Put on the Armor of God

What a coincidence! This message fits very well with the sermonette just given, and also with Psalm, or one of the Psalms on page 170, Fight the Good Fight. So, of course, this wasn't coordinated, but if you're being guided by God's Spirit, many times things complement each other, just like a hand in glove. And so that is very much the case this time around.

Brethren, there is no doubt we are facing difficult trials at this time.

We have a deadly virus pandemic around the world. Many have lost jobs, quite a bit of insecurity in the air, and people have woken up to how their comfortable lives can certainly be disrupted. As I mentioned in the newsletter, a news survey in May of this year mentioned that the majority in the United States believe God is telling humanity to change how we are living. In other words, a wake-up call through this COVID-19 outbreak. What comes next? What comes next? We really don't know, but we have to be prepared. Satan is very active. He wants to demoralize and frighten people into giving up and giving in to him.

He also doesn't want to waste a good crisis, as many there in the political world talk about.

Notice what it says in 1 Peter 5 verse 8.

Peter says, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. So yes, he is always looking at the weak person, the person who strays from God, gets himself into all kinds of trouble, and he tries to attack and discourage a person like that. And we know there is a spiritual warfare going on. It's unavoidable. Every human being on this earth is facing that spiritual battle, whether they know it or not. And Paul tells young Timothy in 2 Timothy 2 verse 3, You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Now, he wasn't just talking about Timothy. He was talking about God's people, because we're all recruited by God. We have all been called to be part of his spiritual army, the church.

And we know the gates of hell have tried to destroy the church over millennia, but Christ said he wasn't going to allow it. But there is this spiritual warfare that we have to be very aware of. And Paul, in many instances in his life, was very close to Roman soldiers.

He witnessed what they were like in several occasions. A Roman soldier stepped in before he was killed. And he wrote the epistle to the Ephesians during the period of time where he was under house arrest in Rome while he was guarded by a centurion of the Praetorian guard during those two years under house arrest. And while he was there, he had a soldier that he would talk with.

And he noticed their characteristics. He wanted to send encouragement to the brethren in Ephesus. He knew members there were under persecution. And he also was going through a difficult trial. How would you like to wake up in the morning and have a Roman soldier that is chained to one of your arms? That's the way he was under house arrest.

And so he reminded the brethren what God has provided for them. He knows about this spiritual warfare. And he has called us. He knows what he's doing. He knows we can be overcomers. He has a great reward for those who overcome and persevere to the end.

And he wanted the brethren to know they had been given something much better than what the Roman soldiers had at that time, although they were masters. A great part of the world, he knew that the Roman Empire was going to fade away one day, but not God's Empire. God's kingdom was going to last an eternity. And so he wanted to make this message to the brethren understandable about the spiritual warfare, to make it vivid and practical through an illustration that he used.

In a sense, he was telling them, you know how mighty the Roman Empire is. Well, God's Empire is even greater and will last a lot longer. And you are now part of God's spiritual army.

Are you prepared? We are called to wage spiritual warfare. And of course, we have three enemies. Number one is our own human nature. Number two are the false values of this world. And three, Satan the devil and his evil spirits with him. And God has given us seven spiritual tools to fight the good fight, to overcome and win the spiritual warfare. These are, by analogy, military tools that he saw the Roman soldier had to wage battle. And so he compared it to our spiritual tools with our spiritual battle. It wasn't just what he saw with the Roman soldiers and their armor and their warfare. Because in the Bible, we also have a spiritual armor. It's not just a Roman armor, but God talks about a spiritual armor. And in Isaiah 59, Paul had this in mind as well. He wasn't talking just about a Roman soldier, but he was talking about Christ the Messiah putting on those military equipment and putting on that armor, the spiritual armor. Notice in Isaiah 59 verse 15, God is disappointed with Israel. He doesn't have a spiritual warrior he can call upon. He says in verse 15, so truth fails and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the Lord saw it and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore, his own arm brought salvation for him. In his own righteousness, it sustained him, talking about Christ. He had to step up.

Notice verse 17, for he put on righteousness as a breastplate. That's mentioned by Paul, as we will see, and a helmet of salvation on his head. Same terms Paul would use. He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak because here God is going to intervene in the affairs of man. He says, according to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies, the coastlands he will fully repay. So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west and his glory from the rising of the sun when the enemy comes in like a flood. The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. Then the Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, says the Lord. So, yes, God also is going to do battle with mankind one day. He's coming as a conquering warrior. And so his people have to be familiarized with this spiritual warfare. It's actually much harder to be fighting a spiritual warfare day after day, year after year, decade after decade, than some soldiers that might be in war a year, two, three, up to five years as it was there in World War II. But after that, they came home and they didn't have much to fight about as far as fighting battles. Well, we can never relax. We can never let our guards down because our spiritual battle is one that could be lost at the very last moments of our life, if we give up, if we give in. And so Paul wanted to encourage the brethren. And so he talked about putting on the armor of God. Notice in Ephesians chapter 6, starting in verse 10, we're going to go carefully through this section. Hopefully you won't forget this wonderful description because there's so much in it. He goes on and says in verse 10, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

So what he's saying here is, brethren, we have a final preparation. We need to draw near to God and draw that spiritual strength from him. Notice the power of God's might, not our own might, but God's might is what we need by drawing close to him, by following his ways, by pleasing him, by walking humbly before his presence. We need to ask God for that Holy Spirit to guide us along the way. In verse 11, he says, Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Put on means to a soldier picking up his equipment and weapons. Yes, it's time to do that daily battle. We have to put on that spiritual equipment and the spiritual weapons that we have and be able to stand. The term in Greek is, histomie. This is the posture of readiness of a soldier. So, it's talking about your stance, your readiness for the battle. The first things that a soldier in the Roman army or whatever army, one of the first things he has taught is what is the proper stance to stand firmly because you can stand in the wrong way with the wrong posture and you can be easily toppled, especially if you're wearing armor. It's heavy. And so, they knew that there was a posture to stand with your feet not too open, not too closed, midway, one in front of the other, to be able to balance your whole body. By the way, this is something that an athlete has to learn how to position himself, to balance his body, to have the proper stance, to be able to stand. And so, he says here, to put your right posture and position in place that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Wiles here, the term metha-dea in Greek, it means Satan's strategies, his methods of warfare, just like a good general learns the strategy of the enemy, finds out how they generally do things. Well, it says in the Bible, let's not be ignorant of Satan's devices. So, as you grow up in the church, you have more years, you learn, oh, I'm not going to fall for that strategy of Satan. I'm not going to fall for this other one. And so, he says here that you are not to let Satan knock you down and knock you out. You will stand because you got God, the Father, and Jesus Christ right there behind you, strengthening and encouraging. And Satan, if he sees that you're close to God, he will flee from us. Notice in James chapter 4, it says in verse 7, therefore submit to God. That means follow God's guidance. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. He's going to flee because God is right there. And God is greater than Satan. So, going back to Ephesians 6, in verse 12, it says, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. This refers to Satan and his organization of evil angels of different ranks. So, yes, this world is deceived and is under Satan's influence. And so, it says here that there is this spiritual army of evil spirits. And he says here that we have to make sure we have the whole armor of God to protect ourselves from it.

Going on to Ephesians 6, verse 13. Again, Paul repeats, therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, that day of battle, and having done all to stand to be victorious, to be one who overcomes, which is a key word in Revelation 2 and 3, where Christ addresses the different churches and throughout history. And he says he who overcomes is going to be rewarded. So, nobody's going to fight that spiritual warfare for us. Each one individually has a spiritual warfare. So again, remember that we've always said that the greatest enemy we have is our own human nature. That vanity, all of the pride, all of the wrong thoughts and attitudes that we have to overcome, because Satan manipulates that very easily. Then secondly, is the world that surrounds us with its evil and false values that can penetrate and get us to go along with the crowd and go along with the current of the world. And then finally, Satan and his evil angels. Then it goes on to say, and we're going to start with these seven tools or equipment that God provides for us, the spiritual equipment. Ephesians 6, 12, it says, 6, 14 rather. 6, 14, it says, stand therefore, having girded your waste with truth. So here's the first piece of equipment that a Roman soldier, when he gets ready to go to battle, he's got just his tunic on. The first thing he puts on is his belt. He buckles his belt as the Tree of Life Bible version says, buckle the belt of truth around your waist.

And this belt was one of the key implements that the Roman soldier had, because with that belt, there was a lot that depended on how sturdy it was. It had several loops on it. One of them, in order to hook the scabbard where his sword would be placed in. He also had another hook with rope, because rope is very important to tie things with and do all kinds of things and even capture the prisoners. It was like a carpenter's belt. It had straps where the breastplate would be attached. It had supports so that the belt wouldn't wobble back and forth. It had a ration sack, again hooked on to another loop where they would have food, have liquid, have other things that they needed. Sometimes when they won a battle, they would empty that sack or eat the contents, but there they would put all the booty in. Also, there was another loop for a knife, which was important. So, brethren, we also have a buckle of God's truths that we need to put tightly around us. So much depends on that. Having the belt of truth, of God's wonderful truths that he has revealed to us, he has set us apart from the world's counterfeit religions.

Those truths include the Sabbath day, which we're keeping today, the Holy Days as Pentecost is coming up, the Ten Commandments, the 20 fundamental beliefs that are all found in the Bible, which reveal God's basic truths, and notice the summary. Let's go to 1 Timothy chapter 3, 15. The church is the one that protects God's truths. In 1 Timothy chapter 3, in verse 15, I'll read this last part.

He says, where you know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. In other words, God's church is there where the truths are found. That's how we came across it. We didn't discover it on our own, and just out of nowhere, all these truths came. No, we had to come into contact with people that were part of God's church, that were guarding God's truths, just like that belt is firmly buckled around the waist.

And brethren, we've seen some unbuckle that belt, let it drop to the ground, and after that, things start falling apart. There's nothing to attach the breastplate, the sword of God's Word. None of these vital things can happen without, first of all, guarding and making sure and firm that that belt of truth is there, holding on, and never, never let it go. Notice in Revelation chapter 14, here's a summary of God's church, what it's based upon, these wonderful truths.

It says in Revelation 14 verse 12, here is the patience or endurance, as it says in the margin, of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Now, I do have a couple of things to say here about this verse. And actually, where it says the faith of Jesus, it's better translated the faith in Jesus, as Robertson's Word Pictures mentions, the faith in Jesus.

It's an objective, genitive case in which it's talking about that we have faith in Jesus, in what He stands for. So, this is translated as faith in Jesus in Revelation chapter 2. Revelation chapter 2. In verse 13, Christ says, I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is, and you hold fast to my name and did not deny my faith, even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful barber, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

So, it says here, you hold fast to my name and did not deny my faith, the faith in Jesus Christ. Spositor's commentary says, the great test for Christians is whether through patient endurance they will remain loyal to Jesus and not fall prey to the deceptions of the beast by their faithfulness to Christ. So, again, Christ is the object, and it is our faith in Him, but also it's keeping God's commandments. So, once we have that sturdy belt of truth that we're not going to let go of, we're not going to abandon it all, we come, and I just wanted to mention, you know, how can we secure that belt of truth?

It is studying God's Word, soaking it up, studying the literature, and then applying God's truth through constant practice. That's how we can buckle it up, make it firm, so we'll never allow anybody to take that off. Now, the second implement or part of the equipment, Ephesians 6, verse 14, it says, having put on the breastplate of righteousness. In other words, this was the body armor, what is today called the Kevlar armor.

It was called Lorica segmentata in Latin, which meant segmented armor. It was constructed of strips of iron joined together with hooks or straps attached to the belt. So that gave it this sturdiness. So both are connected, the belt of truth and the righteousness that comes from God. Remember, this part protected the vital organs of the body. In Psalm 119, 172, David said, my tongue shall speak of your word, for all your commandments are righteousness.

Remember, righteousness is an Old English word for the right way of life. Walking in it, faith and obedience is necessary. That's the way we keep this breastplate of righteousness, faith and obedience to God. And how do we do that? By right living, faithfully following God's ways, becoming spiritually energized, every day being motivated to follow God's ways. That's the way we have a very strong body armor. That takes us to the third of the weapons that God gives us. Ephesians 6, 15. And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Now, the Roman soldier historians consider had one of the best shoes or sandals for fighting anywhere. And historians considered that this was one of the keys to their success. It had to do with that heavy hobnail sandals, which hobnail means they had studs underneath to make sure they would be sturdy in any type of terrain. The easiest thing to do is to slip, especially when you're on grass and it's rained and you went out there. You can't keep your balance. But the soldiers had this very heavy sandal and it had studs, metal studs, just like a golfer's shoes do too. Also, a baseball player has the same type of studs. Well, the Romans who perfected this type of warfare knew the importance of having proper shoes where they weren't too heavy either and so they could walk enormous amount of distances, but they were sturdy. They were strong. And so, as spiritual soldiers, we have a mission to carry out, to have the right direction going forward to help get the gospel of peace out to all the world.

So, that's one of our primary missions, is to support the work being carried out through the church, the gospel of the kingdom of God to all the world. Matthew 24 verse 14. Matthew 24 verse 14.

It says, and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come, the end of the age. God needs to get that gospel out, and He's using us as one of His instruments. And it's so important to support and carry out. We've got those right sandals to push us forward, to continue with this great work around the world. Now, how do we do that? Well, we need to have our heart in God's work.

Do what we can to back it. Pray for it. Support it. It's so important.

Then we go to the fourth of these spiritual weapons. Ephesians 6 verse 16. Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. The term darts is an old King James term, but it actually means arrows, because that's what usually with the shields you had to deflect. These shields were very special. The Roman soldiers had some of the largest shields, but that was because they had learned from experience how important it was. They were large rectangular wooden shields covered with canvas and leather.

And they went from the knees to the chin, all the way down from the knees to the chin. The term is the reios in the Greek, where we get our term thorax, because this is the part of the body that that shield protected. The Latin is called scutum, the term. When the Romans fought the Gauls there in France and Germany, the Gauls were normally taller men, and they would look at these smaller Romans carrying this large shield, and they mocked them, saying they were carrying doors. But you know what? When they fought these Romans, they found out real quick how knowledgeable the Romans were, because when the Romans would kneel down, all the arrows, rocks, whatever was thrown against them, they had a perfect wall to protect themselves. Their entire body was shielded from any projectiles coming in. And, supposing there was this phalanx or this group of soldiers coming in, and they were being attacked with a lot of arrows being thrown, sometimes they were firing. They would actually put some pitch, light them up. Well, the Romans, with these large shields, they would form, they would close ranks and close and make a wall. And then the Romans behind them actually put these shields on top. It looked like a box, a walking box, and they could get closer and closer, and the enemy couldn't do anything, because it was a big shield that protected them. They would call them the Roman turtles, which looked like the shell of a turtle, impenetrable. And so Paul, looking at that Roman shield, he said it's like the shield of faith. That's being filled with God's Spirit through prayer, Bible study, meditation, occasional fasting, and quench those fiery arrows from the devil. In Matthew 17, verse 21, sometimes the devil or some of his spirits are quite strong, as it was in this case.

Now, Jesus was shiting his disciples because they couldn't cast out this demon. And then he says in verse 21, however, this kind of spirit does not go out except by prayer and fasting. You have to get very close to God. Be strong. Have that shield of faith. And brethren, I've had to deal with some of these cases where people have spirits in them, especially when I was in Latin America, especially also in Chile, where they just had many of these cases. And I'd have to go with another minister or a deacon, and we would have to fast and pray the day before because we're going to face this spiritual power. And when that power recognized that we were close to God, it was like going into one of these rings with lions, and you just had, instead of the shield, you have a chair and you have a whip. Well, here in spiritual terms, you have a shield and you have the sword of God's word. And they're going to know whether you have done your homework if you're close to God or not. I've had many occasions who have been tested in that way.

So how do you quench those fiery arrows from the devil? You need to have your spiritual reserves filled. The shield is only as good as the material made from it. If we are just far away from God, it's like having a cardboard. It's not going to last very long.

The spiritual strength comes from being close to God, and then we have to learn to use that shield. Again, drawing close to Him, exercising it, defending the faith against all comers.

That takes us to the fifth point, Ephesians 6, 17, and take the helmet of salvation.

There's a more fuller version in 1 Thessalonians 5, 8. It says, as the helmet, the hope of salvation, which is better. It's the hope of. It's not something that we already have, that salvation, but that is what our focus is on, that coming salvation, the coming Kingdom of God, and us being part of it.

Historians consider the Romans had the best helmet of the ancient world. Many other nations used helmets of cloth, wrappings, animal hides, or bones. The Roman helmet was made of bronze, had a chin strap to keep it well, strengthened. A visor avoided the rain, and it came down to cover the back and sides of the neck with a lining of leather softened for comfort and good fit.

And so the helmet protects the vital head, and that is where our thoughts and our minds are. And we need to protect it. It tells us in 2 Corinthians 10, verse 3. 2 Corinthians 10, verse 3.

It says, for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. So again, it talks about here being able to protect our mind and asking Christ for help many times to get rid of wrong thoughts, wrong attitudes. How do we do that? Philippians chapter 4, verse 8. Philippians chapter 4, verse 8. It says, Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. So those are the right thoughts. That's the way to keep that spiritual helmet on. That takes us to the 6th tool, Ephesians 6, 17.

And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. It's the only offensive weapon given here. The Roman Makaria, which was a short sword, but it was deadly. It was used not to cut down people, but it was with a thrust. They learned to thrust. And so someone would come and wave the sword, ready to hit them, and the Roman would be able to thrust. And it usually was a fatal blow.

In Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12, it says, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. So this is our spiritual mirror. We have to be examining ourselves. To use that sword of the Spirit, we have to be familiarized with it. How?

2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 15. 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 15.

It says, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. We know that truth as part of the belt, but also it's hooked with the scabbard with the sword. So the belt of truth goes along with the sword of God's word. We need to learn to use it to master key scriptures in the Bible and how they are to be applied. That takes us to the seventh point. Ephesians 6, 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. So no matter how important it is to have all of this equipment and the armor, you have to be in communication with the headquarters to receive guidance, which is needed through prayer. The Romans had all kinds of signals. They had trumpets, they had flags, they had standards to keep in touch with the commanders, and they with them. We have to communicate with God's headquarters, receive the guidance needed through prayer.

How? Philippians 4, 6-7. It says, Be anxious for nothing but in everything. By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Also, keep in touch with the ministry, especially when you are in need. But it's always good to call, to update the minister. Let them know how you're doing, because they really do care. And so, brethren, to finish, it's good to remember, in the morning, to put on that armor of God so you will, at the end of the day, stand firm.