1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:06,920 The art of war is a matter of life and death, a road either to 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,840 safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry 3 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,640 which can on no account be neglected. 4 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:19,600 These were the words of Sun Tzu, an ancient Chinese general and 5 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,960 legendary military strategist, commander of many men who wrote 6 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:28,840 500 years before Christ walked the earth, 5th century BC. 7 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:33,600 He wrote this book, The Art of War, and this book is a classic. 8 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:36,040 You can buy it today. It's an ancient military 9 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,160 treatise that teaches how to win conflicts through strategy, 10 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,120 through discipline, through adaptability rather than through 11 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,200 brute strength. And it teaches how to know your 12 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:49,440 enemy and how to know yourself. It demonstrates that victory 13 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,360 comes to the one who overcomes their opponent through superior 14 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:58,240 wisdom and preparation. So the subject is Warcraft, and 15 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,480 the subject is an important one because Moses says Exodus 15. 16 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:05,760 Three, the Lord is a man of war. The Lord is his name. 17 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:10,560 He's Yahweh, Sabaoth, which means the Lord of hosts. 18 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,480 He goes by that name some 260 times in the Bible. 19 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:16,160 And this is a terrifying thought to me. 20 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,080 We've talked about this before, that those who minister to him 21 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,760 and to us are called Seraphim, which means literally the 22 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,880 burning ones, these, these angelic creatures, one of which 23 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,640 destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in an evening. 24 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,600 And, and these are the ones that reveal themselves in the New 25 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:37,360 Testament. And one phrase always comes out 26 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,720 of their mouth the second they reveal themselves. 27 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,520 What is it? Don't be afraid of me. 28 00:01:43,320 --> 00:01:47,040 And so of these 10,000 * 10,000 of these burning ones, bow the 29 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,000 knee to one person, the commander of the Lord's armies, 30 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,600 the God man, Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ also wrote a 31 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:59,760 primer on warfare on military strategy, and it's recorded for 32 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,040 us in Ephesians 610 to 17 / 8 verses. 33 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,640 And we'll call it a lesson in Warcraft. 34 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,639 And what this is, is first a call to war. 35 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,960 And it's a call to take up arms because when God wants you to 36 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,520 think about your Christian life and your Christian experience, 37 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:21,640 he wants you to think about it as a kind of warfare. 38 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,800 And when you call your conflict with Satan and the flesh and the 39 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,520 world spiritual warfare, it's because this, this idea of 40 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,320 conflict and warfare is relevant and instructive. 41 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,840 We, we're soldiers in battle, and this emphasizes the reality 42 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,120 of our enemies and the incredible strength of our 43 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:45,080 enemies and the strategy that's required to to stand against 44 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:46,640 them. There's, there's parallels 45 00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:51,120 between the Christian experience and war, which is why old 46 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,320 strategy books like Sun Tzu are so important and relevant. 47 00:02:55,320 --> 00:03:00,320 It reminds us of the concrete nature of war, that timing is 48 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,280 important and strategy and training and terrain and supply 49 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,560 lines and morale and deception and formation, and reminds us 50 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,960 that war involves real enemies with real weapons, and winning 51 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:14,120 and losing involves real consequences. 52 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:19,920 And above all, it reminds us of the strategic nature of warfare 53 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,720 and Warcraft. If you'll turn to Ephesians 6, 54 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:27,160 verses 10 to 17, we'll read the Lord's primer together as we 55 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,360 press through the passage together, we'll go through it 56 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,200 and as a as a way of going through it, we'll call it 57 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,880 chapters. In the Lord's primer and chapter 58 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:41,480 1 is preparing for war, and we see this in Ephesians 6 verses 59 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:47,560 10:50 where Paul says finally. Be strong in the Lord, and then 60 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:51,760 the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God 61 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,880 and we want to stop. There this is preparing for war. 62 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:56,240 There's a man named Watchman knee. 63 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,440 This may have been helpful to know at the beginning of the 64 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:03,120 book, but he's got a, a book that he calls Sit, Walk, stand. 65 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:07,120 And it's a study of, of Ephesians and how he thinks we 66 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:08,960 got to view the book of Ephesians because it starts in 67 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:13,320 chapter 1 with what says Jesus Christ is sitting in the 68 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,519 heavenly places and we've been united in him and we sit with 69 00:04:16,519 --> 00:04:18,959 him. Ephesians 26, sitting with him, 70 00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:21,240 resting in Christ's achievements. 71 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,000 And so the book begins with this metaphor of sitting. 72 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:28,160 And then we, we transitioned in chapter 4 to the second-half of 73 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:29,440 the book, which involves a new metaphor. 74 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:33,920 What was it walking? Now we walk with him, walk in a 75 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:35,960 manner worthy of the calling to which you've been called. 76 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,880 And everything since then has been walking in a manner worthy, 77 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:41,200 walking in light, walking in wisdom. 78 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,360 We're walking out the Christian life practically. 79 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,080 And then as you come to Ephesians 6 in this, this long 80 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,240 metaphor of war. Now twice he says we're standing 81 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,760 on the ground that Christ has gained for us like a beach head 82 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:58,440 out in military and enemy territory. 83 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:02,280 We're we're holding the ground. We stand on what Jesus has won. 84 00:05:02,280 --> 00:05:06,720 And that's why you'll see this whole armour of God passage is 85 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,120 framed defensively rather than offensively. 86 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:10,760 And that's going to be important. 87 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,000 We're standing, we're making our stand here. 88 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,160 And as we look at this, you see we're coming to the very end of 89 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,040 the book. Next week will be our our final 90 00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:22,120 wrapping up session in the book of Ephesians. 91 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,920 And then comes Deuteronomy. So get ready in your minds for 92 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:27,800 that. But we come now to this, this 93 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,280 word. Paul signals that this is the 94 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:33,600 end. He says finally saying, this is 95 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,200 the climactic position of the whole epistle. 96 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,440 This is it, we've arrived. And it's a long illustration 97 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,560 that's going to summarize all of the teaching up to this point 98 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:44,840 and kind of bring it together, Marshall all of these teachings 99 00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:48,680 together in one beautiful metaphor, the armor of God. 100 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,440 And rhetorically, commentators will say this is actually the 101 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,480 peroration, which means this is not only the climax, but it's 102 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:56,800 the emotional climax. It's meant to to hit you in the 103 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,560 emotions. It's meant to stir you up and 104 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,880 your affections and your enthusiasm as the reader or, or 105 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,040 they hear. And we see that this sit, walk, 106 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:09,160 stand is mobilizing. It's a mobilizing order. 107 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,880 It's a wartime order. We're called the war. 108 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,240 And now the plans are being laid out. 109 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:19,080 To quote the Gettys, we just saying that the call to war to 110 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:23,720 love the captive soul, but to Rage Against the captor or we're 111 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:29,000 an army bold whose battle cry is love reaching out to those in 112 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,080 darkness. We're not prisoners or 113 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:34,480 followers. Ephesians 2 two of Satan anymore 114 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,120 of this world and it's evil system. 115 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:40,600 We've defected and now we're the opposition and so our. 116 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:47,560 Enemy is now these invisible evil powers and the devil, and 117 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,960 so the objective is to defend the position that God has won 118 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,040 for you against these. Enemies, he says. 119 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:55,520 The onslaughts of the devil are coming. 120 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:58,280 We saw this in the last few weeks, he's already said. 121 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,880 We've already said that the devil hates your marriage, he 122 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,920 hates you, he hates your children, he hates your 123 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:07,200 worldview. He hates this local church. 124 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,720 He hates your stability and he hates your peace. 125 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,240 And so Paul's saying that he's going to target those things 126 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:17,440 with his tactics. And so victory is sure, but the 127 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:21,560 battle is real and inevitable, which means that he's going to 128 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:25,280 bring back with with force a subject that has been so 129 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,840 critical, a dominating feature of the epistle, and that is the 130 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:32,320 subject of power. Remember back with me over the 131 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:36,320 the book of Ephesians, you have tremendous power from the Lord 132 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:37,400 that has been made available to you. 133 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,920 Ephesians 119 says, what is the immeasurable, immeasurable 134 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:45,360 greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the 135 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:49,200 working of his great might. Ephesians 37 of this gospel. 136 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,680 I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, 137 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,800 which was given to me by the working of His power. 138 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:58,360 It goes on in verse 16, chapter 3. 139 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,800 According to the riches of His glory, He may grant you to be 140 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,040 strengthened with power in your inner being through His Holy 141 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,960 Spirit. Ephesians 320 Now to him who's 142 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,520 able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, 143 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,640 according to the power at work within us. 144 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:15,120 And He brings it up one last time in Ephesians 6. 145 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,600 If you don't get the point yet, he says be strong in the Lord 146 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:23,040 and in the strength of His might three times he uses this word 147 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:26,720 strength and it's 3 different words for strength here as he 148 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,520 kind of washes this subject over you in the original that 149 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:33,000 literally says be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his 150 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,960 strength. So is it in is, are you fighting 151 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:38,320 with your own strength or are you fighting with the Lord's 152 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:39,280 strength? That's clear. 153 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:44,320 You have no strength. It's be strong in the Lord and 154 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:46,360 we we look at our own strength and we think of strength in 155 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:50,240 terms of our muscles and you know there is a place for 156 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,320 muscles. Proverbs 31 woman says she makes 157 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,120 her arm strong. But when you compare our muscles 158 00:08:55,120 --> 00:09:00,360 to the the evil 1 and the judicial system that he 159 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:05,120 influences and the economic system and the the marketing and 160 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,000 all of the cosmic powers and authorities, you realize your 161 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,480 muscles. Don't go very far. 162 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,760 And so Paul's teaching here that it's the strength of the Lord's 163 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:17,480 might and his incredible power that we fight with famously, 164 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:21,160 Paul says in Philippians 413, I can do all things through what 165 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:26,160 Christ who strengthens me. It's Christ's strength through 166 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:28,200 us. And so we don't fight with 167 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,440 muscle. It's not that kind of war. 168 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:34,240 We call it spiritual warfare. And in order to engage in 169 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,840 spiritual warfare, Paul says, you put on the armor of God. 170 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,680 Which means first you're called to war, which means you must 171 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:45,080 assume responsibility. It's a call to assume 172 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,880 responsibility. You've been drafted and now 173 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:49,880 there's an obligation on your part. 174 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:54,080 You've been summoned to the Armory and how you respond, 3 175 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:56,120 commands are given to you. The first one you've seen in 176 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:59,160 verse 10, be strong in the Lord. That's the first command, be 177 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:01,800 strong. Second one you can see in verse 178 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:04,360 13, take up the whole armor of God. 179 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:08,120 Verse 11 the 3rd and put on the armor of God. 180 00:10:08,680 --> 00:10:12,840 Be strong, take up and put on the enemy as waging war. 181 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,880 He's waging war against you, against your family, against 182 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:18,680 your children, against everything you love and believe 183 00:10:18,680 --> 00:10:20,840 in. And you have to protect these 184 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:27,000 things, which leads us to chapter 2 of Jesus treaties on 185 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,160 war. And it is waging war. 186 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,320 Read with me Ephesians 611 to 13. 187 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:35,000 I'm going to begin in the middle of the verse. 188 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,160 He says that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the 189 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:42,040 devil. Verse 12 For we do not wrestle 190 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,960 with flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the 191 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,640 authorities, against the cosmic powers, over this present 192 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,480 darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly 193 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:52,960 places. Therefore take up the whole 194 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:55,560 armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil 195 00:10:55,560 --> 00:10:58,680 day, and having done all, to stand firm. 196 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:05,440 So a reminder that Christianity is not entering into peace. 197 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:09,080 It's it's not the absence of conflict, it's actually entering 198 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,440 into conflict. That's what you're signing up 199 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:14,520 for when you become a Christian. And, and peace is not the result 200 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:18,480 of your passivity. It's actually the result of you 201 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,320 waging war according to Christ's terms. 202 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:24,680 Those who willingly engage in spiritual conflict can purchase 203 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:27,600 peace. And the nature of the war, as 204 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:29,120 you see here is not flesh and blood. 205 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:30,720 That's what the Crusades got wrong. 206 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:33,480 They tried to take literal swords and wield the literal 207 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,320 sword, which is for the government, not the church, and 208 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:38,440 they tried to go and take territory on behalf of Christ. 209 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,480 Jesus says we don't. We don't fight with carnal 210 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,720 weapons. He says you have to recognize 211 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,240 your enemies. The section 11B to 13 is about 212 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,440 who your real enemies are. You go back to the ancient world 213 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,680 and who Paul was writing to. The enemy was not Artemis, the 214 00:11:52,680 --> 00:11:55,480 God that everyone worshipped in Ephesus. 215 00:11:55,960 --> 00:12:00,360 And the enemy is not Rome or the godless political systems or 216 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:05,120 godless marketing agencies. Our ultimate enemies, Paul says, 217 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:07,960 are the spiritual forces that are influencing our 218 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,600 institutions. That's our real. 219 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:15,160 Enemy, our true enemy, the agencies behind them, and of our 220 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,080 opponents. Commentator Alan says that this 221 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:20,160 passage is teaching three things about our enemies. 222 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,120 This is really important if you want to write them down. 223 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:27,680 First thing is that they're spiritual forces as opposed to 224 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:31,480 military or political or judicial forces. 225 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:37,320 Spiritual number 2, they are evil, meaning they are 226 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:38,920 antithetical to the Kingdom of God. 227 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:45,200 They they live for evil means. And he says, thirdly, this evil 228 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:47,960 tyranny occurs. In the heavenly places. 229 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:51,840 And he defines what he thinks that what he thinks that means. 230 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:55,360 He says it's not otherworldly space, but rather a particular 231 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:59,160 Nexus within this creative order, namely the places where 232 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,520 God's presence is found thickest. 233 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:05,920 These evil spirits combat God's righteous presence in just those 234 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:07,520 places. Wherever you see the Kingdom of 235 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:11,960 God manifesting, he says, those are the spiritual places where 236 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,360 the tyranny comes. So rulers and authorities is the 237 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:16,880 is the phrase that Paul uses here. 238 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,120 That's always his phrase for evil demonic spirits. 239 00:13:20,680 --> 00:13:23,960 It was back in chapter 1, verse 21, we talked about Jesus Christ 240 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:27,040 rule being high above all rule and authority. 241 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:29,080 That's what he meant. He says it again in chapter 3 242 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,000 verse 10. Jesus Christ rule is above all 243 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:36,720 authorities and powers, so our fight is against personal 244 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:40,800 supernatural agencies. And these agencies are capable 245 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,880 of influencing and infiltrating our institutions using social, 246 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,720 political, economic, judicial and marketing structures for 247 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,280 their ends. Which is why Jesus, you see, 248 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:53,600 even in his earthly ministry, exorcism was a massive part of 249 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,920 his earthly ministry, wasn't it? Or he would cast out and 250 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,240 liberate people. Luke 4 says this was 251 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:01,760 characteristic of his ministry. He told you before he ever 252 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:04,680 started, I'm going to liberate those who are in bondage. 253 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:09,000 Mark chapter one, verse 27. He commands even the unclean 254 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,800 spirits and they obey him. Jesus is the commander of all 255 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:16,720 armies. Now be they good or I'll they're 256 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:18,200 like. Water in his hands, you come to 257 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:22,160 Luke 10. When the the 72 are sent out by 258 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:24,680 Jesus, they come back and they're rejoicing because they 259 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:26,840 say Lord. Even the evil spirits are 260 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:27,880 subject to. US. 261 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:33,600 And God, Jesus says to them, the demons are subject to you in my 262 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:35,360 name. He says, Behold, I've given you 263 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:37,640 all power over the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 264 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:40,800 Nevertheless, don't rejoice in this, that the spirits are 265 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,600 subject to you. But rejoice that your names are 266 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:48,000 written in heaven. So we have all power over the 267 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,720 enemy in Christ, which is why he says we are called to take up 268 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:55,600 the whole armour of God for the purpose of standing firm and 269 00:14:55,600 --> 00:15:00,280 withstanding the evil day. And again this word evil day, 270 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,560 this phrase is important. I'm going to throw 4 definitions 271 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,760 at you and and show where where most modern commentaries land. 272 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:10,440 It gets interpreted in several ways, some of them overlapping. 273 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:14,160 Some people say that this fight that we're engaged in, this evil 274 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:17,160 day is. Just the everyday difficulties 275 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:20,040 of living as a marginalized Christian in a secular, hostile 276 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,680 world. That's one take on it. 277 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,640 The second view is the the most popular view today among 278 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:29,600 commentators. It's the one that I take. 279 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:33,280 It's particularly difficult experiences of hardship that 280 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:36,840 arrive in your life. Those extreme trials and 281 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:41,000 temptations and times of trial are the evil day. 282 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,400 The third option is the the final day of intense. 283 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:47,680 Evil right that day. The day when wickedness, that 284 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:52,240 the power and of darkness is exposed, and then fourthly would 285 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:54,840 be the final day of evil, which the author of efficient of 286 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,480 Ephesians believes is now present, but not yet in its 287 00:15:57,480 --> 00:15:59,600 fullness. That was Carl Bard, and that is 288 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,440 the theology of Ephesians. And we have to say yes, where we 289 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:07,280 are living in that evil day, and we say that evil is, is 290 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,040 strengthening its grip. The last day is here in the 291 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:13,400 churches. But that's exactly why we faced 292 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,840 these these tremendous trials and difficulties. 293 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,800 That's the evil day. And he's saying when Satan comes 294 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,760 with his arrows and he comes tempting you, that's the. 295 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:27,360 Evil day and you would stand by putting on the armor of God and 296 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:32,160 so how do you protect yourself moves us into chapter 3 297 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:36,400 strategies of war. I'm going to remind you again 298 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,240 what it what Paul said in verse 11 where he says put on the 299 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,480 whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against all the 300 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,600 schemes of the devil. Look with me to chapter 6 verses 301 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:49,080 14 to 15 for your strategy. He's a stand. 302 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,440 Therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth. 303 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:54,040 Having put on the breastplate of righteousness. 304 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:56,240 And his shoes. For your feet, having put on 305 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,160 readiness given by the gospel of peace. 306 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:02,640 So you have to resist what what Carson and Beale called the 307 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:07,240 insidious and clever attacks of the devil and Ian Hamilton says, 308 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:09,960 behind flesh and blood, the devil is invisibly but 309 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:13,440 unceasingly devising his stratagems, provoking godless 310 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,200 authorities and stirring up indwelling sin. 311 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:19,760 And so this word, schemes that it uses here is the word for 312 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,240 struggle or strategy. In the ancient world that was 313 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,040 related to wrestling. It was the word that described 314 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:29,360 the that Olympic game, The wrestling was the most subtle of 315 00:17:29,360 --> 00:17:32,200 all of the games. And so he's saying this is what 316 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:35,200 wrestling with the devil. It's kind of showing this our 317 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,560 conflict with Satan and his advert, our adversaries is like 318 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:41,960 hand to hand combat. And he's saying that when your 319 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,840 your interactions with him are like wrestling, it's subtle, 320 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:47,720 right? He's using your weight against 321 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:49,560 you. It's subtle movements and subtle 322 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:54,720 advances. It's a subtle art and 323 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:56,440 summarizing warfare in the ancient world. 324 00:17:56,440 --> 00:18:00,680 I go back again to Soon Zhu, who says all warfare is based on 325 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,400 deception. And as you work through his 326 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:07,200 chapter on, it's called attack by stratagems, it's this word 327 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,360 scheming strategies. He says that whatever you're 328 00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:13,800 doing in the ancient world to engage in war, it's deception. 329 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,400 So he says if you're strong, then you're trying to reveal to 330 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:19,880 your opponent that you're weak. And if you're weak and few in 331 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,160 number, then you're trying to to showcase to your opponent that 332 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,440 you're strong and you're great in number. 333 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,160 And if you're near, you're trying to give the the illusion 334 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:28,800 that you're far away. And if you're far away, you're 335 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:30,640 trying to give the illusion that you're near. 336 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,240 It's deception, deception, deception. 337 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:36,040 Paul saying Satan likewise attacks the church with 338 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:40,520 deceptive plans. He's trying to subvert the 339 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,920 Kingdom of God, which is why he sends wolves in sheep's clothing 340 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:46,880 into his local churches. It's deception. 341 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:49,960 We want to look like Christians, but we're really here to undo 342 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:53,800 the whole thing. That's why he is the great Angel 343 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:58,440 of darkness and he disguises himself how as an Angel of 344 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:00,120 light. It's deception. 345 00:19:00,360 --> 00:19:03,520 And everything that God calls good, there's Satan there subtly 346 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,360 subverting it. We see it in in institutions 347 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:08,840 like marriage. These things that God loves, 348 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:11,000 Satan's there to destroy. God says marriage is blessed 349 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,080 when it endures. Satan says you can be blessed if 350 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:17,080 you divorce. God says marriage is between a 351 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:19,200 man and a woman. And Satan says no, love is love. 352 00:19:19,360 --> 00:19:22,160 Marriage is between a man and a man, a man and a woman, a woman 353 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:24,680 and a woman, whatever else you want to put in there. 354 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:28,920 God says marriage is characterized by fidelity. 355 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:32,400 Satan tempts you to enjoy outside partners. 356 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:35,240 God says authority exists for your good. 357 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:37,760 And Satan pushes back and he says no authority is wicked and 358 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:41,200 oppressive. God says love is a commitment 359 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,000 and Satan whispers love is an emotion. 360 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:46,360 God says the truth sets you free. 361 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:49,200 Satan says authenticity is real freedom. 362 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,400 God says suffering produces endurance. 363 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,480 Satan says suffering proves that God is unjust. 364 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,960 God says you're to enjoy rest and Satan says your worth comes. 365 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:04,200 From your achievements. So our enemy is a scheming, 366 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:08,720 manipulative liar, and the Bible says that he has been a murderer 367 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,800 from the very beginning. And so we're going to be at war 368 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:13,920 with our enemy until Christ comes home. 369 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:17,680 But praise God, there is what Richard Rodgers calls holy helps 370 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:20,200 for a godly life. He's not left us without 371 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:24,120 resource in this world. He says God's children have no 372 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:28,000 strength against sin at any time except by means of the armor of 373 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,520 God. You have no resistance against 374 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:34,520 sin except. From the armour of God so we 375 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,880 turn our attention to the only means that God's given to defend 376 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:41,240 ourselves, his armour and the. Passage is so famous and so 377 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:45,080 memorable that it gets distorted in predictable ways. 378 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,160 And so I remember being in college, being given a prayer 379 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,280 guide saying this is how you were to pray when you wake up 380 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:51,880 every morning. It was pray for your government, 381 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:54,200 pray for your church, pray for your spouse and your family. 382 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:56,360 And that's all good. But I remember the the first 383 00:20:56,360 --> 00:21:01,040 part of it every day was kind of pray these armours on you pray 384 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:02,520 the helmet, you pray the breastplate. 385 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:06,040 And it was kind of like you're not putting truth out there. 386 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:09,960 You're just kind of mystically praying the helmet on, right? 387 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,440 It's kind of this mystical experience. 388 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:15,520 And so again, popular level devotionals, there's another 389 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:16,840 way. They kind of over emphasize the 390 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:19,680 armor to the extent that they lose what the metaphors talking 391 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:21,840 about. And so they're saying put on the 392 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,160 helmet, the helmet being spiritualized to mean your 393 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,400 brain, because Satan's going to attack your mind. 394 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:29,920 And then you put on the breastplate, which covers your 395 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:32,360 heart. So we're kind of spiritualizing 396 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:35,080 the breastplate as your heart because it's your emotions and 397 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:36,880 Satan's coming for your, your heart. 398 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:41,440 And so it kind of becomes a body map of what needs protection, 399 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:45,120 which may be, you know, a piece of the analogy. 400 00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:48,680 But you have to stop and ask, what is Paul doing with the 401 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:52,680 metaphor of armor? What is the Armor of God about? 402 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,680 And remember that this is the climax, this is the peroration, 403 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:58,480 the conclusion to the whole book. 404 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,560 And so it's important to remember what Paul's doing is 405 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:03,240 he's gathering everything that he's already taught you and he 406 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:06,720 says assembling it into this illustration that you can 407 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,720 remember forever. It's meant to summarize more 408 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:12,520 than it's meant to instruct. So he's already taught us what 409 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:14,480 the armor represents. Go back to chapter one, verse 410 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:16,920 13. He already taught about truth in 411 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:18,120 him. You also, when you heard the 412 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:20,560 word of truth, the gospel of your salvation and believed in 413 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:23,320 him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. 414 00:22:24,120 --> 00:22:26,800 He's already taught about righteousness in chapter 4, 415 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,960 verses 23 to 24, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds and 416 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,800 to put on the new self created after the likeness of God in 417 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,760 true righteousness and in true holiness. 418 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:39,960 He's already taught about peace in chapter 2 verses 14 to 17 For 419 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,480 he himself is our peace, who has made us both 1 and is broken 420 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,320 down in his flesh, the dividing wall of hostility. 421 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,680 He's taught us about salvation in chapter 2, verse 8. 422 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:51,360 For by grace we've been saved through faith. 423 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:52,800 This is not our own doing, it's the. 424 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,880 Result of God, not of work so that no one can boast. 425 00:22:55,880 --> 00:23:00,040 It's the gift of God and then finally he's talked in chapter 1 426 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:03,560 all the way through to this point and in chapter 4 verse 29, 427 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:07,160 what he calls the word of truth. He's talked about the word of 428 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,560 God and so. Paul's assembling all of these 429 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:13,040 virtues together in the context of our spiritual war. 430 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,840 He's using the imagery of the armor of God to teach you to put 431 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,040 on virtue. What is the armor of God about? 432 00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:24,280 It's about you putting on virtues, putting on truth and 433 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:28,240 righteousness and peace. And even if you go back to the 434 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:31,360 Scriptures that we've already read in Isaiah 59, where the the 435 00:23:31,360 --> 00:23:34,000 armor of God was in the Old Testament, it pictured the 436 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:35,560 people. And Isaiah is trying to 437 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:38,600 emphasize to you, he says justice has turned back right. 438 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:43,320 These, these, these are missing. Righteousness stands far away. 439 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,520 There's no virtue. Uprightness cannot enter. 440 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:47,480 Truth is lacking. And then God looks around and he 441 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:48,600 says there's no one to intercede. 442 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,400 There's no one embodying these attributes. 443 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:53,720 That's the context where Messiah comes. 444 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:56,680 He says there's one coming who will put on the armor of God. 445 00:23:56,680 --> 00:23:58,840 There's one coming who will have justice. 446 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:00,640 He will have righteousness as a helmet. 447 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:02,560 There is a breastplate. He will have salvation as a 448 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:06,240 helmet, garments of vengeance and zeal wrapped around him as a 449 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:09,000 cloak. He would wear the armor of God. 450 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:10,800 And so why? Why do we need this? 451 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:14,320 Why is it necessary? Because you're in a war. 452 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:16,760 It was necessary for the Lord of glory. 453 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:21,240 It's necessary for us. We put on armor as assuming 454 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:24,960 responsibility and falling in line in our place in the war. 455 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,320 It's about identity. Your armor identifies you with a 456 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:32,360 particular Kingdom. It identifies you with what 457 00:24:32,360 --> 00:24:34,920 you're fighting for and who you're fighting for, and it's 458 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:39,240 reflective of your purpose. Ours is the armor of God, and 459 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:41,960 it's of God because it's the armor we receive from God. 460 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:45,800 But it's of God also because it's the same armor that Jesus 461 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,040 Christ wears when He was pictured. 462 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,120 When Messiah comes, this is what He will look like, and this is 463 00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:54,400 what He will wear as He tears down the wicked from their lofty 464 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:56,320 places. As it is written in the prophet 465 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:59,520 of Isaiah, the Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of 466 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:02,360 war. He stirs up zeal, He cries out, 467 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,760 He shouts aloud, and He shows Himself against His mighty foes. 468 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:10,160 Isaiah 11 verse 5 also reveals the armor of God in the Old 469 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:11,600 Testament. He says righteousness shall be 470 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,760 the belt of His waist, faithfulness the belt of His 471 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:17,440 loins. And Isaiah 59, as you've seen, 472 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:19,920 He puts on righteousness as a breastplate, the helmet of 473 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,920 salvation on his head, garments of vengeance for clothing, and 474 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,760 has wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak. 475 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:31,560 So when Christ took on flesh, you saw Him embodying justice 476 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,120 and righteousness and truth and peace. 477 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:38,360 And you are His servants. You are His soldier in war. 478 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:41,160 And so fighting our common spiritual enemy. 479 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,880 It's the same enemies all these thousands of years later. 480 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,600 It's the same tactics. You fight them by spiritual 481 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:48,920 means. This is what Paul writes in 2nd 482 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:52,440 Corinthians 10, three to five. For though we walk in the flesh, 483 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:57,000 we are not waging war according to the flesh, but we have divine 484 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,760 power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments in every 485 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:04,200 lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every 486 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:10,440 thought captive to obey Christ. So this is the warfare, fighting 487 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:15,000 evil with virtue, putting on the armor of God, he says, so that 488 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,360 you may withstand all of the attacks of the Evil 1. 489 00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:22,000 And so first I want to attribute something about Satan with 490 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,800 something about this armor that we have to put on first. 491 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:28,360 He says Satan is a liar. That's what the Bible says. 492 00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:31,560 Satan is the father of lies and he's going to assault you in. 493 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:35,080 Every way with lies, but we know that there's no room for error 494 00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:38,960 in the truth. And so he says to the deceiver, 495 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,320 we expose his lies. If we know the truth, the truth 496 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:44,640 will set us free. If we know the truth, we can 497 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:47,640 expose the lies. And so he says in verse 14, 498 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,440 Stand firm, therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth. 499 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:54,280 And. So you put on scripture, you 500 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:58,200 train yourself by knowing doctrine and theology in your 501 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:01,440 Bible, and that is how you arm yourself and protect yourself 502 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:06,040 against all the lies of Satan. Second, Satan is going to 503 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:08,160 slander you. He's called the devil, which 504 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:12,000 means literally the slanderer, but he says, but righteous 505 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:15,560 conduct empties Satan's slander of all its credibility. 506 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:19,560 So you put on righteousness. It's it's seen as as light in 507 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:21,760 the darkness in Scripture. You put on righteousness and 508 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:23,160 then what is he going to accuse you of? 509 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:27,400 If your good works go before you, if you're living above her 510 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:29,960 approach, then they just bounce off you. 511 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:32,560 Nobody believes them. I know that man's character. 512 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:36,080 I know her character. Proverbs 10/9 communicates the 513 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:38,280 idea. Whoever walks in integrity walks 514 00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:41,040 securely first. Peter 210. 515 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:43,280 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable so that when 516 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:46,200 they speak against you as evil doers, they may see your good 517 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,640 deeds and glorify God. First, Peter 316 When you're 518 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:53,000 slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be 519 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,880 put to shame. That's the value of your good 520 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:58,520 works. That's the value of your 521 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:02,120 righteousness. Paul says it's like a gleaming 522 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:04,600 breastplate put on the breastplate of righteousness. 523 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:07,200 It will protect you from the slander of your enemy. 524 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,920 We say there's there's kinds of two kinds of righteousness and I 525 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:13,120 think they're both in view here. There's imputed righteousness, 526 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:15,840 which is the righteousness that's been counted to your 527 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:19,360 account because Jesus lived a perfect life and so he's gifted 528 00:28:19,360 --> 00:28:22,400 that righteousness to you. It's counted toward your 529 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,840 account, which happened at your salvation. 530 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:28,040 And then there's what we call imparted righteousness, because 531 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:31,840 our God is so gracious and beautiful and merciful that he 532 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:34,920 actually gives you his Holy Spirit and begins to make you 533 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:37,320 righteous. And these things coupled 534 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:41,760 together outdo Satan and his slanders. 535 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:46,800 You have both. Third, Satan is going to accuse 536 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,240 you. His name is Satan, which means 537 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:53,880 adversary or accuser. But your faith in the gospel 538 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,720 will ground you against all of his accusations. 539 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:00,720 This is your subjective faith, Paul says in verse 15 and AS. 540 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:04,240 Shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the 541 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:07,880 gospel of peace. So when Satan says look at all 542 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:11,120 the wickedness you've done, you're not really forgiven, 543 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:13,200 you're not really a child of God. 544 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:16,560 Your life is grounded objectively in the gospel. 545 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:19,640 And you remember the faith that you've put in Christ. 546 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:21,640 There's an author named David Benner. 547 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,160 He says he likes to ask people, what do you think about when you 548 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,320 think about God? Which, by the way, AW Tozer said 549 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:28,640 that's the most important thing about you. 550 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:30,880 What you think about when you think about God is the most 551 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:32,840 important thing about you. And people go on his 552 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,360 righteousness, His Holiness, he's my father. 553 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,680 And then he responds. What do you assume God feels? 554 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:43,160 When you come to mind and you can, you can ask that question 555 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:46,000 of yourself, what what do you think God feels when he thinks 556 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,840 about you? And he said his, his most common 557 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:54,400 response is disappointed. And I want to say this is 558 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:58,800 exactly the work of the devil and his accusations and his 559 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,560 slanders, that we would think that the Lord of glory is 560 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:06,120 disappointed in US rather than rejoicing over us. 561 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:11,640 So the the gospel grounds you when Satan accuses you, as the 562 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,360 famous hymn goes. When Satan tempts me to despair 563 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:17,600 and tells me of the guilt within upward, I look and see him there 564 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:21,760 who put an end to all my sin. The gospel brings readiness and 565 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:26,080 peace. Fourthly, Satan is Apollyon, 566 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:29,720 which means the destroyer. John 1010. 567 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:33,160 The thief comes only to kill and to destroy, but antithetical to 568 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:36,480 him is Jesus Christ who comes to bring life, and life abundantly. 569 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:37,720 First. Peter 5/8. 570 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:42,520 He seeks someone to devour, Paul says in light of this, take up 571 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:46,000 the shield of faith in all circumstances with which you can 572 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:51,760 extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil. 1 So this is your 573 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:56,560 active reliance, your faith in all of the promises of God, your 574 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:59,160 faith in the character of God, your faith in the promises of 575 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:02,120 God and the. Destroyer says to you God is 576 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:06,440 withholding from you and God is not really good and and you as a 577 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:10,200 Christian respond, God has graciously given to me all 578 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:14,440 things and God is working all things for good to those who 579 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:17,080 love him. That's your trust in God, your 580 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:19,080 faith. And it extinguishes all of the 581 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:22,240 flaming darts of the wicked one. It's a shield that absorbs all 582 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:26,880 of those attacks. And fifthly, finally, Satan is 583 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:30,200 the ancient serpent, the ultimate enemy of God, who would 584 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:34,360 lead astray if possible, even the elect Scripture says. 585 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,920 But if you go back all the way back to that ancient serpent in 586 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:39,680 the garden, and you see that him leading. 587 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:43,920 Adam and Eve astray was the grounds of the promise of the 588 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:47,760 gospel that would come 2000 years later. 589 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:50,280 And so from the very beginning, salvation has been. 590 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:52,280 Secure. It's grounded in the promises of 591 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:53,840 God. It was grounded in Ephesians one 592 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:56,000 to three where he said you've been predestined by God the 593 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:58,680 Father, you've been redeemed by Christ, you've been sealed by 594 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:02,000 his Holy Spirit for an inheritance that is certain and 595 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,240 secure. And so Paul says in verse 17, 596 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:09,040 take the helmet of salvation. Dee Martin Lloyd Jones wrote 2 597 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,360 fat books on these 10 verses of 10 to 20. 598 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:13,840 You can go read the most stairs in the library. 599 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:17,520 I haven't. But he says the piece of armor, 600 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:20,320 this piece of armor is your hope of salvation. 601 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,320 That's what it represents. You have hope that you use to 602 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:25,840 battle your adversary. It doesn't matter what he says 603 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:28,000 or what he does. You have the hope of salvation. 604 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:30,880 It's your identity. If the shield was your 605 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,600 subjective faith, and this is your objective faith, it's 606 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,160 settled in heaven. Your assurance is settled. 607 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:41,600 Your salvation is certain. And then after all this you can 608 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:43,760 see the completeness of the armour. 609 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,080 Paul says put on the whole armour of God and then he 610 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,880 commands you take up the whole armour of God, emphasizing this 611 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,200 is a set. You don't get to piece part. 612 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:53,360 You know, I want I want the breast actually, I don't want 613 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:54,520 the breastplate. That sounds hard. 614 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:56,800 The sword sounds fun. I'll take that right. 615 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:58,480 You don't get to piece part. What armour? 616 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:03,080 You take this is. The problem of a lot of modern 617 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:06,320 missionaries. They've got zeal like a cloak, 618 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:08,440 right? They take the sword and they 619 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:10,320 take their Bible and then they go overseas. 620 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:12,600 But they're I'll equipped to minister when they get there 621 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:15,400 because they have a weak understanding of the gospel and 622 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:18,320 they haven't been given the opportunity to exercise and grow 623 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:20,640 their faith. And they have a subjective faith 624 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:23,200 that they don't understand yet. And they have little external 625 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:26,160 righteousness to protect them. And So what happens is their 626 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:30,000 ministry is deficient. You take up the whole armor of 627 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,800 God, you take the complete armor of God. 628 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:36,200 And when you take it all, and it says having done all, that is 629 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:39,600 all that you can, then you will be able to withstand. 630 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:41,560 And what will you be able to withstand? 631 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:44,920 Again, all things. This word comes up over and over 632 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,800 all things. Verse 16 In all circumstances 633 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:50,720 you can extinguish all the flaming arrows, praying at all 634 00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:53,440 times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication and all 635 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:55,960 perseverance, making supplications for all the 636 00:33:55,960 --> 00:34:00,200 Saints. All that to say, you have been 637 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:05,200 prepared for war. You have armor sufficient for 638 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:07,720 the war that you fight. Praise God. 639 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,639 Which leads us to chapter 4, preserving in war. 640 00:34:12,639 --> 00:34:17,199 The final chapter Paul gives preserving in war three times. 641 00:34:17,199 --> 00:34:21,040 Paul calls the church to persevere in conflict comes 642 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:25,560 first in chapter 6, verse 11, put on the armor of God that you 643 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:29,159 may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 644 00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:31,760 Verse 13, having done all, stand firm. 645 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:37,520 Verse 14, stand therefore having fastened on the belt of truth. 646 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,199 So the Lord tarries, which means we remain in wartime. 647 00:34:41,199 --> 00:34:44,480 We're in wartime until the Lord returns and the Christian puts 648 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:46,600 on the armor and it does not come off. 649 00:34:47,159 --> 00:34:50,040 It doesn't come off until it's replaced with robes of 650 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:53,960 righteousness in heaven. One Puritan named William 651 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:57,840 Gurnall wrote a book called The Christian Incomplete Armor 652 00:34:58,160 --> 00:34:59,880 Because it's hilarious. I want to read to you the 653 00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:01,600 subtitle. If you've read the Puritans, you 654 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:05,080 understand why this is funny. The subtitle is The Saints War 655 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:08,000 Against the Devil, wherein a discovery is made of that grand 656 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,160 enemy of God and his people and his policies, power, seat of his 657 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:13,240 empire, wickedness, and chief design. 658 00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:15,960 He hath against the Saints. A magazine opened from whence 659 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:18,600 the Christian is furnished with spiritual arms for the battle, 660 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:21,200 helped on with his armor and taught the use of his weapon, 661 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:23,440 together with the happy issues of the whole war. 662 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:28,800 It's a long book. It's a legendary book. 663 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:33,040 What he says is incredible. He says in this he describes 664 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:36,120 when Satan will attack you with his fiery darts. 665 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:40,480 When can you expect your adversary to attack? 666 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:42,280 And his answer is when you're vulnerable. 667 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:44,840 And he says, think through this yourself. 668 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:48,680 And what ways are you vulnerable to these five ideas? 669 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:52,520 He says when you're newly converted and you're optimistic, 670 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:55,680 he says you're vulnerable to fiery arrows. 671 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:58,280 You're ignorant of the realities of spiritual war, and so he's 672 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:01,960 coming for you a second, he says when you're afflicted. 673 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:05,120 He says when when things are well, Satan's going to leave you 674 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:07,480 alone. But when things begin to get 675 00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:11,920 bad, then Satan comes to suggest that God has abandoned you or 676 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:13,680 that you are not really his child. 677 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:17,560 The third thing he says is when the Christian has achieved 678 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:21,200 notable success he will be there to tempt you with pride. 679 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:24,600 And you can think of all of the so-called Christian celebrities 680 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:28,040 and how many of them remain and how long they remain in the 681 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:31,600 ministry when Kate Satan comes and and tempts them. 682 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,200 How many have been conquered by the enemy? 683 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:37,280 Fourthly, he says when the Christian is alone. 684 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:40,560 If if you're. Isolated and you're lonely. 685 00:36:41,240 --> 00:36:44,280 Then he begins to surround you because you're not surrounded by 686 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:46,760 men and women. He surrounds you with carnal men 687 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:49,480 rather than Christians. He waits until you take the 688 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:52,160 armor off, and then that's when he strikes. 689 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:55,280 And you can think, is, is Satan beginning to separate me through 690 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:58,320 sin, through depression, whatever it is? 691 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:01,560 Am I beginning to be separated from the people I love and from 692 00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:04,920 the people of God? And finally, he says he attacks 693 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:07,360 when the Christian is nearing greater usefulness. 694 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:11,080 He attacks growing Christians, those who are making incredible 695 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:12,640 progress in a short amount of time. 696 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:16,640 He wants to stop it. And so he sees you, and he stops 697 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:18,920 it. And what are the fiery darts 698 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:23,760 except for sudden temptations, sudden accusations from our past 699 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:27,360 sins, and sudden persuasions when we're the weakest? 700 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,000 And so as you persevere, you're not left just with defensive 701 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:34,160 items. As you well know, God leaves you 702 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:38,440 one offensive resource. You're left with the one, the 703 00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:44,480 one weapon that Paul describes in verse 17, trying really hard 704 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:46,040 not to say the holy hand grenade of Antioch. 705 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:49,960 It's the sword of the Spirit. The sword of the Spirit is your 706 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:53,440 one offensive weapon, verse 17, and the sword of the Spirit, 707 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:59,120 which is the word of God that's using God's word against his 708 00:37:59,120 --> 00:38:01,440 foes, that's your weapon, the word of God. 709 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:03,840 He says this is the sword of the Spirit. 710 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:07,720 Ian Hamilton Because it is the great weapon the Spirit uses to 711 00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:11,360 advance God's Kingdom in this world and plunder and despoil 712 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:14,920 the Kingdom of Satan. I love that we know from 713 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:18,800 Scripture, it says that God has bound the strongman and now we 714 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:22,320 plunder his goods. We take up the sword and we go, 715 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:25,720 and we win ground for the Kingdom of heaven, Thomas Murphy 716 00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:27,920 says of the sword. It's the sword which the Holy 717 00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:30,680 Ghost has forged. Which He's given to be used by 718 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:34,360 his servants, Which He uses himself in the dispensation of 719 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:38,480 Providence, in which we may be positive He will bless of the 720 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:40,160 Holy Spirit. He asked rhetorically. 721 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:42,400 Will he not make its strokes effective? 722 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:46,320 It's beautiful. Jesus is our Commander and He 723 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:50,600 modelled in warfare us by wielding the sword perfectly. 724 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:53,240 He shows you what to do. He did war with Satan in the 725 00:38:53,240 --> 00:38:55,040 wilderness. Satan comes tempting him just 726 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:57,800 like he comes tempting you. He tempts him in his hunger and 727 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:01,560 his thirst with satisfaction. He attempts him in his subject, 728 00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:05,000 his subjection to God the Father, with opportunities for 729 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:08,480 dominion, and he in his humiliation he tempts him with 730 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:10,840 exaltation. And how does Jesus respond? 731 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:13,960 Three times. It is written, it is written, it 732 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:15,880 is written. He wields the word of God. 733 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:19,440 And Satan has has nothing because God has spoken and it is 734 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:21,880 true. That's why Jesus most asked 735 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:25,880 question on earth was have you not read and as you go through 736 00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:28,280 Matthew and as you go through John, it is over and over again. 737 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:30,240 It is written it is written in your law. 738 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:33,880 It's written have you not read this is training. 739 00:39:34,240 --> 00:39:36,440 He's given you the sword. He's taught you how to wield it. 740 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:38,200 He's revealed it to you. You read his life. 741 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:42,080 You see how to engage in battle, and it's the same armor of God 742 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:45,160 that was fit for Jesus Christ representing divine virtue is 743 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:49,400 being placed on. You, This is your call to war. 744 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,160 You've been enlisted. You've been summoned to the 745 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:56,200 Armory. I want to bring up John Bunyan's 746 00:39:56,200 --> 00:40:00,920 book Pilgrims Progress, because there's a, a beautiful section 747 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:04,200 of the book right after he's converted and he steps into 748 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:06,880 palace beautiful and he enters into the Armory. 749 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:09,880 You see all this Ephesians Six language? 750 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:12,880 So Onion writes, they took him and had him into the Armory, 751 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:15,520 where they showed him all manner of furniture which their Lord 752 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:18,120 had provided for pilgrims, sword, shield, helmet, 753 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:20,800 breastplate, and shoes that would never wear out. 754 00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:24,400 And there was a here enough of this to harness out as many men 755 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:27,680 for the service of their Lord as there are stars in the heavens 756 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:30,720 for multitudes. And he receives his armor, and 757 00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:32,920 he puts it on and never takes it off until he comes into the 758 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:35,160 Celestial City. But he comes then into the 759 00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:38,440 Valley of Humiliation, where he faces an opponent named 760 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,200 Apollyon. And I want you to hear how 761 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:44,520 Bunyan depicts our spiritual battles, he says. 762 00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:48,800 Then Napoleon broke out into a grievous rage, saying, I am come 763 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:53,160 out on purpose to withstand you. Christian, says Napoleon, beware 764 00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:55,240 of what you do, for I am in the King's Hwy. 765 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:58,160 The way of holiness. Therefore take heed yourself. 766 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:01,160 Then Napoleon straddled quiet over the whole breadth of the. 767 00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:03,680 Way and said, I am void of fear in this matter. 768 00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:07,240 Prepare yourself to die, for I swear by my infernal din that 769 00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:10,120 you shall go no further here. I will spill your soul. 770 00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:13,200 And with that he threw a flaming dart at his breast. 771 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:16,080 But Christian had a shield in his hand with which he caught 772 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:17,920 it, and so prevented the danger of it. 773 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:22,200 Then did Christian draw, for he had saw it was time to bestir 774 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:25,400 him, and Napoleon as fast made at him throwing darts. 775 00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:28,120 As thick as hail by the witch. Notwithstanding all that 776 00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:31,000 Christian could do to avoid it, Apollyon wounded him in his 777 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:32,720 head, and in his hand, and in his foot. 778 00:41:33,080 --> 00:41:34,720 This made Christian give a little back. 779 00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:37,560 Apollyon therefore followed his work with haste. 780 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:40,160 And Christian again took courage, and resisted as 781 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:43,200 manfully as he could. This sword combat lasted for 782 00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:46,040 above half a day, even till Christian was almost quite 783 00:41:46,040 --> 00:41:47,920 spent. For you must know that Christian 784 00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:50,880 by reason of his wounds, must grow weaker and weaker. 785 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:54,480 Then Napoleon is spying his opportunity, began to gather up 786 00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:57,160 close to Christian, and wrestling with him, gave him a 787 00:41:57,160 --> 00:41:59,560 dreadful fall. And with that Christian sword 788 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:02,640 flew out of his hand. Then Napoleon said, I am sure of 789 00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:04,480 you now. And with that he had almost 790 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:06,800 pressed him to death. So the Christian began to 791 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:09,640 despair of life itself. But as God would have it, while 792 00:42:09,640 --> 00:42:12,920 Napoleon was fetching of his last blow thereby to make a full 793 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:15,920 end of this, Goodman, Christian nimbly stretched out his hand 794 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:19,280 for his sword, and caught it, saying, Rejoice not against me, 795 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:21,440 O my enemy, for when I fall I shallow. 796 00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:24,720 And with that he gave him a deadly thrust, which made him 797 00:42:24,720 --> 00:42:27,320 give back as one that had received a mortal wound. 798 00:42:27,640 --> 00:42:30,360 Christian, perceiving that, made it him again saying No. 799 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:32,760 And all these things we are more than conquers through him who 800 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:35,320 loved us. And with that Apollyon spread 801 00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:38,000 forth his Dragon's wings, and speed him away. 802 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:40,920 That Christian for a season saw him no more. 803 00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:44,440 It's a picture of your spiritual battles. 804 00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:48,320 And Christian, just to point out the obvious, didn't withstand 805 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:52,680 Apollyon by his own strength. He withstood him in the strength 806 00:42:52,720 --> 00:42:55,440 of the Lord and in the strength of his strength. 807 00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:59,640 And he won because his armor was truth and peace and 808 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:03,080 righteousness and the gospel and the hope of salvation and his 809 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:07,080 weapon were words of truth, even Scripture. 810 00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:11,480 And so Church of the Day is coming, when your armor will 811 00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:13,400 come off, and your. Robes of Glory. 812 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:16,760 Will go on, but until that day, the call is twofold. 813 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:21,160 Take up the armor of God and put on the armor of God. 814 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:26,080 Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his strength, and 815 00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:28,560 take responsibility for the spiritual war that is going on 816 00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:32,800 around you and participate in it and pray with me. 817 00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:35,120 And we'll go to the Lord saying, Lord, give us strength to 818 00:43:35,120 --> 00:43:39,200 withstand that evil day. We know vividly what that means. 819 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:43,360 God, we've all been pressed by Apollyon and his servants. 820 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:45,720 We know what it means to be spiritually oppressed. 821 00:43:45,720 --> 00:43:49,520 We know what it means to have our conscience accuse us and our 822 00:43:49,520 --> 00:43:52,480 enemies accuse us, and to be lied to and to be deceived. 823 00:43:53,640 --> 00:43:55,440 God, we all know well the hardships of this world. 824 00:43:55,440 --> 00:43:58,560 But Lord, we have to defend the things that are precious. 825 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:03,040 And you've given us all manner of instruments or furniture to 826 00:44:03,040 --> 00:44:04,520 do that. Lord, you've given us the armor 827 00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:05,920 of God. You've given us the sword of the 828 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:09,840 Lord, and so train us to use it. Help us to put it into practice 829 00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:12,120 for the good of your church, for the good of our families. 830 00:44:12,120 --> 00:44:15,200 Lord, we love you. Thank you in Christ's name, 831 00:44:15,560 --> 00:44:18,760 Amen. Thanks for listening. 832 00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:20,680 You'll learn more about Heritage Church. 833 00:44:20,720 --> 00:44:23,840 Or if you'd like to respond to this sermon, visit our website 834 00:44:23,840 --> 00:44:27,720 at www.heritageshawnee.org.