Ephesians 4:26-27

ON STANDING GROUND

 

Intro:  In the 1850’s a man by the name of John Gray took a job with the Edinburgh Scotland Police Department as a night watchman. To keep him company during the long Scottish nights, he took on a partner, a Skye Terrier named Bobby.  For several years, the two were a familiar sight as the trudged along the streets and lanes of the city.  In 1858, John Gray died of tuberculosis and was buried in Greyfriers Kirkyard.  After he was buried, Bobby the terrier refused to leave his master’s grave.  He sat there day and night, leaving only at 1:00 PM to go to a local coffee house he had frequented with his master each day.  He would go there, the owner would give the little dog a meal, and he would return to his post at the grave of John Gray.  The gardeners and keepers of the graveyard tried to evict the little dog, but they had no success.  Eventually, they built a small shed beside the grave so the dog could have some sort of shelter.  For the next fourteen years, until its own death in 1872, Bobby the Skye terrier maintained his vigil at his master’s grave.  After Bobby’s death, a bronze statue was erected and placed in the graveyard with this inscription, “Greyfriars Bobby - died 14th January 1872 - aged 16 years - Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all”[1]

      If a little dog can be that devoted to a dead master, how much more should we be devoted to our living Lord?  Devotion this intense is a rare commodity. However, among the people of God, it ought to be commonplace.  In the Bible, there are many instances of steadfastness.  One is that of Caleb, in Joshua 14:10-12, he persisted by relying on the Lord’s promise and gained his inheritance.  In 2 Sam. 13:11-12, there is the story of a man named Shammah, who stood his ground after everyone else had fled and won a great victory!  Then, there is the Lord Jesus who endured great hardship to the saving of our souls.  Who, when He looked death in the eye set His face like a flint, Isa. 50:7.  There are many other examples that we could name, but the point is clear.  God intends for every one of us that is saved to stand his ground, 1 Cor. 15:58. 

      In verse 27, He tells us to give “no place to the Devil.”  The word place comes from the Greek word “topos”, from which we get our word “topography”.  It refers to “a piece of ground.”  In other words, the Bible instructs us to give the devil no ground in our lives.  God’s plan for us is that we learn to stand our ground instead of giving it up.  I would like to speak to you for a few minutes today on this thought, On Standing Ground.  As I do, let the Lord speak to your heart and determine to stand your ground for Jesus and to reclaim any ground that you may have given up over the years.  Notice three thoughts.

 

  I.                         LETS TALK ABOUT GIVING GROUND

A.  Too many are giving up ground in their lives.  (Ill. 2 Cor. 2:11 – Advantages = beachheads.  A beachhead is a little piece of ground from which the enemy can launch assaults against every other area of our lives.  Ill. The beachhead at Normandy gave the Allies a foothold on the continent of Europe.)  When we allow Satan a foothold, or a beachhead, in our lives, we are giving him ground from which he can attack the family, the church, the community, etc.  We must not give him ground!

B.  We have already given up too much ground in this day.  We have given:

1.  Public Ground – Jesus is not welcomed in the world!  He is not welcomed in the schools, the courts or on the public square.  Many have forgotten the Word of God, Psa. 33:12.

2.  Parental Ground – Many have lost control over their children. Few parents punish their children any more.  They have forgotten what the Bible teaches, Pro. 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13.

3.  Praying Ground – There are no Daniels in our day.  Many are simply too busy, too strained and too carnal to develop an effective prayer life.  Many have forgotten the power of a praying Christian, James 5:16.)

4.  Preaching Ground – Old-fashioned preaching is ridiculed, and relegated to the ash heap of history.  Many have forgotten what God said about it, 1 Cor. 1:21.

      C.  We give up ground through ignorance of:

            1.  Satan – 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet. 5:8; 2 Cor. 11:14; Eph. 6:11-12

2.  Our Savior – Ill. He is the victor, Luke 4:18.  Ill. 1 John 4:4.  He is our greatest resource, and yet we fail to turn to Him to avoid the traps of the devil – Ill. Psa. 63:7.

3.  The Saint’s Standing – Rom. 6:14; John 8:32.  We forget who we are and what we have in the Lord Jesus!

      D.  We Also give up ground through Sin:  (Ill. Eph. 4:26)

            1.  Sin Grieves The Spirit – Eph. 4:30.

2.  Sin Gives Ground To The Devil – Sin allows the devil a foothold from which he can attack your life!  (Ill. Too often, we emphasize 1 John 1:9 over 1 John 2:1 and Romans 6.  Thank God can find forgiveness, but we need to remember that sin does not ever have to happen – 1 Cor. 10:13!)

 

 II.                     LETS TALK ABOUT GAINING GROUND

A.  Surrendered ground can be reclaimed, but it is always costly.  (Ill. Warfare is always costly in men and materials!)

B.  There are just two ways to regain the spiritual ground that has been lost to the enemy.

1.  Repentance – 2 Cor. 10:3-5 – We have to realize that spiritual victory cannot be accomplished using fleshly methods. That is the way of the world and sadly, it has become the trend in the modern church.  What we need to understand is that power comes from doing God’s business God’s way.  We regain spiritual ground when we humble ourselves before the Lord; deal with our sinful condition; and operate within the guidelines of His Word.  (Ill. Acts 17:30) Humble or be humbled, 1 Pet. 5:6!  The choice is ours!

2.  Renewal – Rom. 12:1-2 - The only way to experience spiritual renewal in our lives is for us to rekindle the old flames of passionate love we used to feel for the Lord. Far too often, we are like the people in Ephesus.  We are busy in the things of the Lord, but there is no real passion and deep abiding love for Him, Ill. Eph. 2:1-7. (Ill. David – Psa. 51:10)

C.  Isn’t it time that the church rose up and recovered the ground that we have given to the Devil?  Isn’t it time we won back our families and our churches?  Isn’t it time that we reclaimed the ground that was given to us by the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary? It is time to rise up and show ourselves strong in the Lord for Jesus sake!

 

III.                  LETS TALK ABOUT GUARDING GROUND

A.  I don’t want you to leave here discouraged.  The church is not going down, she is going up!  Yes, we have given up precious ground, but by the grace of God we can reclaim it for Jesus.  We still have much ground that we have not lost to the enemy; we must do everything in our power to see that we guard it with our lives if necessary!

B.  You and I have been set free by the truth, John 8:32!  We will remain free by walking in that truth! (Ill. The Armor of the Christian, Eph. 6:10-18 – The Armor begins and ends with the truth!  It isn’t enough to carry the truth in your hand; it is the truth in your heart that will give you the victory!  Psa. 119:11.)  Ultimately, Truth is a person – The Lord Jesus!  Only a pure, holy and honest relationship with Him can produce lasting victory!  In the end, truth is all we really have and it must be protected from those things that would take it from us.

C.  If we are to reclaim lost ground, and guard the ground we still have, we will have to walk in truth!  (Ill. The Lord’s words to the church at Sardis – Rev. 3:1-6) We must learn to operate in total honesty with God, with the world, with other saints, and with ourselves!  Our lives must be regulated by the truth of God’s Word.  We must know the Word and live the Word.  We must learn to walk in truth by being honest before the Lord about the condition of our hearts.  We must strive to be people of spiritual integrity!  We need to take an honest look at our lives and see whether they are totally surrendered to Jesus or surrendered in name only!

 

Conc:  I really believe that each of us wants to be everything that God has saved us to be.  If we are going to do that, then we must enter into combat with the Devil.  We must attack his strongholds, and take back that which he has taken from you.  I want challenge everyone under the sound of my voice to take back your life today, your family, your home, your children, your personal walk with the Lord and anything else you may have yielded to the Devil.  If you want victory, then God has victory to give, 1 Cor. 15:57.  Will you come and take your stand for Jesus today?