May I turn in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 6. I thought putting on the whole armor of God would be a good reminder as we enter into a new year. So we'll study, we'll take up verses 10 to 20 tonight in the book of Ephesians that the Apostle Paul wrote.
It's one of his prison epistles while he was in jail. He was writing letters to the churches to encourage them and to instruct them and to fortify them and to call them on how they were to engage in the good fight. So I'll just pick up reading in Ephesians chapter 6 beginning in verse 10.
First Command: Be Strong in the Lord
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. Amen.
Opening Prayer
Well, let us pray. Father, thank you for this passage of scripture, a familiar passage We pray that the familiarity of it, though, would not cause us to reject what we learn tonight. Help us to receive these things. Help us to act upon these things.
Help us truly to employ the whole armor of God. Again, forgive us for our sins and our transgressions. Cleanse us afresh in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's in His name that we pray.
Amen.
Introduction
Well, in the prayer tonight, I mentioned a man by the name of Jose. Jose went on Thursday, I don't know why he went to the doctor, but he went to the doctor on Thursday and it was discovered that he had a brain tumor. And this brain tumor was of such a nature that they demanded he come in on Friday for surgery. So he had surgery, he came out of surgery.
After several hours, Pastor Barcelo said that he was coming out of ICU this afternoon. One of the fond memories I have of this brother, I've known him for many, many years. We were members of the Palmdale Reformed Baptist Church together. One of the things that we used to do, and I don't want this to sound, you know, cheeky or crazy or anything like this, but on Wednesday nights after prayer meeting, very often we would go play roller hockey.
When I lived in Southern California, I used to play hockey. I moved to Canada, I think two, maybe three times, I've actually played hockey here. But the few of the brothers, we would go. We'd go find a parking lot, a well-lit parking lot, and because we were men with jobs, we would put on equipment.
We would put on the pants and the helmets and all that sort of thing. Probably looked a little bit odd. In fact, one time a little kid asked us, why do you guys wear all that stuff? You look like you're the Canuts.
He didn't say that quite in that way. But why are you putting on all that stuff? And Michael Crawford actually said that. He said, because we have jobs.
We can't afford to get hurt. We can't afford to take a pock in the head or a ball in the head. We can't afford to fall and bruise ourselves so that we cannot go to work. In essence, he was saying, it would be absolute folly to engage in a game of hockey with grown men without first putting on some protective gear.
And I think that's what the Apostle wants us to understand with reference to the Christian life. It is absolute folly to try to live, to try to engage, to try to fight the good fight without putting on the armor. You live in a world where there is an unholy trinity, the world itself, the devil himself, and your own remaining corruption. Should you be able to stand and fight and soldier onward It depends upon your response to these things that God the Lord has provided.
And this is the essence, the sum and substance of what the Apostle wants us to get. In bringing the letter to a close, Paul has some words to encourage believers to increase Vigilance. The Christian life is not one of passivity. The Christian life is not one of let go and let God.
The Christian life is more akin to Cromwell's maxim, pray and keep your powder dry. Use the means that God has ordained to fight manfully onward. We are to responsibly engage the warfare that we are involved in, and that is the mandate that we find in this passage of Scripture. Paul has stated that Christ is in a position of exaltation and has supremacy over all powers.
If you turn back for just a moment to chapter 1, verse 19, Paul's prayer includes that the Ephesians know what is the exceeding greatness of God's power. And the exceeding greatness of God's power is seen in and demonstrated in by Christ's exaltation. His resurrection and then exaltation. Notice in verse 20, which 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 principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to behead over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. He then says in chapter 2, verse 6, that believers, by virtue of gospel blessing, are united to Christ in the heavenly places. 2, 6. And raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. But having said all those things, Paul does not suppose we're not still in the world, we're not still called to combat and to fight the good warfare, fight the good fight.
We saw that last Sunday night, Revelation 12, when the devil is cast out of heaven, where does he direct his rage? Where does he direct his enmity? Where does he direct his malice but upon the church? So we need to understand that the Christian life is not one of skipping and singing our way to heaven, but rather it is one of perseverance, engagement with the enemy, and the necessity to don this whole armor of God and to use those implements that the Lord has given to us for warfare.
Overview of Three Observations
Three observations upon the section. First of all, the commands stated, verses 10 and 11, there are a pair, there are two. Secondly, the reason given, verses 11B and 12, and then thirdly, the armor described in verses 13 to 20. But note first the commands, the plural, two commands stated.
First of all is in verse 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. In order to live the Christian life, we are to be strong, not in ourselves. The text is not calling upon us to do exemplary things.
Rather, it is calling us to be strong in the Lord. The very armament itself described are things like truth, and righteousness, and the gospel of peace, and the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Things that are available to every Christian. He's not talking to a super class of warrior Christians.
He's talking to the rank and file of God's people, and he says that we are to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. A similar command was given to Joshua. He was to be strong in the Lord. In 1 Samuel 30, we see that David strengthened himself in the Lord.
We see that in 1 Corinthians 16.13. We are to act like men, according to the New American Standard. We are to be strong. The old King James has, quit ye, like men.
You need to be men in the Christian life. Strong, brave... I don't mean women have to be men. It's not the point.
The point is you need to be brave and courageous and you need to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Paul, as I've already mentioned in Ephesians 1.19, has highlighted this power of God. He prays that we would know what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of His mighty power. So that is available to believers, that power that God used in raising Christ from the dead and stationing Him at His right hand.
That power is available to the Christian. Now again, not in some super spiritual way, but in the righteous use of the means that the Lord God has given us. We are to be strong in the Lord. John Eady says, soldiers have an invincible courage when they have confidence in the skill and bravery of their leader.
It's a great statement. The strength that we have is not because we're good. The strength that we have is not because we're necessarily courageous. The strength that we have is in the Lord.
Again, let me just read that Edy quote. Soldiers have an invincible courage when they have confidence in the skill and bravery of their leader. So be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Second Command: Put On the Armor
The second command is found in verse 11. Put on the whole armor of God. What Paul is going to describe needs to be put on. It needs to be placed on.
Perhaps you've seen those signs they sell at the cheesy Christian bookstores where it's a picture of a guy wearing this armament. I know when I first got converted, my brother-in-law had a picture like that in the bathroom. It was kind of a visual reminder of Ephesians 6, 10 to 20. Again, this isn't something you open up your closet and you find these items and then you put them on.
He's talking about spiritual truth. He's talking about realities in the unseen realm. But what he does say is absolutely crucial for us to get our minds around. Put on the whole armor of God.
We are to do this. There is a responsibility. There is engagement. The believer is not to retreat from battle.
He is not to escape from battle. He's not to take a hiatus, but rather he is to fight as the Lord his God has called him to.
Purpose: To Stand Against the Devil
And then notice the purpose here. Put on the whole armor of God. that you may be able to stand. That's the point of this armor. To stand.
Several years ago, one of the members of our church and I went and saw one of these guys who had a ministry of casting out demons. It felt like being at a big commercial. They were selling DVDs, they were selling video cassettes. He would talk for, you know, 10 or 15 minutes and then wander over to the table and say, here's my spiritual warfare kit.
You buy this kit, you'll be ready to deal with the demons of the day. You know, feasibly, this took place in a rented ballroom or a conference room at a pretty well-to-do hotel room. And the premise was that people that were demon-possessed would come here and then this master, this great guy, would have these demons manifest and then he would cast them out. Again, it was just ridiculous.
It was just crazy. Notice what Paul does not say. You need to go around and cast out the demons of every bad thing that's ever been. Paul does not say you need to understand the intricacies of spiritual warfare so much so that you've got a sixth sense, that you're able to spot, you're able to detect, and you're able to rightly cast out every demon.
No, the idea is you need to be able to stand. That's it. Spiritual warfare in the scripture is a whole lot easier than what this guy was peddling. What does James say?
What does Peter say with reference to our battle with the devil? Resist him! and he will flee from you. We're not to chase him down. We're not to wear shiny helmets.
We're not to look under every bush. We are simply to put on this whole armor of God. So whether we're at home, whether we're in our workplace, whether we're in our recreation, or we're in the church itself, we're able to stand against the wiles of the devil. And that's the reason, secondly, the reason given in verses 11, B, and 12.
The Wiles of the Devil
We are to put on, we are to don, we are to place upon us this whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Notice this is plural. He has a multitude of schemes that he employs. He can't get you with absolute licentiousness. and base carnality, he will get you with a self-righteousness and a perceived godliness that is contrary to the gospel of free and sovereign grace.
He can't get you to smoke crack. He may get you to look down upon other believers and think that somehow you're better than they are. He has a whole host of schemes, a whole host of wiles, a whole host of things that He will launch at you. Now, I do not believe the devil is omnipotent.
That means all-powerful. I do not believe that he has absolute sovereignty. I do believe that he probably sees the chink in some of our armor and he knows how to shoot those arrows at those particular chinks. This is why Paul tells us we need to put on this whole armor of God so that we may stand against the wiles of the devil.
The passage is not calling us to consider the intricacies of spiritual warfare or the manner in which we cast out demons. The emphasis of the text is clear. When the onslaught comes, you are to stand. You are to stand, not to buckle, not to fold, not to submit, not to engage, and not to bow down to this foe.
In Ephesians 4, 27, the Apostle Paul tells us were not to let the sun go down on our wrath, nor give place to the devil. In 2 Corinthians 2, verse 11, the Apostle Paul says, lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices. Though he is bound on the national scale, Revelation 20 tells us that he is bound so that he may not deceive the nations any longer. Nevertheless, he is on the leash of God Almighty and he is a real enemy, a real foe, according to 1 Peter 5.18.
He roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. You need to be conscious of this reality, you need to take heed to what the Apostle is saying, and you need to realize that we need to put on this whole armor of God that we can stand against the wiles of the devil. Notice in verse 12, he develops this thought. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The Apostle does not say this in order to paralyze us with fear, but rather to stir up diligence. The primary emphasis of the passage are the unseen forces. Now they manifest themselves through Planned Parenthood. They manifest themselves in the abortion clinics.
They manifest themselves to godless magistrates. They manifest themselves in Newtown, Connecticut. They manifest themselves in wickedness and abject evil. But the behind-the-scenes cause is the devil, these principalities and powers, just like we saw in Revelation 12.
John paints the picture of the dragon poised at the feet of the woman, ready to catch the baby as soon as it comes forth from the womb. How is that manifested but in Herod's decree to execute these innocent babies? How is that manifested but in Adeliah's attempt to destroy Jehoash? It is unseen forces that move the seen forces, and the Christian needs to take these things to heart.
We need to take these things seriously. Again, he doesn't say this to paralyze us with fear, but rather to stir up vigilance. Calvin says he describes our enemy as formidable. not to overwhelm us with fear, but to quicken our diligence and earnestness. By speaking of the power of the enemy, Paul labors to keep us more alert.
And this is a necessary emphasis in cushy, comfortable North America. I'm sure this text would be a lot more applicable to us if we lived in North Korea, if we lived in Saudi Arabia, if we lived in Nigeria, if instead of a nice meal on December 24th, our church was bombed with us in it. then we probably would have no struggle whatsoever with comprehending what the Apostle is getting to in this passage. So perhaps one of the most difficult things is to convince North American Christians that we really are engaged in a warfare. that we really are engaged in a struggle, in a wrestling match. The word used means to struggle or wrestle.
It refers particularly to a hand-to-hand fight. It is a fight to the finish and Paul says this in order to stir up diligence.
The Armor Described
Now note thirdly the various items with reference to the armor. There are five defensive elements and one offensive element. And I think Calvin is right. He says, now follows a description of the arms which they were enjoined to wear.
We must not, however, inquire very minutely into the meaning of each word, for an allusion to military customs is all that was intended. We don't press each of the metaphors to the place of lunacy. We simply see that the Apostle, probably in mind the Roman soldiers who the Ephesians would have seen on a daily basis, Paul says the way that man is fit for warfare is the way that the Christian man must be fit for warfare. The command is reiterated, verse 13, therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand." The evil day, defense on the day that you are assaulted.
Be ready for this all the time. Be ready for this each and every day. Be ready for this in the Lord's house. Be ready for this in your kitchen.
Be ready for this in your employment. Be ready for this at Walmart. Be ready for this at a slow traffic jam. Be ready for this.
Be ready.
The Belt of Truth
Note first, by way of the defensive elements, the belt of truth. Stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth. This is an image that ought to suggest readiness, an image that ought to suggest power, stability. A lot of emphasis today on core training.
Policemen wear big belts loaded with lots of things. Batman had a big belt loaded with lots of things. The belt is absolutely crucial in terms of the soldiers, warfare, and armament. And specifically what is highlighted here is truth.
May I just say, dear Christian brothers and sisters, truth is your best friend. Truth is everything. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. The psalmist refers to God as the Lord God of truth.
In a day and age of darkness, in a day and age of deception, in a day and age where the devil traffics through deception, truth is the best thing you can have. Truth is crucial. Truth centers us. Truth keeps us.
Truth balances us. Truth fortifies us. There's no something to be surprised with here, having Paul say, having girded your waist with truth. Truth is crucial.
I mentioned this morning we live in an anti-theology age. There's a video clip going around of a man named Mark Beeson. And he's basically picking on people who want theology. I mean, he's characterizing them, or caricature, there's a caricature that he is doing of that.
People that want deep theology are just people that want deep theology. Couldn't possibly be we want deep theology so it'll affect us in the way that we live. Couldn't possibly be the case that that theology that God, not even deep theology, theology affects us in our lives. This man actually has the gall to imitate a baby.
He sits down in a high chair and he whines. He is personifying people who want theology. They're like whiners at the table saying, feed me, feed me. It's embarrassing.
Absolutely embarrassing. I have personally heard of churches. The man has said, if you are saved and once you've been saved, this church is no longer for you. All we exist for is to get people saved.
What happened to the Great Commission? There's two elements to the Great Commission. Make disciples and teach disciples. It sounds pious, it sounds noble, it sounds holy, it sounds evangelistic, and it sounds pure.
To say, we just want sinners saved. But it is to go against the Lord's command in Matthew 28. Baptize them and teach them to observe all things that I have commanded. We live in an anti-theology age.
And we need to be mindful of that. Believers Perhaps, like no other time, ought to gird themselves with the ways, or gird their ways with truth." I didn't say like no other times, it's been that way all along. We just have YouTube now to show us these kinds of people. They were there probably in the 3rd and 4th century, whining like babies, sitting in high chairs, they just didn't have YouTube to show everybody their falling.
Truth is your friend.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
Secondly, the breastplate of righteousness, having put on the breastplate of righteousness." John Gill has a good statement here. In allusion to Isaiah 59, 17, which we read the outset of worship, meaning not works of righteousness done by men, though these are offense when rightly used against the reproaches and charges of the enemy, as they were by Samuel, but rather the graces of faith and love, though faith has another place in the Christian armor afterwards mentioned. Wherefore, it seems best to understand this of the righteousness of Christ, which being imputed by God and received by faith, is a guard against and repels the accusations and charges of Satan and is a security from all wrath and condemnation. What do you do when the devil accuses?
What do you do when the devil charges? You say with Paul in Romans 8, it is Christ who has died and Christ has risen. That's the breastplate of righteousness. It is the imputed righteousness of Christ received by faith alone.
Stand in that. do battle from that vantage point. Have your breastplate of righteousness nearby, always on you, always reflecting upon the justifying grace of God Most High in that blessed gospel of peace, which he now indicates in the third place. And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Again, things that we take for granted.
Boots are crucial in warfare. Footwear is crucial in warfare. I think the last time I preached this passage, I indicated how in the Vietnam War, it was jungle rot to the soldiers' feet that more often than not incapacitated them. They had boots, and as they went through the various water patches, their feet would be wet and they'd begin to rot.
You want good boots. You want good footwear. You want to be shod with the gospel of peace. How do we stand against the devil apart from Christ and Him crucified?
How do we stand against his wiles in our own strength? We need the rock-solid foundation of Christ's blood, of Christ's active and passive obedience, the readiness or preparedness for combat and for standing in the battle that is bestowed by the gospel of peace. If we are to stand in the spiritual battle, it necessarily follows that we stand upon that rock-solid foundation which is Christ, His blood, His righteousness.
The Shield of Faith
Fourthly, the shield of faith. Now I know the way the New King James renders it, it almost makes it sound like it is the most important. As it says in verse 16, above all, taking the shield of faith. I don't believe the Greek suggests that.
I believe that it is one of the five. It's not the most important. Notice, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. It's faith.
Again, faith in the Redeemer. Faith in the promises of God. Faith in Romans 8.28. Faith in the reality that the Lord is with His people.
Faith in everything Scripture says concerning God's power, God's sovereignty, God's ability, God's goodness, God's kindness, God's love, God's mercy. Everything the Scripture says concerning the Spirit. We have the Spirit of God in us, greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. We need this faith, this shield of faith, by which we'll be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Charles Hodge says it this way. He says, as burning arrows not only pierced, but set on fire what they pierced, they were doubly dangerous. I mean, it's one thing just to shoot an arrow at somebody. That'll do the job if you hit them in the right spot.
It's particularly nasty to light that arrow on fire. I mean, not only will you get killed through the pierce of the arrow, but you'll burn up too. See, that's how your adversary, the devil, works. He wants victory.
He doesn't play games. He's going to launch an arrow at you. He's going to dip it in something, set it on fire, and try to blow you up. Hodge goes on.
They serve here, therefore, as the symbol of the fierce onslaughts of Satan. He showers arrows of fire on the soul of the believer who, if unprotected by the shield of faith, would soon perish. He says it is a common experience of the people of God that at times horrible thoughts, unholy blasphemous, skeptical, malignant thoughts crowd upon the mind, which cannot be accounted for on any ordinary law of mental action, and which cannot be dislodged." Has that ever happened to you? You get a thought, you get an idea, you're wondering, where did that come from?
I mean, all things being equal, as wretched a man as I am, I don't usually try and entertain thoughts like that. Well, Hodge says, these are the fiery darts of the devil. He goes on, they stick like burning arrows and fill the soul with agony. They can be quenched only by faith, by calling on Christ for help.
These, however, are not the only kind of fiery darts, nor are they the most dangerous. There are others which enkindle passion, inflame ambition, excite cupidity, pride, discontent or vanity, producing a flame which our deceitful heart is not so prompt to extinguish and which is often allowed to burn until it produces great injury or even destruction. He says against these most dangerous weapons of the evil one, the only protection is faith. It is only by looking to Christ and earnestly invoking His interposition on our behalf that we can resist these assaults which inflame without the warning of pain." You see, that is the common denominator in each of these elements.
It's Christ. Right? Notice he doesn't say, put on the whole armor of God, read your Bible. Now, you should read your Bible.
Put on the whole armor of God. Go to church. You should go to church. In fact, if you read your Bible, you go to church, you pray, you use the means that God has ordained.
That's how you put on this armor of God. But each of these elements serve to direct our attention to the master, to the leader, to the captain. How do we fight against the wiles of the devil? Jesus, keep me near the cross, ought to be our earnest plea.
The Helmet of Salvation
The fifth element of defensive equipment is the helmet of salvation. And take the helmet of salvation, Paul says in verse 17. Again, Gil. And such a hope of salvation by Christ is a defense of the head against false doctrines.
For the helmet is a piece of armor for the head, and it is an erector of the head in times of difficulty, affliction, and distress. And it covers the head in the day of battle when engaged with Satan. the enemy of souls. We need to take that helmet of salvation. Every part, every vital area of our person is covered.
It is in this state, it is in this state alone that we're able to stand in the day of trouble. That is what the Apostle enjoins in terms of the defensive elements. We ought to make much of truth, of righteousness, of the gospel of peace, of faith, of salvation.
The Sword of the Spirit
And then notice, finally, the offensive element of the armament. Verse 17b, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. So you've got this well-rounded soldier now. He's got his helmet, he's got his breastplate, he's got his belt, he's got his boots on.
Now he's got this sword of the Spirit. He's got the Word of God. That's how you fight, that's how you engage, that's how you wage the good warfare. The short sword, which was crucial to the Roman soldier for close combat, is what is in view here.
Paul says, take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. when we see Jesus in the wilderness. This is the offensive weapon that he takes out to use against the devil when he is being tempted. Again, John Eady says, the captain of salvation set the example and once and again and a third time did he repel the assault of the Prince of Darkness by three brief and simple citations from Scripture. It is written, it is written It is written, the devil fled and the angels attend to our dear Lord.
E.D. says, diplomacy and argument, truths and armistice are of no avail. The keen, bright sword of the Spirit must be unsheathed and lifted. That's a great image. How are you going to go into tomorrow?
Are you going to go play hockey without gear? You're going to march into combat without arms? You see what Paul teaches us here in Ephesians 6, 10 to 20, really is a no-brainer. Of course the God who justifies us freely by His grace and has given us all things necessary in terms of faith and practice, that God calls us to fight in a very specific way.
We are to be Christians. We are to put on the whole armor of God. We are to have that sword of the Spirit. We are to know the Scripture.
We are to appropriate it. We are to want theology. We're to want deep theology. Sometimes I think for these guys, deep theology is anything beyond a simple Scripture verse.
We ought to want to know the things of God. It's our best defense in the day of trouble. If we don't know it, we're going to be easy prey. We'll be picked off, we'll be mowed down, we'll be rolled over upon.
If you are watching a soldier march into battle and he forgot a piece of his equipment, you'd want to yell at him. In most military situations, there's an inspection prior to engagement. Somebody's paid a little bit more money, who has a more keen and trained eye to scrutinize the soldiers to make sure their boots are on, to make sure their belts are there, to make sure the breastplate is there, to make sure they've got the helmet on, to make sure everything is locked, stocked, and ready so that they may march into battle. You know, brethren, we ought to take these things seriously.
We ought to engage the battle in the way that God the Lord has called us to. Yes, the Scripture, and then He underscores all of this with prayer. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Before the soldier marches into battle, he checks with headquarters.
Before the soldier marches into battle, he gets a briefing. Before the soldier marches into battle, he checks with somebody who knows a little bit more than he does. He's not the cock of the walk and the proud arrogant wretch that thinks he's got it all down. No, beware.
Beware. Check with headquarters. Pray to the Lord. Make sure the armament's in place.
Understand theology. Understand the scripture. Know the Bible. Know the truth.
Know that which has not only set you free, but will keep you free. That's the emphasis of the apostle in this section of scripture.
Application
There is, in conclusion, a necessity to stand. Stand in the Lord. Realize it is the Lord's battle. Paul says at the end of his life, in 2 Timothy chapter 4, he has fought the good fight.
It is a good fight because it is Christ's fight. We need to understand that. We need to understand that the captain of our salvation will not send us to our death. The captain of our salvation will supply us all things necessary for faith and practice and will send us in the battle to win.
Christ isn't in this for us to lose. He's not this sick-minded captain that sends us to our slaughter. Christ wants us to engage the warfare in a Christian manner using these defensive and offensive elements so that we may indeed stand in the evil day. We need to realize, secondly, that spiritual warfare is a reality.
Now this unfortunately, as I mentioned before with the illustration of the man at the hotel, this can be overdone, this can be sensationalized. This can be capitalized upon. You know, I went to this conference on five easy steps on how to cast out Beelzebub. That's not what Paul wants from his people or from his readers.
He wants us to don this weaponry with the realization that we are in hand-to-hand combat with unseen forces. Yes, they manifest themselves through seen forces, but the ultimate evil behind is that father of lies, the devil himself. We need to understand this. We need to realize this, and we need to employ the means that God himself has given to us in his word.
Truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, the word, and prayer. All of those things direct us back to a consideration of the captain himself. Apart from him, we will not stand. If we try to do it in our own strength, if we try to ground ourselves in our own merit, if we try to stand fast because of what we are, or who we are, or what we've done, or past successes, we will be bowed over.
We need to be looking unto Christ. I know tonight that I have quoted several men several times, but permit me one last quote. Thomas Brooks on the importance of truth. Have you not found truth sweetening your spirits, and cheering your spirits, and warming your spirits, and raising your spirits, and corroborating your spirits?
If you haven't, this is in Brooks, this is Butler, may I say, read, study, learn, memorize, get this truth in you. because it has that power to sweeten, to cheer, to warm, to raise, to corroborate. He says, have you not found truth, a guide to lead you, a staff to uphold you, a cordial to strengthen you, and a plaster to heal you? And will you not hold fast the truth? Has not truth been your best friend in your worst days?
Has not truth stood by you when friends have forsaken you? Has not truth done more for you than all the world could do against you? And will you not hold fast the truth? Is not truth your right eye, without which you cannot see for Christ, and your right hand, without which you cannot do for Christ? and your right foot, without which you cannot walk with Christ?
And will you not hold fast to the truth? Hold fast the truth in your judgments and understandings, in your wills and affections, in your profession and conversation. You are better let go anything than truth. You are better let go your honors and riches, your friends and pleasures, and the world's favors, yea, your nearest and dearest relations, yes, your very lives, than to let go truth.
Oh, keep the truth, and truth will make you safe and happy forever. Blessed are those souls that are kept by truth. If I drop dead tonight, that's the last thing I want you to remember. Love the scriptures.
That's it. The Scriptures are your friend. The Scriptures are your guide. The Scriptures are your protection.
Take that whole armor of God, all those defensive elements that direct us to Christ. Take that sword of the Spirit, praying always. And it is in that frame, it is with that armament that you will be able to stand. in the day of evil. If you have not come to Christ, if you do not know the Savior, if you do not believe on the Lord Jesus, you will not stand on the day of evil.
You will willingly submit every day to the evil one. Jesus said to the Pharisees of his day, you are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. It's a horrific place to be subject to Satan, to be subject to sin, to be in bondage, to be in this slavery. There is one hope of salvation, one hope of release, one hope of redemption.
The truth shall make you free, the Son shall make you free. It is the truth of Christ and Him crucified. Believe on Him. and then take up this armament, then fight like men and be strong in the Lord.
Closing Prayer
Well, let us pray. Father, we thank you for your word and we thank you for this practical counsel from our dear brother Paul. We ask that you would help us to take these things seriously, help us to value these elements, help us to put them on each and every day. and to stand and to be strong in the Lord. I pray that you would go with each and every one of us now, that you would fill us all with your Spirit, and that you would give us grace to take seriously the Word of God.
And we pray in Jesus' name, Amen. We'll close with a brief time of meditation.