The apostle has doubled this exhortation. He said in EPH 6:11-12, "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

The apostle is exhorting us as to what we must stand against. Then he says, "Put on the whole armour of God." Our text says, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God." Why? We are wrestling against principalities, powers and spiritual wickedness.

Then he says, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 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: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints," EPH 6:13-18.

The apostle Paul is pointing out the solemn reality that the war of Satan against our souls is genuine and that the stakes are eternal. It is not something that is mystic. It is literal. It is a genuine wrestle. It is a war that every saint of God is enlisted in. It is a war. This is a reality. It is also important to understand that the stakes are eternal. The outcome of the battle is eternal woe or eternal well.

Putting on this armour is most appropriate and must become very personal. No sane person would enter a war zone without armour.

Would any person who is sane walk into a battle field without weapons and or armour? Would any sane person enter a war unprepared and bare-handed? No sane person will enter this war against Satan without armour, thinking it is not a genuine war.

Putting on this armour involves first and foremost a change of heart. A change of heart is the first step in putting on the armour. All self-confidence must be taken off as we are robed with the faith of Jesus Christ.

If we are going to dress in armour to go into war, we have to undress first. We must take off all of our clothing and put on the armour. The first thing we must take off is self-confidence. We have to be robed with the faith and righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Paul's admonition to put on falls into two general categories. He tells us to, "Put on the whole armour of God, [And secondly, why we should do it.], that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." It is so we might be able to withstand those fiery darts of Satan in that evil day. This war is a genuine war. It is not a make-believe war. It is not a mystic war. It is a combat zone.

Seeing that every recruit in Christ's army should be properly fitted with armour, the first question that comes to mind is, what is that armour? We must put on the whole armour of God.

We can find that in ROM 13:14. "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." What does it mean to put on the whole armour of God? It means to put on the Lord Jesus Christ because He is that armour. Outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have no might against this great enemy. We have no shelter and we have no recourse against this enemy outside of the Lord Jesus Christ.

FOR OUR FIRST POINT, let's consider the unarmed sinner and his dim prospects. For OUR SECOND POINT, let's consider Christ as the armour which we are to put on. In CONCLUSION, a word of caution against improper use of that armour, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

FOR OUR FIRST POINT, let's consider the unarmed sinner and his dim prospects.

Adam was created in complete armour. Adam was created in the image of God. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them," GEN 1:27.

They were created in perfect armour. By his crafty devices Satan stripped man of this armour. As soon as the first sin was committed, Adam and Eve were naked. They were stripped of their armour and they became naked. That is the condition you and I are in by nature. We are totally naked from any armour against the wiles and crafty designs of Satan.

Satan used his craftiest devices to obtain the fall of man. Once the door of man's heart was opened, the Devil came in and established his kingdom. He set up his throne as the god of this world.

I have military training. I understand that you use your armour to set up a perimeter to keep the enemy out of the camp. Satan has come through the perimeter. He has come into the camp and taken over the headquarters. Do you know what that means? That means that he is now in command. We have become his bond slaves. We have become his captive servants. Now our armour has been completely demolished.

He has set up his throne as the god of this world. In 2CO 4:4 we read, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not...." What does this do? We are not wrestling against flesh and blood. We are wrestling against the dominion, the powers and the principalities of Satan. Now look at the dim prospect of the unarmed sinner. He is like the Israelites when they were in Egypt. They were unarmed and they had no might against the armies of the Egyptians.

This is the thrust of the communist nations today. They want to take away all the weapons from every person. Do you know why? In the United States of America we have a right to bear arms. That constitutional provision is there so the government cannot use brute force against unarmed citizens. That happened in China just recently. This gave the Egyptians their advantage over Israel who was unarmed.

That is the advantage Satan has. We have nothing to fight him with. He sits as the god of this world and he has blinded the mind. "...lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them," 2CO 4:4.

Satan blinds our mind to keep out the greater King. He wants to keep out the armies of Israel and the armies of Christ. He blinds our minds to keep out the gospel of Christ. That is a woeful state with dim prospects for the unarmed sinner.

Immediately after they had sinned, Adam and Eve attempted to hide from God. Look how they heard the voice of God in GEN 3:8. "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."

They became enemies at that time. They now became enlisted into the armies of Satan. Now they were sworn enemies of God and they hid themselves from His presence. They did not cry unto Him, "I have sinned." They did not come in repentance, seeking mercy and forgiveness. They became enemies and they hid themselves from God. That is the unarmed sinner. That shows the state of the mind and the hardness of the heart.

They began to blame each other instead of confessing their sin and seeking mercy. Their hearts were so soon turned to deceit and hatred for God and His law of love. Why? Now they were unarmed. They were no longer armed against those principalities of Satan. This is the condition of every unregenerate soul until the Father, by His Spirit, draws each penitent soul out of Satan's service unto Christ.

JOH 6:44 reads, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him...." We have become unable to come to the Lord, because our hearts are so perverse. We are not able to think a good thought or do a good deed. "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him...."

We are now unable to come unto the Lord until He draws us by His grace. Why? Because our hearts are so polluted with sin! Because our desires are so perverted by nature of the fall. As the result of our fall in Adam our desires are after the god of this world and not after the Lord.

Living without Christ as our armour, we are alienated from God. In EPH 2:12 we read, "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." That is the condition of the unregenerate man. He is alienated from God. What does this mean?

There was a time that there was unity but now they have become alienated. They have become sworn enemies, being aliens from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise. They have no hope. That is the dim prospect of those who are unarmed. They have no hope and are without God in the world.

Satan dominates our thoughts, hearts and minds when we are alienated from God. Now we can understand what it says in EPH 6:12. It talks about the principalities, the powers and the spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. All of these conquer and dominate the mind of the unregenerate.

COL 3:5-6 says, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience." By nature we are children of disobedience.

These are the things that are in the heart by nature of those who are alienated from God. Satan will dominate the heart and the mind. These things must be mortified. Why are they there in the first place? Why do we have to mortify them if they are not in our hearts? It is because that is what Satan has built his throne upon. That is what he has brought into the soul.

Oh, what a desperate condition for a soul to be left to his own defense against a legion of lusts and devils. It is such a horrible thing if the Lord leaves us to ourselves without armour. Then we have to try to defend ourselves against this legion of lusts and the devil. Without putting on Christ as our armour, we must fight in the dark. Our understandings are darkened.

EPH 5:8 tells us, "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light." Those who are without armour are walking in spiritual darkness. They don't realize that they are serving the enemies of God. They don't see the enmity that is in their heart against the Lord.

Spiritual darkness can never be expelled except by union with Christ. We can never see that spiritual darkness expelled until that true light comes in. That is what it said in EPH 5:8. "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light." That darkness is one of the diseases that the Lord Jesus Christ came to cure.

Let me explain that from LUK 4:18. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." That spiritual blindness, or spiritual darkness, is one of the diseases that Christ was sent to be the heavenly physician for.

When we were yet without strength, God sent forth His Son. Salvation is one-sided. It is all from the side of the Lord. In ROM 5:6 we read, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." While we were in captivity under the bondage of Satan and sin, Christ died. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."

Man without Christ as his armour is as powerless against sin and Satan as Israel was without any armour against the armies of Pharaoh. Let's stop and analyze this. It took a wonder of heaven when the Lord sent Moses to deliver the children of Israel from the armies of Egypt.

Do you know why? They had no armour. When Israel was armed, there was not a nation that could stand before them. When they were in Egypt, they had no armour. They had to go to the Egyptians to do so much as sharpen a plow share. They were not permitted to have anything to sharpen weapons with or to have any weapons. They had no armour or weapons of war. They were naked. This is why they were in such sore bondage. This is why they were unable to defend themselves. This is something that we have to understand.

We have to understand why Satan wants his servants disarmed. As long as they serve him they do not have the armour of Christ. This is why Satan has blinded their minds. "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them," 2CO 4:4.

If that image of God shines unto them through the gospel, all Satan can do is flee apace. Then they become as the armies of Israel. Nobody can conquer them. Then they go out and conquer and do conquer. When they were armed they could conquer, but in Egypt they were disarmed.

We can read in LUK 11:21, "When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace." This is what Satan has on the human race until the Lord Jesus becomes the armour. Satan keeps his goods in peace. We have no might against him.

What the Spirit of God does in a saint, Satan, in a diabolical sense, does in a sinner. I want you to think about that. The Spirit fills the heart with the Spirit of Christ and its fruits. The Spirit fills the heart with "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance," GAL 5:22-23.

In a diabolical sense, Satan does the same thing to a sinner. Satan fills the heart with his spirit and its fruits which are, "Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like," GAL 5:19-21.

Satan builds his kingdom on things such as these. That is the fruit of the spirit of Satan. The fruit of the Spirit of God is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance." Do you see how hopelessly helpless the unarmed sinner is?

Sometimes a carnal heart and Satan seem to scuffle just a little, but it is only a farce. Take notice of this.

Sometimes you see people who profess Christianity, but you see that they are struggling with Satan. Watch how they strike each other. You can see they have no intention to harm their good name before men. You have to watch for that. Are they able to identify sin and call it sin? No! They have a little scuffle with Satan, but they are very careful that they don't bring themselves to become reproached of men. They don't want to be called goody goody do-gooders. They don't want to get fanatical and stand up for the Word of God even if they do seem to scuffle with Satan just a little.

In LUK 6:26 we read, "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets." Any time you see somebody not willing to suffer shame for the name of Christ, even though he will say he is having a scuffle with Satan, it's a farce. It is phony, not Christianity. Do you know why? If we are going to understand what it is to suffer shame for the name of Christ, they are going to put us out of their company for His name's sake.

Then the Lord Jesus says, "Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven," LUK 6:23. Why does He say this? We are going to suffer shame for His name. If we have a false religion, we can act very pious, but we won't take the chance of identifying a sin that will cause a stir. We don't want to be a fanatic. That is only a counterfeit religion.

When the authority of God's Word comes into issue, the vote is unanimous among those who dare not suffer shame for the name of Christ. You have to notice that. Human reasoning becomes the basis of their decision. They are not walking in the armour of Christ, because when the authority of God's Word comes into issue, their vote is unanimous. Let's study this.

LUK 19:14, "saying, We will not have this man to reign over us." They will not walk under the authority of the Word. How many people can you see today who will profess their Christianity but do not walk under the authority of the Word of God? If you show them that the Word of God lays out the pathway of life, they refuse to become fanatical. They refuse to surrender to the authority of the Word of God. They will preach everything that they believe into the Word of God. If you unfold the Word and explain what it really says, then they don't have any time for you at all.

All the lusts and human reasonings cast their ballots against Christ's reign, as the Philistines did against Samson. Take notice of JDG 16:23-24. "Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us."

This is what human reasoning will say when you try to stand for the authority of the Word of God. They will say, "Look at the destroyer of our country." They come with a unanimous vote against the authority of the Word of God because they are not in Christ's armour. Satan is still on the throne. The authority of God and His Word means nothing to them.

When Christ comes to arm one of His poor captive saints, Satan and all his hosts must flee apace. LUK 10:17 says, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." When the disciples were sent out in the name of the Lord with the authority of the Word, the devils had to flee away. The disciples were casting out devils in Christ's name. The devils had to flee because it was the authority of God's Word.

Jesus, as it were, tells His disciples He knew the power of the gospel. Watch how Jesus answered them when they told Him that all of the devils had to flee apace. "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding [This is very important to understand.] in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven," LUK 10:18-20.

We have to be careful that we don't become proud. We have to remember that Christ is our armour. In this we must rejoice. Christ is our armour and our names are written in heaven. We aren't to be rejoicing because we can tread on serpents and perform great things. That should not be the source of our joy. Our joy is because our names are written in heaven and Christ is our armour and the Captain of our salvation.

Little wonder that Satan strives so hard to sow his gospel to pull men away from the gospel of Christ. He knows that a saint without the armour of Christ's gospel is like an army without ammunition. He knows that if he can keep us away from the Gospel of Christ by giving us a sense of security in his gospel outside of the armour of Christ, outside the authority of the Word of God, then he can get us to rest short of repentance--without a new heart.

God's Word is the sword of the Spirit. The Word teaches how to put on Christ and those graces with which we are to be armed. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and it teaches us what armour we need. It teaches us how we must arm ourselves against that old monster, Satan.

FOR OUR SECOND POINT, let's consider Christ as the armour which we are to put on. Let's take a look at what it means to be armed with Christ. We are admonished to, "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth," EPH 6:14.

These are the pieces of armour that we are going to study one by one. We will see how Christ is that armour. "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth." That shows the horribleness of being girt with a false gospel. We are to be girt about with the truth. Putting on Christ is putting on the truth. JOH 14:6 says, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life...."

When we put on Christ, we are putting on the truth. That means that we are not to barter the authority of the Word of God for Satan's gospel. To put on Christ is to put on the truth. "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us," 2CO 1:20. The Word of God must be the authority of our life and we cannot barter it.

There is so much gainsaying today. The Word of God is no longer the authority! Any philosophy is all justifiable in human reasoning. All of a sudden we have just bartered the Word of God for human reasoning. This is that "...deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness," 2TH 2:10-12.

Jesus said unto him, "I am the way, the truth and the life," JOH 14:6. Do you know what that means? It means that the Word of God is the truth. Putting on Christ is walking in the footsteps of Christ in total surrender to the will of the Father without any bartering of the truth.

Jesus speaks with authority. Look at MAT 7:29. "For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." There is authority in the Word of God. When we put on Christ, we are putting on the Word which is the truth. It is the authority of our life without any gainsaying or bartering.

When Jesus "opened His mouth, and taught them," MAT 5:2, He opened those truths that were sealed from the foundation of the world. What were those truths? I unfolded them a little this morning.

They are the spirit of the law. The scribes and the pharisees brought forth all of the traditions and the doctrines of men. They brought forth the legalism and the letter of the law without understanding the spirit of the law. Is the truth going to be our armour? Is the spirit of the law going to be our armour?

Look what we see in MAT 13:35. "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." JOH 1:17 says, "For the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."

What does that grace and truth mean? It means the spirit of the law. The law was given by Moses, but it was never understood. They followed the letter of the law with a legalism. It was a Pharisaical law. They followed nothing but traditions. We are to arm ourselves with truth, the authority of the Word and the spirit of the law.

We are admonished to put on, "...the breastplate of righteousness." Christ is the only armour we have as a breastplate of righteousness. Righteousness is conformity of life to the divine law. It means to be justified by an acquittal; for having obeyed the law.

There is no righteousness in man outside of Christ. The righteousness of Christ is the only righteousness that will ever stand in judgment before God. It is the only one that will ever stand before the bar of God's justice. Now we have to have His righteousness imparted in us. That is putting on the armour of the breastplate of righteousness.

Christ is the only armour we have as a breastplate of righteousness. Look what JER 23:6 says. This is a prophecy of the coming of Christ. "In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." He is our righteousness. It is by putting on Christ's righteousness that we are armed with the breastplate of righteousness.

In 1JO 2:29 we read, "If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him." Understand that by being armed with the armour of the Christ, we are standing armed in His righteousness. This armour is that wherein the Old Testament church trusted.

The psalmist said in PSA 45:7, "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." It was that righteousness of Christ, "therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee...." Why? The Lord loves righteousness. That is the robe. That is the breastplate of righteousness.

There is only one righteousness that will ever be able to stand the fiery darts of Satan. If he can accuse us of every evil thought in our heart, where do we stand? Now we have to come under the shelter of the righteousness of Christ. We can only plead His righteousness and the blood of His cross. This is our armour.

The prophet Isaiah saw the blessedness of this armour in ISA 11:5. "And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins."

The Old Testament church was armed in the armour of the righteousness of Christ. EPH 6:14 says, "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness." The breastplate of righteousness is the imparted righteousness of Christ.

We are to have our feet, or our walk of life, clad with armour. EPH 6:15 says, "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Our feet, or our walk of life, also must be clad, but with what? "With the preparation of the gospel of peace." We are to walk in the way of peace. Christ is our peace. Peace was broken in the fall of Adam, but Christ becomes our peace.

COL 1:20 says, "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross...." We have to walk in the way of peace with God. The armour that we need is walking in the way of peace with God through submission to His will. That was purchased for us by the blood of His cross. "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."

This putting on Christ is our armour against God's wrath upon sin. If we are going to be shod with the gospel of peace, then we have to understand that God's wrath is upon sin. That means that our feet or our walk of life must be walking in the way that is pleasing to the Lord. This is in the way of repentance.

In ISA 53:5 we read, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." It is by Christ being our armour that we have peace, i.e., that our will is dissolved into His will.

Perfection of peace is being robed in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Take notice of this in verse 16, "Above all, taking the shield of faith." We need Christ as our armour, "Above all, taking the shield of faith," now that, "Above all" tells us something! Christ is our armour, "Above all" we must live by the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ!

GAL 2:20 tells us, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

ISA 26:3 says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Where do we see that perfection of peace? It is in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Perfect peace is in perfect trust. It is in faith that there is a Christ. This is the faith of Christ being imparted and imputed to us.

Faith is the choicest piece of armour. In EPH 6:16 we read, "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." Faith is a shield against all of those fiery darts. In ancient times when people went to battle, every person carried a shield in one hand and a sword in the other. The shield was used to ward off all of the fiery darts. Faith is that shield.

Faith is the armour whereby we receive justification. Faith shall quench the fiery darts of the wicked. When all the fiery darts of Satan come against our soul, we have the shield of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can ward off every accusation of the brethren. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. Every accusation can be warded off by being justified by the faith of Christ. Now we can hold up the perfect faith of Christ as our shield.

My mother once told me of a time that Satan tormented her for weeks. Then she read a sermon that explained how the Lion out of Judah's tribe had prevailed. She said that the next time Satan came, she stood her ground. She told him to go ahead and try, but that he had lost the game. She told him that the Lion out of Judah's tribe had prevailed. The faith of Jesus Christ became her armour and Satan had to flee.

This is what we have to understand when the fiery darts of Satan come. We can have the shield of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we can ward off those fiery darts. It is a tremendous lesson when we start to understand that it is by Christ's obedience of faith that He prevailed. By holding up this shield we can be safe from those darts and accusations of Satan.

ROM 5:1 says, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." When the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ is imparted into our souls it is made ours. Then we are justified by the imputed faith of Jesus Christ, and not by anything we have done.

GAL 2:16 says, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ."

Our eyes must be raised above self or anything in self, including our faith. Christ's obedience of faith must become the object of our faith. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. [See how Jesus' faith is the object of our faith.] For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds," HEB 12:2-3.

Our justification was purchased by Christ's obedience of faith, and not ours, GAL 2:16. His perfect obedience of faith has satisfied the just demands of the law. His blood has paid for every crime that we have committed. It is only this imparted faith of Jesus Christ that can fight off those fiery darts of Satan.

"Above all, [we must take] the shield of [that imparted] faith [of the Lord Jesus Christ], wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked," EPH 6:16. This is taking "...unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day."

When Satan comes with his fiery darts and accusations of the crimes we have committed, he wants to bring us into despair. Then we have to hold up the shield, which is the faith of Jesus Christ in His perfect obedience. We can never be justified by our obedience, i.e., the works of the law. We are justified by Christ's obedience of faith in His perfect works of the law.

PHI 2:8-11 says, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore [Oh beloved! See that connecting word 'WHEREFORE'! God the Father was so glorified by such obedience that] God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Putting on Jesus Christ is putting on the armour of the faith of Jesus Christ. GAL 2:20 says, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." When we can hold up that shield of faith, Satan's fiery darts can never come through.

We are to put on Christ as the helmet of our salvation. EPH 6:17 says, "And take the helmet of salvation...." The harmony of armour that is set forth in this chapter is so precious. It is so blessed to see that Christ is every piece of that armour.

Taking the helmet of salvation teaches that Christ is the hope of our salvation. When our hope seems to be gone because we have sinned so greatly, then we have that armour. Christ is an armour of hope.

1TH 5:8 says, "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation." Isn't that beautiful? The breastplate is the shield of faith, and the helmet is the hope of salvation. The helmet is what guards the head. Christ becomes the hope of our salvation.

We receive hope by putting on that imputed faith of Jesus Christ. ROM 5:2-4 says, "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope." Hope becomes secure through these struggles and trials of faith. We can put on hope and rejoice in it for the glory of God.

We are to be armed with those select sayings of God's Word spoken into our soul by the Holy Spirit. Think about this. EPH 6:17 says, "and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." This reference to "the Word of God," in the Greek is not the same as in JOH 1:1. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This is very important to understand.

In JOH 1:1 the Greek word is "Logos [log-os]," which means "The Divine Expression (i.e. Christ). In EPH 6:17 it says, "and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." The Greek word here is "Rhema, [hray-sah]" which means, "An utterance, a matter of topic, or [select] sayings." These are two totally different words.

I want to show you the significance of this. We are talking about the armour with which we fight off Satan. I might be able to take the Word of God and say this is the Word of God, but is it really mine? Do I really dare to take that as being applied to me? EPH 6:17 is talking about the sayings spoken by the Holy Spirit which He has spoken with power into my soul! He has taken that portion of God's Word and spoken it into my soul with power. Now that becomes one of my swords in my armory that I can use to fight off Satan.

When Satan wants to torment us, we can take one of those swords and say, "Hold it Satan. There is one portion of God's Word that God has spoken into my soul. This is one portion of the Word that the Lord has given me." We know that those are from the Lord. They are one of the select sayings applied to our souls. There is power in fighting off those fiery darts of Satan when we can use one of those select sayings from the Word of God that were applied to our souls.

We can tell old Satan, as my mother said, "Come on old Satan you have lost the game! That lion out of Judah's tribe has prevailed!" How can we say that? Because it was spoken with power to my soul! That is how the faith of Christ becomes ours. Isn't that precious. That is personal. That is more than just referring to the Word of God in a general way.

When Satan is assaulting with all his fiery darts, the question becomes, "Does that portion of God's Word apply to me? Is it mine or do I become as a robber and a thief in the house of God?" When we can take one of those select sayings that the Holy Spirit has spoken with power into our souls, we can wield it as a sword against old Satan and slaughter all his power with it. This makes it so now we have that faith of Jesus Christ that we hold up as a shield, because "faith cometh by hearing." How does faith come by hearing? When the Holy Spirit speaks it into the soul. It isn't the literal hearing of the Word. It is when the Holy Spirit speaks it into my soul.

Imputed faith cometh by hearing those utterances, and\or select sayings of the Spirit spoken into the soul. ROM 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." We must fight off the fiery darts of Satan with these swords from that armory of select sayings which the Holy Spirit has spoken with power into our souls. Then we have a personal sword. It is a saying that the Spirit has spoken into my soul. Aren't these precious armors? The Lord Jesus becomes our armour, "...and his name is called The Word of God," REV 19:13. This armour must become personal.

Prayer is also a very essential part of our armour. EPH 6:18-19 says, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, [Watch this!] that utterance may be given unto me...." Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Now he says, "[pray] that utterance may be given...."

Do you know how important it is to pray for the pastor, so the Lord gives utterance that the Word of God goes forth with the unction of the Spirit? It becomes personal. It becomes a sword in our armory. It becomes one of those select sayings applied with the unction and power of the Spirit.

This prayer is illustrated in DEU 32:11. "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings...." That teaches us how the Holy Spirit bears us up on those wings of prayer. He carries us to the place where we are fed. Those eagles put the young ones upon their wings and carry them to the food.

This is what we are taught about prayer. The Holy Spirit bears us upon the wings of prayer. He bears us up with eagles wings and He brings us to that Heavenly Manna. He brings us to that spiritual food and drink for our soul.

This prayer is beautifully described by Hezekiah in ISA 38:14. "Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me."

PSA 107:27-28 says, "They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits end. Then they cry unto the Lord...." This is what we see with Hezekiah. He was at his wit's end, and then he cried unto the Lord He said, "Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me."

IN CONCLUSION, a word of caution against improper use of that armour. This is something we must watch for.

In ROM 13:14 we read, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." We have to watch that we don't use this armour to become proud in the flesh. We put on the Lord Jesus Christ, but this Scripture did not say put on temperance for drunkenness. Nor did it say put on chastity for adultery, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ."

We can't have a Pharisaical, legalistic religion. We obey out of love. The obedience of the law is in the spirit of the law. That is to please God. It isn't to become righteous in ourselves. Temperance cannot become our foundation. Temperance is not our armour, the Lord Jesus Christ is. That doesn't mean we don't have temperance. It means that temperance isn't our armour.

Christians must take care not to trust in their experiences as the armour of God, but in the God of those experiences. That is important to understand. So many people talk of their rich experiences. I bless God for their experiences, but too many times those experiences become the foundation of their hope instead of Christ! That is the most dangerous thing you can do.

"I the Lord thy God am a jealous God," EXO 20:5. Those precious experiences cannot become the foundation of our hope instead of Christ. He is our armour, not those experiences. Instead of putting on Christ as their armour, they are putting on experiences. Satan is so crafty.

I am not talking against blessed experiences because I am not a stranger to them. I believe them and I preach them. However be careful, because they are our evidences but not our foundation. That is an important thing to understand.

Watch what 2CO 10:3-6 says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God [That is the center where it all has to remain.] to the pulling down of strong holds;) [We can't rest on these experiences. They are not the foundation of our hope.] Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; [That obedience of Christ is our armour.] And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."

We have to see how important it is that Christ is our salvation. We can't put on an experience. We put on Christ. The experience is the evidence of putting on Christ. The experience is the fruit of it but it is not the foundation of it. That is a very important point to understand. This is something that is terribly dangerous because Satan will build us a nest that is short of salvation.

We have to examine our own hearts. The Lord wants us to glory in the way of the cross and not to become exalted in our experiences.

The apostle Paul had many, rich experiences. He had been exalted to the third heaven, but we read in 2CO 12:7-10, "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

The apostle Paul said in PHI 3:8-10, "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."

The apostle Paul's heart was not so set on his experiences, but on the intimate relationship between himself and Christ. Paul's desire was to know Christ with that intimate relationship of the Heavenly Bridegroom and His bride. He could set aside all his experience to win Christ.

PHI 3:8 "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."