I told you earlier in this series
of messages that in chapters 1, 2, and 3, Paul writes about
the way of salvation, the great doctrines of grace, how God redeems
his elect. And then in chapters 4, 5, and
6, he deals with the walk of the believers, the things that
we should do and the kind of persons we should be. But beginning
with verse 10, Paul tells us where we get the grace to do
that, where we get the grace and the
wisdom and the strength to be what we ought to be. It doesn't
come naturally. Where do we get the grace and
wisdom and strength to do the will of God in a world that's
against the will of God and against the people of God and against
the various principles of God? How are we going to be different
in a world that is so difficult to live in? Well, here's the
answer, verse 10. My brethren, finally, my brethren,
be strong in the Lord. Be strong in the Lord. and in
the power of his might. Not in the power of your might
and your strength, but in his strength. Be strong in the Lord.
Live and work and walk and rest and do what you do in the strength
of the Lord, in the power of his might. Now you and I know
that repentance is the gift of God. No man ever repented except
by the goodness of God. That's right. The goodness of
God led you and me to repent. And we know that faith is the
gift of God. Not of words, lest any man should
boast. It's the gift of God. We know
eternal life is the gift of God. Well, so is love. That's the
gift of God. So is love. So is wisdom. Turn
to James 1. Where does a man get wisdom?
There's just one source of wisdom, just like we read a while ago.
God's a fountain of love. There's no other fountain where
you can receive love. James chapter 1 says this, in
verse 5, If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that give
it to all liberally, and upbraideth not he that be given him. But
let him ask in faith now. God's the source of wisdom. God's
the fountain of love. God gives us understanding. The
Son of God has come and given us an understanding that we may
know Him. That is true. Patience. God's the giver of patience.
He's the teacher of patience. It's tribulation and work of
patience, and tribulation's the work of God. The will to glorify
God is by the grace of God. I want to show you another verse
or two, over here in Philippians, chapter 4. Be strong, my brethren, in the
power of God, in the strength of God, the power of His might.
That's where we get our grace to do whatever we do. Philippians
4, beginning with verse 11. Not that I speak in respect of
want, for I have learned. In whatsoever state I am, therewith
to be content." I wonder where he learned that. He learned that
in the school of the Holy Spirit. But he don't. I know both how
to be abased, I know how to do without, and I know how to abound. And either circumstance doesn't
change me, Paul said. Whether I'm abased or abounding.
I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I am instructed
both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer
need. Now where are you going to get that kind of grace? Next
verse. I can do all things through Christ
which strengthens me. I can handle this situation.
I can deal with it by his grace. My brethren be strong in the
Lord and the power of his might. That's where his strength comes
from. A man can receive nothing except to be given him from above.
Let me turn over here and John read you a verse of scripture.
I'll just say it quickly, listen. John 15, 5. I am the bound. You are the branches. He that
abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.
For without me you can do nothing. No use talking to wives or husbands
or servants or masters or children or whomever, except in the strength
and power of Christ, where it all comes. You see, when Paul
had to deal with that thorn in the flesh, don't know what it
was, but it so disturbed him and so troubled him that he,
three times he went to the Lord in prayer about that thing, and
he kept praying that God would remove it. And the Lord answered
him in this way. He said, My grace is sufficient
for you. My grace is sufficient. That's
the only sufficiency. So he passed that along to young
Timothy over here, his protege, his student in the ministry.
He passed that along to young Timothy and he said this to him.
He said, Timothy, my son, Be strong in the grace that's in
Christ Jesus. That's where the strength is,
that's where the grace is, that's where the love is, that's where
the wisdom is, that's where the patience
is, that's where everything is. In the grace of God, in the strength
of the Lord, in the power of his might. Without me, I sat down and wrote a little note,
Lord, help me in this hour. Please don't leave me to myself
or my thoughts, because I'll fail. You speak to the people.
And if he doesn't, we're both finished. That's just so. Strengths
in him. But here's the promise. We talked
in the study back there, the unbeliever has no promise except
condemnation. But we have a world of promises.
We have a whole book of promises. So kind are the words that our
Savior speaks to every discouraged saint. My grace is sufficient
for you, though your human nature may change, but it is sufficient. My grace is sufficient. So then
here in verse 11, he tells us, so put on the whole armor of
God that you may be able to stand. I want to stand. So I'm going
to have to put on the whole armor of God, and that's the title
of this message, the whole armor of God. So put it on that you
may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Now,
I don't talk a whole lot about the devil from this pulpit. But
I do know he's there. I do know he's a troublesome,
troublesome spirit. And we live in a world of evil
that's dominated by Satan. That's just true. The scripture
says that Satan is the prince of this world. That's what it
says. Satan's the prince of this world.
Ephesians 2 said that. Remember that in Ephesians 2
back there, the first, second message I brought? Verse 2 of
Ephesians 2, in times past you walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
The prince of the power of the air. Then he's called the God
of this world. And he's called the accuser of
the brethren. And he's called our adversary,
he's called a roaring lion, he's called the tempter, he's called
the old serpent. And Paul said this, he said,
I'm not ignorant of his devices. Talks here about the wiles of
the devil, subtlety and craftiness and trickery. Wiles means trickery,
lying in wait. I'm not ignorant, Paul said,
of his subtlety and his deviousness. He's devious, he's crafty. He
said that about Eve, you remember? Listen to this right here. I
fear lest by any means the serpent who beguiled Eve through his
subtlety, trickery. So your mind should be corrupted
from the simplicity that's in Christ. That's Paul writing to
the church at Carlin, warning them. of his trickery. Our chief enemy is stronger than
we are. That's right. He'll attack an
angel. He attacked Michael, the archangel,
over the body of Moses. And Michael said to him, the
Lord rebuke thee, Lucifer. The Lord rebuke thee. He attacked
a patriarch, one of the greatest servants of God named Job. left
him crippled on an ash heap with everything taken away. Satan
did that, by God's permission, but Satan did that. You read
the whole book of Job. He brought that man from everything
to nothing, from health to sickness, to the border of death. But he
couldn't kill him. But he did it anyway, by God's
permission. He'll attack an apostle. He ran roughshod over Simon Peter,
didn't he? That's right. Peter sat by the
fire and denied he knew Christ. That's the work, that's the wiles
and subtlety of Satan. He'll even attack the Son of
God. He said to our Lord Jesus Christ,
if you are the Son of God, if you are, make these stones into
bread. That's the reason he says the
in verse 12, we wrestle not against flesh and blood. You think this
is a thing you're trying to strive not to do this, that, and the
other in the flesh. This is not a battle in the flesh. We wrestle not against flesh
and blood, but against principalities, dominions, against powers, old
powers, against rulers of the darkness, against spiritual wickedness
in awful high places. Our enemies are wicked spirits
who inhabit the supernatural realm. The field of battle is
not the flesh, it's the mind. I told you that a few days ago.
It's the mind, it's the heart, it's the soul, it's the thoughts,
it's the spirit. And Satan tries to invade the
mind and cause unrest and doubt and fear. and distrust and divisions
and strife and discord. That's his way of working. He's
not a peaceful person. Our enemies are wicked spirits.
They hate God. They hate the things that God
loves and he loves the things God hates. Turn to Proverbs for
a moment, chapter 6. Our enemies are wicked spirits
who inhabit the supernatural realm And they deal in the very
things that God hates. Over here in Proverbs 6, it says,
these six things that the Lord hates, verse 16. Proverbs 6,
verse 16. These six things that God hates. Seven are abomination to him.
A proud look. God hates pride. They cultivate
pride. A lying tongue, lying preachers. Satan cultivates that. Hands
that shed innocent blood. A heart that devises wicked imaginations. That's his field. Feet that are
swift at running to mischief. A false witness that speaketh
lies. He that sows discord among his
brethren. Those are things and areas where
he operates. These enemies do not want you
to believe on Christ. These enemies don't want you
to grow in grace in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. They
do not want you to find comfort and peace and rest in the Word
of God. They do not want you to be an
obedient wife, an obedient child, a loving husband, a kind and
tender, patient parent. a devoted husband or wife, a
good servant, a generous master, a caring believer. They don't
want you to do these things. Their objective is to make you
selfish, and self-centered, and unspiritual, in principle, as
much as they can possibly do it. It's an area where they work.
Therefore, we've got some powerful enemies, he said here in verse
12. We better put on the whole armor of God, verse 11, because
we're going to have to stand against the trickery and wiles
and subtlety of Satan, who operates not in the physical world, in
the realm, but in the spirit, in the mind, against principalities
and powers and against rulers of the darkness and spiritual
wickedness in high places. The whole armor of God. Put on
the whole armor. We're going to see what it is
in a moment. It's God's armor. He says it's the armor of God.
It's God's armor. It's provided by Him, and He'll
bless the use of it. It's not something we put on
and negotiate. It's His armor, and He provides
it, and He blesses the use of it. And he says, put it all on
because it's all you need. And he put it all on because
it's all you need and it'll protect you and you'll be successful
in this conflict. Yes, you will, in seven things
I've given to you here. Number one, verse 14. Stand,
therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, the word
of truth. the gospel of truth as a strong
girdle and support. I had a weak back one time, I
had a back problem, and the doctor gave me a support, a girdle that
I put around. It helped a whole lot, too. And
you put around you the girdle of the gospel of God, the gospel
of his sovereign grace, the gospel of Christ's righteousness and
blood. the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation. Just wrap yourself in that beautiful
gospel of God's grace. Let's turn to 1 Peter and read
about it. 1 Peter chapter 1. It's the gospel of God, it's
the gospel of His grace, it's the gospel concerning His Son,
it's the gospel that enables God to be just and justify. 1
Peter 1 verse 13. Wherefore gird up the lorns of
your mind," that's what we're talking about, the lorns of your
mind, be sober, serious, hope to the end for the grace that
is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Verse 18, for as much as you
know, you are not redeemed with corruptible things, silver from
your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers,
but with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish,
without spot. Turn one page to 1 Peter 3, verse
18. For Christ also hath once suffered
for sin, the just for the unjust, that he, and only he, might bring
us to God. being put to death in the flesh,
but quickened by the Spirit. I tell you, you wrap yourself,
your mind and heart and being, in that gospel of God's grace. It can be defined with five letters. Name for a flower, tulip. Total
depravity. Don't ever get away from that.
We need him because we don't have anything of our own. Total
depravity. Don't forget where we came from.
Unconditional election. We didn't choose him, he chose
us. Left ourselves, we'd never choose God. Particular addiction,
limited atonement. Christ died for his sheep. He
died for his people. Don't ever get away from that.
That's so. His salvation saves. His atonement atones. His blood
cleanses. All for whom it was shed. Irresistible
grace. The Lord Jesus Christ said, All
that my Father giveth me, they'll come to me. Other sheep I have
which are not of this foal, them also I must bring, and they shall
hear my voice, and they shall be one foal, and they shall be
one shepherd, no doubt about it. They're coming. Irresistible
grace. Oh, you may resist for a while,
but you're coming if he calls you. And the last one is perseverance
of the saints. Now don't get away from that.
Those are the old paths. Those are the old paths. That's
when I started preaching, when I learned the gospel, 52 years ago in April. 52 years ago in April. And I
hadn't gone that far away from it. Not one time. Because that's
the gospel. That's the truth. That's the
word of truth. That's just so. That's it. God's on the throne. He found us. Jim prayed this
while he found us in the gutter. He found us on the dung hill.
And he lifted and set us among princes. He said, what is your
Calvinism? I'll tell you what it is. The
whole of the work. The whole of the work. All the work from
Alpha to Omega from his brother L.R. Shelton said from A to Z.
The whole of the work whereby a depraved, dead, rotten, corrupt,
hell-deserving sinner is lifted from the pit of depravity and
wickedness and sin and washed and justified and sanctified
and made righteous and put in the image of Christ and taken
to glory, that's all of God and of Him only. And nobody makes
any contribution to that transaction. He has translated us from the
kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his son. And he did it all.
What did you do? I did the running, he did the
catching. That's what the old black man said. That sums it
up pretty good. That's right. It's all of grace. All of God.
Don't get away from that. That's your armor. Satan can't
handle that. No, Satan can't handle that.
He can't deal with that. God will bless that. God will
fortify you and strengthen you You just hang on to the truth. Second thing he said is a breastplate
of righteousness. That's a breastplate that covers
front and back. Because he said in Isaiah 61
we're robed in his righteousness. It's a perfect holiness. This
righteousness of Christ is a perfect holiness that will repel any
charge, any accusation by Satan or one of his demons. Now if
I'm wearing my robe of righteousness, he'll find a hole in it somewhere,
lots of them, and he'll get me. Any kind of righteousness that
a person may try to present or in which to hide is fallible. But this righteousness of Christ
is infallible. There's not a hole in it. It
will stand up under any accusation, under any charge. He said that
in Romans 8, I'll read it to you, listen. He says, Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. There's not a hole in that. Who
is he that condemns? It's Christ that dies. There's
not a gap in that. who is even at the right hand
of God, who also makes intercession for us. Righteousness. Righteousness. If the obedience
of Christ, imputed by God, received by faith, is upon me, in me, it will turn away any charge
or any accusation or any judgment. I have some friends that have
had a little problem talking about judgment, you know, some
folks getting older, and I don't know whether they're not thinking
straight or they've forgotten what they heard, but they're
getting a little uneasy about the judgment. Well, brethren,
there's no judgment to them who are in Christ. That's what the
Word says, there is no judgment to them. who are in Christ, because
we have a perfect holiness. What is there to judge? Who can
condemn? Who can lay them under the charge
of God's elect? Christ said, listen, let me read
this to you, so I may quote it wrong, but listen to this. and believeth on him that sent
me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment."
Condemnation. He's already passed from death
to life. Now when you get to 75 and you
get the word about the judgment, read that right there, yeah?
John 5, 24, there it is. He's already passed from death
unto life. There is no condemnation to them
who are in Christ Jesus. I'll tell you what a lot of them
are doing, they're listening to somebody that's not telling the truth.
They're listening to some preachers. Instead of listening to God's
preachers and reading God's word, they're listening to some preachers.
They're talking about rewards and all of these other things,
trying to get a little bit of money to keep their programs
going. And they scare people. I'm preaching too long. Here's
the third one, listen. Have your feet, verse 15, shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace. your foundation, your
foundation. That man that built his house
on a rock, he digged deep and found a rock, and that's where
he built. And the believer needs his feet
shod in preparation for a long journey, in preparation for a
long journey. It's a lifetime. It's a lifetime. Secondly, the believer needs
in preparation for this journey, a good foundation and shoes,
because he's going through some rough places and some rough times. And then thirdly, the believer
needs a good foundation and his feet shod with the gospel of
God's peace, because he's going to walk in some slippery places.
and go through some storms. So we read here that we need
a firm, solid footing. A firm, unmoving knowledge of
Christ and the gospel of peace. He is our peace. He purchased
peace for the blood of his cross. And Paul is talking here about
the constant, continual, and firm standing of a believer in
the faith of the gospel. I'll be shaking. Don't be moved. The foundation, our firmer foundation,
ye Saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His wonderful
Word. When you go in the Army or the
Navy, they're more concerned about a soldier's feet than most
any other thing. Do you know that? They do not issue slides and
sandals and slippers. They give you a pair of brogans.
That's right, sturdy, the best made. The army buys the best
shoes made, the very best, have to, because those shoes are going
to walk a million miles. You men know what I'm talking
about. They issue you the best shoes made. My Lord issues us
the best foundation there is, the gospel of Christ. And the
shoes have to fit. And they fit. Mine fit me perfectly. Fit me perfectly. And his gospel
fits me perfectly. Doesn't it just? And then my
shoes were comfortable. They were very comfortable. And
I'm real comfortable with this gospel of grace. When I hear
somebody preaching a gospel of work, I'm uncomfortable. I just
don't fit in there. They start talking about our
works and what we do. And no matter the terrain, no
matter where I am, my shoes furnished me solid, sure footing. Did you ever try to walk in a
rough place with a pair of sandals on? That's pretty rough walking.
But this gospel, you can walk in any terrain, and I've had
the same pair of shoes for two years. Wore them every day, and
they never wore out. I was like Israel, 40 years,
their shoes never wore out. And that's the picture of what
I'm talking about here. Your feet shod in preparation
for the journey with the gospel of God's peace, it'll never wear
out. Never wear out. And above all,
listen, above all, take the shield of faith. Above all. Yes, above
all, take the shield of faith. Who can tell the value of the
importance of faith? That's the one thing the Bible
says about Abraham. He believed God. That's one thing
the Bible says about Abel. He offered a sacrifice but he
did it by faith. One thing the Bible says about
Noah. Move with fear. Believe God. One thing God said
about Moses. By faith he left Egypt. Without
faith it's impossible to please God. And faith is a shield. Let me tell you this, now listen.
Faith is a shield, the shield of faith. The faith is the shield
that covers the whole person. And it will keep us from the
darts. Listen, above all, take the shield
of faith where you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked, evil ones, all of them. This shield of faith
will shield you from the darts of doubt, from the darts of the
accusations of Satan, from the darts of fear and weariness and
depression and loneliness This shield of faith, but you
know the shield is not our faith. The shield of faith is him in
whom we believe. Our faith is not itself the shield,
but him who is the object of faith and the obsession of faith.
He's the shield. Let me make good on that. Genesis
15-1, listen. God said to Abraham, In Genesis
15-1, you need to look at this one. Genesis 15-1, God said to
Abraham, after these things, the word of the Lord came to
Abraham in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abraham, I'm your shield. I'm your shield. What I'm trying
to say is my faith, the object of my faith, the obsession of
our faith, Christ, He's the shield. He will defend us against every
dart of the wicked one. Turn to Psalm 5, listen to this. He's the shield. Psalm 5, verse
12, listen. For thy Lord will bless the righteous,
with favor will thou encompass him as with a shield. You encompass
him, Christ Jesus. He's the shield. Now this is
Psalm 84. Listen to this. Psalm 84 verse
11. Listen. You've read this many
times. I think somebody read it a few
days ago. Listen. For the Lord God is a sun and
a shield. The Lord will give grace and
glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk
uprightly. So we preachers of grace, We
preach faith, but faith itself is not our shield. Christ is
our shield. Faith doesn't save us, Christ
saves us, but our faith is in Him who saves. One more verse,
Proverbs 30. Proverbs 30, verse 5. Proverbs 30, verse 5. Every word
of God is pure. He is a shield unto them who
put their trust in Him. the shield of faith. Now let's
go back to our text and look at two more. Take the helmet
of salvation. Take for a helmet the hope of
salvation. You know what 1 Thessalonians
5 says? Take for a helmet the hope of salvation. The helmet
is a piece of armor that protects the head. What is the head subject
unto? False doctrine. false teachers,
and any way of life except in Christ. So you take as your heraldman
the hope of salvation, Christ alone, Christ in you, that's
the hope of glory. It's right there. Satan can't
handle that. And then he says, and take the
sword of the Spirit, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word
of God. We've been talking about the believer's defense, his breastplate,
his shield, his defense, his helmet. Now we're talking about
not only his defense. The Word of God is our defense.
When our Lord Jesus was tempted by Satan, he used the Word of
God as his defense. But the Word of God is not only
a weapon of defense, it's a weapon of offense, the sword of the
Spirit. And I'll make good on that on
a second. 2 Timothy 4, some advice from
Paul to Timothy. The Word of God is our defense,
but the Word of God is our only weapon of offense. I'm going
to read two verses, and here's the first one here in 2 Timothy
4. I charge thee therefore before
God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and
the dead at his appearing, preach the word. Preach the word. Preach the word. Be in season,
out of season, rebuke, reprove, exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure
sound doctrine. But after their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears, and turn away their ears
from the truth, from the word of God. This is our only offensive
weapon. Only one. I'm going to try to
find that verse over here. in 2 Corinthians where it says
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal in the pulling down
of these... Here it is in 2 Corinthians 10. That's the one. 2 Corinthians
10. You've got to read this with
me. I'm saying that we've got all these defensive things and
weapons of warfare, weapons of our warfare and armor of God.
But the sword of the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit,
that's our only offensive weapon. It's not ball teams, it's not
potluck suppers, it's not choirs and all this putting on a show,
it's our only weapon. Now listen to this, 2 Corinthians
10 verse 3. For though we walk in the flesh,
we do not war after the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, they're not fleshy, they're not appealing to the
flesh. They're mighty through God, though, to the pulling down
of strongholds. We've been talking about principalities
and powers and spiritual wickedness. This weapon will pull down any
stronghold. It'll cast down imaginations,
in that way Satan works. And every high thing that exalted
itself against the knowledge of God, it bring into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ, and having in a readiness
to revenge all disobedience when your faith is fulfilled." It's
the Word of God. That's the sword of the Spirit.
And that's our weapon. That's our offensive weapon. Preach the Word. That's what
Paul said to Timothy. Preach the Word. Instant, in
season, out of season. God used it to accomplish great
and mighty things. I must mention the last thing
here now in Ephesians chapter 6. There's one other armor. Verse 18. Praying. Praying always
at all times. Praying. Pray without ceasing. Pray about everything. Pray privately,
pray publicly, pray as a family, pray as an individual, pray when
you're driving down the road, pray when you're cutting grass,
pray when you're plowing your garden, pray when you're picking
your beans, just pray, talk to God. Pray always, with all prayer
and separation, that's humility. In the spirit, with a sincere
true heart, in the spirit, not in form or ceremony or much speaking
We're not heard by much speaking. And pray watching down, too,
with perseverance. Even when there's no answer comes,
you just keep praying. With perseverance, perseverance,
importunity, and separation for all believers, all the saints.
Pray for all God's people. You could spend all day praying
for this congregation, one by one. And Paul says, pray for
me, verse 19. Pray for the preacher. Pray for
the elders, pray for these men who will be preaching this week,
that utterance may be given me, that I may open my mouth boldly
and make known the mystery of the gospel. Pray that God will
give me some skill to handle the sword of the Spirit and all
who teach the word, preach the word. Pray for us, brethren,
pray for us. All right, let's sing as our
closing hymn tonight, Solid Rock.