This the Apostle enlarges upon when he shows us:
Christian work and warfare. We should stir up ourselves to resist temptations in a reliance upon God's all-sufficiency and the omnipotence of His might.
But the Christian soldier must also be well-armed. "Put on the whole armour of God."' Make use of all the proper defensives and weapons for repelling the temptations and stratagems of Satan. For example, get and exercise all the Christian graces, the whole armour, that no part be naked and exposed to the enemy. They who would approve themselves to have true graces must aim at all grace, "the whole armour"'. It is called the armour of God because He both prepares and bestows it. We have no armour of our own that will be armour of proof in a trying time. Nothing will stand us in stead but the armour of God.
This armour is prepared for us, but we must put it on. That is, we must pray for grace. We must use the grace given us, and draw it out into act and exercise, as there is occasion. The reason assigned why the Christian should be completely armed is ''that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil". That is, that you may be able to hold out and to overcome, notwithstanding all his assaults both of force and fraud, all the deceits he puts upon us, all the snares he lays for us, and all his machinations against us.
7. STANDING AGAINST EVIL
This the Apostle enlarges upon when he shows us: (a) What our danger is, and what need we have to put on this whole armour, considering what sort of enemies we have to deal with, the devil and all the powers of darkness. 'For we wrestle not against flesh and blood'', etc. The combat for which we are to be prepared is not against ordinary human enemies, not barely with men compounded of flesh and blood, nor against our own corrupt natures singly considered, but against the several ranks of devils who have a government which they exercise in this world.
We have to do with a subtle enemy—an enemy who uses wiles and stratagems. He has a thousand ways of beguiling unstable souls. Hence he is called a serpent for subtlety, an old serpent, experienced in the art and trade of tempting. He is also a powerful enemy. Principalities, and powers, and rulers. They are numerous, they are vigorous, and rule in those heathen nations which are still in darkness. The dark parts of the world
Evil 85 are the seat of Satan's empire. Satan's is a kingdom of darkness, whereas Christ's is a kingdom of light. Then again, they are spiritual enemies. "Spiritual wickedness in high places.' Wicked spirits, so some translate it. The devil is a spirit, a wicked spirit. And our danger is all the greater from our enemies because they are unseen and assault us ere we are aware of them. The devils are wicked spirits, and they chiefly do annoy the saints with, and provoke them to, spiritual wickedness, pride, envy, malice, etc. Theseenemies are said to be in high places, or in heavenly places, so the word is. We wrestle about heavenly places or heavenly things. Our enemies try to prevent our ascent to heaven, to deprive us of heavenly blessings, and to obstruct our communion with heaven. They assault us in the things that belong to our souls, and labour to deface the heavenly image in our hearts. Therefore we have need to be on our guard against them.
(b) What our duty is, namely, to take and put on the whole armour of God, and then to stand our ground, and withstand our enemies. The apostle instances the particulars of this armour, both offensive and defensive. Here is the military girdle or belt, the breastplate, the greaves or soldier's shoes, the shield, the helmet, and the sword. It is observable, among them all there is none for the back. If we turn our back upon the enemy we lie exposed.
The girdle of truth is the strength of the Christian's loins. It girds on all the other pieces of our armour. I know no religion without sincerity. The breastplate secures the vitals. The righteousness of Christ imputed to us is our breastplate against the arrows of divine wrath; the righteousness of Christ implanted in us is our breastplate to fortify the heart against the attacks which Satan makes against us. Shoes, or greaves of brass, or the like, were formerly part of the military armour (1 Sam. xvii. 6), and the use of them was to defend their feet against the gall-traps and sharp sticks which used to be laid in the way, to obstruct the marching of the enemy, for those who fell upon them would be crippled. The preparation of the gospel of peace will enable us to walk with a steady pace in the way of religion, notwithstanding the difficulties and dangers that may be in it. Faith must be our shield. "Above all'', or chiefly. Faith is all in all to us in an hour of temptation. The devil's temptations are here called darts, because of their swift and undiscerned flight and the deep wounds that they give to the soul. "Fiery darts'', by way of allusion to the poisonous darts which inflamed the parts which were wounded with them. Faith is the shield with which we must quench these fiery darts. The helmet secures the head. A good hope of salvation, well founded and well built, will both purify the soul and keep it from being defiled by Satan. The word of God is "'the sword of the spirit"'. With this we assault the assailant. Scripture arguments are the most powerful arguments with which to repel temptation.
Christ Himself resisted Satan's temptations with "'It is written''. This being hid in the heart will preserve from sin (Ps. cxix. 11). It will mortify and kill those lusts and corruptions and all the evil which is latent there.
Evil
SERMON OUTLINE
EVIL
THE ORIGIN OF EVIL
(a) The Beginnings of Human Sin (6) 'The Growth of Human Sin (c) The Seat of Human Sin the Heart THE Fruits oF EvIL (a) In Personal Life—Moral Blindness (5) In National Life—Unjust Rule
IT.
Ill.
DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL (a) The Prayer for Deliverance (6) The Person of the Deliverer THe DEFENCE AGAINST EVIL (a) The Christian's Danger: His Adversary
IV.
(i) A subtle enemy (11) A strong enemy (ui) A spiritual enemy (6) The Christian's Duty: His Armour (i) The girdle of truth (ii) The breastplate of righteousness (iii) The shoes of the gospel (iv) The shield of faith (v) The helmet of salvation (vi) The sword of the spirit