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Sermon #4213

Discouragement

A Sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13

Originally preached June 11, 1961

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Scripture

Ephesians 6:10-13 ESV KJV
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against …

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Sermon Description

The devil uses multiple tactics in order to discourage God’s people from being useful for kingdom work. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Discouragement,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses how discouragement cripples the life of the Christian and how God has equipped His people to fight against this attack in His word. Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses the difference between self-evaluation and introspection, which is looking to oneself for their worth and value. Dr. Lloyd-Jones combats this by stating that what makes a person a Christian is not anything that they will find within, but simply through the blood of the Savior. Christian assurance can never come from oneself; this will only breed discouragement. The Christian must instead combat their own doubts and discouragement with thankfulness over what Christ has already accomplished. This is a truth that should demand action from the Christian, saturating every aspect of their life and ministry. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents the hope that can be found in the midst of a discouraging world and the friend the Christian has in Jesus; a friend who is no stranger to the hurdles Christian’s face.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. Dr. Lloyd-Jones introduces the topic of discouragement and how the devil uses it to attack Christians.
  2. He says that discouragement is one of the most common attacks that the devil uses and that it manifests itself in many ways.
  3. He outlines several ways the devil uses discouragement to attack:
  4. Temperament: Some people are naturally more prone to discouragement. The devil takes advantage of this.
  5. Introspection and morbidity: Constant self-examination and dwelling on one's faults leads to discouragement. The remedy is remembering justification by faith.
  6. Lack of progress: Comparing oneself to others who seem more advanced or accomplished leads to feelings of discouragement. The remedy is being content with the abilities and opportunities God has given you.
  7. Weariness in well-doing: The daily difficulties of life and lack of visible results from one's efforts lead to discouragement. The remedy is persevering in doing good, knowing God values faithfulness.

  8. The example of Jesus: Jesus endured immense difficulties and discouragement. We should look to his example for perseverance.

  9. Several remedies for discouragement are given:

  10. Remember justification by faith. Our standing before God depends on Christ's work, not our own imperfect works or progress.
  11. Be content with the abilities and opportunities God has given you. Do not compare yourself to others.
  12. Persevere in doing good. God calls us to faithfulness, not visible success. There are eternal rewards.
  13. Look to Jesus' example. He persevered through difficulties and discouragement to accomplish God's will. We should do the same.

  14. Pray for strength and remember God's promises. He will give us strength to persevere. There are eternal rewards for those who do.

  15. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes by encouraging listeners to look to Jesus' example in times of discouragement and weariness. By God's strength, we can persevere as Jesus did.

The Book of Ephesians

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.