Standing Firm: The Armor of God and Assurance

Summary

In Ephesians 6:10-13, Paul urges believers to be strong in the Lord and to put on the whole armor of God to stand against the devil's schemes. This passage highlights the spiritual battle Christians face, not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil. The devil's primary tactic is confusion, particularly in the realm of assurance of salvation. He seeks to lead believers from one extreme to another, either by instilling a false sense of security or by causing doubt and despair.

The devil often tries to give Christians a false assurance, a counterfeit peace and joy that lacks the depth and reality of true salvation. This false assurance can lead to complacency, where believers feel self-satisfied and see no need for growth or self-examination. True assurance, however, is marked by humility, a sense of wonder at God's grace, and a continual hunger for righteousness. The genuine Christian experience is not one of glib certainty but of awe and gratitude for God's mercy.

Moreover, the devil cannot rob us of our salvation, but he can rob us of the joy and peace that accompany it. He does this by accusing us, sowing seeds of doubt, and shaking our confidence in God's promises. The New Testament is replete with exhortations to examine ourselves and to be wary of false assurances. True assurance is rooted in a deep, personal relationship with Christ, characterized by a transformed life and a continual pursuit of holiness.

In conclusion, while the devil's schemes are many, believers are equipped with the armor of God to stand firm. Assurance of salvation is not just a theological concept but a lived reality that brings joy, peace, and confidence in prayer. It is essential to be vigilant, discerning, and grounded in the truth of God's Word to resist the devil's attempts to confuse and discourage.

Key Takeaways:

- The devil's primary tactic is confusion, particularly in the realm of assurance of salvation. He seeks to lead believers from one extreme to another, either by instilling a false sense of security or by causing doubt and despair. [05:11]

- True assurance is marked by humility, a sense of wonder at God's grace, and a continual hunger for righteousness. The genuine Christian experience is not one of glib certainty but of awe and gratitude for God's mercy. [33:56]

- The devil cannot rob us of our salvation, but he can rob us of the joy and peace that accompany it. He does this by accusing us, sowing seeds of doubt, and shaking our confidence in God's promises. [42:50]

- False assurance can lead to complacency, where believers feel self-satisfied and see no need for growth or self-examination. True assurance, however, is rooted in a deep, personal relationship with Christ, characterized by a transformed life and a continual pursuit of holiness. [27:37]

- The New Testament is replete with exhortations to examine ourselves and to be wary of false assurances. It is essential to be vigilant, discerning, and grounded in the truth of God's Word to resist the devil's attempts to confuse and discourage. [28:32]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to Ephesians 6:10-13
- [01:03] - The Devil's Attacks on Individual Christians
- [02:13] - Confusion as the Devil's Weapon
- [03:49] - The Armor of God
- [04:19] - Assurance of Salvation
- [06:07] - The Importance of Assurance
- [07:38] - Assurance in Prayer
- [09:15] - Joy and Peace in Salvation
- [10:32] - The Devil's Focus on Assurance
- [12:07] - Resources for Understanding Assurance
- [13:54] - False Assurance and Its Dangers
- [17:23] - The Need for Self-Examination
- [22:23] - Characteristics of True Assurance
- [35:32] - Hunger for Righteousness
- [40:22] - The Devil as the Accuser
- [42:32] - The Devil Cannot Rob Salvation
- [44:55] - Conclusion and Next Steps

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Ephesians 6:10-13
- 1 John 5:13
- Hebrews 4:16

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#### Observation Questions
1. What does Paul mean when he instructs believers to "put on the whole armor of God" in Ephesians 6:10-13? How does this relate to standing against the devil's schemes? [00:11]
2. According to the sermon, what is the devil's primary tactic against believers, and how does it manifest in their spiritual lives? [02:13]
3. How does the sermon describe the difference between true assurance of salvation and false assurance? [14:12]
4. What role does self-examination play in maintaining true assurance of salvation according to the sermon? [27:37]

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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of the "armor of God" equip believers to resist the devil's attempts to confuse and discourage them? [03:49]
2. In what ways might a false sense of security lead to complacency in a believer's spiritual life? How can this be avoided? [16:12]
3. How does the sermon suggest believers can discern between true and false assurance of salvation? [33:56]
4. What does it mean to have a "continual hunger for righteousness," and how does this relate to true assurance of salvation? [35:32]

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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt confused about your assurance of salvation. How did you address this confusion, and what steps can you take to prevent it in the future? [05:11]
2. Consider your current spiritual practices. Are there areas where you might be complacent due to a false sense of security? How can you actively pursue growth and self-examination? [16:12]
3. How can you cultivate a deeper, personal relationship with Christ to ensure your assurance is rooted in a transformed life? What specific actions can you take this week to strengthen this relationship? [27:37]
4. Identify a specific promise of God that you struggle to believe fully. How can you remind yourself of this promise daily to strengthen your confidence in God's Word? [42:50]
5. Think of a recent situation where you felt accused or doubted your salvation. How can you use the "armor of God" to stand firm in such situations? [40:22]
6. How can you incorporate regular self-examination into your spiritual routine to ensure your assurance is genuine and not false? What tools or resources might help you in this process? [28:32]
7. Choose one aspect of the "armor of God" to focus on this week. What practical steps can you take to "put on" this piece of armor in your daily life? [03:49]

Devotional

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Quotes

Now we are engaged at the moment in the study of this phrase this particular phrase about the Ws of the devil and we are concerned about that as it is applied to are manifested to the individual Christian we've already looked at it in general as it has been manifested in the life of the church as a whole but now we're concerned about the devil's attacks upon us as individual Christians and Believers the matter is confined obviously to believers we've left the realm long ago of the more General activities of the devil and his powers here the Apostle deals particularly with Christian people. [00:52:33]

We've seen that he tries to confuse us that's always his method that is the devil's great weapon confusion he confuses our understanding it's the thing that's most evident in the church I think at the present time speaking generally how the devil is confusing the understanding of Christian people but he does this also in the realm of experience and we've been looking at aspects of this we've seen how he tries to confuse us even as to the place of experience at all in the Christian Life and then now he tries to muddle us with regard to the place of feelings the sensibilities that aspect of the Christian Life and experience. [02:13:44]

We are all meant to have Assurance of Salvation as Christian people there's nothing in a way about our Salvation which is more remarkable and more wonderful than this God is Not only provided a way whereby we can be saved he not only does save us but he lets us know that he's done it and I say this is a very glorious and wonderful aspect of the Christian Life the Christian is not meant to remain in doubt and in uncertainty. [05:36:96]

The New Testament teaching in a sense is more concerned about this great matter of assurance than it is about anything else that's the theme of so many of these Epistles take as a just one example John's first epistle 5 and verse 13 these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that ye may know that he have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the son of God we are meant to know it we are meant to have Assurance we are meant to be certain and for obvious reasons we are meant to be able to pray with confidence and with Assurance. [07:00:36]

The devil has a wonderful field here and he makes full use of it in the exercise of his wilds and that is why so much as I say of the New Testament is devoted to this particular question these men were anxious that these Christian people should be enjoying the fruits of this great salvation all along the Christians were tending to be in trouble and they needed these exhortations these great displays of Doctrine the exhortations and so on they're all designed just to give people the joy of Salvation the Assurance peace and joy and happiness in Christ Jesus. [10:48:56]

The first thing he does is to try to give us a false Assurance to give us a false rest a false peace and a false Joy now there you see you get at once an illustration of his Wess and his craftiness obviously if he can uh delude any of us with the counterfeit he's going to keep the true fromom us and that is one of his favorite Wilds he comes to the Christian and he offers him something which appears to be on the surface the true Christian peace and joy and happiness and rest but which turns out on closer analysis in the light of the scriptures and in experience itself unfortunately eventually to be nothing but a horrid counterfeit something false and spirous. [14:01:28]

The mere repetition of statements and a formula does not of necessity prove that we are Christians the Devils believe but also tremble the New Testament is full of this there were people in the church who had said the right thing take John again in this first epistle there are certain people he says who' have gone out from Among Us and he says by going out from us they were they're giving proof positive that they were never really of us but you see they'd been in the church and they would never have been accepted in the early church which was very careful about these matters unless they subscribed to the truth they' agreed with all the statements and yet they' gone out proving says John that they were never really others at all but they gave every appearance of being right all their statements were correct they seem to be perfectly Orthodox and for a while they seem to rejoice in it. [18:27:84]

The vital question we ask ourselves therefore is this am I aware of something entirely new within me am I aware of being controlled and mastered by something someone not myself can I say in any degree I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me am I aware of the other that is in me and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and who gave himself for me are you aware I ask of the fact that something has been done to you not that you have done something not that you've been modifying what you were or what you had or what you have no no are you aware I say that down in the depths of your being God has done something and has put something into you. [22:47:39]

The true is always filled with a sense of wonder and of amazement and of surprise in other words the true Christian doesn't say of course I'm saved the true Christian says well it's an amazing thing that I should be saved at all how did the almighty God ever come and bring himself to look upon me I says this paem the least of the Apostles them that not worthy to be called an azzle because I persecuted the Church of Christ last of all he manifested himself unto me this is the argument the Son of God who loved me even me and gave himself for me he can't get over this he's amazed at it he's astonished at it and anybody who realizes something of what it means must be filled with this same astonishment. [31:55:19]

There is is one thing thank God the devil cannot do and that is he cannot Rob us of our Salvation he cannot do that that's an utter impossibility we are in the hands of God we are his workmanship no man shall be able to pluck him pluck us out of his hands now let's be clear about this because if we are not clear there well we're already defeated by the devil the devil can never Rob anybody of his salvation if he could he do so there would be nobody saved if the devil had that power the devil is the strong man armed as our Lord says you remember in that figure that he uses in Luke 11 and elsewhere he is the strong man armed and he keepeth his Goods at peace and they can't get out of his clutches but a stronger than he cometh and robs him of his armor wherein he trusted and sets the goods at Liberty. [40:28:00]

But he can rob us of the joy of Salvation he can rob us of the happiness of Salvation he can rob us of the peace that are company salvation he can take from us the rest that is meant to be the portion of the people of God and it is there that he exercises all his Ingenuity and manifests his subtle WS he knows he can't get us back well then there's only one thing the next best thing is this all right there it belong to him and not to me well what I'll do now then is to make them miserable I'll make them wretched I'll try and Rob him of the joy of what he's done to them so he bring brings out his wilds and that's this great theme I say which is dealt with so extensively in the New Testament. [42:56:40]

You can be a Christian and yet lack Assurance you saved but you may not know it because of the Ws of the devil he can rob you of the joy the happiness of it all and the power of of it all as it were as a result of that he can't rob you of the Salvation but oh how often has he brought people into a state of misery as if they were not Christians At All by his horrible WS very well that is what we are going to consider together how he exercises these WS in order to confuse us and to bring us into a state of muddle he examines us and Shakes the very Foundation as it were he can't really shake the condition but he gives the appearance of doing it. [44:48:00]

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Transcript

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