Feeling Defeated?

Ephesians 1:15-23, Ephesians 3:20-21

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Defeated. Sometimes when people talk about the church and the state of Christianity in our world today, they can seem kind of defeated. I have felt that way some, and sometimes I’ve felt myself being a bit discouraged and down. But when you read through God’s Word and read through today, I’m thinking especially of Paul’s letter that he wrote to the Christians in the city of Ephesus. There are some words there that are anything but the sound of defeat. Let me read for you a section. It’s Ephesians chapter one, verses 15 to 23. It says

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:15-23)

That is a powerful section, and I encourage you to go back and read it when you get a chance. Read it again, because there it talks about this power, this beauty. God’s prayer for us through Paul here is that we might have our eyes open to see that there’s this power in this beauty that is working. Christ has been seated at the right hand of the father, not a physical position, but a position of power and authority. And he is ruling all things right now for the good of the church.

But I know sometimes it doesn’t feel that way or it doesn’t look that way, but when it does feel that maybe we are defeated, remember these words and then think about who it is that’s ruling. It’s Christ. Christ did his greatest work through dying on a cross and rising again. Where we meet God, where we experience God’s grace is when we realize our sin and our need for our Savior. And we are comforted by the fact that Jesus died for your sins and mine, and rose again.

Now, if his greatest work was done through death and resurrection, if the Gospel meets us when we realize our need for him, doesn’t it make sense, then, that as he works in this world, that he’s going to work in a way that sometimes feels like death and resurrection? Cross and an empty tomb? If the one ruling is our risen Savior, then the way he works in this world is sometimes going to look like the path to a cross, to a tomb, to an empty grave.

It might not look like victory. The cross didn’t look like victory, but oh, it was. The one who won victory via a cross is the one who is carrying out his plan today. Do not underestimate what he is doing. Check out Ephesians chapter three, verses 20 to 21. They say this

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

You might have a hard time seeing his work, his victory around us, but he is able to do immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine. Do not underestimate the victory, the work, what he is doing right now, today.