The Armour

[0:00] So the whole armour, the whole armour of God. I want to encourage you today to get your armour on. Amen? Get your armour on, the whole armour of God. We're going to go to Ephesians 6 from verse 10.

[0:11] It says, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

[0:25] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

[0:39] Wherefore, take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

[0:51] Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and saying, Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

[1:01] Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

[1:15] Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

[1:25] And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.

[1:41] Pray for me along that line if you can. So we say about the armour. Who gives this armour? God. He is the giver, the source of this armour.

[1:54] And what are we to do with it? Put it on. Put it on. Wear the armour of God. Be strong in the Lord.

[2:07] Put it on. God commands us to wear it. How much of the armour are we to wear? It says put on the whole armour. It's one word, panoply.

[2:18] It's the whole armour, the complete armour. It's the whole thing. It's one unit. Put it on. All of it. The Roman soldier wore all his armour. It gave him safety and protection.

[2:30] The Roman soldier was in the army seven days a week. Of course, I had some passing moments in the army reserved myself, and I'm told that, you know, if there was a war on, you've got to be available 24-7.

[2:43] There's really no clocking off for the soldier, is there? For the army of God. We are full-time in his army. And so we are told, number one, be strong.

[2:56] Verse 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Paul is talking to God's people, the brethren, alerting them to the battle zone that they are to face and how they are to prepare.

[3:11] How are we to make ourselves ready for the conflict ahead? How are we to be strong? It tells you, be strong, be strong in the Lord.

[3:23] How are we to be strong? In the Lord. The Lord is our strength. He is our might, and by him we will win through. Be encouraged, fellow believer.

[3:34] The battle is the Lord's, and we're facing it with the Lord as our strength and shield, our strong tower, our defence. We are told to be strong. Secondly, we are told to stand.

[3:46] Verse 11. It reads, Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

[3:56] So, wiles meaning like the tricks and the trickery, the deception, his strategies and such. We have an enemy that opposes the work of God in your soul.

[4:08] He is against you, against us, and he has his target sight set on us, as it were. You're in the crosshairs, squarely in the crosshairs, as it were. Who is this enemy?

[4:18] His public enemy, number one. One of his titles in the Bible is Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies. You know, when you had those pesky flies, I've had some lately, haven't you?

[4:33] As the weather's warming up, it makes you think of the devil, doesn't it? Lord of the Flies. You want to swap those pesky things. That's the, like the devil is the Lord of the Flies.

[4:44] As someone put it, he's the God of the garbage dump. Isn't he? That's where he belongs. And he employs various schemes and cunning traps. So beware, brother, sister, of the enemy of your soul, that you may be able to stand against, stand against the wiles of the devil.

[5:03] Another word for the devil is Satan. The word Satan, it means enemy. That's what he is. Recognise that. You've got an enemy that's a committed foe.

[5:13] And the wiles of the devil are his tactics. What he does, the devil, he's a sly, wily old fox, isn't he? He's cunning and sneaky. Verse 12 tells us that we wrestle not.

[5:26] We do not fight against people, but against spiritual forces. Spiritual forces that are against God. Powers, rulers, spiritual wickedness.

[5:39] What are some of the tactics that the devil uses? Could be temptation, lust, love of money, pride, hypocrisy, man's wisdom, philosophy, discouragement of all kinds, obstacles, hurts, religion, good works.

[5:56] These can all be parts of the devil's ploys, can't they? Satan is your enemy today. So don't forget that you have an enemy. Verse 13 tells us to stand, hold your ground.

[6:08] Stand against him, don't give him an inch. We see that, for example, Ephesians 4, 27. It reads, neither give place to the devil.

[6:19] Don't give him place. Don't give him an inch. Don't give him any quarter. And James 4, 7 says, submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

[6:31] So notice there's some armour here. Don't allow any chink in your armour. It's like giving place, isn't it? You don't put on some of that armour. There's a chink there in your armour. It's a weak spot.

[6:42] And the devil will shoot those flaming arrows at you. So the devil taunts us. He's the accuser. The deceiver. He wants to create doubt and fool you.

[6:56] And when he first showed up, he said, Hath God said. I suppose it would have gone like, Hath God said. As that serpent that he was in the garden.

[7:10] Yea, hath God said. You shall not eat of every tree of the garden. Hath God said. We could think how he tries to sow doubt, doesn't he?

[7:23] Hath God really said that I am the righteousness of God in Christ? 2 Corinthians 5.21. Hath God really said that nothing, nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus?

[7:37] Romans 8.34.39. Hath God really said that he loves me with an everlasting love? Jeremiah 31.3.

[7:48] Hath God really said that our lawless deeds have been forgiven and are not even taken into account? Unto those that are in Christ Jesus.

[7:58] Romans 4.7-8. Hath God really said that he will forgive our wickedness and will remember our sins no more? Hebrews 8.12. Hath God in his divine power really said, really given us everything that we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who hath caught us by his own glory and goodness?

[8:20] 2 Peter 1.3. Hath God said, yes, yes, yes, yes. It is written.

[8:34] It's what the Lord used when he faced the devil, didn't he? It is written. You have to put it on for yourself. You have to put it on.

[8:45] I know some people like to get up in the morning and kind of go through a bit of a, when they're getting dressed, make sure you put the armour on. You know, as well as all the other articles of your clothing, as it were.

[8:58] Put it on. Put on your whole armour of God so you're ready to face your day. Put it on. Put on the whole armour of God. It is written.

[9:13] The devil still says it, doesn't he? Hath God said. Hath God said. To try to give you doubt about God's word. But it's yea and amen.

[9:24] The promises of God. God has equipped us with everything that we need in his word. His whole book. His whole word. His promises are for us. And we can trust his word.

[9:34] And we will be able to stand against all the wiles. Every single one of the tricks and the trade of the devil. So long as we put on the whole armour.

[9:45] Whole armour of God. You can withstand all the devil's attacks, brother, sister. Whatever comes against you. The threat of death. His attack against your salvation. The threats of persecution.

[9:57] And that's very real for some of us here today. Nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ. Amen. Nothing. You can believe God. You can believe God's promises. But he is with you and you can put your armour on.

[10:09] You will not be beaten. So get ready for spiritual combat. Now I must warn you here. I must give a warning here. And this is entirely tongue in cheek.

[10:19] But there's some violent footage here. That follows what I'm saying. Some violent footage. So be warned. Here I am here fighting with my grandson.

[10:32] It was a time of wrestling. You can see. I don't know if you can see that clearly enough. But this was very difficult. A battle with my young Elijah, my grandson.

[10:43] And he's much older now. But you can see the struggle of the wrestling match here. Sorry this is a bit violent this morning. But you can see.

[10:54] We're talking about a wrestling that's going on, brother and sister. And I know I'm being a bit tongue in cheek here. But truly and really, we do have a wrestling going on, don't we? And we wrestle not.

[11:05] We wrestle not against flesh and blood. Not against flesh and blood. But against principalities and powers. Against the rulers of the darkness of this world. Against spiritual wickedness in high places.

[11:18] So that action footage there of that desperate wrestling match is just a picture, as it were, of the reality that is. That is the reality for you as a believer.

[11:28] We're told of a fight, of a contest, of a struggle, a conflict. And the sense here is of a wrestling. A face-to-face combat. A hand-to-hand fighting. Right on the front line.

[11:39] And these are not just theories. This is reality. This is the reality. This is the day. Day-by-day fight for you, brother.

[11:51] For you, sister. It's in your life. It's happening. It's happening. It's happening. In fact, it's happening at a personal level. The personal level that we are being attacked.

[12:02] Every one of you, you're under attack. There's constant attacks that would weigh you down, that would deter you, that would discourage you. The battle is on. It's on. And you're in the thick of it.

[12:13] And this is not in human terms. It's a great battle against unseen foes. A whole host of powers is arrayed against you. Hell bends on your downfall.

[12:25] So there's a spiritual combat. So what are we to do about it? Put the spiritual armour on. Verse 13. Let's go through, as we talk through, these are elementary things, but they're fundamental.

[12:40] And we can dismiss that. We can miss it. The reality that we should be putting on the armour. Every day we should wear it. All of it. So we see verse 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day.

[12:55] And having done all, stand. To stand. It tells us here about an evil day. That means a day of testing. There's evil.

[13:05] That happens in all forms, isn't there? All kinds of forms of evil. We can think of the evil one himself. But everything that comes really is alike to him, isn't it?

[13:16] The times of testing, of trial, of temptation. The days when you feel that you're facing a full-on attack. When you feel like, you know, as the colloquialism is, all hell's broken loose.

[13:29] That's what the devil wants, doesn't he? He wants your life to be hellish, as it were. Of course, I'm reserved how I use that expression. But he is the source of, he is the one who's going to be in hell.

[13:41] And he wants to make your life miserable. But you can stand your ground. As a believer, you can be strong. You can maintain your stand. You can be victorious.

[13:52] And because of some simple yet profound things. So let's talk through some of those items of the armour. So verse 14 tells you, Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth.

[14:04] You know, get that belt on. It's called truth. The belt of truth. The Roman soldier's belt was a wide leather band around his waist. And it carried a scabbard for his sword.

[14:15] And loops to hold the different equipment. And rations. You see carpenter's wear belts. They hang things off, don't you? This belt was really holding some of his kit.

[14:26] That he could be equipped. And the belt was supported by a cross shoulder strap studded with metal plates. So there's thick leather here. That these thick leather strips hung down to protect the lower body.

[14:40] So it may be that Paul had in mind when he wrote this of the Roman soldier's armour, for example. Well, the belt was that basic armour on which the defence of the soldier was based.

[14:52] So it's kind of the fundamental, really. And when we think of it in what it represents for us, it represents God's truth. Our basic defence as believers is the truth of the word of God.

[15:04] It reads, as our Lord Jesus prayed for his church. He said, John 17, verse 17, sanctify them. He says, sanctify them. Make them holy through thy truth.

[15:15] Thy word is truth. So the belt of truth is important. Stand true as a believer. Be truthful. Be honest. Be fair dinkum.

[15:26] Be a man, a woman of integrity. Stand true. Stand for the truth. Truth holds it all together. The Lord Jesus says, I am the truth. In today's world, we have so many errors and wrong teachings.

[15:39] How we so desperately need to find the truth. And if we bring our lives into harmony with God's precious word, we can find a control that keeps us from wrong and keeps our lives on track and together with God.

[15:55] The belt, the girdle of truth. Wear it. Secondly, we see, it tells you, verse 14 continues, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.

[16:07] So there was this plate that was worn as a protection of the chest. The breastplate was usually leather covered with metal strips.

[16:19] So it was very strong. It was like a coat with sleeves. So a sleeveless coat, if you like. Higher ranks had breastplates covered in gold or silver.

[16:31] The belt held the breastplate in place. It protected the vital area of the soldier's body. Paul tells us the breastplate speaks of righteousness.

[16:42] For you, the believer here today, the righteousness of Christ protects us, doesn't it? We stand in his righteousness. He gave us his righteousness at the cross.

[16:54] Yeah, it's all thanks to his grace, isn't it? As we read 2 Corinthians 5, 21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

[17:08] God, the Father, has made Christ's sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Amen. The Lord, our righteousness, it's a theme through the word of God.

[17:21] Romans 4, verse 5, in context, talks of Abraham, showing us that righteousness is reckoned. It's counted. It's bestowed. It's imputed by faith.

[17:31] He grants it by faith. As you trust him, he grants you righteousness. God counts as righteous when we trust Christ. This is the amazing wonder of salvation, isn't it?

[17:42] When we are saved, God gives us his kind of life. Our Lord promises us, John 10, verse 10, I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

[17:53] We become the righteousness of God in Christ. Philippians 2, 13, for it reads, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

[18:03] Righteousness means right living. So when we're in tune with God, we have his righteousness. It's granted. It's gifted. As we follow his way, he'll help us more rightly to live in a way that is pleasing to him.

[18:16] As we stand in the righteousness of Christ, he is, fundamentally, he is our righteousness. I love this verse in Jeremiah 23, verse 6. It tells them, in his days, Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell safely, and this is his name, whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness.

[18:36] The Lord our righteousness. It's an amazing truth, isn't it? That he is that for you. And you are accepted in the beloved. Christ keeps you strong and true.

[18:49] He gives you his righteousness. His righteousness is in you. It's known by you. It's indwelling you. And Christ's righteousness is compared to a breastplate.

[19:00] His righteousness keeps guard over our mind, our heart, our emotions. God's holiness is over us and in us. As much as we don't feel holy, he says you are holy.

[19:12] He makes you holy. God's holiness is gifted. And we can stand strong and confident knowing God's righteousness is over us and shielding us and keeping us covered.

[19:26] Even when the accuser uses all the hate and venom that he can throw against you, Christ's righteousness is covering you. The Lord will keep you faithful and help your soldier on.

[19:37] Another piece of the armour is the gospel. Verse 15 tells, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

[19:48] Army boots are made to last, aren't they? They're not like some of the weaker shoes you can buy. I was reflecting lately how shoes that I've bought didn't last very long.

[20:02] Even like six months and the shoes are shot, you know. But we know that the boots of the soldier are strong shoes, aren't they? They've got thick leather soles. That's what the Roman soldiers have.

[20:13] They have thick leather soles. Soldiers need to have good footwear. You know, they're out there in the battlefront. They've got to have good footwear.

[20:24] And so another thing about feet and shoes, feet represent service. So there's reference to feet as representing service.

[20:35] You know, where we walk and where we go, we're servants, aren't we? And as a soldier in this army, as wearing this armour, including these gospel shoes, our feet take us towards the enemy.

[20:47] Our feet carry also God's good news, the gospel. We bring peace. When we walk, when we reach out, when we talk, we bring God's message, God's gospel of peace.

[21:00] It's interesting that it's called the gospel of peace, isn't it? The gospel, in other words, the good news, is God's message to man, isn't it? It's the message of peace.

[21:10] Peace with God. Peace between God and man. And the gospel brings peace with God, doesn't it? As it reads in Isaiah 52, verse 7, How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace.

[21:26] Good tidings, peace, connected again. That bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation. So, when you take the gospel, God says your feet are beautiful.

[21:37] I know, I look at my feet sometimes, they're not very, I think they're a bit ugly sometimes. But God says they're beautiful if they're taking the good news, amen? So, that's true for you, brother. True for you, sister.

[21:49] Take the good news. Get those feet moving. Get those feet walking, amen? Romans 5, verse 1, it says, Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

[22:00] It's by faith. We're justified. We're made clear of condemnation. And it says we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, God gives peace.

[22:11] Without God, we cannot know real peace. As a contrast to the peace God gives, it says, Isaiah 48, verse 22, There is no peace, saith the Lord unto the wicked.

[22:25] So, those that are outside of God, really they are at war with God. They don't know peace. But for you, brother, sister, as you put on that whole armour of God, it talks about the gospel shoes.

[22:36] So, we are to carry the message wherever our feet go. Take the gospel. And you can take the gospel. You don't have to join the witnessing team on Saturday. You can be a part of the gospel outreach of this church Monday morning on the job.

[22:53] Amen? You are his messenger wherever you go. Wherever you go. Whatever you're doing, carry the gospel message wherever you go. So, if you can, have some gospel tracks.

[23:05] Have them handy. You know, we've seen fruit from the gospel tracks. We've seen people come as we've done door knocking, as we've done leaflet dropping. I know John here as well. He came from the...

[23:16] Someone bothered to put a leaflet in John's letterbox. All right? And so, as much as there was thousands of them, it wasn't a huge response rate. It's worth it for one, isn't it?

[23:28] It's worth it for a small number that... Get the message out there. We've got tons of gospel tracks. There's boxes in that back corner. I'd rather that they weren't there. I'd rather that they were in your hands, in your car, in your shopping bag, in your pocket.

[23:43] You know? And drop them like seeds. You know, be a sower of the word, as it were. So, stand with your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

[23:58] Are you prepared? Get prepared. Find some... Get some Bible verses that talk about salvation. Be prepared. I know our sister here with the gospel team, she's starting to get familiar.

[24:12] And we all can. We get familiar. Oh, these are the verses that we can use. Yeah? One, two, three, four. It's very... It's quite straightforward, the clear gospel presentation.

[24:25] It's in, you know, four or five verses. If you can at least know where to find them, try to register them, remember them, recall them, and relay them.

[24:37] Imagine a Roman soldier walking around without shoes. That would be bad, wouldn't it? I can't imagine being in the battle without shoes on. I know, actually, Peter was helping me with some little job lately.

[24:51] And he didn't have shoes. I had to get him some shoes because... Is that right? That's right, isn't it? Yeah. And because if you don't wear shoes, your feet can get hurt. I know it was wet, wasn't it?

[25:02] It was helping me with a bit of a flooding problem I had. And I found some wellies for him to put on. Because you've got to have the shoes on because your feet can get cold, injured, sore, bruised, damaged.

[25:16] And imagine a soldier running through the battlefront, through the trenches, through that rough ground with unprotected feet. So as much as we might discount our shoes, they're important.

[25:28] And so the gospel is important. Brother, sister, it's important. And get the preparation of it. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to share the gospel. Don't be afraid to stand up for Christ.

[25:40] These days are numbered. I know there's a saying I heard lately, time is our enemy. It's sometimes true, isn't it? In the sense that how much time have we really got?

[25:53] We've got no idea. It could be much less than what we think we've got. Tell us all. Tell us all while you can. Tell us all of the gospel. God cares about where we walk and what drives us and what message we're taking with us wherever we go.

[26:08] It's the gospel of peace. It's through Christ by faith. And Ephesians 2.14 says, He is our peace. Christ, He is our peace.

[26:19] So this is the good news of peace that God wants to deliver. And you're the messenger boy. You're the messenger girl. A believer is on a journey from a strange land to his own country.

[26:30] And with each step, we're drawing ever closer to our promised home. How can a soul find peace with its maker? You have the answer to that. So there is peace for us individually.

[26:42] That calm, tranquility, that firm assurance as we carry with us that peace within. We need not be overwhelmed with the fear of the enemy. We can trust God.

[26:54] Which leads us to the next one. Verse 16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Now the Roman soldier's shield was large.

[27:06] It was like a big door. Almost like a door. It was like these glued planks joined together and wrapped maybe in canvas or skin. Calf skin. Its top and bottom edges were protected with iron.

[27:17] So it's probably more rectangular than the one pictured here. Now the Christian soldier has a shield. And it's the shield of faith. It's walking in the promises and principles set forth in the word of God, isn't it?

[27:30] You have a shield of faith. So deploy your faith. Have that faith as a shield. Yes, I'm covered by his promises. I know him. And I'm walking in his truth.

[27:42] And it tells you that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So the more of the word you get, the more of the word you hear and study and grasp it.

[27:54] Read it out loud. Read it out loud. Hide it in your heart. Have it playing through some means or other. Hear it. Speak it. Declare it.

[28:04] Confess it. Faith means trusting and conviction, doesn't it? And it's essential. It says that without faith it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

[28:19] So we can't please God without faith. If you're religious, all your religious acts cannot please God without faith. Faith is what pleases God.

[28:33] Amen. Use of the shield of faith. Use that shield. And through the claiming of the shield of faith, by faith, as you trust the Lord, there's 7,000 promises, plus probably, for the Christian walk that you can claim, you can lay hold of.

[28:52] 7,000 promises. I don't know. You have to get your highlights around and find those 7,000 and put them in your Bible there. 7,000 promises for the Christian walk. Verses like this one, 1 John 4, verse 4, you are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

[29:13] You can overcome because he is greater. He is greater that is in you. By faith you can stand on that promise. You can stand with that great shield of faith in Christ, assured of his protection and shelter, assured of his care and concern, assured of his love for you.

[29:28] It tells of fiery darts that are going to be thrown at you. They are being fired at you. Fiery missiles launched at you from the wicked. Satan's arrows.

[29:39] They could be lust, greed, temptation, worldly loves, idols. As I say, the Roman shield was like this big door. It was massive. Some reckon four foot long by two and a half feet wide.

[29:54] Well, that's, you know, it's almost that high, isn't it? It virtually covered the whole body. You know, they would hunch behind it and gather as a body. We could think of that as the church, couldn't we?

[30:04] We could think of that locking our shields together, as it were, above and in front of us. And as they would gather, it was like a turtle, you know, they had the shields above them as a group. And so the enemy's arrows were sometimes set ablaze.

[30:18] And they would set someone's clothing on fire. But if you had the shield, you were saved. Behind the shield, you did not need to fear. It's polished surface. They would polish them with various means.

[30:30] And this polished surface would rebound the arrows that were launched against them. And friends, it's the same for you, believer, today. That the arrows are not going to hurt you when you've got faith.

[30:41] As you trust Christ, you're safely guarded by that shield of faith. Amen? 1 John 5 verse 4, it says, For whatsoever is born of God is overcometh the world.

[30:52] And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. The victory that overcomes the world is faith. So this faith we speak of is not some general kind of belief.

[31:04] Now, some might have airy, fairy kind of faith. Faith in this, faith in that, faith in themselves. No, it's faith in Christ. It's a trust faith. It's a trust based in belief in the truth, in the saviour.

[31:16] And so we go to the next aspect of the armor. Verse 17, it says, And take the helmet of salvation. As a believer, you have this wonderful salvation. It says, So great salvation.

[31:28] That's what it's called. So great. It's so great. We can't put it into human language, can we? It's so great, the salvation that he gives. That complete, that finished work of the cross.

[31:39] His absolute, amazing, saving grace. It's so great. And the Roman soldiers wore this helmet, this metal helmet of bronze over an iron skull cap that protected the most important part of the soldier, his head.

[31:55] Think of it spiritually so. That salvation is over even our mind, our thinking, our mindset. As we're born again, we wear that helmet of salvation.

[32:08] One of the wiles of the devil is to make the believer lose his assurance of salvation. You know, it's often, you often hear this. As a preacher, I often hear it.

[32:20] Oh, I don't know if I'm saved. You know, or have I lost it? I'm so backslidden. Look, backsliding is a reality and we face that. But if your trust is in Christ, you are saved.

[32:34] It's just the devil causing doubt. It's the devil causing you to doubt. Of course, there are some that might be false professors. They think, oh, well, I got baptised and so I've done the religious things and I've said the, you know, I'm trusting in the prayer that I just copied, parroted without really meaning it.

[32:54] You know, obviously they weren't saved. But if your faith is in Christ, if your faith is you've trusted Christ as your saviour, then once for all you're saved. You're saved once and for all, for all time.

[33:04] You have eternal life. It's everlasting. He grants it to you as his gift. And the devil wants you to disbelieve that you've got that gift, to take away that assurance of your salvation.

[33:15] So you've got this flaky, uncertain, you know, this airy-fairy uncertainty about whether you're a Christian or not.

[33:26] But the Bible does give us assurance. It tells you, 1 John 5, 13, these things, the Bible, John writes, these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know, yes, I know this, that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.

[33:44] You can have a knowledge, not a knowledge, not an intellectual thing or just some presumptive thing, but because of God's promise, because God says it in black and white in your Bible, it says you can know, you can know.

[34:05] And the helmet is that knowing, isn't it? It's that mind, that thinking, our reasoning, our choices, our will. It encompasses all of that. His salvation, God's salvation covers our thinking, our minds, so that we know him.

[34:18] Whom to know is life eternal. Now the enemy wants to play mind games with us, to bring discouragements, to whisper doubts, to put doubt on you and discouragement.

[34:36] But you have this helmet as your defence. As one example, we could reflect on Job. He had an incredible onslaught from the devil, didn't he?

[34:47] He had much substance, he had a large family, and he was a godly man, the most just man on all the earth. Yet, in moments, his whole life was turned upside down.

[34:59] He lost everything, his livestock, his farm, his family. Disaster after disaster. And in Job chapter 1 verse 20, it tells that Job arose, he rents his mantle, you know, in this gesture of distress.

[35:18] He shaved his head, he fell down upon the ground, it says, and he worshipped. And he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither.

[35:28] The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sin not, nor charge God foolishly. Notice he says he worshipped. Notice he says, Blessed be the name of the Lord.

[35:41] Even though this disaster is happening, bless the Lord, bless the Lord. He's given and he's taken away. I'm going to bless him anyway. Job was afflicted with boils.

[35:52] He was reduced to poverty. He lost his family. His health was destroyed. He was in great pain. His wife was of no comfort. And then his three friends began to accuse him.

[36:03] Each in a different way, but all with the same vein of, Somehow, Job, these tragedies that have come upon you, they're your fault. Your fault. Oh, much great comfort, weren't they?

[36:16] His comforters, as they're called. Even in his time of greatest despair, Job's helmet is still on. It controls his thinking. He does not understand. He cannot explain why. What God is doing is a complete mystery to him.

[36:29] Yet Job's faith, his hope, held him steady and strong, even in the midst of all this. And in a confident assurance, he could say, For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

[36:44] And as it reads further, Though he slay me yet, will I trust him. So he confessed the word, he confessed his faith, he had that helmet strongly on, didn't he?

[36:57] And so too for you, believer. When you might be going through a Job time, the helmet of salvation is there. There's that assurance, that confident assurance. Christ is with you.

[37:07] You're his. You've got an eternal future yet ahead. And, well, an eternal life in the present as well. So what protects us is, when Satan is smashed through our lines of defence, when trouble comes, we can stand firm, knowing that our adversary cannot beat us.

[37:26] And salvation keeps our thinking straight, and helps us through this world, that's really a world without direction. It's full of confusion, isn't it? And lies. We have the truth. We have the saving grace of God.

[37:39] Another aspect of this armor, verse 17, it reads in part, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. So God gives you a sharp sword. It's a two-edged sword.

[37:50] As we read elsewhere, its truth cuts and scares away the adversary. It's that offensive weapon that you have in your arsenal, in that armor that you have.

[38:01] And so believer today, don't neglect to get that sword and wield it. It's the Word of God. It's the Word of God. And the sword referred to here is the Roman short sword.

[38:14] So it's one that was kind of a really handy sword to have at hand. It was the basic offensive weapon for close combat. But it was only effective when it was out of its sheath, out of its scabbard.

[38:28] God's Word, like a sword, is effective when it is used to combat and defeat the enemy. So, you know, don't let this sword get rusty there. Get it out and wield it.

[38:40] Don't be afraid to use it, to use it. And so it's God's promises, isn't it? As we obey them and use them, we'll have victory in our Christian life. It reads on, verse 18, Supplication, in other words, He's our supply.

[39:06] That's what it means. God is our supply. He will supply. And prayer taps into His supply, doesn't it? And it talks about perseverance and supplication, asking for supply for all saints.

[39:21] Think of others when you pray. All kinds of prayer. All kinds of prayer. Prayer in the closet. Prayer in the home. Prayer in the assembly. Prayer without ceasing. All prayer.

[39:32] All kinds of prayer. And it says the Holy Spirit will enable us to pray. I love this quote, Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees. You might feel, I'm pretty weak.

[39:42] I'm just a pretty average, kind of not really, I'm a bit of a low-class Christian. But no, every believer has that resource of prayer, that strength, that you can tap into the divine power of God.

[39:59] And the weakest saint upon his knees is greater than Satan. We are a short victory. You are a short victory. Brother, sister, a short victory over the world, the flesh, the devil, and all of these things that are against you.

[40:14] So just think of it as I wrap up here, of that victory that you have. Of course we read of some in Revelation 12, tells of their, testified how they overcame the dragon, Satan.

[40:26] They overcame him, it says, by the blood of the Lamb. We've heard about the blood this morning. The precious blood, the blood of the Lamb that was shed for us, the precious cleansing blood of Christ.

[40:37] We've got victory because of the blood. By the word of their testimony, confess Christ, speak for him, declare him, witness, tell others, speak up for Christ, open your lips and tell them the word of your testimony.

[40:53] And it says, they love not their lives unto the death. Friends, there's much we can learn here. And Psalm 98, 10 tells us, I sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvellous things.

[41:04] His right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory. So, our Lord has victory. He has victory. And his victory becomes our victory. We're in Christ.

[41:15] So we are victorious in Christ. It says we're seated in heavenly places in Christ. It tells of the Lord Jesus. And when it talks about seated, it speaks of victory.

[41:26] It speaks of a position of victory, that we're seated, kind of enthroned. There's a resting after the battle that we're seated. Because he's done the work. He's done the warfare for us.

[41:38] And there's victory for you, brother, sister, because of the cross today, because of him who loves us, because of his nail-scarred hands. Believer, trust him. And if you're not a believer, trust him.

[41:49] He's done everything to save you. And it's all because of his blood. And we can know it is finished. It is finished. We don't add to our salvation. It cannot be added to.

[42:01] The salvation is finished. It is finished. He said it is finished. It's complete. Know that today, that his cleansing blood washes away all our sin.

[42:14] And we see the victory is by faith. Whatsoever overcometh the world, this is the victory, that overcometh the world, even our faith. So it's not just faith, but faith in Christ, that he that believeth, that Jesus is the Son of God.

[42:30] So we can stand on the word today. We can stand on his promises. We can overcome. We can believe. The power of faith enables you to overcome.

[42:40] As an example of that, we tell of the two spies, Caleb and Joshua, at the threshold of the promised land. Numbers 13, verse 30, there was a whole lot of disquiet, a whole lot of unbelief, and Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.

[43:05] Of course, the context in brief is, there's questions about danger, fearsome giants, and we just totally outnumber these huge walls, these cities.

[43:18] There's just no way, humanly speaking, we cannot. And Caleb stilled the people. He says, let us go up at once. And possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.

[43:30] Caleb spoke in faith when most were in unbelief. Everybody was saying, look, if they put it to the vote, don't do it. It's just too hard. Just go back to Egypt. It's easier.

[43:41] Go back to slavery. Go back to bondage. Go back to Pharaoh. You know, it's just too hard. You know, throw in the towel. Just give up. He says, let us go.

[43:53] Let us go. At once. And possess it. Faith sees that God is bigger than any giants. You've got giants. I've got giants. We've all got giants.

[44:03] But God is bigger than all of those giants. When we have faith, God is bigger than the giants. Faith sees God and his victory.

[44:14] We can know victory over our sins. Sometimes the biggest giants are inside of us, aren't they? Our sin, our temptation, our weakness, our flesh. George Mueller said, the only way to learn strong faith is to endure great trials.

[44:27] Sometimes that might be what comes our way, doesn't it? Oh, Lord, don't send another one. Another trial. It's going to help your faith. That's the point. Oh, I don't want any more trials.

[44:39] Please, Lord. But the trials have a reason that will make you stronger. All right? So let's be willing to endure, to pay the price. Know he's always with you.

[44:50] It says, now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. Our Lord will enable us for the battle. Brother, sister, don't despair. Whatever battle is ahead.

[45:02] We see like the words of the prophet in 2 Chronicles 20, verse 15. He said, hearken ye all Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem and thou King Jehoshaphat. Thus saith the Lord unto you.

[45:15] Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude for the battle is not yours but God's. Think of that. Be not afraid. Brother, sister, there's going to be some fiery darts coming your way.

[45:28] All right? What have you got? The shield off? Faith. You've got that. Deploy it. Don't leave it in the locker room back at the barracks. Get it out.

[45:41] Wield it. Carry it. All the other bits, you know, brother, sister. Some Christians shy away from the front line but this is where the victories are. So, actually, we should go into the fray.

[45:55] We should go into the front lines as it were. Time is our enemy. How much time have you got to serve God?

[46:06] How much time have you got to be a soldier? Go to the front line. Come on. Victory is certain. There will be times you're going to feel weary, discouraged. God is still with you, though, through the tough times.

[46:18] The battle is not yours. It's not yours. What are you worried about? God. It's not your battle. It's God's. And so, he will see you through the tough times.

[46:30] One day, he'll bring you into his presence and the battle will be over. And you'll look back and think, wow, that was a piece of cake. You know, maybe. Because he is the one who's fighting the battle.

[46:42] Amen? He's the one who's fighting it. So, no matter what you may face, it says, nay, in all these things, and there's a whole array of them listed there, in all of these things, you are more than conquerors, more than conquerors, through him that loved us.

[46:58] Someone commented, more than a conqueror. So, not only do you have victory, but the spoils of victory. The spoils of victory. Not only are you a victor, you've got victory, but you're more than that.

[47:09] You've got some spoils. You've got new territory. You're more than a conqueror. And so, think of it personally now, in your own life. Brother, sister, don't be discouraged.

[47:21] Don't be dismayed. Don't be overwhelmed. And as a church, we can know that victory too. That the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church of God. As the assembly, as the gathering together of God's people, nothing's going to stop.

[47:37] The work of God. We have victory. And we will prevail. The gates of hell shall not prevail. They're going to crumble and fall down. And our victory is full surrender to our Lord.

[47:49] Just one last verse. It says, but Paul writes, but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. He gives you the victory. It's a gift.

[47:59] It's given. Receive it. Accept it. It's interesting. One commentator said this, I'm so glad that the very same man who said, oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of this death, is the same one who said these words.

[48:17] I thank God through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Friends, if you've got faith in Christ, you're more than a conqueror. And he'll sustain you. Put the armour on.

[48:27] Don't leave it in the closet. Deliberately open it and wear it. Put it on. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you that you give us victory over all the power of the enemy, that we have that certain salvation, that trust, that we know that is your overcoming power.

[48:51] Lord, all those things of your armour, help us, Lord, to deliberately engage that we won't neglect this truth.

[49:02] Help us, Lord, as we face the very real battle, the wrestling that is going on, a wrestling. Lord, help us, sustain us to fight hard and strong, knowing your victory, that you are our sustainer and the battle is yours, Lord.

[49:18] You've already won it and we thank you for these things. In your precious name, our Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen.