Philosophy and Vain Deceit
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13
Originally preached March 12, 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
Why is philosophy and worldly thinking such a danger to Christianity? In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Philosophy and Vain Deceit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the relationship between biblical revelation and philosophy. The apostle Paul was aware of the temptation to substitute divine revelation for worldly thinking. This is to subordinate God’s wisdom to the vain teaching of the world, according Dr. Lloyd-Jones. This is a great threat to the church in all times and places, but especially in the modern world where science is given such a high place of authority. Many are willing to reinterpret the Bible in light of what Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones refers to as “mere theories.” Christians are called to stand on the word of God in all areas of life. Scripture is to be the ultimate and final authority in all matters of life, faith, and philosophy. The gospel calls Christians to believe in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ, even when they do not understand Him. It is a call to rest in the knowledge of who God is, even when they do not fully grasp everything there is to know about God. This sermon is an invitation to trust in God for all blessings and happiness in this life.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon focuses on Ephesians 6:10-13 and the phrase "wiles of the devil". Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that the "wiles of the devil" manifest in two main ways: general activities of the devil and personal attacks on Christians.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones classifies the personal attacks of the devil into three categories: attacks on the mind, attacks on experience, and attacks on practical daily life. The sermon focuses on attacks on the mind.
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The first attack on the mind is "philosophy and vain deceit" (Colossians 2:8). Philosophy represents a confidence in human reasoning and man's ability to arrive at truth. This is contrary to the Bible which says that revelation from God is the ultimate authority.
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The desire to understand and explain is another manifestation of "philosophy and vain deceit". The natural mind always wants to understand everything but we must accept that there are secret things that belong to God alone. We must be content with what God has revealed.
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There is a danger that the devil will persuade us that our knowledge from Scripture needs to be supplemented. But we must hold fast to the truth that has been revealed and avoid "profane and vain babblings" (1 Timothy 6:20-21).
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Mysticism is another danger, promising immediate knowledge of God through concentrating on oneself. But there is no knowledge of God apart from Jesus Christ and Scripture.
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The church went wrong when it became afraid of being a "fool for Christ's sake" and wanted to appear intellectually respectable. But the gospel does not need to be supplemented by philosophy or science. Scripture is sufficient.
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We must reject anything that offers itself as a supplement to Scripture. Scripture is complete and up to date. We must shut our eyes to philosophy and vain deceit.
Sermon Q&A
Spiritual Warfare Questions from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon
What are the "wiles of the devil" that Christians need to be aware of?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the wiles of the devil are manifested in two main ways: "First of all, there are certain general activities of the devil, certain general manifestations of his wiles. We've already been doing that, and now we've come to the second main division, which is the more particular, the more personal, the more individual attacks of the devil upon us as Christian people." The devil's attacks typically target our watchfulness, our reading of God's Word, our prayer life, and our self-examination. These attacks come through three main channels: "the mind, and there is the experience, and there is the practical daily life and living."
How does the devil attack believers through philosophy?
According to Lloyd-Jones, "Philosophy is one of the greatest single enemies of the Christian faith." He explains that philosophy represents "a final confidence in human reasoning, in the power of man's mind, in man's ability to arrive at truth, to comprehend it and to encompass it." The devil uses philosophy to make Christians doubt the sufficiency of Scripture and to suggest that revelation needs to be supplemented by human wisdom. As Lloyd-Jones warns, "The moment you accept any extra-biblical authority, I've already succumbed to the wiles of the devil."
What is the danger of trying to "understand everything" in the Christian faith?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns that our natural desire to understand and explain everything is another aspect of "philosophy and vain deceit." He states: "The natural mind always wants to understand everything. That is the whole basis of philosophy." This becomes dangerous when we refuse to accept biblical truths we cannot fully comprehend. Lloyd-Jones quotes Deuteronomy 29:29 as the appropriate response: "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever." He advises Christians to "be content with what has been revealed and not even attempt to try to get into an understanding of the things that are secret."
What is mysticism and why is it dangerous to Christianity?
Lloyd-Jones identifies mysticism as "next to philosophy... the greatest danger." He defines mysticism as "a manifestation of the desire for immediacy, an immediate knowledge" of God. The danger is that mysticism suggests "it is possible to have this immediate and direct knowledge of God in a much easier way than that which is taught in the scriptures." Lloyd-Jones warns that mysticism attempts to "bypass the scriptures" and find God by "sinking into yourself." He firmly states: "You'll never arrive at a knowledge of God by sinking into yourself. There is no knowledge of God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ and the full and the perfect revelation that is in him."
How should Christians respond to modern knowledge that seems to contradict the Bible?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides clear guidance: "As long as science deals with facts, accept it. But the moment it begins to deal with theories, put up all the queries that you've got anywhere in your possession." He warns that "the devil is confusing the issue by confusing theories and facts," particularly regarding evolution, which he describes as "nothing but a theory... pure speculation." Lloyd-Jones insists: "The great basic truths I must take and accept only from the Bible... There is no new knowledge which in any way makes the slightest difference to the basic postulates of the Christian faith and of the Christian message."
Why does Lloyd-Jones say believers must be willing to be "fools for Christ's sake"?
Lloyd-Jones argues that Christians must be willing to be considered fools by the world rather than compromise biblical truth to seem intellectually respectable. He references 1 Corinthians 3:18: "If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise." The apostle warns that when the church tries to be "intellectually respectable" and to "show the world how she really understands," she has "sold everything." Lloyd-Jones states: "We are fools for Christ's sake... God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ."
What does Lloyd-Jones mean by losing our "balance" in the Christian life?
The preacher explains that one of the devil's common tactics is "to try to make us lose our balance." This means upsetting "the balance between the mind, the intellectual apprehension and the experience, the sensibilities, the feeling, the experiential aspect, and the practice." When the devil "can produce a lack of balance, an imbalance... he has achieved his end and object." Lloyd-Jones stresses the importance of maintaining "a true balance, that we don't become eccentric Christians" by overemphasizing one aspect of the faith at the expense of others.
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.