The role of Christians in building community and restoring the unity of all people is one of the themes of the Epistle.

But, as Michael said, “we are not there yet …..we are called to live against the times and as if the future is already breaking in”. Here in Ephesians 6, we are taught what it means to “live against the time”. Throughout time, there has always been a struggle between good and evil in this world of ours, and the Ephesians passage today teaches about the responsibility of the Christian in that struggle.

We see the struggle between good and evil even in ourselves in the selfishness which inhabits every one of us to a greater or lesser extent, often putting our own selfish interest before the good of others

We see it in the crime and violence which seems endemic to the human race throughout history

We see it in the selfishness of rich nations suffering from obesity when millions in poor nations starve and die

We see it in the fighting between people across the world, throughout history

Some people have difficulty with the concept of evil but as we look across the panoply of history, we cannot fail to see the inhumanity of people.

The reality of the fight between good and evil is also reflected everywhere in our literature and novels

Children’s novels such as Harry Potter focus almost entirely between the battle between good and evil.

Computer games are obsessed with overcoming evil of one kind or another.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is focussed on the fight between good and evil.

Whatever our personal view is of the nature of evil, the Bible takes it very seriously. Psalm 34 which we read this morning, talks about the attitude of God to evil, and you might want to read the whole of that Psalm when you get home.

But despite the evil which we see on this world between the people of Earth, Ephesians 6 makes clear that evil is not just part of the human condition, it is fundamentally part of a cosmic conflict in which each of us has a part. Verse 12 in the passage is crucial to our understanding of what Paul is teaching here. “Our struggle is not against the enemies of flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”.

Paul is clear, that God is opposed by powerful spiritual forces in the cosmic war between good and evil, life and death, light and darkness. This is not a very popular view in our world today. Many deny the reality of spiritual forces of evil. But the history of the human race and the teaching of the Bible present overwhelming evidence of the spiritual reality of evil, as well as good.

So, in Michael’s words “we are called to live against the time” … from the moment in time when through Christ living on earth, the unity of all people was re-established, until the end of time when Christ returns again. During this in-between time, the church is commissioned to live in community and to demonstrate that unity which is to be found only in Christ.

How then are we as Christians to live and stand against evil? St Paul teaches us how in this letter to the gentile Ephesians. His advice is eminently practical – he urges them to “Take up the whole armour of God... so that they may be able to stand firm”. Note the purpose of armour – it is defensive – it is to enable the wearer to survive the battle. The Christian’s responsibility in this battle is to proclaim the Gospel – not to conquer or subdue others with the strength of our arguments or beliefs. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can convince another human being of the reality of God.

The ‘armour’ that Paul identifies for the Ephesian Christians is practical and helpful, and he identifies 6 ‘pieces of armour’ that they can use. Of course we have to understand that the term ‘armour’ is just a picture to help us understand that it enables the Christian to stand firm in the battle of good against evil. It is not about attacking, aggressive warfare. So the armour Paul talks about is gentle and upholds the divine and human qualities that God created in us:

Verse 14: “Fasten the belt of truth round your waist”

Verse 14: “Put on the breastplate of righteousness”

Verse 15: “As shoes... proclaim the Gospel of Peace”

Verse 16: “Take up the shield of faith”

Verse 17: “Take the helmet of salvation”

Verse 17: “Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”

You might want to take the service sheet home with you today and highlight those words and think about one each day this coming week: From verse 14: Truth and Righteousness. From verse 15: Peace. From verse 16: Faith and from verse 17: Salvation and the Word of God.

So, as we struggle with the battle between good and evil, which rages not just in this physical world, but also within spiritual forces, Paul has very practical advice for us a Christians as relevant for us today, as it was when St Paul wrote these words to the Ephesians:

Make sure we tell the truth and live the truth. Let our lives be transparent

Be honest, just, upright and honourable in all our dealings with other people

Proclaim the Gospel of Peace and facilitate peace making amongst those we know

Hold fast to our shield of faith even when it is difficult to do so and trust that God will deliver us from evil

Trust in the deliverance from evil which Christ has enabled for us

Prayerfully take hold of the Word of God each day, for that enables us to hold fast to the truth.

A final piece of practical advice comes in verse 18, when Paul challenges the Ephesians to “Pray in the Spirit at all times”. Michael challenged us last week to be in daily contact with God through prayer, and I can only speak personally when I say I was challenged by that. Perhaps we all were.

During this coming week, let’s take the really practical advice of St Paul in the battle of good against evil. Let’s meditate each day on the armour God has provided for us to stand firm in the faith, in the face of the battle between good and evil. In a world full of fighting, destruction and often hatred; a world full of compromises and indifference; a world full of carelessness to the needs of others, these small daily acts of witness will both have an impact on the world, and enable the goodness demonstrated in our lives to stand against evil.