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You can turn with me in your 
Bibles to Ephesians chapter 6. Ephesians 6, as we finish the 
armor of God and close out the epistle. Ephesians chapter six, 
our focus will be verses 18 to 24. I'll pick up reading in verse 
10. So Ephesians 6, 10, finally, 
my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his 
might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to 
stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle 
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against 
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against 
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, 
take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand 
in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, 
having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate 
of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation 
of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield 
of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery 
darts of the wicked one. and take the helmet of salvation 
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying 
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful 
to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the 
saints. And for me, that utterance may 
be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known 
the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, 
that in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. but that 
you also may know my affairs and how I am doing. Tychicus, 
a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make 
all things known to you, whom I have sent to you for this very 
purpose, that you may know our affairs and that he may comfort 
your hearts. Peace to the brethren and love 
with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace 
be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank You for this section of Holy Scripture. We 
pray now for illumination and guidance by the Holy Spirit who 
gave us this Word. Help us, God, to think consciously 
of this whole armor of God each and every day, to take up those 
defensive elements, to take up these offensive elements, and 
to seek to be faithful soldiers of our Lord Jesus Christ in this 
present evil age. Give us boldness and courage 
to speak the truth in love. Give us grace, God, to defend 
the Christian faith, to contend earnestly for it as Jude bids 
us in Jude 3, and to do so for your glory and for your honour. 
Forgive us again of all sin and unrighteousness, and guide us 
now, we pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, last week 
we looked, or two weeks ago, we looked at the first part of 
this whole armor of God. Remember that this whole section 
prior to the close of the epistle is marked by several imperatives 
or several commands. The apostle says to be strong, 
verse 10, put on, verse 11, take up, verse 13, and then stand 
in verse 14. And then he indicates the various 
elements involved in this whole armor of God. And one man says 
that Paul draws from the imagery of Isaiah, which depicts Yahweh 
and his Messiah as the divine warrior who is clothed with armor 
as he prepares for battle to defend and vindicate his people. 
And so the apostle is calling us to engage in like attitude. We need to take up this whole 
armor. So in verses 14 and following, 
he gives a description of that armor. We looked last time at 
the defensive elements, 14 to 17. Notice the belt of truth. Then he goes on to say the breastplate 
of righteousness, feet prepared with the gospel of peace, the 
shield of faith and the helmet of salvation. The Apostle Paul 
lived in the Roman Empire. The Apostle Paul saw the Roman 
soldiers. The Apostle Paul understood what 
it was they wore in terms of defense and what they wielded 
in terms of offense. As Poole says, relative to these 
various elements, get yourselves furnished with every grace that 
none be wanting in you, no part naked or exposed to your enemies. 
So these defensive elements are crucial to guard against the 
attack of the enemy. But he doesn't leave us without 
offense, and the offensive elements are in verses 17 and 18. Notice, after speaking of the 
helmet of salvation, he then indicates the sword of the Spirit, 
and then he tells us that is the Word of God. And then he 
bids us to pray in verse 18, praying always with all prayer 
and supplication in the Spirit. So while we defend ourselves 
with those various elements involved in verses 14 to 17a, we also 
have an offense. We are to be a people of the 
book, and we are to be a people at the throne of grace before 
our gracious God. So I want to look first at the 
Word of God in verse 17b, and then secondly, the necessity 
of prayer in verse 18. and following till we get to 
the close of the epistle. So overall, whole armor of God, 
and then the close of the epistle to the Ephesians. But first, 
notice this statement concerning the sword of the Spirit, and 
then this further identification, which is the Word of God. He's 
already indicated to us the necessity of truth. Notice in verse 14, 
having girded your waist with truth, In other words, we are 
not without defense, and we are not without an offense. We have 
the word of the living God. We have the sword of the Spirit 
by which we are to engage the enemy. Now, obviously, the sword 
of the Spirit isn't carnal, it's not metal, it's not 24 inches 
long. Rather, the sword of the Spirit 
is the word of God. So when I speak of engaging the 
enemy, don't report me for a hate crime because I'm, you know, 
sort of advocating to go in and blow up a an arena or something, 
but we engage the enemy with the sword of the Spirit, the 
Word of God. Remember, Jesus identifies himself 
in John 14, 6 as the way, the truth, and the life. In fact, 
if you look at John 18, you see this emphasis on truth by our 
Savior, and it is an emphasis that Paul enjoins to the church 
with reference to her life in this world. Notice specifically 
in John 18, Jesus before Pontius Pilate in verse 37, Pilate therefore 
said to him, are you a king then? Jesus answered, you say rightly 
that I am a king for this cause I was born and for this cause 
I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the 
truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. So when 
we get to an Ephesians 6, 17, and the apostle is telling us 
that we ought to emphasize the sword of the Spirit, which is 
the word of God, we ought not to be surprised. This is what 
marked, characterized, and demonstrated our Lord's ministry in terms 
of His earthly ministry. But then turning to Paul again, 
2 Timothy chapter 3, Very familiar passage of Scripture that highlights 
the various attributes of God's Word. It is something that, or 
functions of God's Word, it's something that we need to imbibe. 
Notice in 2 Timothy 3 at verse 16, all Scripture is given by 
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for 
correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of 
God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 
Look at Hebrews 4, where this idea of the sword element is 
involved in a description of the scriptures. Notice in Hebrews 
4, 12, for the word of God is living and powerful and sharper 
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul 
and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of 
the thoughts and intents of the heart. Turn over to the book 
of Revelation, where you see this same sort of imagery employed 
with reference to a description of God's holy word. Revelation 
chapter 1, specifically in verse 16. He had in his right hand 
seven stars out of his mouth when a sharp two-edged sword 
and his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 
And then again in chapter 2 at verse 12 to the church at Pergamos, 
Verse 12, And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, 
These things says he who has the sharp two-edged sword. And then in Revelation chapter 
19, we get this description of the rider on the white horse. 
This is Christ. And in Revelation 19, specifically 
at verse 11, Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. 
And he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness 
he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of 
fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written 
that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe, dipped 
in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies 
in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him 
on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp 
sword, that with it he should strike the nations, and he himself 
will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress 
of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, and he has on his 
robe and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord 
of lords. So the Lord Jesus Christ, in 
his own earthly ministry, wielded the sword in terms of his own 
defense and offense. Remember, in that wilderness 
setting, when the spirit drives him out there to be tempted by 
the devil, how does Jesus resist the onslaught of the devil? He 
cites the word of God on three occasions, he invokes the scripture, 
and he uses that to rebuff his enemy. John Eady made this observation, 
the captain of salvation set the example. And once and again, 
and a third time, did he repel the assault of the prince of 
darkness by three brief and simple citations from scripture. Diplomacy 
and argument, truce and armistice are of no avail. The keen, bright 
sword of the Spirit must be unsheathed and lifted. That is precisely 
the pattern set forth by our Lord Jesus. Now, brethren, it 
is good to contend earnestly for the faith which was once 
for all delivered to the saints. It is good for us to defend that 
faith that has been given to us. It is good as well for us 
to wield that sword of the Spirit in the light of godlessness and 
atheism and all manner of defection among those who profess the name 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, there are seasons 
and times and occasions where the church goes on the offense 
relative to the proclamation of God's holy truth. It is that 
by which he extends the kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth. Jesus 
makes that very clear and conspicuous in John 18, 37. He is a king 
that doesn't rule specifically with this military might. He is a king who orchestrates 
the spiritual kingdom with reference to truth. He advances his cause 
in that particular manner. So we see that Christ is identified 
by truth, we see that the instrument that Christ uses is truth, but 
then there ought to be this imitation by the church. Turn to 1 Timothy 
chapter 3. 1 Timothy chapter 3. Specifically at verse 14, these 
things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly. 
But if I am delayed, I write, so that you may know how you 
ought to conduct yourself in the house of God. So he gives 
this statement about how you ought to conduct. Now he's not 
suggesting this. Don't read the oughtness here 
as, well, Timothy can take or leave these instructions. No, 
the oughtness here is divine imperative. This is the way you 
must conduct yourself, Timothy. The house belongs to God. You 
don't go into somebody else's house and change things around. 
If you do, you might get a punch in the nose. I'm not saying God 
will punch you in the nose, but it might actually be worse. But 
you don't go into somebody's house and start redecorating 
because the householder has ordained certain conduct and certain things 
in his house. Well, God is the householder 
in the church. So when Paul says to Timothy, how you ought to 
conduct yourself, again, this isn't suggested. This isn't a 
bit of a recommendation. This is divine mandate with reference 
to Timothy. But then he goes on to further 
describe the house of God. He goes on to say, which is the 
church of the living God. So we ask the question, what's 
the house of God in this new covenant setting? Well, it's 
the church of the living God. And then he identifies it by 
its chief characteristic. Notice, it's not the pillar and 
ground of your felt needs. It's not the pillar and ground 
of your emotional benefit. It's not the pillar and ground 
of your religious experience. It's the pillar and ground of 
the truth. That's our calling in this world. to wield the sword of the Spirit, 
which is the word of God, to be faithful to the commander 
who gave us that pattern and example, and that commander who 
has commanded us by his New Testament apostles in the way that they 
instruct us. To look at some churches today, 
the last thing you would think is that they're pillars and ground 
of the truth. They might be pillars and grounds 
of entertainment, They might be pillars and grounds of group 
therapy. They might be pillars and grounds of story time, but 
they're not the pillar and ground of the truth. Again, the church 
has one function, three marks to be sure, proclamation of the 
word, discipline, and the administration of the sacraments. We can boil 
that all down to one specific idea. We need to make much of 
God's holy word. We need to be a people of the 
truth. We need to make sure that that is what we prize and value 
and hold on to. We need to wield the sword of 
the spirit, which seems to indicate or imply or infer that we need 
to understand that word. We can't go into battle with 
a sword that is untested. We're not going to face atheism 
or agnosticism or the various other isms that have departed 
or defected from the Christian truth. We're not going to be 
able to do that if we ourselves don't know the scripture. It's 
probably not surprising that few today wield the sword of 
the Spirit when they get into these public combats because 
they haven't been taught. And in a few moments we're going 
to see that the Apostle Paul highlights his ambassadorship 
as Christ's servant. when we, in the pastoral ministry 
or in churches, entertain the idea that we can forfeit ambassadorship 
on behalf of Jesus for being a CEO or being a cheerleader 
or being an entertainer, We have not seriously engaged with Holy 
Scripture. We have not seriously engaged 
with our theological tradition. We are trying to fight a battle 
that we're ill-equipped to fight. We're trying to engage an enemy 
without any offensive weaponry. We're trying to go out there 
and do something that we can't do. We're trying to charge hell 
itself with a water gun. You can't do that. You need to 
mount a legitimate offensive against the enemy. And the Apostle 
identifies that as the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word 
of God. I want to quote Brooks, Thomas 
Brooks, with reference to the importance of truth. I quoted 
this last time I preached through the whole armor, not two weeks 
ago, but I think last year. He says, Have you not found truth 
sweetening your spirits, cheering your spirits, warming your spirits, 
raising your spirits, and corroborating your spirits? Have you not found 
truth a guide to lead you, a staff to uphold you, a cordial to strengthen 
you, and a plaster to heal you? And will you not hold fast the 
truth? Has not truth been your best friend in your worst days? 
Has not truth stood by you when friends have forsaken you? Has 
not truth done more for you than all the world could do against 
you? And will you not hold fast the truth? Is not truth your 
right eye, without which you cannot see for Christ, and your 
right hand, without which you cannot do for Christ, and your 
right foot, without which you cannot walk with Christ? And 
will you not hold fast the truth? Oh, hold fast the truth in your 
judgments and understandings, in your wills and affections, 
in your profession and conversation. You are better let go anything 
than truth. You are better let go your honors 
and riches, your friends and pleasures, and the world's favors. Yea, your nearest and dearest 
relations, yea, your very lives than to let go truth. Oh, keep 
the truth, and truth will make you safe and happy forever. Blessed 
are those souls that are kept by truth." I don't think he's 
exaggerating. I don't think he's just doing 
Puritanese. I think he's engaging properly with the value and the 
supremacy of truth in a fallen world filled with lies and deception. What marks the devil's rule? 
What marks the devil's reign? What marks the devil's sort of 
characteristics? Well, he was a murderer and a 
liar from the beginning. God Most High is referred to 
in Psalm 31, 5 as Lord God of truth. I've already mentioned 
John 14, 6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. When Jesus 
promises the spirit in John 14, 16, he calls him the spirit of 
truth, yet not three truths, one truth. Three divine beings. So with reference to truth, that's 
our bread and butter. If we sacrifice the truth, if 
we give away the truth, if we say that truth ought not to mark 
our churches, but just all kinds of love and happiness. Brethren, 
it's a love and a happiness that is rooted in the truth. 1 Corinthians 
13, love rejoices in truth. It doesn't rejoice in falsehood. 
It doesn't rejoice in deception. It doesn't rejoice in lies. It 
rejoices in truth. And so for the Apostle Paul, 
it was absolutely crucial that the church in Ephesus not only 
donned themselves with those defensive elements, but to take 
up that sword of the Spirit to engage those principalities. 
Remember the reason why he tells us in verse 10 to be strong in 
the Lord and in the power of his might. And then he tells 
us in verse 11, put on the whole armor of God. He then goes on 
to explain why that you may be able to stand against the wiles 
of the devil. He gives an explanatory statement. 
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against 
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness 
of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly 
places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you 
may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all 
to stand." That the apostle appeals to martial imagery, I think, 
suggests something very important. Commanders know what their troops 
need. Commanders get the big bucks 
because they're the strategists. They're the tacticians. They're 
the ones that have surveyed the enemy. They're the ones that 
have surveyed the enemy's resources. They're the ones that know the 
enemy's firepower. So when it comes down to equipping 
their own men, you think they're going to send them against an 
enemy that they're ill-equipped to meet? Of course not! I mean, 
if he does, he'll be court-martialed or shot because of his dereliction 
of duty. But he's going to survey the 
enemy, and that will dictate the needs for his own troops. 
That's precisely how the armor of God functions in this passage. The weapons of our warfare, Paul 
says in 2 Corinthians 10, they're not carnal. They're mighty for 
the pulling down of strongholds. So because our enemy is described 
here in verse 12 as spiritual in nature, we don't wrestle against 
flesh and blood. And again, there is that physical 
manifestation through Planned Parenthood, through godless government, 
through all those agencies. But we do not wrestle against 
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers. 
against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual 
hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. That's why when he comes 
to describe the defensive and offensive elements, he doesn't 
do so carnally. He doesn't do so physically. 
He doesn't say, go down to dart and tackle and buy a big gun. 
Now, again, brethren, there is the object of being the body 
in the body politic. He wouldn't diminish your right 
to protect yourself as an individual. But in terms of the advancement 
of the church, in terms of our spiritual enemy, in terms of 
the spiritual warfare that is ours, he describes defensive 
elements and offensive elements that speak particularly to the 
threat. So if we don't put these things 
on, if we don't wield the sword of truth, which is the word of 
God, then we will be ill-equipped to meet the enemy. We're going 
to die. We are going to be bested. We 
are going to be mopped up by the enemy. And so the apostle 
doesn't want that. The commander of the apostle 
that used them to pen these words doesn't want that. So for us, 
we need to take seriously the defensive elements and the offensive. And then notice the place of 
prayer, the necessity of prayer. Two things I want to consider 
here. First, the manner of prayer. Secondly, the object of prayer. 
Note the manner in verse 18. Praying always with all prayer 
and supplication in the Spirit. Being watchful to this end with 
all perseverance and supplication. So that's the manner in which 
we are to pray. And again, that shouldn't surprise 
us. Paul does similar things in other epistles, but look at 
this. He says, first of all, the need 
for constancy, praying always. I think at times we stumble over 
passages like that and say, well, you know, I'm working with heavy 
equipment, and if I mess up, then I'm gonna lose an arm. Paul's 
not telling you to jeopardize your arm by praying. Be in a 
disposition, a manner, an attitude of prayerfulness. There are seasons 
when to pray would jeopardize an appendage, and you don't want 
to do that, and God's not calling you to sacrifice your arm because 
you're praying. No, that's not what it means. 
It doesn't mean don't eat breakfast, because you've got to pray. Don't 
have time with your wife, because you've got to pray. Always praying 
means that you're always in that disposition, understanding the 
nature of the enemy, knowing the glory of our blessed God, 
and to be a prayerful person, to be a person that seeks to 
pray with constancy. You see that in Luke 18.1. The 
antidote to anxiousness is that men always ought to pray and 
not lose heart. As I mentioned, you see it in 
Colossians as well. 1 Thessalonians, this constancy 
at the throne of grace. 1 Thessalonians 5.17, praying 
always. But as well, notice after constancy 
is the need of the Holy Spirit. Notice what he says specifically, 
praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. That doesn't mean your spirit, 
it means the Holy Spirit. And I think in the backdrop we 
might consider Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, that sort 
of enigmatic passage that Maybe we don't fully understand it, 
we can't explain everything, but we trust that God is telling 
us good things, and we trust that even when we can't formulate 
the proper words, the Spirit who dwells in us is at work for 
us in terms of prayer and intercession. Notice in Romans 8, 26, likewise 
the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know 
what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself 
makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot 
be uttered. Now he who searches the hearts 
knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he makes intercession 
for the saints according to the will of God." I mentioned that 
this morning. Praying is to be according to 
the will of God. Well, there might be feasibly 
a time when you just don't know what that is. So are you all 
on your own? Is that it? You can't pray? Well, 
no, the spirit is at work in you. The spirit can intercede 
for you. And thankfully he does. He overcomes 
our weakness. He overcomes our infirmity. He 
overcomes our inability. But then thirdly, the apostle 
Paul highlights the need for watchfulness. So praying always 
with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful 
to this end. I think the best illustration 
of this is Gethsemane, Matthew chapter 26. Peter, James, and 
John accompany the Savior into the garden. Jesus is exceedingly 
sorrowful, even as his soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto 
death. This is an intense moment for him. The Lucan account tells 
us he sweat drops of blood as he faces the cup of God's holy 
wrath. So how does he find Peter, James, 
and John? They're asleep. They're out. Now, He doesn't smack them around. 
He doesn't pinch them. He says, you know, the flesh 
is, the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. I think there's 
a Psalm 103 sort of at least an illusion there. He knows our 
frame. He pities us. But what's the admonition from 
the Savior in that hour of crisis and need? Watch and pray. Watch and pray. Why? Because 
this is the hour of darkness. What are you supposed to be doing? 
You're supposed to be praying, the hour of darkness that came 
upon the Savior at the cross. Well, certainly, if we are, in 
the language of Ephesians 6, 13, to withstand in the evil 
day, and having done all to stand, we're to be watchful. Now brethren, 
I can complain probably just as much or more than everyone 
in here. I need to preach to myself. I'm 
going to complain about the government, pray for the government. In other 
words, be watchful, be mindful, be cognizant of the realities 
that are going on in the world and be prayerful with reference 
to that. And then the last thing he says 
is perseverance. Oftentimes we're lightweights 
at the throne of grace because we think God's on our timeframe 
and not us on his. Well, I prayed, nothing happened. 
I mentioned this morning, no is an answer. It really is an 
answer. We don't like the answer, but 
no works. All you parents know that, right? 
How many times have you told your own children, no? Do your 
children then complain, well, you never answer me. Well, they 
might, but their main complaint is that you never give me the 
answer I want. Well, brethren, perseverance 
at the throne of grace is requisite. Again, God is not on our timeframe. He's not our genie. He's not 
our servant. He's not beholden to us. As I 
mentioned this morning, when Jesus says, ask me anything, 
make sure you don't go hog wild in your interpretation there. 
That again was a very tight, strictly organized sort of instruction 
by the Savior relative to the greater works to advance the 
cause of God and truth on the earth. not a new boat, not a 
new summer home. So when it comes to prayer, we 
need to be persevering. You know, I've tried prayer and 
it just didn't work. I've tried prayer and for a little while 
it kind of helped me. It's always about me, right? 
No, prayer is an act of worship unto God Most High. We need to 
be persevering in it because, as I said, God is not on our 
time schedule, but we are on His. Then notice the objects 
for prayer, twofold here, praying with all prayer and supplication 
in the Spirit, verse 18, being watchful to this end with all 
perseverance and supplication, notice first for all the saints, 
for all the saints. Now, I don't think Paul said, 
get, you know, the phone book from Colossae and from Laodicea, 
get the phone books from all those and just start reading 
off names and say, God pray for, you know, bless those, bless, 
bless, bless, bless that. It's probably meaning all the 
saints in your church, all the saints that you know intimately, 
all the saints in other churches that you happen to be friends 
with. Again, brethren, you don't call to just get the Chilliwack 
phone book, if they even make those anymore, and just start 
running through the list. If you want to do that, and God's 
given you the gift of time, then sure, by all means, but for all 
the saints, it's probably all the saints that you have an intimate 
connection with. You're to intercede for them. 
You're to pray for them. You're to seek favor from God 
on their behalf. And then you might ask the question, 
well, I'm not sure what to pray for them. Have you ever considered 
the Lord's Prayer in Matthew chapter Have you ever considered 
that it's not just a rote prayer? We don't just repeat it. In fact, 
Jesus condemns that manner of praying. Don't be like the heathen 
who think that for their multitude of words, they're going to be 
heard by God. He says, but in this manner, pray. So I can't 
imagine he's commending to us just in rote manner to read that 
prayer over and over again. I think their heads There are 
statements, each one, that we can sort of put flesh and blood 
on. I would suggest, with reference 
to supplication for all the saints, pray first that God's name be 
hallowed in their lives. You've got friends that are believers, 
you've got people in your church, and you do maybe just take a 
look to the right and a look to the left. I don't know who 
to pray for. I'm sure there's a lot of people in here that'd 
be happy for you to pray for them. I'm just spitballing here, 
but I'm sure that they're going to be happy that you go to the 
throne of grace on their behalf, to pray that God's name be hallowed 
in their lives. Again, that's not some cheap 
wish. That ought to be the primary 
focus of God's people, to bring glory to God. Remember, Paul 
says elsewhere, so therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever 
you do, do all to the glory of God. As well, you can pray that 
God's kingdom of grace and glory would come for their benefit. 
If they're not saved, you can pray, now that's not saints, 
but you can pray for unbelievers, that God would conquer them by 
his kingdom of grace. That they would know something 
of the glory of Jesus Christ and believe on him. For the church 
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we would experience more grace. 
The Apostle's going to end the epistle with that petition for 
grace. There's never a time in the life 
of God's people when we don't need grace. Of course we need 
grace. And then of course the kingdom 
of glory. We ought to pray that for all the saints, universally, 
that Jesus would come again in glory to judge the living and 
the dead. That is a most blessed reality in our future. As well, 
we can pray that God's will would be done by them. Again, take 
the heads of the Lord's Prayer and start plugging people in. 
Start praying these sorts of things, because the Apostle says, 
and for all the saints. As well, God's temporal provision. 
Somebody's sick, somebody needs a job. Give us this day our daily 
bread. You may be fit with your daily 
bread, you may have enough and an abundance, but somebody you 
know may not be. Pray that God would bless them 
with their daily bread. Pray that God would give them 
their temporal provision. And of course their spiritual 
needs for forgiveness and for protection from the evil one. 
See, when the apostle tells us to pray for all the saints, he's 
exhorting us to what's called intercessory prayer. We're to 
intercede on behalf of others. We're not to be so focused upon 
ourselves all the time that all we ever pray for is our benefit, 
our blessing, our help. No, there's other people in the 
world. This particular type of praying, intercessory prayer, 
helps to remind us that we're not the center of the universe. 
So the second object of prayer is Paul specifically. Notice 
what he says. Verse 18, being watchful to this 
end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, 
and then verse 19, and for me. So Paul doesn't have a problem 
exhorting the church at Ephesus to pray for him. He didn't have 
a problem exhorting the church in Thessalonica to pray for him. 
He didn't have a problem exhorting the church in Colossae to pray 
for him. He wanted people to pray for 
him. Spurgeon was asked about the success of his ministry. 
You know his response? My people pray for me. In other 
words, when he preached, people were gathered and praying that 
God would bless the proclamation of the truth. It's the engine 
room of the ship. We don't have prayer going on. 
We're not going to be faithful and not going to be useful in 
the life of God's church, in terms of God's church. So the 
apostle prays or asks specifically for prayer. Now note the way 
that he wants them to pray. And for me, that utterance may 
be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known 
the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, 
that in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak." Now, the 
apostle had temporal needs. He really did. Remember where 
he is as he's writing this letter? Well, he was in the Bahamas. 
He was at a nice resort. He was sipping cool beverages. 
He was in a prison cell. He was in a Roman prison cell. If you were in a Roman prison 
cell and you had one kick at the can to ask your church to 
pray for you, what might it be? Pray that I get out of this Roman 
prison cell. I can hear me saying that. Calvin 
made the observation, consider to, at the same time, his amazing 
ardor of zeal. He is not solicitous as to his 
own safety. He does not ask that prayers 
may be poured forth by the churches on his behalf, that he may be 
delivered from the danger of death. He is contented with this 
one thing, that he may, unconquered and undaunted, persevere in a 
confession of the gospel. Nay more, he fearlessly makes 
his own life a secondary matter, as compared with the glory of 
Christ and the spread of the gospel. So when he comes to write 
this letter and end this letter with the bold sort of petition, 
pray for me, the particular prayer that he wants is not for his 
temporal benefit, not that they wouldn't short me on the daily 
provision for food, not that they wouldn't take my blanket 
away, or not that those guys in the prison yard won't beat 
me up. That wasn't his concern. So when we look at his concern, 
it really kind of fits in with everything he said in terms of 
the armor of God, this belt of truth, this sword of the spirit. For the apostle Paul, that was 
everything. It was his ministry to make known 
the word of the living and true God. So let's look specifically 
at what he says. He says that I may have utterance 
or that utterance may be given to me. Now, utterance here isn't 
just the gift of God. As we continue in this particular 
section, we know that utterance has to do with his proclamation 
of the Word of God. Now, historically, the Apostle 
Paul is in this prison cell from about AD 60 to AD 62. When he writes to the Philippians, 
he knows there's a chance he could die, but I don't think 
he thinks he's going to die, and he didn't. He has a whole 
different attitude in 2 Timothy chapter 4. He knows he's going 
to die. My departure is at hand. I have 
fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I've kept the faith. So he knows 
he's going to die. Philippians, it's a possibility, 
but it's not the highest of possibilities. Now, as history tells us, he 
was released from that first Roman imprisonment. So AD 6062, 
this is where the Book of Acts ends. He gets out and then he 
ministers a couple of more years. It's at that time that he writes 
2 Timothy, Titus, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and probably Hebrews. 
And so the Apostle Paul was a man that still had a mission. The 
Apostle Paul knew that most likely he was going to get out of this 
Roman imprisonment. So when he gets out, again, his 
concern isn't, may you protect me from these nasty Roman people 
as they throw me in their horrible prisons. No, that utterance may 
be given to me. Why? Because that's his function 
as an ambassador of our Lord Jesus Christ. But notice, it's 
not just utterance that he wants. He doesn't want to just be able 
to speak, but he says that I may open my mouth boldly to make 
known the mystery of the gospel. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 
2 for just a moment. I think we think about the mighty 
apostle Paul as the mighty apostle Paul, and well, we should. But 
Paul, by nature, wasn't an orator. Paul, by nature, didn't have 
those gifts. That's why he's asking for that. 
Pray that I may have utterance and that I may speak boldly the 
gospel. Look at 1 Corinthians 2, specifically 
at verse 1. Basically, the context, Paul 
is displaying that the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom 
of man. And he does so in a way that 
you wouldn't expect. He highlights that it's the message 
of the cross, which to the Jews is a stumbling block and to the 
Greeks is foolishness, but it's the power of God. He then illustrates 
with the Corinthians themselves. Notice in 1 Corinthians 1.26, 
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according 
to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but 
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame 
the wise. How do we see a contrast between God's wisdom and the 
world's wisdom? Well, in the world's wisdom, they wouldn't 
have the message of the cross. In the world's wisdom, they wouldn't 
pick the not-many-wise according to the flesh, the not-many-mighty, 
the not-many-noble. See, in the wisdom of God, which 
is foolishness to the world, this is indeed a display of His 
power. So the message of the cross itself, the recipients 
of the cross, but also the preacher of the cross. Notice in 2-1, 
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence 
of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God. 
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus 
Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in 
fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching 
were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration 
of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the 
wisdom of men, but in the power of God." You wouldn't have hired 
Paul. You wouldn't have given him the 
job as lead pastor. He just said, nah, we need a 
power man. We need a persuasive man. We 
need a man that's gifted and skilled and oratory and all that. 
Paul, you go to Walmart, perhaps they have a job for you collecting 
carts. Notice in 2 Corinthians chapter 
10, 2 Corinthians chapter 10, what is Paul doing? Paul is telling 
us what Paul is. so that when sinners get saved, 
it's not the case that Paul is to be praised, but God has put 
a gospel treasure in earthenware vessels so that the power of 
Christ will be manifest. Notice in 2 Corinthians 10, specifically 
at verse nine, or verse 10, for his letters, they say, are weighty 
and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech 
contemptible. Again, he's not, you know, a 
trained orator. He's not a man that had as his 
calling and as his gift egg, standing before thousands and 
proclaiming to them the glory of the gospel. So when we look 
at Ephesians chapter six, and he says to pray for me, that 
utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly 
to make known the mystery of the gospel, he sees the purpose 
and the clause that follows, for which I am an ambassador 
in chains. In other words, this is his function. 
It's what I mentioned earlier. When the pastor today sees himself 
primarily as the CEO, when he sees himself as the guru, when 
he sees himself as the entertainer, or the comedian, or the storyteller, 
and not the proclaimer of truth, then we've abandoned the pulpit. 
We have given it away. There's no shortage of entertainers 
out there. There's no shortage of CEOs out 
there. There's no shortage of gurus 
out there. The crying desperate need in 
our generation is the proclamation of God's holy gospel. It is the 
ambassadorship that Christ has given to the church to make known 
the glory, the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. That ought to be the primary 
function. This morning I mentioned that if I don't happen to come 
back this morning, I don't want to look at Nathan because he'll 
probably think I'm jinxing us, but you never know when you fly, 
do you? You never know when you drive. 
I could get smacked on the way home tonight. Whatever guy you 
look at for this pulpit, take Ephesians 6 and hold it up to 
him. If he's not all that, may it 
be the case that he's praying to be all that. And notice that 
the apostle ends this particular brief section by saying, that 
in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. Now, brethren, I don't 
think bold speech is always loud speech. Sometimes preachers, 
because they're different men, aren't as loud. Some are louder. 
You know, you've been cursed with the latter. That's just 
the way it goes. But what happens is, is that when it comes to 
gospel preaching, it's not suggestive. You know, you can kind of take 
this or leave it if you want. This might help you, this might, 
no. This is God's glorious gospel. This is a message that must be 
heard. This is a message that must be 
received. This is the message of Christ 
in him crucified. God so loved the world that he 
gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should 
not perish, but have everlasting life. We don't just suggest this. 
We don't just recommend this. We don't just try to, you know, 
try to persuade people with a little bit of a light nudge. I think 
it was Samuel Davies preaching before the king, maybe not Samuel 
Davies, one of these older brothers, was preaching before the king 
of England. And the king of England and his 
wife were talking while he's preaching. And he rebuked the 
king. I mean, that's a great story. 
He rebukes the king with something like, when the lion roars in 
the forest, the beasts of the field take heed. In other words, 
don't talk while the gospel is being proclaimed. I mean, that 
guy, that's this guy right there. That's the kind of guy we pray 
for. So for the apostle, his ambassadorship 
was absolutely crucial. He was not in it to be an entertainer. He was not in it to be a CEO. And there's nothing wrong. I'm not condemning entertainers 
and CEOs or even gurus. I don't know maybe about that. 
There's nothing wrong. You know, God made you a CEO. 
Great! But that's not the function of 
the priority of the Christian pulpit. We're the pillar and 
ground of the truth. We're to proclaim the gospel. 
We're to speak the mystery of Gentile inclusion and the covenant 
promises of God most high, the glorious church of the Lord Jesus 
Christ, the two being made, one new man in him, Ephesians 3. The apostle Paul, when he comes 
to ask for prayer, wants prayer for spiritual things. The epistle 
ends with a personal note and then a benediction. Note the 
personal note. He speaks of this beloved brother, Tychicus or 
Tukikon. Tychicus seems a little bit easier 
than Tukikon, or Tikikon. But notice, but that you also 
may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother 
and faithful minister of the Lord. This beloved brother is 
mentioned in Acts chapter 20 at verse 4. He's mentioned in 
Colossians chapter 4 at verse 7, and he's mentioned in 2 Timothy 
chapter 4 in verse 12. There's something that you ought 
to appreciate about the New Testament documents. The churches knew 
about each other. This wasn't esoteric. This wasn't a cult. 
This wasn't, you know, we just meet in secret. No, the churches 
knew about each other. The churches exchanged letters 
amongst each other. The Apostle Paul visited them. 
He brought greetings to them. He moved and had his being amongst 
them. The churches of Christ were in 
fellowship. They were in communion together. 
So this Tychicus is sent by the Apostle Paul for two specific 
reasons. Notice in verse 21. But that 
you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, 
a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make 
all things known to you, whom I have sent to you for this very 
purpose, that you may know our affairs. In other words, I'm 
going to send this man because I want you to know what's happening 
in this Roman prison cell. I want you to pray for me. I want you to know. I want you 
to be intimately connected. I want you to bear my burdens. 
I want you to share and participate with me in these particular hardships 
and trials. So Titcher Kiss is gonna come 
along and make all things known to you, but then notice the second 
purpose at the end of verse 22. He says, and that he may comfort 
your hearts. Comfort your hearts, huh? The 
Apostle Paul is in a Roman prison cell. It's probably not as bad 
as it's going to be later for him in that second Roman imprisonment, 
but it's not joy. No three hots and a cot. The 
only way that you ate is if faithful brethren brought you food. It 
wasn't that you got three hots and a cot. You got help if you 
were loved. So for the apostle, what is his 
concern? It's not, first and foremost, 
his comfort. It's the comfort of the churches. 
I want Tychicus to come. I want him to let you know what's 
happening to me. But I want him to comfort you. 
I want him to encourage you. I want him to build you up. The 
apostle is others-minded to the bitter end. And then the epistle 
ends where many of the apostle's letters begin and end. Grace 
and peace. Notice in verse 23, peace to 
the brethren and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord 
Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love 
our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. So the manner in which he begins 
almost all of his epistles is grace and peace from God the 
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that compound object, 
God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. As I mentioned yesterday 
in our theology study of the Holy Spirit, just because the 
Spirit isn't referenced here, don't think He's excluded. Whenever 
you see Father, you see Son and Spirit. Whenever you see Son, 
you see Father and Spirit. Whenever you see Spirit, you 
see Father and Son. There is but one only, the living and 
true God, who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
We ask the question, what is God or who is God? He's Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit. And it's the Spirit that communicates 
to us the graces of grace and peace. So this grace and peace 
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ is communicated 
to us by the third person of the Trinity, namely the Holy 
Spirit. 2 Corinthians 13, 14. May the grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit. 
Communion there means, yeah, we have communion with Father, 
Son, and Spirit. Spirit, part of that. Not part of God, but 
part of that communion. But it also refers to the Spirit 
communicating the graces of God to the objects of His mercy. 
So the Spirit is the act of power to bring and fetch those things 
for us and to fill us as God has purposed and planned. So 
the apostle ends his note with grace and peace. And note the 
contrast between verse 24 and 1 Corinthians 16, 22. He says, 
grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, 
amen. 1 Corinthians 16, 22, if anyone 
does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed, 
O Lord come. So here, grace be with all those 
who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and there, if anyone 
does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed, 
O Lord God. Remember this morning, if you 
love me, you keep my commandments. Why do we love him and keep his 
commandments? Because by his grace, we have believed in him 
as Lord and Savior. This epistle rehearses those 
great things. This epistle begins an eternity 
past with the purpose and plan and decree of God Most High, 
Father, Son, and Spirit, to save His people from their sins. It 
moves to the realm of history in Ephesians chapter 2, the application 
of redemptive benefit through what we call the covenant of 
grace. God saved us by grace through faith, that not of yourselves, 
it is the gift of God. Chapter 3 rehearses the glorious 
thing that obtained in the New Covenant in terms of Gentile 
inclusion and the covenant promises of God. No more two distinct 
peoples, no more separated peoples, but in Jesus Christ, believing 
Jew and Gentile, are one new man in Him. Never to be divided, 
never to be rent asunder, never to be put off in terms of some 
future sort of eschatological scheme that others have dictated. 
No, the people of God are unified in the Lord Jesus Christ. And 
from chapter 4, beginning in verse 1, all the way to chapter 
6, verse 20, the Apostle tells us about how to apply these things 
to our life. Hopefully it's been an encouragement. 
Hopefully we have learned many good things. And hopefully that 
when it comes to prayer, we pray for one another. And I would 
ask prayer in the spirit of the Apostle Paul for that kind of 
utterance, that kind of boldness to make known the Lord Jesus 
Christ, because it's an ambassadorship. You don't want me to be an entertainer. 
I don't have the ability to be a CEO. You should want proclamation 
of God's truth, 16 ounces to the pound. That's what you and 
I desperately need. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for this epistle, we thank you for the 
glorious themes that it covers, and for the emphasis on salvation 
by grace through faith in Jesus. We pray that this gospel would 
be proclaimed throughout the earth, that it would run swiftly 
and be glorified, and help each of us as your people to take 
up the whole armor of God, to put on these defensive elements, 
to wield the sword of the Spirit, and to be a prayerful people, 
for all the saints and for those who labor in the word and doctrine. 
Go with us now. Watch over us in this coming 
week. Grant us grace and safety, protection, and many, many blessings. And we pray through Christ the 
Lord. Amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation.