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SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 55

TITLE: ARMED FOR BATTLE, PART III

TEXT: EPHESIANS 6:17

INTRODUCTION: (1) THE BIBLE DISCUSSES THE CHRISTIAN’S CONFLICT, THE CHRISTIAN’S WARFARE, IN 3 DIMENSIONS.

* NO. 1 BETWEEN THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT IN GALATIANS 5:16-26 (READ GALATIANS 5:16&17).

** SO THERE IS A CONFLICT GOING ON BETWEEN THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT CONTINUALLY.

*** NO. 2 THERE IS A CONFLICT BETWEEN THE CHRISTIAN AND OUR FALLEN WORLD SYSTEM IN JOHN 15:18-25, ROMANS 12:2, JAMES 4:4 AND I JOHN 2:15-17.

**** NOW THE WORLD HERE IS NOT THE PHYSICAL WORLD, THE EARTH WE LIVE ON, BUT THE WORLD SYSTEM THAT IS EVIL, THE PHILOSOPHIES, THE IDEOLOGIES, THE VALUES, THE BELIEFS THAT ARE IN OPPOSITION TO GOD AND HIS TRUTH. (READ ROMANS 12:2, JAMES 4:4 AND I JOHN 2:15-17).

(2) AND DAILY THERE IS CONFLICT BETWEEN THE WORLD’S BELIEFS AND GOD’S TRUTH FOUND IN THE WORD OF GOD WHICH LEADS US TO THE 3’D DIMENSION OF OUR CONFLICT.

* THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE BELIEVER AND SATAN AND HIS ARMY. NOW SATAN USES THE FLESH AND THE WORLD SYSTEM TO FIGHT US, TO TEMPT US. HE WORKS THROUGH THESE TWO ENEMIES.

** IN FACT, SATAN IS THE GOD OF THE WORLD SYSTEM ACCORDING TO II CORINTHIANS 4:3&4 (READ THEM)

*** NOW AS THE GOD OF THIS WORLD SYSTEM, SATAN IS A CLEAR ENEMY ACCORDING TO I PETER 5:8 (READ IT).

**** NOW OUR 3’D ENEMY IN THIS CONFLICT IS VERY POWERFUL, BUT NOT ALL POWERFUL. AND PAUL TELLS US IN THE BOOK THAT WE HAVE THE POWER TO HAVE VICTORY IN THIS CONFLICT AGAINST OUR 3 ENEMIES.

(3) FOR EPHESIANS 3:20&21 SUMS UP THE FIRST 3 CHAPTERS IN EPHESIANS BY SAYING: (READ THEM).

* SO WE HAVE THE POWER TO GLORIFY GOD THROUGH HIS WORK OF SAVING SOVEREIGN GRACE MANIFEST IN US, AND THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO INDWELLED US.

*** THEREFORE SINCE THE POWER IS AVAILABLE TO GLORIFY GOD AND HAVE VICTORY WE ARE TOLD TO WALK THE WORTHY WALK IN EPHESIANS 4:1 (READ IT).

**** NOW HOW DO WE WALK THE WORTHY WALK IN THIS POWER? WE MUST WALK IN THE SPIRIT, WE MUST FULFILL THE ULTIMATE MANDATE OR IMPERATIVE FOUND IN EPHESIANS 5:18, READ IT.

**** NOW THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT IS THE KEY TO FULFILLING ALL THE REST OF THE COMMANDS FOUND IN EPHESIANS.

(4) ESPECIALLY THE MANDATE TO STAND FIRM FOUND 4 TIMES IN EPHESIANS 6:11-14 AND TAKING UP AND PUTTING ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD, READ EPHESIANS 6:10&11.

* NOW IN BEING STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT, WE DON’T FIGHT FOR VICTORY, BUT FROM VICTORY.

** FOR THE ULTIMATE BATTLE WAS WON AT THE CROSS OF CHRIST IN HIS DEATH AND VICTORIOUS RESURRECTION. SO WE MUST STAND AND HOLD THE GROUND ALREADY WON BY CHRIST AGAINST THE WORD, THE FLESH AND ULTIMATELY SATAN.

*** AND TO DO THAT WE MUST PUT ON THE BELT OF TRUTHFULNESS, THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUS LIVING, THE SHOES OF THE GOSPEL THAT GIVES US PEACE, AND THE SHIELD OF FAITH.

**** WE ARE ARMED FOR BATTLE. AND TODAY WE COME TO THE LAST TWO PIECES OF THIS ARMOR FOUND IN EPHESIANS 6:17, THE HELMET OF SALVATION AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT.

(5) AND THE HELMET IS DEFENSIVE ARMOR LIKE THE REST, BUT THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT MUST BE USED DEFENSIVELY AND OFFENSIVELY.

* AND THESE PIECES OF ARMOR ARE THE MEANS TO FULFILL THE MANDATE TO STAND FIRM AND TO TAKE UP THESE SPIRITUAL PIECES OF ARMOR AND WEAPONRY IN OUR CONTINUING CONFLICT.

** BECAUSE OF THAT, THE TITLE OF THE MESSAGE TODAY IS “ARMED FOR BATTLE”, PART III.

*** AND TODAY WE’LL LOOK AT THE FINAL TWO PIECES OF BATTLE EQUIPMENT, NO. 1 THE HELMET OF SALVATION, V. 17A; AND NO. 2 THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, V. 17B.

**** AND WITH THAT TITLE AND OUTLINE TO HANG YOUR THOUGHTS ON, LOOK AT V. 17A PLEASE, WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR FIRST POINT, THE HELMET OF SALVATION.

I. THE HELMET OF SALVATION, (READ V. 17A)

A. NOW V. 17 BEGINS WITH THE WORD “AND” IN MOST TRANSLATIONS, WHICH IS THE GREEK WORD KAI, A CONNECTIVE CONJUNCTION.

* AND I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE THE CONNECTIVE CONJUNCTION “KAI” INDICATES THAT V. 17 IS NOT REALLY THE BEGINNING OF A NEW SENTENCE, AS MOST TRANSLATIONS SUGGEST, BUT A CONTINUATION OF THE SENTENCE BEGINNING IN V. 14.

** NOW THE SECOND WORD IN V. 17 “TAKE” IS A VERB WHICH IS IN THE IMPERATIVE MOOD AS IS THE VERB “STAND” IN V. 14, AND TAKE PARALLELS THE VERB STAND.

*** FOR THE HELMET AND SWORD ARE THE LAST TWO PIECES A SOLDIER TAKES UP.

**** THE REASON BEING IN WARFARE THE HELMET WAS HOT AND UNCOMFORTABLE AND WOULD BE PUT ON BY A SOLDIER WHEN HE FACED IMPENDING DANGER, NOT WEARING IT ALL THE TIME.

1. AND LIKEWISE WHEN FACING DANGER HE WOULD TAKE HOLD OF HIS SWORD TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAINST AN APPROACHING ENEMY.

* SO A ROMAN SOLDIER WOULD LIT. GRAB THESE TWO PIECES WHEN FACING DANGER.

** AND CERTAINLY WE CARRY THIS IDEA OVER INTO OUR SPIRITUAL WARFARE. PAUL SAYS “TAKE” THE HELMET OF SALVATION AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, A COMMAND, A MANDATE PARALLEL TO STAND IN V. 14, TO HOLD OUR SPIRITUAL GROUND ALREADY WON BY CHRIST.

*** AND THIS VERB IS AGAIN IN THE IMPERATIVE MOOD, THE AORIST TENSE AND THE MIDDLE VOICE.

**** MEANING TO TAKE, TO RECEIVE, TO TAKE IN HAND, TO GRASP.

2. AND ONE SCHOLAR I STUDIED ACTUALLY SUGGESTED IT COULD ACTUALLY MEAN “GRAB” SINCE THE CONTEXT SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THE LAST THING A SOLDIER DOES IS GRAB HIS HELMET AND SWORD WHEN HE SEES AN APPROACHING ENEMY.

* AND THIS AORIST IMPERATIVE MAY SUGGEST A SENSE OF URGENCY INCUMBENT ON BELIEVERS. AND THE MIDDLE VOICE INDICATES THAT BELIEVERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GRABBING THE HELMET AND SWORD.

** AND I ONLY BRING THAT UP TO REMIND YOU THAT THERE MUST BE A READINESS IN OUR SPIRITUAL WARFARE. YOU CAN’T PUT YOUR GUARD DOWN.

*** THERE ARE NO TIMES WHEN SPIRITUAL DANGER IS NOT EMINENT. THERE CAN BE NO LET DOWN TIMES.

**** WHETHER AT WORK, AT HOME, SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY, ON VACATION OR WHATEVER, YOU MUST BE ON GUARD AND THERE CAN BE NO SEPARATION BETWEEN THE SACRED AND QUOTE SECULAR.

3. IT’S ALL SACRED. EVEN AT TIMES WHEN WE THINK OF LEISURE OR REST ON VACATION SHOULD BE SACRED TIMES TO BE REFRESHED, TO COME APART AND REST AWHILE FOR A PURPOSE IN GLORIFYING GOD IN EVERY ASPECT IN LIFE.

* BUT NORMALLY IT IS DURING THOSE TIMES WE LET DOWN OUR GUARD THE MOST. AND WARFARE BATTLES ARE REGULAR HAPPENINGS, SO THERE MUST BE A READINESS TO GRAB OUR HELMET AND SWORD.

** DON’T PUT YOUR GUARD DOWN, DON’T LET UP, DON’T TRY TO COAST OR TREAD WATER, BE READY, FOR OUR ENEMY SOMETIMES STRIKES WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT, FOR ME MANY TIMES EVEN RIGHT AFTER A GREAT SPIRITUAL VICTORY.

*** I’M REMINDED OF TWO SIGNIFICANT TEXTS AT THIS POINT, PROVERBS 4:23 AND MATTHEW 26:41 (READ THEM).

**** NOW WITH THOSE PRINCIPLES IN MIND IN COORDINATION WITH STANDING AND TAKING OR GRABBING.

4. WE FIRST OF ALL MUST TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION.

* NOW A ROMAN SOLDIER WOULD NOT GO TO BATTLE WITHOUT A HELMET, THAT WOULD BE FOOLISH. HE NEEDED SOMETHING TO PROTECT HIS HEAD.

** AND A ROMAN HELMET, SOMETIMES MADE OUT OF LEATHER WITH PATCHES OF METAL ON IT OR SOLID CAST METAL, PROTECTED THE SOLDIERS HEAD FROM ARROWS, WHICH THE SHIELD WOULD DO TO SOME DEGREE, BUT ARROWS COULD GET THROUGH, BUT IT’S PRIMARY FUNCTION WAS TO WARD OFF BLOWS FROM A BROADSWORD IN HAND TO HAND COMBAT.

*** AND THERE WERE TWO SWORDS CARRIED INTO BATTLE, THE MACHIRA, A DAGGER LIKE SWORD MENTIONED IN THE NEXT PART OF V. 17, THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, AND THEN THE BROADSWORD, HROM-FAH-YA WHICH WAS 3 TO 4 FEET LONG.

**** AND THIS BROADSWORD COULD BRING A CRUSHING BLOW TO THE SKULL, SO A GOOD HELMET WAS NECESSARY TO DEFLECT IT AND PROTECT THE HEAD.

5. NOW THE BELIEVER’S HELMET IS HIS SALVATION IN CHRIST.

* THE HELMET OF SALVATION DOES NOT REFER TO BEING SAVED, FOR PAUL IS WRITING TO BELIEVERS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAVED BY GRACE ALONE THROUGH FAITH ALONE BY CHRIST ALONE.

** I MEAN YOU ARE NOT A PART OF GOD’S ARMY UNLESS YOU ARE A TRUE BELIEVER. SO THIS HELMET REPRESENTS THE SALVATION WE ALREADY HAVE, NOT FOR AN UNBELIEVER TO ATTAIN SALVATION.

*** AND SPECIFICALLY IT APPEARS FROM COMPARING SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE, THAT THE HELMET OF SALVATION IS OUR ASSURANCE OF OUR SALVATION AND SURE HOPE.

**** FOR YOU SEE IN I THESSALONIANS 5:8 IT SAYS: “BUT SINCE WE ARE OF THE DAY, LET US BE SOBER, HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF FAITH AND LOVE, AND AS A HELMET, THE HOPE OF SALVATION.”

6. NOW SPECIFICALLY IN THE VERSE, THE HELMET IS THE HOPE OF SALVATION, A SURE HOPE OF FUTURE SALVATION, THAT ONE DAY WE ULTIMATELY WILL BE WITH CHRIST, BLESSED ASSURANCE.

* OUR SALVATION BRINGS CONFIDENCE, ASSURANCE AND A SENSE OF SAFETY REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS. THERE IS PRESENT SAFETY AND FUTURE DELIVERANCE FROM THE WAR THAT RAGES.

** AND THE FACT THAT THE HELMET IS CONNECTED OR RELATED TO SALVATION INDICATES THAT SATAN’S BLOWS ARE DIRECTED AT THE BELIEVER’S SECURITY AND ASSURANCE IN CHRIST.

*** THEREFORE THE TWO DANGEROUS EDGES OF THE WICKED ONE’S SPIRITUAL BROADSWORD ARE DISCOURAGEMENT AND DOUBT.

**** AND ONE EDGE OF THE SWORD IS DISCOURAGEMENT. TO DISCOURAGE US OUR ADVERSARY POINTS TO OUR FAILURES, OUR SINS, OUR UNRESOLVED PROBLEMS, OUR FINANCIAL CHALLENGES, OUR POOR HEALTH, LOSING A LOVED ONE, SEEING A LOVED ONE SUFFER, OR TO WHATEVER ELSE SEEMS NEGATIVE IN OUR LIVES IN ORDER TO MAKE US LOSE CONFIDENCE IN THE LOVE AND CARE OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

7. NOW THE OTHER EDGE OF THIS SWORD IS THE DOUBT THAT OFTEN BRINGS DISCOURAGEMENT.

* DOUBTS ABOUT THE TRUTHS OF GOD, INCLUDING DOUBTS ABOUT ONE’S SALVATION ARE THE WORST DISCOURAGEMENTS FOR A BELIEVER.

** I MEAN IF A CHRISTIAN DOUBTS GOD’S GOODNESS OR DEPENDABILITY, OR IF HIS RELATION TO GOD SEEMS UNCERTAIN, WE HAVE NO GROUND FOR HOPE AND THEREFORE NO PROTECTION FROM DISCOURAGEMENT.

*** TO ILLUSTRATE THAT, THE PERSON WHO THINKS HE HAS NOTHING WORTHWHILE TO LOOK FORWARD TO HAS NO REASON TO FIGHT, WORK OR CONTINUE TO BATTLE.

**** IF OUR OFTEN UNPLEASANT, DISAPPOINTING AND PHYSICALLY PAINFUL EARTHLY LIFE IS ALL WE CAN BE CERTAIN OF, THEN CHRISTIANS ARE INDEED OF ALL MEN MOST MISERABLE, READ I CORINTHIANS 15:19.

8. AND INSECURITY AND NO HOPE WILL TAKE AWAY YOUR HELMET AND YOUR MIND WILL BE OPEN TO ATTACK. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A BATTLE FOR THE MIND AND WHAT WE THINK WHICH LEADS TO HOW WE LIVE.

* SO WE NEED BLESSED ASSURANCE, SURE HOPE AND SECURITY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR SALVATION.

** AND THE HEART OF SALVATION IS THAT GREAT HOPE OF FINAL SALVATION THAT GIVES US CONFIDENCE AND ASSURANCE THAT OUR PRESENT STRUGGLE WITH THE ENEMY WILL NOT LAST FOREVER AND WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS IN THE END. (THERE IS A FINISH LINE.)

*** THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, THE SON IS GOING TO COME UP, THINGS WILL BE BETTER ONE DAY FOR THE TRUE BELIEVER. AND THAT’S HOPE THAT HELPS. WE ARE IN A BATTLE THAT WE WILL ULTIMATELY WIN.

**** BELOVED, OUR HELMET IS THE CERTAIN PROSPECT OF HEAVEN, OUR ULTIMATE SALVATION WHICH “WE HAVE AS AN ANCHOR OF THE SOUL” (HEBREWS 6:19).

9. MAY WE GRASP THAT HELMET AND PUT IT ON AND IN MY WRAP UP TODAY I’LL MAKE APPLICATIONS, HOW TO DO THAT.

* BUT FOR NOW, I WANT TO MOVE ON TO THE LAST PIECE OF OUR ARMOR, THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT. PLEASE LOOK BACK AT V. 17.

II. THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, (READ V. 17)

A. NOW WITH THE CONNECTIVE CONJUNCTION “AND”, “KAI” IN THE GREEK, PAUL TALKS ABOUT THE SECOND PIECE TO BE GRABBED FOR BATTLE IS THE SWORD.

* AND THE GREEK WORD FOR SWORD HERE IS MACHINRA, A SMALL SWORD WHICH VARIED IN LENGTH FROM 6 TO 24 INCHES.

** IN SOME CASES IT WAS A DAGGER, BUT REGARDLESS IT WAS A SMALL SWORD THAT WAS TO BE USED WITH PRECISION, AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, FOR CUTTING AND STABBING, NOT USING IT RECKLESSLY, WAVING IT AROUND INDISCRIMINATELY.

*** FOR YOU SEE THIS SWORD IS GIVEN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, HE IS THE AUTHOR OF THE WORD AND ENABLES US WHEN WE ARE FILLED WITH HIM AND LED BY HIM TO USE IT WITH PRECISION, AT THE RIGHT PLACE AND THE RIGHT TIME.

**** AND TO FURTHER COMMUNICATE THAT THIS SWORD IS A PRECISION SMALL SWORD-LIKE DAGGER, THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT IS THE WORD OF GOD.

1. AND THE WORD TRANSLATED “WORD” HERE TALKING ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD IS NOT THE GREEK WORD LOGOS, WHICH REFERS TO GENERAL STATEMENTS OR MESSAGES, BUT IS RHE-NA WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN.

* NOW THIS WORD RHINA REFERS TO INDIVIDUAL WORDS OR PARTICULAR STATEMENTS.

** THEREFORE, PAUL IS NOT TALKING HERE ABOUT GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF SCRIPTURE, BUT IS EMPHASIZING AGAIN THE PRECISION THAT COMES BY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF SPECIFIC TRUTHS.

*** AND USING THOSE SPECIFIC TRUTHS AT THE RIGHT TIME, AT THE RIGHT PLACE, AGAIN WITH PRECISION NOT JUST THROWING OUT GENERAL TRUTHS BUT SPECIFIC TRUTHS TO MEET THE NEED OF THE HOUR DEFENSIVELY AND OFFENSIVELY.

**** FOR EXAMPLE, DEFENSIVELY WHEN JESUS WAS TEMPTED BY SATAN IN THE WILDERNESS, HIS DEFENSE FOR EACH TEMPTATION WAS A SPECIFIC PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE THAT PRECISELY CONTRADICTED THE DEVIL’S LIE.

2. WHEN JESUS WAS TEMPTED BY SATAN USING THE LUST OF THE FLESH, THE LUST OF THE EYE AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE (ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD, GOING BACK TO I JOHN 2:15-17), JESUS USED PRECISE SCRIPTURE FROM THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY TO SPECIFICALLY COMBAT EACH TEMPTATION.

* JESUS DIDN’T GO BACK AND COMMUNICATE THE WONDERFUL GENERAL TRUTH OF GENESIS 1:1 THAT GOD IS THE CREATOR, HE WENT SPECIFICALLY TO DEUTERONOMY TO COMBAT WITH PRECISION THE SPECIFIC TEMPTATION.

** SO THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, THE WORD OF GOD, IS FIRST OF ALL A DEFENSIVE WEAPON, CAPABLE OF DEFLECTING THE BLOWS OF AN OPPONENT.

*** AND IT IS THE BELIEVER’S SUPREME WEAPON OF DEFENSE AGAINST THE WILES, THE FLAMING ARROWS OF THE EVIL ONE.

**** BUT UNLIKE THE SHIELD OF FAITH WHICH GIVES BROAD AND GENERAL PROTECTION, THE SWORD CAN DEFLECT AN ATTACK ONLY IF IT IS HANDLED PRECISELY AND SKILLFULLY.

3. IT MUST DEFLECT OR WARD OFF THE ENEMIES WEAPON EXACTLY WHERE THE THRUST IS MADE.

* BUT NOT ONLY IS THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT A DEFENSIVE WEAPON, BUT ALSO AN OFFENSIVE WEAPON CAPABLE OF INFLICTING BLOWS, HEBREWS 4:12 SAYS: (READ IT).

** NOW THE SWORD TALKED ABOUT HERE IN HEBREWS 4:12 IS THE SAME GREEK WORD FOR SWORD HERE IN EPHESIANS 6:17, A MACHIRA, AND IN HEBREWS 4:12 IT IS AN OFFENSIVE WEAPON.

*** FOR THE WORD IS SO POWERFUL IT TRANSFORMS PEOPLE FROM THE REALM OF FALSEHOOD TO THAT OF TRUTH, FROM THE REALM OF DARKNESS TO THAT OF LIGHT AND FROM THE REALM OF SIN AND DEATH TO THAT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LIFE.

**** AND AS WE USE IT OFFENSIVELY TO REACH INTO THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS, IT WITNESSING AND COMBATING ERROR, IT WILL DO THE WORK GOD WANTS IT TO DO FOR IT IS SUFFICIENT, POWERFUL AND INERRANT, READ II TIMOTHY 3:16&17, I PETER 1:23&25, ISAIAH 55:11 AND ROMANS 10:17.

4. NOW SPECIFICALLY ROMANS 10:17 CAN BE TRANSLATED FAITH COMES FROM HEARING, AND HEARING COMES BY A WORD (RHENA, A PARTICULAR WORD OF GOD).

* AND BELOVED, IT IS NOT JUST ANY PART OF SCRIPTURE THAT PEOPLE COME TO FAITH, BUT FROM THOSE PARTS THAT DECLARE THE GOSPEL.

** FOR SAVING FAITH DOES NOT COME FROM BELIEVING JUST ANY TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE, BUT FROM REPENTANT FAITH THAT BELIEVES THAT JESUS DIED FOR SINNERS AND ROSE AGAIN AND TURNING TO HIM AND TRUSTING IN HIS DEATH TO CLEANSE YOU OF YOUR SINS.

*** SO THE WORD OF GOD MUST BE USED PRECISELY BOTH AS A DEFENSIVE AND OFFENSIVE WEAPON LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO AUTHORED IT.

**** IT IS THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD.

AND AS I WRAP UP OUR TEXT TODAY AND APPLY IT: (1) THE CHRISTIAN WHO DOES NOT KNOW GOD’S WORD WELL CANNOT USE IT WELL.

* THE WORD IS NOT A BROADSWORD, A RHONPHAIA TO BE WAVED DISCRIMINATELY, BUT A DAGGER TO BE USED WITH GREAT PRECISION.

** AND CHRISTIANS WHO RELY SIMPLY ON THEIR EXPERIENCE OF SALVATION AND THEIR FEELINGS TO GET THEM THROUGH WARFARE ARE VULNERABLE TO EVERY SORT OF SPIRITUAL DANGER.

*** THEY GET INTO COUNTLESS COMPROMISING SITUATIONS AND FALL PREY TO INNUMERABLE FALSE IDEAS AND PRACTICES, SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE IGNORANT OF THE SPECIFIC TEACHINGS OF SCRIPTURE.

**** SO THERE MUST BE A PLAN OF ACTION AND THE DISCIPLINE TO FOLLOW THROUGH TO BUILD THE TRUTHS OF GOD’S WORD INTO YOUR LIFE.

(2) AND SIMPLY IT CAN BE CALLED ORDERED LEARNING. AND ORDERED LEARNING IS JUST AN ORGANIZED WAY TO EQUIP SAINTS WITH THE WORD OF GOD. WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW AND IN WHAT ORDER DO I NEED TO KNOW IT.

* FOR EXAMPLE I NEED TO KNOW THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE FAITH, WE OFFER THAT. I NEED TO KNOW THE FIRST PRINCIPLES, WE OFFER THAT. I NEED TO KNOW THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH, WE TEACH THAT IN OUR ACTS STUDY.

** IN OTHER WORDS, AS UNDERSHEPHERDS THROUGH CHRIST’S CHURCH WE WANT TO ESTABLISH YOU IN THE FAITH, AND WELL ESTABLISHED CHRISTIANS UNDERSTAND THEIR MISSION AND EVANGELIZE. IT’S A PROCESS.

*** AND THAT PROCESS TAKES PLACE IN OUR CLASSES ON SUNDAY MORNINGS – WORSHIP AND ORDERED LEARNING, ON WEDNESDAYS, ON TUESDAY, THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS.

**** BUT YOU MUST PLUG INTO THE CHURCH WHICH IS PREEMINENT IN THE PLAN OF GOD IN THIS AGE.

(3) AND AS YOU LEARN THE WORD OF GOD, YOU CANNOT ONLY USE IT AS A SWORD, BUT ALSO AS THE HELMET OF SALVATION TO DEAL WITH DOUBT AND DISCOURAGEMENT.

* WITH FAILURE AND SIN TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS FORGIVENESS IN CHRIST AND VICTORY IN CHRIST, THAT A NEW DAY IS COMING, THAT THERE IS HOPE, SURE HOPE! THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF YOUR TUNNEL OF PAIN, FRUSTRATION AND TRIALS.

** AND WITH DOUBT, YOU MUST STAND ON THE PROMISES OF GOD’S WORD THAT HE WILL KEEP YOU, THAT YOU WILL PERSEVERE BY HIS GRACE, THAT HE WILL PRESERVE YOU.

*** AND IF THERE IS DOUBT BECAUSE OF UNREPENTANT SIN, YOU CONFESS AND FORSAKE IT AND FOLLOW CHRIST.

**** MY BLESSED ASSURANCE OF SALVATION IS BASED NOT ON FEELINGS BUT ON TRUTH. THE PROMISES OF GOD AND A CHANGED LIFE, ON HOLY AFFECTION.

(4) MY ASSURANCE IS NOT BASED ON A PAST PROFESSION OF FAITH, BUT A PRESENT RIGHTEOUSNESS, OR A PRESENT DESIRE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, FROM CONVICTION OF THE SPIRIT WHEN I SIN.

* AND SOME PEOPLE SHOULD DOUBT, FOR THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TRULY CONVERTED. YOUR NEED IS TO REPENT AND TURN TO CHRIST.

** BUT FOR YOU THAT HAVE SEEN FRUITS, EVIDENCES OF FAITH, YOU MUST STAND ON THE PRECIOUS TRUTHS OF THE WORD OF GOD.

*** I CLOSE WITH II CORINTHIANS 13:5. IT SAYS: (READ IT).

(5) IF YOU ARE IN THE FAITH TODAY, PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR, GRAB THE HELMET OF SALVATION AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD.

* IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE FAITH, CRY OUT TO JESUS FOR SALVATION FROM YOUR SIN TODAY AND HE WILL SAVE YOU.