A Treatise of the Whole Armor of God

_EPHESIANS 6.10._Finally, my Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

PAul was now in bonds, yet not so close kept as to be denied pen and paper: God (it seemes) gave him some favor in the sight of his enemies: Paul was Nero's prisoner; Nero was much more Gods. And while God had work for Paul, he found him friends both in Court and prison. Let persecutors send the Saints to prison, God can provide a Keeper for their turn.

But how does this great Apostle spend his time in prison? not in publishing invectives against those, (though the worst of men) who had laid him in; a piece of zeal which the holy sufferers of those times were little acquainted with: Nor in politick counsels how he might winde himself out of his trouble, by sordid flattery of, or sinful compliance with the great ones of the times. Some would have used any pick-lock to have opened a passage to their liberty, and not scrupled, (so escape they might) whether they got out at the door or window: But this holy man was not so fond of liberty or life, as to purchase them with the least hazard to the Gospel. He knew too much of another world, to bid so high for the enjoying of this, and therefore he is at a point what his enemies can do with him, well knowing he could go to heaven whether they would or no; No, the great care which lay upon him was for the Churches of Christ: as a faithful Steward he labors to set this House of God in order before his departure. We reade of no dispatches sent to Court to procure his liberty, but many to the Churches to help them to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free. There is no such way to be even with the devil and his instruments for all their spite against us, as by doing what good we can, wherever we become. The devil had as good have let Paul alone; for he no sooner comes into prison, but he falls a preaching, at which the gates of Satans prison flie open, and poor sinners come forth. Happy for Onesimus that Paul was sent to Jaile; God had an errand for Paul to do to him and others, which the devil never dream't of. Nay, he does not only preach in prison, but that he may do the devil all the mischief he can, he sends his Epistles to the Churches; that tasting his Spirit in his afflictions, and reading his faith, now ready to be offered up, they might much more be confirmed, amongst which Ephesus was not least in his thoughts, as you may perceive by his abode with them two years together, Acts 19:10. as also by his sending for the Elders of this Church as far as Miletus, in his last journey to Jerusalem, Acts 20:17. to take his farewel of them, as never to see their face in this world more. And surely the sad impression which that heart-breaking departure left upon the spirits of these Elders, yea, the whole Church, (by them acquainted with this mournful newes,) might stir up Paul, now in prison, to write unto this Church, that having so much of his Spirit, yea, of the Spirit of the Gospel left in their hands to converse with, they might more patiently take the newes of his death.

In the former part of this Epistle, he soares high in the mysteries of faith. In the latter, according to his usual method, he descends to Application; where we finde him contracting all those truths, as beams together in a powerful exhortation, the more to enkindle their hearts, and powerfully perswade them to walk worthy of their vocation, chap. 4.1. which then is done, when the Christians life is transparent, that the grace of the Gospel shines forth in the power of holiness on every side, and from all his relations, as a candle in a Crystal glasse, not in a dark Lanthorn, lightsome one way, and dark another: and therefore he runs over the several relations of Husband, Wife, Parents, Children, Master and Servants, and presses the same in all these.

Now having set every one in his proper place, about his particular duty: as a wise General after he has ranged his Army, and drawn them forth into rank and file: he makes this following speech at the head of this Ephesian Camp, all in martial phrase, as best suiting the Christians calling, which is a continued warfare with the world, and the Prince of the world. The speech it self contains two parts;

First, a short, but sweet and powerful encouragement, ver. 10.

Secondly, the other part is spent in several directions, for their managing this war the more succesfully, with some motives here and there sprinkled among them. To begin with the first.

1. The word of encouragement to battel. With this he begins his speech; Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord: the best way indeed to prepare them for the following directions. A soul deeply possest with fear, and disspirited with strong impressions of danger, is in no posture for counsel. As we see in an Army when put to the run with some sudden alarm, and apprehensions of danger; 'tis hard rallying them into order while the scare and feare is over; therefore the Apostle first raiss up their spirits, Be strong in the Lord: as if he should say, perhaps some drooping souls finde their hearts faile them, while they see their enemies so strong, and they so weak; so numerous, and they so few; so well appointed, and they so naked and unarmed; so skilful and expert at armes, but they green and raw souldiers; Let not these or any other thoughts dismay you, but with undaunted courage march on, and be strong in the Lord; on whose performance lies the stresse of the battel, and not on your skill or strength: It is not the least of a Ministers care, and skill in dividing the Word, so to presse the Christians duty, as not to oppress his Spirit with the weight of it, by laying it on the creatures own shoulders, and not on the Lords strength, as here our Apostle teaches us.

In this verse; First, here is a familiar Compellation; My brethren.

Secondly, here is the exhortation; Be strong.

Thirdly, here is a cautionary direction annexed to the exhortation; In the Lord.

Fourthly, here is an encouraging amplification of the direction; And in the power of his might, or in his mighty power.

FINIS.

Ephesians 6:10 — Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.

Paul was now in chains, yet not confined so closely that he was denied pen and paper — God, it seems, gave him some favor in the eyes of his captors. Paul was Nero's prisoner, but Nero was far more God's. And while God had work for Paul to do, He provided him friends both in the court and in the prison. Persecutors may send the saints to prison, but God can provide just the right keeper for them.

How did this great apostle spend his time in prison? Not writing attacks against those who had imprisoned him, though they were the worst of men — the holy sufferers of that era had little taste for that kind of zeal. Nor did he spend it in political scheming to work his way out of trouble through groveling flattery or sinful compromise with the powerful men of the day. Some would have used any tool available to gain their freedom, and would not have cared whether they got out by the door or the window. But this holy man did not value his liberty or his life so highly as to purchase them at the slightest risk to the Gospel. He knew too much of another world to bid very high for the enjoyment of this one, so he had made peace with whatever his enemies might do to him — knowing well he could go to heaven whether they permitted it or not. No, his great concern was for the churches of Christ. As a faithful steward, he labored to set God's household in order before his departure. We read of no dispatches sent to court to secure his release, but many sent to the churches to help them stand firm in the freedom Christ had won for them. There is no better way to get even with the devil and his instruments for all their spite against us than by doing as much good as we can wherever we find ourselves. The devil would have done better to leave Paul alone — for no sooner did Paul arrive in prison than he began preaching, and at that the gates of Satan's prison flew open and poor sinners came out. It was a happy day for Onesimus that Paul was sent to jail; God had an errand for Paul to deliver to him and others that the devil never dreamed of. Indeed, Paul not only preached in prison, but — so that he might do the devil all the damage he could — he sent his letters to the churches, that by tasting his spirit in his afflictions and reading his faith, now about to be offered up, they might be all the more confirmed in theirs. Ephesus was not least in his thoughts, as is clear from his two-year stay there (Acts 19:10) and his summoning of the elders of that church all the way to Miletus on his last journey to Jerusalem (Acts 20:17), to say farewell to them as one who would never see their faces in this world again. The deep impression that heartbreaking departure left on the spirits of those elders — and through them, on the whole church — must have moved Paul, now in prison, to write to that church, so that with so much of his spirit, and of the Spirit of the Gospel, still in their hands to draw on, they might more patiently receive the news of his death.

In the earlier part of this letter, Paul soars high in the mysteries of faith. In the latter part, following his usual method, he comes down to application. There we find him gathering all those truths together like beams of light, focusing them in a powerful call to action — urging them to walk worthy of their calling (Ephesians 4:1). That is done when a Christian's life is transparent, so that the grace of the Gospel shines out in the power of holiness from every angle and in every relationship — like a candle in a crystal glass, not in a dark lantern that gives light in one direction and darkness in another. Paul therefore works through the various relationships of husband, wife, parent, child, master, and servant, pressing the same truth in each.

Having set everyone in their proper place and assigned each their particular duty, Paul acts like a wise general who has arranged his army in rank and file — and then delivers the following address to the Ephesian camp, expressed entirely in military language, as best fitting the Christian calling, which is a continuing warfare with the world and the prince of the world. The address itself has two parts.

First, a brief but powerful and encouraging call to battle, in verse 10.

Second, the rest is devoted to specific directions for waging this war successfully, with motivations sprinkled throughout. We begin with the first.

First, the word of encouragement to battle. Paul opens his address with this: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord" — the best possible way to prepare them for the directions that follow. A soul gripped by fear and drained of courage by a strong sense of danger is in no position to receive counsel. As we see in an army thrown into flight by a sudden alarm and the dread of danger, it is hard to rally them back into order while the fright is still fresh. Therefore the apostle first lifts their spirits: be strong in the Lord. It is as if he were saying: perhaps some downcast souls feel their hearts failing as they see their enemies so strong and themselves so weak, so numerous and they so few, so well-equipped and they so naked and unarmed, so skilled and experienced in combat and they still green recruits. Let none of these thoughts dismay you, but march on with undaunted courage and be strong in the Lord — upon whose performance the weight of the battle rests, not on your skill or strength. One of a minister's greatest responsibilities — and greatest skills — in rightly dividing the Word is to press the Christian's duty in such a way that it does not crush his spirit by laying the burden on his own shoulders rather than on the Lord's strength, as our apostle here teaches us.

In this verse, first, there is a familiar address: "My brethren."

Second, there is the exhortation: "Be strong."

Third, there is a qualifying direction attached to the exhortation: "In the Lord."

Fourth, there is an encouraging expansion of that direction: "And in the power of His might" — or, in His mighty power.

End.