Text:
Ephesians 6:10-17
October 21, 2012
INTRODUCTION:
1) Physical imbalance: For the last few years, I
have suffered from inner-ear problems that cause me to lose my balance. Without
warning, something inside my ear is upset and I become dizzy. If I try to sit
up in the morning, a condition called vertigo makes it difficult and I will
lean to one side. If I lie down, the ceiling is spinning like seasick in an ocean.
No amount of can compensate for the power of the inner ear to disrupt and
disturb. An active person like me finds these unwelcome episodes frustrating.
2) Spiritual imbalance: Sometimes life is turned
upside down without warning. Something unexpected upsets our routine and we are
knocked off-balance. Perhaps it¡¯s bad news about our job being eliminated or bad
news of a lab test from your doctor¡¯s office. It may be some attacks from
spiritual enemy and failure on our side. In each case, our spiritual balance is
hammered, and we feel as if we are unable to stand. When we think things are
going well with life, we get knocked off balance without any warning and we
don¡¯t know what to do or where to go. But moments like this should cause us to
turn to God who is the ultimate source of power and place of security.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SPIRITUAL
BALANCE:
1) It is the king¡¯s longing: ¡°He restored my soul. He
guides me in the path of righteousness.¡± (Psalm 23:3) King David was honored to
be called as ¡°the man after God¡¯s heart.¡± In his prayer in the most popular psalm
23, he testified that God had restored the spiritual condition of his soul,
that he could see and follow God¡¯s lead of his life in the path of
righteousness. Restoring the soul to balanced condition so he could have the
strength to walk in the path God has led him to walk.
2) It is in faithful servant: ¡°Then this Daniel was
preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in
him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. (Daniel 6:3,
KJV)Daniel ascended to powerful position from a captive in a foreign country
because of his excellent spiritual condition. While the world recognizes
secular knowledge and human skill, God recognizes spiritual quality to be the
most important in serving him both in his work and in the society where God has
assigned us to serve. Especially in service of God¡¯s church, spiritual
condition is always more important than human knowledge and skill.
3) It is in apostle¡¯s will: ¡°Dear friend, I pray that
you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul
is getting strong.¡± (3 John 1:2) Through the prayer of John, the beloved
disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, God wishes his people be strong both in
physical and spiritual health. While the whole world pay so much attention to
physical health and wellness, we as God¡¯s children need to also care about our
spiritual wellness.
4) It is our ultimate pursuit: ¡°Since we have these
promises, dear friends let¡¯s purify ourselves from everything that contaminates
body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.¡± (2 Corinthians
7:1) Purify or keeping the body clean is popular in today¡¯s world. Millions of
dollars were spent each year for this purpose. How much do we realize that we also
need to pay attention to our spiritual condition that is pure and holy?
FACTORS CAUSING SPIRITUAL IMBALANCE:
1) Ignorant of spiritual
darkness:
¡°For although they knew God, they neither glorify him as God nor gave thanks to
him but their thought became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.¡±
(Romans 1:22) Paul was talking about the Jews who were in God¡¯s chosen yet they
didn¡¯t know nor want to see their spiritual darkness. Today many that called
themselves God¡¯s people can¡¯t see their spiritual condition in darkness.
Ignorance of spiritual condition is the major problem of many Christians. When
people don¡¯t know they are sick, they continue to live in the danger of their
sick condition.
2) Blocked by things of the
world: ¡°Do
not love the world or the things belong to the world. If anyone loves the
world, love for the Father is not in him.¡± (1 John 2:15) When a Christian tunes
his heart to the world and the things in the world, he is blocked from tuning
his heart to the spirit of God. The things of the world shield off his heart,
life and spirit from pursuing spiritual balance. When he is leaning closely
toward the world, there is no intention or possibility to pursue a spiritual
balance.
3) Building on wrong foundation: ¡°And I will say to my
soul: Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take life at ease. Eat,
drink and be merry.¡± (Luke 12:19) This rich man was right to store his harvest
in barn houses instead of leaving them to rod in the field. But he was wrong by
putting his soul (spiritual life) on the foundation of the goods in barn
houses. When anyone substitutes God with anything else, wealth, fame, power, or
any person, his spiritual condition is in danger of crushing to the ground
because of spiritual imbalance.
4) Sin could destroy the soul: ¡°If I cherish sin in my
heart the Lord would not have listened.¡± (Psalm 66:18) King David didn¡¯t say if
we have sinned and the Lord will not listen, because we all sin. He was talking
if we ¡°cherish¡± (loving, keeping and won¡¯t let go of known sin). In that
condition, our spiritual condition is not in tune or responsive with God and
God¡¯s law of life. The soul of anyone who loves sin and keeps sinning can not
have his spiritual condition right with God.
BIBLICAL STEPS TO SPIRITUAL
BALANCE:
(Eph. 6:10-17)
1) The desire to be spiritually
strong:
¡°Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.¡± (6:10) This is the
first and foremost important step to regain spiritual balance: we need to have
the desire to do that. Many of the spiritually weak Christians stay weak and
spiritual imbalance or unstable because they lack the desire to do so---they
are happy with their condition. If someone who has no desire to stand up and
walk, you can¡¯t pull him up and push him to go too far. The moment you let go
of your supporting hands, he is going to fall down and stay down.
2) Getting to know our enemies: ¡°For our struggle is not
against fresh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly realm.¡± (6:12) Most pastors and Christians don¡¯t talk about a
spiritual warfare going on in this world we live, but there is: a war between
good and evil, light and darkness, right and wrong, peace an violence: our US
Ambassador to Libya was killed by Islamic radicals attacked the US embassy.
Evil forces are fighting God and God¡¯s people through politics, violence and
false campaign to gain grounds to subdue the light of God and God¡¯s course. We
are supposed to be soldiers of God to win the world, so we need to take strong
stand with balanced spiritual power.
3) Keep up the fight and win: ¡°Therefore, put on the
full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand
your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.¡± (6:13) ¡°Put on¡± (analabete) is
¡°pick up again (ana).
It means if you have let down your guard, you need to pick up your armor and
weapon again because there is a war going on. ¡°Stand your ground¡± (antistenai), to
resist, fight back face to face with power (dunethete) not to lose any
ground. Finally ¡°to stand¡± (stenai) standing up like a victor in sport, in
wrestling. Paul portrays Christian life as a wrestling with the devil, that we
need to pick up and put on the protecting armor God gives us so, we may be able
to fight the devil and win the fight, not get beaten down , but able to stand
up.
4) Make use of the armor of God: ¡°Stand firm then, with the
belt of truth¡..And pray in the Spirit on all occasions.¡± (6:14-18) Paul listed
seven pieces of armor God has given to us to fight and win the spiritual battle
and keep our ground: Belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness; the gospel
of peace and the shield of faith; helmet of salvation and the sword of the
spirit and finally persistence of prayer for ourselves and others. No one needs
explanation on these spiritual weapons to win the spiritual warfare and be able
to stand up firmly. If you feel weak in your spiritual power, check this list
to see if any of the weapons is missing in your everyday life. Remember this is
a spiritual war, and we can only win this war with these spiritual weapons of God.
CONCLUSION:
1) How is your spiritual
balance?
How long have you been a Christian and how strong a Christian you are now? When
facing temptations of the world and the fresh or in setting goals of life, how
often you are able to take your ground and stand firm unwavering? Do you know
the seven weapons God has prepared for you and how often have you used them to
protect you from falling to schemes because you can¡¯t keep your spiritual
balance? Isn¡¯t it time for you to do a spiritual inventory to check on your
life: How well you are in keeping a spiritual balance.
2) Are you a winner or a loser? In practical life of this
world, no one wants to be a loser; all want to be winners in everything. That
is a good thing. How about your spiritual life? Are you a winner or a loser? Do
you have the power to stand up with good balance so you can fight the spiritual
warfare against Satan, the evil of the world and the weakness of your fresh?
When you go to heaven and see the Lord, what will he say to you? Can he say:
¡°Good and faithful servant?¡± (Luke 19:17) If you are diligent and faithful in
this world, why won¡¯t you be diligent and faithful in your spiritual pursuit?
Pick up the armor again, keep fighting to win and you will receive the reward,
the crown God has in stored for you.