SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 53

TITLE: ARMED FOR BATTLE, PART I

TEXT: EPHESIANS 6:14

INTRODUCTION: (1) THE APOSTLE PAUL USED THE LANGUAGE OF WARFARE OFTEN IN TALKING ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

* FOR EXAMPLE HE BEGAN AND ENDED THE BOOK OF I TIMOTHY BY URGING TIMOTHY TO FIGHT THE BATTLE WELL.

** IN I TIMOTHY 1:18 PAUL SAID, “WAGE THE GOOD WARFARE.” AS HE CLOSES THIS BOOK TO HIS SON IN THE FAITH, TIMOTHY, HE SAID IN I TIMOTHY 6:12 – “FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH”.

*** IN II TIMOTHY 2:3&4 PAUL SAID TO TIMOTHY (READ THEM).

**** AND THEN IN THE END OF THIS LAST LETTER OF PAUL, PAUL SAID IN II TIMOTHY 4:7 (READ IT).

(2) THEN BEYOND TIMOTHY, PAUL SAID IN II CORINTHIANS 10:3&4 (READ THEM).

* AND THEN IN I THESSALONIANS 5:8, PAUL SAID: “BE SOBER, PUTTING ON THE BREASTPLATE OF FAITH AND LOVE, AND AS A HELMET THE HOPE OF SALVATION.”

** NOW MY POINT FROM ALL THESE VERSES IS TO REMIND YOU THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS WARFARE, A BATTLEGROUND, NOT A PLAYGROUND.

*** AND THIS CONFLICT IS A SPIRITUAL CONFLICT.

**** IN FACT, THIS GREAT SUPERNATURAL SPIRITUAL WARFARE RAGING THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE THAT PAUL DESCRIBES IN EPHESIANS 6:11&12 IS BETWEEN GOD AND HIS ANGELS AND THE FORCES OF SATAN.

(3) AND BECAUSE CHRISTIANS BELONG TO GOD, THEY ARE DRAWN INTO THIS SPIRITUAL CONFLICT AS THEY ARE ATTACKED BY THE VARIOUS “SCHEMES OF THE DEVIL”.

* SO GOD’S ENEMY BECOMES OUR ENEMY IF WE ARE TRUE CHRISTIANS.

** AND THIS STRUGGLE IS NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD. BECAUSE OF THAT, THE CHRISTIAN CANNOT FIGHT THIS WAR IN THE POWER OF HIS OWN FLESH AND STRENGTH.

*** FOR IT IS FIRST OF ALL GOD’S BATTLE AND IT CAN BE FOUGHT ONLY IN GOD’S POWER AND WITH GOD’S ARMOR.

(4) FLESHLY TOOLS HAVE NO POWER WHATSOEVER AGAINST THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS.

* THE MOST POWERFUL HUMAN ARSENAL IS TOTALLY IMPOTENT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD OR AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLIES.

** SMART BOMBS, ATOM BOMBS, NEWTON BOMBS AND HYDROGEN BOMBS HAVE NO IMPACT AGAINST SATAN.

*** OUR ENEMIES ARE DEMONIC. AND OUR WARFARE AGAINST THEM ISN’T WAGED BY COMMANDING THEM, BINDING THEM, MAPPING THEIR PHYSICAL LOCATION, INVOKING MAGICAL WORDS TO SUBDUE THEM, CLAIMING AUTHORITY OVER THEM, OR ANY OF THE OTHER TACTICS SOME PEOPLE USUALLY REFER TO AS SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

**** BELOVED, WE ARE NOT FIGHTING DEMONS IN A FACE-TO-FACE CONFRONTATION, OR BY SPIRIT TO SPIRIT CONVERSATION, OR WITH VOICE-TO-VOICE COMMUNICATION.

(5) WE ATTACK THEM BY TEARING DOWN THEIR FORTRESSES OF LIES AND WE WIN THE BATTLE BY PUTTING ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD!

* SATAN AND HIS FORCES ATTACK BELIEVERS BY TEMPTING US AND DECEIVING US TO DISOBEY GOD’S WORD.

** LET ME ILLUSTRATE. BECAUSE GOD WANTS US TO ACT FAITHFULLY, THE ENEMY ENCOURAGES US TO ACT UNFAITHFULLY.

*** BECAUSE GOD WANTS US TO LIVE MORALLY, THE ENEMY SOLICITS US, ENTICES US TO LIVE IMMORALLY.

**** BECAUSE GOD WANTS US TO SPEAK THE TRUTH, THE ENEMY TEMPTS US TO LIE.

(6) BECAUSE GOD WANTS US TO LOVE, SATAN AND HIS ARMY TEMPT US TO HATE.

* BECAUSE GOD WANTS US TO BE CONTENT WITH WHAT WE HAVE, THE ENEMY TEMPTS US TO COVET.

** BECAUSE GOD WANTS US TO LIVE BY FAITH, THE ENEMY TEMPTS US TO LIVE BY SIGHT. AND SO WITH EVERY OTHER COMMAND AND STATEMENT AND TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE.

*** SATAN IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF IT AND WILL DO EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO DECEIVE, MANIPULATE US AND ENTICE US TO NOT OBEY THE TRUTH WHICH IS ALWAYS BEST.

**** WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THESE DEVICES OF SATAN, TO KNOW AND APPLY AND LIVE THE TRUTH.

(7) THERE NEEDS TO BE RIGHT DOCTRINE WITH RIGHT DEVOTION.

* BUT ALSO REALIZE OUR DEFENSE AGAINST SATAN’S DEVICES IS NOT SIMPLY OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THEM BUT RATHER GOD’S PROVISION TO RESIST THEM THROUGH HIS WORD.

** AS PAUL SAYS IN EPHESIANS 6:13 (READ IT).

*** AND DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, PARTIAL ARMOR IS NOT ENOUGH! WE MUST PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD.

**** THE REASON BEING, WE CANNOT KNOW EXACTLY WHEN, WHERE OR HOW THE ENEMY WILL ATTACK.

(8) WE THEREFORE NEED TO HAVE ON ALL OF GOD’S ARMOR ALL THE TIME.

* AND WHEN THE BELIEVER HAS ON GOD’S FULL ARMOR, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO FULLY KNOW OR SPECIFICALLY UNDERSTAND THE DEVIL’S SCHEMES.

** IN FACT, MANY TIMES THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER WILL NOT EVEN BE AWARE OF A DANGER FROM WHICH GOD’S ARMOR IS AT THAT MOMENT PROTECTING HIM.

*** AND BEGINNING IN OUR TEXT TODAY, GOING THROUGH V. 17, PAUL TELLS US ABOUT THE PIECES OF ARMOR WITH WHICH GOD SUPPLIES HIS CHILDREN TO WITHSTAND THE ONSLAUGHT OF SATAN AND HIS HOSTS.

**** IN LIGHT OF THAT, I’VE TITLED OUR MESSAGE TODAY, “ARMED FOR BATTLE”, PART I AS WE LOOK AT THE FIRST TWO PIECES OF ARMOR IN EPHESIANS 6:14.

(9) AND IN THAT VERSE WE’LL LOOK AT TWO THINGS, NO. 1 THE MANDATE, V. 14A AND NO. 2 THE MEANS IN V. 14B, WHICH STARTS TO DESCRIBE THE ARMOR OF GOD, SPECIFICALLY TWO PIECES, THE BELT OF TRUTH AND THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

* AND WITHOUT ANY MORE INTRODUCTION, LOOK AT THE FIRST PART OF V. 14 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR FIRST POINT, THE MANDATE.

I. THE MANDATE, (READ V. 14A)

A. NOW THE WORD “THEREFORE” OR “THEN”, IF YOU HAVE AN NIV, TAKES US BACK TO VV. 10-13 WHERE PAUL DISCUSSED THE ARMOR OF GOD IN A GENERAL WAY.

* NOW BEGINNING IN V. 14 PAUL GIVES DETAILS CONCERNING THE VARIOUS PIECES OF ARMOR THAT WILL ENABLE BELIEVERS TO STAND AGAINST THE SCHEMES, THE WILES OF THE DEVIL.

** SIMPLY PUT, PAUL HAD EXHORTED BELIEVERS TO PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD IN ORDER TO STAND FIRMLY AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.

*** NOW IN V. 14 HE EXHORTS US TO DO JUST THAT, TO “STAND FIRM”.

**** NOW THIS VERB “TO STAND” IS USED FOR THE THIRD TIME IN THIS SECTION.

1. IN V. 11 PAUL SAYS: “PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD, SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO STAND FIRM AGAINST THE SCHEMES OF THE DEVIL.”

* THEN IN V. 13 PAUL SAID: “THEREFORE, TAKE UP THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD, SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RESIST IN THE EVIL DAY, AND HAVING DONE EVERYTHING, TO STAND FIRM.”

** NOW THE VERB “TO RESIST” IN V. 13 IS A COMPOUND FORM OF THE VERB TO STAND, SO IN ACTUALITY THIS VERB AND ITS FORMS ARE USED FOR THE 4TH TIME IN V. 14.

*** AND THE ONLY MAJOR DIFFERENCE IN ITS USES IS THAT IN V. 14 THIS VERB “TO STAND FIRM” IS IN THE IMPERATIVE MOOD MEANING IT IS A COMMAND, A MANDATE, THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL.

**** AND THIS VERB TO STAND LIT. MEANS TO RESIST OR TO HOLD ONE’S POSITION.

2. AND WHEN USED IN A MILITARY SENSE, IN BATTLE IMAGERY, HAD THE IDEA OF HOLDING A CRITICAL POSITION WHILE UNDER ATTACK AND NOT RETREAT.

* WE HAVE THE STANCE OF A SOLDIER WHO WITH GREAT RESOLUTION OPPOSES THE ENEMY.

** AND GET THIS. IN TERMS OF WARFARE IT DOES NOT COMMUNICATE AN OFFENSIVE, BUT RATHER A DEFENSIVE STANCE TO HOLD ONE’S GROUND.

*** WE ARE TO HOLD THE GROUND CHRIST HAS ALREADY CONQUERED. WE DON’T GO AFTER SATAN QUOTE BINDING HIM, WE DEFEND THE GROUND ALREADY WON BY CHRIST.

**** WE DON’T FIGHT FOR VICTORY, WE FIGHT FROM VICTORY, FOR IN THE ULTIMATE SENSE, OUR BATTLE AND THE CHURCH’S BATTLES WITH SATAN ARE ALREADY WON THROUGH THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.

3. SO OUR MANDATE IS TO STAND FIRM, TO HOLD THE GROUND ALREADY WON AND CONQUERED. AND THE MEANS TO DO THAT IS TO PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD.

* WHICH LEADS US TO OUR 2’D POINT TODAY, THE MEANS. AND SPECIFICALLY WE’LL LOOK AT TWO SPECIFIC PIECES OF THE ARMOR THAT WE ARE TO USE TO BE ARMED FOR BATTLE. LOOK BACK AT V. 14 PLEASE.

II. THE MEANS, (READ V. 14)

A. NOW THE MEANS TO STAND FIRM IS COMMUNICATED BY 4 PARTICIPLES WHICH FOLLOW THE IMPERATIVE TO STAND.

* AND THE 4 PARTICIPLES WHICH FOLLOW ARE NO. 1 GIRDING YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH,; NO. 2 HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS; NO. 3 HAVING SHOD YOUR FEET WITH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; AND NO. 4 TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.

** SO THE MEANS TO FULFILL THE MANDATE IS THE ACTION OF PUTTING ON THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF ARMOR THAT FOLLOW.

*** AND THE FIRST PIECE IS THE BELT OF TRUTH, GIRDING YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH.

**** NOW HERE’S THE PICTURE. A ROMAN SOLDIER ALWAYS WORE A TUNIC, AN OUTER GARMENT THAT SERVED AS HIS PRIMARY CLOTHING.

1. IT WAS USUALLY MADE OF A LARGE, SQUARE PIECE OF MATERIAL WITH HOLES CUT OUT FOR THE HEAD AND ARMS.

* ORDINARILY IT DRAPED LOOSELY OVER MOST OF THE SOLDIER’S BODY AND THAT’S FINE FOR MOVING AROUND BUT NOT GOOD FOR BATTLE.

** FOR YOU SEE THE GREATEST PART OF ANCIENT COMBAT WAS HAND TO HAND, SO A LOOSE TUNIC WAS A POTENTIAL HINDRANCE AND EVEN A DANGER.

** BECAUSE OF THAT, BEFORE A BATTLE THE TUNIC OR THE OUTER GARMENT THAT COVERED THE LOIN AREA AND THE THIGH AREA WAS CAREFULLY CINCHED UP AND TUCKED INTO THE HEAVY LEATHER BELT THAT GIRDED THE LOINS.

*** TO GIRD THE LOINS WAS TO FASTEN A BELT AROUND THE WAIST, SO THE OUTER GARMENT WOULD NOT BE FREE FLOWING AND GET IN THE WAY.

**** NOW IN A BATTLE SENSE, GIRDING THE LOINS WAS A MARK OF PREPAREDNESS, AND THE SOLDIER WHO WAS SERIOUS ABOUT FIGHTING WAS SURE TO SECURE HIS TUNIC, HIS OUTER GARMENT WITH HIS BELT.

2. AND IN THE PICTURE THAT PAUL IS PAINTING FOR US, THE BELT THAT GIRDED IT ALL SECURELY TOGETHER DEMONSTRATES THE BELIEVER’S READINESS FOR WAR IS TRUTH.

* AND THE GREEK WORD FOR TRUTH HERE BASICALLY REFERS TO THE CONTENT OF THAT WHICH IS TRUE.

** SO THE CHRISTIAN’S BELT IS TRUTH. THE BELT IS ACTUALLY A PART OF OUR WAR EQUIPMENT.

*** NOW IS THE TRUTH TALKED ABOUT HERE OBJECTIVE TRUTH OR SUBJECTIVE TRUTH? IS IT THE OBJECTIVE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY, THE TRUTH OF GOD OR CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE?

**** OR IS IT TALKING ABOUT SUBJECTIVE TRUTH, THE ATTITUDE OF TRUTHFULNESS, SINCERITY OF HEART, THE QUALITY OF TRUTHFULNESS IN OUR LIVES?

3. SO WHICH ONE IS IT? WELL, SCHOLARS HAVE ANSWERED BOTH WAYS AND END UP ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.

* AND THE WORD TRUTH USED IN EPHESIANS HAS BOTH MEANINGS. THE TRUTH REFERS TO GOD’S TRUTH, THE WORD OF TRUTH IN EPHESIANS 1:13.

** AND WE ARE TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE IN EPHESIANS 4:15 AND IN EPHESIANS 4:25 WE ARE TO LAY ASIDE FALSEHOOD AND TO SPEAK TRUTH TO HIS NEIGHBOR.

*** AND CONTEXTUALLY IN EPHESIANS, TRUTH IS USED BOTH WAYS, OBJECTIVELY AND SUBJECTIVELY.

**** SO AGAIN WHICH ONE IS IT? WELL, I THINK JOHN R. W. STOTT IS RIGHT WHEN HE SUGGESTS THAT “WE DO NOT NEED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THESE TWO ALTERNATIVES.”

4. AND JAMES MONTGOMERY BOICE IN HIS COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS CONCURS WITH THAT VIEWPOINT, HE SAID AND I QUOTE:

* “AS THE BIBLE LOOKS AT THIS AREA, INNER TRUTH OR TRUTHFULNESS BEGINS WITH A KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, WHO IS TRUTH, AND A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH OF GOD INEVITABLY LEADS TO A LIFE CHANGE CONSISTENT WITH GOD’S CHARACTER. WE MUST BE TRUTHFUL MEN AND WOMEN, OF COURSE. BUT WE WILL BECOME THAT ONLY AS WE FEAST ON THE REVEALED TRUTHS OF GOD.” (END QUOTE)

** AND WHAT BOICE IS SAYING IS AS WE KNOW AND STUDY GOD’S TRUTH, THE GREAT TRUTHS AND DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH, AND APPLY THEM, WE ARE TRUTHFUL PEOPLE, WE LIVE THE TRUTH AND TELL THE TRUTH AND DO NOT COMPROMISE WITH LIES.

*** TO SAY IT ANOTHER WAY, AS WE SECURE THE BELT OF TRUTH AROUND OUR WAIST, THE TRUTHS OF GOD’S WORD, THE TEACHING AND DOCTRINE OF SCRIPTURE, WE ARE ABLE TO BATTLE SATAN’S LIES WITH TRUTH AND A LIFE OF TRUTH.

**** AS WE BUILD GOD’S TRUTH IN OUR LIVES WE ARE ENABLED TO BE PEOPLE OF INTEGRITY AND TRUTH.

5. AND THIS PIECE OF ARMOR IS BASIC TO ALL THE OTHER PIECES BECAUSE TRUTH AND TRUSTWORTHINESS ARE BASIC TO ALL THE OTHER QUALITIES THAT BELIEVER’S NEED TO WITHSTAND THE SCHEMES OF DECEIT BY SATAN.

* AND BELOVED A PART OF STANDING FIRM IS KNOWING TRUTH AND LIVING TRUTH, RIGHT DOCTRINE WITH RIGHT DEVOTION.

** NOT WITH HYPOCRISY OR COMPROMISE. AND IF WE ARE NOT TRUTHFUL PEOPLE WE HAVE NO PLATFORM FOR BEING A WITNESS OF THE TRUTH.

*** I MEAN IF YOU ARE A LIAR, A DECEITFUL PERSON, YOU HAVE NO INTEGRITY SO YOU HAVE NO MESSAGE.

**** AND LYING IF YIELDED TO, TRAPS US AND IT DEFILES US, WE ARE TIED UP WITH SIN THAT TRIPS US UP IN TRYING TO STAND FIRM.

6. SO WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR BATTLE AND BE SERIOUS AND READY FOR BATTLE BY KNOWING TRUTH AND BEING TRUTHFUL PEOPLE. IF WE ARE NOT WE WILL FALL AND NOT STAND.

* WHICH LEADS US TO THE SECOND PIECE OF ARMOR WHICH ENABLES US TO STAND, LOOK BACK AT V. 14 PLEASE ONE MORE TIME.

B. READ V. 14. NOW THE SECOND PIECE OF ARMOR THAT WE MUST PUT ON IS THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

* AND NO ROMAN SOLDIER WOULD GO INTO BATTLE WITHOUT HIS BREASTPLATE.

** FOR THE BREASTPLATE WAS A PIECE OF ARMOR COVERING THE TORSO, THE MAIN PART OF OUR BODY, TO PROTECT IT AGAINST BLOWS IN HAND TO HAND COMBAT AND ARROWS FROM THE ENEMY FROM AFAR (FROM BLOWS AND ARROWS).

*** NOW SPECIFICALLY THE BREASTPLATE WAS A TOUGH PIECE OF ARMOR THAT COVERED THE TRUNK PART OF THE BODY, THE TORSO, THE CHEST TO THE THIGHS, SOME SAY FROM THE NECK TO THE THIGHS.

**** AND SOME COMMENTATORS SAY THE ROMAN SOLDIER HAD THE BREASTPLATE TO COVER THE FRONT AND BACK AND SOME JUST THE FRONT.

1. AND IT MAY BE SUGGESTED IF THE BACK WAS NOT COVERED IT SHOWS THAT A SOLDIER SHOULD NEVER BE RUNNING AWAY FROM THE ENEMY FOR HIS BACK IS EXPOSED TO BLOWS AND ARROWS IF HE IS IN RETREAT.

* AND THAT MAY BE SO. I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE A POSITION EITHER WAY. BUT IT IS OBVIOUS EITHER WAY THAT THE BREASTPLATE WAS PUT ON TO PROTECT THE VITAL ORGANS OF THE BODY LIKE THE HEART AND OUR BOWELS.

** AND IN ANCIENT JEWISH THINKING, THE HEART REPRESENTED THE MIND (PROVERBS 23:7) AND THE WILL AND THE BOWELS WERE CONSIDERED THE SEAT OF EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS.

*** AND BELOVED OUR EMOTIONS AND OUR MINDS ARE TWO TARGETS OF OUR ENEMY.

**** FOR HE WORKS IN A WAY IN OUR WORLD SYSTEM, TO TEMPT US TO THINK WRONG THOUGHTS AND TO FEEL WRONG EMOTIONS.

2. JOHN MACARTHUR IN HIS COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS AT THIS POINT SAID AND I QUOTE: “OUR ENEMY WANTS TO CLOUD OUR MINDS WITH FALSE DOCTRINE, FALSE PRINCIPLES, AND FALSE INFORMATION IN ORDER TO MISLEAD AND CONFUSE US.”

* “HE ALSO WANTS TO CONFUSE OUR EMOTIONS AND THEREBY PERVERT OUR AFFECTIONS, MORALS, LOYALTIES, GOALS AND COMMITMENTS. HE DESIRES TO SNATCH THE WORD OF GOD FROM OUR MINDS AND REPLACE IT WITH HIS OWN IDEAS.”

** “HE SEEKS TO UNDERMINE PURE LIVING AND REPLACE IT WITH IMMORALITY, GREED, ERROR, HATE, AND EVERY OTHER VICE. HE WANTS US TO LAUGH AT SIN RATHER THAN MOURN OVER IT, AND TO RATIONALIZE IT RATHER THAN CONFESS IT AND BRING IT TO THE LORD FOR FORGIVENESS. HE SEDUCES US TO BECOME SO USED TO SIN IN US AND AROUND US THAT IT NO LONGER BOTHERS OUR CONSCIENCE.” (END QUOTE)

*** AND BELOVED HOW TRUE THAT IS, WE MUST THINK RIGHT TO LIVE RIGHT AND FEEL RIGHT. AND NOT ALLOW OUR EMOTIONS TO TAKE CONTROL.

**** AND THE PROTECTION AGAINST THOSE ATTACKS OF THE ENEMY IS TO “PUT ON” THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

3. RIGHTEOUSNESS IS TO BE TAKEN AND WRAPPED AROUND OUR WHOLE BEING JUST AS ROMAN SOLDIERS COVERED THEMSELVES WITH BREASTPLATES OF ARMOR.

* NOW AGAIN UNDER THIS PIECE OF ARMOR, LIKE TRUTH, RIGHTEOUSNESS CAN BE TAKEN IN TWO WAYS.

** IT CAN REFER TO WHAT IN THEOLOGY IS CALLED IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST RECKONED TO A CHRISTIAN’S ACCOUNT THAT IS GIVEN WHEN HE TURNS TO JESUS CHRIST IN REPENTANT FAITH. READ ROMANS 5:1 AND II CORINTHIANS 5:21.

*** AND EVERY TRUE BELIEVER HAS BEEN MADE RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST, THERE IS JUSTIFYING RIGHTEOUSNESS PUT TO OUR ACCOUNT BY FAITH IN THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST, AND OUR HOLY GOD NO LONGER SEES US IN SIN BUT IN HIS SON.

**** AND JUSTIFICATION WILL LEAD TO SANCTIFICATION, IN FACT IF THERE IS NO SANCTIFICATION THERE HAS BEEN NO JUSTIFICATION. WE CANNOT SEPARATE THE TWO.

4. AND THAT TRUTH LEADS US TO THE 2’D KIND OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS OR SANCTIFYING RIGHTEOUSNESS.

* AND IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS MAKES PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS POSSIBLE, BUT ONLY OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD MAKES PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS A REALITY.

** AND SO THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT WE PUT ON AS SPIRITUAL ARMOR AGAINST OUR ENEMY IS THE PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS OF A LIFE LIVED IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD.

*** AND IN THIS CONTEXT PRACTICAL SANCTIFYING RIGHTEOUSNESS IS IN VIEW. FOR PAUL IS URGING THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY CHRISTIANS TO “PUT ON” GOD’S ARMOR.

**** AND IF THEY ARE CHRISTIANS, THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN CLOTHED WITH GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE FIRST SENSE. WE ARE ALREADY RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST, AND WE CANNOT PUT ON THAT KIND OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, IT IS ALWAYS A REALITY.

5. THEREFORE, THE ONLY THING WE CAN PUT ON IS PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS, PRACTICAL HOLINESS, EXPRESSED IN RIGHTEOUS THOUGHTS AND DEEDS.

AND BECAUSE OF TIME, IN MY WRAP UP TODAY, I WANT TO MAKE APPLICATION TO THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF ARMOR.

* AND THAT IS, TO PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS TO LIVE IN DAILY, MOMENT BY MOMENT OBEDIENCE TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

** AND THIS PART OF GOD’S ARMOR IS HOLY LIVING, FOR WHICH GOD SUPPLIES THE STANDARD AND THE POWER, BUT FOR WHICH WE MUST SUPPLY THE WILLINGNESS.

*** OUR HOLY GOD HIMSELF PUTS ON OUR IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT WE MUST PUT ON OUR PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS.

**** AND BELOVED THE SYNTHETIC CHRISTIANITY IN OUR NATION TODAY IS OFTEN GUILTY OF SUPPLYING BELIEVERS WITH PAPER ARMOR.

(1) THE PAPER ARMOR OF MAN-MADE PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVICE, OF PROGRAMS AND 12 STEP PLANS, OF ACTIVITIES, TECHNIQUES AND METHODS, WHEN WHAT THEY NEED IS THE GODLY ARMOR OF HOLY LIVING.

** FOR DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST, NO PROGRAM, METHOD OR TECHNIQUE CAN BRING WHOLENESS AND JOY TO THE BELIEVER WHO IS UNWILLING TO CONFRONT AND FORSAKE HIS SIN.

** PROVERBS 28:13 SAYS: (READ IT) ALSO READ I JOHN 1:9.

*** PSALM 32:3-5 SAYS: “WHEN I KEPT SILENT ABOUT MY SIN, MY BODY WASTED AWAY THROUGH MY GROANING ALL DAY LONG.”

V. 4 – “FOR DAY AND NIGHT YOUR HAND WAS HEAVY UPON ME; MY VITALITY WAS DRAINED AWAY AS WITH THE FEVER HEAT OF SUMMER.”

V. 5 – I ACKNOWLEDGED MY SIN TO YOU, AND MY INIQUITY I DID NOT HIDE; I SAID, “I WILL CONFESS MY TRANSGRESSIONS TO THE LORD”; AND YOU FORGAVE THE GUILT OF MY SIN.”

**** AND BEYOND WHAT DAVID SAID ABOUT THE BLESSEDNESS OF FORGIVENESS, PETER SAID IN I PETER 2:11 (READ IT).

2. AND BELOVED, OUR ARMOR MUST THEREFORE INCLUDE THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, TO STAND IN THE EVIL DAY AND HAVING DONE ALL TO STAND.

* MAY WE PUT ON THE BELT OF TRUTH AND THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS TO PROTECT OUR HEARTS AND MINDS FROM THE LIES OF THE ENEMY. (LET’S PRAY).