917.God’s Amazing Armor

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. The school was founded in 1927.

The evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services today. That tradition continues with fervent preaching from the University chapel platform today on The Daily Platform or continuing a study series entitled our ancient foe, which is a study of Satan. The reality of his presence and how Christians can be victorious against him. Today's message will be preached by Dr. Greg Mae Zach Beecher you seminary professor and pastor teacher of Trinity Bible church in Greer, South Carolina. I want to say how blessed I've been by the different messages but also just the theme of our ancient fall and it's been very thoughtful and encouraging and helpful for me and even as I've had a lunch with some of the different guys on campus just going after chapel and talking about it I has really been helpful and I hope that today's message will be right along that same venue that will be something that will be a blessing and encouragement to you.

One of my favorite places in the world is my backyard I love my backyard. I live on the street in a subdivision and there's only one way into our subdivision and I'm on the very end street.

You cannot go any farther in the subdivision that are straight and then you go to the and cul-de-sac in our house is basically the last house in the blast cul-de-sac of the last Street so it's very, very kind of private and it's just surrounded by woods and I sit in my backyard and I love it. Most summers when I don't have to get up and and necessarily have appointments early in the morning. I like to be in the backyard on the deck or on the patio with a hot cup of Sumatra in my hand is my favorite coffee and my laptop and I'm just studying for my messages just loving it just so thankful just feeling incredibly blessed. I also just enjoy seeing God's creation and so I'll be back there and this summer almost every day. A flock of 16 turkeys watch by almost the same time and I'm watching them grow up. I feel like there grandpa you know. Initially they were about this big and now they're almost full grown and they're still coming by. I there was a there was a Cardinal that had a nest and I would watch the Cardinal get little things whatever a Cardinal feeds the checks and I would actually watch that Cardinal feed the little ones. There's a red tail hawk that comes and goes and hangs out in the woods somewhere near my house. And of course there's a lot of squirrels know I'm okay with squirrels.

Okay, I'm not necessarily against squirrels. Here's a picture of one but once they get really comfortable and close to the house.

It bothers me because we lived in a house once were squirrels made a nest in the attic.

Another house were squirrels actually chewed through the wood siding and lived in the wall and so not only does it make a noise and it just kinda freaks your wife out there stuff in the thin walls like that, but they can also chew on wires and start fires and it could be bachelors and I do when there's squirrels in the yard.

I kinda say fine when they get close to the deck. I say fine when they act comfortable on the deck.

I know it's time and so I just make a decision that that squirrel can't do that anymore and so what I'll do. I just be enjoying the day memorizing our meditating on the Scriptures, drinking my coffee set my laptop down all going to the house and I'll grab my 22 and I have as little scope on my 22 and I'll just kinda take care the squirrel and the last time I did this not long ago I was watching that squirrel thinking body. You have no idea what's going on. I mean, you are naïve you are ignorant you're sitting there chewing like it's just another day and you don't even realize that something majorly big is about to happen and I so actually I pause for a while and I just thought what is it like to hear you are, you have no idea that someone has their slate on you and well I thought it's on and so I just take a breath and I squeeze gently and the squirrel is gone and I don't deal with them anymore. You say don't deal with and I just that's at least on you say don't you even like know that I don't do anything out. The hot comes viral but but but the next day there's there's no evidence.

Now I know what some of you are thinking your thinking Dr. Mae Zach why in the world would you take your 22 and shoot a cute little squirrel like that and there's a good reason.

If I took my AR. It would make too much of a mess. Okay so so that's that's what he's my 22 now you guys are thinking some of you that poor little squirrel doesn't have a chance. That's correct it's not his file, I would argue it is that squirrel could have made a choice to put his armor on, but he did okay so I think if you go out without your armor bad things are going to happen right now.

Kind of a silly picture, but the title of the message this morning is God's amazing armor and if you want to open up to Ephesians chapter 6 bring a look eventually at that passage, but actually I want to talk about a number of things we've already kinda covered maybe in the series, but I hope will be helpful in years, really the main thing I want to talk about today. Based on all the messages we've heard that relate to demons, the relate to Satan.

How do you respond how do I respond to Satan to demons. I would suggest there's three general responses.

I would hope. Number one is not an option for us anymore based on what we've been taught there is a response of denial. I don't really care about Satan. I don't care about demons right some people would believe in naturalism, they don't even believe demons exist.

They believe there's a natural explanation for everything that happened supernatural, doesn't exist. Theological liberals maybe would just say will demons do not really like persons or have personality there just abstract theological concepts personifications of evil, but we know that's not true.

And there's also believers that may be love the gospel so much that they come the wrong conclusions about demons and they think Christ came. That's correct. And Christ went to a cross and he not only suffered and died when he rose again, that's correct, and Christ defeated Satan, that's correct. So Satan is no longer a problem that is incorrect.

Satan is a defeated enemy, but his defeat is not yet sealed. If you will. We live between the first coming in the second coming of Jesus Christ and during this time of kind of already not yet Satan is still able to hurt people, even though he knows his doom is sure. And we need to be aware of that, we ask a question illustration that maybe will help in World War II. In what battle did US troops suffer the highest number of casualties who can tell me what would you think shouted out if if you think you know okay I actually heard of the correct answer and I heard some incorrect ones as well.

I think a lot of people would think Normandie. A lot of people think the D-Day invasion you know that the battle were we have the highest number of casualties 20,000 Americans killed another 50 injured was the Battle of the Bulge. December 1944 the war seemed over by then Germany was by all practical purposes defeated Normandie was a memory. Paris was securely in Allied hands in the East, the red Army was on the move. Everybody thought it's over for Nazi Germany and then Saturday, December 16 5 AM. Our generals were thinking maybe our boys will be home by Christmas. The Germans thought something different and 1/4 of a million German troops with nearly 800 armored vehicles in 2000 heavy guns ripped into our lines along an 80 mile stretch and we were treated as quickly as we could. Here's the ironic thing we were in Lawrence through intelligence that was coming and our leader said there is no way Germany is a defeated foe. This war is for all practical purposes, over. That's how naïve our commanders were, and we paid the price. We already had wonderful messages. Dr. Horn preached on the conflict around this Dr. hand preached on demons in the world I would like to think that this response of denial. I don't care about Satan and his demons. I would like to think that's not an option for us.

You say will what's the second option of responding to demons and Satan. It's deliverance it's okay demons are real.

Satan is real.

So let's cast them out. Let's find them, let's go on the offensive and let's engage in powerful David polish and calls it back ballistic ministry. Those of you study Greek are familiar with the word to cast out that's in David Tollison's wonderful book called power encounters and he describes how this is very popular in charismatic circles, Benny Hinn, for example, would teach this kind of warfare is not just charismatic, even in some dispensational circles would we have books like Merrill Unger's book what demons can do the saints and the way I actually became the most familiar with. It is through reading Christian counseling books primarily by Neil Anderson and his freedom in Christ ministries. Especially my to read the book or heard of the bondage breaker and it teaches the reason we struggle with fear, anxiety, depression, the reason we have many problems with alcohol, drugs, whatever our marriages don't go well or people get involved in sexual sin is because of demons, and even if a Christian can't be demon possessed.

Allegedly we could be demonized and you never can have victory until you bind the demon and cast out the demon and thus that's the kind of ministry we need to be engaging in now, to say something that some of my colleagues disagree with and we've already talked about it and we respect differing positions in any University. There's a place for that and Dr. Horn and Dr. Pettit number of us around the table and we acknowledge that this is okay so I'm just going to tell you what the best I know, I believe, and I respect some of my very good friends and brothers at disagree. I would never try to cast the demon out of anyone it would never cross my radar that I had the ability that I had the power that I could do something like that. Think about some of the good preaching. We've heard for example wonderful message by Dr. Stites who challenged us with angels and their world and reminded us that this is really not what angels look like. Remember that what happens in the Bible. When people see angels there falling down, worshiping, saying, Lord, I praise you and the angel has to say no I'm not God. Get up.

See that's nobody does that to me. You know, nobody comes to me and why are you God and I never happens and if good angels are this awesome and mighty, then what are evil, fallen Angels like Dr. Talbert preached a wonderful message on knowing our enemy. I was so impressed by it. I asked him if I could borrow this book. The Bible says Satan is like a roaring lion if I come across a roaring lion, it doesn't cross my mind to take it on. I could be out jogging and see a Rottweiler in a turnaround okay anything you think I wanted to got it in the and if you haven't heard the messages online that encourage you to go back and listen to it and to actually think of what Satan is like to say is that a good picture won't first Peter five verses eight and nine right. What is the text say you your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion look at the about, seeking whom he may devour, whom he may devour whom resist steadfast in the faith. What am I supposed to do.

It doesn't tell me to confront it doesn't tell me to attack it doesn't tell me to bind and cast out.

I have no New Testament instruction and that I must do that.

No imperatives.

I also have no instruction on how to do it, but I am told that I must resist now. Keep that in mind, let's remember what Jude 9 says is a very complicated verse in many ways, but I think the main teaching is very clear in Jude. Chapter 9 you can see on the screen it says, but Michael the Archangel. Now he's somebody awesome and incredible. It says when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said the Lord rebuke you if the mighty Ark Angel Michael is not going to rebuke Satan. I'm just telling you it's not crossing my mind. Not even a possibility for me when I understand how incredibly powerful Satan and demons and angels really are is it what about the apostle Paul. I think about the apostle Paul when he records for us in second Corinthians chapter 12 that he had a thorn in the flesh were not really sure what that is but we we know it's usually something very undesirable.

He calls it notice. Please, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, you say so, Paul, I just cashed it out lest I should be exalted above memory for this thing knows what Paul did.

I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart for me. You know what Paul did. He prayed Paul didn't cashed it out. Paul prayed and wanted the Lord say said my grace is sufficient for the my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Not that students and asked me what Dr. Ms. Ike if you came across a demon possessed person. Let's review. Do you believe demon possessed people just absolutely and when I hear the illustrations and the doctor handed Dr. Ormiston abused and you said you believe that they've encountered people that were demon possession.

I have no trouble believing that you say, what would you do in such a case, I'm just telling you if I see a big lion like that.

It's not even in my radar that I could catch that demon out do something.

And yes I know in the Bible, we have accounts of that but also I can't raise dead people. They did not in the Bible.

I also can't speak a language that never study they did that in the Bible did all kinds of things I don't do he say what would you do I would do a John MacArthur describes in his excellent book, our sufficiency in Christ I would share the gospel and I think that was the point, if I remember correctly the Dr. Ormiston was making when he encountered an individual that the best he knew it was demon possessed and perhaps and probably was that you share the gospel in and I thought people even laugh at me and say that's what you would do you honestly think you could share the gospel. The demon possessed person. Well, maybe the gospel is more powerful than we think and maybe the Lord is able to use the gospel to change a person.

I am not questioning the reality of demon possession.

I am questioning. Questioning the validity of back ballistic or if you want to just use another word a ministry of finding demons of casting out demons.

I would never talk to a diet we might disagree on this. I personally would never speak to a demon that that's just how I see it as I realized how incredibly powerful they are. You say okay and what you do open up to Ephesians 6, please. I will have to go through quickly. This message is hopefully setting up the next two messages you say what is it that we need to do. We need to have a better approach in this third viewpoint is what were going to call discipleship is a how do you fight Satan discipleship classic discipleship.

You say, what does that mean classical discipleship.

Let's go here to Ephesians chapter 6 please and I'll begin reading in verse 10. Finally, my brother and be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. I am not strong, but I can be made strong, passive idea how in the Lord. It's not my might not have any might. I like that squirrel on toast.

Verse 11 put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. While so if I put on God's armor than I can stand verse 12. 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, verse 13 to got into unto you what the hall armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Discipleship is putting on God's armor and maybe kind of thinkable exactly what does that mean well again we will revert a wonderful message by Dr. Newton on the battlefield of the mind Dr. Ormiston on the tactics of Satan. There are two more messages coming up more than two but the next two are using your armor effectively and then resisting temptation. So in those two sermons is to be more specific instruction on how to practically use your armor but you say, what is the armor well I just keep reading in the text. Notice what it says replace it says in verse 14, stand there, having your loins girded about with truth having on the breastplate of righteousness your fee chart with the preparation of the gospel of peace and above all, taking the shield of faith wrote you 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 and then it says, praying let's set aside the military imagery. If we can.

Not that it's not important what is God's armor. Well, just look at the words that Paul used it's truth, it's righteousness, it's the gospel it's faith. It's salvation. It's the word of God. It's prayer, it's me struggling on a very bad day and thinking Lord my whole world is falling apart and don't you love me and are you faithful are you a good God, I mean all of my friends are getting married. I'm not getting married. All the other couples have children, we don't have any children. I read my Bible and I pray every day and I still don't have a good job and I know people that hardly ever read their Bibles may have good jobs and I'm sick and they're healthy and what's up and then what why do I fight using the armor of God, begins with truth, Lord, I know what's true. I know that you love me even establish that on Calvary. It goes to righteousness, Lord, I have no righteousness but Christ is my righteousness and it's been imputed to me and so I know you want me least to try by your grace to live a righteous life and that's all based on the good news of the gospel and I do believe that Jesus Christ got in the flesh came the perfect life died, was buried Thursday rose again and intercedes for me at your right hand and then faith the faith once delivered for the saints is the faith that I have that I believe and then there's my salvation. Lord I thank you that you not only save me from the penalty of mice and what you are saving me from the power of sin and one day you gonna save me from the presence of sin. And then there's God's word, which I can use to job back at these false doubt or these doubts that plagued me and then there's prayer and some people include personal don't think it be wonderful to include prayer and we say, Lord, Lord, please help me in the next couple of messages are to focus on. Practically how to do this and so what happens if demons are real and they are in their incredibly strong and they are and they have their sights on me. I need to then how do I respond I put on God's armor, you say, say it somehow different. What I do is I embrace the beauty of the gospel and I meditate on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ and I dwell on the fact that I am in Christ, I am accepted in the beloved. And because of this wonderful union with Christ, my faithful father will take care of me and will one day take me home safely to be with them.

That's putting on God's armor that will be learning more about if you want to read more about this a couple of the speakers about this excellent book. I don't know that it says anything radically new in it but just a wonderful summary that was a blessing for me to read and I would recommend it to you spiritual warfare and you could you could see if there a wonderful book that would help us all to think so responding to our ancient foe.

What we do number one don't ignorantly deny that Satan is real. Being naïve didn't help the squirrel in my backyard. I promise you don't deny it, but number two don't fearfully retreat.

I mean, I believe all of this, but I'm not walking around filled with fear dear member of the illustration. The Dr. Newton used. Remember if you ever come to face to face with a symbiont right with with the lion, the parents would say look him straight in the eyes your eyes into his.

Don't move. Don't bring and whatever you do don't run. You don't have to run when you have God's amazing armor on. It's enough.

It's efficient you will be able to stand.

Number one, don't tonight.

Number two don't fearfully retreat, but number three don't foolishly attack you say would you ever go on the offense and and try to chase Satan no, no, in my home. I have deadbolts on every door the goes from the inside to the outside and before I go to sleep most of the time. I checked the deadbolts why because I don't want any bad guys hurting me and my family. You say, what if they got into your house, then I would go to round two level defense okay. Just think squirrel and I would I would try to defend my family that way, guys, I don't jump in my truck driving around looking for things to shoot okay but in my home. If intruders come, I'm not going attacking anyone, but I want to be ready. And God has given us the armor to do that so I don't ignorantly deny number two don't fearfully retreat number three don't foolishly attack but number four by put on God's armor and I stand in the next two messages will practically encourage us without. Now I know and with a picture that is a pictures kind of interesting that I'm using it for this message, series. That's a picture of me on my motorcycle and I'm writing what's called the tail of the Dragon because in that 11 miles or so of road. There are over 300 curves and people from all over this part of the country had up there it's near the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. It's a beautiful place to ride and behind me. A brother pewter is but we been up there together.

Dr. Parker and I've been up there. Just a wonderful place to ride. Now you say okay so why are you showing me this picture. I don't think it see it. I'm not wearing flip-flops. I'm not even wearing sneakers guys wearing leather boots that have armor in the ankles in the toe. And I know you can't see a lot of it but I wear Kevlar jeans when I ride travelers what they make bulletproof vests out of so if you're on your bike and you slide.

You can slide for long distances and you still have skin okay. That's why I wear Kevlar you say what happens if you get a post up I don't think about that but but I wear Kevlar jeans in case I slide. I don't know if he could see my jacket. It's warm but I have a mesh jacket so I wear it at all because it holds armor and it and I have armor in my shoulders and armor in my elbows and I have armor on my back.

Because if I do go down I want to increase the likelihood that I'm okay because it's very dangerous to ride a motorcycle. I'm not naïve. People sometimes say documenting up the bucket motorcycle what you think. I say don't do it. I was told don't do it affect one of my daughters has a boyfriend just mentioned to me recently about buying a motorcycle.

Don't do it.

Guy died. So anybody don't any of you you're going by motorcycle don't do it too dangerous, disabled, and why do you write any of you know the best answer I can give you is if you have to ask. You wouldn't understand it, it's not. It's just something that that you just have to do but I plan to go down.

I'm not naïve. I plan to go down and I dress for you say do some people write it naïvely think they make some Christians lead like there's no Satan, and some guys ride motorcycles like there never to go down check this guy out okay. I mean come on, flip-flops, shorts doesn't even have a hand on the handlebar Diaz cruise control and he staring with this feet you say what you call a guy like that most people common organ donor okay and it is just a very foolish thing to do and my hard for you with this chapel series would be the same thing that God is doing in my life that I would become more aware of the reality that spiritual warfare. It is real. I'm not going to deny it, but I'm also not good to engage in deliverance ministry.

I'm going to engage in a discipleship ministry which means putting on God's armor and again will have two more messages to help us know how to do that. Keep your armor on. God bless you. You been listening to a sermon preached by Dr. Greg Mae Zach which is part of the study series entitled our ancient foe.

Listen again tomorrow as we continue the series here on The Daily Platform