when Paul calls upon us to stand, he is not saying that there's a lack of forward momentum in the Christian's life. He merely is saying by the word “stand” that there is no retreat. He doesn’t mean we don't move forward, but we don't move backward. Stand and moving forward are not incompatibles. As a matter of fact, in verses 11 and 12, it's not apparent in your English translation, but Paul uses the same preposition seven times, and it’s the Greek preposition “pros” πρός, which basically has the meaning of facing forward, forward, forward, forward, forward, facing forward. So, the idea is not that we don't move forward, or face forward, but that we never turn our backs and retreat. In other words, Paul says, with all seriousness, this walk that we've been talking about is a war, and this is militant, or military, language, “putting on the whole armor of God, breastplate, shield, helmet, sword. Having done all of this, to stand in the evil day.”

Charles Hodge says it this way: “It is something real and arduous, difficult and dangerous. It is one in which many are wounded, and often succumb. It is one in which great mistakes are often committed, and serious loss incurred, from ignorance of its nature (that is, of the warfare), and the appropriate means for carrying it on.”

So, this walk is not just a stroll down the avenue. It's a war, and we’re called upon to “put on armor, and to be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.”

Now, there are two things that we assume to be true, because we know them to be true, and two things that we are told here again by implication or graphically, and those two facts are these:

#1: “I am weak,” and each of us needs to say that for ourselves. “I am weak,” and that's why Paul says “be strong in the Lord.” Why would he call upon us to be strong in the Lord unless we were weak without the Lord? The first thing I know intuitively, and the text suggests, is that I am weak.

The second thing generally that the text tells us, and is the second fact, is that my enemies are strong. Now, those two things complicate each other, don't they? On the one hand, I am weak, and on the other hand, my enemies are strong. Now that paints a picture that, if that's the case, something needs to be done, and that's what Paul is all about at this point: I am weak; my enemies are strong. Now, the fact that I am weak, and that I recognize that I am weak, we need to realize that in the New Testament meekness is a virtue. What does our Lord say in the sermon on the mount? “Blessed are the meek,” but weakness is not. You may admit that you’re weak. You may in fact be weak, but you can't celebrate that fact. Meekness is a virtue, but weakness is not. We may honestly say we’re weak, but we cannot honorably say we’re weak. Do you see the difference? In fact, Lenski says “Christians dare never be weaklings.” What does Paul say? “Be strong.” Well, if being weak was a virtue, he might've said “Be weak,” but he doesn’t, does he? He says “No, don't be weak; be strong,” and so we have these two things: I am weak. Therefore, he begins by calling upon us to be strong. My enemies are strong; therefore he enumerates who they are, and tells us to put on armor in order to stand against them.

Now, there are 4 things that I want to consider as we deal with this text, and these 4 things we’ll take up today, and also in our next study, so the outline will work for us all the way through, and there are basically 4 words which will help us to think through the words of Paul, and without trying to be cute, I will admit they all begin with “e.” I’m not trying to alliterate everything, but it works out here without any particular manipulation. I want to consider 4 things:

#1: Our energy. “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Our energy.

The second thing that we want to consider is our enemy, which he details for us in verse 12: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers, world rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness,” and so on, and so forth. The second thing we learn is our enemy.

The third thing we will consider is our effort that we are to expend in this warfare. He says “wrestle not against flesh and blood,” but against these enumerated evils which stand against us.

And then fourthly, which we won't get to at all this morning, but in due course we’ll come and deal with the armor of God, and that would be our what? Well, our equipment.

So, that must be somewhat inspired, because they all begin with “e,” and you’ll remember them: our

equipment. We’ll come this morning to deal with our

energy, and our

enemy, and our

effort.

First of all then, going back to the beginning, #1, our energy. Now, we find that in verse 10. Paul says: “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.” There are two things here we’re told. #1, what is required? and the answer is: “strength.” Why? Because we are weak, and what do weak require? “strength.” So, there are two things we want to note here. First of all, what is required? and secondly, where it is to be found. Simple enough, and the text answers both questions.

First of all, what is required? Strength, and there is a remarkable accumulation of words here. Notice that it says “Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.” Strong, strength, and might, three different words in the original language accurately represented here as three different words in English. It is a remarkable accumulation of synonyms. These words are not greatly different from one another. They all point in the same direction. They are are basically synonyms of one another. It's hard to differentiate them. It could almost be translated this way: “Be strengthened in the Lord, and in the strength of his strength.” There’ something of emphasis in that. First of all, that you'd say the same thing three ways, but the same thing could be said basically in one way: “Be strengthened in the Lord, and in the strength of his strength.” Or, as one author has put it: “This power is literally “power in the Lord, and in the power of his power,” the operative strength of his might.” So, this is strung together with these synonyms so as to make an impact in three parts. That's what is required. We require strength. Why? Because we're weak. Weakness is not a virtue. It's a fact, and if it's a fact, we need to be strong.

The second thing is: Where do we find this strength? Well, the text is equally emphatic. It says it is to be found “in the Lord, in the strength of his might,” and as a matter of fact, you’ll notice, if you have the ASV, for example, “be strong in,” do you see the word “in,” “in the Lord”? and again you see the word “in,” and what you don't see is that the word in the original language “be strong” is a verb which begins with the preposition “en” ἐν, that is “in.” So, it’s really there three times. “Be in-strengthened, or in-powered, in the Lord, and in his strength,” which is in him, and that's where it's to be found. What is required? Strength. Where is this to be found? In the Lord, not, obviously, in ourselves. William Gurnall in that book aforementioned said: “Remember Christian, when thou hast thy best suit on, who made it, and who paid for it.” “Be strengthened in the power of his might.”