The Strong Man Disarmed
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13
Scripture
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against …
Sermon Description
Because of Adam’s sin, the whole world became subject to sin and the rule of Satan. The devil, also called the prince of the world, blinds people from seeing and believing in the truth of the gospel. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “The Strong Man Disarmed,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones describes the way Christ has broken the grip that the evil one has on the world. For Jesus has bound the strong man and by the proclamation of the gospel, the works of Satan and all who follow him are destroyed. This means that Christians can take the gospel to the ends of the earth knowing that Jesus has overcome the evil forces that once dominated this world. Even while Satan and his demons still have some control and influence in the world, the day will come when Christ will return and vanquish the devil and all who worship him once and for all. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, Christ Jesus will bring to completion what which He started on the cross when He comes again to bring the new heaven and earth. This gives all who love Christ confidence and boldness knowing that He has overcome the devil and will finally defeat him on the last day.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon begins by introducing Ephesians 6:10-13 which talks about spiritual warfare.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones then gives an overview of the biblical narrative of redemption from Genesis to Revelation. God has had a plan of salvation before the foundation of the world.
- The Old Testament shows how even the greatest men failed against the devil. Men are in a hopeless condition without God.
- God instituted common grace - government, culture, etc. to restrain sin. But men still need God's special grace through Christ.
- The ministry of angels was present in the Old Testament, especially the Angel of the Lord who was the pre-incarnate Christ.
- The Old Testament looks forward to the coming Messiah who would defeat the devil.
- When the fullness of time came, God sent His Son (Galatians 4:4-5). Christ came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).
- The devil attacked Christ's coming and ministry at every point - through Herod, the Pharisees, the temptation, etc. But Christ prevailed.
- Christ defeated the devil through His death and resurrection. "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out" (John 12:31).
- As a result, the devil is defeated, the kingdom is open to Gentiles, the Spirit is poured out, and Christ is gathering His people.
- Christ will come again to destroy the devil and his followers forever. The kingdoms of the world will become Christ's.
- God will make a new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells. The original rebel (the devil) and his followers will be destroyed.
- Christ, the Second Adam, has triumphed where the first Adam failed. He has defeated the devil and his forces. Glory be to God!
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.