The Devil and the Nations
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13
Originally preached Nov. 13, 1960
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
Secular politicians, newspapers, and the media look at conflict and wars around the world and cite economic and political factors as the cause. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “The Devil and the Nations,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states that this sort of reductionism demonstrates that natural humanity is preoccupied with the symptoms but not concerned with the true cause. Great conflict and war, according to the Scriptures, is the arena of a much deeper reality than economics or politics. The answers provided by politicians to a restless world will never be sufficient. Only the Bible gives an adequate answer to these things. The apostle Paul says that Christians wrestle not with flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. At the levels of the individual and national, this world is the arena of spiritual conflict. The devil and demonic powers are at work together with the pride, greed, and lusts of people to usurp God’s authority. God has responded to this demonic influence by instituting human government to restrain and punish evil. Ultimately, however, God has answered this demonic threat by sending Christ to crush the seed of the serpent. Listen to Dr. Lloyd-Jones as he expounds this text and answers important questions for what these truths mean for today.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Christian views days like Remembrance Day differently from non-Christians.
- The Bible teaches that the ultimate cause of wars is spiritual, not merely human or economic. Wars are the result of the devil and evil spiritual forces operating in the world.
- The devil causes wars by promoting lawlessness, pride, greed, selfishness, and distrust between people and nations.
- Examples of how the devil has caused wars include: Cain and Abel, King Ahab taking Naboth's vineyard, the people before the flood, the tower of Babel, and wars between Israel and other nations.
- The devil not only generally promotes sin and evil, but sometimes directly inspires demonic leaders like Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus Epiphanes, and Hitler.
- God has instituted temporary measures to restrain evil like establishing human governments and allowing the rise and fall of world powers. But His ultimate solution is the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ.
- Christians should avoid and restrain the causes of war, refuse to fight in aggressive wars, but aid governments in restraining evil. Pacifism is unbiblical.
- The future will continue to see wars and turmoil until Christ returns, so Christians should not put their hope in human peace efforts but look forward to Christ's return.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the fundamental cause of wars?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the fundamental cause of wars is not merely human, economic, or political factors. Rather, it is "entirely the result of the operation of the devil and the principalities and powers, the rulers, the world rulers of this darkness, this spiritual wickedness in high places." He emphasizes that "the Bible is concerned about root causes," not just symptoms. The devil's primary goal is to "bring in confusion and to bring in chaos" by producing lawlessness, pride, greed, and selfishness among individuals and nations. These spiritual forces work behind the scenes to stimulate conflict and war.
What is the "demonic element" that Dr. Lloyd-Jones discusses in relation to war?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the "demonic element" as something beyond mere evil or selfishness. It manifests when individuals or systems demand worship, total allegiance, and complete control over the minds of men. He cites examples like Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus Epiphanes, and Roman emperors who "set themselves up as gods" and "demanded worship." In modern times, he identifies this element in Hitler, who "demanded a kind of personal attitude of worship and of adoration," and in communism, which "claims a right over man's thinking" and demands "totalitarian allegiance." This demonic quality represents a step beyond ordinary human evil.
What are God's "temporary measures" in response to evil according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that God's temporary measures include:
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The institution of governments and authorities: "Because of this influence of the devil and his forces and evil and sin, God introduced the notion of government." These are "ordained of God" to "restrain and to keep within bounds these forces of evil and of chaos."
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Allowing certain powers to rise and then judging them: God permits "certain persons and certain powers to arise and to arrogant unto themselves almost endless powers," but "invariably, without a single exception, just when the man has arrived at the very zenith of his power, God suddenly arises against him in judgment." This pattern is seen with Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Alexander the Great, and various empires throughout history.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the Christian's duty regarding war?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines the Christian's duty regarding war as follows:
- "To avoid and to restrain all causes of war" - Christians should not promote pride, selfishness, or jingoism
- "Refuse to fight in an aggressive war" - Christians must not participate in wars of aggression or conquest
- "Aid the state and the government which is appointed of God, to arrest and to subjugate, as far as is possible, the forces of evil" - Christians should support defensive wars that restrain evil
He explicitly states that "pacifism is heresy" and "not Christian teaching." Christians should not "contract out" of their responsibilities but should help "restrain evil forces and to keep them within bounds, even to the extent of fighting in a war, but never in an aggressive war."
What is Dr. Lloyd-Jones' view on human efforts to create lasting peace?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones is deeply skeptical of human efforts to create lasting peace. He calls the optimism that followed World War I "fetuous and ridiculous," including the belief that the League of Nations would end war. He states: "A man who believes that any league or union or organization is going to banish war is a man who's never understood the spiritual teaching of the Bible."
He asserts: "Man will never introduce an era of peace. We are not promised it. The Bible says we'll never have it as long as man is in sin." While acknowledging this view might seem pessimistic, he insists it's realistic. The only true hope for peace lies in Christ's return and the establishment of His kingdom when "wars shall be no more" and "swords will indeed be turned into plowshares."
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.