This means war - What it means to put on the full armor of God: Be Spirit filled

Ephesians 6:10-12 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

Introduction
Last week I began a periodic blog series that featured the topic of spiritual warfare. I am entitling this periodic series: "This means War!" In the post last week we considered the significance of spiritual warfare and looked at 1 Samuel 17 and the account of David and Goliath. In considering principles about spiritual warfare from that epic battle, we saw the following points:
1. The methods of the enemy are pride and fear. 1 Samuel 17:1-11

2. Mission of enemy is to destroy you. 1 Samuel 17:12-30

3. Might of God defeats the enemy. 1 Samuel 17:31-58.

In that opening study we considered our main point of application to be: We must grasp that we are in a spiritual war if we are to fight the fight of faith. 

In today's post we now turn our attention exclusively to Ephesians 6, with the goal this week to discover what putting on the full armor of God actually means. Such a command can sound so abstract until we consider the wider context of Ephesians 6:10-18. Today's focus will be on exploring the first meaning behind this command: Be Filled with the Holy Spirit.

Putting on the Whole Armor of God means being Spirit filled. 
Notice what Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." Whenever you see that underlined word: "finally", the indication is that Paul is bring to a close a series of points. In tracing back through the letter of Ephesians, we arrive at the beginning point of his line of argumentation, Ephesians 4:1 "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called."

The whole idea of "walking with God" is a huge point in this second part of Ephesians. Like connecting the dots throughout the remainder of Ephesians 4,5 and 6, we can trace the chain of commands:

Ephesians 4:17 "So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind."

Ephesians 5:1-2  "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."

Ephesians 5:15,18 15 "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise." 18 "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."

To walk with God requires the believer to be "filled" or "under the influence" of the Holy Spirit. The filling of the Holy is commanded not only here in Ephesians, but elsewhere in the scriptures and stated in differing ways. For example, Galatians 5:16 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God." To have the scriptures memorized or to have spent time in them to the point of having them in me is practically equivalent to submitting oneself under the Spirit's influence. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 "Do not quench the Spirit."

When I think of the "Spirit-filled" life, such a condition can be likened unto the "chain-mail" a soldier would had worn in the Roman army of the 1st century. 

wikipedia picture

Putting on the Whole Armor of God not only has to do with putting on behaviors and habits but must first begin with the inside.  According to the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, such "chain-mail" (called by the Roman Soldiers lorica) would had protected the heart and vital organs behind the rib cage. 

Why labor this point about chain-mail? Because the filling of the Holy Spirit means we are guarding the organ of thought and passion for God - the heart. Certainly the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence is a must, being that this is after all "the whole armor of God". One must be a Christian to wear the spiritual armor. However, to ensure effectiveness in spiritual warfare and defending Kingdom ground in our marriages (Ephesians 5:22-33); child-rearing (Ephesians 6:1-4) and workplaces (Ephesians 6:5-9), we as Christians must daily be Spirit-filled. This is why Paul's command to put on the full armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18 comes at the tail end of a string of commands that are about making sure we are walking with God as Spirit-filled believers.  As is always the case in the Spirit-filled life: the issue is not about you getting more of the Spirit but rather Him getting more of you. Thus putting on the full armor of God means being filled with the Holy Spirit.

4 Great tires 4 life

Galatians 1:1-5 "Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,5 to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen."

Introduction:

Anytime you get fresh tires on your car, the performance and the ability of the vehicle to stay on the road dramatically improves. The road of life needs 4 great tires if we are to navigate the perilous pot holes and obstacles we encounter as believers in Jesus Christ. Paul's letter to the Galatians is all about presenting in the clearest way possible the implications of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Facing a crisis that entailed a near wholesale compromise of the Gospel by the Galatians, Paul sets forth his most aggressive letter in urging the Galatian Christians to stay true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Today's post is aimed at setting out in short order the 4 great tires of life. As we take a quick drive through the Book of Galatians, our main point of application will be: You and I need 4 great tires to stay on the road of life into eternity to the right destination. What are the tires of which I speak? Let's discover. First of all....

God is in control. Galatians 1:1-5

As we saw in the opening text of today's post, Paul was acknowledging that God through Jesus Christ had called Him to be an apostle. In Galatians 1:4 he states that all of this was made possible by "the will of God". Do you believe God is in control? Such a belief affirms what we call "God's Sovereignty". God's Sovereignty refers to His comprehensive control over all people, places and times. God uses other secondary methods in accomplishing His will such as the choices of human beings, events and history. Whenever you and I are facing uncertainty or dealing with incredible difficulties like what Paul was facing here in Galatians, affirming the Sovereignty of God can be a great comfort. Passages such as Romans 11:36 reminds us: "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever and ever, amen." So the first great tire for keeping life on the road for God is understanding that God is Sovereign or in control. Let's consider the second great tire for life, namely....

Jesus. Galatians 2:20; 3:13-14; 6:14

As Paul was urging his readers to stay focused on the Lord, he repeatedly affirmed the Person and work of Jesus Christ. In Galatians 2:20 he writes: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, wholoved me and gave Himself up for me." Without Jesus Christ, life as we know it could not exist. There would be no hope. No salvation. Nothing. Galatians 3:13-14 gives us one of the clearest summaries of what Jesus achieved: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." When Paul closed out his letter, he ended with the focus clearly on Jesus Christ in Galatians 6:14 "But may it never be that I would boast,except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." So far we have two incredible tires for keeping life on the road of life into the right destination to eternity: God is in control and Jesus Christ. Now let's consider the third Great tire for life...

The Bible. Galatians 3:8, 22-23

Paul writes in Galatians 3:8 "The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” Think about this: where we would be without the Bible? God is the talking God who reveals His Power and Presence in creation, His Person in Jesus Christ and His Personal will in the scriptures. Without the Bible, we have no light for the path (Psalm 119:105); no understanding of how to follow the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6) and no ability to know God's will for our lives. Without the scriptures, no one could experience salvation. (Romans 10:17). Scripture is so necessary for living a life for the glory of God. We read these words in Galatians 3:22-23 "But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed." 

So far we have seen that we need four great tires to stay on the road of life into eternity: God is in control, Jesus and the Bible. Now lets consider one more of the these "four great tires"...

The Gospel. Galatians 1:9; 2:16-19; 3:6

My question to you dear reader is this: have you by grace through faith received Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord? Paul's central concern about the Gospel touches upon how a person is reconciled to God. Galatians 1:9 states:  "As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!" If we don't get the Gospel right, we won't get anything right. The Gospel is clearly presented in the Bible, about Jesus Christ and made possible by the Sovereignty of God. We must not merely assert these truths as intellectual facts, but as articles of faith embraced by faith in our hearts. The Gospel not only reminds us of Jesus' achievement - but Jesus' achievement for you and me. Consider Galatians 2:16 "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified." The central truth of the Gospel is that by means saving faith, Jesus Christ's righteousness is credited to the sinner by God. Galatians 3:6 states: "Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." This truth, called "justification by faith", is in the words of the Great Reformer Martin Luther: "The one article upon which the church stands or falls". If we get the gospel wrong, we get it all wrong, and thus we will be headed down the wrong road.

Closing thoughts:

Today's post was all about presenting four great tires for life. Our main point of application was: You and I need 4 great tires to stay on the road of life into the right eternal destination. The four great tires for life we considered were:

1. God is in control

2. Jesus

3. The Bible

4. The Gospel.

Ways to defend the Christian faith - Evidentialism and Fideism (faith only apologetics)

1 Peter 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

Note: The reader is invited to listen to a podcast on this subject, where various methods of defending the Christian faith are presented at: http://gcrpodcast.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/podcast-ways-to-defend-the-christian-faith/

Defining the term "apologetics"
Today's post will conclude our series on ways or methods of defending the Christian faith. In the opening text of today's post we see the mandate given by the Apostle Peter to defend the Christian's hope.  In fact the word translated "defense" is the Greek word "apologia" (a-po-lo-gee-a), from whence we derive the name of the branch of Christian theology called "apologetics".  When a Christian engages in apologetics, they are not saying they are "sorry" for being a Christian, rather they are given reasons to skeptical onlookers as to why they are so full of hope in an otherwise hopeless world.  Dr. R.C Sproul in a sermon entitled "apologetics" gives this definition of apologetics: "A well reasoned defense of the truth claims of the Christian faith." Any well rounded Christian should not only know "what they believe" but also "why they believe". 

Various methods for doing apologetics
With the mandate to defend the faith being clear from scripture and the meaning of apologetics being briefly defined, the next important area has to do with how to go about doing apologetics.  With the upsurge of skepticism and attacks on the Christian faith occuring at a steady pace for the past two and one half centuries, Christian apologists have become more concerned with how one does about articulating and defending Christianity. It is hoped that the read will at least consider each one and look for ways to defend and communicate God's truth in a lost a dying world. We close out this series of posts by consider to other methods of apologetics: evidentialism and fideism (that is - faith only apologetics).

Evidential Apologetics
In the evidentialist approach, evidence from the world of the sciences, history and observation functions to provide the necessary ammunition for the Christian apologist. Doug Powell notes: Evidentialism's value as a substantial tool to defend the faith rose in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as archaeology in particular developed as a science and turned its attention to the Mediterranean world and the Middle East. The findings of ancient manuscripts contributed immensely to our ability to know the original text of the Bible."1
Hindson and Caner give this insight about the evidentialist approach: "the method is the same: arguing the preponderance of the data."2

In the evidentialists mind, if enough evidence is brought forth to the unbeliever, the unbeliever will be backed into a corner, admitting that their evidence cannot compare to the evidence for the God of the Bible. In using events such as the World-wide flood of Genesis 6-9, evidentialists will appeal to virtually every branch of science to support the historical reality of the flood. In showing the flood to had been a real event, it logically follows then that the Bible is realiable enough to be trusted in other areas and ultimately salvation. A fine example of an evidentialist apologetic ministry is: https://answersingenesis.org/

Fideism or arguing that the best defense of the Christian faith is the Christian faith itself
Doug Powell observes the following about this fourth major approach: "In sharp contrast to these three methods, fideism rejects reason, evidence, and transcendental arguments as sufficient ways to justify the Christian faith [fide is Latin for faith, hence fideism]. Faith and faith alone is the only proper way to understand the truth of Christianity."3  For the fideist (fee-day-ist), the task of the apologist is to proclaim the truth of the Gospel in the special revelation of the Bible, since the warped human nature rejects the testimony of God in the general revelation of creation and the conscience. As Hindson and Caner note about this approach: "A fideist, therefore, is one who holds the view that one comes to belief in God on the basis of faith alone, in the absence of or contrary to reason.4 Unlike the other three viewpoints that we have looked at in this series (classical, presuppositional, evidential), the value of evidence and rational arguments is placed in doubt under the method of fideism. Here is a great link describing this method of apologetics: https://bible.org/seriespage/17-fideist-apologetics-faith-alone

Conclusion
Over the past few days we have explored the meaning of apologetics and four main methods for defending the Christian faith: classical, presuppositionalism, evidentialism and fideism. May you and I dear reader know that not only must the Christian hope be defended, but that there are some marvelous ways in which we can go about presenting Christ to a lost a dying world.  

Endnotes:

1. Doug Powell. Holman Quicksource Guide to Christian Apologetics. Holman Publishers. 2006. Page 359.

2. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Harvest House Publishers 2008. Page 65.

3. Doug Powell. Holman Quicksource Guide to Christian Apologetics. Holman Publishers. 2006. Page 363.

4. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Harvest House Publishers 2008. Page 224.

Ways to defend the Christian faith - Presuppositional Apologetics

1 Peter 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

Note: The reader is invited to listen to a podcast on this subject, where various methods of defending the Christian faith are presented at: http://gcrpodcast.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/podcast-ways-to-defend-the-christian-faith/

Defining the term "apologetics"
In the opening text of today's post we see the mandate given by the Apostle Peter to defend the Christian's hope.  In fact the word translated "defense" is the Greek word "apologia" (a-po-lo-gee-a), from whence we derive the name of the branch of Christian theology called "apologetics".  When a Christian engages in apologetics, they are not saying they are "sorry" for being a Christian, rather they are given reasons to skeptical onlookers as to why they are so full of hope in an otherwise hopeless world.  Dr. R.C Sproul in a sermon entitled "apologetics" gives this definition of apologetics: "A well reasoned defense of the truth claims of the Christian faith." Any well rounded Christian should not only know "what they believe" but also "why they believe". 

Various methods for doing apologetics
With the mandate to defend the faith being clear from scripture and the meaning of apologetics being briefly defined, the next important area has to do with how to go about doing apologetics.  With the upsurge of skepticism and attacks on the Christian faith occuring at a steady pace for the past two and one half centuries, Christian apologists have become more concerned with how one does about articulating and defending Christianity. It is hoped that the reader will at least consider each one and look for ways to defend and communicate God's truth in a lost a dying world. Today we will consider the method for defending the Christian faith: Presuppositional Apologetics.

Presuppositionalist apologetics
Classical apologetics states the the proper starting point for defending the Christian faith is reason to scripture. However other apologists believe that the proper starting point for defending the Christian faith is by pre-supposing God Himself.  Presuppositional apologists advocate that in order to prove anything, one must presuppose the existence of the Biblical God.  Christian scholar Norman Geisler notes: Presuppositional apologetics is the apologetical system that defends Christianity from the departure point of certain basic presuppositions. The apologist presupposes the truth of Christianity and then reasons from that point.1 By presupposing God's existence, the presuppositional apologist aims to prove why Christianity alone is most reasonable and possess the greatest justification for believing.  Douglas Powell notes the following about presuppositionalism: "Thus, presuppositionalists are more concerned with what makes evidence evidential and what makes reason reasonable. Because the God of the Bible is the Creator of all things, we know that He is not just the source of all physical things, but all laws whether they be scientific laws, moral laws or logical laws.2

How this apologetic approach can be effective when dealing with AtheismThe presuppositionalist contends that since all human beings have knowledge about God in their hearts, the purpose of apologetics then is to expose the fallacies of their worldview and get them to admit what they have been supressing. A typical presuppositionalist approach would be that without God, we could not use reason in our discussions, since reason itself requires the existence of God to operate. 

The existence of objective moral values and the underlying laws of such fields as math and even science require the existence of God. Presuppositionalism can be very effective when dealing with such worldviews as Atheism, since Atheism places a high premium on reason and scientific discovery as the pathway to knowing anything. This apologetic method would press the atheist as to why is reason reasonable and why the scientific method is reliable. One of the techniques employed by the presuppositional apologist would be to show that the Atheist cannot, on the basis of their own worldview, explain why they choose to use reason and science. In short, the fact that we can prove anything presupposes God's existence, a point which the Atheist himself knows deep down inside but insists on suppressing according to Romans 1:18-31. A fine example of a presuppositional apologist is Dr. Greg Bahnsen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HLOFnumxYc&list=PLCVQetM4SqsMyJKznG6afp2PVxV83_b-Q

More tomorrow....

Endnotes:
1. Norman Geisler, General Editor. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Baker. 1999. Page 606

2. Doug Powell. Holman Quicksource Guide to Christian Apologetics. Holman Publishers. 2006. Page 360.

Ways to defend the Christian faith - Classical Apologetics

1 Peter 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

Note: The reader is invited to listen to a podcast on this subject, where various methods of defending the Christian faith are presented at: http://gcrpodcast.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/podcast-ways-to-defend-the-christian-faith/

Defining the term "apologetics"
In the opening text of today's post we see the mandate given by the Apostle Peter to defend the Christian's hope.  In fact the word translated "defense" is the Greek word "apologia" (a-po-lo-gee-a), from whence we derive the name of the branch of Christian theology called "apologetics".  When a Christian engages in apologetics, they are not saying they are "sorry" for being a Christian, rather they are given reasons to skeptical onlookers as to why they are so full of hope in an otherwise hopeless world.  Dr. R.C Sproul in a sermon entitled "apologetics" gives this definition of apologetics: "A well reasoned defense of the truth claims of the Christian faith." Any well rounded Christian should not only know "what they believe" but also "why they believe". 

Various methods for doing apologetics
With the mandate to defend the faith being clear from scripture and the meaning of apologetics being briefly defined, the next important area has to do with how to go about doing apologetics.  With the upsurge of skepticism and attacks on the Christian faith occuring at a steady pace for the past two and one half centuries, Christian apologists have become more concerned with how one does about articulating and defending Christianity. It is hoped that the reader will at least consider each one and look for ways to defend and communicate God's truth in a lost a dying world. Today we will consider the first method for defending the Christian faith: Classical Apologetics.

Classical Apologetics
Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner of Liberty University of the following description of classical apologetics:"the unbeliever is offered evidence of the existence of God, and the supposition is that the unbeliever can reasonably ascertain that this hypothesis is rational and cohesive". 1  Hindson and Caner then explain further the second area general covered by classical apologetics, namely: "The classical apologist further argues for the reliability of the special revelation (The Bible) as a reliable and authoritative word from God."2  Author Doug Powell has this to say about the classical method: "The emphasis of classical apologetics is on reason. Christianity's logical soundness and internal coherence is exploited in this method. As a result, tests are developed and proofs are given that demonstrate the truthfulness of Christianity and the irrationality of competing worldviews."  Powell later adds: "The classical method is so called because it traces its roots back to the second century and the earliest apologists."3

When defending the Christian faith through the method of classical apologetics, at least two and sometimes three steps are followed in the course of the presentation. 

1. First, reasonable arguments are given to show the reasonability of the Christian faith. Such arguments as showing God's existence from observations in the universe and science (i.e the cosmological argument); the existence of objective moral values (i.e the moral argument); how God is necessary for anything to exist (i.e the ontological argument) and then the evidence for design in the universe (also called the telelogical argument). 

2. The next phase will usually entail demonstrating the reliability of the Bible from the transmission of its words through the thousands of existing manuscripts to the archaeological evidence supporting the accounts we read in the Bible.

3. Usually the final phase will then be showing how the God of the Bible exists due to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Some classical apologists will combine this step and the defense of the scriptures, whereas others may only focus on either one. 

A fine example of a classical Christian apologist is Dr. William Lane Craig and his website: www.reasonablefaith.org

More tomorrow....

Endnotes:
1. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Harvest House Publishers 2008. Page 64.

2. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Harvest House Publishers 2008. Page 65.

3. Doug Powell. Holman Quicksource Guide to Christian Apologetics. Holman Publishers. 2006. Page 356.