Strong Armor for Weak Sheep, Part 3

The Bible often employs a parent to make a point raised is Jesus often referred to his followers as she is not a flattering reference given all the weaknesses associated with the slowly today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll reminds us that the puzzling reference takes on new meaning. We realize that God has empowered obedient. She become roaring lion. So what's the secret for this newfound confidence. The key is found in the passage were looking at today. Ephesians chapter 6 title his message strong armor for week she take up the full armor of God. This is not always armor this is not a soldier's armored logos are the word pictures take up the full armor of God. Quiet so you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything else stand that's what she did stand we stand against the enemy in the equipment God has provided. Truth is first. I like that the belt of truth, stand firm.

Verse 14 having wrapped herself around with the belt of truth, truthfulness, its living truth telling truth representing truth. It's the absence of duplicity, hypocrisy. It speaks of an authentic life and lifestyle. Nothing is hidden, that is shameful when you are girded with truth. The belt is followed by the breastplate, having put on the breastplate of righteousness. This is a full on coverage of the righteousness of Christ.

Put it on you when it started. It started at salvation.

The definition of justification is the sovereign act of God whereby he declares righteous the believing sinner while we are still in ascending state said again. The sovereign act of God whereby he declares righteous the believing sinner while we were still in ascending state. Every believer, hearing my voice at this moment is justified. You have been declared righteous, put it on. You have his righteousness because you have Christ is why salvation is essential. Men and women, you can't be protected. If you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ it's impossible for you to put on any of this armor because part of it is righteousness. And when you stand in the righteousness of Christ. The enemy knows he is defeated he cannot get in if he knows that you're emotionally stable, standing in the righteousness of Christ and the breastplate will equip you with that in with that assurance. The righteousness of Christ. Third is verse 15. Having shot yourself your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Before we get to the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Look at the look at the feet. The warrior has to march across rough and rugged terrain.

You must climb jagged sharp rocks. You must wade through ponds and and streams where the where the stones are slippery.

He has to walk through Florence perhaps climb not only mountainsides but sometime between to get a vantage point, often going over walls. The boots are so important and these are these are like they are.

They are boots that are the preparation of the gospel of peace. They prepare you for battle with the gospel of peace. The gospel means good news and I take it that this is the peace we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ is peace in the heart that makes us ready to fight Christ our peace gives us the courage to face the enemy in the bed. I don't lack peace. I have peace and I walk in it. That's the whole point of this bill, breastplate, boots, the shield of faith, salvation, the Scriptures shield of faith.

See back in those days when they fought.

It was in the bullets.

It was with arrows and with spears and often the enemy would dip the tip of that era were spear into something flammable, set it on fire and then launch it in the air toward you and the shield would deflect the arrows or the sphere, but this is this has reference to the invisible world. The flaming arrows of the evil one, but with that mean I made a list of them. Here's just a small list here.

The arrows that come your way. Doubts defeating thoughts, discouragement, depression, fears, subtle curiosity, imaginations and exaggerations.

Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, shame, confusion, overly concerned about other people's reactions.

That's a big one in our day. Greed lost pride presumption unrealistic expectations, mental anguish, stubbornness is a big wooden suspicions. Some of you are suspicious by nature and the enemy knows it and he sends his darts his arrows toward you, so they land and you become increasingly more suspicious you are not trusting whatever reason, here come the missiles up with the shield and what's the shield trust Lord I trust you today. In spite of these feelings. Lord I trust you. Even though these Things Are Coming My Way, Lord. In spite of my nature. Regardless of the habits I formed today.

Lord I walk in trust with you and I use the shield of trust to keep those arrows away. I pray that you will start early this morning and protecting me with the shield because I cannot protect myself so I need your shield and I trust you father what I'm referring I trust you when it gets dark. I trust you when I'm in the situation that is attempting I trust you to guard my tongue from overuse. I trust you to guard me from mental anguish and tension and worry half dozen others we could name the shield of faith is the shield trust see the value of it. Shield of faith quenches. I love the word all all the fiery, the flaming arrow is a joke. If you if it if you knew my back ointment. It says all is says all what if you knew the habit that it says all it's as if you were married to who might be up for all all all all extinguish all the flaming arrows of the see how we got around. We walk out of this place, thinking I was great truth. I know it's all from the Bible is so good. But if he only knew what I live with him and he would realize have sorry what I realized is that you like trust, you don't want to believe that more importantly your enemy want you to keep walking as you continue to walk, trying to please everybody, are living in suspicion or doubt or lust or pride or confusion. You want that you wanted more than you want relief so you defeated so you become a tool in the hand of the enemy among the sheep frightening thought. You don't roar you believe the shield of trust and then the helmet of salvation get this surrounding the head was a heavy helmet different shapes according to what whoever whatever the rank or whatever there the realm of soldiering, but the helmet covered this all important part of the body and in combat. There was nothing like a helmet and to this day.

Warriors are told to wear your helmet. Don't let your helmet get set aside it will deflect all kinds of debris, bullets, the assurance of your salvation is one of the most reteaching parts of your equipment you are saved, you came to Christ, you will never be unsaved.

You never need to lack assurance. The assurance that came when you were born again is still yours to claim today one of savoring Satan's favorite and disturbing tactics is to weaken your confidence in your eternal security. You have the helmet of salvation and he says to us take it the implication is where it you're not operating from a position of weakness. When you wear the helmet but from a position of strength. Remember, in the end God wins is not great news. Up to this final point, up to this last piece of equipment.

Everything is defense. If you notice Bill breastplate boots shield helmet sword sword. This is a wonderful invention. The Romans came up with was called on my Chiron my Chiron is a little 18 inch dagger sharp as a razor on both sides, I mean cuts in line.

They would know the cut till he sees me as really quick and either way, but in Argo, I mean this was close combat.

My Chiron's sword is not a big sword you could control in around like three times in a lifetime. Do you people get junk mail like we do we get probably 40 piece of junk mail for every two bills we get two pieces of meaningful mail which we day and then we get 40 pieces that we don't want so mail is not our most precious time of the day and did you put me on a catalog to get this sword catalogued me.

All I get this catalog and is got page after page after page plan is an American need a sword and most of them are ones made in Austria ones made in Germany. This has emeralds on the business hold both hands and walk around the house would save the only one I just got my eye can operate with a great big sword coaches so you need a little biting sword, you little Makyla. I got you all set up for the best part of the whole thing. It's the saying of God prima RHEM a prima prima it's not logon us for the concept of the Lord Jesus. It is not brought Faye for the written word of God.

It is free. Now it's called here the word of God. What it means… Listen. It means saying that's what Jesus did when they came after him for those 40 days and 49 he answered with the word of God is the verbalizing of the word of God. That's why you memorize Isaiah wrote as the rains come down in the snow from heaven. I don't return without watering the earth and make it bring for them. But even so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth. It shall never return to me empty, it shall accomplish the thing for which I sent it as if 55, about 8 to 11 wonderful passage of Scripture. When you use the word of God. The enemy backs off and Ron because he can't stand up against the sayings of the Scriptures, God's word is truth. Heaven and earth will pass away. My words will never pass away, and he says take the sword of the Spirit which is the of God create. It's the announcement of what God has written and you send this to the enemy he hears it, and backs away as part of your resistant.

I suggest you do it in the middle of the night when you're afraid dark of the night, the louder you say it. I suggest you walk through the house if it will help and read aloud the word of God.

If the hotel room is the place of temptation for you. I suggest you take the sword of the Spirit, the sayings of God and you say those words from the Scriptures in that hotel room. If you know you're going into a situation that will be tough to face you may normally be intimidated. It is the sayings of God that will keep the intimidation of the low level your sheep, your sheep, and since you're just a lamb.

The only way you're going. Aurora's to roar with the Scriptures. That's how missionaries make it can't. The word of God taken spoken shared lived out in the enemy backs away and says I can't take that territory. Believe me, it's better than the brightest mind, the most eloquent human words, you could come up with and then you got a battle cry 18 to 20 is the battle cry cry is prayer. Prayer staying alert and pray and pray and pray.

He says it several times in 1819 and 20. The battle cry.

We got battle cries in our American history. Remember, one of them.

The Revolutionary war battle cry Texas independence cry about World War II harbor. I mean how many soldiers were kept in the fight just remembering Pearl Harbor.

The battle cry for the believer's prayer petition, praying at all times alert with perseverance and petition for the site. Listen folks were she were sheep engaged in this enormity of battle and we have no words that are able to meet the enemy and no strength in ourselves with which to do it. It's from God, Thomas Guthrie, the great Scottish passerine writer put it this way the Bible is an armory of heavenly weapons. A laboratory of infallible medicines.

A mind of exhaust list will is a guidebook for every road. A chart for every see a medicine for every melody and a bold for every wound.

Rob us of our Bible and our sky has lost its end. America has been robbed of its unless the sun shines through you shine shine is a check just to she will.

That's all we all are.

That's all we own our world a bunch of lamps came across a very touching vignette that emerges from the days in which the young men were ignited in my study I found this young man would often spend the entire night before he was knighted a week in the quietness of the Castle Chapel while in there he would strip off all of the armor and spread it out before him as he offered up his soul to God. Each piece of his armor would be named and touched by the young warrior as he would declare his dependence on God for his courage and for his survival great account. I'm asking you in this message to look at the armor and to place your hands if you will, on each one.

Each one.

The belt, the breastplate the boots the shield the helmet. The sword and for the sake of your courage and survival. I challenge you as a is a fellow sheep to claim God's protection in whatever situation you find yourself for you who do not know Christ will.

You can't make it without him.

You can't make it won't make yourself just a matter of time. But the good news is this is a moment you can turn to him and give him your life is a great thought this could be the day that you could give him your life and have everything transformed 40 I like us to bow our heads to bow mine with you and I'm going to say to all of you that the Bible divides this world into two categories. This is truth. This is not politically correct nicety. This is true. You are a sheet or you are go. You are saying are you are lost, you are going to heaven or you are on your way to hell. You have a shepherd or you are lost without hope know if you find yourself in that second category, since I talked to the sheep throughout this message you say to you, who would have to admit you never come to Christ you have no righteousness. You have no shepherd.

You have no hope this is your moment. This is my invitation. This is an invitation from God. In fact for you to take the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart right now. You're surrounded by fearful, frightened week sheep in themselves, but we now roar because we have protection. We have a lien working through us and speaking for us in defending us protecting us.

I invite you to come to him today, pause here and give you moment to think about that. Our pastors stand here to meet with those who today want to give their lives to Christ will be here longer.

Someone needs to talk to us about that Lord God father, gracious father of love and mercy.

Thank you for your word that is so enriching life.

It's hard to find our way. Father were outnumbered and sometimes we feel were overwhelmed is not easy to speak truth in a situation where it threatens our job or it's easy to be misunderstood, but it's essential we believe truth and live truth help us with that help us with our shield and with this set with these boots and and with the breastplate and with with the sword.

Give us the courage and frightening situations to clean the very words of your book.

Help us to find shelter and renewal and refreshment and new hope.

There the Lord I pray for those who lack all of these things and I pray in their vulnerable and lost state that you would graciously win them to yourself through the loving appeal of your spirit. Convince them Lord of what no one else can convince them of their lost and they need a Savior and give us who were she a renewed gratitude that that you have equipped us as you have not a source of pride but a source of gratitude. Thank you for being shipped or come and lead us, help us to find our way through you and will walk closely and sensitively with you, our father in this path, full of obstacles and struggles.

A man came in here listening to Insight for living in our prayers that God will use Chuck Swindoll's message to transform men and women all around the world from those who feel like week sheep to those who become roaring lions to learn more about this ministry.

Visit us online@insightworld.org.

You'll be glad to know that we receive affirming notes from your listening colleagues from all around the world every single day we hear the most surprising stories from people who describe in their own words what it means to gain the confidence of a roaring lion, for instance some and left a message that read Chuck your one of the pastors who taught me the truth. While I was incarcerated and another listener from Florida who said I remember starting into recovery from alcoholism. In 1993.

You really helped me get through 27 1/2 years of sobriety. And here's another from Ohio that said, thank you so much for teaching on Ephesians. My husband and I have had a hard marriage.

I've been praying about our marriage for 30 years and not much as changed your teaching on Ephesians softened me. God never changes. My husband, he has changed me, but I kind of feedback reminds us that God's word is living and active and as we band together and support Insight for living God will use his truth to conform his sheep and the confident followers of Christ, you're invited to join us in this where the mission to reach 195 countries of the world to give a one time donation colors listening in the United States, 1-800-772-8880. Many are choosing to automate the giving of becoming a monthly companion. This growing family of supporters is providing a predictability of income that truly helps Insight for living advantage mission as you prepare to become a monthly companion. Please give us a phone call listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8880 or you can easily sign up online@insight.org/monthly companion. Join us again when Chuck Swindoll talks about finishing well. Friday Insight for living.

The preceding message strong armor for week she was copyrighted in 2000 2001 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide.

Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited