Internal Affairs in the Army of Light Eph. 5:21– 6:9

In order to conquer the darkness, the army of light must maintain proper internal affairs.

Introduction This passage, which deals with our closest

relationships, is in the middle of the whole concept of “warfare with darkness”.

In the previous passages, we are told to separate from and expose darkness as we live in the light. In the passage after this one, we are told how to fight the battle against the forces of spiritual darkness.

It is important for this army of light to have good internal relationships so that we can conquer the darkness of this world.

I. Internal Affairs Asks for Mutual Submission to accomplish the task. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for

Christ. 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. . . .25 Husbands, love your wives, Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. . . 6: 5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters

The whole passage seems to speak of submitting to one another. This flies in the face of the “me first” “grab the gusto” philosophy of our day.

“Grab the Gusto” is the philosophy of darkness. That is what we are conquering. “Give Him Praise” is our philosophy.

“Me First” is the philosophy of darkness. “Jesus & Others First” (God & Country) (Luther & Zwingli) (Dawson Trotman)

Submission is always the way to ascend: Psalm 24:4: 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity. . . Uzziah II Chr. 26:16; Hezekiah 32:25,: were “lifted up” to vain pride.

II. Internal Affairs Places the First Responsibility on the Wives. 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the

Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Ladies, if you can’t get your part down, we might as well throw in the towel on the whole Army of Light. Wherever the gospel has gone, women have had significant roles.

All N.T. passages speak to wives first. Therefore, it is far more than a saying: “behind every great man, there is an even greater woman.”

Which comes first? The Chick or the Egghead? The Chick, of course.

The “helper who is sufficient” (help-meet) can either make it or break it. Ladies, this army is going nowhere without you. You choose.

Eve is your bad example. Sarah is your good example. “Doing right” is your friend. “Giving in to fear” is your enemy. I Pet. 3:1-7

I Peter 3: 1 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

III. Internal Affairs Places the Heaviest Responsibility on Husbands & Fathers25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and

gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

The command “to love” seems strange. Is “love” something you can “perform as a duty”? Evidently so. Well, then, what does performing this duty look like: 1. give yourself up for her 2. make her clean and holy through “the word” 3. make her radiant * 4. feed and care for her.

Adam had to give only a part of himself to get a bride. Jesus, however, gave all of himself. Jesus, the second and perfect Adam is our example in marriage, not the first Adam. The patience Jesus showed to His 12 “Duh” ciples, and to us, is the patience men should show to their wives. We learn to be successful at this by being failures at this. We hurt the worst when we hurt our wives.

*1741 ἔνδοξος [endoxos /en·dox·os/] adj. From 1722 and 1391; TDNT 2:254; TDNTA 178; GK 1902; Four occurrences; AV translates as “glorious” twice, “gorgeously” once, and “honourable” once. 1 held in good or in great esteem, of high repute. 1a illustrious, honourable, esteemed. 1b notable, glorious. 1c splendid. 1c1 of clothing. 1c2 fig., free from sins.

Although this is a reference to the church, we can apply it to wives. Just as Christ defends the honor of his body, so men do their wives.

6:4 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

This “exasperating” of children was very common in that day. Life was not guided by the principles of Christ’s love. “Forcing” kids to become what they are not fitted for was the chief means of “exasperation”. Simply training them and instructing them in the things of God, and then letting God guide their lives to become what He has gifted them for, is the basic command being given here.’

The army of light is best served by children who are allowed to become their best in Christ.

IV. Internal Affairs in the Army of Light Encourages Children to be Obedient 6     Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for

this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

The modern version would read: “parents obey your children so that you don’t damage their self esteem.” The more our society enforces this idea, the more destruction we experience.

Hear the Word of the Lord, dear young people:

Hebrews 12: 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Belief system of a Christian young person: God knew I needed these particular parents. My parents are not perfect, but for me, they are

God’s perfect plan. My parents may or may not be rich with money,

but they are rich with the things I really need—and God saw to it that I was placed in their home.

God’s Word tells me this truth: My earthly Father disciplines me “as he thinks best” for a “short while” and I therefore will give “reverence”;

My consolation is this: “My Heavenly Father disciplines me only for my ultimate good, for the rest of my life, and I show my true reverence for Him by yielding to my parents for this short while.”

My consolation is also this: “no discipline seems pleasant, but grievous”. I know that no matter how I am disciplined, it will not be pleasant—it is not supposed to be.

My consolation is this: Even though discipline is not pleasant, I know that it will yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness in my life.

My consolation is this: If I yield to my parents disciplines, and do not become bitter, but “lift up the hands that hang down and make level paths for my feet” I will be healed from all “lame nesses” and not “turned out of the way” of life.

V. Internal Affairs Requires Honesty, Hard Work, and Mutual Respect in the Workplace5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

The Motive for hard work is the fact that everything we do is really for the Lord. Whatever good we do, we shall receive a reward for from the Lord.

Workers who work as if they were working for Jesus are extremely hard to find these days.

Every employer who is a Christian must also treat the employee as if that employee were Christ.

Be honest, and pay as well as the profits will allow. You are paying Jesus.

Productivity abounds when these kinds of relationships exist in the work place. And the Army of Light moves forward.

Questions about Internal Affairs Wives, are you self-ish, or self-less in your consideration and respect of your husband?

Husbands and fathers, are you “doing your duties” with regard to your wife and children? do you show love? do you seek to bring purity into the

home? do you nourish, feed, and bring radiance to your wife?

do you exasperate your children by forcing them to be something for which they are not gifted?

Children do you obey your parents? Do you feel good about yourself because you do right?

Employers and Employees are you treating each other as if the other were Christ?

Trust and Obey (320) (f)When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us Still

And with all who will trust and Obey! (chorus)

Not a burden we bear, Not a sorrow we share

But our toil He does richly repay

Not a grief nor a lose, Not a frown nor a cross

But is blest if we trust and obey (chorus)

Perhaps your “internal affairs” have not been up to par. Pray with me:

Dear Father, Thank you for putting me in the Army of Light. Help me to be subordinate to you, the Captain of my soul. Please forgive me for not submitting myself to others. Please forgive me for creating a drag on this Army from achieving your objectives. By Your grace and mercy, I will obey your directions for internal affairs in this Army of Light, through Jesus, Amen.

If you have a need, come as we singBut we never can prove the delights of His love

until all on the altar we lay,

For the favor He shows and the joy He bestows

Are for them who will trust and obey (chorus)

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way

What He says we will do,

Where He sends we will go

Never fear, only trust and obey (chorus)