Discovering Christ in Ephesians

We saw from our last discussion that we are wrestling with strong holds; this is why we put on the Whole Armour of God.

These strongholds are: Imaginations, everything that exalts itself above the knowledge of God (who God is and what he has done for us in Christ Jesus), and Thoughts (we bring every thought to obey the power of Christ and what he has wrought for us).

Then the apostle continues,

“Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand,” Ephesians 6:13.

This is a powerful exhortation. Observe carefully that it is does not say take unto you ‘your’ whole armour. No! It is not our armour, but The Armour of God.

If it is our armour, then it becomes works, and condemnation and fear are inevitable.

Thank God for Jesus, for what God wears upon Himself for battle, is what we are made to put on….

If we take unto ourselves any armour which is not God’s Armour, we are so defeated. We are not to bring our armour to fight spiritual battles, but we are to take the armour which is outside of ourselves — The Armour of God.

We are to take God’s Armour as our own….

Therefore, this is the question we must ask, “How did God fight the enemy to give us victory?”

The entirety of God’s Armour for the defeat of Satan was Jesus Christ. Jesus is The Armour of God. If we wear upon ourselves anything outside of Christ, we are doomed to fail.

This is why we are told Christ is our all. He is not our ‘some’, but he is our sum of all spiritual things;

“Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all,” Colossians 3:11.

The apostle goes on to open up this armour of God;

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness,” Ephesians 6:14.

Now we have said above that The Armour of God is Jesus. Christ the Power and Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24).

Thus, let’s observe the armour of God, one after the other, through the eyes of God,

The First weapon, having your loins girt about with “Truth”.

Which Truth? We all know there is no other Truth but He who is the truth. Truth is a person, and that person is Jesus.

The first armour we put on is Jesus, the Truth.

You and I are not the truth. Neither philosophy nor any other vain reasoning. If we look to ourselves for truth, we are putting on ourselves as the armour.

Our truth is Jesus. As long as he is the truth, he is our truth.

“Jesus saith unto him, “I AM the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto The Father, but by Me,”” John 14:6.

The Second weapon mentioned above is the breastplate of “Righteousness”.

Which righteousness? Mine or whose? Righteousness is a person, not a doing.

It is a nature that manifests itself through Godly actions. This nature is Jesus. Jesus is our righteousness.

“In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS,” Jeremiah 23:6 emphasis added.

All our righteousness are as a filthy rag before The LORD (Isaiah 64:6). This is why God has given us an eternal righteousness which is the person of Jesus. He is made our righteousness.

We put faith in what Christ has done on The Cross for the ungodly and declare even as Martin Luther would do,

“Jesus I am Your sin, You are my righteousness.”

He is the one we put on as our qualification for every blessing and not our own good works. If we dare, the devil knows us so well, our hearts know us better and will definitely condemn us, we will fail. In of ourselves there is nothing good (Romans 7:18).

If we wend to our works, we have left the Armour of our God to our own armour. You are not what God used to defeat Satan, remember?

Look what this verse says;

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption,” 1 Corinthians 1:30.

Then the apostle continues listing God’s armour,

“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace,” Ephesians 6:15.

The Third weapon mentioned above is the “Gospel of Peace”.

Which peace? Peace is not just a feeling. Peace is a person, peace is Christ.

“For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us,” Ephesians 2:14.

The Gospel of Peace is the over-the-top good news of what Jesus has done for a bankrupt sinner as I am. Now we have peace with God. God is no longer angry with us, the wrath of God for all our sins, past, present and future have been fully satisfied by the death, burial and resurrection of the Christ (that’s a huge statement right there!)

This is why it is called The Gospel of Peace. And it is truly The Gospel of Peace. In Him I have found my rest.

The gospel of peace is the gospel of Christ, the power of God unto salvation,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek,” Romans 1:16.

Then the apostle continues;

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked,” Ephesians 6:16.

The Fourth Weapon mentioned is “Faith“.

It may sound a little strange but Faith is a person. Faith is a spirit. Faith is The Spirit of Christ;

“We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak,” 2 Corinthians 4:13.

This is the reason we are told Christ the Author and Finisher of our Faith . It begins with Him and ends with Him.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,” Hebrews 12:2.

And also this is why not all men have Faith, because not all men have Christ.

“For all men have not faith…” 2 Thessalonians 3:2.

Then the apostle continues,

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” Ephesians 6:17.

The Fifth weapon mentioned is the Helmet of “Salvation”.

This doesn’t have to take long. Jesus is salvation. And He is gift of God for all sinners.

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid,” Psalm 27:1,3.

Finally the Sixth weapon explained is by the scripture,

“and The Sword of The Spirit, which is The Word of God,” Ephesian 6:17.

We all know who The Word of God is,

“In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God,” John 1:1.

Truly Christ is all and the sufficient Armour. Just by putting on Christ you can see that the enemy is already defeated, for he also believes and trembles before God.

When you put on God, the devil believes and trembles. You become terror to devils even as Jesus is.

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” James 2:19.

 

Blessings in Christ,
~ Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church.

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Jahfas Victor Ahua, presiding pastor, Living Hill Christian Church with a vision to restore the earth to the Gospel of God’s Grace.
Books: A Sure Foundation, The Truth About The Gospel, Galatians Commentary

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