========================================================================
  THE ARMOUR OF LIGHT
  by Keith Malcomson
========================================================================

Summary: This sermon focuses on the spiritual armor described in
Ephesians 6, emphasizing the importance of each piece in the Christian's
battle against the enemy. The message highlights the significance of
being equipped with the whole armor of God, including the belt of truth,
breastplate of righteousness, gospel shoes, shield of faith, helmet of
salvation, and sword of the spirit, to stand firm and overcome the
attacks of the devil.

Topics: "Spiritual Warfare", "The Armor of God"
Scripture References: Ephesians 6:10, Romans 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:8, John 1:1

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This sermon focuses on the spiritual armor described in Ephesians 6,
emphasizing the importance of each piece in the Christian's battle
against the enemy. The message highlights the significance of being
equipped with the whole armor of God, including the belt of truth,
breastplate of righteousness, gospel shoes, shield of faith, helmet of
salvation, and sword of the spirit, to stand firm and overcome the
attacks of the devil.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------

We're turning to Ephesians chapter 6 reading from verse 10 and our
message this morning is the armor of light Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10.
Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might
put on the whole armor 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 wherefore take
on to you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the
evil day and having done all to stand stand therefore having your loins
gird 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. Here in this third part in our
series spiritual warfare we're going to look at the armor of the
Christian that he must be dressed correctly if he is to fight correctly.

Let's pray together and ask for God's grace his help as we come and look
at the armor of the Christian soldier. Father we do pray in the mighty
name of Jesus that you open up the scriptures here this morning that you
would teach us that you'd instruct us that you'd give us wisdom that you
would stir our hearts within us that we would take on to us the armor of
God that having done all that we would stand against every attack of the
devil every while every lie every false teaching every opposition every
attack against our minds our physical bodies our emotions and our
spirit. My God I pray even here this morning we plead the covering of
the precious blood of the lamb we proclaim the authority that is in
Jesus name we remind ourselves the greater is he that is in me than he
that is in the world.

Lord God we stand on the promises of God we stand on the faith the body
of doctrine resisting the evil one and knowing that if we resist them on
that basis submitted to Jesus Christ he must flee from us. Lord God we
are soldiers you've chosen us to be in this warfare. Lord God you saved
us by your grace you washed us made us clean and you brought us into the
army of God help us to fight good help us to fight well.

Lord God help us to fight in this battle because the day is coming when
we'll hang up our sword and shield and the battle will be over and we'll
enter into our reward and rest what a day that'll be when my Jesus I
shall say thank you God bless this word to our hearts in Jesus mighty
name amen amen. God bless you here this morning as we look at the word
of God our message the armor of light what we have just read here in
Ephesians chapter 6 is concerning the Christian's armor remember what we
said about this chapter in Ephesians chapter 6 we always think of this
about the individual Christian and it's not wrong to do that but I want
to give you a bigger perspective that Ephesians chapter 6 just like the
previous chapters are specifically concerning the local church at
Ephesus I actually believe the armor of God isn't just about the
individual Christian putting on his armor but the entire local church
realizing that we as a church are in a warfare our families are in a
warfare the men and the women the young and the old we are in a warfare
together not alone not isolated many of the attacks they come against us
come against us as a church we are one people we have one head and his
name is Jesus Christ we are gathering in one place at one time together
around the Lord Jesus Christ to remember his death and as we consider
this I'd just like you to think of this armor not only individually but
that we are equipped as a church that the armor of God is upon us as the
body of Christ or the local church this is how a church stands in the
fight this is how believers stand together in the fight shoulder to
shoulder marching in step together to one drumbeat this is the army of
God and you know what when the church begins to realize this what an
army it is what a tear to the powers of darkness it can be a small
church can be a mighty church when it realizes what I'm going to tell
you here this morning we are looking at the armor of light and Ephesians
6 and 11 where we read it says put on the whole armor of God that ye may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil in other words if you're
ignorant of this armor if you don't put on the armor of God if you don't
put on the whole armor of God you will not be able to stand against the
wiles of the attack of the devil it says here the whole armor that greek
word for a whole means the complete armor or the individual pieces of
the entire army or armor it is the penol of penolope of the armor so
we're talking about the complete armor don't leave anything out it calls
it the armor of God notice it's not your armor it's not the church's
armor you know when I was in the army I soon found out that everything I
wore belonged to the army it didn't really belong to me I had a sign for
it I had a look after it I had to wash it and iron it I wore it but none
of that stuff belonged to me it always belonged to the queen that's what
we were told and we are informed when I was leaving they said we've got
a list here of everything that belongs to us can I tell you this armor
is God's armor it doesn't belong to you you better look after it you're
you are accountable for it you carry it you use it but please remember
it is God's armor it is him that originated it it is him that gives it
he is the author of this armor and believe me he knows a lot better than
you this is not just theological it's not just a doctrine in the Bible
the armor of God are taken the whole armor of God are putting on the
whole armor of God it's not a theology in the Bible it is an experience
it is a life and death issue it is a thing of your Christian walk it's
not something you can afford to be ignorant about it'll affect your
daily life it'll affect your Christian life it'll affect how you operate
in a local church if you treat it as a theology or a doctrine or merely
something to be learned I want to assure you the armor of God is a
practical reality not dead theology we're told to put on the whole armor
of God it literally means to mantle yourself or to endure yourself with
it it is your responsibility and we're told to put on the whole armor of
God don't miss one bit of the armor if you think five bits are fine and
one bit doesn't matter you you'd be terribly ignorant somewhere you're
going to suffer because of that you'll remember when young David just a
young shepherd boy of 17 years old was going to go out on the
battlefield to fight the great giant Goliath the king Saul that old
soldier actually said here take my armor and he tried to get the young
small David dressed in his large armor and of course it couldn't work do
you know what this old backslidden king had been backslidden for years
had got away from God didn't know God didn't walk with God and you know
what he thought it was all in this physical armor I want to assure you I
do not want to be dressed in Saul's armor I don't want this church to be
dressed in the armor of religion if it can't help Saul to kill Goliath
how will it help us the great denominations of this hour I mean the ones
with all the money all the numbers all the big buildings they have not
brought revival they have not destroyed the enemies of God they they
have been stuck in the trenches scared of Goliath why would we try to
use their armor and use their weapons do you know what their armor and
weapons are it is the youth culture the new style of worship a new
strategy of evangelism no I just want to stick with the old tried
weapons of God I don't want Saul's armor I don't need it and I certainly
don't want to mix it with the real half Saul's armor and half the armor
of God I want the full armor of God and here this morning we are going
to cover the six bits of the armor we're only touching on them briefly
we have taught on this more fully a few years ago in this church we went
through every individual part of the armor and spent an entire night on
it but here this morning I want to remind you I want to stir you I want
to encourage you but concerning the full armor of God six bits in total
and I want you to be reminded of them I pray that by a spiritually in
your Christian life as soon as I deal with them you reach out and touch
that part of the armor it is that real sense to make sure it's
functioning in your life you understand it you know it you know how it
operates let's look at this just closely but a moment before we come to
these points you see I believe that that these six parts of the armor
are not just things or doctrines or teachings they're more than that I
know the people in the churches often said how do you put on the armor
and first thing in the morning they woke up and they would say I put on
my helmet I put on my breastplate and they said I do it as a prayer I do
it in faith and I'm sure God blessed them many times he honored their
faith and their desire but that isn't how you put the armor on and we're
going to look more closely how do you put the armor on it actually is a
command put on the armor and we're going to look at what the armor is
completely we have called it here the complete thing the armor of God
the whole armor of God is the armor of light that's what it is but you
know what I believe it's more than that I believe this armor it's six
parts are more than just armory listen in Romans chapter 13 and 12 it
says the night is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off
the works of darkness and listen this let us put on the armor of light
now notice what Paul says here it's a dark hour let us put on the armor
of light you want to cast off the works of darkness in other words
they're works and we want to put on the armor of light what is this
armor of light two verses later in verse 14 it says put on the Lord
Jesus Christ make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof
so if you put on the armor of light you are putting on the Lord Jesus
Christ do you know I believe this armor of light this armor of God is
the person of Jesus Christ I don't believe it's just things but it is a
person that you're clothed with Christ is the armor I believe that
Christ is manifest in each part of this armor when we put on the Lord
Jesus Christ live in him dwell in him apply the full provision of Christ
walk out this life of Christ we are actually putting on the armor of God
here let us look at these vital parts of the armor of the Christian
soldier and six in number number one the belt of truth this is the first
one mentioned in verse 14 here stand therefore having your loins girt
about with truth it is the belt of truth and if you were a Roman soldier
and each part of the armor here is what the Roman soldier and Paul's day
actually wore you know when Paul wrote the letter to Ephesus he is
sitting in a house chained to a Roman soldier that's how he wrote
Ephesians chapter 6 he is chained to a soldier he is looking at the
Roman soldiers around him and as he looks at their armor he begins to
get inspired of the Holy Spirit saying I see their belt what their belt
is naturally is what truth is to you as a Christian now the Roman belt
was a belt about six or eight inches thick it was made of a single bit
of material made of leather and on it it had brass plates especially to
the front hanging down that belt was the first thing a Roman soldier put
in place you don't put anything else in place on your armor until the
belt is there this is how important the belt of truth is to the
Christian do you know what the Roman soldiers done as that belt
surrounded them they would gather up their garments when they were in
the fight or they were running they would gather up their garments and
they would tuck it inside that belt that they wouldn't get hindered or
obstructed by it that's what the belt done it held everything in tightly
together it also kept every other part of the armor in its right place
that's why you put the belt on first because truth always keeps
everything else in its correct place that's why it's so vital this first
and part of the armor in the fight it kept everything tight and around
you that belt was also the badge of office in other words on the belt
decorating it was was a um your rank and your rewards and any emblem of
who you were it was worn at all times a Roman soldier even worn wore his
belt when he was off duty it was a status symbol it spoke of who he was
of his entire life I wish every Christian wore the belt of truth at all
times whether you're at play or at war whether you're on the high street
or at work or in your home or with your family or with friends it's the
belt of truth there you may not be on the front line of the battle but I
assure you you've always got to keep that belt on it actually sets you
apart the belt of truth truth itself sets you apart it defines who you
are that's what a real Christian soldier is he is never off duty now
this belt is not a decoration it's for warfare it's practical even when
you're off duty you wear it to say I'm a soldier ready for battle I'm
always ready this is what I am I'm not a part-time soldier it's not on
Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights or a Friday night or a prayer
meeting I am always on duty as a soldier you know when the Roman
soldiers marched that belt of theirs with the metal bits hanging down
the front it made a noise there was a beat that come out of that belt of
truth you cannot wear the belt of truth without making a noise I can
assure you the belt of truth as you march doing your duty for Jesus
Christ there is a beat there is a noise there is a sound the truth makes
as it beats against the body of a soldier the belt was the first of six
parts and note the order this has to be in place do you realize many
churches have broken up because the belt of truth was not in its right
place individual Christians their life has been damaged other parts of
the armor have been ineffectual because the belt of truth has not been
in its right place what does it say here about the belt of truth in
verse 14 stand therefore if you want to stand I mean if you want to
stand you need the belt of truth you see having the belt of truth on
affects whether you stand against the enemy whether you stay in the same
place you know when I see Christians move it's an issue of truth when I
see them compromise it's an issue of truth when I see them go back to
the world it's an issue of truth why didn't they stand you may look at a
strong Christian you think they're very strong why didn't they stand
because they lacked the belt of truth it says stand therefore having
your loins girt about with truth stand be established stay where you are
how do you do that wear the belt of truth that's how you stand it's not
by your strength that belt of truth around you will make you stand
notice that it says having your loins girt about with truth do you know
what the loins are it's the it's it's the actual middle part of your
entire body do you realize the fact of standing depends on that middle
portion of your body if you're weak and around your waist you won't be
able to stand I could knock you over but if you are very strong on that
waist portion of your body it's very hard to knock a man like that over
it's that part of you your hips are your lower back region that is your
loins in other words that's the very core of your strength that's where
your power really is do you know what the Lord is telling us here make
sure the truth surrounds you it's not in your strength that you stand
it's by truth truth makes you to stand strong it actually puts a
strength in your christian life to make you stand if you see a christian
they go through hell and high water they walk through storms everything
is thrown at them and they're still standing it's not because they are
strong it's because they are girded round about by the belt of truth
this word girt means to gird all around the middle to fasten tightly to
have everything close in and I assure you I don't know whether you've
had back problems before but if you have any problems with your back you
want a tight thick belt those weightlifters always have a thick belt
around their waist why because it gives strength to their entire body
it's not just their muscles you see that waist area could be weak it
could be a point where the enemy attacks you the point of your strength
can be your greatest weakness Peter found that out I'll never deny you
Lord all the rest might I will never deny you who denied the master
Peter denied him thrice it was Peter do you realize your strongest part
of your life could be your weakest point make sure your girt around are
surrounded by the belt of truth surround yourself tighten yourself in
with the truth of God and having girded your loins you do it oh I'm
waiting on the Lord doing it you do it I'm waiting on the preacher to do
it you do it tighten your belt here this morning will you do that as
we're looking at this tighten your belt this morning make sure it is in
place make sure truth is your strength don't put your strength anywhere
else as strong as you are in truth you are strong if you're not strong
in truth I promise you this morning you are not strong it is you that
must put on this belt notice that truth is symbolized as a belt truth is
the belt you know what it's not a belt of darkness or of shadow or of
obscurity this is a belt of light truth is light that's what truth is
truth shines a great light on anything and this belt is a belt of truth
it's also Christ this belt what is truth Christ is truth the word of God
is truth do you remember Pilate speaking to Christ and he said he looked
him in the eye and he said what is truth he didn't realize he's looking
truth in the eye Christ is truth he embodies truth he is the person
filled with truth now this word truth in the Greek it means unclosedness
or unconcealedness in other words there's nothing hidden everything is
opened up everything is revealed this is what this belt of truth is
everything is shining forth everything of Christ is evident it's in the
public it is factual it is a reality it is sincere and it is true since
make sure that belt of truth is in its place unless truth is in its
place in your life nothing else is going to be in its right place over
in 1 Peter chapter 1 and 13 Peter writes wherefore gird up the loins of
your mind in other words this belt of truth has to be wrapped around
your belief your knowledge and your experience you know that truth
surrounds you as a Christian it encompasses you it masters you it holds
you it holds you together and it keeps you on your feet it is truth that
puts you on your feet in a day of error false teaching compromise apathy
truth will keep you standing when others run from the field the truth as
it is revealed in Christ must govern our attitudes our thoughts our
convictions our decisions everything that we do can I ask you this
morning is the belt of truth on oh I put it on this morning by faith
Lord I put the belt of truth on no let me ask you is your decisions
governed by truth is your mind saturated by truth that is the belt of
truth not a little prayer first thing in the morning do you understand
where I'm going here the truth isn't just a little prayer the armor
isn't a little prayer that you put on against the devil but it's is your
mind saturated with the truth of God then you have the belt of truth on
it's truth your strength to make you stand then you have the belt on
second of all the breastplate of righteousness a Roman soldier always
had a breastplate on it was the second most important thing the
breastplate was made of many pieces of laminated iron all bound together
with leather straps and little metal hooks forming a very flexible and
strong protection that's what it was made out of it extended from the
base of the neck right down to the top of their thighs and it was it
covered all the vital organs of the body it was very expensive to make
but you could not send a soldier into the war without a breastplate they
had to have it all through the first century of the church every Roman
soldier had a breastplate on why did he have a breastplate what did it
cover it covered his shoulders that have to carry the burden and
responsibility it covered his heart that keeps his whole body
functioning it covered all of his internal vital organs it protected his
lungs to keep him breathing on the battlefield and it also covered his
back to stop anyone stabbing him in the back let's look at it a bit
closer here there in the middle of his body all the vital organs this
breastplate of righteousness is vital for all of these areas since I can
afford to have an arm injured and a leg injured but not all these vital
organs in other words the breastplate of righteousness is the most vital
thing to protect the most vital areas of your body you cannot function
without this you cannot go to war and when you look inside your body
you've got your kidneys you've got your bowels you've got your various
organs and in fact um the the that generation used to believe that here
in these areas where the very seat of your affections your feelings your
desires your emotions all of these vital things were in this part of the
body and make up who you are as a human as a person do you know satan
wants to hit that area of your christian life he wants to hit all of
those vital areas from responsibility down to basic human function satan
wants to attack it god wants to use it but how do you stand in the
battle what a vulnerable area of your christian life all the vulnerable
areas it says in verse 14 standing therefore having on the breastplate
of righteousness what the breastplate was to the roman soldier
righteousness is to the christian it's exactly the same have it in your
mind what was the breastplate to the roman soldier the righteousness is
to you as a christian it will protect the area of responsibility of
breathing functioning all of your vital organs righteousness covers it
and that makes you to stand since i'm talking about something that
operates in your christian life over in second corinthians six and four
paul says again about the armor of righteousness not just the
breastplate of righteousness but he calls the entire armor the armor of
righteousness on the right hand and on the left hand isn't it beautiful
to know our entire armor is not an only an armor of light it's an armor
of righteousness if you find someone in the church and they're they
don't speak right don't live right don't believe right they needn't tell
me they have the armor of god on and that they can stand against the
devil you're already defeated you're already defeated long ago like king
saul in the old testament all it took was the right arrow to hit him and
he was a dead man he was gone but he was already spiritually dead since
we need the breastplate of righteousness on what is this breastplate of
righteousness that will affect your heart and your shoulders and your
lungs and all of your internal organs spiritually what is the
breastplate of righteousness what does it mean it is the imputed
righteousness of christ it's not your holiness it's not your
righteousness it's not you obeying god that won't protect you this is
the most important bit of armor to have in place do you know what it is
it is christ's righteousness remember what i said each part of the armor
is christ the breastplate is christ it is the person of christ it's what
he provides for you it is the armor of god you are to put on something
that isn't of yourself what is this righteousness it is the
righteousness of christ given to you once for all freely at the point of
salvation listen in romans chapter 5 verse 18 by the righteousness of
one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life in other
words christ one man provided righteousness as a free gift to every
christian that when they believe on him they are justified or made
righteous do you know what happened to you when you got born again when
you got saved god forgave all of your sin and according to the bible he
made you perfectly righteous do you hear me i'm talking about putting on
the breastplate a righteousness his righteousness as a free gift you
didn't earn it you need it as a soldier you need it day one you need the
perfect righteousness of christ you see i know you're not perfect i know
you're not finished yet but this is the gift of his righteousness i am
perfect in him i am made righteous in him again in romans 5 it says in
verse 19 so by the obedience of one who is that jesus by his obedience
see some of you think you're going to be righteous enough or good enough
you've got to work hard as a christian i've got to do everything right
to be accepted by god no that's religion the christian starts right day
one you are made right by the righteousness of christ oh i know there's
a lot of work to do you do and you that's why you need this breastplate
on the devil will kill you he'll play games with you he'll actually
attack your righteousness your righteousness will not stand against him
you need the righteousness of one by the obedience of one many are made
righteous how were you made righteous this morning were you made
righteous by the obedience of one or by your own obedience the bible
says by the obedience of jesus christ by his obedience his righteousness
many were made righteous i am righteous because i believed on the lord
jesus christ it says in romans chapter four and three for what sayeth
the scripture abraham believed god and it was counted or imputed or put
in his bank account for him for righteousness do you hear what i said
how did abraham become righteous he believed he believed god and he was
made righteous by faith it was an act of faith i am righteous by faith
forgiven by faith justified by faith on the first day since i'm not
trying to become completely perfect i am righteous in christ now because
i have this breastplate of righteousness i want to live right i want to
serve right i want to walk right and you know what i'm not perfect in
myself i i can get annoyed i i have to ask god to forgive me i'm looking
for the holy spirit to work in my heart i am being made more and more
like jesus but i'm not there yet i'm not finished yet i'm still looking
on the jesus but you know what i have a breastplate of righteousness to
help me in this battle third of all the gospel shoes in verse 15 it says
in your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace what are
these roman soldier shoes like they're not sandals for the beach to go
and sunbathe i want to assure you that they're not that type of sandal
the roman shoes were very lightweight you would hardly notice you're
wearing them they're very practical they are ventilated and they are
very simple there's only two or three bits of thick layer were laid down
together all made out of one piece of material even the laces were made
out of that one piece of material the gospel shoe is one single gospel
shoe these two layers of leather underneath them were nailed with a
hundred iron hubs or studs or nails and the entire bottom of your shoe
though it's very light the entire bottom is covered with iron studs when
you march you're walking on iron literally it looks like a lightweight
soft open uh airy i i love to have the air at my feet it's beautiful in
that hot weather when the sun is is beating down at you but i assure you
you're walking on iron that's why the arm the uh the roman army
triumphed against their enemies these gospel shoes resemble modern
sandals but they were actually military fighting and marching boots they
might look like something relaxed but i want to show you these boots
were made for marching they're made for fighting they'll make you to
stand you know when you're standing a lot depends on the shoes that you
are wearing as a roman soldier and as a christian what those shoes were
to the roman soldier they could never have marched across continents
they could never have triumphed against the enemies that they fought if
those shoes had been wrong everything would have been wrong you know
when i again when i was in the army we looked after our feet better than
any other part of our body it didn't matter about anything else but
those feet i washed my feet every day i powdered them looked after them
every soldier looks after those feet those feet are gonna if anything
happens to your feet you're not marching you won't face the enemy you're
no good to god in this army unless your feet are healthy and they're
right it says in verse 15 your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace what does it mean to have these gospel shoes on they're
gonna be on your feet the feet are the part of your body that stands
walks and goes it has to be that part of you that stands walks and goes
that actually has these gospel shoes on and in standing you've got to
have the gospel of god upon you in going you've got to have the gospel
in walking you've got to have the gospel operating in your life you see
you don't put these shoes on with a prayer in the morning you literally
function standing walking moving going obeying that's how you function
as a christian your feet are always on the ground and you've always got
to make sure you're walking on the iron of these shoes they are for
battles and for wars and you've got to have your feet prepared for them
it says your feet shod in other words your feet get bound with these
shoes these this leather has to be on your shoes what does it represent
the preparation of the gospel of peace the shoes represent the
preparation of the gospel of peace the word preparation there actually
means to be prepared ready equipped are you ready with the gospel if you
have the gospel and you're ready to preach at any moment you're ready to
give your testimony you know some christians a sinner comes but they're
too discouraged to talk to them that day they're depressed they're
fighting their flesh they're running after some secret sin they're in a
fight with some family member they're not even in a place to preach the
gospel do you know what you need your feet prepared you're ready are you
ready this morning to go share the gospel with someone to tell your
neighbor to tell your friend do you snatch a 30 second window of
opportunity do you give a gospel track do you say something in an email
or a facebook post are you ready are you prepared are you equipped do
you know how to share the gospel do you know how to deal with sin do you
know how to share what christ done on the cross notice here it's the
preparation of the gospel of peace you're ready i mean you're ready
you're biting at the bit my shoes are on where are you going what do you
mean you've got your shoes on where are you going you know when i see a
christian with his gospel shoes on where are you going who are you going
to share the gospel with oh i don't have anyone yet but someone will be
along shortly i'm just waiting i'm waiting i'm prepared i'm ready before
i ever see a sinner you know it's bad to prepare yourself when a sinner
comes knocking on your door it would be bad if you have to leave the
room to go in the other room to prepare yourself say oh god forgive me
for that sin oh god forgive me for being angry at everyone and then go
in the room and tell them jesus loves you you're going to go to hell if
you don't repent that that's a bit late you've got to be prepared you've
got to be ready what makes you ready the gospel of peace do you know the
gospel is good news the message i preach is good news i know someone who
can forgive you make you righteous set you free from drugs forgive your
sexual immorality if you're a prostitute god can so forgive you and
clean you that it was it would be like you're a virgin and that you'd
never sinned against them you see i've got a good message for you i've
got an answer for you oh they say you can't be free from heroin i know
someone that can set you free they say you're sick and you're going to
die i know a healer someone they might say your mind can never be normal
again that you're on drugs just to keep your mind right i know someone
who can help you this morning this is the gospel of peace you see it's
the gospel of peace of quietness and rest i am prepared with a gospel
it's a gospel of peace i've got a message of peace for you i've got good
news for you i've got an answer for your situation can i ask you are you
wearing the gospel shoes this morning fourth of all the shield of faith
the shield of faith the roman soldier always had a shield it was a large
rectangular shield it was about four feet tall i'm about six foot tall
so it would have been uh it would have guarded most of my body it was
two and a half feet wide and slightly rounded to protect the body now
what did a roman soldier have a shield for it was there to guard him to
protect him to defend him against the attacks of the enemy he actually
held the shield in front of him he put the shield between him and fiery
arrows or the sword of his enemy it was there to guard him in the fight
it was his first line of defense friends i don't want to put my shield
down and put myself between the enemy and my shield i want the shield to
be between the enemy and me that's always the right place for your
shield of faith don't stand in front of your shield of faith don't stand
on top of your shield of faith make sure that shield of faith is between
you and your enemy it will guard you it will protect you it's your first
line of defense in other words the enemy has to get through your shield
of faith to get to you if the enemy is going to attack you or try to
attack your body or even try and hit your your breastplate of
righteousness he can't even hit your breastplate of righteousness unless
he gets past your shield of faith you know what the roman soldiers done
was they planted their shield on the ground and in fact they called it
the door they just put it on the ground and kept it held it there
between them and the enemy it was a door it was like having a big door
in front of you can you imagine spiritually this morning you have a door
between you and the enemy the enemy cannot even get to you you have a
spiritual door the enemy can hardly see you he can hardly get to you he
has no access to you what is this door called faith this shield is
called faith what the shield is to the roman soldier faith is to the
christian when when under attack a roman soldier with others used to
join ranks and they called this the tortoise it was like a tortoise they
put the shield above them in front of them and to the sides of them
since i don't want to be in this fight alone in this church i want us to
stand together you need me i need you i don't want to fight alone in
this battle i want all of us even our friends that we have made over
these months who are in other countries in the netherlands and australia
new zealand america germany other nations let's do any of this morning i
i tell you i want us to stand together i want us to lift our shield this
isn't a selfish faith you know faith that's always about me what can my
faith get me my faith is going to get me a new house a new car more
money this faith isn't for this faith is to make you stand in the fight
against satan it is a faith it is a faith that has experienced the
attacks of hell the lies of satan that's what real faith is this faith
is not a selfish carnal fleshly thing real faith is a confidence in god
that actually can protect the entire church that can protect other
christians at your left and your right if you lift up the shield of
faith saints i'll protect your right side you protect my left side
someone else is going to hold a shield above us do you see how the army
operates together i want our our faith to come together and that our
individual shields of faith create an entire protection that we can move
forward against the enemy the enemy can't get to us you know why we're
all holding up our faith that's what we do together it says in verse 16
above all in other words above all in front of right in the front of you
in front of every other bit of armor above all means in front of every
other bit of armor taking the shield of faith notice again you have to
take it you need to take it on to you in verse 11 the same word is used
put on verse 13 take on to you here it says take on to you the shield of
faith saints put your hands on faith you say i don't have any faith i
can't believe god then do you know what you have to do you need to stir
yourself take on to the shield it's an amazing shield put it in front of
you this morning stir yourself this morning you say i've got no faith
that's a lie if you're born again you do have the shield of faith don't
let the devil lie to you what is faith faith is a firm persuasion i know
in whom i believe i know my sins are forgiven i know my name is written
in the lamb's book of life i know that when i pray god hears me it is a
conviction it is a strong confidence and it's always based on the word
of god notice here it says take to you the shield of faith you know
faith can endure an awful lot that faith is meant to meet the enemy it's
meant to get hit by swords it's meant to get hit by fiery arrows you
know some of yous you think faith is very delicate or if the enemy blew
in my faith it would fall over that isn't faith you know this faith it's
not your faith it is the faith of the son of god given unto you a
conversion you know when the man gets saved he goes i know god created
everything who told you that faith came into his heart how can you
believe that god spoke and the son was created how can you know that i
know it i know it by faith this is what faith is i don't have a single
doubt i i don't the minute i breathe my last breath i'm going straight
into his presence are you sure brother keith yes yes how do you know
that faith faith since this is the shield of faith an old evangelist
called nicholson he once said that that that this faith is a remarkable
thing a remarkable thing since notice what it says here take to you the
shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of
the one if you take to yourself the shield of faith i promise you you
will extinguish every fiery dart of the wicked one what are these fiery
darts they are arrows they get thrown at you from a long distance away
this isn't someone with a sword a couple of feet away from you do you
realize an an arrow man in those ancient days he could be a long
distance away you don't see the enemy you don't see the arrow coming
you're not aware of an attack that's going to be made against you and
yet your shield of faith will actually defend you this isn't hand-to-
hand combat this is long distance missile combat these missiles come
from a long distance and you know what in those days what they would do
is set the arrow on fire and when it hits it bursts into flames if it
hits your body you'll be on fire you will know if you get hit by an
arrow from hell you will know it i assure you you are going to burst
into fire not only the pain of an arrow but there is fire burning fire
with it do you know god has given you a shield of faith and that faith
will extinguish every fiery dart of the wicked one every single dart
saints i'm telling you what your army is the full provision in christ
jesus it's yours by grace it is yours through faith but you need to take
responsibility it's not a holiday it's not a picnic this isn't a game we
are at war this church is at war this preacher is at war i believe those
listening to me are in a warfare and i i tell you this armor works don't
put your strength in yourself don't put your strength in others put it
in what god has given you it is his armor it will never fail you it does
what it was made to do number five the helmet of salvation we know that
the helmet for a soldier the roman soldier protected his head the head
is the place where the senses are the eyes the ears the nose the mouth
all of these vital senses of the body that give information to the brain
and the mind these four senses are feeding all of this information back
to the mind we know that the head also is the place of the brain or the
mind are the faculty of thinking so the helmet on a soldier was to
protect his ability to see his ability to speak his ability to hear his
ability to think and make decisions that's why god gives you a helmet
now when they were making a helmet for a roman soldier the entire helmet
was made out of one single bit of material not many different parts one
single bit of material do you know all of your heads are different heads
come in different shape and sizes very few people unless you're related
or you have a similarity your skull some of you have longer skulls wider
skulls it doesn't make you a different breed it just means we're all
different and you know what saints there are differences in us but i
want to show you salvation is salvation but this salvation this helmet
of salvation it literally molds in round who you are you're not going to
find that salvation fits differently on you than the person beside you
this salvation fits like a glove now when a roman centurion was having
his helmet made it was beaten in the fire out of a single bit of iron or
brass it was put there and beaten into shape some bits were thick some
bits were thin it took a lot of work it had to go in the fire you know
why it's going to save your life in the fight it's going to literally
guard your mind it's going to guard your thoughts it's going to guard
your faculty to speak and to see and to hear in this battle one bit of
metal to guard the entire head but you know what this salvation is so
beautiful it never changes it's made out of the same material it's for
the same task but when it's worn it's so perfectly for you salvation
fits upon your body it says in verse 17 and take we take the shield of
faith now we take the helmet and take the helmet of salvation we take it
unto ourselves what is salvation notice that what the helmet is to the
soldier salvation is to the christian what is salvation i know i'm saved
i know i'm saved i know my sins are forgiven that is what salvation is
salvation acts like a helmet to protect your thoughts to protect your
ability to see to hear to speak that's what salvation does it guards all
the thoughts of that mind it protects the brain the ability to make
decisions to be in control of life salvation actually does that the word
salvation means deliverance to rescue to be safe to have a defense to be
preserved in the battle you see the helmet is not given to protect your
salvation notice this the helmet is your salvation and our salvation is
what protects you in the battle do you know what salvation is a powerful
thing i love to hear people's testimonies i i talk to people i say tell
me how you got saved really what i'm saying is do you have a helmet
they'll protect your head do you have a helmet in this battle they'll
guard you against all the onslaughts of hell over in 1 thessalonians
chapter 5 and verse 8 it says but let us who are of the day be sober
putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope
of salvation for god has not appointed us to wrath but to obtain
salvation by the lord jesus christ you are saved you're being saved one
day you will be saved this is the helmet of salvation it is the helmet
of the hope of salvation what is hope i have an expectation i've got a
future i look forward in time and i go everything is going to be okay do
you know salvation in the bible and this is an entire doctrine you are
saved if you're born again you're saved you can't be more saved
spiritually in your spirit you're saved in your soul your emotions in
your mind you're being saved that that is a progress i'm in it now my
mind is being renewed i'm being saved my emotions my soul is being saved
not my spirit it's saved once for all it is born again i am saved but
i'm being saved and then there's a day coming when i will be saved what
do you mean i mean that when jesus comes i'm saved my body will be saved
sorry to say it's not saved at the minute this body is letting me down
sometimes your body may let you down sometime but you know what when
jesus comes again he'll save your body and give you a new physical body
i am saved spiritually i'm being saved in all my emotions and thoughts
i'm a work in progress and third of all i will be saved when jesus comes
i'm gonna i'm not appointed i'm not going to hell saints i've been saved
from hell i've been saved from sin i've been saved from self i've been
saved from this world and you know what it's a wonderful salvation it is
a wonderful hope i i am rejoicing it's a helmet on my head to protect me
and to guard my thoughts have you ever had a battle in your mind when
the devil comes and starts saying you're not saved you're gonna be lost
i've met three christians in my lifetime they thought they were judas i
said do you love jesus oh yes i love jesus well do you want to stay in
your sin and live in your sin no i don't i hate my sin i love jesus and
i said you think you're judas yes i think i've committed the sin of
judas you know what that is that is an attack on the mind you know what
they needed to see salvation it's a gift from god it is the work of the
lord jesus christ salvation protects your head salvation isn't that wake
you know salvation is a powerful thing it is a mighty thing your
salvation doesn't depend on you i don't care how strong you here you are
here if you think you're strong that's a dangerous place you could be
confident in yourself or maybe you're weak here and say i don't think i
can stand both people are wrong you know where my strength is is in the
salvation of god sixth and lastly as we finish here this morning five of
these parts of armor are defensive to protect you one of them is
offensive it is defensive as well but it's also offensive the sixth and
last part the sword of the spirit the sword of the spirit a roman sword
sword was made from iron forged in the fire which produced a short c
steel sword which was the tear of the enemy to the roman empire it was
very lightweight you could hold it single-handedly it wasn't a heavy
sword at all it was double edge doesn't matter which way you cut it
always has a sharp edge do you know what the word of god is a sharp two-
edged sword no matter how you use it what way you use it there is always
an edge on the sword of god on the sword of the word of god it's not a
toy never use the word of god as a toy it's not a toy don't play games
with it it can be dangerous it's too rigid that short roman sword was
about 30 inches long and it was a close quarters weapon you only use it
against the enemy when the enemy comes in close when he pushes in tight
you see you think you get worried when you think the enemy is coming in
close to me when the enemy is far away you don't worry but when the
enemy comes right in close and you're meeting him face to face and you
can feel his breath breathing on you you get very worried don't you
realize this sword is for that hour it isn't for an enemy a thousand
miles away or a hundred meters away this sword is exactly to defend
yourself and attack the enemy but only when the enemy comes in very very
close to you you see this sword has a sharp point on it as well it comes
to an abrupt point there's nothing blunt about it you know in the church
of our day there's a lot of preaching it's blunt there's no edge on it
it never accomplishes anything it could never slay the enemy but this
sword is a sharp sword every soldier as soon as you joined the army you
got given a sword and you never lose that sword you know the roman
empire rose to worldwide power because of the iron sword what is it that
gave it its victory the iron sword its iron was what made it great in
daniel chapter 2 and in daniel chapter 7 it shows that there's going to
come a fourth beast a roman beast what is it marked by iron god
prophesied hundreds of years before when that roman army comes it's
going to be made of iron you know that short sword made the roman army
what it was it conquered armies it conquered entire nations it triumphed
against hannibal it defeated the strongest enemies because of its iron
sword it triumphed over the mediterranean all through europe into the
middle east and all across north africa what was it gave it its victory
how did it invade its enemies how did it capture cities how did it bring
to naught the enemy by the sword that iron sword was actually coveted by
alexander the great as alexander the great was setting up to conquer the
world he looked over his shoulder towards italy and he saw a small
people arising who had an iron sword you know what alexander it said he
coveted that iron sword he didn't stop long enough to take it but you
know what that great general when he saw that iron sword he said that's
going to cause me problems with that sword they'll conquer nations he
always wanted that iron sword but never had it like the roman army did
let me finish here in verse 17 and take the sword of the spirit which is
the word of god the sword of the spirit is not only defensive but it's
offensive look what this sword is called the sword of the spirit which
is the word of god what is this sword it is the word of god It is the
Word of God, but it's of the Spirit. It's not yours.

It's not yours. It's not the church's. You see, the Word of God is never
in the hands of mere men.

This book, this Word of God, the written scriptures, are in the hands of
the Spirit of God. Now notice here as we close, it is called the Sword
of the Spirit. It belongs to Him.

He inspired the Word of God. The word here is rhema, not logos. We know
that the written scriptures are the logos.

But there's another word here, rhema, which means the written scriptures
spoken. It's still the written scriptures. It's still the Word of God.

But it's not written on the page. It is spoken by the mouth of the
soldier. You see, that is our weapon against the enemy.

That is the Sword of the Spirit. That is the Sword of the Christian.
What is my sword? It is the rhema written scriptures.

It is the Word of God, not just in the book of God, but it is the Word
of God when it becomes alive and it's on my tongue and I'm using it as
an instrument against the enemy. You see, the Word of God is provided by
the Holy Spirit. He inspired it.

It is His book, His Word. He knows what to put in your mouth. Remember
what we said, when the enemy comes in like a flood, what does the Spirit
of God do? He raises up a standard against the enemy.

What is the standard? It is God's Word in your mouth. It is the spoken
scriptures. I'm not talking about positive confession.

I don't believe that. Not like these people that say, speak a blessing.
That's childhood stuff.

That's not warfare talk. I'm talking about a soldier in the war. The
Spirit of God, when the enemy comes in against me, the Spirit of God
begins to rise up and the Word of God comes up.

Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I will
overcome by the blood of the Lamb. Since I'm telling you that when the
enemy comes in against you, that little sword is meant for the fight.

You know what the Spirit of God does? The Spirit of God raises up the
written scriptures within you. You begin to pray them. You begin to
plead them.

You begin to stand on them. You begin to quote them. This is how you
wage the war.

I can give you an example of this in the Gospels. When the devil came to
tempt Jesus, 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness. We don't read of
39 of those days and nights.

Only the last day and night. And it says there, what was his answer to
each of the three temptations on that last day? It is written. He did
not rely on his experience 40 days earlier.

When he stood in the Jordan, he didn't say, don't you know I'm baptized
in water? Devil get behind me. I've been baptized in water. He didn't
say that.

He didn't say, don't you know that when I was being baptized, a voice
was heard from heaven, an audible voice of the father. I mean, an
audible voice said, this is my beloved son. Don't you know, I heard the
audible voice of God.

He didn't tell the devil that. Neither did he say, don't you know, the
Holy spirit descended on me like a dove. Don't you know that he didn't
do any of that.

How did he meet the devil? Do you know what he done? He actually reached
back. 1400 years. Into the book of Judah.

The written scriptures. And for each of the three temptations, Three
times, he must've been reading Deuteronomy that morning and his morning
devotional. He reached back 1400 years into the written scriptures.

Listen to what he said. This is the sword of the spirit, which is the
word of God. This is a Reema word.

It is the word of God. Deuteronomy. It is written three times.

He quoted from the book of Deuteronomy. That's how he defeated Satan. It
is written.

It wasn't inward revelation, but it was written revelation that he stood
on. He drew the sword out of his shape. And he said by the sword, I'll
drive you back Satan.

It is written. Since I want to tell you, this is your armor. This is the
bottle.

Christ is all of these things to you. And the Holy spirit makes it real
and alive in this warfare against the enemy. We are in a real spiritual
warfare and you're not going to put all of these things on by simply
praying a month.

I put on my helmet. I put on the breastplate. I put on my belt of truth.

It means far more than that. We're not playing charismatic games. We're
not playing parties here, but since it's life and death, whether we as a
church will stand on the battlefield and drive the enemy back, not by
our strength, but because I'm standing in the righteousness, the imputed
righteousness of Christ.

I am made perfect in him. I am free from my past sins. I'm standing with
the faith of God between me and the enemy.

And I'm saying it is written. Get the behind me, Satan. Let's pray here
together as we close our gathering here this morning.

Father, I thank you for the word of God. It is a factual. It is mighty.

It is powerful here this morning. My God, not as a theory, a theology or
as an action or a mere prayer in the morning, we are standing in the
armor of God. This is a real thing.

We never take the belt of truth off nor God. We always have our shield
of faith. Lord God, we are there ready to draw out the sword of the
spirit.

When the enemy advances, when he comes to attempt, we draw out the
sword. When he comes to lie, we draw out the sword. When he comes to
bring discouragement, we draw out the sword and we say, it is written in
this precious book.

Father, thank you for the word of God. Thank you for truth that keeps us
together. And my God, I pray for my friends this morning.

Will you encourage them? Will you strengthen them? Will you make them to
hide in the person of Christ to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, the armor
of life, the armor of God and Lord God to having done all of that, to be
able to stand against the enemy, extinguishing every dark, every lie of
hell that's forged against them and bless them and encourage them this
day in Jesus name. Amen. Amen.

God bless you.

========================================================================
Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/XUWbkZqbXvU.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/keith-malcomson/the-armour-of-light/
========================================================================