“Strength To Stand” | July 17, 2022

I.    “Strength”
Ephesians 1-5
Daniel 10:12-14
Jude 9
Matthew 4:1-11
Ephesians 6:10; Ro 4:20 (Gk.); 2Ti 2:1; [1Jn 2:14]
Ephesians 1:19; 3:16
Ephesians 1:15-23; 1:19; 5:2; Php 4:13; Judges 6
John 14:26; Jer 31:33; Eph 4:8; 2:8-9; 1Co 12; Matt 4:1
John 3; Heb 10; Ro 13:12-14
 
II.     “The Call To Arms” 
Ephesians 6:11-12; Job 29:14; Ro 13:12; [2Co 10:4]
Ephesians 4:14; 1Co 9:25; Ephesians 1:3, 21; 2:2; 3:10
Luke 22:53; Col 1:13
 
III.    “Take Up God’s Armor…To Stand Firm”  
Ephesians 6:13; [1Pe 4:1]; Eph 5:16; Is 11:4-5; 59:17
2 Corinthians 10:4; Eph 5:2, 8; 3:10; 5:16; 6:13
1 Peter 4:1-2
 
Greek Word Study:
Be Strong: ‘endunamoo’; From ‘en’ (in) and ‘dunamoo’ (to enable); make strong, strengthen. To empower; - (give, increase in) Strength. Found only in Biblical and ecclesiastical Greek meaning to make strong, vigorous, to strengthen. Used in the passive, to be strengthened, become strong. Of the body, as made strong out of weakness (Hb 11:34) Metaphorically, of the mind. (…Eph 6:10; Php 4:13…)
Strength: ‘kratos’: perhaps a primary word “vigor” [great] (literal or figurative): - dominion, might [-ily], power, strength. Noun meaning strength, might (I) Generally, might or power, strength (…Eph 1:19; 6:10…)
Might: ‘ischus’: from a derivative of ‘his’ (force) forcefulness (literal or figurative); - (+great) might, strength. N. from ‘is’ (n.f.) meaning strength and ‘echo’ (to have) Strength, might, power, both of body and mind. Physical, mental, moral power. Also generally: power, potency, preeminence (Eph 1:19; [6:10])
Whole Armor: ‘panoplia’: from ‘pas’ (all) and ‘hoplon’ (an implement, utensil, or tool (literal or figurative) especially offensive for war): - armor, instrument, weapon. Full Armor (“panoply”): - (whole) armor. (Eph 6:11)
Schemes: ‘methodeia’: Noun from ‘methodeuo’(n.f.), to work by method. To trace out with method and skill, to treat methodically; to use art, to deal artfully; hence method, in the sense of art, wile, (deceit, trickery) (Eph 4:14; 6:11)
Devil: ‘diabolos’: from ‘diabollo’ (to accuse falsely), a traducer, specially: Satan – devil, slanderer (-ous) With article ‘ho diabolos: the devil, i.e. the accuser; same as Hb ‘satan’ (adversary). The Adversary, Satan. (Eph 6:11) According to later Hebrews, he acts as the accuser of men before God (Job 1:7, 12; Zech 3:1, 2; c.f. Rev 12:9, 10), seduces them to sin (1Ch 21:1), and is the author of Evil, both physical and moral, by which the human race is afflicted. In NT ‘ho diabolos’ appears as the constant enemy of God, of Christ, of the Divine Kingdom, of the followers of Christ, and of all truth; full of falsehood and malice, and seducing to evil every possible way. (Mt 4:1, 5, 8, 11; …Eph 4:27; 6:11;…)
Wrestle: ‘pale’: from ‘pallo’ (to vibrate); wrestling [e.g. hand to hand combat] (Eph 6:12)
Rulers: ‘arche’: Ruler, spoken of dignity, meaning first place, power, dominion. By metonymy, of abstract for concrete: rulers, magistrates, princes i.e. persons of influence and authority; spoken of the princes or chiefs among demons (…Eph 6:12…)
Authorities: ‘exousia’: concrete: magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control; delegated influence: authority; for the celestial and infernal powers, princes, potentates e.g. demons (Eph 6:12)
Cosmic Powers: ‘kosmokrator’: a world ruler; an epithet of Satan: - cosmic powers. Noun from ‘kosmos’ (world) and ‘krateo’ (to hold). Lord of the world. Used in the NT of Satan as prince of this world. Only in Eph 6:12, in the plural, referring to Satan and his angels. [as opposed to ‘pantokrator: the Almighty, the Ruler of everything, a title used only of God]
Darkness: ‘skotos’; Spoken figuratively of persons in a state of moral darkness, wicked men, under the influence of Satan. (Eph 5:8; 6:12)
Stand: ‘histemi’: to stand; intransitively & figuratively: To stand fast (firm) against an enemy, as opposed to running away [or falling] (Eph 6:11, 13) Derived from ‘anthistemi’: withstand (to oppose, resist) used in Eph 6:12.
Evil Day: ‘poneros hemera’: Morally corrupt; used of times, full of sorrow and affliction; singularly of a period or point in time (Eph 6:13) [I think Paul means both – current evil days, and the Day of the Lord’s Return, at height of evil]