It is an armor that is imbued with his strength and might. The Lord has given you his armor. And you are to put it on.

This is very important. The reason why is because it is tempting and easy to put on armor that is not spiritual. Armor that is earthly and made by man. Armor that is imbued with your own strength and might. It is tempting and easy to come up with your own armor and put that on.

But I tell you the truth, if you try to stand firm with your own armor, you will not make it. You will lose. You will die. And that is because you will go without true strength.

Dear Highland, I want you to be truly strong. The armor of God in Ephesians gives us the true definition of a strong Christian. Let us listen carefully and humbly so that we may be able to stand firm in the armor of God and in the strength and might of Christ Jesus our Lord.

A truly strong Christian is someone who has put on the armor of God and the belt of truth. When you have the truth of Christ, the lies of the enemy are exposed. Satan is a liar and a deceiver. But with the truth of Christ, you will be strong in Christ, because you will be certain of what is objective and real. You will know the truth, and the truth with set you free (John 8:32). That is true strength.

A truly strong Christian is someone who has put on the armor of God and the breastplate of righteousness. When you have the righteousness of Christ, the accusations of the enemy are silenced. Satan is a slanderer and an accuser who loves to condemn you for your sins and undermine your assurance of salvation. But with the righteousness of Christ, you will be strong in Christ, because you will rest assured that you are covered and credited with the perfect obedience of Jesus. He became sin who knew no sin, so that we might become his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is true strength.

A truly strong Christian is someone who has put on the armor of God and the shoes of the readiness given by the gospel of peace. When you have the readiness of the gospel of peace, the hinderance of the enemy against evangelism is overcome. Satan is a promoter of selfishness and laziness. But with the readiness given by the gospel of peace, you will be strong in Christ, because you will be driven by the joy of salvation and a love for the lost. How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news (Romans 10:15). That is true strength.

A truly strong Christian is someone who has put on the armor of God and the shield of faith. When you have faith, the small picture worldliness of the enemy is superceded. Satan is more about what you see rather than what you do not see. But with faith, you will be strong in Christ, because you will acknowledge that you are a stranger and an exile on this earth who seeks a homeland and desires a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). That is true strength.

A truly strong Christian is someone who has put on the armor of God and the helmet of salvation. When you have salvation in Christ, the fear of the enemy is no more. Satan is a lover of sin and death and a hater of glory and resurrection. But with salvation in Christ, you will be strong in Christ, because you know that you have been saved from sin and from death. You rest knowing that your sins have been forgiven, and that death is swallowed up in victory, since this perishable body must put on the imperishable and this mortal body must put on immortality. God will wipe away every tear from your eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:4). That is true strength.

A truly strong Christian is someone who has put on the armor of God and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. When you have the word of God, the words of the enemy are overruled and struck down. Satan is a negotiator of half-truths, a whisperer of counterfeit gospels, and a challenger of God’s promises and God’s authority. But with the word of God, you will be strong in Christ, because you will have God’s spoken gospel and God’s spoken law and God’s spoken encouragement and God’s spoken love given to you straight from his mouth. And man does not live on bread alone, but… by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). That is true strength.

Finally, a truly strong Christian is someone who has put on the armor of God and prays. When you pray, the troubles of the enemy are put to rest. Satan is a cultivator of anxiety and a summoner of self-reliance. But with prayer, you will be strong in Christ, because you will be depending on God your Father and because he hears your prayers. Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:9-13). That is true strength.

The truth of Christ, the righteousness of Christ, Jesus’ readiness of the gospel of peace, his gift of faith, his gift of salvation, his word, and prayer to him. All of this, together, is the true strength of the true Christian. Praise the Lord for his strength!

Now all of this might sound a bit too basic for you. But please listen to and think carefully about what I am going to say next. Many believers measure Christian strength in wrong ways. Many measure strength with fake armor. Many do not know what true Christian strength is. For example, it is a popular belief that greater strength comes from deeper accountability or more meaningful fellowship. It is commonly understood that believers who give time, energy, service and money are strong church members. There is the idea that a strong Christian life includes visibly passionate worship, transparent authenticity and brokenness, and good habits. And instead of the belt of truth, people put on the belt of feelings in order to be strong. Instead of the breastplate of righteousness, people put on the breastplate of self-righteousness in order to be strong. And the list goes on and on. This church is strong because they have a lot of people and a lot of impact. That church is strong because they have good leadership and good organization. Brothers and sisters, I tell you truth, many of these things are good things. But none of these things can actually protect you from the schemes of the devil. Many of these things are the fruit of Jesus’ strength. But none of these things are the actual strength and might of the Lord. True Christian strength is defined and distributed by Christ himself. Everything else, whether good or bad, is fake armor. Therefore, brothers and sisters, do not measure Christian strength in wrong ways. Please do not put on and rely on fake armor that the devil can break. Instead, put on the armor of God and be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might.

I want to close with a huge encouragement for you. If you are sitting there thinking, “My faith is very weak” or “I don’t pray as much as I should” or “It doesn’t look like I have a readiness given by the gospel of peace” or “I’m not sure if I’m saved,” then I have some very good and interesting news for you. You don’t have to go and get this armor. Putting this armor on is not like a video game where you have to beat a dragon or search far and wide in order to earn or discover it. No. You don’t have to find it. Because it has, so to speak, found you. This is grace. This is love. Christ Jesus has found you. And now all you have to do is put his armor on and stand.

Dear Highland, our church may not look like a strong church. But I really do think it is. We are slowly but steadily receiving and learning the truth each and every Sunday. I see members who are in awe of the righteousness of Christ that has been credited to them. We attend funerals, but we have faith in the promise of resurrection life. People are genuinely happy for the simple fact that they are saved. People are reading their Bibles and praying for themselves and for one another. We’re not the coolest church on the block. We’re not big. We have a ton of land but we don’t have a gym. And the list can go on and on. But I thank God that Highland is strong in the strength and might of the Lord.

Dear Highland, as we wait for the end of this war, may we be a strong church and may we continue to be a strong church. May we be strong by the fact that we the armor of God. Dear Highland, let us put on the armor of Christ and stand.

Soli Deo Gloria