Discouragement
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13
Originally preached June 11, 1961
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
The devil uses multiple tactics in order to discourage God’s people from being useful for kingdom work. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Discouragement,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses how discouragement cripples the life of the Christian and how God has equipped His people to fight against this attack in His word. Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses the difference between self-evaluation and introspection, which is looking to oneself for their worth and value. Dr. Lloyd-Jones combats this by stating that what makes a person a Christian is not anything that they will find within, but simply through the blood of the Savior. Christian assurance can never come from oneself; this will only breed discouragement. The Christian must instead combat their own doubts and discouragement with thankfulness over what Christ has already accomplished. This is a truth that should demand action from the Christian, saturating every aspect of their life and ministry. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents the hope that can be found in the midst of a discouraging world and the friend the Christian has in Jesus; a friend who is no stranger to the hurdles Christian’s face.
Sermon Breakdown
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones introduces the topic of discouragement and how the devil uses it to attack Christians.
- He says that discouragement is one of the most common attacks that the devil uses and that it manifests itself in many ways.
- He outlines several ways the devil uses discouragement to attack:
- Temperament: Some people are naturally more prone to discouragement. The devil takes advantage of this.
- Introspection and morbidity: Constant self-examination and dwelling on one's faults leads to discouragement. The remedy is remembering justification by faith.
- Lack of progress: Comparing oneself to others who seem more advanced or accomplished leads to feelings of discouragement. The remedy is being content with the abilities and opportunities God has given you.
- Weariness in well-doing: The daily difficulties of life and lack of visible results from one's efforts lead to discouragement. The remedy is persevering in doing good, knowing God values faithfulness.
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The example of Jesus: Jesus endured immense difficulties and discouragement. We should look to his example for perseverance.
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Several remedies for discouragement are given:
- Remember justification by faith. Our standing before God depends on Christ's work, not our own imperfect works or progress.
- Be content with the abilities and opportunities God has given you. Do not compare yourself to others.
- Persevere in doing good. God calls us to faithfulness, not visible success. There are eternal rewards.
- Look to Jesus' example. He persevered through difficulties and discouragement to accomplish God's will. We should do the same.
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Pray for strength and remember God's promises. He will give us strength to persevere. There are eternal rewards for those who do.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes by encouraging listeners to look to Jesus' example in times of discouragement and weariness. By God's strength, we can persevere as Jesus did.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions on Spiritual Warfare and Discouragement
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the most prevailing spiritual disease in the church today?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests that discouragement is perhaps the most prevailing spiritual disease in the church today. He states, "If I were asked to hazard an opinion as to what is the most prevailing spiritual disease in the church today, I would suggest that it is this discouragement." He notes that there are many reasons to account for this, including the state of the world and society, which create very discouraging conditions for Christians.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the difference between self-examination and introspection?
According to Lloyd-Jones, self-examination is a biblical practice that is commended in Scripture, while introspection is an unhealthy extreme. He explains that self-examination becomes introspection when a person crosses the line from healthy evaluation to obsessive inward focus: "It means that you've got all your cameras, as it were, trained inwardly. All your telescopes are looking inwardly, all your means and mechanism of examination are turned inwards upon the self." This leads to an "unhealthy state of the soul" that he calls morbidity, which is "a kind of paralysis" and "a disease of the soul and spirit."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about justification by faith as a remedy for spiritual depression?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that justification by faith is "the royal remedy, the infallible remedy against morbidity and introspection." He explains that when Christians are depressed because of their shortcomings, they must remember that what makes a person a Christian is not anything found within themselves, but "Jesus' blood and righteousness." He emphasizes, "There's only one thing that makes us Christian. It is him. It is he. It is his righteousness." This truth defeats the devil's attempts to make us think we're not Christians based on our self-examination.
How should Christians deal with feelings of inadequacy when comparing themselves to others?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones advises Christians to "be yourself" and not try to be something they're not meant to be. He explains that each Christian is an individual made by God with unique value: "There's no such thing as an unimportant Christian, an unimportant church member. Every one of us counts." He reminds us that "God will only hold you responsible for what you've done with what He gave you" and encourages believers not to be jealous of those who seem greater, but to "use it [your talent] to the utmost" and "be faithful with your one talent."
What scriptural encouragement does Dr. Lloyd-Jones offer to Christians who are weary in their service?
For Christians who are weary, Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers several scriptural encouragements: 1. "Be not weary in well doing" - reminding Christians that what they're doing is worthwhile even if results aren't visible 2. "Despise not the day of small things" (Zechariah 4) - teaching that God often works through seemingly insignificant beginnings 3. "Men should always pray and not faint" - emphasizing prayer as the antidote to spiritual fatigue 4. "In due season we shall reap if we faint not" - promising a future harvest for faithful service 5. Looking to Jesus "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross" - encouraging believers to follow Christ's example of endurance through suffering
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as one of Satan's key strategies in spiritual warfare?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies that one of Satan's key strategies is to push Christians from one extreme to another. He explains: "The devil, as we've been seeing right away through this discussion, he always presses us from one extreme to the other." For example, some Christians never examine themselves at all, while others go to the opposite extreme of unhealthy introspection. The devil knows each person's temperament and tendencies, and uses these to push them toward whichever extreme will be most damaging to their spiritual life.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the relationship between temperament and spiritual struggles?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that our temperament, which we're born with, can make us more susceptible to certain spiritual struggles, particularly discouragement. He notes, "There are some people, as I say, were more subject to discouragement than others. You can't help this. You're born with your temperament, and there's nothing wrong with temperament." He advises Christians to know themselves and their temperamental tendencies so they can "put up special guards at certain points" where they might be most vulnerable to the devil's attacks.
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.