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June 13, 2021 6:00 am
We are today began a us a six part series. This really got Off our study of the book of Ephesians we started. Ephesians last September we been working through the whole book, and now we can enter into the home stretch on the book of Ephesians and through these last six sermons are centered on one thing we are centering it on the armor of God, as it's found here in Ephesians chapter 6 the last week. Pastor Duane did a fantastic job of setting us up well to enter into talking about this armor and dominant and really gave me a great point from which to build one of the things that he talked about was the day how it was the longest day.
Consider the longest day in one of the things that he said is are you prepared for your longest day in order to be prepared for the longest day that mean something's gonna take place before you ever even get to the longest day we were on vacation. Not this past week but the week before and and we were in a condo that had cable-television day. I don't have cable-television on satellite and the like that and so I took advantage of its and I love watching the history Channel and the lives of the show that that was for me. Or maybe you saw it was three nights. It was the Titans who built America the Titans who built America several years ago I watched a show from history Channel called the men who built America, but in this show the Titans who built America outlines these these different individuals who had a heavy heavy hand in making sure that D-Day and really World War II as a whole was a success. D-Day never would've happened.
It never would've been a success. If these men had not stepped up to the plate to help prepare the United States of America and the Allied forces for war. Here's an example Henry and Edsel Ford for those days before they built thousands upon thousands of airplanes you thousands. The car learning now.
They lately since restricting up and they started building airplanes others. A man by the name of Chrysler by hearing her Chrysler before okay will he he had died right about this time that all of this started to his company shifted from building cars to all the sudden designing and building tanks. Yet Henry Kaiser, who had never built a ship in his life but he ended up building hundreds upon hundreds of battleships that the Allied forces would use to win World War II. We had J.P. Morgan Junior, who really funded World War II. He put forth the money said here you go. We are to win this when this war now. He also unknowingly funded the German army, but that's another story for another time just to watch want to watch a show for yourself, so you can see the story behind it, but all of these men came together for one purpose. They came together to be prepared for war. They came together to make sure that the tools were in place to so that the battle could be one and really when we get to Ephesians chapter 6 we see the armor of God, we see the very same thing that Paul is doing is to take the armor than a Roman soldier would've worn and he's been equated to the to the spiritual battle that we fight right now is to say, here's how you use these different components in this spiritual battle so that we quickly become suit to the point where we can talk through each one of these.
Over the next several weeks and we can really understand art. This is what it looks like to fight this battle. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 13 says therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm on if you know or not but but this war is real, this battle that we fight is absolutely real. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 says it will fight against flesh and blood, but our war is a much darker, more intense war that cannot always be seen with our eyes, but is no less real than World War II or any other war take up the whole armor of God, we have this this whole armor here of a Roman soldier. They were in were to get that Jefferson Sadowski knew a guy okay so this week we found this this whole thing is to use help us help us understand this idea of the armor of God, as we work through this. This series all of this. All of these pieces work together to put together of a person who is ready for battle for even really jump into this much on us a very simply Christian listen you are on the winning side. The victory in fact is argument one for you.
Jesus is already one and one day the enemy complete victory and Satan will be no more. And we don't have to worry about him anymore. But until that day comes, we fight not in any way resign. Like all my may lose this note, we fight with hope knowing the battle.
The victory is ours, so we'll resign ourselves to defeat in any way, why what we were on the winning side and read the book Revelation says we win but how do we fight if you were taking on this armor not to win the war because the wars already one you're taking up this armor because you already won the war but there still battles that have to be fought in battles are going to be one or the going to be lost in your victory in those battles is tied directly to your level of preparedness before you even get to the battle. So what is it take to succeed. Was it take to succeed. First of all stand up, dusted thin. Read this passage for UK versus 10 through 14. Your see this on the screen is a keyword that's found in this passage of the year to pick it up pretty easily. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand to pick up a keyword for some emphasis on their against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm beginning in verse 14 stand therefore who picked up a keyword. If you didn't take it out. You are listening right or your reading on the screen as you stay standing for just a moment years ago I played a lot of paintball a lot playing paintball had three brothers.
I love shooting of a bedbug paintball is the kind of war that you can get in worse things a little bit, but you're not in a die. So this kind of war that I like I like being in but in paintball.
You are a sitting duck. If you sit down. It's easy to pop you off if you sit down here. Another illustration for us to say that on the site in the balcony right now. I had somebody with 100 dodgeball's adult but also they drop them all down here and I yelled dodgeball and if you're sitting in your seats. You're the first person I'm going after. Because you're an easy target. But as soon as you stand up you have the ability to move you the ability to go on the offense if you have the ability to protect yourself in ways that you don't when you sit down.
That's why Paul says, stand up, stand firm.
Get off your tail's time to go have us a good job to get the point. Get the idea stand therefore stand, therefore stand up. It was the same way in this in the spiritual battle that oriented it's it's it's the kind of battle where if you are sitting down. If you are laying down. If you are in any way not prepared for it by standing up the near an easy target for Satan don't own a policy or and and just simply say this about the idea of standing up and preparing for battle. We say that you may be so spiritually exhausted right now that you can't even imagine trying to stand up you been in this battle so long you got so many wounds that all you want to do is sit down on Donna for like all of life is a battle I don't fight it anymore. I get it. I've been there before. I been in that position where all I want to do is wallow in my wounds and wallow and say gone, I'm done. I don't want to do this anymore. If that's you here today than that I would speak to pieces and encouraging words to you. Number one the gentle voice of Jesus is calling you to his open arms. The gentle voice of Jesus is calling you to his open arms and and and here's why say that is when you are in the battle there is noise everywhere you can't you can't distinguish hardly what's going on but you can always extinguish the voice of Jesus calling you back to his open arms number two. This battle was never meant to be fought in isolation.
This battle was never meant to be fought in isolation as it may be that you don't see victory because you're trying to fight alone and are ignoring the purpose of the church and of the other Christians. The church is this not supposed to be an RN at an audience that comes in and sits in observers on Sunday morning and they go live. They live their lives any other way that they want to. Throughout the week. The church is not an audience. The church is an army to come around you when you are wounded to come around you when you're tired to come around you when you don't know if you can fight anymore army to fight with you to hold you up when you need when you desperately needed.
If you're losing the battle today.
Then ask yourself if that's because you are trying to fight in isolation.
If that's the case, and be honest with some other Christians about what's going on something come around you that they can they can fight with you in this battle. Carlos talk about the armor here for a moment guy.
We got got the belt of truth is little hard to see it separate the breastplate here that with the breastplate of righteousness we are the shoes of peace that around here got the helmet of salvation, that the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God talk to all of these, but we probably find right here first.
In this passage we find the belt of truth is like a said before the belt is really kind hard to see it's it's this is part of it here but but it's up underneath the breastplate is not even something that you really notice as a part of the armor, but I love how Paul includes this is the first part of the armor of God, because it is so vitally important to the Christian, he says, stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, having fastened on the belt of truth, here's the idea behind the belt of truth, the belt has one purpose.
It holds everything together. It holds everything together now.
If you're a man in this room there's a good chance that you have a bell tone. Okay, for those who taught their shirt and you need a belt to help hold everything together. Your shirt tucked into your pants, your your shirt lined up perfectly. Your belt helps you hold everything together.
There's been times I've left home and is not my pants don't fit me well is just after a while you run the belt on that feeling is held together the way supposed to be the belt holds everything together.
When Paul says here stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, he's telling the believer to put on the very thing that's going to hold you together. The very thing is no hold you together know what is that this can hold you together is truth. Truth is no hold you together.
So now the age-old question what is truth is the question that Pilate asked get Jesus right in front of a move even said he was the truth and Pilate says what is truth and getting understand really that's a question that's been asked all through the ages and is this a question that everybody asked in one way or another. What is truth not know in the Greek original language in which the book of Ephesians was written the word for truth there is the word Alethea okay Alethea Alethea refers to both content and attitude content and attitudes of truth is both content and attitude will pull apart those two words here for just a moment.
Okay, first of all content, the content of truth means that it is something is right, it is pure truth is the standard by which everything else is compared you measure everything else. By this, whatever it is, if you go to London today and are small.
You have a long trip ahead of you to go today but if you go to London and and you look up in the sky at some point you're to see big Ben right in my ever been the London thing big man several hands on a ball or an okay big man is right there in the middle of London and when you want to know exactly what time it is in London what you look at you look up to big bear. Big Ben is true. Big Ben is right now in our world, we have what is known as absolute truth. We have relative truth absolute truth is just that it is absolute. It is unchanging relative truth is that which changes it doesn't stay the same relative truth changes with the circumstances that I have never been to London and I hope to go sometime but I haven't been before, but most the time when I when I am in different places. I wear a smartwatch like this one right here and supposedly this thing supposed to always stay true to time Siri go away talking to you Melissa was supposed to just a moment that I go to London okay. I look up at big Ben and I see that big Ben is showing a time that is different than the time that is on my watch have a decision to make. Am I gonna trust big Ben or am I going to trust my watch big Ben is the absolute truth, but my gonna treat big-band as the truth. A lot of times we respond this way with the truth.
I am big Ben is wrong. Big-band says that it's 235 but my watch says it's 230 some monies to go and fix big Ben.
How crazy would that be big-band is the standard big-band is the originator of time for London putting on the belt of truth means that we recognize what is absolutely right, and we look to that as the standard, knowing that we need help holding life together. So what is truth of God's truth. God's word is truth.
According this for just a moment ago. But Jesus in John 14 six said I am the truth is teaching a little bit later he actually praying about it later.
In John chapter 17 is praying to God and is praying for his disciples and he says this he says sanctify them in your truth.
Your word is truth. God John chapter 8 Jesus said that when we are truly his disciples. We will know the truth and the truth will set us free.
Psalm 119 verse 160. The psalmist is talking to God and he says the sum of your word is truth. The Psalm the totality of your word that is truth. In other words, everything you say God everything that is what is true.
James chapter 1 verse 18 shows us that we were made Christians, we were brought into a relationship with God by his will and through his truth. God's truth is the very thing that solidifies our salvation. Here's the deal. Not everyone sees or acknowledges that God is truth.
Romans chapter 1 verse 25 says this shows is there some people who outright reject God and says this. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator. Let me ask you something. Is there any way is there any way in which you have rejected the truth of God and embraced a lie about life and here's how this tends to happen in our everyday lives. Here's how this tends to happen, something happens in life that throws us out of what we consider normal. It could be a sickness could be the death of a loved one could be the loss of a job, marital difficulties, it could be anything that makes us pause and and and really think about what is true and what is a lie. Every monumental circumstance in life is gonna trot calls us to draw closer to God or to run away from God. Every single one. Here's the truth about God, the truth is that God loves us with an unconditional, never stopping love God wants a relationship with us. God went to the extreme by sending his son to die in our place to redeem us.
God was to spend eternity with us in his presence.
That's the truth about God when these monumental circumstances start to come up in life.
We often begin to doubt the truth of God in all of the affection that is supposed to be given to God the Creator is then given to his creation. We go other places to find truth and it leaves us empty over and over and over and over again come back to this.
Here's couple of moments but only touch on the second part of this idea of truth. We talked about truth is not only content but truth is also attitude also attitude the Christian soldier is is not only to put on the content of what is true to social put on God himself a Christian should also have an attitude of truthfulness, by far, the reason I hear from unchurched people about why they're not involved in a church with her savior or claim to be saved.
It doesn't matter, they all say it is because of the hypocrisy of people who say they are Christian church. When you put on that belt of truth. You are being sincere in your commitment to follow God and to be true to him. Your attitude is one of complete devotion to him forsaking the hypocrisy you're putting away the whole home but the lazy way of following Jesus is like Romans chapter 12 talks about your putting aside anything and everything that might slow you down in your pursuit of living in the truth of God and your pursuing him only we talk about the idea of truth being an attitude were talking about looking out for the lies that can easily throw us all from living in the truth.
The distractions that may come up in life and that second Peter chapter 2 talks about this and it says no soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him who is it that enlisted you, Scott. He is the one that drew you into relationship with him. He is the truth and so we get rid of anything that may distract us from him from that truth. So what's your attitude about God's truth. Are you fully committed to following him to pursuing him to doing what is right or you allowing lies to infiltrate your life and allowing distractions to come in and throw you off course from where you want to be when you put on that belt of truth, you're committing to the pursuit of what is true and your rejecting the lies get out of here.
You have no place, no place whatsoever in my life to wrap all of this up by asking this question. How does this idea of putting on the belt of truth fit with spiritual warfare is really that this idea of all of Ephesians chapter 6 here as we get into the end of the book Paul is talking about how to fight the good fight, how to win the battle against Satan is talking about how to move forward. So how does this belt of truth fit in talking about the spiritual warfare. This armor is here for the purpose of aiding us in this fight retaken the whole armor.
He says so we can withstand in the evil day, not just withstand a stand firm's out of the belt of truth. Help us fight and we talked about how and why start this last week talked a little bit about today.
We talked about how Satan is a legit enemy. He is very much real.
He is trying to destroy you as a Christian that is his goal. He wants to destroy you.
I love this quote from John Eldridge's is the story of your life is the story of a long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be in fears the story of your life as a Christian you walk through your life is the story of a long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be any fears this Satan knows that God has a plan for you. Satan knows that God has a plan to use you in incredible ways is a Christian.
Satan knows that God has a plan to bring other people into relationship with him through you. He knows those things.
He knows you have a relationship with God that is supposed to be your awful feeling relationship. Satan knows that if you're a Christian. The only way to harm you, is to knock you off your course he cannot utterly defeat you.
He also knows that very well, but he can keep you from God's best for your life.
The enemy Satan assaults us with the lie that God is not trustworthy that God is not good and he fears who we will become. If we believe the truth think about the original lie when it Satan tell Eve, did God really say the same thing is been saying all along that God really say they does the same thing to us over and over again. He says things like, is God really who he says he is does God really love me. Can I trust God with my marriage.
Can I trust, my job can trust God and my family is gone really good because of God was good then would this really happen to me.
We've all been there.
And here's the deal. The truth is that God never changes. Ever. He's always been good. He's always loved us.
He's always had our best interest in mind he's never deviated from that. However, we all doubt God, and those doubts are natural because were at war with the very real enemy and one of the tools that he uses is to throw lies at us to attack our heart over and over again to try to tell us that we are not who we really are those doubts those lies. Those attacks are nothing short of coming from the pit of hell.
Because the reality is we have a new identity.
We are sons and daughters of the most high God. We know who God is. We put on that belt of truth as part of our armor, were deciding that we are to be held together by the only one who can truly hold together are crazy lives.
That's God the belt of truth is a key component to this armor because it constantly reminds us that this fight in this fight that that God is good and that his mercy endures forever. The belt of truth, reminds us that God loves us and that he will never leave us or forsake us.
The belt tells us that the victory is already been one in this momentary, light affliction will pass away an eternal reward will be ours for our faithfulness to God. This belt reminds us that God is trustworthy and we can fully rely on him to hold together are messed up lives.
Some of you have thought that you're putting on God's armor, you been thinking, I got armor of God on but but have you really and if you've missed out on this very first key component. The belt of truth, if you don't have the belt of truth holding you together than you are unraveling at the seams because that belt of truth that tells you who you are. That is what holds you together this you this morning then and I simply tell you that it is time to return home to Jesus to the only one who is worthy of holding you together succumb to his waiting with open arms. Here I am hiding him truth IN absolute us was calling you do. Maybe some of you, just very simply need to take action in this and say you know what I am, the moment we sing this song is come up here and just spend some time in praying and say gone. I want you to be what holds me together.
I will you be what holds me together solider. Seeing as yet not I but through Christ in me. It's all about him. That's why were here it's all about him. Father, thank you for this very vivid picture. There's a lot of things in life that we can try to put around us, to protect us to hold us in place but father. The only thing that is true is you so father May the belt of truth that we put on be the belt of you knowing that you are never changing your never to leave us your never to forsake us. Father, we put on that belt of truth were reminding ourselves of your true nature of your character and reminding ourselves that there is none like you father work in our hearts. In these moments in any way you see fit of God we love you.
Thank you for loving us in Jesus name, amen