Worldliness
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13
Originally preached July 9, 1961
Scripture
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against …
Sermon Description
When someone mentions “worldliness,” what comes to mind? In this sermon on overcoming worldliness from Ephesians 6:10–13, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps the listener come to a proper understanding of worldliness and how it affects the Christian walk. Worldliness, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is when one allows things that are good in and of themselves to occupy too big of a part in one’s life. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that this happens when the Christian doesn’t allow their walk with Christ to overlap with the other areas of their life. Being a follower of Jesus means following His instruction for every action, thought, and desire one has. How can one prevent falling into the trap of worldliness? First, they must remember that salvation is not just to save one for eternity, but is also to save from sin now and deliver the Christian from the present evil. Second, Christians must be cautious of any hint of sin and run from the scent of it at all costs. At times it can seem like an impossible task but Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that they are called to stand strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Jesus has overcome Satan, and the Christian can do the same because He is alive lives in those who believe in Him.
Sermon Breakdown
- The devil attacks us in the realm of conduct and practice through worldliness.
- Worldliness is allowing legitimate things to have too big a place in our lives and distract us from God.
- We must remember we are strangers in this world and our citizenship is in heaven. We must use the world but not abuse it.
- We defeat worldliness by purifying ourselves and keeping our hope in Christ.
- The devil also attacks through the commission of sin which grieves the Holy Spirit.
- We must confess our sins, believe God forgives us, and continue following Him.
- The "evil day" refers to satanic attacks of unusual force. We must be strong in the Lord to withstand them.
- Christ has already defeated the devil and his forces. Greater is He in us than he in the world.
- We belong to God and the devil cannot touch us. We must stand confident in God's armor.
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.