Worldliness
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13
Originally preached July 9, 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
When someone mentions “worldliness,” what comes to mind? In this sermon on overcoming worldliness from Ephesians 6:10–13, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps the listener come to a proper understanding of worldliness and how it affects the Christian walk. Worldliness, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is when one allows things that are good in and of themselves to occupy too big of a part in one’s life. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that this happens when the Christian doesn’t allow their walk with Christ to overlap with the other areas of their life. Being a follower of Jesus means following His instruction for every action, thought, and desire one has. How can one prevent falling into the trap of worldliness? First, they must remember that salvation is not just to save one for eternity, but is also to save from sin now and deliver the Christian from the present evil. Second, Christians must be cautious of any hint of sin and run from the scent of it at all costs. At times it can seem like an impossible task but Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that they are called to stand strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Jesus has overcome Satan, and the Christian can do the same because He is alive lives in those who believe in Him.
Sermon Breakdown
- The devil attacks us in the realm of conduct and practice through worldliness.
- Worldliness is allowing legitimate things to have too big a place in our lives and distract us from God.
- We must remember we are strangers in this world and our citizenship is in heaven. We must use the world but not abuse it.
- We defeat worldliness by purifying ourselves and keeping our hope in Christ.
- The devil also attacks through the commission of sin which grieves the Holy Spirit.
- We must confess our sins, believe God forgives us, and continue following Him.
- The "evil day" refers to satanic attacks of unusual force. We must be strong in the Lord to withstand them.
- Christ has already defeated the devil and his forces. Greater is He in us than he in the world.
- We belong to God and the devil cannot touch us. We must stand confident in God's armor.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers About Spiritual Warfare from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as "worldliness" in the Christian life?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, worldliness is "the condition in which we allow things which are perfectly legitimate and right in and of themselves to have too big a part and too big a place in our life and in our experience as Christians." He emphasizes that worldliness is not about sinful things, but rather about giving too much attention to legitimate things. This includes allowing hobbies, interests, possessions, or even the cares of life to occupy so much of our time and attention that they crowd out our spiritual lives and diminish our focus on God.
How does the devil attack believers through worldliness according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the devil attacks believers through worldliness by making good things become too important. Since these things are not sinful in themselves, Christians often don't recognize the danger. The devil tempts believers to live in "compartments" where they think spiritually about salvation but continue thinking in worldly ways about everything else. He creates excessive interest in legitimate pursuits like literature, art, music, or games until these things begin to hinder spiritual growth and draw believers away from prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship with God.
What scripture does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use to illustrate Jesus' warning about worldliness?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones references Luke 21:34 where Jesus warns: "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unaware." He points out that Jesus specifically mentions the "cares of this life" as something that can overcharge our hearts and make us unprepared for His return. This shows that even ordinary life concerns, not just obvious sins, can become spiritual dangers if they consume too much of our attention.
What is the difference between "using" and "abusing" the world according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that 1 Corinthians 7:31 provides the perfect distinction: Christians are meant to "use this world as not abusing it." Using the world means appropriately enjoying God's gifts and engaging with culture, literature, art, and other aspects of life that God has provided. Abusing the world happens when these things begin to govern us, when they take too much of our time and enthusiasm, when they make us forget spiritual priorities, or when they come between us and our relationship with God. Christians aren't called to abandon the world but to maintain proper perspective about it.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the Christian's proper relationship to this world?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes Christians as "strangers and pilgrims" in this world, quoting 1 Peter 2:11. He stresses that Christians belong to a different realm—the kingdom of God. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we've been "translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son." Therefore, Christians should view this world as temporary, not permanent. Life is compared to "spending a night in an inn," and Christians are travelers passing through. This perspective helps defeat worldliness because it keeps us from building permanently here or becoming too attached to earthly things.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as "the evil day" in spiritual warfare?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones interprets "the evil day" mentioned in Ephesians 6:13 as specific periods of intensified spiritual attack. While Christians always face spiritual opposition, he describes "the evil day" as when "hell is, as it were, let loose, when the devil is marshaling all his forces from all directions." These are times when Satan makes "an unusual effort" against believers, and the attack can be relentless, possibly continuing for weeks. Lloyd-Jones notes that "the greatest saints give us descriptions of these evil days" when ordinary defenses seem insufficient against the concentrated assault.
How should Christians respond when they fall into sin, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that when Christians fall into sin, they should: 1) Not listen to the devil's accusations and discouragement, 2) Turn to God in genuine repentance, 3) Express sincere sorrow for letting down God, Christ, themselves, and the church, 4) Remember they are justified by faith not works, 5) Believe God's promise in 1 John 1:9 that "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins," 6) Accept the forgiveness and thank God for it, 7) Rise up and continue forward in faith, and 8) Be more careful and watchful going forward. He warns against remaining depressed or "groveling in the dust" after repentance.
What is the ultimate source of Christian victory over the devil according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the ultimate source of Christian victory is Christ Himself—"Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." He emphasizes that Christ has already defeated the devil and all his forces through His sinless life and sacrificial death. Quoting Colossians 2:15, Lloyd-Jones reminds us that Christ "spoiled principalities and powers" and "made a show of them openly, triumphing over them" on the cross. The Christian's victory comes through their relationship with Christ, as "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Our confidence rests not in our own strength but in Christ's decisive victory and present power.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the purpose of understanding spiritual warfare?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that understanding spiritual warfare is not meant to discourage believers but to prepare them for victory. He compares ignoring spiritual warfare to how some nations nearly lost World War II by not taking Hitler's threats seriously. The purpose of knowing about Satan's strategies is "to show us the way of triumph and of victory." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the Bible doesn't just warn about spiritual enemies but also provides the means for overcoming them. Understanding spiritual warfare leads to confidence that "neither life, nor death, nor the devil, nor hell, nor any other power shall be able to separate me from the love of God."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe worldliness in the church as opposed to individual Christians?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes worldliness in the church as occurring when the church brings "the categories of the world into the church." Citing James 2:1-5, he points out how worldliness infiltrates the church when social distinctions of the world become recognized within the church, such as giving preferential treatment to the wealthy. He warns that worldliness enters when the church adopts "the worldly idea, the worldly method" for conducting affairs, raising funds, and other activities. Lloyd-Jones states that "there is nothing perhaps that has been such a break upon the advance of Christianity and the work of the church as this whole spirit of worldliness" that transforms the church into something "essentially different from the primitive pattern" found in the New Testament.
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.