Video from DTBM
How Satan Schemes To Tempt Us--Even as New Creations in Christ
"This morning we are looking at the sixth and final piece of our spiritual armor in Ephesians 6. But before we start examining the sword of the Spirit, do you remember the wider context of the book of Ephesians? Ephesians describes our new identity in Christ, the new us, or what we may call our new “operating system”: better than any other book. God’s Operating System for Believers Ephesians was written to local church congregation filled with individuals struggling with all the normal personal weaknesses, the pain of family struggles, the stresses of work challenges, and the constant onslaughts of worldly temptations. That kind of sounds like the same daily struggles each of us face today. Ephesians 1-3: Our Positional Heavenly Blessings Chapters 1-3 explain the spiritual blessings of all we have through Christ. Theologians call this section our positional holiness. These are three chapters of deep spiritual truths of all Christ did for us. The sum of what we have opens the book. Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, There it is. “Every” spiritual blessing is ours through “Christ”. Ephesians 4-6: Our Practical Holiness Choices Chapters 4-6 detail our practical holiness. These final three chapters describe a series of choices we are to obediently make. Paul summarizes chapters 1-3 as our new calling, and then applies those truths to the elements of a new walk. First, in Ephesians 4:1, we are to “walk worthy of the calling”. Ephesians 4:1 (NKJV) I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, Then, in 4:22-24 there is another key series of choices: Ephesians 4:22-24 (NKJV) that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. The new us equals the miraculous work of salvation in Ephesians 1-3." from video introduction.