Strong in the Lord and the Strength of His Might

In one paragraph

Pastor Ray walked through Ephesians 6:10-20, the full armor of God passage, and framed it not as a personal checklist but as a communal calling, a "y'all" situation. He tied it to the larger argument of Ephesians, that the church is God's only plan for making his wisdom known to the spiritual powers of this world. Before getting into the passage, Pastor Ray offered a clarifying note from last...

Read together

1. Ephesians 6:10-20 announced as the main passage for the sermon on the full armor of God
2. Ephesians 5:22 cited in the retraction about Young's Literal Translation and the word 'wives'
3. Ephesians 5:25 cited in the retraction alongside wives, children, servants, masters
4. Ephesians 6:1 cited in the retraction as the verse addressing children
5. Ephesians 6:5 cited in the retraction as the verse addressing servants
6. Ephesians 6:9 cited in the retraction as the verse addressing masters
7. Ephesians 3:8-10 quoted to show that the multifaceted wisdom of God is made known through the church to rulers and authorities
8. Ephesians 2:1-6 quoted on being dead in offenses, the prince of the power of the air, and being made alive together with Christ
9. Ephesians 2:8-10 quoted on salvation by grace through faith as a gift, and being created for good works prepared beforehand
10. Ephesians 4:1-3 referenced as Paul calling himself a prisoner urging a walk worthy of the calling with humility, gentleness, and unity
11. Ephesians 6:12 noted as the only place in the Bible where the Greek word kosmokratoras appears
12. John 17 cited as where Jesus prays for unity and says the Father should sanctify them by the truth, noting your word is truth
13. John 16:33 quoted as Jesus saying in this world you will have tribulation but take heart, I have overcome the world
14. Isaiah 52:7 quoted on the beautiful feet of the one who brings good news and announces peace
15. Hebrews 11:1 quoted as the definition of faith as the certainty of things hoped for and proof of things not seen, then called the hall of faith

What was said

• Pray for Revival at the Rodeo this week, even if you cannot attend the event at the Rodeo Grounds.
• When someone frustrates or angers you, stop and pray for them instead of responding with the same anger they brought to you.
• If the Holy Spirit brings someone to mind, stop and pray for them right then, or reach out to them.
• Ask God to show you his will for your day and consciously remind yourself that your strength to do it comes from him, not from yourself.
• Memorize or sit with the truth that your struggle is not against the people who oppose you, so that when conflict comes this week you can respond from that place.

Talk about it

1. Pastor Ray mentioned that being 'strong in the Lord' means the strength comes from God, not from us, and he contrasted identifying as 'a sinner saved by grace' with what Paul calls us, which is 'saints.' How does the way you think of yourself day to day line up with that, and does it actually change how you live?
2. The sermon emphasized that 'our struggle is not against flesh and blood' and that the people who oppose or frustrate us are people Jesus wants to save. Where do you find that hardest to believe, and what would it look like practically to respond to a difficult person the way the sermon described?
3. Pastor Ray said that the armor of God is described as a 'y'all' situation, meaning it belongs to the whole church together and not just to individuals. What difference does it make to think of standing firm as something we do together rather than something each person does on their own?
4. The sermon described faith as 'the certainty of things hoped for' and talked about flaming arrows that come at us in the form of doubt and discouragement, using the example of the youth director being tempted to give up. What have the flaming arrows looked like in your own life, and how has faith actually functioned as a shield in those moments?
5. Pastor Ray closed by saying that the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, is what wins the battle and gains new ground, and he tied that directly to prayer, quoting Paul's request that he would speak the gospel boldly. How does your own prayer life connect to the way you actually talk about Jesus with people outside the church?