WEBVTT 00:00:01.930 --> 00:00:04.990 but seven -part study on 1 Thessalonians. I hope 00:00:04.990 --> 00:00:06.730 that you men will register today in the lobby 00:00:06.730 --> 00:00:10.769 and will plan to be with us. Last week you received 00:00:10.769 --> 00:00:15.349 some idea worksheets. I want to remind you how 00:00:15.349 --> 00:00:18.809 important it is that we receive those back so 00:00:18.809 --> 00:00:21.269 that we can hear from all of you as to your ideas. 00:00:21.449 --> 00:00:24.109 Some wonder how does this fit in with Project 00:00:24.109 --> 00:00:27.250 2000, which we're involved in. Well, it's a part 00:00:27.250 --> 00:00:29.890 of Project 2000, which is an overarching kind 00:00:29.890 --> 00:00:34.170 of... of name, Preparing Our Church, a program 00:00:34.170 --> 00:00:36.490 preparing our church for the turn of the century. 00:00:37.329 --> 00:00:39.950 What we're involved with here is a three -year 00:00:39.950 --> 00:00:43.990 part of that. Last year, about the same time, 00:00:44.030 --> 00:00:47.270 we did have some small group meetings in homes 00:00:47.270 --> 00:00:49.429 and here at the church in various places, and 00:00:49.429 --> 00:00:53.469 some 300 of you shared ideas regarding the church. 00:00:54.009 --> 00:00:56.189 But now we're giving the opportunity for everybody 00:00:56.189 --> 00:00:59.960 to do that in a written form. And you will notice 00:00:59.960 --> 00:01:03.880 that this particular series of worksheets focuses 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:07.799 on dreams and ideas regarding the development 00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:10.959 of our ministry. So it's a little more focused 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:16.180 than last year's assessment was. It's made available 00:01:16.180 --> 00:01:18.140 to everybody here. Of course, last year's was 00:01:18.140 --> 00:01:21.359 too, but only 300 part took. But I'm hoping that 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:23.859 hundreds more will take advantage of this opportunity 00:01:23.859 --> 00:01:27.379 to have input into the future direction of our 00:01:27.379 --> 00:01:30.659 ministry here. We need to have those back today, 00:01:30.819 --> 00:01:34.079 if at all possible. If you cannot get it in today 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:37.060 and leave it at the information desk, then would 00:01:37.060 --> 00:01:39.959 you please mail it in so we'll get here by Wednesday 00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:43.560 of this week or bring it on Wednesday night. 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:46.480 It's vital that we have those, and I want to 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:48.299 thank you in advance for your good participation. 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:54.319 Today we're going to resume our study in Ephesians 00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:57.400 chapter 6 as we think about the spiritual warfare 00:01:57.400 --> 00:02:01.239 in which we are involved. Today we'll begin looking 00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:05.540 at the armor of God, and we're going to focus 00:02:05.540 --> 00:02:08.199 especially on chapter 6 of Ephesians, verses 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:14.180 13 and 14. Therefore take up the full armor of 00:02:14.180 --> 00:02:19.439 God, that you may be able to resist in the evil 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:24.759 day. and having done everything, to stand firm. 00:02:25.860 --> 00:02:29.180 Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins 00:02:29.180 --> 00:02:32.900 with truth, and having put on the breastplate 00:02:32.900 --> 00:02:38.479 of righteousness. God's word declares explicitly 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:43.800 that every genuine Christian is involved in spiritual 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:48.419 warfare. That is true whether or not he or she 00:02:48.419 --> 00:02:54.009 may be aware of it. Each of us is carefully scrutinized 00:02:54.009 --> 00:02:58.469 by our enemy in order to gain some advantage 00:02:58.469 --> 00:03:04.069 over us so that he might destroy our life's effectiveness 00:03:04.069 --> 00:03:11.449 and potential. Our enemy is the devil. The devil 00:03:11.449 --> 00:03:15.389 is a fallen angel of the highest created order. 00:03:17.580 --> 00:03:21.000 He is a personal being who is not deity, but 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:25.139 who nonetheless desires to be worshipped. That 00:03:25.139 --> 00:03:28.259 is his great desire, his all -consuming desire, 00:03:28.539 --> 00:03:32.840 that he might be worshipped. The devil controls 00:03:32.840 --> 00:03:36.840 the flow of human history, the affairs of nations, 00:03:37.240 --> 00:03:41.199 the development of culture, and all of that within 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:43.819 the boundaries which God has established for 00:03:43.819 --> 00:03:49.500 him. The devil works through a host of evil spirits 00:03:49.500 --> 00:03:53.840 who rebelled with him and were cast out of heaven. 00:03:54.900 --> 00:03:58.400 He attacks the believer with a vicious hatred. 00:04:00.699 --> 00:04:04.819 He is opposed to anyone who is identified with 00:04:04.819 --> 00:04:10.620 the Lord Jesus Christ. The realm of our warfare 00:04:10.620 --> 00:04:15.569 is the heavenlies. It says in verse 12, our struggle, 00:04:15.629 --> 00:04:22.550 that is our hand -to -hand combat, our wrestling, 00:04:22.649 --> 00:04:28.949 is not against flesh and blood. That word struggle 00:04:28.949 --> 00:04:34.470 is a very potent one. I suppose that most of 00:04:34.470 --> 00:04:37.069 us have seen wrestling matches from time to time. 00:04:37.490 --> 00:04:41.120 I'm not talking about the... dramatized form 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:44.800 that you see on Saturday evenings on television. 00:04:45.579 --> 00:04:49.240 I'm talking about the real thing where athletes 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:53.339 grapple with each other. And the contest is based 00:04:53.339 --> 00:05:00.600 upon skill, strength, and even trickery. The 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:03.420 purpose of it is to gain advantage over one's 00:05:03.420 --> 00:05:07.319 opponent. This word says that you and I are in 00:05:07.319 --> 00:05:11.439 a hand -to -hand arm -to -arm, face -to -face 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:20.600 combat or wrestling match with Satan. He refers 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:24.220 here to the powers of Satan, the rulers, the 00:05:24.220 --> 00:05:30.740 powers, the world forces of this darkness, the 00:05:30.740 --> 00:05:34.300 spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly 00:05:34.300 --> 00:05:39.379 places. There we have identified the sphere of 00:05:39.379 --> 00:05:41.879 our warfare. It is not in the material realm. 00:05:42.779 --> 00:05:47.220 It's in the immaterial realm, the realm of spiritual 00:05:47.220 --> 00:05:51.740 things called the heavenlies in the book of Ephesians. 00:05:51.939 --> 00:05:56.660 That is where the realm of our warfare is. Now, 00:05:56.660 --> 00:06:00.160 in light of this truth that we are at war, we 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:04.240 are instructed in verse 10 to be strong in the 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:09.370 Lord. To be strengthened or to be empowered in 00:06:09.370 --> 00:06:13.129 the Lord. We are not left to our own feebleness 00:06:13.129 --> 00:06:17.990 in this warfare. If we were, God help us. We 00:06:17.990 --> 00:06:22.170 would be immediately overcome. But we are able 00:06:22.170 --> 00:06:25.589 to be strong in the Lord and in the power of 00:06:25.589 --> 00:06:29.649 His might which He provides for us. We are told 00:06:29.649 --> 00:06:33.550 to put on the full armor of God in verse 11. 00:06:34.250 --> 00:06:38.129 The full armor there and in verse 13 again is 00:06:38.129 --> 00:06:41.670 the word panoplia in the original language. It's 00:06:41.670 --> 00:06:45.310 an armor that God has fully provided everything 00:06:45.310 --> 00:06:49.689 that we need. And he says to us that we are to 00:06:49.689 --> 00:06:53.930 stand firm against the crafty methods of operation 00:06:53.930 --> 00:06:58.509 of the devil. He says stand firm in verse 11. 00:06:58.810 --> 00:07:04.790 Stand firm in verse 13. And stand firm. In verse 00:07:04.790 --> 00:07:10.509 14. In verse 13 again he says resist. The idea 00:07:10.509 --> 00:07:15.069 is that you and I are to hold our ground. The 00:07:15.069 --> 00:07:17.829 picture that Paul paints here is not of an army 00:07:17.829 --> 00:07:21.089 that is marching forward so much as one that 00:07:21.089 --> 00:07:26.189 is guarding vital territory. And the army is 00:07:26.189 --> 00:07:30.350 to stand firm in its place and wield its weapons 00:07:30.350 --> 00:07:34.699 carefully and effectively. against the enemy. 00:07:35.319 --> 00:07:41.399 We are to resist the devil. This suggests to 00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:44.459 us that each one of us as believers has a vital 00:07:44.459 --> 00:07:49.459 assignment from the Lord. He has given us, as 00:07:49.459 --> 00:07:54.600 it were, territory in His work, in His kingdom, 00:07:54.699 --> 00:08:01.000 for which we are responsible. We have an assignment 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:03.899 from him as soldiers. He has said to us, guard 00:08:03.899 --> 00:08:08.740 this. And you and I are to stand firm against 00:08:08.740 --> 00:08:14.199 this wily, crafty enemy who is already upon us 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:19.160 in a hand -to -hand combat. We are to stand firm 00:08:19.160 --> 00:08:25.360 against his advances. God has placed us and gifted 00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:29.990 us in his work, in his body. according to His 00:08:29.990 --> 00:08:34.629 sovereign plan for us. It is not a mistake, I 00:08:34.629 --> 00:08:36.990 trust, that you are a part of Grace Church Roseville. 00:08:38.350 --> 00:08:40.909 It is not a mistake that you have the gifts, 00:08:40.950 --> 00:08:45.149 the spiritual gifts that you have. God has prepared 00:08:45.149 --> 00:08:48.730 you for the work that He's called you to do. 00:08:49.809 --> 00:08:53.230 He has gifted you for that work. He has given 00:08:53.230 --> 00:08:56.779 you everything you need to be... a victorious 00:08:56.779 --> 00:09:01.080 soldier of Jesus Christ. And so he says, be strong 00:09:01.080 --> 00:09:06.899 and stand firm. Resist the spiritual enemy. But 00:09:06.899 --> 00:09:10.460 to stand in our place in the midst of this battle 00:09:10.460 --> 00:09:16.860 is possible only by putting on the armor of God 00:09:16.860 --> 00:09:22.820 which he has provided for us. Keep in mind that 00:09:22.820 --> 00:09:26.120 in this battle we do not battle for victory, 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:31.960 but rather we battle from victory. That is an 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:35.919 important concept to write upon your mind. We 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:39.980 do not battle for victory because our Lord has 00:09:39.980 --> 00:09:43.940 already won the war. He did that at the cross 00:09:43.940 --> 00:09:52.259 and at the empty tomb. The battle is over. It's 00:09:52.259 --> 00:09:56.519 finished. But there are still skirmishes going 00:09:56.519 --> 00:10:00.740 on. There are still little battles that are being 00:10:00.740 --> 00:10:04.399 fought here and there, which you and I can claim 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:07.919 for Jesus Christ because he has won the victory. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:12.559 It says, thanks be to God who gives us the victory 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:18.519 through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ always 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:23.100 leads us in his triumph march. You see, he's 00:10:23.100 --> 00:10:26.940 already won, folks. That battle is over. The 00:10:26.940 --> 00:10:31.240 final victory has already been declared. And 00:10:31.240 --> 00:10:35.419 now we're in this mopping up campaign. And you 00:10:35.419 --> 00:10:38.059 and I are to go at that campaign recognizing 00:10:38.059 --> 00:10:42.210 that our Lord has won the victory. And as we 00:10:42.210 --> 00:10:45.649 stand against the enemy, we are standing on victorious 00:10:45.649 --> 00:10:50.509 ground already. You say, well then the victory 00:10:50.509 --> 00:10:55.870 is automatically ours. Well, not really. Although 00:10:55.870 --> 00:10:58.970 we battle from a position of victory which Jesus 00:10:58.970 --> 00:11:02.970 Christ has provided for us, we nonetheless have 00:11:02.970 --> 00:11:08.269 a responsibility to do our part. We are to make 00:11:08.269 --> 00:11:12.730 the necessary preparations on our part, so that 00:11:12.730 --> 00:11:17.110 we might experience victory in the battles in 00:11:17.110 --> 00:11:20.730 our own lives. He tells us here that we are to 00:11:20.730 --> 00:11:24.070 put on the armor. We are to appropriate the armor. 00:11:26.389 --> 00:11:32.330 Many there have been of God's people, even spiritual 00:11:32.330 --> 00:11:39.240 leaders, soul winners, teachers, authors. who 00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:43.000 have fallen in the battle because they did not 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:47.460 realize the strength or the subtlety of the enemy, 00:11:47.580 --> 00:11:52.120 or because they failed to appropriate the armor 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:57.480 God has provided. There is not a one of us who 00:11:57.480 --> 00:12:01.000 can stand in his own strength. Even though we 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:03.639 stand on the ground of victory that God has provided, 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:07.320 we dare not ignore the armor that God has given 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:13.179 us. to put on and to appropriate. If we do, we 00:12:13.179 --> 00:12:19.379 do so at our own peril. Consider with me, if 00:12:19.379 --> 00:12:21.700 you will, the armor pieces that we are commanded 00:12:21.700 --> 00:12:24.100 to put in place. This morning we will look at 00:12:24.100 --> 00:12:27.600 the two that are found in verse 14. There are 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:31.220 four other pieces of armament that we will look 00:12:31.220 --> 00:12:34.600 at in the future. The first piece of the armor 00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:38.659 that is suggested to us in verse 14 is the belt 00:12:38.659 --> 00:12:43.679 of truth. He says, having girded your loins with 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:49.360 truth. Regarding this picture of the Roman girdle 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:53.539 or belt, we have this helpful word from the linguistic 00:12:53.539 --> 00:12:57.019 key to the Greek New Testament. The Roman soldiers 00:12:57.019 --> 00:13:02.080 wore one of at least three wide belts or girdles. 00:13:02.659 --> 00:13:07.090 The breech -like leather apron worn to protect 00:13:07.090 --> 00:13:12.210 the lower abdomen, or the sword belt which was 00:13:12.210 --> 00:13:15.610 buckled on together with the sword as the decisive 00:13:15.610 --> 00:13:18.370 step in the process of preparation of oneself 00:13:18.370 --> 00:13:23.250 for battle, or the special belt or sash designating 00:13:23.250 --> 00:13:28.350 an officer or high official. And so there were 00:13:28.350 --> 00:13:30.929 three different kinds of belts that might be 00:13:30.929 --> 00:13:33.409 worn. It seems to me that he is talking here 00:13:33.409 --> 00:13:36.490 about the most essential or foundational one, 00:13:36.710 --> 00:13:42.070 and that is the breech -like leather apron that 00:13:42.070 --> 00:13:46.549 was worn by the Roman soldier. This leather belt 00:13:46.549 --> 00:13:51.649 protected the loins, the intestines of the soldier. 00:13:53.450 --> 00:13:56.649 Because it was made of a thick kind of leather, 00:13:56.710 --> 00:14:00.529 it provided protection. It also provided strength 00:14:00.529 --> 00:14:04.789 for the mid part of the body, the back. In addition 00:14:04.789 --> 00:14:07.190 to that, it provided a place for the soldier 00:14:07.190 --> 00:14:11.509 to pick up the tunic, which was a common uniform, 00:14:11.870 --> 00:14:16.330 to tuck the tunic into so that his legs would 00:14:16.330 --> 00:14:20.590 be free from that flowing cloth. He was able 00:14:20.590 --> 00:14:24.190 then to be flexible and mobile to move about 00:14:24.190 --> 00:14:28.850 in his warfare. It seems to me that that is the 00:14:28.850 --> 00:14:31.710 belt that Paul has in mind as he writes about 00:14:31.710 --> 00:14:34.929 the belt of truth. It is that part that guards 00:14:34.929 --> 00:14:40.610 the loins or the intestines of a person. Now 00:14:40.610 --> 00:14:43.549 he says here that we are to put on the belt of 00:14:43.549 --> 00:14:50.009 truth. The belt of truth. Now in what sense is 00:14:50.009 --> 00:14:54.149 this belt one of truth that we are to put on? 00:14:54.269 --> 00:14:57.669 What does that mean? Well it can mean on the 00:14:57.669 --> 00:15:00.590 one hand what is true. That is objective truth. 00:15:00.870 --> 00:15:04.700 The content of something. Paul has spoken earlier 00:15:04.700 --> 00:15:07.279 in this very book about the message of truth, 00:15:07.419 --> 00:15:12.320 the gospel of your salvation. He is talking there 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:15.799 about revealed truth that God has given to us 00:15:15.799 --> 00:15:21.100 in Jesus Christ and in this book. And of course 00:15:21.100 --> 00:15:24.799 that truth is very important. This truth that 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:27.419 is in Jesus Christ, this truth that is found 00:15:27.419 --> 00:15:31.179 recorded in this book, is the opposite of falsehood. 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:38.840 It is the antidote to lies. It is the protection 00:15:38.840 --> 00:15:44.000 against deceit. And of course, lies, deceit, 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:48.100 falsehood, those are some of Satan's chief weapons. 00:15:49.460 --> 00:15:53.740 He is a liar and the father of lies, said the 00:15:53.740 --> 00:15:58.320 Lord Jesus Christ. One of his chief tools is 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:06.389 the lie. He loves to deceive, to trick. He is 00:16:06.389 --> 00:16:11.330 very cunning. The devil is the greatest salesman 00:16:11.330 --> 00:16:15.029 there is of falsehood. Look at all the people 00:16:15.029 --> 00:16:22.450 in the world who are following after it. The 00:16:22.450 --> 00:16:26.649 Bible, the truth of God, is a weapon against 00:16:26.649 --> 00:16:32.879 lies. I don't think, though, that that's what 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:37.019 Paul is talking about here. He's going to talk 00:16:37.019 --> 00:16:41.399 about the truth of the Word of God as our sword 00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:46.340 a little bit later on. So as important as truth 00:16:46.340 --> 00:16:50.820 is in an objective sense, in the sense of content, 00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:55.320 of the revelation of God, I don't think that's 00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:59.159 what Paul means here. Rather, I think that Paul 00:16:59.159 --> 00:17:01.419 is thinking here of the belt of truth in the 00:17:01.419 --> 00:17:05.140 sense of what is truthful. It's a subjective 00:17:05.140 --> 00:17:09.400 aspect of truth referring to one's own character. 00:17:11.019 --> 00:17:14.059 He is saying here that if we are going to defend 00:17:14.059 --> 00:17:19.059 ourselves against the enemy, we have to be truthful 00:17:19.059 --> 00:17:25.500 people. Our character must be one that is characterized 00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:35.150 by truth. integrity, honesty, lack of hypocrisy. 00:17:39.230 --> 00:17:42.789 What makes us more vulnerable than living a lie? 00:17:47.849 --> 00:17:50.509 What makes us more open to the attack of Satan 00:17:50.509 --> 00:18:00.640 than hypocrisy in our lives? How much like Satan 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:05.619 it is when we hide things in our lives and are 00:18:05.619 --> 00:18:11.019 unwilling to be honest and truthful. I believe 00:18:11.019 --> 00:18:13.299 that Paul is telling us here that you and I need 00:18:13.299 --> 00:18:16.359 to have this character quality of truthfulness 00:18:16.359 --> 00:18:21.140 about us if we are going to be successful in 00:18:21.140 --> 00:18:24.900 defending the ground that God has given us for 00:18:24.900 --> 00:18:28.920 our responsibility. If we are going to be soldiers 00:18:28.920 --> 00:18:31.240 who are going to stand against the devil, we 00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:33.500 have to be people of integrity. And ladies and 00:18:33.500 --> 00:18:37.000 gentlemen, there is a crisis of integrity in 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:41.960 the evangelical world these days. How recently 00:18:41.960 --> 00:18:47.440 we are reminded of that. The world around us 00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:57.279 snickers. It laughs. It mocks. Because of some 00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:01.380 of God's soldiers who have lacked integrity and 00:19:01.380 --> 00:19:08.420 honesty. I believe this is what David was praying 00:19:08.420 --> 00:19:12.119 about in Psalm 51 when he said to the Lord, Thou 00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:20.799 desirest truth in the innermost being. He is 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:29.080 talking about our hearts being transparent. Open. 00:19:29.080 --> 00:19:35.180 Honest. I believe that there is nothing that 00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:39.059 will equip us better to ward off the attacks 00:19:39.059 --> 00:19:42.460 of Satan than being transparent with people, 00:19:42.619 --> 00:19:48.140 being honest. Not pretending to be something 00:19:48.140 --> 00:19:56.759 we aren't. Ananias and Sapphira. pretended to 00:19:56.759 --> 00:20:01.099 be something that they were not. And Satan filled 00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:08.779 their hearts. And they lied to God. We are left 00:20:08.779 --> 00:20:12.299 vulnerable, folks, to Satan when we have things 00:20:12.299 --> 00:20:16.019 in our lives that we're lying about or we're 00:20:16.019 --> 00:20:22.980 hiding. I believe it is important for all of 00:20:22.980 --> 00:20:32.089 us to have someone or some ones to whom we can 00:20:32.089 --> 00:20:39.710 be completely honest about ourselves. Satan has 00:20:39.710 --> 00:20:44.349 a stranglehold in our lives. When we have areas 00:20:44.349 --> 00:20:52.910 of our lives that we hide in shame or we cover 00:20:52.910 --> 00:21:01.119 up, because of embarrassment. When we allow areas 00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:04.019 like that to develop in our lives and to exist 00:21:04.019 --> 00:21:09.859 there for periods of time, it gives Satan a wonderful 00:21:09.859 --> 00:21:15.240 opportunity against us. He defeats us from the 00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:22.420 very start. And what's the answer to that? It 00:21:22.420 --> 00:21:24.920 is to find someone that we trust, that we love, 00:21:25.099 --> 00:21:30.940 that we know, and who in turn loves us and knows 00:21:30.940 --> 00:21:34.440 us, to whom we can just open up ourselves and 00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:36.279 say, you know, here is an area of life where 00:21:36.279 --> 00:21:41.099 I need your prayers. I want to be honest with 00:21:41.099 --> 00:21:47.599 you about something. If you and I are going to 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:49.660 stand in the battle against Satan, we have to 00:21:49.660 --> 00:21:52.759 put on, first of all, number one, the belt of 00:21:52.759 --> 00:22:00.220 real gut honesty, real truthfulness about ourselves, 00:22:00.740 --> 00:22:10.160 about our weaknesses, our battles. When you can 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:12.680 come to the place of being honest and transparent 00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:16.500 with another person, You are going to be amazed 00:22:16.500 --> 00:22:20.660 at the steps forward which you will make spiritually. 00:22:22.500 --> 00:22:26.039 It will absolutely thrill you to see how that 00:22:26.039 --> 00:22:31.980 will loosen Satan's grasp on you. The steps of 00:22:31.980 --> 00:22:34.779 victory that will come to your life as a result 00:22:34.779 --> 00:22:40.259 of simply being open with someone else. Sin seems 00:22:40.259 --> 00:22:44.740 to especially have power over us As long as it 00:22:44.740 --> 00:22:49.259 is hidden and suppressed in our lives, when we 00:22:49.259 --> 00:22:56.519 take the lid off, suddenly the power drains from 00:22:56.519 --> 00:23:00.119 it. And it's not quite the battle that it was 00:23:00.119 --> 00:23:04.180 before. Now, I do want to say this. You can't 00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:07.880 be open with everyone. I'm not suggesting that. 00:23:10.099 --> 00:23:16.150 But find someone. your ministry pastor in your 00:23:16.150 --> 00:23:22.529 small church, a trusted counselor, friend, one 00:23:22.529 --> 00:23:26.329 of the pastoral staff, an elder, your wife, your 00:23:26.329 --> 00:23:31.190 husband. Find someone with whom you can be honest 00:23:31.190 --> 00:23:34.529 because, folks, that is the very first piece 00:23:34.529 --> 00:23:37.529 of equipment that the Apostle Paul mentions for 00:23:37.529 --> 00:23:41.950 the Christian soldier. The belt of being truthful. 00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:48.019 in the innermost being, being transparent. The 00:23:48.019 --> 00:23:53.779 character quality of integrity and honesty. Let 00:23:53.779 --> 00:23:59.000 our lives ring with reality. And I tell you, 00:23:59.019 --> 00:24:03.019 all of hell will shudder because of the piece 00:24:03.019 --> 00:24:07.140 of armor that is suddenly put upon you that will 00:24:07.140 --> 00:24:11.220 make you victorious in your battle. And then 00:24:11.220 --> 00:24:13.019 he mentions the breastplate of righteousness. 00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:20.339 The Greek word here is thorax. The breastplate 00:24:20.339 --> 00:24:23.259 was that which protected the vital organs between 00:24:23.259 --> 00:24:28.299 the shoulders and the loins. It was usually a 00:24:28.299 --> 00:24:34.640 piece of molded metal or a male or mesh of chain 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:39.259 or perhaps a mesh of small overlapping metal 00:24:39.259 --> 00:24:43.289 rings. The purpose of it was to protect the heart 00:24:43.289 --> 00:24:48.549 and the lungs of the soldier. The apostle tells 00:24:48.549 --> 00:24:53.710 us here that the breastplate for us, which accompanies 00:24:53.710 --> 00:24:57.529 the girdle or belt of truth, is the breastplate 00:24:57.529 --> 00:25:01.809 of righteousness. Now, is he talking about the 00:25:01.809 --> 00:25:04.670 righteousness that is imputed to us when we trust 00:25:04.670 --> 00:25:08.359 Jesus Christ? Is he talking about our righteous 00:25:08.359 --> 00:25:13.680 position before God, given to us as a gift because 00:25:13.680 --> 00:25:16.759 we trusted in Christ who died for us and rose 00:25:16.759 --> 00:25:21.380 again? I don't believe that he is. Because that 00:25:21.380 --> 00:25:24.380 is something that we always have. It's the very 00:25:24.380 --> 00:25:28.660 ground upon which we walk. It's our imputed righteousness, 00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:32.240 our righteousness in Jesus Christ. Rather, I 00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:34.750 believe he's talking here about... the righteousness 00:25:34.750 --> 00:25:40.250 of sanctification, practical righteousness, holiness 00:25:40.250 --> 00:25:46.329 of life, a quality of lifestyle that reflects 00:25:46.329 --> 00:25:49.650 one's right relationship to God. He is not talking 00:25:49.650 --> 00:25:52.490 about self -righteousness. That's based upon 00:25:52.490 --> 00:25:57.549 pride and self -sufficiency. If one is self -righteous, 00:25:57.710 --> 00:26:01.650 he is vulnerable to the enemy. But he is talking 00:26:01.650 --> 00:26:04.769 about genuine righteousness in one's lifestyle. 00:26:05.930 --> 00:26:10.170 Doing and being what is right and pleasing to 00:26:10.170 --> 00:26:13.630 the Lord. Being a holy person in that sense. 00:26:14.670 --> 00:26:18.049 We are instructed in the Word of God to eagerly 00:26:18.049 --> 00:26:22.569 pursue righteousness. Not the righteousness of 00:26:22.569 --> 00:26:25.150 justification, but the righteousness of sanctification. 00:26:27.170 --> 00:26:31.420 We are told to pursue it. with vigor and with 00:26:31.420 --> 00:26:39.119 energy, with eagerness. I'd like you to turn 00:26:39.119 --> 00:26:42.259 over to Titus chapter 2 for just a quick moment 00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:46.500 as we see some important words of Paul as he 00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:50.059 writes to this brother in Christ. And he says 00:26:50.059 --> 00:26:53.160 in chapter 2 and verse 11, The grace of God has 00:26:53.160 --> 00:26:58.700 appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing 00:26:58.700 --> 00:27:04.400 us. to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, 00:27:04.680 --> 00:27:11.299 and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly 00:27:11.299 --> 00:27:15.319 in this present age, looking for the blessed 00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:17.680 hope and the appearing of the glory of our great 00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:20.500 God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave himself 00:27:20.500 --> 00:27:24.119 for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless 00:27:24.119 --> 00:27:27.839 deed and purify for himself a people for his 00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:32.559 own possession, zealous, for good deeds. He tells 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:36.460 us that now in this present age, you and I are 00:27:36.460 --> 00:27:39.980 to do some things. The grace of God that saves 00:27:39.980 --> 00:27:43.819 us also teaches us, in the first place, to deny 00:27:43.819 --> 00:27:48.599 some things. If you and I are going to live righteous 00:27:48.599 --> 00:27:51.720 lives, there is a negative side to that. We must 00:27:51.720 --> 00:27:54.519 deny some things in our lives, things that are 00:27:54.519 --> 00:27:57.880 ungodly. In other words, things that leave God 00:27:57.880 --> 00:28:03.779 out of the picture. It's like the un -cola, ungodly, 00:28:03.779 --> 00:28:08.480 no place for God. And we must also, he says, 00:28:08.539 --> 00:28:13.519 deny worldly lusts. That is those strong passions 00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:18.059 that are a part of the world system around us. 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:22.440 The lusts or the passions that control unregenerate 00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:28.079 people. We are to deny those things. But he says 00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:30.440 on the positive side, we are to live sensibly, 00:28:30.539 --> 00:28:36.859 using the brains that God has given to us. We 00:28:36.859 --> 00:28:39.519 are to live righteously, there's our word, and 00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:41.940 godly. In other words, God is to be included, 00:28:42.039 --> 00:28:47.720 not left out. Notice in verse 14 he says it's 00:28:47.720 --> 00:28:50.319 for this very reason that Christ gave himself 00:28:50.319 --> 00:28:53.700 for us, that he might make us his own people. 00:28:55.849 --> 00:28:59.970 He is in a very special sense of people who are 00:28:59.970 --> 00:29:04.750 zealous for good deeds. Oh, my friend, it will 00:29:04.750 --> 00:29:09.950 set you apart from the enemy's attack. It will 00:29:09.950 --> 00:29:16.150 defend you and me when we live righteously. Right 00:29:16.150 --> 00:29:18.250 there in that world of the office building where 00:29:18.250 --> 00:29:22.549 you work. There in the neighborhood, there in 00:29:22.549 --> 00:29:26.079 the factory, there in the classroom. There in 00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:28.880 your home. Live righteously. Do what pleases 00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:35.740 God. Include God in it. Be sensible, sober. Deny 00:29:35.740 --> 00:29:40.640 what is the passion of the world. Deny what leaves 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:44.140 God out. Set it aside and live in a way that 00:29:44.140 --> 00:29:47.700 is holy to the Lord, pleasing to the Lord. Because 00:29:47.700 --> 00:29:51.720 you're His. His in a very special sense. He's 00:29:51.720 --> 00:29:56.130 purchased you. The breastplate of righteousness. 00:29:57.390 --> 00:30:00.609 Would you protect your heart? Would you protect 00:30:00.609 --> 00:30:04.609 your lungs? You don't live long without those. 00:30:06.269 --> 00:30:10.269 Nor can we live long without righteousness in 00:30:10.269 --> 00:30:16.509 our lives. So how do we do that? First of all, 00:30:16.509 --> 00:30:18.609 I believe we have to become sensitive to sin. 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:23.240 I believe we have to open our hearts to God and 00:30:23.240 --> 00:30:26.240 ask Him to expose any sin in our lives. As we 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:31.200 sang earlier, search me, O God, try me. See if 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:35.359 there be any wicked way in me. And if God indeed 00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:37.839 exposes something to us, then to be quick to 00:30:37.839 --> 00:30:44.859 acknowledge it and to repent of it. But then 00:30:44.859 --> 00:30:49.230 we live righteous lives. By understanding and 00:30:49.230 --> 00:30:52.289 grasping the truth of our union with Jesus Christ 00:30:52.289 --> 00:30:57.250 and learning how to appropriate the victory over 00:30:57.250 --> 00:31:01.849 sin that he has provided. That's what we're talking 00:31:01.849 --> 00:31:05.269 about on Sunday nights. We continue tonight regarding 00:31:05.269 --> 00:31:08.049 this matter of the victory that Jesus Christ 00:31:08.049 --> 00:31:11.009 has provided for us through his death and resurrection 00:31:11.009 --> 00:31:14.069 and our union with him. Do you know what that 00:31:14.069 --> 00:31:18.059 means? That is a truth. the knowledge of which 00:31:18.059 --> 00:31:24.059 is essential to the Christian. We cannot put 00:31:24.059 --> 00:31:26.220 on the breastplate of righteousness unless we 00:31:26.220 --> 00:31:28.799 understand how God has provided for us to live 00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:33.019 righteous lives in this present world. That's 00:31:33.019 --> 00:31:38.319 the truth of Romans chapter 6. Let me assure 00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:42.720 you that Satan will take every advantage of you 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:49.069 that he can. He has an amazing ability to make 00:31:49.069 --> 00:31:54.869 things seem attractive up front. He is able to 00:31:54.869 --> 00:32:05.190 hide the payoff. About a week ago, my wife went 00:32:05.190 --> 00:32:09.589 out to our garage, and there she looked at a 00:32:09.589 --> 00:32:12.990 plate with a piece of apple pie on it that she 00:32:12.990 --> 00:32:16.079 had been preserving. You know, one of the wonderful 00:32:16.079 --> 00:32:18.420 things about wintertime in Minnesota is that 00:32:18.420 --> 00:32:22.680 your freezer capacity expands tremendously. Have 00:32:22.680 --> 00:32:25.640 you noticed that? I've had to put a heater out 00:32:25.640 --> 00:32:30.240 by my freezer to keep it warm in my garage. You 00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:31.740 can put something in the garage and it will be 00:32:31.740 --> 00:32:35.920 preserved for months. But this piece of apple 00:32:35.920 --> 00:32:40.160 pie, she noticed, was disappearing. And it wasn't 00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:46.319 me. This time. And there were, well, shall we 00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:49.720 just say, other evidences there that indicated 00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:53.279 that this was a little creature that had adopted 00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:56.900 our garage as its home. Now, I'm an animal lover, 00:32:57.059 --> 00:33:05.259 but that's not an animal. That's a pest. And 00:33:05.259 --> 00:33:08.039 so the other day, I went down to the hardware 00:33:08.039 --> 00:33:12.710 store and picked up a trap. And I went in, I 00:33:12.710 --> 00:33:16.130 put a little bit of peanut butter on that trap. 00:33:16.269 --> 00:33:19.490 Oh, that smelled good. If you like peanut butter, 00:33:19.549 --> 00:33:23.690 it just makes your mouth water to smell it. And 00:33:23.690 --> 00:33:26.410 so I smeared it around that trap, and it just 00:33:26.410 --> 00:33:28.849 filled the whole kitchen where I put it on. Then 00:33:28.849 --> 00:33:31.950 I took it out in the garage, and I set the trap, 00:33:32.190 --> 00:33:36.430 keeping my fingers out of the way. And I slipped 00:33:36.430 --> 00:33:38.589 it there on the ledge, which I thought was the 00:33:38.589 --> 00:33:45.329 runway. And I waited, and it took about two hours, 00:33:45.369 --> 00:33:53.789 and I went out. The trap had done its work. That's 00:33:53.789 --> 00:33:57.769 just the way Satan is. He puts the peanut butter 00:33:57.769 --> 00:34:00.890 on the trap, and it looks so good and tempting. 00:34:03.069 --> 00:34:06.769 And so often we're just like that mouse. We want 00:34:06.769 --> 00:34:12.989 what's being offered. And we forget to look at 00:34:12.989 --> 00:34:19.130 the trap. Do not be a soldier who falls into 00:34:19.130 --> 00:34:24.090 a trap. They're set and they're custom designed 00:34:24.090 --> 00:34:29.349 just for you because the enemy knows you. Stand 00:34:29.349 --> 00:34:36.369 firm. Begin by a transparent, honest inner being. 00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:40.840 And then put on that breastplate of righteousness. 00:34:42.980 --> 00:34:45.099 And we'll talk further about the rest of the 00:34:45.099 --> 00:34:48.119 armor that God has provided too. Let's bow together. 00:34:52.539 --> 00:34:55.380 My friend, what needs to be your response this 00:34:55.380 --> 00:35:01.539 morning? Do you have on the belt of truthfulness? 00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:08.400 Or quite frankly, are you hiding something in 00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:14.940 your life? Is there a lie that's being protected? 00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:22.900 I warn you, I warn you, you will be defeated 00:35:22.900 --> 00:35:25.260 by the enemy and you will fall in the battle. 00:35:27.260 --> 00:35:33.219 This is not an option. If you are aware today, 00:35:35.019 --> 00:35:40.480 of some lack of integrity in your life. You must 00:35:40.480 --> 00:35:45.460 deal with that today. You dare not put it off 00:35:45.460 --> 00:35:47.679 any longer. You may have already stepped into 00:35:47.679 --> 00:35:50.920 the trap. If it hasn't snapped yet, it will, 00:35:51.119 --> 00:35:56.159 I guarantee you. But you may have yet time to 00:35:56.159 --> 00:36:06.519 step back. Will you talk to God about that? Will 00:36:06.519 --> 00:36:11.320 you open up to some friend, someone who can trust, 00:36:11.519 --> 00:36:15.300 who loves you? There are those kind, you know. 00:36:15.400 --> 00:36:22.380 There really are. Is your life characterized 00:36:22.380 --> 00:36:27.360 by righteousness? Are your vital organs being 00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:31.639 protected by a holy life in this present world? 00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:37.219 Father, thank you for searching out our hearts 00:36:37.219 --> 00:36:39.559 today, even as we prayed that you would earlier. 00:36:42.980 --> 00:36:45.480 Now we want to be faithful to do our part and 00:36:45.480 --> 00:36:50.800 to respond to you. Thank you that you are a God 00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:56.500 who pardons. You are a God who cleanses and justifies. 00:36:59.239 --> 00:37:01.480 Lord, there are some soldiers here this morning 00:37:01.480 --> 00:37:06.250 who are wounded. some who are in trouble. I pray 00:37:06.250 --> 00:37:12.269 that you will cause all of your soldiers to be 00:37:12.269 --> 00:37:16.110 strengthened today and protected today by the 00:37:16.110 --> 00:37:23.349 armor that you've provided. In Jesus' name, amen.