Our wrestle

Our wrestle

V. 10. Though the redemption purchased by Christ, as described in this
epistle, is so complete and so free, yet between the beginning and the
consummation of the work there is a protracted conflict. This is not a
figure of speech. It is something real and arduous. Salvation, however
gratuitous, is not to be obtained without great effort. The Christian conflict
is not only real, it is difficult and dangerous. It is one in which true
believers are often grievously wounded; and multitudes of reputed
believers entirely succumb. It is one also in which great mistakes are often
committed and serious loss incurred from ignorance of its nature, and of
the appropriate means for carrying it on. Men are apt to regard it as a mere
moral conflict between reason and conscience on the one side, and evil
passions on the other. They therefore rely on their own strength, and upon
the resources of nature for success. Against these mistakes the apostle
warns his readers. He teaches that everything pertaining to it is
supernatural. The source of strength is not in nature. The conflict is not
between the good and bad principles of our nature. He shows that we
belong to a spiritual, as well as to a natural world, and are engaged in a
combat in which the higher powers of the universe are involved; and that
this conflict, on the issue of which our salvation depends, is not to be
carried on with straws picked up by the wayside. As we have superhuman
enemies to contend with, we need not only superhuman strength, but
divine armor and arms. The weapons of our warfare are not natural, but
divine.
 
Dont be a casuiltie walk in Victory Jesus REIGNS

V. 11. The second direction has reference to the arms requisite for the
successful conduct of this conflict;
ejndu>sasqe th<n panopli>an tou~
qeou~
, put on the whole armor of God. Panopli>a, panoply, includes both
the defensive and offensive armor of the soldier. The believer has not only
to defend himself, but also to attack his spiritual enemies; and the latter is
as necessary to his safety as the former. It will not do for him to act only
on the defensive, he must endeavor to subdue as well as to resist. How this
is to be done, the following portion of the chapter teaches.
The armor of
God
, means that armor which God has provided and which he gives. We
are thus taught from the outset, that as the strength which we need is not
from ourselves, so neither are the means of offense or defense.
Nor are they means of man’s devising. This is a truth which has been
overlooked in all ages of the church, to the lamentable injury of the people
of God. Instead of relying on the arms which God has provided, men have
always been disposed to trust to those which they provide for themselves
or which have been prescribed by others. Seclusion from the world (i.e.
flight rather than conflict), ascetic and ritual observances, invocation of
saints and angels, and especially, celibacy, voluntary poverty, and
monastic obedience, constitute the panoply which false religion has
substituted for the armor of God. Of this fatal mistake, manifested from
the beginning, the apostle treats at length in his Epistle to the Colossians,
2:18-23. He there exhorts his hearers, not to allow anyone, puffed up with
carnal wisdom, and neglecting Christ, the only source of life and strength,
to despoil them of their reward, through false humility and the worship of
angels, commanding not to touch, or taste, or handle this or that, which
methods of overcoming evil have indeed the appearance of wisdom, in

256​
humility, will-worship, and neglect of the body, but not the reality, and
only serve to satisfy the flesh. They increase the evil which they are
professedly designed to overcome. A more accurate description could not
be given historically, than is here given prophetically, of the means
substituted by carnal wisdom for the armor of God. Calling on saints and
angels, humility in the sense of self degradation, or submitting our will to
human authority, neglecting the body, or ascetic observances, abstaining
from things lawful, uncommanded rites and ordinances, observing months
and days — these are the arms with which the church in her apostasy has
arrayed her children for this warfare. These are by name enumerated and
condemned by the apostle, who directs us to clothe ourselves with the
panoply of God, which he proceeds to describe in detail.
 
Word of exhortation

Im hope its alright to place these posts your brother in Christ God bless you all,l Jesus is Lord i love youy all and pray in HIs Mighty and Majestic Name that He bless and keep each and every one of you in the palm of HIs Mighty All Powerfull Hand Jesus Reigns
 
Moderators reminder

MODERATORS REMINDER




We have merged your four threads as they are all part of the same thread.


The above posts look as if they were copied and pasted from somewhere.

Please remember the rules on copying material and quote the source and be certain it is not copyright material.
Copyright Issues
Rule 8. Any time that you "quote" someone else's works, you must be certain that there is a Copyright © Waiver posted in the original source indicating that you can quote all or part of that original author's work. If you just copy and paste text randomly without regard for the Copyrighting © of that text, you bring liability issues into the equation and we at CFS will take appropriate action to keep infringement issues out of this forum.
 
To the best of my knowledge i can see no copyright prohibiting pasting material from this seres ive searcched and can find no such ristrictions like i said i am not wanting to cause any problems for Christian Forum this site is a great blessing to me and i thank each and every one of you for your words of encouragement God bless in Christ Jesus our Lord
 
Does it contain a Copyright Waiver?

If not we should not reproduce it without the written permission of the author.

Even if material is not copyright it is important to always state very clearly where it has been copied from.
 
Not at all. Just state where it is from so that we can comply with the rules.

Whenever we quote the work of someone else they deserve the credit.
 
So true i wasnt looking for credit but i underststand
Hodge, Charles –
I Corinthians II Corinthians Ephesians Romans
T​
OUCH AND GO
LIBRARIAN

THE MASTER CHRISTIAN LIBRARY VERSION 5 This is a great resource with many great teachings well worth owning
 
So true i wasnt looking for credit but i underststand
Hodge, Charles – I Corinthians II Corinthians Ephesians Romans

T
OUCH AND GO
LIBRARIAN

THE MASTER CHRISTIAN LIBRARY VERSION 5 This is a great resource with many great teachings well worth owning


Do they have a web site " Wounded" ?

 
Christian duty

The third direction is, to pray
ejn pneu>mati. This does not mean inwardly,
or
with the heart; non voce tantum, sed et animo, as Grotius explains it; but
it means under the influence of the Spirit, and with his assistance, whose
gracious office it is to teach us how to pray, and to make intercessions for
us with groanings that cannot be uttered; Romans 8:26. The fourth
direction has reference to alertness and perseverance in prayer;
eijv aujto<
tou~to ajgrupnou~ntev
, watching unto this very thing. This very thing is
that of which he had been speaking, viz. praying in the Spirit. It was in
reference to that duty they were to be wakeful and vigilant, not allowing
themselves to become weary or negligent.
pa>sh| proskarterh>sei kai<
deh>sei peri< pa>ntwn tw~n aJgi>wn
, with all perseverance and supplication
for all saints
. “Perseverance and supplication” amounts to persevering or
importunate supplication. In Romans 12:12, the expression is,
th|~
proseuch|~ proskarterou~ntev
, continuing instant in prayer. This
persevering supplication is to be offered
for all the saints. The conflict of
which the apostle has been speaking is not merely a single combat between
the individual Christian and Satan, but also a war between the people of
God and the powers of darkness. No soldier entering battle prays for
himself alone, but for all his fellow soldiers also. They form one army, and
the success of one is the success of all. In like manner Christians are united
as one army, and therefore have a common cause; and each must pray for
all. Such is the communion of saints, as set forth in this Epistle and in
other parts of Scripture, that they can no more fail to take this interest in
each other’s welfare, than the hand can fail to sympathize with the foot.
V. 19. The importance which the apostle attributed to intercessory prayer
and his faith in its efficacy are evident from the frequency with which he
enjoins the duty, and from the earnestness with which he solicits such
prayers in his own behalf. What the apostle wishes the Ephesians to pray
for, was not any temporal blessing, not even his deliverance from bonds,
that he might be at liberty more freely to preach the Gospel, but that God

267​
would enable him to preach with the freedom and boldness with which he
ought to preach:
, i[na moi doqh|~ lo>gov ejn ajnoi>xei tou~ sto>mato>v mou,
ejn parrhsi>a| gnwri>sai, ktl
. Our translators have paraphrased this
clause thus,
that utterance may be given me, that I may open my mouth
boldly to make known
, etc. The literal translation is, that utterance may be
given me in opening my mouth, with boldness to make known
, etc. What
Paul desired was divine assistance in preaching. He begs his reader to pray

i[na moi doqh|~ lo>gov
, that the power of speech, or freedom of utterance,
might be given to him, when he opened his mouth
. Paul says, 2 Corinthians
11:6, that he was
ijdiw>thv tw|~ lo>gw|, rude in speech. The word lo>gov itself
has at times the metonymical sense here given to it, and therefore
ejn
ajnoi>xei tou~ sto>mato>v
is most naturally taken without emphasis as
equivalent to,
when I open my mouth, i.e. when called upon to speak.
Calvin and many others lay the principal stress on those words, and make

with opening of the mouth
equivalent to with open mouth, pleno ore et
intrepida lingua, as Calvin expresses it. Os opertum cupit, quod erumpet in
liquidam et firmam confessionem. Ore enim semiclauso proferuntur
ambigua et perplexa responsa. This, however is to anticipate what is
expressed by
ejn parrhsi>a| gnwri>sai. Others connect both ejn ajnoi>xei
tou~ sto>mato>v
and ejn parrhsi>a| with gnwri>sai, ‘to make known with
the opening of the mouth, with boldness the mystery,’ etc. This is the
construction which our translators seemed to have assumed. But this is
very unnatural, from the position of the words and relation of the clauses.

Parrhsi>a|
(pa~n rJh~siv) the speaking out all freespokenness. Here the
dative with
ejn may be taken adverbially, freely, boldly; keeping nothing
back, but making an open, undisguised declaration of the Gospel. This
includes, however, the idea of frankness and boldness of spirit, of which
this unrestrained declaration of the truth is the expression.
Musth>rion
tou~ eujaggeli>ou
, mystery of the Gospel; the Gospel itself is the mystery,
or divine revelation. It is that system of truth which had been kept secret
with God, but which is now revealed unto our glory; 1 Corinthians 2:7.
V. 20
Upe<r ou=, for the sake of which Gospel, presbeu>w ejn aJlu>sei
eijmi>
, I am an ambassador in bonds. An ambassador is one through whom
a sovereign speaks. “We are ambassadors for Christ:, as though God did
beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead be ye reconciled with
God”; 2 Corinthians 5:20. The apostles, as sent by Christ with authority

268​
to speak in his name, and to negotiate with men, proposing the terms of
reconciliation and urging their acceptance, were in an eminent sense his
ambassadors. As all ministers are sent by Christ and are commissioned by
him to propose the terms of salvation, they too are entitled to the same
honorable designation. Paul was an ambassador in bonds, and yet he did
not lose his courage but preached with as much boldness as ever.
&Ina ejn aujtw|~ parrhsia>swmai
, that therein I may speak boldly. This
may be taken as depending on
i[na doqh|~; of verse 19. The sense would
then be, ‘That utterance may be given to me that I may speak boldly.’ But
the preceding
ejn parrhsi>a| gnwri>sai depends on i[na doqh|~, The two
clauses are rather parallel. Paul desired that the Ephesians should pray,
‘That utterance should be given him that is, that he might preach boldly’

wJv dei~ me lalh~sai
, as I ought to speak. It becomes the man who is an
ambassador of God, to speak with boldness, assured of the truth and
importance of the message which he has to deliver. That even Paul should
solicit the prayers of Christians that he might be able to preach the Gospel
aright, shows the sense he had at once of the difficulty and of the

importance of the work.
 
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