Equipped for Spiritual Warfare: Victory in Christ

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Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you 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. [00:24:24]

The Apostle's theme, if you like, in a sense, is that of sanctification and of holiness. And you notice the way in which he deals with that, how different it is from our method. I wonder when you last heard in a convention on holiness or sanctification a series of addresses on the devil and on demons. [00:157:52]

There is nothing perhaps which is quite so relevant to our individual and corporate conditions this morning as this very passage which we are looking at together. For after all, the most important thing we can ever discover is the nature of this life and of this world in which we find ourselves. [00:120:12]

Why did the Son of God come into this world? Well, to put it broadly, we can put it like this with the Apostle John: He came that he might destroy the works of the devil. That's what the Apostle, the inspired Apostle, says, that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world and did all he did that he might destroy, disarm, undo the works of the devil. [00:264:75]

The devil was originally one of these bright angelic creatures made by God. If you want proof of that, I've already given you two in those portions we read at the beginning. But take the Book of Job in the first chapter and the 6th verse: Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. [00:1240:08]

The devil, lifted up with pride, fell, and now, of course, because of his fall, he is animated by a hatred, an intense hatred of God. He only has one ambition, and that is to destroy God's works, to produce chaos. God is a God of order; the devil is intent upon producing chaos. [00:1772:28]

The whole tragedy of the world today, as I see it, is that we are so utterly earthbound. You see, we start with men, we start with the world, it's us ourselves, and especially the 20th century. But, my dear friend, if you want to understand the 20th century, the first thing you've got to do is not only to go back to the beginning in Eden. [00:1845:96]

The terrible consequence of the Fall was, you see, that man, he's not himself any longer. He's a slave of the devil. He's the goods of the strong man armed. He's under the power and the dominion of Satan and sin and evil. Take the Apostle John's description of it again in the first epistle 5:19. [00:2422:52]

The Christian not only is aware of the forces arranged against him, he is one who is able to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. He can put on the whole armor of God, and though he is fighting Lucifer, star of the morning, the devil, principalities, and powers, he can stand and continue to stand and be finally more than conqueror. [00:2771:08]

The Apostle in writing to the Corinthians says, you remember, in his second epistle, chapter 2, verse 11, we are not ignorant of his devices. He says, I know something about the wiles of the devil, what he tries to do in a church and amongst Christian people. We are not ignorant of his devices. [00:225:48]

The devil's influence extends to humanity, as seen in the fall of man. By succumbing to the devil's temptation, humanity became enslaved to sin and under the devil's dominion. This spiritual bondage is the root of the world's problems, and human efforts alone cannot solve it. The real battle is spiritual, and only through Christ can we find victory. [00:2282:32]

The Apostle's first intent in writing this, of course, was to help these Ephesians and, through them, all subsequent Christians who should ever read these words in the living of the Christian life. The Apostle's theme, if you like, in a sense, is that of sanctification and of holiness. [00:143:16]

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