STAND STRONG
STAND STRONG
8.19 - The Whole Armor of God
Join us as we consider the "whole armor of God," as Paul describes it in Ephesians 6. What is this armor and how does it help us in our spiritual battles?
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Paul and Noah both preach and teach with the Cedar Park church of Christ in Cedar Park, TX. You can visit our site at: https://www.cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/
Happy Monday for those that are following us in the journey Oh, on a Monday. To those who are really the official stand strong. No
Noah:We're gonna start drawing those lines. I see.
Paul:We've been in Ephesians. Last week. Wow. It was really good to be in the studio. I really loved where we were going, what Noah was saying, when you start in Ephesians six and verse 10, going through about verse 13, about the armory of God, the strength of the Lord, we, we kind of ended up talking about. How important it is for us to take our stand and to be reminded of that strength. It's interesting, Noah, he says at the end of verse 13, and having done all right so again, there's no way for us to cover the all. Mm-hmm. But Paul, or the Holy Spirit through Paul does a really good job here at the end of his letter in Ephesians to emphasize the real enemy, the real war and our weapons. And so if you're gonna be combat ready as a soldier you've gotta understand something about the enemy, something about the battle. Be trained. That's where we are today in the weapons. We're gonna talk about that, but then be willing to fight. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Be willing to fight.
Noah:Right. You know, a couple of things that you were just saying, really I think encapsulate some important things and I want to call back to last week's episode. I remember you saying something along the lines of, I don't remember exact wording, but something along the lines of. These spiritual, the spiritual armor that we're supposed to put on that Paul says twice put on the whole armor of God. If we're gonna fight spiritual battles mm-hmm. We need spiritual armor, that's what's gonna provide the strength and the protection. In a spiritual battle. So we can't expect to fight a spiritual war with carnal weapons. Correct. We talked, we referenced, you know, cor the letter of the Corinthians last week, and we have to recognize that this is the armor that God has given us. Mm-hmm. This is how he has equipped us to stand firm, to stand against the wiles or the schemes of the devil. So. Let's, let's, as, as we move into the, the armor of God, let's not forget that each piece is important. It's the whole armor of God. We are going to be engaging in spiritual warfare with this. We are to be clothed in this, protected by this, by the strength of the Lord. And we are to engage in the battle with the, with the right enemy. Yes. If we, if we try to take spiritual weapons and turn them on one another, that is not the intent.
Paul:Yes. Amen. And amen. Well, know what you got the ESV, right? Yes. Still? Yes. You read the last week, if you will. So starting in verse 14. Give us, really go through verse 20, I think 14 through 20 we've been talking about the war, the warfare. Let's see the weapons. Let's see what Paul says. Ephesians six, if you're following this, Noah verses 14 through 20
Noah:stand. Therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I'm an ambassador in chains. That I might declare it boldly as I ought to speak. Well,
Paul:you know the apostle Paul, this is not the only context, the only passage where Paul brings up the reality of spiritual weapons. Provide spiritual strength. Mm-hmm. Here it's truth and righteousness and peace and faith. Salvation, the word or word of God there. But other passages. I'm just going to side a few real quickly. Two Corinthians six and verse seven. So, Paul mentions the weapons, plural of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. Love First Thessalonians five verse eight. First Thessalonians five, eight. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith. Love and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
Noah:Mm-hmm.
Paul:Or Romans 13 in verse 12, the night is almost gone. The day is at hand. Okay. Paul, what's the action item? What are you saying to us in Romans 13, in verse 12? Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and. Put on the armor of life. Mm-hmm. It's not enough to lay aside. It's not enough to say, okay, I see the reality of the forces of darkness and I understand about, about the the world that I'm living in that's filled with evil, filled with wrong. Trying to pull me down. Alright, I've gotta lay aside, but you gotta put on, you gotta suit up is Aian six and that armor again. Every piece. It's the whole armor Leave, no unguarded place,
Noah:leave, no unguarded place. That is that hymn soldiers of Christ Arise. I, I love the way that it, that it takes this passage. I think what would be good is to just at least try to briefly touch on each piece of the armor. Just move through Paul's thought here and so. If, if we're putting on the armor of Christ, the first thing he mentions here is the belt of truth. Right? And I, I think it's worth saying here, I, I believe a correct understanding of what he's talking about here is not just the idea of speaking truth, you know, true words and avoiding lying. Rather, this is truth as a reality. That truth is found in God. Satan is described as the father of lies, and he's always used deceit and dishonesty to accomplish his ends. Mm-hmm. And so one of the pieces of the armor of God is understanding and embracing truth, just both as a concept. Truth exists and it's found in God. But also to embrace it in practice. To live in a way, and act in a way, and speak in a way that is truthful. That's a core part of what it looks like to fight spiritual evil is to embrace the truth of God.
Paul:Now, understand and embrace, and it's, it's the core. So the belt, I mean, I seriously, I love that. Yeah. I love that there there's no support and no stability to the life of the believer in Christ Jesus who wants to stand firm. And having done all to stand and stand your ground and don't retreat, how can there be any support or stability to the person who's uninterested in truth?
Noah:Mm-hmm.
Paul:Who won't embrace truth? If we're sanctified by it, it's kind of like a John 17, 17 deal.
Noah:Mm-hmm.
Paul:And if it's what sets us free. If freedom is only in Christ there, there is no support or stability outside of truth.'cause Jesus Christ is truth.
Noah:That's right. I'm the way, the truth and the life. Ah, yeah,
Paul:yeah,
Noah:yeah. You cannot, you cannot separate this this spiritual warfare that we're, that we're engaged in from the, the conflict between the truth of God and the lies of the devil. Mm. Mm-hmm. We see that all the way back in Genesis chapter three. And it's, he's never stopped. Yes, he's very persistent. But the truth of God is unshaken and it's unshakeable. Oh, I like it. Like it. So the next one, breastplate of righteousness. This word righteous, the word that's translated righteousness here. I am not a Greek scholar. So I'm not even gonna try to pronounce the word. But when you look into what is being referred to here, it's it's not necessarily where our minds initially go as far as the righteousness that, for instance, we receive from Jesus. That it could be taken that way, but it also seems to refer to the idea of, of justice. Mm-hmm. And rightness. And if we, if we think of it that way justice and righteousness are clearly things that God prioritizes, right. That he values. And so virtue and justice are things that we should value. And again, if we think about what we're defending against here, Satan has. From the beginning tried to muddy the waters of what, what is right and wrong and what is good and evil. Yes, absolutely. Again, go back to Genesis chapter three. His questions for Eve are questions that are intended to muddy the waters. To blur the lines to, to, to say, are you sure? You know, you seem pretty confident, but should you be that confident in what is right, what is wrong? Christians need to rest their righteousness in the person of God, their idea of what righteousness and justice look like in the person of God and in his word. And in that sense, righteousness is a huge part of what it looks like to engage in spiritual warfare.
Paul:Yeah, I'm in fellowship with God. I stand before him. Justified not guilty. Now, what does it mean to walk mm-hmm. In an awareness of that salvation? And again, it's, you know, it's, it's, it's the pursuit of righteousness. It's the hunger and thirst after righteousness. It's the presenting of yourself and your members as instruments of righteousness. I love what Paul says to the Philippians. In his prayer, you know, he's talking about that your love may grow and grow in all knowledge and discernment so that you're able to prove the things that are excellent. Mm-hmm. I mean, there's, there's prioritizing.
Noah:Yep.
Paul:And then he says in verse 11, in Philippians one, being filled with the fruits of righteousness.
Noah:Mm-hmm.
Paul:Maybe that's why sometimes we, sometimes I find myself in conflict is the fact that, hey, this is who I am. Walk worthy of the calling be who you are in Christ Jesus and who you were called to be and we're men members as instruments of righteousness.
Noah:Yeah. I love the fact that you connected the, again, the calling and the conduct if we have been justified and made righteous. Then we ought to pursue righteousness in our living, in our conduct. And that I, I think, is a, a large part of what Paul is getting at here with the breastplate of righteousness.
Paul:Yeah. And the, the gospel of peace. Peace. Feet, feet, shad with the gospel or the preparation of the gospel of peace. Yeah. Or the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Noah:Yeah. This is an interesting concept. When we put the little diagrams up on the wall, you know, like in kids' classrooms, a lot of times it just is, the shoes are the gospel of peace. But there, there's another piece to it. Mm-hmm. If you, if you wanna look at it that way. Mm-hmm. It, it is the, it is what the gospel of peace produces in us. Amen and amen. Say that again. It's more than just the concept of the gospel of peace. It's what the gospel of peace produces in us. If we live in light of the gospel. What is that going to look like practically? And what Paul describes here is readiness or preparedness the grace of God, which was demonstrated in Jesus' death and burial and resurrection in un undeniable fashion that prepares us. God's grace prepares us. Or as Paul talks about it in his letter to Titus, it trains us. To live a certain way and to teach a certain way and to act a certain way, and so on and so forth. The gospel and the grace of the gospel prepares us prepares us. It, it makes us ready for this spiritual warfare.
Paul:Yes. How often in my life, I'm ashamed to admit this, was I sitting on the sidelines because I lacked confidence or boldness?
Noah:Hmm.
Paul:Sometimes we can be Noah, we can be our own worst enemy. God has, he has, he has made us in such a way and his word supports this, that there is a stability in us. Because of the confidence not in ourself, please hear me. Not in ourself, but, but in God. Mm-hmm. Just staying in Ephesians, you know, Ephesians three in verse 12, in him in Christ, and through faith in him in Christ, we may approach God with freedom and confidence. He's trying to get us to appreciate who we are as God's child. Right, because Jesus is our king, the relationship that we have emboldens us and empowers us if the peace in my heart is not real, if I can't peel my head at night. With joy and confidence. Then I get up the next day. I'm, I'm very unlikely going to share the gospel. Mm-hmm. I'm, I'm wrestling with other things. Right, right. He wants us to be so confident and our security and our walk with Christ. If it's about getting it all right, I'm doomed. But it is about being people of joy. Who take the gospel and say, I want you to know what I know. I want you to have what I have. And I live in a condition of readiness because I'm at peace.
Noah:Jesus has given us peace with God.
Paul:Amen. Yeah. Love
Noah:it. Yeah. Well, the next is one of the, if we were to rank the most well-known of the Armor of God, you know, people might go, oh, what was the, what was the belt again? Or something like that. Well, the Shield of Faith is, is pretty, pretty well known. Yes. And it's interesting. This is the, this is one that he elaborates on a little bit, he says, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. And different translations will translate that a little bit differently. But that is a powerful image that our faith. Or if I can, if you can allow me a little bit of vocabulary, liberty here. Our trust in God. Mm-hmm. Which again, goes back to standing in his strength and in his mind. Mm-hmm. It protects our hearts, it protects our minds from all kinds of assaults that Satan will throw our way. Yes. Hi. His most deadly arrows aimed for mortal wounds can be stopped. By trusting in God.
Paul:Yeah. He doesn't say dart, he says darts. Mm-hmm. Plural. And he says, not just repel, quench quench.
Noah:Mm-hmm.
Paul:And that's a real thing. I mean, there, there are lives, there are things that are being consumed because we lack faith. There, there's a lot of destruction. That I welcome and invite and allow into my life and the lives of others because I've allowed something or someone to push aside faith without faith. Hebrews 11, verse six, it's impossible. And everybody's finishing that. That's listening to please God.
Noah:Mm-hmm.
Paul:And I love what you said about faith, it's trust at its root in such practical language. It's trust. Faith is also. This trust, I call it absolute trust and undeniable fact.
Noah:Mm.
Paul:Faith is acting like here's walking worthy of the calling and the the ability, not in your own strength. No in God's strength, but it's Take your stand. Don't retreat. How important is faith? And take your stand. Don't retreat. Faith is acting like God's telling the truth.
Noah:Mm-hmm.
Paul:Remember the blindsided in the evil day conversation of last week, what we talked about. Alright, when I'm up against opposition, when I'm dealing with trial, when I'm facing temptation, when I know my enemy's coming after me with various devices, and here it is, I know what it is, it's evil, and I'm to resist. Faith is acting like God's telling the truth.
Noah:Yeah.
Paul:When God says, I will be with you, when God says, no temptation has taken you, but such as, I will provide a way of escape when God says I am, I will be what you need. Reach out in faith for what you know is true, God and his promises. Mm-hmm. And that kinda moves into what he is gonna tell us about the spirits.
Noah:Yes. Yeah. Sword. Well, we're not there yet. We still have the helmet of salvation before we get to the sword. But yeah, faith,
Paul:faith is so, so important. So absolutely important.
Noah:Yes. In the end Satan will lose to God. Yes. And so our faith in God is our faith in God is our way of partaking in God's victory. Over Satan, those flaming darts will be quenched. And that brings us to the helmet of salvation. And, and this really does build on everything that we've seen so far in the armor of God. We, we've already seen the importance of truth and righteousness and the, the readiness that comes from the, the peace that Jesus has given us. We see the importance of faith. God, the, the image here of of the armor of God is that God in his power saves. Yes, we have been saved. And that reality, the reality that we have experienced. Salvation gives us confidence, as we've said, on multiple different ways and multiple different forms. It gives us confidence, not in ourselves, but in God, and Satan wants us to question the salvation that Jesus died for, but Jesus' death, that sacrifice. It, it's in his and his, then his burial and his resurrection. After that, it cements the salvation. It assures the salvation. The resurrection of Christ is assurance. It's a guarantee of our resurrection. Mm-hmm. And so Satan wants us to doubt our salvation. And yet salvation is part of what defends us from his attacks.
Paul:Yeah. Look at the helmet. What, what part of the body does the helmet protect the head? Sometimes we allow, sometimes I allow thoughts into my mind that are very destructive. I mean, that's back to the weapons of our warfare and not carnal, but mighty God for the pulling down a stronghold, casting down every imagination. It, it's, it's taking captive of every thought that it may obey Christ. The helmet of salvation here, Paul, as, as we mentioned, Paul says to the Thessalonians, he refers to it in First Thessalonians five verse eight, as the hope of salvation. Mm-hmm. And I usually hear I think it fits the Ephesians. Six passage as well when you're talking about a helmet and you connect it to salvation and what you just said there. Think about hope. If hope is desired. Bus earnest expectation. Where is your desire? Mm. Where is your expectation? Is it a hope to you that disappoints it? No. No. Why, why doesn't it disappoint? And, and all those things that you said are important and sometimes one of Satan's most effective tools is to plant a seed of doubt. And we let him, we let it gain entrance and we water it sometimes, but Satan plants that seed.
Noah:Yeah.
Paul:He, he wants to come after us in our mind that, because we, we always move in the direction of our mind.
Noah:Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that brings us I know for those who are listening, you may be looking at the time and you see that we're, we're reaching the end of our time, but we want to get the whole armor of God in in one episode. So we've got left. The Sword of the Spirit. This is probably the most well known of the Armor of God, the sword of the Spirit, which Paul. Is the word of God. You know, you've commented throughout this episode a little bit about what, you know what some of the symbology of the different pieces of armor might be. The sword of the spirit. Interestingly though, is. The only one that has an offensive aspect to it. Mm-hmm. It's, I mean, certainly defense as well, but it has it, it can be used offensively. And the word of God, the inspired, you know, the inspired word of God. It's inspired by the Holy Spirit. It's God breathed. It is the tool of the trade when it comes to spiritual warfare. We're, we're engaged in conflict, not just defense, but conflict. Yes. And the, the inspired word of God is the tool of the trade. It, that's, we're engaged in spiritual warfare. We need a weapon. And that sounds a little bit it sounds a little bit ugly or nasty at first, but we are fighting a battle. And this is the weapon that God has provided.
Paul:Yeah. And it, and it's a weapon, it's a spiritual weapon for spiritual purposes. Yes. And it's what has been provided to us by the spirit.
Noah:Mm-hmm.
Paul:It is a very essential tool for what it's designed. Mm-hmm. To be used for and to accomplish. Yeah. And here's the question for me, for us, do I know how to use it? Mm-hmm. So see the knowing out how to use it. Has everything to do with whether I'm able to take a stand
Noah:mm-hmm.
Paul:Ready or not. Here I come. Am I ready? Mm-hmm. And this is not a preacher trying to set somebody up and, you know, and make a point about, Hey, do you need to study your Bible? You need to study your Bible. But look, I, you know, for, for those who listen to this, they can appreciate you. You would not want a police officer. Whose jobs is, again, as a Romans 13, he's there as a tool of God to protect,
Noah:mm-hmm.
Paul:To defend. And all of a sudden it is like, Hey, buddy, your job is to do this. He's like, Hey, I don't know how to use this weapon,
Noah:right?
Paul:I've never been trained. Right? You're like, okay, you're fired. That sounded harsh, but you know, it's, it's, it's a willingness to be trained. Am am I willing to be trained right, to understand how to use the weapon. Sometimes, sometimes we use a spiritual tool for less than spiritual purposes.
Noah:Amen.
Paul:And then
Noah:I'm gonna bite my tongue. Not say more. No, I, I think you make an excellent point. A soldier would not go into battle without his sword. And even if he had it, if he didn't know how to use it, it's not gonna do much good. Yes. And a Christian to be battle ready needs to both have it and
Paul:know
Noah:it.
Paul:Yes. I love it. I'm looking at the time too. There's no way I cannot say this since this is the, the, the podcast that, that ends, ends the armor discussion. Prayer. Yes. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit. Be it a watchful to this end. And may, I don't understand everything about praying in the spirit.
Noah:Mm-hmm.
Paul:But I do understand he clearly says you're not ready for the battle. If you're not praying.
Noah:Mm-hmm.
Paul:And it may not technically be a part of the armor, but I'm not suited up as a soldier. I'm not prepared for battle if I do not know how to pray. And if I'm unwilling to pray. Yeah. Pray always.
Noah:Yeah. I, I think that the, the hymn that we have referenced several times, you know, soldiers of Christ. Arise. Though the words are not inspired, I think it captures the concept when it says each piece put on with prayer. I, I think that that captures the concept of what Paul is getting at when he concludes the Armor of God with the idea of praying at all times. And then he goes on to ask for prayers on his behalf, and we'll get into that in more detail when we cover the, when we conclude the chapter, you know, in next week's episode. But yes, definitely cannot cover the armor of God without making sure to point out. Prayer. Prayer is a part of our spiritual warfare. It it's the thing that binds all of the other things together.
Paul:Yeah. So, no, I, I would like for us to pray together, be in agreement for those that are listening today and joining us to those who may listen in the future and pull this up at some point in the future and say, Hey, yeah, you said prayer is a pretty big deal. I'm up against a lot of things right now in spiritual warfare. Can you pray about this? Can you pray for this? Will, will, will you pray? I want us to pray today.
Noah:Mm-hmm.
Paul:Let's pray. Lord, we're just grateful and thankful for life and every blessing. You are good. You are real to us. We cannot see you. We cannot touch you by faith. We know who you are. You exist and you are powerful. You are strong, you are peace, your comfort, your forgiveness. God. But you have made all things possible. You have given us assurance and forgiveness of sins and hope through Jesus. And we understand Jesus is on our side in fighting for us. He is king. We win if we stay joined with him. God, today for your people, whoever they are, wherever they are. That are dealing with trials and tribulations and tough times. Father, we're just so thankful that you know what they need. You know what they're up against. You know our enemy and you are stronger than our enemy. Measure out God, what you know your people need. Give us assurance and confidence to stand faithful and loyal to just having done all. Take our stand, and we're thankful that you hear our prayer. We pray all these things in faith because of Jesus. In his name and amen.
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