HOW WE ARE TO STAND
[p. 258] HOW WE ARE TO STAND
In the epistle to the Ephesians you get anticipated what will be brought in at the coming of the Lord: it helps to the intelligent entering into the detail of the epistle to see this.
In chapter 1 we get made known the mystery, “that he might gather together in one” — that will be at the coming of the Lord; and then you get the prayer in chapter 1, “that ye may know what is the hope of his calling”, and in chapter 2 you get “quickened us together with Christ”, which will be really brought to pass at the coming of the Lord; it is anticipated spiritually now. Then in chapter 3 you get the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; that is anticipative of what will come to pass at the coming of the Lord. Then in chapter 4, in the giving of the gifts, Psalm 68 is quoted, and that psalm goes on to the coming of Christ. You can see the same thought coming out in the armour here: it is the Lord Himself who comes out with the breastplate of righteousness, also the helmet of salvation; it all refers to the coming of the Lord. Spiritually we take that ground now, and we maintain it. It is in the way of testimony now, the moment is not yet come for the display, but display is anticipated in the saint now.
Armour is what is necessary to enable us to stand our ground; the influences abroad tend to blind people to all that God is about to effectuate by Christ. Every saint has intelligently to know his place in order really to take the armour. Daniel did not belong to Babylon, though he was in it, so we see he was wont to pray toward Jerusalem. We belong to Jerusalem above, our mother: our place is prepared of Christ: He said, I go to prepare a place for you; He has prepared it. We want to see the place of the church relative to divine counsels.
The two-and-a-half tribes helped to fight, but they came back to enjoy their inheritance this side of Jordan.
[p. 259] God in great mercy keeps most of us poor because few of us can stand wealth. The effort of Satan in this day is to assail the truth; how are we going to stand, seeing that we are not clever like those who start plausible theories? How are we to stand? We must have on the whole armour of God. God anticipated the evil and provided for it: the great effort of the enemy is to discredit the truth. The armour does not add anything to us, we get all in the gospel really, but we want to use it as armour, and we must have proof of the armour. To Him belongs the power; Christ is God, and has power to subdue all to God.
Strong in moral qualifications; not merely strong in grace, but strong in moral qualifications. The first is truth, it can regulate you and direct your affections in every divinely-appointed channel; man’s affections go out in wrong and irregular directions, as you see in the woman of Samaria — truth comes in to direct the affections in a right and proper channel. If a man loves God, he loves his wife and children. Truth is the regulating motive, truth is the presentation of things as they are. Next you get the breastplate of righteousness; I am faithful in every obligation; philosophy does not do this, but the truth does it for a man. Saints are often very slack in their obligations; this will not do at all. The breastplate is protective — you are not struck in the vital parts. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, helmet of salvation; these things are all present and form a moral whole. Feet shod — that is ability to walk in peace here with all men; the Jew and gentile can walk together. You stand in the good of what came to you in the gospel: you are equipped by it, you find the value of it as armour. The gospel brings to me that which is morally perfect. The gospel has brought to me truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation; all these things are presented to us in Christ, and we take these things up as armour.
The sword of the Spirit is aggressive, it is a weapon to be used. We are to withstand, the enemy is very near. The word of God is the utterance of the Lord; every [p. 260] utterance of the Lord will stand (1 Peter 1), and “the word of the Lord endureth for ever”. All these things are seen in Christ; when He comes He will have the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation and a two-edged sword (Revelation 1), and in Revelation 19: 11 He is Faithful and True; that is what He is called.
“Take the helmet of salvation” — you want to carry it with you in testimony; the apostle could say that he endured all things for the elect’s sake, that they might obtain salvation. Christ comes with the helmet of salvation for His people, but the apostle endured all things for the elect’s sake; it was the witness of salvation for others. We ought to be positive in our attitude and deportment, and we should be positive in word too.