All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn to the book of Proverbs chapter 24. Proverbs chapter
24. I'd like to deal with verses
five and six of Proverbs 24. And I've entitled this message,
A Wise Man is Strong. A wise man is strong. Let's read these two verses.
Proverbs 24 verses 5 and 6. A wise man is strong. Yea, a
man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt
make thy war. And in multitude of counselors
there is safety. Now when that fifth verse begins,
it says a wise man is strong. What it's actually saying is
he's in strength. A wise man is in strength. That is, he's full of strength
because however feeble he is, and we all know that every man
born in Adam is feeble. No matter how feeble, He is in
himself. He's wise in counsel. He's wise in purpose. He's wise and brave in conduct,
thoroughly depending upon and supported by his trust in the
Lord. A wise man is in the only one
who is strong, is what he's saying. And a man of knowledge increaseth
strength. That is, he shows what true power
is. Now, a foolish man, spiritually
foolish, a man left himself, a man in his carnal mind, he's
weak. He's weak because of his depraved
nature. He can't save himself, he can't
guide himself, he can't keep himself, but he sees himself
as being able. He thinks that he's strong, he
thinks that he can accomplish, he thinks that he can fulfill
his purpose by his own free will, and he thinks he can do that
which God demands for life eternal, but he never realizes he's dead. He doesn't know that. Dead man
doesn't know he's dead spiritually. Now, in this very condition of
the depravity, that old man, that's the condition from which
the Lord rescues his people by imparting to them a new nature. He gives them a new heart. But
a wise man, one made wise under salvation, he knows himself. to be weak. He knows himself
to be unable and therefore he trusts in the Lord Jesus for
life before God and therefore the scripture says he's strong
because he rests in the Lord. He's strong in the Lord. Now
the Lord had given the Apostle Paul a thorn in the flesh. We're never told exactly what
it is. There's some speculation of what it is but The apostle
Paul had a thorn. He had a messenger of Satan that
buffeted him. And you know that the Lord sent
that thorn. And so Paul besought the Lord
thrice, the scripture says, that it be removed. And this is what
the Lord said concerning that thorn in the flesh, 2 Corinthians
12, 9. He said, my grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in
weakness. The Lord's people know that their
weakness is because of their fallen nature in sin. And so
therefore, they cry unto Him who alone is strength. So a wise man is in strength. And the Lord's people, He causes
them to see their weakness and therefore cry unto Him to deliver
them. But if the Lord is not pleased
to deliver them from their trial, then we're taught Somebody says,
well, you know, a Christian never has any trials or tribulations.
They never have anything ever happening. That's not so. God's people are truly those
in this world that are suffering. And the Lord places them in situations
where their backs are against the wall. And they have nowhere
to go. And that's the safest place they
can be. Because then they'll cry unto
the Lord. And He said, my strength, my grace, I'm sorry, is sufficient. And strength is made perfect
in weakness. What He's saying is, He says,
my grace toward you is enough. He promised that He'd never leave
us. He promised that he's never gonna forsake us. And his loving
kindness and grace is better than being delivered from that
which he's been pleased to give. It's better, it's better. My
grace is sufficient. He said, my strength is perfected. That is revealed to be complete
and accomplished in your weakness. The weakness in the Lord's people
is the condition by which the Lord manifests His strength. So as the Lord Jesus Christ,
as the Apostles and the Prophets and all, and us. They say, I
just don't understand. I don't get it. I don't get it.
I don't get why that we suffer. Why? Other people are not doing
what we're doing. Other people don't go through
what we're going through. Why? The Lord said my grace is sufficient.
So the Apostle Paul bowing to the good pleasure of God to exhibit
his power, Paul says most gladly, therefore, will I glory in my
infirmity. Paul was resolved knowing that
the Lord does all things well. He knows that his steps are ordered
by the Lord. He knows that Almighty God has
put him, has led him, guided him, directed him, and the Lord
being glorified in Paul's infirmities, Paul said, I'd rather be joyful
in that which the Lord has been pleased to send my way, that
the power of Christ may rest upon me, that the power of Christ
may dwell upon me. So it takes a new heart. It takes, really, a regeneration
to truly be resolved. to submit to God's good pleasure,
to be joyful that a trial continues, that Christ's power might be
shown because our strength is in the Lord. So the apostle admonished,
he said in Ephesians 6 to 10, be strong in the Lord and in
the power of his might. You know, listen, I think we
forget that we're engaged in a spiritual warfare. We know
we read that, but we need to be reminded of it. You know,
the Proverbs 24, 5, a wise man is strong, but he says, a believer
is strong. But you say, oh, yeah, but I
don't see it like that. I don't see that. I just, you
know, I don't recognize, seems like everything goes contrary. To me, and so Paul says, Ephesians
6, 1, by the Spirit of God, be strong in the Lord and in the
power of His might. And the only strength that we've
got to wrestle against principalities and powers and rules of the darkness
of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places is being strengthened
in the Lord. and being fitted by God alone
who provides the weapons of our warfare. You can turn over to
Ephesians chapter 6 if you want to. We're going to look at this
for just a second here. Ephesians chapter 6. I'm going to start
reading about somewhere around 10, 11, 12, 13, something like
that. But the only way that we engage in this world is being
fitted with spiritual weapons. The weapons of our warfare, the
scripture says in Ephesians 6.13, Wherefore, taken to you the whole
armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil
day, which is the day in which we live. And having done all, stand. Having that whole armor
of God, that complete armor of God, the total armor of God. If you want to turn to Revelation
I was looking at a passage of scripture as I was going over
my notes this morning and I realized Revelation 12 verses 9 to 11,
it kind of sums up, if you want to know what the whole armor
of God is finds its foundation upon, the whole armor of God.
What's the foundation? You know, you get modern armor,
you know, it's tested and it's tried and it's proven and they
run tests and statistics and get all the numbers in there.
What will withstand this, that, or the other? What, you know,
what is the, what's the foundation for the whole armor of God? Here
it is, Revelation 12 verses 9 to 11. It says, and the great dragon
was cast out, that old serpent called the devil, and Satan which
deceived the whole world. He was cast out into the earth,
and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven, now is come salvation, strength, the
kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For the accuser
of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our
God day and night, and they overcame him Now here's the foundation. By the blood of the Lamb and
by the word of their testimony, and they love not their lives
unto the death. So what's the foundation of the
strength of our whole armor that Almighty God must arm us with? Here it is. The blood of the
Lamb and the word of His testimony. The Apostle Paul in talking about
that the wise man is strong, how is he strong? Well, verse
10 of Ephesians 6, 10, finally my brethren, this is the one
I just quoted, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his
might. Well, what are these weapons? What do we have? Well, look at
verse 14. Stand, therefore, having your
loins girt about with truth. Actually, it's talking about
like a sash or a belt. You know, I'm just thinking now. If you don't have a belt on,
you know, to get you trousers on around the hip, the
loins, it's the center of power, c-e-n-t-e-r, center. Center of
power, the hip. And you know if you don't have
a belt, a belt on, it's just You're not together. You need
to be girt about. He said, having your loins girt
about with truth. The Roman soldiers, everyone
had them, but especially the soldiers. They may have a tunic,
but if they were going to go into battle, there doesn't need
to be anything that's going to be obstructive in the way. And their tunic, it was tied
up. Tied up to where it was, they
had freedom to be able to, didn't have to worry about, you know,
girt up your loins. So we're wrapped, is what he's
saying, in the strong girdle of truth. This is where we start. You have your loins girted about
with the truth of Christ himself. That foundation armor. of which everything else depends,
girt about with truth. That means we make our stand,
our stability, our firmness in the truth of who God is, who
we are, how God saves sinners, and that God is sovereign. I'm
going to girt up my loins, and I'm going to set forth who is
in control, that He is the sovereign of heaven and earth, and that
He has the right to show mercy and compassion to whomsoever
He will, and He gives a count of His actions to nobody. We're
just going to settle this thing. Who's in control? I'm going to
be girded about with the truth concerning man, that he's a fallen
creature. He's fallen in Adam's transgression
and he must be rescued from the bondage of sin. and unbelief,
and so we're wrapped with who God is, who we are, and we're
wrapped in the truth of God's salvation in Christ. That God
has a people chosen unto salvation from before the foundation of
the world. They've been everlastingly loved and found in the surety
Himself. So when we have this, you know,
here's strength, here's some strength. We're in a world that
is floundering. It's an opposition
to God. And we're in this world, but
we're not of it. And the Lord has graciously provided
this armor. A wise man is strong. How? Because God is going to arm him.
The Lord is his strength. But he gives him these pieces
of armor. And we're girt about. With strength, and next, the
scripture says in verse 11, part of 14, having on the breastplate
of righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness.
The covering of all the vital organs. It's a breastplate. And the covering of, you know,
you might get hit. You might get hit, you know,
in a leg and survive. But if you take a bullet or a
spear through the heart, it's not going to go well. You take a police officer, how
vital do you think that bulletproof vest is? Where is that protection for
a police officer? He's got a bulletproof vest on. His arms might be exposed and
legs and stuff. But he's got that breastplate
of righteousness. And that righteousness cannot
be, obviously, the righteousness of our making. God Almighty must
justly and graciously provide that which I cannot. Because,
believe me, my righteousness is going to be found to be exactly
what the Lord says it is. So we're found having on the
breastplate of righteousness that has been imputed to us according
to the everlasting covenant of God's grace. I'm accepted in
the beloved. Then he says in verse 15, and
your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Now they
say that There was a guard, and it was so, there was a guard
that Paul was, when he was in prison, and he was looking at
this soldier, I don't doubt that for a second, and he was looking
at the pieces of his armor, and he said, he looked at that breastplate,
and he looked at that sash, girded about, and he looked, then he
looked at his feet, he looked at his sandals, his boots, whatever
he had on, you know, a soldier's boots. We don't think so much,
you know, you think about a soldier now in all of the armor that
he carries with him, but you think about how important a soldier's
boots are. You need some boots. You need to have your feet shod
with something that's going to support your ankles. Can you
imagine how useless you become if you twist your ankle and sprain
it? Now what are you going to do? He got to have boots that'll
support and cushion his feet to absorb the shock of the demands
upon him. So there, our feet, our walk
must be shod. It says with the preparation
of the gospel of peace. The literal is this. having our
feet shod in preparation to do battle. by the gospel of peace. So, you know, it's too late if
a soldier gets out there in the middle of conflict and he doesn't
have any boots and he's looking for them. You know, anybody got
an extra pair of boots? I mean, I can understand it.
Paul's really looking at a soldier. And he's writing under the inspiration
of God and he's doing like the Lord did. He's using, like, illustrations
that people understand. I can understand. See, I mean,
can you imagine a soldier going out to do battle and he's got
on a pair of flip-flops? I mean, you'd think that's ridiculous.
Yeah. Paul said, our feet must be shod in preparation for the
battle that we do by the gospel of peace. We must be firmly grounded
to stand in the Lord against the wild darts of Satan and convinced
that our steps are being ordered by the Lord, that we have peace
with God that's been established by the Lord Jesus Christ and
his finished work of redemption on our behalf. And we walk having
no confidence in our flesh. That's having your feet shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace. And then he says in
verse 16, above all, taking the shield of faith, whereby you
may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." Now,
as I was looking up these words again today, we're in the midst
of a real battle, a spiritual battle. The Lord's told us we
are. And so therefore, we recognize it and we bow to it. And when
fear and doubt and depression and weariness drives us to despair,
here's what the Apostle Paul, and I want you to look at the
wording, above all. And you'd think, well, OK, he's
kind of just summing it all up. He's just, you know, OK, above
all. OK, the most important thing. You know, that's not what he's
saying. That's not what he's saying. When it says right there,
when it says above all, actually what that means is lifting up
and over. Lifting up and over. I don't
know if you've ever seen, I read about it again today, but a lot
of times if you watch, I watch like these movies, these, you
know, about Roman soldiers and stuff like that. They had a curved
shield, I mean a tall shield that they carried, and when they
were getting ready to face the enemy, and the arrows were going
to start flying and the battle was getting ready, do you know
what their first line of defense was? They would take, like every
other row or line or whatever, they would Those in the front
would hold up their shields and they'd put them together. They'd
put them together and you'd just have a line of shields right
here and out in the front. And those right behind them,
you know what they did? They took their shields and turned
them up this way and held them up and it was like they were
in like a tortoise shell, like a turtle shell. They were enclosed
front and top. That's what Paul is saying. He
said, and above all, taking the shield of faith, lifting up and
over, like those Roman soldiers would strategically place their
shields tightly together in front and over their heads, and they'd
fire the arrows. Here they come, and all of a
sudden, those arrows would stick, and they're covered. They're protected. So we're told,
Paul is saying, we do the same thing, above all, taking the
shield of faith where which we may be able to quench all the
fiery darts of the wicked." God had told Abraham that he and
Sarah were going to have a son. And the scripture says, Abraham
staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith. giving glory to God, being fully
persuaded that what God had promised he was able to perform. That's
Romans 4 verses 20 and 21. Now can you imagine Abraham was
100 years old. Sarah's wife was 90. He said, you're going to have a
son. You and Sarah are going to have a son. She was past the
age of childbearing. And the scripture says that Abraham
believed God by faith. Above all, taking the shield
of faith. Covering, covering. I believe
God. You say, that can't be. There
is no possible way that a man 100 years old and his wife 90,
you can't have kids. You can't do that. Abraham staggered
not at the promise of God. But what? He was fully persuaded
that what God had promised, he was able to perform. How did
he do that? He believed God. He just believed
it. You know, tell somebody, God told me that I'm going to
have a son this next year. At this time I'm going to have
a son. Can you imagine the ridicule, the doubt, the questions, inside
and out? But Paul is saying, cover yourself,
find your covering above all by the shield of faith. And then
he said in verse 17, and take the helmet of salvation. Take
that helmet that protects the head, the mind, against the lies
of this world's false, man-centered, man-honoring religion. Put on the helmet of salvation. Isaiah 26.3 says, Thou will keep
him in perfect peace whose mind, whose thought is stayed upon
Thee because he trusted in Thee. Put on that helmet, that piece
of God's armor that continually reminds us salvation is of the
Lord. God has eternally loved me in
Christ. The Lord has kept me. My name
is written in heaven. That's what I want to rejoice
in. He said, take the helmet of salvation, that which is that
constant reminder, God has saved me. The Lord saved me. What else matters? What else?
The Lord keeps me. The Lord loves me. Then he said,
at latter part of 17, and the sword of the spirit, which is
the word of God. Now, again, I did a little research
on the Romans' soldiers' sword. And I found that, by and large,
and there's different sizes of swords, But this one right here,
my research told me that it was a shorter, it was a shorter,
almost like a long dagger. But it wasn't a real long, you
know, sword, you know, like this. But it was a, and what it was,
that Roman soldier, it was a sword that was short for quickness
and stabbing. You know, the quickness of a
shorter blade over one that you have to, you know, you don't
have the, this one was a short sword for stabbing is what it
was for. That's what it said, quickness.
It was fast. It wasn't cumbersome. That sword,
and I think about Hebrews 4.12. It says the word of God is quick.
It's alive, powerful. You know, the research I was
reading this morning, it said when the Roman soldiers would
come up against their opponents and they were battling somebody
that came in and they had real long swords, big long swords.
Well, you better make that first shot count because if you got
a rare back and take another shot at it and that Roman soldier's
got a short sword that he can handle real fast and it, you
know, It said that was so much of the power of that Roman soldier. It was quick, it was fast, and
he'd be to you before you could rear back and take another shot
at it. The Word of God is quick, it's
alive and powerful, it's able to accomplish. the will of God. It's sharper than any two-edged
sword. It can penetrate even to the
heart and devour all that opposes God and His people. It says even
piercing, even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and
thoughts and merit and a discerner of the thoughts and intent of
the heart. That's power. It's fast. It's quick. So the
Word of God, Paul says that the sword, which is the Word of God,
It convicts. It convicts of sin, and pride,
and envy, and lust, and it shows ourselves quickly. It reveals
the hidden and secret parts of the old man that opposes him.
When that old man is warring against that new man, and he's
fighting against him, and you're being cheated, and you're being
this, that, and the other, and the world, and he says that word. Fast, fast to the glory of God. And then he said lastly, verse
18, praying also. Here's part of our weapon. This
is it. This is part of the weaponry. Praying always with all prayer
and supplications in the spirit and watching there into with
all perseverance and supplications for all saints. Praying, the
Lord has taught His people. I'm going to provide. We've read
this so many times. So in Ezekiel 36, all that the
Lord has promised he's going to do. He said, I'm going to
order your steps. I'm going to keep you. I'm going
to guide you. I'm going to encourage you. I'm
going to do all these things for you. Yet for this, I will
be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. We
are brought to that point where we must call on the Lord. Has he said he's gonna save us?
Yep. What did Peter say? Lord, save me. Are we gonna persevere? Scripture
says we're being kept by the power of God through faith. But
what does a believer say? Lord, keep me. Lord, don't let
me. Please don't let me. Don't let
me go. Don't let me waver. Lord, you know, we know that
we don't pray as we ought, but we seek the Lord anyway. We know
that the Lord's going to provide, but He's told us, He said, you
ask and you seek and you knock. And everyone that asks and seek
and knock, it's going to be open. It's going to be. I promise. I think about how many times
he said, you have not because you ask not. I think, how many
times have I failed to ask for what I should? Lord help me. Pray without ceasing. So back
in Proverbs, and I'm gonna wrap this up. I preached all of that
to just say this about these two verses. Proverbs 24, five, a wise man
is strong. He's in strength. He's in Christ,
armed with the weapons of God. God Almighty, who alone is omnipotent,
all power in heaven and earth is given unto the Son, that he
should give eternal life to as many as the Father has given
him. So a wise man, one made wise unto salvation, that man
is in strength. Then it says, yea, a man of knowledge
increaseth strength. What that's saying is he confirms
or establishes what true strength is. What is it? To believe God. I'm going to believe God. That's he increaseth, he establishes,
he confirms what true strength is. He knows he's not strong
in himself. So true strength, by faith from
above, to come, to rest in, to wait upon the Lord, that's strength. Trust in the Lord with all thine
heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy
ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. That's strength. That's strength. Verse six, for by wise counsel,
thou shalt make, now look at this, thy war. What does that mean? That means
that we're all in the battle. Paul said, I fought a good fight.
I finished my course. We're all in the battle. How
many times are we tempted to forget that we're in the battle
all the time. All the time. Does that mean we're not in it?
Nope. We're in it. By wise counsel. How wise is the counsel of him
who is the counselor. Through these scriptures. Thou shalt call his name Jesus. He's gonna save his people. from
His sins. Who is He? He's wonderful. He's
the Counselor. He is the Counselor. He's the
mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. So there's
strength by wise counsel. And where do we get it? In His
Word. Search the Scriptures. The Lord
said, they are they that testify of Me. We told the two on the
road to Emmaus, beginning with Moses. So listen to this. Wise counsel, thou shalt make
thy war. We're in a battle. How are we
going to fight? By wise counsel. Where do we
get the counsel? From the Lord. My sheep hear my voice. I know
them. They follow me. They hear my voice. And in multitude
of counselors, There is safety. Who are these counselors? They're
God's pastors, preachers. I'm gonna send you pastors after
my heart. What are they gonna say? They're
gonna say just exactly what the counselor said. We're ambassadors
for Christ. We beseech you in Christ's stead
as though Christ himself is speaking. That's what Paul said. We're
saying what the Lord said. So in the multitude of counselors,
how many true preachers of the gospel do you know that preach
something other than what we preach? How many do you know?
None. None of them. They all preach the same thing.
They all preach what these scriptures declare. God's preachers preach
what's the counselor himself. So men sent of God to preach
the same message that was preached of the Lord himself. That's God's
counselors, ambassadors. You know what? There's safety.
There's safety. Safety, deliverance, rescue,
help, salvation, and victory in those many counts. I'm going
to send you pastors after my heart, and they're going to teach
you. They're going to give you knowledge and understanding.
Why? Because the Lord said, I've loved
you. I'm not going to forsake you.
I'm going to keep you. I pray God bless this to our heart for
Christ's sake. Amen.