EPHESIANS 6 (READING AT EXETER, 25 JANUARY 1933)
EPHESIANS 6 (READING AT EXETER, 25 JANUARY 1933)
CAC There is great blessedness unfolded to us in this epistle. Paul opened out to us all that was in his heart; he has made known what has been given to him by the grace of God, the knowledge of the mystery and the unsearchable riches of the Christ. He has announced the full counsel of God. We could hardly expect anything else than that it would be the subject of attack on the part of the power of evil; it would be strange if it were not so. The present work of God is more wonderful than it has been at any previous period, more wonderful, in a sense, than it ever will be again. The full height of divine thought has been brought out, and brought out not only under the view of the saints, but under the view of principalities and powers in the heavenlies. Some of them will learn in it the all-various wisdom of God, and some of [p. 125] them are roused to intense hostility; so that if the assembly becomes the lesson-book for angels, as it has been said, on the other hand it becomes the target of deadly hatred and opposition on the part of wicked spirits.
WW Do we regard the opposition here as having in view to prevent the saints entering into the import of what has been brought out in this epistle?
CAC It would work that way undoubtedly. The saints are viewed as occupying the position from which the enemies have been dislodged, so that the issue is that when the battles are over you stand still on the field; you occupy the ground. Having done all, having overcome all things, you stand. After every foe has been put forth the saints are still standing; they hold the position; they hold the heavenly ground.
But I had thought that this chapter is rather the converse of what happened in the history of Elisha. There was a time when Elisha prayed for his servant and he said, “Jehovah, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see” (2 Kings 6: 17), and when the young man’s eyes were opened he saw the whole mountain filled with horses and chariots of fire round Elisha. He was allowed to have a glimpse of the invisible powers that were acting in consort with the prophet at that time. Now this seems to be the converse of that. That is, Paul would open our eyes to see the tremendous character of the evil powers. We are often like the young man, not having our eyes opened to the true character of the invisible powers. These in Ephesians 6 are invisible powers arraigned against what is of God, and it is well for us to have our eyes opened to this. We shall not realise the nature of the conflict or the necessity for the armour if we do not realise the tremendous forces that are against us, because this is not human opposition or persecution. That is not contemplated here at all. It says our conflict is not with [p. 126] blood and flesh; it is not what man can do, but a power far greater than that of men operating, and operating with great skill. Men are often stupid and foolish in their opposition to God, but the spiritual powers in the heavenlies are never stupid; they are never foolish. There is a sagacity and subtlety that can only be defeated by divine power.
FJT I have a little difficulty as to these powers. It says, “Having ascended up on high, he has led captivity captive”, Ephesians 4: 8. How would you reconcile the two?
CAC I thought there was a sense, a very blessed and full sense, in which it could be said that Christ has spoiled principalities and powers.
FJT Would that apply to these powers?
CAC Yes, I thought so. In the cross the whole power of evil is really broken, but that is only known to faith, because the power is not actually broken publicly yet. Is not that just the position? All around us in the world we see the powers of evil going on unchecked, the lawlessness of men, and every kind of opposition to God. But for faith every evil power has been vanquished in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has overcome every foe, but the results of the victory are not yet manifested. So I believe all these wicked spirits know that their doom is sealed, like the one who is their ruler, Satan. It says in Revelation 12 that when the serpent is cast out of heaven he comes down to the earth having great rage, knowing that he has but a short time. That is, he knows he is a defeated foe. But, you see, knowing that he is a defeated foe does not in the slightest degree diminish his hostility or his malice, or hinder him from using every form of subtlety against Christ or against what is of God. So that having had their death-blow, they have been spoiled and Christ is now dividing the spoil with His saints. He has given gifts to men and every gift is the proof of His [p. 127] victory; yet publicly the enemy is still at large, and active in a terrible way. Hence this spiritual conflict has to be taken up and we have to “be strong in the Lord, and in the might of his strength” and to put on the armour — there is nothing else for it. And there is overcoming power in the saints; that is what has come out in the saints in all ages. God had intimated through the prophet Daniel that there would be certain saints who would be saints of the high places, saints with heavenly places, and we find that the beast and the antichrist are against them and seek to wear them out. It says, “He ... shall wear out the saints of the most high places” (Daniel 7: 25), but then we find that in spite of all his efforts to wear them out, their people get the kingdom; they are proved overcomers.
WW Would that be involved in the apostle saying he had kept the faith?
CAC I think that is the language of a man who had to face all these powers and had overcome them and is found standing at the end on the ground that is of God; he has not surrendered a hair’s breadth.
FB Would there be a reason for these powers being distinguished?
CAC I think he used these titles of dignity with a reason, principalities, authorities, universal lords of this darkness, spiritual power of wickedness in the heavenlies. It gives us the idea of the extraordinary character of the powers. He applied titles of great eminence and dignity to them, showing that these are not ordinary demons, such as might take possession of a poor human being and seek in every way to degrade and destroy him. These powers are far above that; these are fallen angels, and they act really as princes in the kingdom of darkness. We need to have a sense of what one might call the exalted character of the powers of evil. Satan himself is [p. 128] spoken of as a dignitary; we are apt to forget that. I think it is necessary for us to understand that we have to do with evil powers that are by no means contemptible; they are not powers that you can think lightly of. I believe there is nothing more lacking amongst christians than a proper sense of the greatness and dignity of the powers of evil. If that is understood we realise that no human power or sagacity could possibly stand against them; nothing but the Lord and the might of His strength will do that. So that if we are not strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength we shall be driven from the field.
FB How are these powers wielded against us?
CAC Well, they are wielded on the line of strategy — it says “the artifices of the devil”. That is, it is not violent power like persecution, but it is the artifices, it is subtlety. It says that the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field, and we find that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. This kind of thing is seen in people who come and prove every single thing they say from the Scriptures, and yet their object is deadly hostility against what is of God. They handle the Scriptures with consummate skill to prove that the lie is the truth. It is not done foolishly; we must not expect to find things done foolishly; they are done with a subtlety that is far above the power of man. That is what we have to face. This kind of opposition would come out through teachings; the vessels would be men, but the apostle is not thinking here of the vessels. The vessels would be like those of whom he speaks in 2 Corinthians 11, false apostles, deceitful workers and, he says, they are ministers of Satan, transforming themselves as ministers of righteousness. There is a great pretence of only wanting what is right and what is according to Scripture. I had a letter from a man last week, a great pretension of only wanting what is right and what is according to Scripture, but his [p. 129] object was to deny the most fundamental and most precious truths in Scripture. That is, transformed as a minister of righteousness and that is where you get artifices. A man gets up and gives a nice word; every word of it is founded on Scripture but Satan’s object in it is to oppose and resist something that the Spirit of God may be calling attention to at the time. Now that is where the artifices of the devil work.
Ques How can we detect it?
CAC We detect it by occupying the ground that is attacked. Those who occupy the ground are able to detect what is contrary to it. It is those who have the benefit of the epistle who are addressed. He says, ‘I have opened out to you the whole counsel of God; now you are going to be mercilessly attacked. This is all so precious; it is so infinitely exalted that the most tremendous forces of evil are going to come into action to move you away from it and nothing will keep you but to be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength, and then you must actually put on the whole armour of God. You must get the might of the Lord’s strength, you must be girded with it, invested with it, by putting on the armour’. It is as we put on the armour that we get the might of the Lord’s strength really with us, so that it is not only that the power is there in Him, but we are so strong in it that it is here with us. The armour is really the power of the Lord with His people, and they are invested with the might of the strength of the One who is at God’s right hand, and the enemy can do nothing.
Ques Would you say that the object of every attack is the Person of Christ?
CAC I am sure that is right, because all that is of God is in Christ. Whether it is the declaration of God or the establishment of His thoughts, it is all in Christ. And then, of course, the assembly as being the closest to Him [p. 130] and really identified with Him, is opposed, but it is because of its identification with Christ.
FJT Is it true today that the joy of the Lord is our strength?
CAC I think that is so. The writer has been telling us plenty to make us so, has he not? He has been telling us all about the unsearchable riches of Christ, and now having furnished us and enriched us he says, ‘Now, look out! There is going to be a tremendous attack’.
FJT It does not say, ‘Be strong in Christ Jesus’, but “in the Lord”.
CAC Yes, he brings in the title of dignity which is suitable, because he is going to speak of the lords of this darkness. The Lord is superior to all the power of evil; there is no question about that. So that while the present time is a time of greatest possible blessing, yet from another point of view it is the evil day, and we have to take account of that.
FJT Would you help us as to putting on the armour of God?
CAC It seems to me to suggest that the different parts of the armour are only acquired through personal exercises, because we have to be personally invested with these things. These are not abstract truths; it is not truth and righteousness and salvation as abstractly known, or even as things you might know in Christ. That is not the point here, but it is that they are personally identified with us, so that there is an exercise, a distinct exercise, connected with each part of the armour. Therefore the saints become characterised by certain things, that is, the breastplate of righteousness is something connected with what I am. It does not say righteousness in Christ, but righteousness is to mark me in all my ways and behaviour and character, so that I have no fear in meeting the enemy. My breast is not exposed, everything is right.
[p. 131] Rem These things are spoken of in Isaiah in the way in which God Himself seems to have put them on.
CAC Yes, it is very striking in Isaiah 59 that Jehovah comes out as invested with these things. When Jehovah deals with the powers of evil, He comes out as invested with similar features. It has often been said that Ephesians 6 is the appearing of Christ anticipated. The second chapter anticipates the rapture; that is, the saints are raised and seated in the heavenlies and that is the anticipation of the rapture. In chapter 6 they come out to meet and overcome all the hostile powers of evil, just as the Lord will come out. He will come out to overcome the beast and the antichrist and all the powers of evil presently, and in the meantime the saints are in the evil day and as invested with this armour they overcome.
God has introduced the full splendour of His own wondrous and heavenly thoughts. Now they are to be held, and they are to be held by the same power that will publicly dispossess the power of evil when the Lord comes out of heaven.
Rem I suppose it is only as we keep on this ground that we realise we have opposing forces against us.
CAC I think so. I think this conflict belongs to those who have known what it is to occupy heavenly ground. F.J.T. Is not the armour more defensive than for aggression?
CAC Well, I suppose it is. The sword is an offensive weapon. The idea is that you hold the ground; it is not exactly making attacks on the enemy, but the enemy is making attacks on you and you overcome him, so that when the battle is over you stand still on the ground; you have not been driven from the field. The position is looked at here as secure; it is the whole counsel of God. It is secure for the saints and they are secure for it. Now the enemy comes up with all his forces; what kind of persons [p. 132] have we to be? We have to be soldiers in the Lord’s host, and what kind of armour do we need in order to stand? We all need the armour, so that we are to stand as those who have girded their loins about with truth; that is the first thing.
JTB Would this find prominence in Timothy?
CAC Yes. Paul goes off the scene as an old warrior, and he encourages Timothy to be a good soldier. Now we are all soldiers in Ephesians 6; we are not merely saints or sons but soldiers. It is quite a different figure.
JBT So that it has a special application today in view of 2 Timothy.
CAC Yes, I should think it has. I should think the qualities of soldiers are very necessary today. First of all, we are so girded by truth that it becomes a support to us. I think the point is that truth is consciously a support to us.
F.J.T. Why the loins?
CAC I suppose the girding of the loins is always in Scripture a preparation for something strenuous. All through Scripture that is the thought. Jehovah said to Job, “Gird up now thy loins like a man”; it implies something strenuous. Elisha girded up his loins and ran before Ahab a long distance — it was a strenuous action.
Ques Why is it the gospel of peace?
CAC I suppose that is important as characterising the walk of the saints; there should be nothing about their walk but what would prepare the way for the glad tidings of peace. People should be favourably impressed towards the gospel by the walk of the saints, which is to have that peaceful character that would commend the glad tidings of peace.
Ques Would you suggest that the conflict is carried to the sphere of the work of God among men?
CAC I should say that it is the way that the powers [p. 133] of evil are defeated, and they are defeated by very practical features in the saints. These are not theoretical things; they are very practical. To be girded with truth and to have the breastplate of righteousness and the preparation of the glad tidings of peace, and so on, are very practical matters. A good practical state is what qualifies us to stand against the powers of evil.
FHB Is the thought that this conflict is carried on on the part of the saints as standing together in unity? Not just units but the whole company divinely set together and moving as one?
CAC Yes, and all having these characteristics. They are marked by truth and righteousness and peace and faith, wonderful qualities and identified with us personally, so that this is not only what we hold but what holds us.
FHB Would what we get in chapter 4 apply here — “The measure of the stature of the fulness of the Christ”? Would something of that character be required if we are to take any useful part in this conflict?
CAC Yes, I thought it followed on the whole teaching of the epistle. Paul supposes you have all that; now you are to be ready for the opposition. What he has set you in is so precious and so exalted and divine and spiritual in its character that it is going to be assaulted. Now you will have to have certain qualities and characteristics to be able to stand.
FHB In relation to the conflict described in the book of Joshua, are not these chapters on the line of this?
CAC Well, there is a good deal that corresponds, it seems to me. The one essential difference there is that they were fighting to get possession, but here the fighting is to hold the position. The types do not fit on every point.
FHB I wondered whether [p. 134] chapters 9 and 10 were more like this than chapters 6 and 8.
CAC I think that is right.
AT What do you think of the instance of David’s mighty man standing in the midst of the field of barley to deliver it?
CAC That is more the idea; there was something there of God and he held it against the powers of the enemy. That is the idea of this chapter; it is holding things, not fighting to get them, but having been set in them, holding them.
FB In 2 Timothy 2: 22 it speaks of pursuing righteousness, faith, love, peace. What is the difference between that and this?
CAC Persons are to be marked by the possession of these characteristics. The apostle John could speak of the brethren bearing witness to Gaius — he says they “bore testimony to thy holding fast the truth”, 3 John 3. How wonderful that there was a man so characterised by truth that the brethren could talk about it. And then John speaks of him walking in truth (verse 3), not in the truth, but walking in truth. Walking in the truth would be that we walk in the light of what is made known to us. The truth is all that is made known, and as christians we are to walk in the light of it, but walking in truth is another matter. It is that the walk of the saints is characterised by truth and so all the energies are controlled by truth, the girdle of truth. If any of us is unrighteous in our ways, well, we have no breastplate; if we are not straight in business and other matters, what an advantage it is to the enemy!
FJT You would give this an entirely present application, not a future one?
CAC Yes.