Read Eph. 6:10-2010Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For 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. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:10‑20)
It might seem strange at first sight that in this epistle, where there is the fullest unfolding of the privileges of the children of God, conflict should be brought out; however, we are often not aware of the character of the conflict from not knowing our privileges. Here it is found we are specially in conflict and in a conflict that we do not comprehend until we realize the privileges which this epistle specially unfolds.
In Galatians there is conflict, but it is a conflict between flesh and Spirit—the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; but in Ephesians it is not flesh but spiritual wickedness in high places (or "wicked spirits in the heavenly places"; margin). We have to overcome flesh, and there is a very close connection between these two conflicts; still they are distinct.
In Ephesians it is a new creation. Christ has ascended up on high—"He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." So completely has He taken us out of the power of Satan that He can make us the vessels of His service. He has taken us out of the world and then sent us into it; and if we thus stand associated with Christ (which is the privilege of every Christian though all do not realize it), we must expect all the conflict associated with the place into which we are brought. In proportion as we realize that we are the vessels of heavenly service, we get this special character of conflict.
You cannot cross Jordan without finding the Canaanite and the Perizzite in the land. There are the trials and perils of the wilderness which test our hearts—all know more or less of the weary way testing our hearts and discovering what is in them; but wilderness experience is not the same as conflict in the land. When Joshua got into the place of the privileges of the people of God, he was in the place of conflict. God has set Christ as a man in the glory because He (as a man) has perfectly glorified God as to sin. Christ has not only died for our sins, but we have died with Him (dead with Christ is what Jordan is), and we are raised up and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; thus associated, dead and risen, with Him, we are brought into the place where all the conflict is. It is most valuable and precious to get distinctly hold of this. Many a Christian has not realized it.
There is many a one still in Egypt, holding the value of the blood on the doorposts, but knowing nothing of the deliverance accomplished at the Red Sea. Israel had to stand still and see the salvation of God; this answers to the death and resurrection of Christ. I am out of Egypt; the judgment which fell on the Egyptians has saved me. God has raised up Christ and given Him glory that our faith and hope might be in God. Just as every poor sinner has been driven out of the earthly paradise because sin is complete in the first Adam, so am I taken out of this world into the heavenly paradise in the last Adam because righteousness is complete. God raising up Christ and giving Him glory proves that the question of sin has been all settled in Christ on the cross, and in virtue
of this He is sitting where He is, at the right hand of God. This passage through the wilderness is to humble and prove us. Our perseverance is tested by God leading us through the path in which Christ was found implicitly faithful.
Israel went through that great and terrible wilderness where there were the fiery serpents, scorpions and drought, and where there was no water. God brought them water out of the rock of flint, fed them with the manna to humble them and prove them, to do them good at their latter end. They came to Jordan, they passed it, they got into the land, they ate of the old corn, and the land was theirs.
In the wilderness and Canaan we get two characters of Christian experience—one, the life down here; the other, the position in the heavenlies. We are not only a testimony to the world but also to principalities and powers in the heavenlies—"To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God." He "hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places"; but though that is all true as to title, as to fact the Canaanite and the Perizzite are still in the land to dispute the possession. We have our place in the power of the Spirit of God.
Christ having gone before, our place is sure to faith; but the Canaanite is not yet destroyed—Christ's enemies are not yet put under His feet, so conflict characterizes the place of the Lord's redeemed people. When Joshua got into the land, he met a man with a drawn sword. Fighting was to characterize their possession of the land, and when Joshua asks, "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" the answer was, "Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come." They were the redeemed of the Lord—the Lord's host—so completely the Lord's that He uses them as His servants in conflict to subdue His enemies.
They must "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might," and they cannot fight the Lord's battles if the flesh is at work. With an Achan in the camp there can be no victory, and therefore we must be practically dead to fight successfully, not merely reckoning ourselves dead, but be always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our body.
Paul, as a servant, always carried with him the sense of this, not as a title merely, but "Paul" was kept completely down, always bearing about in his body the dying of Jesus; nothing of Paul appeared, it was Jesus only. As soon as they crossed •the Jordan (Jordan is death and resurrection with Christ), they were circumcised—death is practically applied. And in like manner after they had crossed the Red Sea they had to drink of the bitter water—really the salt water. They had been saved by it, they must now drink it. "By these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit" (Isa. 38:1616O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live. (Isaiah 38:16)).
As soon as we get in heavenly places we get the "old corn"—we find Christ there. We feed on Him; but we have to be circumcised, practically putting off the body of the flesh. Israel got into the land and had to be circumcised; their title they knew, but they had not taken the ground of being practically dead and risen (from Egypt). If a man is practically dead and risen what has he to do with this world? A man
dead, and thus taken out of the world, has to go through the world and live in it again if God so will it. We have to run across the wilderness to glory. As one associated with the Lord I am the witness and testimony to the world of what a heavenly Christ is. I am to be an imitator of God. I shall be seeking other souls to enjoy it with me. If we are endeavoring to serve the Lord, shall we not find hindrances? If seeking to maintain the Lord's people in the place of fidelity to all this, do you think Satan will let
you alone? There will be the wiles of Satan to get saints into his power, and we have to withstand his stratagems even more than his power. Infidelity and superstition in its various forms are opposed to us; consequently, we need the whole armor of God the moment we come in. We shall not get through in our own strength; we need the strength of the Lord and the power of His might; we need the whole armor. Not one piece must be wanting. The armor must be of God; human armor will not ward off the attacks of Satan; confidence in that armor will engage us in the combat to make us fall before an enemy stronger and more crafty than we. Let us see what this complete armor is.
"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth." This is the first thing, looking at what we call the subjective part. Our state comes first, and there is no divine activity until the heart is perfectly in order. The loins are the seat of strength when duly girt but represent the intimate affections and movements of the heart. The figure is taken from the habits of the country where these instructions were given; they wore long garments, which hindered their working unless girded up. We get the expression in Job 38:33Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. (Job 38:3), "Gird up now thy loins like a man"; (that is, to see what he had to say to God.) It was the power of truth applied to everything that takes place in the heart; it is not doctrine, but truth practically applied. The Lord said, "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth." God has sent into the midst of the world all that can judge man according to what God is. Christ is the center of the word; He was the light of the world, He revealed the thoughts of many hearts. He was here as a man and revealed what God was, and the world was judged by it. He comes, and brings all that is divine and heavenly in a man (Christ) in direct contact with all that is contrary to God in this world. Satan, as the god of this world, led man against Christ. Some fancy that he has ceased to be the god and prince of this world; but though the cross broke his title, it was not until the cross (where man openly ranged himself under Satan against God) that he became its prince. Truth came into the world—Christ Himself, the truth. The truth of God brought right to men's hearts discovers their thoughts and intents. Now, when I get this word effectually applied to me, I get the girdle of truth.
When all that God has said in His Word and the unseen realities He reveals have their true force and application to my heart, my loins are girt, my garments are not dragging in the mire of this world, my thoughts are not wandering, and the condition of my heart is, so to speak, tucked up ready for service, whatever that may be. We do not get into this conflict until we get into this place. We get the conflict of the old man, but that is Egypt. In order to get the victory over Satan and carry on the Lord's battles, I must realize my position according to the truth just as Israel overcame by realizing the promises of God.
First thing of all, my heart must be completely tested and subjected to a heavenly word. The Lord said, "No man hath ascended up to heaven." Christ brings this heavenly truth before us and says, Does what is in your heart correspond with this? When this word becomes a positive delight to us, we get the taste and appreciation of heavenly things—the things that are lovely, and of good report—which He has brought to us. I get on the one hand judgment of all flesh in me, and on the other, the blessedness of what Christ is. Wherever the loins are girt about with truth, there will be confidence of heart, and the soul will be steadfast, there will be no turning back in the conflict to judge ourselves. Our souls, so to speak, will be naturally with God, there will be occupation of heart with Christ, and there will be the Holy Spirit taking of the things which are Christ's and showing them to us.
The result of this girding of the loins is that a man's condition is the effect of truth. It was Christ's condition. He was the truth, and my condition will be like Christ's in proportion as the truth is in effect on my heart; the affections and heart right, I pass through the world in spirit with Him. "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness." All this, mark, is practical righteousness; we do not want armor with God, we want it against Satan.
If I am an inconsistent man, going to serve God without the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left—without practical godliness—Satan will be sure to bring it up. In preaching, for instance, if your walk is not consistent, the world will say you are no better than they, and Satan will then have power against you. If you are walking according to Christ because your heart is according to Christ, you have on the breastplate of righteousness; but unless a man has a good conscience, he will be a coward and afraid of being detected. With a good conscience we can go on boldly; the condition of the soul where Christ is revealed is truth, and the walk of the man is all right—there is nothing for Satan to lay hold of.
The loins girt about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness, I have then to see that my feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. I pass through the world with my feet shod. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace." In this path there is no selfishness; selfishness is for maintaining its rights, but that is not having my feet shod with peace. Self is subdued if I am following Christ. "Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." Learning of Christ, he carries peace with him—the soul is at peace with God, the conscience is at rest. His feet are shod with peace, and He carries through the world the spirit and character of Christ. He has on the breastplate of righteousness. (To be continued)