1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,880 Welcome to the River City Church podcast and a message by our 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:07,960 lead pastor, Jason Powers. Our prayer is that this message 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:12,240 would inspire and encourage you, build your faith and point you 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:14,840 to the life changing love of Jesus. 5 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,680 May you enjoy the goodness of God as you follow Him today. 6 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:24,960 Good morning. Like 3 months to get to today. 7 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:32,200 We got two more in a series in Ephesians, and I stand with 8 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,640 really mixed emotions over a part of it is the joy of like, 9 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,920 I've done my part after today. I've done my part in this 10 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,160 series. But there's also sorrow in that 11 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:43,320 because it's a privilege. And I just want to say thank you 12 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,680 to Pastor Jason and the team for allowing me to walk in this 13 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:48,360 space with them. And thank you to you for 14 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,480 receiving God's work through me as I try to open the Scriptures. 15 00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:54,400 And that's what we're going to do this morning. 16 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:59,080 So if you were hearing in the NLT there a final word finally, 17 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,680 but you know, we're going to drag that over 2 weeks because 18 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:05,319 that's what we're going to do before we open up to the 19 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:06,680 Scripture there. We're going to say our 20 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,720 confession together. It's so important that we do 21 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,440 this regularly because as we say it, we remind ourselves and 22 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,200 those around us of the kind of community that we are. 23 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,720 We are a community that is on the way. 24 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,960 We are moving towards the wholeness that God intends for 25 00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:26,520 us. And there are days when we see 26 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,680 more of it and days where we stub our toes against the old 27 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:34,960 self again, right? And So what we believe is this 2 28 00:01:34,960 --> 00:01:40,120 fold idea that I still have a fight with the old self and it 29 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:45,480 still has expression. And Despite that, I am beloved 30 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,880 to the God who made all people and all things. 31 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,240 And so we say this together. We are badly broken. 32 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:56,080 We are deeply loved. Yes, we are. 33 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:02,720 I don't know if it's because I'm British born that we've had such 34 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,920 a weight of British authors show up throughout the series. 35 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,440 Maybe, maybe they're just really good writers. 36 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,360 And, you know, we just like what they say. 37 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,760 But as we come to this text today, we're talking about 38 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,320 spiritual warfare. And some of you have been like, 39 00:02:17,640 --> 00:02:20,320 let's go. I am ready for this. 40 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:21,960 I've been waiting for this moment. 41 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:24,760 And some of you are like, oh, no, it's finally going to get 42 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,160 weird. I'm possibly going to disappoint 43 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,000 everybody in the house today. We'll see. 44 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,520 But I like how Lewis writes in the introduction to his book, 45 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:37,720 the Screw Tape Letters. He says there are two equal and 46 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,760 opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. 47 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:47,840 One is to disbelieve in their existence, the other is to 48 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:54,000 believe and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. 49 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,600 They, the devils themselves, are equally pleased by both errors 50 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:05,440 and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight. 51 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,600 Which one do you tend towards? Do you tend more towards the 52 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:17,560 materialist view that sort of considers any spiritual force 53 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,160 language, spiritual warfare language to be archaic and that 54 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:23,440 we've explained it all with science, thank you very much. 55 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,920 In psychology? Or do you learn more towards the 56 00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:32,240 magical view of life? Which one is your go to? 57 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:34,920 We all probably have a preference. 58 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:39,880 What Lewis is saying is to camp in those spaces, either of them, 59 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:44,080 is to fall into the very trap we should be aware of and moving 60 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,280 away from. So one thing we must do as a 61 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:51,160 people is face the reality of evil. 62 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:57,000 We need a worldview that makes room for and takes seriously the 63 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:01,840 reality of evil. Sometimes our news feeds make 64 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,120 that painfully clear for us. Other times we just go about our 65 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,240 day and we get our stuff from HEB and we just kind of carry on 66 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,840 and there is no evil. Evil's been dealt with. 67 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,400 The March of humanity and progress has dealt with all of 68 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,200 these things. Then it spikes again and 69 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:18,920 something terrible happens in the world and we ask why? 70 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,080 Where did this come from? Our Western world view is 71 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:27,080 frequently challenged by these things, but global Christians 72 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:31,440 and the majority of historical Christianity assume the 73 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:36,520 existence of actual personal, strategic and intelligent agents 74 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,520 of evil. So the main goal this is 75 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:44,280 important to think about. The main goal of the devil and 76 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:49,080 rebellious spiritual forces isn't to scare you on Halloween. 77 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,680 It's not even necessarily to garner your worship. 78 00:04:54,520 --> 00:05:00,080 The 1st and ultimate goal is simply to turn you away from the 79 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:05,880 love of God. In the Congo, this might look 80 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:11,760 like external manifestations of power to control and coerce 81 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:16,360 people in your life. It might look like, you know, 82 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:21,120 $1000 of glass and metal to sit in your front right pocket to 83 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:27,360 distract and numb you. So this week, the goal of this 84 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:32,360 message is really to bring clarity and readiness. 85 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,640 And next week, as we actually, for reals, I promise, finish 86 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:41,280 Ephesians, we'll get into what the fight really is. 87 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:47,480 So we're going to have our text open here to Ephesians 6 verses 88 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:49,800 10 through 17. I'm going to forewarn you. 89 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,680 There's also going to be references out of Isaiah today 90 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:56,880 and possibly a quick dip into Romans, depending on how well I 91 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:02,880 manage my time together here. So Lord, you were the one who 92 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:09,520 inspired your word through those who transcribed this down for us 93 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,440 in a culture and a context that was different from ours in many 94 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:17,000 ways, but also was people like us. 95 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:21,880 And you can speak to us today across millennia to bring your 96 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:26,040 word to bear on our lives. May we see you, Jesus. 97 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:30,160 The whole heart of this series has been to have an apocalypse 98 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,120 of our eyes to open and see you more, Jesus. 99 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,360 So may we see you and your goodness and your glory and your 100 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:40,160 power and your might, and may our own lives be reframed in 101 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,920 light of who you are and what you have done and are doing. 102 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,480 And Father, may you receive all the glory. 103 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:48,440 We ask this in your name, Jesus, Amen. 104 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:57,520 This is where we start. Every day is a fight and there 105 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:03,840 is no neutral ground. Every day is a fight and there 106 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:08,680 is no neutral ground. That's a really stark statement. 107 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,560 It's kind of binary or dualistic, and our culture will 108 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:14,840 press against those things so hard. 109 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:19,960 What I'm saying is there's not a single day you wake up in this 110 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,760 age when you're not in contested territory. 111 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:28,160 And there are two options. You're either walking in God's 112 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,880 Kingdom or you're walking opposed to God's Kingdom. 113 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,520 And that opposed to God's Kingdom takes many, many forms, 114 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,560 but it's really as clean and as simple as that. 115 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:43,520 Now, culturally, if we step back and start following just the 116 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:47,200 stories we've been telling for the last few decades, we've 117 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:51,960 adopted more of a kind of blended, weird, grey, murky 118 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:54,800 morality and understanding of things. 119 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:59,680 The rise of the antihero, right? The the, the kind of, well, we 120 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:01,880 got a superhero, but they're kind of messed up and we're not 121 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:03,800 sure if we should be cheering for them. 122 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,320 And we're not really even sure if there's a redemptive arc to 123 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:08,240 the plot. But boy, was that a good film. 124 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:11,240 And we should probably give it some awards because it speaks to 125 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,240 our cultural moment of confusion. 126 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,560 Author Mark Sayers, who I've referenced before in his book A 127 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,960 non Anxious Presence, talks about this Gray zone where we're 128 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:23,240 just unclear about what is happening and what's right and 129 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:25,520 what's wrong. And it's, it's very, very 130 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:29,920 confusing. That's a culture that we've been 131 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:34,159 in and that's the culture that would oppose this clean, clear 132 00:08:34,159 --> 00:08:36,919 God's Kingdom and not God's Kingdom. 133 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:39,360 Now, I want to speak just a brief moment of hope. 134 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:41,720 And this is based on some content that friends have sent 135 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,360 to me that I've been listening to that for nerds in the room, 136 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:48,400 all 12 of you that are here today, go look up Meta 137 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,520 Modernity. Meta modernity. 138 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:56,080 It is the move from the everything can be very clear in 139 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,960 modern thinking. CS Lewis writing is in that era. 140 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,160 Then we get into postmodernity where we question all power and 141 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:03,880 authority and everything is corrupt. 142 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:07,000 Meta modernity is amongst our young people where they're 143 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:08,760 going. Look, I know, I know there's 144 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,720 problems, but I still have a hope that yearns in me towards a 145 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,320 good and beautiful and true future. 146 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:19,200 And I'm going to make a conscious choice to pursue that 147 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:23,840 good and true and beautiful culture, even knowing there's a 148 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,760 bit of a hot mess behind me and I'm part of it. 149 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:31,520 It's not naivety, but it also hasn't given into the cynicism 150 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:34,560 of our age. So if you are someone that hears 151 00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:37,440 this phrase every day is a fight and there is no neutral ground 152 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,480 and something in you bristles, I'd ask you to just question 153 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,880 where that bristling comes from. Most likely it is rooted in a 154 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,960 culture that wants to deny absolutes and therefore will 155 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:54,720 draw you further away from the heart of God who is absolute. 156 00:09:56,200 --> 00:10:00,560 Abraham Kuiper, an old dead guy, said there is not a square inch 157 00:10:00,560 --> 00:10:03,800 in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ to 158 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,760 his sovereign overall does not pry mine. 159 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:13,000 Every day is a fight and there is no neutral ground. 160 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:17,400 But we actually begin with this beautiful, encouraging, 161 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:23,840 strengthening news reading from the NASB verse 10. 162 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:32,120 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might 163 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:37,200 be strong. It's it's either a command, sort 164 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:41,800 of a step forward, or it's a declaration of something that 165 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:47,520 has happened be strengthened, something that is gifted to us. 166 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:53,160 Either way, where we're told to be strong isn't in our strength, 167 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:58,200 our brilliance, our insights. It's in the Lord and in the 168 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:02,320 strength of his might. Now this strength and this might 169 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:04,520 in the Greek is this word Kratos. 170 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:06,720 And that's important. Just park that somewhere if you 171 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,960 can, because we're going to get to it again in a moment as we 172 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:14,200 talk about this idea of knowing your enemy. 173 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:17,680 But before that we're reminded, don't just know your enemy, know 174 00:11:17,680 --> 00:11:20,880 the King, know the sovereign one, know the Lord who is strong 175 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:23,240 and powerful and place yourself right there. 176 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:25,760 Remember all the language throughout Ephesians, Paul's 177 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:30,000 been saying in Christ. So that's where we are located 178 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,720 told be strong in him. And then we're told this put on 179 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:39,360 the full armor of God. Now, just some of it, not just 180 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,360 your preference, not just the part that seems really fitting 181 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:46,480 today, but all of it. Put it all on, and whose armor 182 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:49,160 is it? It's the armor of God. 183 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:52,880 So it's not just what He gives, but it's His own armor. 184 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:54,520 And I'm going to show you that in the text. 185 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:57,800 As we get into those various pieces, we're going to look in 186 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:01,840 Isaiah and see that this is not just some bolt on, but this is 187 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:06,600 integral to who Christ is. So we're told to put on the full 188 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:07,760 armor. Why? 189 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,880 So that you will be able to stand firm. 190 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:14,760 This passage will tell us three times about standing firm 191 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:18,640 against the schemes of the devil. 192 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:24,040 Now, if you are someone that hails more from the materialist 193 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:30,720 camp, Paul is Speaking of a real created spiritual being who is 194 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:35,960 personal and powerful and has a plan to try to destroy God's 195 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:38,560 creation. This is not just some 196 00:12:38,560 --> 00:12:44,120 psychology, an idea or a metaphor in Paul's worldview. 197 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:50,920 This is a real being who has schemes, plans, strategies. 198 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:55,360 It's not just chaos, haywire. Let's see what happens. 199 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:02,360 This is a militant move against God's Kingdom, and we are to 200 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:07,840 stand firm now as a Western nation with a strong military 201 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,560 history. We like to think of the armor in 202 00:13:10,560 --> 00:13:14,120 more aggressive terms, and we're going to push into the enemy 203 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,600 enemy territory and take control of things. 204 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:20,880 But the language of this passage is predominantly 1 of defensive 205 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:25,480 solidity. I'm not going to be moved. 206 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,560 The schemes of the devil are not going to take my feet and move 207 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:34,240 them somewhere else. And then if we weren't sure 208 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,480 about quite what Paul meant by the devil, he goes on in verse 209 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,960 12 and says for our struggle picture, like a wrestling match 210 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:47,560 or close quarters combat, our struggle is not against flesh 211 00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:53,120 and blood. It's not your neighbor, it's not 212 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,920 your boss, it's not a political figure. 213 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:02,000 That is not who we are fighting. It's not against flesh and 214 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:08,000 blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the 215 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:11,240 world forces. Remember, we're told to stand in 216 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,400 the Kratos, the strength, the power, the might of God. 217 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:18,400 These world forces are cosmocrators. 218 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:24,160 They are cosmic counterfeit powers that are seeking to 219 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:28,120 infiltrate and imitate the true power of God. 220 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:33,280 We ought to stand against these and the the world forces of this 221 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:36,920 darkness against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the 222 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:40,280 heavenly places. As you can see with the NASB, 223 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:43,560 the spiritual forces forces is just a a word that they've put 224 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:45,120 in the translation. It's not there. 225 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:48,240 We might read it more like against the spirituals of 226 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:52,760 wickedness in the heavenlies. That word spirituals is 227 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,800 pneumatici. It's the plural of the same word 228 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:58,200 that can get used of God's Holy Spirit. 229 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:04,480 Again, a counterfeit that the enemy uses to try to deceive, to 230 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,440 discourage, to destroy God's people. 231 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:11,000 And we are to stand firm against these things. 232 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:15,200 I don't think Paul's giving an exhaustive hierarchy of evil. 233 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,640 So if you were thinking like, let's pull out the devil's org 234 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,320 chart and see if we can kind of mess with that a little bit. 235 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:25,280 It's not that what he's giving is this big sobering picture. 236 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:30,840 There are rulers, there are dark powers, and they are operating 237 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,160 in the unseen or heavenly realm. But guess what? 238 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:39,040 So are you. Do you remember what we're told 239 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:44,400 in Ephesians 1 and Ephesians 2? That we have every blessing in 240 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:48,360 Christ in the heavenly places? In Ephesians 2 we're told that 241 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:52,600 we are seated in Christ in the heavenlies. 242 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:57,440 So whilst your life is here in the now, it's also operating in 243 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:59,600 the not yet. Whilst it's here in this 244 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:04,320 physical experience of life, it's also taking place in the 245 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:08,200 heavenly realm simultaneously in Jesus. 246 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:14,440 So you are not helpless, you have not been left alone, and we 247 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,760 are not some vague outpost of the Kingdom left to fend for 248 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:22,120 ourselves. We are a people seated in Christ 249 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:26,440 in the very place where there is contestation happening against 250 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:32,280 God's plans. So then we get the armor, verse 251 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:35,680 13 through 17. And essentially what Paul is 252 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,840 communicating here is, is, is that we need to get ready. 253 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:45,520 We need to be ready every single day, but that getting ready has 254 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:49,120 this background imagery going on that culturally we might need 255 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:54,480 some help to take a hold of. Because what Paul does is shows 256 00:16:54,480 --> 00:17:01,840 us that Christ is the divine warrior who clothes us, his body 257 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:06,960 in his armor. All throughout this series I've 258 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:10,440 been enjoying playing Texan because it's not just talking 259 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:14,319 about you individually, but it's talking about all y'all. 260 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:21,599 This is communal and individual. We're an army of soldiers 261 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:25,200 together. The Paul speaks of two forms of 262 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:30,480 standing, a standing firm, immovable, and also this word 263 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,320 resist, which does have a little bit more of a leaning in and a 264 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,560 kind of pushing back off my line. 265 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,680 There's something slightly more aggressive about the word resist 266 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:44,640 or to stand against. And he says therefore, because 267 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,520 we're in a fight, right, every day is a fight and there is no 268 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,600 neutral ground. Therefore, take up the full 269 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:55,000 armor of God so that you will be able to resist on the evil day 270 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:57,960 and having done everything to stand firm. 271 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:01,960 That evil day could be general like this age. 272 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:04,680 I don't know if you've noticed things are pretty messed up 273 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:06,800 still. Or it could be pointing to a 274 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:10,160 climactic day when things get worse before the end. 275 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,320 Either way, we need to be prepared. 276 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,040 Paul summons us to wear the uniform so that we can resist 277 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,800 and be standing when all is said and done. 278 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:24,080 And then he leverages over the next several verses these two 279 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,000 strong sets of cultural imagery. So Pauls writing to the church 280 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,600 in Ephesus and the surrounding area and Roman occupation and 281 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,320 the Roman rule and the Pax Romano was sort of like the the 282 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:34,960 cultural bread and butter of the day. 283 00:18:35,360 --> 00:18:38,920 So as he starts speaking through these belts and these 284 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:42,760 breastplates and these helmets and these particular short 285 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:46,480 swords and everything else that he uses in here, immediately 286 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:49,120 people would be picturing the Roman soldier that was out on 287 00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:52,640 the streets, right, or the Garrison that was nearby. 288 00:18:53,240 --> 00:19:00,000 And these Roman soldiers would suit up to a point, and then an 289 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:04,520 attendant would come and would put their helmets on them and 290 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:08,920 would hand them their swords. And as we read through the text, 291 00:19:09,360 --> 00:19:11,760 you'll see we're putting on, we're putting on, we're putting 292 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:13,440 on. And then we take, we receive, 293 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:18,760 we're given something. These Roman soldiers had a few 294 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:23,600 different mottos. A couple of them are extremely 295 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:29,000 well known amongst our US services, and these weren't 296 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,400 official in the Roman setting, but they were well known. 297 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:37,880 There was Semper Paratus, always ready, it's Coast Guard 298 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:43,800 language, and there was Semper Fidelis, always faithful. 299 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:51,280 These keyed into core ideas of the Roman army and culture to be 300 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:55,160 prepared to be ready, and to be faithful and loyal. 301 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:01,240 So along with the armor and the picture of the Roman soldiers, 302 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:06,960 it was also the sort of commitments of those Romans that 303 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:09,720 would be surfacing in people's minds as they heard these texts. 304 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:13,920 And for us, we may not grab hold of that unless it's presented to 305 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:15,200 us. So I want you to have that in 306 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,480 mind as we come through the actual armor. 307 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:22,080 But the other image that Paul would have been drawing from is 308 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:24,680 out of Isaiah. And we're going to read 3 309 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,680 passages here. One of them's pretty lengthy, 310 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:35,240 Isaiah 59 verse 9 through 20, and it starts really in the 1st 311 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:39,880 6 verses showing how badly broken culture was. 312 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:43,240 And I think as we hear it, we might clearly see how badly 313 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:47,360 broken we still are. Therefore justice is far from us 314 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:49,560 and righteousness does not reach us. 315 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:53,000 We hope for light, but there is darkness, for brightness but we 316 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,720 walk in gloom. We grope for the wall like 317 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,480 people who are blind. We grope like those who have no 318 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,160 eyes. We stumble at midday as in the 319 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:03,160 twilight among those who are healthy. 320 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,280 We are like the dead. All of us growl like bears and 321 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:11,720 moan sadly like doves. We hope for justice, but there 322 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:16,040 is none for salvation. But it is far from us, for our 323 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:20,120 wrongful acts have multiplied before you, and our sins have 324 00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:23,640 testified against us. For our wrongful acts are with 325 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:28,080 us, and we know our wrongdoings. Offending and denying the Lord 326 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,640 and turning away from our God. Speaking oppression and revolt. 327 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:34,600 Conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart. 328 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:41,640 Justice is turned back and righteousness stands far away, 329 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,200 for truth has stumbled in the street and uprightness cannot 330 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,360 enter. Truth is lacking, and one who 331 00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:51,600 turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. 332 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:55,440 Now the Lord saw, and it was displeasing in his sight, and 333 00:21:55,440 --> 00:22:02,080 note that there was no justice. There is a problem, a major 334 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:06,600 cultural degradation and brokenness that is infected 335 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:12,480 everybody. But then the good news comes, 336 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:17,920 and he saw that there was no one and was amazed that there was 337 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:22,840 not one to intercede. Then his own arm brought 338 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,640 salvation to him. We are now Speaking of the 339 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,400 Messiah, the divine warrior. OK? 340 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:31,640 And his righteousness upheld him. 341 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:35,680 He put on righteousness like a breastplate and a helmet of 342 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:39,400 salvation on his head. And he put on garments of 343 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:42,400 vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself with zeal as a 344 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:46,640 cloak according to their deeds. So will he repay wrath to his 345 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,240 adversaries, retribution to his enemies. 346 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:51,680 To the coastlands he will deal retribution. 347 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,520 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the West, and his 348 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:56,200 glory from the rising of the sun. 349 00:22:56,360 --> 00:22:59,000 For he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the 350 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,320 Lord drives. A Redeemer will come to Zion and 351 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,760 to those in Jacob who turned from wrongdoing, declares the 352 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:11,160 Lord, the divine warrior, clothed in the divine armor, 353 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:13,640 right? This is a picture that would 354 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:16,480 have been prevalent in the mind. This is one of the reasons that 355 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:20,080 the people were expecting a conquering king who would drive 356 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:25,000 out the Romans passages like this with a bedrock by which 357 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:26,720 they understood the work of the Messiah. 358 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,080 Come with me to Isaiah chapter 10. 359 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:34,920 I'm actually going to start at verse 33, but I think we've got 360 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:38,320 34 onwards on the screen. Behold, the Lord, the God of 361 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:41,880 armies will lop off the branches with terrifying power. 362 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:47,040 Those who are also who are tall in stature will be cut down, and 363 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:49,520 those who are lofty will be brought low. 364 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,760 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe, and 365 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:54,640 Lebanon will fall by the mighty ones. 366 00:23:55,440 --> 00:24:00,280 OK, so we're still in judgement. God's active justice at work. 367 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,440 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch 368 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:08,320 from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest 369 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,160 on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of 370 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,720 counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the 371 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:16,800 Lord. And he will delight in the fear 372 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:19,880 of the Lord, And he will not judge by what his eyes see, nor 373 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,680 make decisions by what his ears hear. 374 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:29,360 But with righteousness he will judge the poor, and decide with 375 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:31,200 fairness for the humble of the earth. 376 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:33,800 And he will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and 377 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,720 with the breath hold that word of his lips. 378 00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:41,480 He will slay the wicked also. Righteousness will be the belt 379 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,440 around his hips, and faithfulness the belt around his 380 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:52,320 waist. One more Isaiah 52, verse 7. 381 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:56,600 How delightful on the mountains are the feet of the one who 382 00:24:56,600 --> 00:25:00,600 brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of 383 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:05,400 happiness, who announces salvation and says to Zion, your 384 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:12,800 God reigns. The divine warrior is clothed in 385 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:17,120 divine armor for justice and liberation. 386 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:22,120 Now what Paul is going to do now is talk about this armor where 387 00:25:22,120 --> 00:25:25,640 essentially he's telling us to get dressed and to watch each 388 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:28,720 other's backs. This is how the Roman armies 389 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:33,240 functioned, would have been a togetherness and a solidarity 390 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,920 that meant as long as no one broke ranks, nothing was going 391 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,840 to get through and they could hold the ground. 392 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:42,480 Their Shields would lock together and they would be able 393 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:48,000 to cover above and in front, and they were unmatched in combat 394 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:52,440 for a very long time. Paul wants us to get dressed in 395 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:55,160 this divine armor. But before that, we've got to 396 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:58,400 ask, what kind of armor do we tend to reach for? 397 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:03,160 Do we reach for physical strength? 398 00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:09,160 Does our armor equate to our bank balance? 399 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:15,520 Or is it the resume I got to get that one more gig, I got to take 400 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,600 that one more perfect volunteer role just to even out everything 401 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:22,920 in my resume? Is it your intellect? 402 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:27,880 Is that what makes you feel secure and safe? 403 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:32,400 If these are your ultimate armor, they all require a 404 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,200 striving and hustling that can lead to anxiety and to 405 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:42,440 exhaustion. More fundamentally than that, we 406 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:47,560 have to ask, how do those kinds of armor line up with Christ, 407 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:52,000 with the cross, and with the foolishness of the gospel? 408 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:54,200 What the world would see is ridiculous. 409 00:26:55,040 --> 00:27:00,680 The way of Jesus summons us to a different kind of armor, the 410 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:05,760 kind that confounds the powers and principalities by refusing 411 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:10,560 to engage in enemy tactics on enemy terms. 412 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:13,800 What the devil wants you to do, and all of the powers and 413 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,280 principalities that are working individually and locally and 414 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,320 globally and cosmically and systemically, and it's all this 415 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:24,520 functional work to try and distract and dissuade people. 416 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:29,000 What what the devil really wants you to do is to fight dirty like 417 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:35,360 he fights. You might be right, but the way 418 00:27:35,360 --> 00:27:38,280 that you can test can disqualify you. 419 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:46,920 We are called to a different way of being and living, putting on 420 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:49,200 the armor at its most fundamental. 421 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:54,800 I will go to Romans chapter 13 to following along verses 12 422 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:58,800 through 14 because this isn't the only place that Paul writes 423 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,800 about armor. He says let's behave. 424 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:06,680 This is chapter 13 verse 12. Sorry, the night is almost gone 425 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:09,880 and the day is near. Therefore let's rid ourselves of 426 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:13,040 the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 427 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:15,840 Again, this language of riding ourselves that we saw in 428 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:19,760 Ephesians 4, to put off the old humanity and to be renewed in 429 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,560 the spirit of our minds, and to put on the new humanity. 430 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:26,120 Here he says, let's put off these deeds of darkness and put 431 00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:29,720 on the armor of light. Let's behave properly as in the 432 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:32,880 day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual 433 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:37,280 promiscuity and debauchery, not in strife and jealousy, but put 434 00:28:37,360 --> 00:28:42,440 on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh 435 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:46,240 in regard to its lusts. So there's a part of what we 436 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:50,560 need to understand is that we're not coming at these just as 437 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:53,560 individual pieces. There is a holistic way of 438 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:55,240 viewing this. If you're like, great, now I've 439 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,520 got a great big list of things I need to do in the morning for 440 00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:59,160 spiritual preparedness to face the day. 441 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:01,160 Thanks a bunch, Johnny. That's not it. 442 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,920 That could be part of it, but at its most simple it's to follow 443 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,800 what Jesus says when he says abide in me and I in you. 444 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:14,760 To put on Jesus and to say I need to be clothed in my real, 445 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:18,440 true, deepest identity as a beloved one of the Father who 446 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:21,720 has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and set free from the 447 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:24,640 power of sin and death. That would be a great start to 448 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:26,760 your day. Y'all OK if you just began that 449 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,080 way. Eyes pop open, you're like, OK, 450 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:31,560 I'm here and this is what is happening. 451 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:36,040 I am putting on the Lord Jesus today and I'm ready for whatever 452 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:39,480 is outside the door or even just past the covers of this bed. 453 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,280 I'm ready because I am in Christ. 454 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,480 Now let's get to the armor. Some of you been waiting. 455 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:49,680 Like I want to go there. The weapons of the divine 456 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:53,800 warrior are powerful, and they are powerful enough to withstand 457 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,200 and overcome the threats of death and destruction. 458 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,360 But you can't wear 2 breastplates and you can't wear 459 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:00,880 2 helmets. I mean, you can try. 460 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:04,960 You're going to look ridiculous. It doesn't work, but what we 461 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:07,160 need to begin to do is name, well, where's the counterfeit 462 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,160 armor that I've been putting on? And I need to take that off and 463 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,680 I need to put on the real peace because we're told to put on the 464 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,040 full armor of God, not just some of it. 465 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:20,600 So the belt of truth, verse 14, we're told, stand firm. 466 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:23,640 He says this so many times. It must mean something, right? 467 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,920 Like maybe we have a habit of running away or rushing into 468 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:29,200 territory that wasn't ours to rush into. 469 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:30,920 Christ has already won the battle. 470 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:36,960 Stand right there, stand firm, therefore having belted your 471 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,720 waist with truth. I don't think this is like a UFC 472 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:44,480 big gold belt. This is more likely the fabric 473 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:48,040 girding up of the loins that would be beneath the plated 474 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:53,040 armor that created an integrity of the whole armour and also 475 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:56,320 provided a strength and agility. You know, if you've ever 476 00:30:56,320 --> 00:31:00,560 sprained an ankle or a knee, when you wrap it, it feels 477 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:03,560 stronger, right? It's it's supported in a way 478 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:05,680 that's what this belt of truth does. 479 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:09,000 It supports and integrates everything together. 480 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:14,160 The divine gift of this belt of truth that was worn by Christ 481 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:18,920 and is now worn by his body. The church is God's objective 482 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:24,880 reality and character, who he is not because of our opinion, but 483 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:29,080 because he exists. And what that does for us when 484 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:32,800 we stand there knowing that God is love and good and kind and 485 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:36,520 patient, is it creates a security in our posture. 486 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:41,520 We're held together by a truth that's outside of ourselves. 487 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:46,160 But this is counterfeit armor, this sort of posture of striving 488 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:50,720 that's based on our subjective truths, what I think, my 489 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,280 opinions, my insights into things. 490 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:56,680 And the problem with that is it creates an anxiety where we 491 00:31:56,680 --> 00:32:00,400 constantly have to defend our being right. 492 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:04,280 And that gets done through being a superior intellect or having a 493 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:08,320 dogmatic or cynical personality, right? 494 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:13,240 That is hard to just receive truth as truth and go, OK, but 495 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:16,960 we're summoned to be actually childlike in our faith where 496 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:20,280 when God says I will take care of you and I will never leave 497 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,920 you or forsake you would go, OK, good, great, got it. 498 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:26,160 You won't leave me, you won't forsake me. 499 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:28,840 I'm secure. That is a truth that I can hold 500 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:33,240 onto. Now, I've had a year where I've 501 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:36,360 experienced some moments where that has felt questioned. 502 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,760 But just like David shared this morning during worship, we need 503 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:43,800 to remember there's a longer arc to God's stories. 504 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:46,680 And sometimes we just got to stand firm. 505 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:50,240 Don't move your feet away. And that's one of the reasons we 506 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:53,360 need this, the body of Christ together. 507 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:57,360 Because on the days where I want to question, on the days where I 508 00:32:57,360 --> 00:33:00,040 want to just say, ah, what do I know? 509 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,800 I have brothers and sisters who will come around me and remind 510 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:07,080 me of the goodness of God and his faithfulness across the 511 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:10,640 years of my life that this one moment is challenging. 512 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,800 When I read the whole story, I go wait, hold on a moment. 513 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:17,040 I'm going to to quote Margaret Feinberg. 514 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:20,440 I'm going to remain suspicious that Jesus is up to something 515 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,880 good because it's based on truth. 516 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:27,240 We're told to put on this build of truth and the breastplate of 517 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:30,520 righteousness. This is not your righteousness. 518 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,440 This is why we've got to get this is the divine warriors 519 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:36,480 armor. It's His righteousness, and then 520 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:38,880 He goes. You get to wear that, which 521 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,720 means on the day when you struggled in your thought life 522 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:45,320 or the days where you've gone places you should not have gone, 523 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:48,000 there is redemptive hope for you. 524 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:51,360 And you can walk back into light and have the breastplate of 525 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:55,640 righteousness put back on again. A posture of security because 526 00:33:55,640 --> 00:34:01,200 our identity is protected by His performance, not ours. 527 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:06,480 The false armor, it's like a self righteousness and it's 528 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:12,520 very, very fragile and we end up because it's so fragile, having 529 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:17,239 to protect with with perfectionism or with career 530 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:22,760 climbing or with blame shifting. If you find criticism hard and 531 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:26,360 defensiveness comes up, you might be wearing the wrong 532 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:30,560 breastplate. There is a breastplate of 533 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:33,199 righteousness that you can wear where you can just own it and be 534 00:34:33,199 --> 00:34:36,000 like, yeah, you're right. That does not look like Jesus. 535 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:37,600 That doesn't sound like him. You're right. 536 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:40,520 OK, Lord, help me walk differently. 537 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:44,239 Your identity is not contingent on other people's opinions about 538 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:46,159 you. You're secure. 539 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:51,440 Then there's these shoes. Jesus has run ahead bringing 540 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,360 this good news, right? And now we're sent ones to go 541 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:58,440 and declare the victory is won. Jesus has done it, and there's 542 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,080 this readiness that comes, and these are the same kind of shoes 543 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:04,120 that would also enable a soldier to stand firm on the 544 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:07,760 battlefield, to have traction and grip and stability. 545 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,000 For us. It's the inner stability of 546 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:16,440 being reconciled to God because Jesus has done it. 547 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:18,160 There's not a moment at which I have to go. 548 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:22,680 Well, are you still my Father? I've been adopted, the paperwork 549 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:25,240 is signed. There's no take backs happening 550 00:35:25,240 --> 00:35:27,440 here. The Father is like you're mine, 551 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:29,720 I want you. You always have a seat at my 552 00:35:29,720 --> 00:35:36,200 table because Jesus has done it. I have a peace with the Father 553 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:39,680 and therefore a peace that can be had with all people, which 554 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:42,520 means I can be a person of peace and I can stand firm there even 555 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:46,880 when it's chaos around me. The false armor is a false 556 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:51,880 peace. It's extremely unstable, and 557 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:54,880 it's present anytime that we try to manufacture peace through 558 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:58,680 people, pleasing through control, through withdrawal. 559 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:04,520 Conflict is a part of my story where I have tried to avoid it 560 00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:08,080 at all costs. Anger has always felt dangerous 561 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:11,280 and like there's nothing redemptive and holy about it. 562 00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:13,880 And anytime I found something in Scripture, it's like God's 563 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:15,880 righteous anger I just kind of breezed on by. 564 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:19,240 Like, surely that's not in the Bible because anger is wrong. 565 00:36:19,240 --> 00:36:23,120 Turns out I was wrong. Anger is an emotion. 566 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:29,120 Anger can lead us towards righteous conflict for the sake 567 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:32,640 of making true peace and loving others well. 568 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:36,040 But my strategy would be just to withdraw. 569 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:39,080 Peace out. I'll take the flight mechanism 570 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:40,960 please. I'll just get as far away from 571 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:43,960 this situation as I can. Then it starts to feel a bit 572 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:45,600 better. But that is a false peace. 573 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:49,400 It's not a piece that's grounded in my security, in the Father 574 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,320 and in his love. It's not stable. 575 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:56,000 What about the shield of faith? Romans would have these big 576 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:59,800 Shields that were leather that they would soak in water so that 577 00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:02,440 when the enemies fired their arrows that were, you know, 578 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:04,480 let's make an arrow worse that's lighted on fire. 579 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:06,720 That'll be fun. It would hit the shield and be 580 00:37:06,720 --> 00:37:10,560 extinguished by the shield. This was the the form of combat, 581 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:12,800 right? So they would soak the shield, 582 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:17,680 and we're told to take up the shield of faith, an active trust 583 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:25,560 in God's promises, an active trust in God's promises. 584 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:29,200 It could also be the shield of his faithfulness that Jesus has 585 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:32,000 done it. He was faithful to the Father in 586 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:36,120 all things. And I like that line of thinking 587 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,960 because then this soaking a shield in water makes me think 588 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:42,200 about baptism. And I have been buried with 589 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:46,240 Christ in his death and raised into new life with him. 590 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:49,840 So when the enemy takes a pot shot at me with a flaming arrow 591 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:51,240 or he's like, well, you did that wrong. 592 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:52,920 You said that wrong, you thought that wrong. 593 00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:55,560 It can hit and land. I can be like, hey, listen, 594 00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:57,400 baby, I was in those waters of baptism. 595 00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:00,640 My shield of faith is soaked. I trust his righteousness and 596 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:03,480 his faithfulness and your arrow goes out because it's not about 597 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:06,960 me, it's about him. I don't get to walk through life 598 00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:09,120 denying that I've done anything wrong. 599 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:12,800 I get to walk through life proclaiming Christ has done 600 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:18,520 enough to pay even for that. I hold the shield of faith. 601 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:21,640 But the false version, the counterfeit would be self 602 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:25,720 preservation where I end up with a defensive posture in the 603 00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:30,000 negative sense that can look like deflecting vulnerability 604 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:35,040 with sarcasm or through stoicism like an emotional numbness or 605 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:38,840 intimidation. Like, Oh, yeah, I'm going to 606 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:42,240 shout louder at you. Listen, some of us have had 607 00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:45,960 experiences with those engaged in spiritual warfare that you 608 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:49,200 were like, that is that seems kooky, not like, real. 609 00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:52,800 And maybe you've been told, like, if you want to pray with 610 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:55,080 real authority, you've got to shout real loud. 611 00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:58,560 I think shouting and not shouting is a personality 612 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,160 preference. I don't think there's a point at 613 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:03,840 which the devil is like, there were too many decibels in that 614 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:05,800 prayer and I need to back off right now. 615 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:09,960 Like if you're a loud prayer, cool, pray. 616 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:13,400 Your authority does not come from your volume. 617 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:17,760 Your authority doesn't come from being quiet either. 618 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,240 It's just your personality and your way of being. 619 00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:23,320 Welcome to the human race. I'm so glad you're here. 620 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:29,640 We don't need to yell at the devil. 621 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:33,000 We need to hold up a shield of faith and says Christ is the 622 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:38,000 faithful, 1 and I am in him. And then we take the helmet of 623 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:42,200 salvation. It is handed to us the helmet of 624 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:46,640 salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of 625 00:39:46,640 --> 00:39:48,040 God. So let's talk about the helmet 626 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:51,520 for a moment. The helmet can be understood 627 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:55,160 here as the secure knowledge of our ultimate identity and 628 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:57,680 future. It creates a confident posture 629 00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:03,560 because I know whose I am. Our mind is protected by the 630 00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:09,200 fact of our salvation. And a false piece of armor would 631 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:14,040 be a self defined identity that has not had an ear to the 632 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:16,560 father. And that sort of identity is 633 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:21,280 very insecure. We'll end up protecting our mind 634 00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:25,840 with a helmet that's maybe about our physical appearance, what 635 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:30,240 people think about how we look or our social status or our 636 00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:34,560 reputation. We want people to think well of 637 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:40,600 us and we do everything we can, but that sort of living is 638 00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:45,240 exhausting. It'll wear you out so fast 639 00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:49,440 compared to the beautiful gift of Jesus going I have saved you, 640 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:55,160 you are mine. And then we're told to take the 641 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:59,280 sword of the Spirit, the most offensive of the armor pieces, 642 00:40:59,280 --> 00:41:03,800 the word of God. I think it was really 643 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:06,680 interesting because that word for word there in the Greek is 644 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:10,080 Rhema. It's not Lagos like the eternal 645 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:13,480 word that John speaks of. It's Rhema, which is like a word 646 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:16,600 for breath, which we heard in Isaiah. 647 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:21,080 The God's breath would be at work against the wicked and 648 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:26,400 against injustice. It's this idea of God's personal 649 00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:29,360 conversational approach into our lives as well. 650 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:34,240 This Word of God, the Speaking of God in the present tense to 651 00:41:34,240 --> 00:41:37,400 us brings about a posture of discernment. 652 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:42,400 And the way that we use God's Word is in his way to bring 653 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:46,680 healing, to cut through lies, for sure to reveal truth. 654 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:52,200 But for the sake of wholeness in our dysfunctional counterfeit 655 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:54,320 armor, we use our words as a weapon. 656 00:41:55,240 --> 00:42:00,160 We go on the offensive, we use gossip and cutting sarcasm and 657 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:04,040 weaponized arguments to wound people and to control people. 658 00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:09,400 See, all of this control and power and self-image stuff sits 659 00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:11,680 right in the Kingdom of darkness. 660 00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:15,800 It's the powers and principalities at work trying to 661 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:20,080 pull us into a way of being and a way of warfare that is just. 662 00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:22,200 It's like we ended up on the wrong side. 663 00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:29,880 It's like you started playing for the wrong team midway 664 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:32,160 through the game and you didn't even realize you were running 665 00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:40,720 the wrong way down the field. The armor of God calls us to a 666 00:42:40,720 --> 00:42:45,840 place of standing. There's an invitation to rest in 667 00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:50,720 our gifted identity. Our security is based on Christ 668 00:42:50,720 --> 00:42:54,040 and his finished work. So we can put down all of the 669 00:42:54,040 --> 00:42:59,920 false armor. We can stop building counterfeit 670 00:42:59,920 --> 00:43:03,480 identities. We can stop believing that our 671 00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:07,280 security is based on our constant, exhausting 672 00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:11,200 performance. This is part of our standing 673 00:43:11,200 --> 00:43:16,400 firm is to name the fight and to get ready. 674 00:43:18,640 --> 00:43:24,720 The gospel invites us to stop this exhausting work of striving 675 00:43:24,720 --> 00:43:28,520 and building our counterfeit armor and to simply receive and 676 00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:33,000 to stand in the perfect complete armor that God has already 677 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:36,160 provided. So for us, there are some 678 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:40,280 practices we can enter into. I framed them around Semper 679 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:45,040 Paratus and Semper Fidelis. I hope those who have served 680 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:48,360 have lost loved ones who serve who are serving a thank you. 681 00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:51,720 I hope my use of these terms is OK to you. 682 00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:55,320 They did exist back in the Roman army days so I'm just going with 683 00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:57,920 that. It's a Latin thing, not AUS 684 00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:00,080 military thing. But I want to acknowledge these. 685 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:03,160 These phrases are precious to people for good reason. 686 00:44:04,680 --> 00:44:09,800 But to always be ready means to get dressed every day, which 687 00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:12,320 means to keep Christ fresh in your thoughts and your 688 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:16,640 affections every single day. This can happen through the 689 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:20,720 daily opening of the scriptures. Not for more knowledge, but to 690 00:44:20,720 --> 00:44:24,120 know Him and be known by Him, to have relationship with God, to 691 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:29,240 wonder in adoration at the kindness and the goodness of the 692 00:44:29,240 --> 00:44:31,520 Lord. It can happen through 693 00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:35,400 contemplative prayer, prayer that brings us not into a list 694 00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:40,680 of to do's, but into a place of being as one of His children. 695 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:44,800 It can look like memorizing Scripture so that we're putting 696 00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:49,320 the Word deep into us, so that it is there as a resource at all 697 00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:52,320 times, a shield for us to remember. 698 00:44:52,320 --> 00:44:54,800 When the fiery dot of the enemy comes, we go away. 699 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:57,200 There's a promise of God that speaks to this. 700 00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:01,440 Now I'm going to trust in Him more than I hear your threats. 701 00:45:03,080 --> 00:45:07,680 But this can also look like keeping watch, being always 702 00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:10,880 ready means we get dressed, but we're we're being observant. 703 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:13,200 And that means we need to know and be known by others. 704 00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:17,040 We have to be a people in community with other people. 705 00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:20,040 And sometimes that looks like you're midweek community group, 706 00:45:20,040 --> 00:45:22,400 right where you spend some time together and you share your 707 00:45:22,400 --> 00:45:24,360 stories and you know the depths of things. 708 00:45:24,480 --> 00:45:27,320 But also it can look like service together, like jump in a 709 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:30,800 service project together. And as you do that work side by 710 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:33,280 side, you learn things about one another. 711 00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:37,680 You get to know what your friend is like when they get tired, Did 712 00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:39,480 they get grumpy? Did they get short? 713 00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:41,960 Did they get silent? What's going on in there? 714 00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:45,880 You get to come alongside one another to know each other. 715 00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:50,200 This is a part of always ready and then always faithful 716 00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:54,600 confession. What if instead of viewing 717 00:45:54,600 --> 00:45:58,880 confession as this sort of like I gotta own up to my awfulness, 718 00:45:58,880 --> 00:46:02,800 I'm a terrible person, What if we viewed it more as disclosing 719 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:05,520 the enemy schemes and our need for help? 720 00:46:06,680 --> 00:46:10,000 Question. Where's the frontline in your 721 00:46:10,000 --> 00:46:13,440 life and who else knows about it? 722 00:46:14,800 --> 00:46:17,960 You're only alone on that line because you've believed you 723 00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:20,760 couldn't share it with somebody and that nobody would stand 724 00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:24,080 alongside you. Where's the frontline in your 725 00:46:24,080 --> 00:46:26,600 life and who else knows about it? 726 00:46:27,840 --> 00:46:30,360 One of the other reasons that we practiced confession is so that 727 00:46:30,360 --> 00:46:34,120 someone else outside of your thoughts and feelings can go. 728 00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:37,040 You are covered by the blood of Jesus. 729 00:46:37,280 --> 00:46:39,160 You have been rescued and redeemed. 730 00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:43,960 This sin does not own you, and you can be free to walk in a 731 00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:47,760 different way. We need to be ones that receive 732 00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:50,600 good news. Just as the Roman soldiers would 733 00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:54,000 receive the helmet and receive the sword. 734 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:58,520 We need other people and to be always faithful. 735 00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:02,040 We have to acknowledge where our struggles are and where we're 736 00:47:02,040 --> 00:47:08,000 tempted to abandon the line. We also need to everyday make 737 00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:12,800 Jesus is Lord. The banner you gather under no 738 00:47:12,800 --> 00:47:16,520 other banner will do. Every other banner is 739 00:47:16,680 --> 00:47:22,640 counterfeit to the ultimate one. Jesus is Lord and we are either 740 00:47:22,640 --> 00:47:26,760 walking with Him or we are not. And these are our choices. 741 00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:30,680 And you have the freedom to choose what we don't get to do. 742 00:47:31,320 --> 00:47:35,600 As I've heard Pastor Jason says, baptize our old humanity and 743 00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:38,520 stick a label on it and say like, well, this old stuff is 744 00:47:38,520 --> 00:47:41,000 now fine. That's still the old junk. 745 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:43,640 Get rid of it. Get rid of the rusty, nasty 746 00:47:43,640 --> 00:47:47,120 armor that doesn't protect you. Put on the armor that Jesus 747 00:47:47,120 --> 00:47:50,560 gives to you. Yes, you need to know your 748 00:47:50,560 --> 00:47:52,440 enemy. That was the title of this 749 00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:55,200 message. But more than that, you need to 750 00:47:55,200 --> 00:48:00,280 know your King who has overcome every enemy, even death, so that 751 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:05,640 you will stand firm on this day and all the days to come until 752 00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:08,360 Jesus comes again. Church, next week, we're going 753 00:48:08,360 --> 00:48:12,120 to hear the last message in this series to talk about how we 754 00:48:12,120 --> 00:48:14,080 fight. Ready for that? 755 00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:17,200 Let's stand together. I'm going to pray over us, send 756 00:48:17,200 --> 00:48:19,000 you out. Thank you for bearing with me. 757 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:27,760 Jesus, we thank you that you've gone ahead of us. 758 00:48:27,760 --> 00:48:30,800 You are the divine warrior who has liberated us from the powers 759 00:48:30,800 --> 00:48:35,160 and principalities that sin and death no longer hold any sway. 760 00:48:35,720 --> 00:48:38,720 They have no ownership of us. We have been set free. 761 00:48:39,040 --> 00:48:42,800 And so we, your church, ask that we will be found, ready and 762 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:47,360 faithful every single day, clothed in your armor, walking 763 00:48:47,360 --> 00:48:51,320 in your ways, covering and protecting and serving alongside 764 00:48:51,320 --> 00:48:53,920 one another. That you would be glorified. 765 00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:57,040 That the world would hear the good news about Jesus. 766 00:48:57,200 --> 00:48:59,680 That the powers and principalities would look on and 767 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:02,600 be confounded because we don't fight in their way. 768 00:49:02,800 --> 00:49:04,920 We fight in the ways of the Lord and His alone. 769 00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:07,840 Holy Spirit, would you go with us as we go out into the 770 00:49:07,840 --> 00:49:10,400 community? That we would represent Jesus 771 00:49:10,400 --> 00:49:13,320 well and that we would have our greatest joy in you. 772 00:49:13,720 --> 00:49:16,480 We ask this in His precious name, Amen. 773 00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:20,040 Thank you for joining us today. River City Church is all about 774 00:49:20,040 --> 00:49:22,760 experiencing and expressing God's love in our lives and 775 00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:25,440 community, and we hope that you've been able to experience 776 00:49:25,440 --> 00:49:28,080 that today. As grateful as I am that you've 777 00:49:28,080 --> 00:49:31,360 spent this time listening in this morning, this podcast is no 778 00:49:31,360 --> 00:49:34,400 substitute for full participation in a local church. 779 00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:38,000 I love it when River City people listen to other pastors, but it 780 00:49:38,000 --> 00:49:41,080 is those who show up week after week faithfully giving their 781 00:49:41,080 --> 00:49:43,960 support and time and resources that make all of this possible. 782 00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:47,800 If we can help you get connected to a local church, pray for you, 783 00:49:47,960 --> 00:49:51,080 or support you in any way, click the link in the description and 784 00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:53,200 let us know. If you'd like to financially 785 00:49:53,200 --> 00:49:56,040 support the ministry of River City, click the give link on our 786 00:49:56,040 --> 00:49:59,200 website in the description. Don't forget to subscribe and 787 00:49:59,200 --> 00:50:00,920 don't forget to share this with your friends. 788 00:50:01,120 --> 00:50:03,920 Thanks so much for listening. May the Lord bless and keep you 789 00:50:04,000 --> 00:50:05,520 in all grace and peace.