Spiritual basic training
At my graduation ceremony from basic training for the US Army, the speaker came out, stood behind the podium, took a giant deep breath, and said, “Finally, you made it!”
The latter half of the last chapter of Ephesians (chapter six) lists the spiritual weapons Christians need to fight the good fight and live a productive spiritual life. Verse ten is the start of the talk about the spiritual armour, and that verse begins with the word, “finally.”
In my mind, I could not help but put the two together. It is as if God were saying that we have completed spiritual basic training; here is what you need to be a good spiritual soldier of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the question is: Are the things leading up to Ephesians 6:10 a basic training course? The answer is yes.
Ephesians 1:7 refers to the moment when we enlist in God’s army, which is at salvation, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Salvation is not of our own merit. The blood of Jesus Christ washes away our sins. If we earned salvation through good works or religious protocol, then salvation would not be of his grace.
Then, after salvation, the purpose of life, why the Creator created you, comes into view. Ephesians 1:9, “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.”
Sadly, many Christians never go beyond the early days of basic training. Some, being Christians for decades, still have no idea what God’s will is for their lives. To help discover God’s will for your life, apply Romans 12:1-2 to your heart and life.
In the early verses of Ephesians 2, God reminds us of our origin and our purpose when we were living independently and not yielding to God’s will. We lived in a state of “fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.”
Another reminder in verses 8-9 that we are saved by grace, not by our works, and that salvation is a gift from God.
Then verse ten explains in more detail that God has had a plan for you since before the beginning of time, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
God has a plan and a purpose for you, but as we can see through the progression of the book of Ephesians, you cannot fully know what God created you for until after salvation and the discovery of His will.
In verses 12-13 of chapter 2, God provides a detailed description of our former state and our current position in Christ. “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
Notice the change, notice the difference, look at the wording. “without Christ”, “aliens”, “strangers”, “having no hope”, “without God” to “made nigh by the blood of Christ.” The blood of Christ makes all the difference.
Next, in our basic training, God emphasizes how we, as individuals, work within our duty station and alongside other spiritual soldiers. Ephesians 2:19-22, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed togehtr groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitiation of God through the Spirit.”
There are those in the army of God who have quit the church, and not without reason. Someone has stabbed them in the back, the minister ran off with the church secretary, or stole God’s money. Sometimes they see mass hypocrisy in other Christians. Sometimes, the church doesn’t live up to expectations; whatever the reason, God does not want the Christian soldier to fight the spiritual warfare alone. It may be time to move to another squad. Perhaps the will of God for you is to shape those around you, helping them become the Christians they should be.
When others hurt you, don’t desert the church altogether. The Revolutionary Army did not quit when Benedict Arnold became a traitor. Our Pastor in Germany, when we were returning to the United States, gave us good advice: “If you can’t find a good church: start one.”
The enemy, Satan, gains an advantage when the army of God shrinks in size.
Moving on to chapter four, God mentions in the first verse, “...the vocation wherewith ye are called.” Living the Christian life should affect every aspect of our lives; therefore, we have many vocations. This “vocation” not only applies to positions in the church, such as Pastor, Deacon, or Teacher, but also applies to life outside the church. Being a spouse, a son or daughter, an employer or employee, a student, a neighbor, or a member of the bowling team. Everything we do, every position we hold, is a vocation we need to “walk worthy” in.
Ephesians 4:5 provides us with doctrine: a reminder to know what you believe and why you believe it. In other words, study the Bible.
We are not all the same. We all possess different talents and abilities, which are given to us by God. God has a purpose for each one of us and, therefore, will mold us into what He wants us to be. As we work God’s will, utilizing the talents He has given us, we will positively influence those around us. In turn, we will build up the body of Christ as Christ edifies us through each other.
God starts chapter five by exhorting us to holy living. An army must be disciplined to obey orders and accomplish the objective given to it by the commander. Living godly lives is not only a good testimony and shows people an example of the heart of God, but it also enables the plan of God to move forward.
The latter half of Chapter Five and the first half of Chapter Six is what God says before He says, “Finally...” Here, God discusses our relationships within our families. Husbands and wives, children and parents. A reminder that if the home is in disarray, we will not be effective soldiers in God’s spiritual army.
I won’t get into the latter half of chapter six and the armour; that will wait for another day. But I will share what God says about who the enemy is. The enemy is not people; the enemy is spiritual forces. Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
