Views: 2<\/p>
[Note: <\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our Longer Articles<\/strong> page.]<\/span><\/p>\n Introduction<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A recurring metaphor in the New Testament likens the church to a spiritual army and its members to soldiers (Phi. 2:25; 1 The. 5:8; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:3\u20134; 4:7; et al.). God\u2019s people are engaged in spiritual combat (2 Cor. 10:4; 1 Tim. 1:18). Paul gives us the most concentrated description of the soldier-army-battle figure <\/em>in Ephesians 6:10\u201318. His opening exhortation is so powerful that it takes on the character of a command: \u201cFinally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might\u201d (v. 10). This context is so familiar to so many that some may have overlooked and neglected the great practical force of it. It is surely worth revisiting.<\/span><\/p>\n The Responsibility to Arm Ourselves<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Because Satan is such a formidable foe, the battles are so fierce at times, and as fleshly creatures we are so weak, we must be well armed. The armament which the Lord supplies is sufficient, both for protection and for attack. Twice in Ephesians 6, Christian soldiers are urged to utilize the “whole armor of God” (vv. 11, 13). Whole armor <\/em>is from panoplian <\/em>(the source of our word panoply<\/em>)\u2014”the complete equipment used by heavily armed infantry” (Vine\u2019s<\/em>). Soldiers with no (or even defective) armor or weaponry will certainly become casualties. No wonder our foe is able to overcome so many in the Lord’s army, either by slaying them or causing them to surrender\u2014they are only poorly equipped, at best, for combat.<\/span><\/p>\n All who enter God’s service do so by voluntary enlistment, not by being drafted. Hence, these volunteers are to “put on<\/strong>” and “take up<\/strong>” the whole armor that God provides. We do so only through our own diligent effort, and we must never rest from this activity. Only as we continue to equip ourselves as fully as possible will Paul\u2019s promise prove operative:<\/span><\/p>\n There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape that ye may be able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Armor Provided<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The armor we are to take up and put on is specified in Ephesians 6:14\u201317a:<\/span><\/p>\n Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation… (Eph. 6:14\u201317a).<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The girdle of truth <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This equipment emphasizes the necessity of knowing the Truth so fully that it surrounds us like a protective belt. The Holy Spirit will no more directly infuse us with righteousness (i.e., moral rectitude) than He will directly fill us with spiritual knowledge. The more we \u201cbuckle on\u201d the Truth, the greater the strength we will have for the daily fray: \u201cThy word have I laid up in my heart<\/strong>, that I might not sin against thee\u201d (Psa. 119:11, emph. DM).<\/span><\/p>\n The Holy Spirit has not directly supplied men with additional Truth for almost 2,000 years (1 Cor. 13:8\u201311). The doctrine that He still does so, even if only to the extent of an \u201cillumination\u201d of the Word already revealed, is not from Jesus Christ, but from John Calvin and his variegated spiritual progeny. The only ones who have ever received knowledge of God\u2019s will without diligent effort on their part are those few persons whom He has inspired down through the ages. All of the rest of have had to put forth the effort <\/strong>necessary to \u201cgrow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ\u201d (2 Pet. 3:18a). Knowledge of God\u2019s Word is something that we must supply for ourselves <\/strong>in order to be fruitful, able to see, and avoid falling (2 Pet. 1:5\u201310).<\/span><\/p>\n The following simple exercises will help gird one with the Truth:<\/span><\/p>\n The breastplate of righteousness <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This piece of armament concerns the practical application of being girded with the Truth. As with each piece of armor, Paul enjoins us to \u201cput on<\/strong>\u201d this breastplate. The Holy Spirit will no more directly infuse us with righteousness (i.e., moral rectitude) than He will directly fill us with spiritual knowledge. The Roman soldier\u2019s breastplate in the first century was comparable to the body armor of modern soldiers and law enforcement officers. As it protected and protects their vital organs, so the spiritual \u201cbreastplate\u201d protects the Christian soldier\u2019s vitals. The standard and source of righteousness for God\u2019s soldiers is the Word of God: \u201cLet my tongue sing of thy word; For all thy commandments are righteousness\u201d (Psa. 119:172).<\/span><\/p>\n We must not only know <\/strong>the Truth\u2014we must live <\/strong>it. One who knows the Word of God but who does not live by it is a hypocrite. The pretender will eventually be found out and will fail in the daily conflict with Satan. In fact, the hypocrite has already failed. There are few things uglier and more harmful to our righteous cause than a person who claims to belong to the Lord\u2019s Army, but who in reality betrays that cause by immorality and\/or false doctrine. Contrariwise, a life of righteousness that flows from a heart filled with God\u2019s Word is both beautiful to behold and exceedingly powerful. If we \u201chunger and thirst after righteousness,\u201d we will be filled (Mat. 5:6). We must \u201cfollow after righteousness\u201d (1 Tim. 6:11) even if we are \u201cpersecuted for righteousness\u2019 sake\u201d (Mat. 5:10). Without this essential breastplate, Satan\u2019s arrows will slay us.<\/span><\/p>\n The “shoes\u201d of the preparation of the Gospel of peace <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This spiritual \u201cfootwear\u201d enables us to march and to stand and fight. Roman soldiers were not expected to march or fight barefooted, for such would have greatly handicapped them. These \u201cGospel boots\u201d complement the girdle of Truth discussed earlier. We must \u201cshod\u201d our own \u201cfeet\u201d <\/strong>with this Gospel preparation, rather than expecting the Holy Spirit to do it for us directly or immediately. Paul emphasizes the necessity of God\u2019s Word for spiritual survival and victory. Many Christian soldiers are facing the foe \u201cbarefooted\u201d because they have made little or no Gospel preparation.<\/span><\/p>\n Preparation <\/em>implies purpose, forethought, planning, effort, and readiness. To be prepared in the Gospel demands earnest, constant, and diligent study. When we contemplate how few soldier-saints have any serious hunger and thirst for Biblical knowledge, we should not be surprised that so many fall, retreat, or surrender under fire.<\/span><\/p>\n The shield of faith <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This spiritual gear is necessary to fend off the constant attacks of temptation (i.e., \u201cfiery darts\u201d) Satan aims at us. We must have a thorough trust and a firm faith in our Commander-in-Chief to win the spiritual battles we face: \u201cYe that fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield\u201d (Psa. 115:11). \u201cThis is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith\u201d (1 John 5:4b).<\/span><\/p>\n Faith brings us right back to God\u2019s Word\u2014the fundamental source of our faith: \u201cSo belief [\u201cfaith,\u201d KJV] cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ\u201d (Rom. 10:17). The connection between strong faith and the Word of God is undeniable. We would not know what or who to believe in spiritual matters had the Holy Spirit not revealed \u201call the truth\u201d (John 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:6\u201310). Note, however, that the faith that shields us from the devil\u2019s thrusts is not a mere mental acceptance of some facts, but a living, active, obedient principle. The Christian soldier cannot withstand Satan by sitting idly and merely mouthing, \u201cI believe in Jesus.\u201d Such is a dead and barren \u201cfaith\u201d (Jam. 2:17, 20, 26). Just as Jesus withstood Satan\u2019s temptations with It is written<\/em>, so can we when we immerse ourselves in the Bible, which has the answer to every error and temptation the devil may invent. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The helmet of salvation<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Salvation <\/em>is the great blessing that we must ever bear in mind. The subject of salvation <\/em>relates both to the present and the future. One who believes and is baptized is \u201csaved\u201d in the sense that the guilt of his past sins has been erased (Mark. 16:16). However, all such yet await the coming of the Christ Who \u201cshall appear a second time…unto salvation\u201d (Heb. 9:28). We have great confidence in our present salvation, which is as certain as the Son of God who promised it to those who \u201ctrust and obey\u201d Him. However, in this element of our spiritual equipment, Paul may have had in mind our eternal salvation, our great ultimate hope. In a closely parallel statement, he specifies this very thing: \u201cBut let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation\u201d (1 The. 5:8). As the Word of God is the source of our faith<\/strong>, so it is of our salvation<\/strong>: \u201cAnd that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus\u201d (2 Tim. 3:15).<\/span><\/p>\n Each one must take <\/strong>this \u201chelmet\u201d and place <\/strong>it on himself<\/strong>. Again, it is John Calvin, rather than Jesus Christ, who teaches that unregenerate men are so depraved by Adam\u2019s sin that they cannot understand, believe, and obey the saving Gospel without the Holy Spirit\u2019s direct intervention. God has made His grace available through the Christ (Tit. 2:11), and we are responsible for the salvation of our own souls (Acts 2:40\u201341).<\/span><\/p>\n The Sword of the Spirit<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n We have but one spiritual weapon\u2014the \u201csword of the Spirit,<\/strong>\u201d which Paul identifies as the Word of God. We observed earlier that every piece of our defensive armor relates to the Word of God, either directly or indirectly. We should therefore not be surprised that one all- sufficient weapon\u2014the Bible\u2014serves our offensive needs in spiritual combat. God\u2019s Word is a living and active agent that is sharper than any literal double-edged sword (Heb. 4:12).<\/span><\/p>\n Ignorance of the Truth among many of the rank and file \u201ctroops\u201d and not a few of the “officers” may be the principal cause of so many spiritual casualties on the daily battlefield. How can one withstand Satan\u2019s assaults that end in sin and spiritual death (Jam. 1:12\u201315) when his armor is paper-thin, and his sword is gapped or dull? The strength of the Lord\u2019s soldier exists in direct proportion to his or her knowledge and correct application of His Word.<\/span><\/p>\n Furthermore, the conquest of hundreds of congregations by liberals could never have occurred without a woeful lack of Biblical knowledge among elderships and those in the pews. This sad condition reminds me of Paul\u2019s description of his fellow Jews:<\/span><\/p>\n For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of God\u2019s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God (Rom. 10:2\u20133).<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n People who do not know the Truth cannot detect, much less refute, error. Not knowing God\u2019s Word (and through it the means of distinguishing between things authorized and unauthorized) has made \u201csitting ducks\u201d of tens of thousands of the rank and file of the Lord\u2019s people. They were (and are) thereby ripe for any innovation religious traitors can dream up or mimic from the enemy.<\/span><\/p>\n The same can be said for the apostasy seen on the campuses of most of the schools begun by dedicated disciples of past generations. Na\u00efve, overly trusting, biblically ignorant parents have sent (and continue to send) their even more ignorant offspring to sit for four years at the feet of men and women who in many cases despise the church of the New Testament and the ideal of its restoration and conservation. Hence, ironically, the very institutions founded to educate and strengthen, thus better preparing spiritual soldiers to face and defeat the enemy, have now been prostituted to equip and train fighters in Satan\u2019s ranks.<\/span><\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Earlier in the Ephesian letter Paul told them of his prayer that God would grant, \u201caccording to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man\u201d (3:16). Paul used the same root word for strengthened <\/em>in this verse that he did for strength <\/em>in 6:10. In 3:16, He spoke of our need to allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, without telling us the means He would use. In 6:10 Paul orders us to attain this strength and then tells us how to do so in verses 11\u201317.<\/span><\/p>\n Note two salient points:<\/span><\/p>\n Notwithstanding the teaching of some brethren, those wait in vain who suppose that the Holy Spirit will directly invest them with the armor or weaponry needed to meet the foe. God has made all of the armament readily available and attainable, but it is our responsibility to acquire it. We do this by our constant growth in the knowledge and application of the Word of God.<\/span><\/p>\n [Note: <\/strong>I wrote this MS, and it originally appeared as an \u201cEditorial Perspective\u201d in the December 2004 issue of THE GOSPEL JOURNAL, <\/em>a 36-page monthly of which I was editor at the time.]<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution: <\/strong>From TheScripturecache.com<\/em>, owned and administered by Dub McClish.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 2[Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Longer Articles page.] Introduction A recurring metaphor in the New Testament likens the church to a spiritual army and its members to soldiers (Phi. 2:25; 1 The. 5:8; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:3\u20134;…<\/p>\n\n
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