The Apostle Paul's final exhortation to the Ephesian brethren was to "Be Strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might" (Eph. 6:10). The next several verses emphasize the need to "stand firm." In order to do this you must "put on the whole armor of God." Our adversary does not blindly try things on you to see if they will work. He has analyzed you and has mapped out his strategy based on his carefully calculated findings. He has many schemes (vs. 11). His ultimate goal is to get you to fall.

But you are not a helpless pawn in his game. There is one who can give you sufficient strength. That is the message of our text. In the battle against Satan, be sure you know your enemy. It is not other humans, or even material inventions of men. You are battling spiritual forces in the unseen world that work through and in the minds of men.

In this message, I will first define what it means to "Be Strong in the Lord," and then briefly look at some of the results that come from this condition.

The original word seems to be a combination of the words "power," "hardy", and "stalwart". God gives us great amounts of spiritual energy to be able to resist our adversary courageously and be loyal to Christ. Always remember that this strength is in "the Lord." His strength makes us strong.

Strength is NOT governed by external conformity, but by a heart surrendered to the will of the Lord. The conformist and the surrendered Christian may look the same. Neither does some things that are taught against and both are involved in church activities. Some conformists are even preachers. But true strength is only "in the Lord," not in conformity. To Be Strong in the Lord is to have the attitudes Christ had toward sin and righteousness. It is to believe and practice the things Jesus and the Apostles taught and practiced. It is to have on the whole armor of God ... knowledge of the truth, a life of righteousness, preparation of the Gospel, a strong faith, salvation, and the ability to wisely and courageously use the Word of God.

The New Testament clearly teaches many things that are eternal truths and are to always be conscientiously followed: faith in Christ, repentance of sin and immersion for the forgiveness of your sins as the Bible plan for salvation. God has a specific plan for the organization of his church revealed in the scriptures. Prohibitions against murder, adultery, homosexuality, hatred, jealousy, covetousness, etc., are very clear in the Bible. Teaching against external adornment, long hair on men, short hair on women, corrupt speech, etc., are just as clearly presented in the Scriptures. Time, customs, and circumstances will never change the Bible teaching on these and other things specifically identified in the Word of God. To be strong in the Lord is to have the same attitude toward these things that Jesus had. The Holy Spirit inspired these specific teachings. We either accept them or reject them. We cannot change them!

Besides these explicit commands, God has also given numerous divine principles to guide us in all other areas of our lives. Principles are more general commandments such as Romans 12:1,2: Phil. 4:8, etc. The application of these principles will not always remain constant from one generation to the next. Nothing in life is fixed. Worldliness is an ever-changing kaleidoscope of Satanic enticements. But let us always remember that although Satan may change things around, and invent new devices to trap people in sin, the principles remain the same and still apply!

To be Strong in the Lord is to live by a wise and Scriptural application of Bible principles to present-day situations. We must specifically identify sins of our day that are condemned, not by name, but by Scriptural principles. In doing so, some will accuse us of Phariseeism, or of compiling a "man-made" list of prohibitions, or of making "laws" out of "opinions"; but if the hundreds of Bible verses that are principles can be passed off as "opinions," then God made a mistake in cluttering up so much space with unimportant material. However, God knew what he was doing when he inspired the Word of God, and he did not put unimportant things in it. He gave the Bible so that it would meet the needs of all generations and he gave us minds capable of making intelligent applications of its teaching that we can be sure of.

Yet, we must remember that the conclusion we arrive at from a particular application of a Bible principle may not only be inaccurate, but even wrong fifty years from now. A very wholesome activity that we enjoy today may become infected with Satan's poison. To continue to enjoy it then would be in direct violation of Bible principles. At the same time, that which is now spiritually detrimental may become very wholesome in the future. To continue to condemn it then is to forbid that which God's Word does not forbid. One bad effect from this is that our position is then illogical and indefensible and some will look with suspicion on other convictions we hold which are firmly grounded in the principles of the Word of God.

What am I saying in all of this? Is it impossible to know what we should believe? Should we not have any convictions on anything that is not specifically named in the Bible? Should we not preach on specific practices and, if you please, make some current "lists" of sins based on Bible principles? Is it wrong to apply the scriptures to a local problem and take a definite stand on it? Or on a current fad? Is this a form of situation ethics? The answer to every one of these questions is an emphatic NO! I am not saying anything of the kind! There are a growing number of people (including preachers) who are speaking this way. In their reasoning, to preach against smoking, social drinking, T.V., movies, dancing, shorts and other immodest apparel, etc., is to make an arbitrary list, and they claim that we have no right to do so because these things are not specifically mentioned in the Bible. Incidentally, if one stops to think at all, it is not hard to understand why they are not mentioned in the Scriptures!

A Christian who is "Strong in the Lord" does not have a RIGID list of "do's" and "don'ts." Rather, he has a working knowledge of eternal Bible principles that he applies to every situation in life. He has learned how to question and evaluate his own conduct in every situation and make decisions that he knows will please God and helps him live a holy life. This comes with spiritual maturity and an understanding of the Word of God (Heb. 5:13,14). He knows Romans 12:1,2, so he asks, "Is this activity causing me to conform to the world? Does it help me live a life surrendered to the will of God? Is it harmonious with a transformed life? Does it destroy my identity as a Christian?" He tests what he looks at, listens to, or reads with the principles in Phil. 4:8. He instinctively asks, "What kind of thoughts will this activity produce? Is it true? Is it honorable? Is it right? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Does it have a good reputation? Does it have qualities of excellence? Is it worthy of praise?" And so on with the numerous principles in the Bible. If an activity cannot pass these tests, then to practice it is to disobey the Word of God just as surely as if God had specifically named it in the Bible! This is true, whether it is on someone's list or not. Satan may change the name or invent some entirely new guise for his sinful product, but the principles remain the same! They will NEVER CHANGE! They are a part of God's eternal Word.

To "Be Strong in the Lord," your life and your convictions must be built upon the specific commands and the principles of the Word of God as they apply to today's situations! If your life and activities are merely a conformity to what someone else has preached, you may do everything that is right and refrain from everything that is wrong, BUT YOU ARE NOT "STRONG IN THE LORD"! The Holy Spirit of God wants to motivate you to do the will of God in all of these areas we have talked about (Phil.2:12,13).

It will produce spiritual stability in your Christian life (Eph. 6:11). It should be apparent that a life built upon the unchanging commands and principles of the Word of God will be much less likely to be deceived by the ever-changing face of sin. Satan can invent any new device or temptation, redecorate the old ones, or corrupt wholesome activities, but the principles of God's Word still remain the same. I don't know what kind of scheme Satan will use in the future, or how things are going to change. But as long as you apply the principles of God's Word still remain the same. But as long as you apply the principles of the Bible honestly and intelligently, and then live accordingly, you will continue to Be Strong in the Lord!

To "Be Strong in the Lord" will give you the stamina you need to resist Satan in every situation (Eph. 6:13).

To "Be Strong in the Lord" will also result in solid growth individually and as a church (Eph. 4:11-16). Rapid growth with worldliness permeating the body will NOT be the result. It will be solid growth built on the rock of God's Word! I'm encouraged to see many churches beginning to emphasize the matter of personal evangelism and growth. We must grow or die! But growth on a faulty foundation will not stand the test (I Cor. 3:10-17: Matt. 7:24-27). We must be "Strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might!"

You must not only follow the direct commands of the Bible, but you must also intelligently and honestly apply the principles of the Bible to present day situations. To fail to do so is to be disobedient to the Word of God. Are you doing that? Before you can do that, you must have your body surrendered to God as a living sacrifice, and your life transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1,2). Incidentally, that is a Bible principle!

Are you "Strong in the Lord"? Or are you simply a conformist? If you are a conformist, don't reject everything you have been taught, as some do! Don't throw that all away. You probably were taught right. You simply built your "convictions" upon the wrong foundation . . . . Conformity rather than the principles that supported the teaching!