Who Does the Fighting?
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13
Originally preached Oct. 22, 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
Christians are called to fight a spiritual battle but how are they to fight? What role do they play in this struggle? Are they to be passive, or are they alone to be the ones engaging the enemy? In this sermon on fighting in the Christian life from Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Who Does the Fighting?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on spiritual warfare and the responsibility that Christians have to be fighting in their lives. The phrase “Let go and let God” is popular today among many Christians, but is it Biblical? Are they to just surrender to God and let Him fight all of their battles? Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents strong arguments from Scripture that demonstrate otherwise. He argues that if this was the case, many of the exhortations seen in the New Testament to believers are unnecessary. Many passages in Scripture instruct the Christian to play an active role in fighting spiritual warfare—to resist the devil, put to death the deeds of the flesh, stop lying, fight the good fight, and many other such encouragements. God’s word is consistent and clear— followers of Jesus are commanded to take action. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also notes that this is a relatively new doctrine, and one that ignores Christian teaching on this subject that has been accepted for thousands of years. Because of these reasons, he says, Christians are to understand that their role in spiritual warfare is an active one.
Sermon Breakdown
- The teaching that says "let go and let God" makes the exhortations and instructions in the epistles unnecessary and wrong.
- The teaching contradicts the military metaphors used in the Bible that tell us we have to fight and wrestle. We are soldiers in God's army fighting in the battle.
- The teaching is inconsistent with how Paul describes living the Christian life. Paul says he disciplines his body, runs the race, and fights the fight. He doesn't describe a life of passively letting God do everything.
- The teaching ultimately leaves everything up to us to maintain the position of surrender and abiding in Christ. If we fail, it is because we failed to abide, not because God failed us.
- The teaching denies the doctrine of the new birth by implying we have no new power or ability in us. It says we remain utterly hopeless without Christ's strength. But the Bible says we become new creatures with a new power and ability.
- The teaching is too passive and mechanical. The Bible calls us to active discipline, growth, and obedience. The Christian life is not simple or mechanical.
- The teaching claims to be a "shortcut" to victory but there are no shortcuts in the spiritual life. All cults claim to provide a simple shortcut to spirituality.
- The argument that "it works" is not sufficient. All false teachings can produce temporary results and experiences. We must test teachings by Scripture, not results alone.
- We must reject teachings that claim the Christian life is quite simple. We wrestle against spiritual forces of evil, so we must fight the good fight and put on the whole armor of God.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Spiritual Warfare: Questions and Answers
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might"?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, being "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" includes several key elements: realizing the character of our problem, measuring the enemy's strength, acknowledging our own weakness, understanding our need for God's strength, recognizing Christ as the Captain of our salvation, remembering that this is God's campaign rather than merely our personal battle, and understanding that God works both around us and within us. It's not a passive concept but requires active engagement from the believer.
What false teaching about spiritual warfare does Dr. Lloyd-Jones refute?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones refutes the "let go and let God" teaching, which suggests Christians merely need to surrender their struggles to God who will then fight all battles for them. This teaching, which became popular in the 19th century, claims Christians shouldn't struggle or strive but simply "hand it over to the Lord." He criticizes this approach as being too passive, too mechanical, and essentially a shortcut that contradicts Scripture's clear teaching about the Christian's active role in spiritual warfare.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe the "let go and let God" approach contradicts Scripture?
He argues this approach contradicts Scripture because it makes the apostles' many exhortations unnecessary. If Christians only needed to surrender and let God do everything, then biblical commands like "resist the devil" (James 4:7), "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:12), and "put on the whole armor of God" (Ephesians 6:11) would be pointless. The Bible consistently calls believers to active engagement in spiritual warfare, not passive surrender.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the Apostle Paul's own spiritual struggles?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones points to Paul's descriptions of his own spiritual life as evidence against the passive approach. Paul says, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection" (1 Corinthians 9:27), "I press toward the mark" (Philippians 3:14), and at the end of his life declared "I have fought a good fight" (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul consistently portrays himself as actively engaged in spiritual battle, not passively letting God fight for him.
What is the relationship between the doctrine of new birth and spiritual warfare according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that the "let go and let God" teaching implicitly denies the doctrine of new birth. The biblical teaching of regeneration states that believers receive a new nature, a principle of righteousness and true holiness that can grow and develop. Contrary to the passive teaching's illustrations (like a poker that's only hot while in the fire), a Christian has genuinely new life that can strengthen and mature. This new nature enables active participation in spiritual warfare.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones respond to the claim that the "let go and let God" approach "works"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones responds that many false teachings produce temporary results, including cults and psychological techniques. He states, "You don't test a teaching by results only. You test every teaching by the scriptures." He compares it to Christian Science, which makes many people feel happy but isn't biblically true. The primary test should be alignment with Scripture, not pragmatic results. Our desire should be holiness, not merely happiness.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the Christian's proper role in spiritual warfare?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that Christians must actively engage in the spiritual battle. While we rely on God's strength, we must personally "put on the whole armor of God," "resist the devil," and fight. We aren't passive spectators but active participants who are "enabled" by God's power to fight effectively. The biblical pattern is active engagement, not passive surrender. As Paul said at life's end, "I have fought the good fight," not "God fought all my battles for me."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones criticize the historical claims of the "let go and let God" teaching?
He criticizes it for claiming to have discovered a simple solution that all previous generations of Christians missed. He points out that this claim follows the pattern of cults that emerged in the 19th century, suggesting they'd found a shortcut unknown to previous generations of faithful believers. He considers it arrogant to suggest that great men and women of God throughout church history had "all missed the crucial teaching" and "misunderstood the scriptures."
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.