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Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 11 put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil.
Before we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against power, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, 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 fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints. And for me that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.
For which I am an ambassador in law.
Therein I may speak only as I often speak before we enter on our chapter.
I feel that I should make an apology for.
Completing a remark two of my contemporary brethren.
Spoken to me of the matter and they return again to.
Epistle to Timothy.
Turn to Timothy again and.
Chapter five of the First Epistle.
And verse one.
We were just seeking to.
Indicate how clearly a superior translation of the Word of God.
Manifests itself by the fact that it agrees with the doctrine.
Of the word of God, but on this verse one of chapter 5.
A rebuke, not an elder, but entreating of the Father.
We quoted the other translation, not an elder, sharply.
Let him treat him as a father.
Well, the two brothers who spoke to me said that they thought.
That we should not.
Encourage younger brothers to be ever rebuking.
The older brother that it would be better if rebuke were necessary.
That an older brother administer the rebuke rather than a younger.
And it was pointed out that.
Timothy was an exceptional case being.
An Apostolic delegate who had authority committed to him, which we do not have today.
So I just wish, brethren, to make that clear that I was not indicating that younger brothers should.
Encourage themselves to rebuke their elder brother. It's the spirit of rebellion in the world today.
That is creeping in even among Christians.
For example, the word of the children of Israel to the prophet.
When he called upon them to walk in a good old way and they said we will not walk in.
This fair to rebellion.
And God forbid that it be encouraged among us.
About that rather, we submit ourselves to the Lord.
And to one another in the fear of God.
And that the younger be subject to.
Their elder brother.
And if I may be permitted a practical observation.
From having been in.
And practically all of the gatherings in the world except.
Those in the Orient in Africa.
That the practice of young people.
And calling their elders by their first names is something that is foreign to the testimony of the Lord in general.
It's something that we've fallen into in Southern California.
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But there is a due respect always to be paid to aid. It would be well if our dear young people.
But bear in mind that all their fathers and mothers may call contemporaries by their first names through long acquaintances and friendship. It isn't becoming in the children to use the same address, but to address Brother Brown and Brother Jones rather than Clifford and George.
Well, suffered this little word, brethren. I hope it's not out of line right connected with this subject of translation. A young brother.
Asked me to ask another brother if we could have a word, especially from the older ones.
As to the addressing of God.
In a familiar way, as you instead of thou, I trust you know what I mean. And some of these modern translations have have adapted themselves to the modern spirit. But if we might have a word on this, help us Brother Barry, or any other older brother.
Well, I know what our brother Eric Smith would say about using you instead of thou in the Latin American world.
The above in the Latin world has never, not even the elders are ever dressed like that until they know them very well. But among the Indians they do use exclusively the above and never you.
Exclusively so, and for that reason I found it very hard to pray in that language. We're not wanting to make any laws or rules this afternoon about it, but we'd like to have expressions from.
Brothers.
As to the wisdom and honoring the Lord in this matter, the Lord knows the heart, even in those that might do it unwittingly.
I would just like to make a little suggestion as to my own experience as to the modern. Now when you come to the Italian people where God is put at a distance from the people, it would be absolutely unbecoming for an Italian to use the word lay, which would be the equivalent of dao in the Italian language.
So when I address God as my Father, no, I'm not Speaking of the Lord of the ship of the Lord Jesus now, but when I address God is my father and the Italian language, would it be absolutely unbecoming to say lay, which is the third person? But in the Italian language you say you. Now when it comes to the English language, I notice a very striking different it would be absolutely unbecoming to say you father.
For thou, Father, so that's very blessed.
Wisdom of God is absolutely far above to the wisdom of man in the Italian, where God is kept at a distance from man when we get saved and then we say you, Father, this is very blessed. And that would be very unbecoming in the English language. In the English language, I think that it's very precious. It is very appropriate to say thou Father.
We do feel as though that God allowed the translators.
To at least endeavor to give a special reverential respect for addressing them in the Vienna. And yet I don't want to make a rule of it. But we have a few remarks on the Wilds of Satan just in connection with our spiritual life. For how or how else could it be? I believe that it has to do with every aspect.
Of our sojourn here.
Satan has managed to pervert our conception even of breasts.
Now this is hard to speak about.
But Satan has managed.
To pervert.
A godly conception even of dress.
General appearance.
This is one thing that is very sad to see where I just mentioned that, brethren, because.
Is behind everything.
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That would tend to destroy any conception of holiness. Now, what is holiness after all, but the exclusion from our life and testimony? Everything that would be contrary to God's mind and to God's nature, to God's Word.
And the perfecting of holiness in the fear of the Lord is just that.
To exclude everything, dear Christian.
Everything that would be contrary to God's mind, God's nature.
God's word. I mentioned that because it is stressed very much.
Among our Latin brethren.
So that it's a very rare thing to find among them any perversion of that which would be in accordance with true holiness. There are defects we own, but in that that sense we haven't found it to be so.
The way that's possible.
To all of that which is evil and pleased. To that which is good.
Really, the more we enjoy and enter into what the blessed Lord as.
Has done for us and is doing for us to be occupied with His love and grace and mercy to us.
Well, and being occupied with His love and grace, we enter into something of the holiness of His nature and character. If we make it just a mere legal thing, Thou shalt not and try to correct things in that way. I believe we missed the.
True way that God has of reaching our souls.
And these things can be hard on they can be.
Much admonition on it that doesn't avail, but if the dearest Saints would become more occupied with Christ and His love and with us to awaken our desire to walk in His ways and to really respond to His love, those things.
Would be corrected.
In the way I believe that would be godly of correcting.
I've often mentioned to our Latin brethren left the standing of the believer is in Christ.
That is to say, we actually are in the presence of God, in all the perfection of his beloved Son. Now, whether we believe that or not, that doesn't alter God's order.
Now that's the standing of the believer. Of course, the state of the believer varies accordingly, and it can be corrected by sovereign grace.
With one word communion communion perhaps you could add there and keeping short accounts with him.
Now that's the standing of the believer I remember as a lad that came home to my heart. Listen, listening to some of our old English brethren minestrone. The object of the believer is Christ. The object of the believer, beloved, is Christ.
And in Philippians 3, of course, you get the hope of the believer. There is to be light crime.
These are important matters, of course.
But merely keep on a moment if you don't mind concerning the Wiles of the devil.
It was asked me by someone today.
Difference between Ephesians 6 and 12 and Ephesians.
3 and 10.
What is the difference? This brother said. What is the difference?
Well, in Ephesians 6 and 10.
We they are demons.
And I speak quite frankly concerning that, having begun a work in the midst of the Indians where demon possession was so prevalent.
It is wonderful to see a Pagan Indian listening to the word of God and gets delivered.
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And falls to the ground, foaming at the mouth, and gets up.
Right mind.
The power of the Spirit of God brings the Indian to the Savior's feet.
Now these are demons.
And.
I don't remember having very much peace during those early days of testimony.
Because of the power of demons.
The power of demons.
Many nights I couldn't sleep until it came to my soul the need of saying over and over again, the precious blood of Christ and I went to sleep. The precious blood of Christ and I went to sleep.
Now this is 1 aspect of it. Of course there are many, but over here beloved in chapter 3 and 10.
Just to answer this question that was put for me.
These are good angels.
These are good angels.
And they read in the church.
The manifold wisdom of God.
They read in you and me.
And we've translated that word manifold in the ink, a tongue, the many colored wisdom of God.
Now, Angel, we read, we hear these days.
An instrument blaring down the street talking about the angels singing. I heard that yesterday.
Someone had a machine in there and was blaring out the angels singing. Will beloved angels don't sing, they only say.
And this is the point that I want to make by the grace of God just now.
What do they say?
When they see a St. disobedient to God's word.
What do they say? I don't know.
They understand one word, obedience, one word.
Mr. Scott, I used to hear him say, the author of the Book of Revelation, that.
Well worth reading.
He used to say.
Of course, I don't think he had scripture for it, but it was very pungent what he said, that if God had told the angels to evangelize the world, they'd have done it in 10 minutes.
Well, I remember him saying that.
But angels don't sing beloved, they say.
And when they see a dear sister violating the scriptures.
With her dress. Now you'll pardon this old missionary. I'm speaking from a heart.
And we do talk plainly to our brethren out there.
When they see a sister transgressing.
What God says in his precious word as regards your dress and your hair.
Do the angels say?
I don't know.
What do they say?
When a Sinner turns to Christ.
They rejoice. There's joy in heaven over one Sinner that repenteth.
What do they say when a St. is restored?
To the joy of his or her first love.
What do they say?
What do they say?
They read in you.
Dear young Christian.
And I talked to my own self. They read enough.
The many colored wisdom of God get a word in here.
Before we get away from it too far in that we've been noticing that that verse in chapter 3 of Ephesians verse 10.
Shows how that God's wisdom is now being displayed before, as our brother said, the good angels in the heavenlies.
It makes me think of another verse of Brother Paul Wilson. I think has given us a good tract on this First Corinthians 11 and verse 10.
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One would wish always that we might be LED of the Holy Spirit.
But I must say that a brother said he wished that something could be said on this verse. He didn't say this verse, but on this subject.
I'll read it for this cause. Ought the woman.
To have power or authority.
On her head.
Because of the angels. That's our subject.
Now, this brother said, and when we all love and you do too, if you knew him or who I mean, he says he's been distressed at what he sees in the ignoring of this truth of this portion here about the woman having her head covered.
When we see such.
Pretensions to what you might call a covering.
According to the styles of the world.
And instead, instead of covering that which is the woman's glory.
To the word of God is disregarded, and the glory of the woman's hair is much in display.
I try to speak plainly, otherwise I'd better not say anything. But these are things that ought to exercise us rather than to dismiss them and disregard them and dishonor the Lord. And the angels see God's word unheeded.
Oh, we don't want to make rules and be like, you know, certain religious parties, but the word of God is a thing we need to get back to.
The first the 4th chapter of First Peter. I'd like to read a few verses in connection with our verse in our chapter.
4th chapter first Peter.
Or as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind. For he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
Time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excessive wine, revelings, banquetings and abominable idolatry.
Wherein they think it's strange that you run not with them to the same excessive riot speaking evil of you. Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. Now not only will the quick and the dead be judged, but God is going to bring every work into judgment.
But the point in reading this passage is this.
That unless we have an object before us, we are not going to rightly.
Carry out these things.
And so the Spirit of God always brings before us.
An object.
And a pattern.
Now it says here, for as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourself.
And that's our subject, Armor. He has suffered in the flesh. Now it's true, He did suffer in atonement, but he also suffered with the people of God. He took the place down here of rejection. He took the place that would honor His Father.
And I believe if we appeal to one another on this ground, I believe then there would be results that would be to the glory of God. Now, it might be, of course, that we're not acquainted with Scripture.
So may I just suggest perhaps we have said enough on this subject that when you go home.
That our dear brothers, all of us may read that verse in the 11 Chapter First Corinthians, the 14th verse, you don't need to read it now, but and that our sisters will read the 1St 3 verses of the 47th chapter of Isaiah and that will give us something in which our consciences can be exercised as to that which is.
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Off limits for the Christians?
I just suggested I was just about to suggest the same verse brother on brother Brown brought before us the 10th 1St.
But I believe the 14th is very important too at the present time.
In the 11Th and 1St Corinthians.
Doth not even nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
Now we are speaking about the Gospel this morning.
And isn't necessary to accompany the gospel with long hair and.
Banjos and that kind of thing. I do not believe it is. Brethren, we need to take both these verses to heart, especially the young people who are indulging in the customs of the people. And we read in Jeremiah 10 for the customs of the people of vain.
Are we going to indulge in vain things when we belong to Christ glorified head in heaven? I do believe we should be deeply exercised about these two verses. A late beloved brother.
Made a statement and he lived it out.
His statement was this.
What praises the Lord?
Blazes may well it pleases thee, Lord pleases me. And he lived it out. Some of us here knew him very well. What a simple formula.
What covers all these things? What places they Lord places me?
Can we honestly say that each one of us?
I do believe very much in my own soul, brethren, that we need a balance to these things. I wish I had a better balance myself. I know I lack it, but I see in my exercises before the Lord and in the Word of God.
That.
One of the things we need the most is what we're stressing, and that is heartwarming ministry.
We always value that.
I will run the ways of thy commandments. When thou hast enlarged my heart, it does begin to the heart.
But, beloved brethren, I feel certain.
If we're only going to minister to the heart and leave the conscience untouched when the Word of God is full of exhortation.
And things that we need for our conscience to affect our walk and our feet.
We must have the prophetic truth or else.
The nice heartwarming word which?
Prophet by but many unfazed by it in no time.
The shallowness of it in the soul wears off, and there is no not anything accomplished. On the other hand, we do not expect much to be accomplished in these days of ours. All that God might use any of this precious truth to help us to want to go in His way.
I don't want to be funny now, but it's so good. So much to the point I just feel as though I must quote from the letter I have in my pocket.
On this subject that our brother Smith touched on there, which we don't want to extend anymore time, if we had consciences, we'd profit by it. But on that subject he writes to me. I have the letter on me if any of you want to see it.
He says.
It looks hopeless.
The problem before us, the abominations right in the midst where the Lord is, and our brother Clarence gave a good reference, if you'll just jot it down and look it up in Isaiah 47 verses one and two, it's connected to with the subject of Babylon. This morning we had the 7th of Joshua mentioned there and nothing was said though about that Babylonian garment.
Nor anything as to where Wedge of gold.
But it does show.
There one is so much concerned about that Babylonish garment, the other may be to get rich wedge of gold.
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But this letter now be through, he says this way.
It's just like a Bantam rooster trying to fight with an ostrich.
I know it's funny.
These are difficulties. Why? Because the Philistines are getting the upper hand amongst us, so that instead of speaking out faithfully, our mouths feel like we're muzzled.
We don't want to offend our dear kindred and our dear friends. We don't want to offend any of the young people. We do not want to. We want the young people's hearts drawn back to the Lord Jesus, for we wrestle, it says.
That's that's what we should be exercised about individually or.
We wrestle.
Now that indicates life. We have that in the Colossians 3 don't we? It's only those who have life that can mortify the flesh.
And we're told in Luke where the gospel presents these things very clear as to who has life and who hasn't, it says those who are with the seed falls into good ground are those who hear the word and keep it and.
So I think we should be exercised about keeping the word that we hear, and here it says we wrestle now we're wrestling against those who are far superior to ourselves.
But in so doing, we have something that's superior to them. It's like the young man, you know, in Kings, he told the prophet Elijah, he said. Why?
Look at the hosts that are surrounding us. The prophet says Christ to the Lord to open the young man's eyes that he might see, and he sees the hosts that are far superior to those of the enemy. And so, brethren, let's not get discouraged. The Lord is able.
He's able to meet the problems of the day and he's able, but the exercise for us is to wrestle each one to wrestle, and if we're going to lay hold of heavenly things, we'll have to wrestle.
Quite a lift here have any of the the enemy is attacked the planet. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, of this age, against spiritual wickedness in higher heavenly places.
Just think, brethren, what a real of.
Enemies, we have lined up the tribal robbers of our spiritual blessings, the most important blessings that we'll ever prevent. That's why we're told to take unto you the whole armor of God.
Say the the Spirit of God gives us to realize what a dangerous position we're in.
Shows us how many enemies.
Are lined up against us, the devil and these principalities are wicked spirits. We know very little about them, that they must be a tremendous.
Powers and enemies to hinder us in every way. And here we are going through the enemy's land, surrounded with all these enemies to cheat us and to deceive us.
And to approve us at every step that we take in our Christian pathway.
And that is the introduction to putting on the whole armor of God. We can't omit or leave out one part without leaving ourselves vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy.
Well then, with that, he proceeds to give us.
What he means by this whole armor of God?
And before that, though, he said.
Therefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that He may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Now, in the lives of all God's children, there comes an evil day.
Whenever it were, all the powers of darkness are released against us, and we're just as it were overwhelmed by the attack upon us. And we need to be prepared for that evil day for no matter who it is, brothers or sisters, young people or older people.
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There will come a time in your life when the enemy will try to rob you of the present truth, the federal blessings that are.
Faith to you, and these closing days He will try to get you off of the ground and to turn you away from Christ in some way or other into the world and its ways now in order to be prepared for this great attack of the enemy.
We need to put on the whole armor of God. What would you think of a soldier that when he heard the fire of the artillery while then he puts on his uniform and gets his gun and gets his equipment and starts out. Why you'd say the man's defeated before he meets the enemy?
And that's just the lesson before us, the love of what we and I trust will consider.
As we go on with this chapter is the importance of being prepared.
For the attacks of the enemy.
And then the apostle having done all to stand the fear, we may one win the very real victory, so that the enemy is is crushed seemingly, and we come out with colors flying. Well, now that's the very time when we stand in peculiar danger.
One of the greatest victories that Napoleon Bonaparte ever.
One was in a place called Afterlife.
And on medication, the.
The Austrian general had defeated Napoleon, given him a real beating, and his army had retired in confusion. And the Austrian general, if I remember the history correctly, sat down and he said oh so satisfied and was writing back the headquarters about this great victory over Napoleon.
Well, Napoleon said. We've lost this battle, but it isn't too late to win another.
So he quickly regrouped his army and suddenly made a vicious attack on on the Austrians and won one of his greatest victory. You see the lesson I'm speaking to bring before you is having done all the stands instead of standing and and realizing that.
There was still danger that the enemy would make another attack. He thought it he'd won the victory and it was all over.
And brethren, no matter how many times the enemy has been defeated through faithfulness and obedience to the Word of God.
We're not done with his wild or his attacks. He'll come back in another way and make another attack upon it. And then I trust we might go on as the Lord may guide to develop the crops in the whole armor of God, beginning with the 14th verse.
Which starts out stand therefore having your loins girded about with truth. That's the very first piece of armor mentioned, isn't it? It is indeed that we should be applied to my own heart and conscience.
That everything might be removed which is not of God, before I can use the last piece of the armor, which is the sword of the Spirit, to repel the enemy.
How important it is that the Word of God should first of all search my own heart before I can use it on anybody else. I was thinking about the word stand. We get it mentioned three times, do we not? And the apostle Paul is not urging the Saints there to advance, but to stand to remain where grace has put them, and not let anybody take their crown.
How important it is to stand today. So much giving up in these days.
But we are exhorted to stand and to stand firm and to withstand. So my brother says in the evil day.
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And calling attention to the word stand isn't the thought there also that I believe three times we have the word stand and once withstand that in the view of the believer which we have here as in the heavenly in Christ.
There's no thought of getting up higher, that's impossible. But the enemy would like to drive us out of that position and the only thing that is necessary is just to stay right where you are.
The verse in Second Corinthians chapter 16 verse 13 I think fits right into our thoughts at this moment. 2nd 2nd Corinthians 1613 Watch ye. In other words, be diligent.
Stand fast in the faith.
Quit you or yourselves like men here it be Christian men and be strong.
Brother, would you mind repeating I please? Which scripture? How's that? Second Corinthians 6. That's right, First Corinthian 613 I'm sorry. Watch east and fast and they faith quit you like men and be strong.
Early chapters of the Thistle of Ephesians. It's in the heavenlies where the believer is seated.
Not a believer is seen as going from there and sent into this world, but his position is in the heavenly. The Lord could say in the 17th of John, as my father has sent me, so have I have I sent you, and so the believers seen down here.
But he, he belongs up there and he's seated in the heavenly, and so the expectations are based on that.
Now in the Gospel of Luke there are several widows, and they give us a picture, a pattern of a state of soul.
In the case of the one whose son was taken, the son was restored to life by the Lord.
Well, the one that follows immediately is the one who has an adversary. That's the 18th chapter.
And so progressively then we see the pattern that we have to 1St see ourselves in resurrection life. We have to see ourselves in that new position as seated in the heavenly. And there we discover we have an adversary and the character of the adversary. Now it's true that the adversary will use carnal things to deceive us as we have the wild mansion.
But they may be spiritual things as well.
In fact, oftentimes that's the character of attack for the believer. And we find today that the enemy is seeking to to bring all various precious truths that we have and jumble them up, jumble the doctrines up until many are confused as to the real issues. And so I think we should see.
To weigh the truth of God simply as it's stated in the Word and not get confused with all of these things the enemy is introducing.
In the various means that are at hand today, that so many take advantage of, and especially the literature that goes around because it only goes back to the old subject of Colossians where the reasonings of men's minds are involved. We have to guard herself against that. That's what the enemy would like to do. He'd like to rob us of our joy.
Of our position in the heavenly.
It ends so much the circumstances of this life. The goals will follow. If we are really in communion, the Lord will take care of those. But we see it, do we not, in the prayers of the Saints, and we find ourselves praying.
For our circumstances, our loved ones. And we don't what we really show in our prayers where we're where we're thinking, we're not thinking of heavenly things. We're not thinking of the same things that Epifras did in philosophy.
Praying that the Saints might stand and all the will of God. That was the full revelation that God had given through the Apostle Paul and heavenly things. And that was what was the burden of Epifras prayer. Well, I believe we should remember that we're in the heavenly.
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The instructive pressure to the young people who explain a little what it means by.
And therefore having your loins gird about the truth.
You see, we're looking at a picture of a soldier ready for battle.
Well, in those days the the soldiers wore long flowing roles and when they sat down to relax for the ungirded themselves and and rested and relaxed.
Well, they would have no strength or would be unprepared should the enemy suddenly arrive.
So they saw his loose garments being tucked up.
Girded around, Oh, they're not flowing and away. That would impede our movement and our efforts.
To defeat the enemy.
All that, if we are believed. Consider what that means.
Loins girt about with truth. Of course it's the word of God, for the blessed Lord says to the Father in the 17th of John. He says, Sanctify them through thy word. Thy word is true.
Now the grated loins with the truth is having our whole life and department and our ways regulated by the Word of God, that everything that we do is according and in subjection and obedience to God's precious Holy Word.
Well, that is the first part of the Christian armor that prepares the the Christian soldier.
For his warfare. And then the other things follow in line.
Well, the next thing is.
And having on the breastplate of righteousness.
Well, a breastplate was right over the the heart itself.
And I believe that having on the breastplate of righteousness.
Is what the apostle speaking speaks of is exercising himself always to have a constant void of offense toward God and toward man. Now if if our business dealings are shady, we live a good confidence and the enemy can make.
A very clever attack upon us. We want to have everything clear with God.
And everything that would in any way compromise our Christian testimony.
Judged and not allowed. That is being over the heart. It speaks of the heart being in a healthy, normal condition, or really a happiness, enjoying the Lord because there's nothing between the soul and the Lord. Well, that's another part of the armor.
That is very important for us, so we can go through each one of these different parts of the armor.
With profit to our souls. But it's a practical righteousness, is it not? Here, brother. That's what I just said. Brother, I didn't hear that word. I'm sorry. Practical, right? Oh, I'm sorry. All right. Now the truth first.
According to God's Word and then a righteous manner of living.
And now allow me to tell a little incident I'm just waiting to tell you this on the having her feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace now gets down to the feet related to to our walk and the experience was this I was doing some landscape work and had a dump truck and had a fine load of choice soil to.
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Fill up the gardens of.
A lady and that Lady lived on the street where.
Way down, step, step, step, steps, many of them to the road below. But on the higher level there was a vacant lot right back of her place. So I drove in my dump truck and backed it up to the fence and I was shoveling off this fine quality top soil. It was good. And a man next door come over and told me that I had no right to drive that truck in there on that vacant lot.
He wanted me to carry it up the steps in buckets, you know, But he had a dump truck.
And a regular business at that. And it looked like an infringement on his business by running a dump truck in there. Well, I kept on shoveling it until I got it all off while he was thundering away at me. Oh, I got down home at noon time and I was, I was tired and hot and I sat down. I wanted to eat my lunch in peace. But here comes the man up the driveway at my back door.
He wanted to, oh, he wanted to have it out with me. I said, would you be so small?
As to expect me to cart that up there in buckets up that hill when I could go in that lot there. I knew the Christian lady, Miss Anderson at the dime store downtown that owned that lot.
And I couldn't believe that she would ever refuse me what I was doing. But the way I spoke to Mr. Cliff, he, he's a dead man now, but I am so ashamed.
I surely cut off his ear. How could I give him a gospel tract? Look at here, having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. I could no more ever reach him with the gospel after that tilt with him. Oh, I was ashamed of that. To this day, neither half no sword. Let him sell his garments and buy one. And I wondered sometimes if the steps leading up to the use of a sword.
Might be the selling of the garment along the way.
It's not an easy thing to possess a sword that can be used effectively. In our brother's illustration shows it. We might know the word of God, we might be able to quote the word of God, but it will fall on deaf ears unless we've sold our garments to possess that sword. And so I suggest that the steps leading up to this sword would remind us of some of those things which perhaps are extremely searching and practical.
In order that we might have the effectual use of that sword when it's needed. Well, perhaps the very situation our brother describes, where we feel we have a perfect right to stand up for this or that, but selling the garment perhaps would be taking the low place and submitting to an injustice. In order that we might be able to speak a word for the Lord without having cut off the brother's ears.
I have thought of it in connection with a similar situation that reflects on our dear brother Herbie Galbraith, now with the Lord of Lawrenceville, New Brunswick.
Quite a few here know him pretty well.
He was a fisherman for many years by livelihood, and it was sort of an unwritten law in the Bay of Fundy that if you had let out your Nets, no one was allowed to go upside from you and put out their Nets. Well, brother Herbie Galbraith was a very expert fisherman and he would let his Nets out one mile of them by hand, and some of his unsafe neighbors would watch where he let them out and go upside from him to put theirs out knowing.
Probably get a good catch. He had every right to reduce them and demand that they withdraw these Nets. But he never did it. He'd always quietly haul in that whole mile of death by hand and move off somewhere else and let them out again without one word of rebuke and in his old age.
They loved Brother Galbraith could go to anybody's door in Lawrenceville, New Brunswick, with his Bible and prevent Christ to them, and not one of them could say, You remember what you hollered at me that night in the Bay. He sold his garment, he took the low plate. He allowed himself to be dealt with unrighteously.
Quietly took it, The Lord blessed him and gave him a sufficient catch every night. And in his old age he had a sword that he could use effectively. I've often heard quote of that verse. If the axe be blunt and he do not wet the edge, then must he put two more strength?
As I sometimes think when a great deal of stress and thundering needs to be laid upon what we're trying to say, it's because perhaps we haven't practiced this in our life.
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And when we present the word of God, if it has been effectual in our own lives, if we have been gird about with truth, if we have had on the breastplate of righteousness, and we pick up the sword of the word of God, we don't need to put too much strength. The edge of it will be felt because it will be evident that the other edge of it has touched our own life and ways. I don't know whether that explains selling the garment. I'm afraid I.
Any personal illustration, because I don't know anything about it, but I've seen it in the lives of others, that we connect this 14th verse of our chapter to a little illustration in the 11Th chapter of Acts where we have Barnabas going down to the assembly of Antioch, Antioch in Syria.
11Th chapter of action, verse 22, or for the Sake of Time, verse 23. Barnabas flew when he came.
And I'd seen the grace of God, was glad that he doesn't stop there.
Exhorts them, He exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave or abide unto the Lord. It doesn't matter. Explain just in a few words that verse which we have in Ephesians, abiding or cleaving to the Lord. Grace had come in save these precious souls, and hearing the gospel.
Now we see the grace of God manifested in the assembly.
Barn of the sons want them to stop, go on, that's fine. He would exhorted them all that with purpose of heart. They might cleave or abide under the Lord, not distracted with things round about them, or holding to or trusting that which they have received.
The Christian soldier here is not presented as a man in the barracks, with only his daily drills to worry about.
He is presented as a man on active service, isn't he, to be on the alert to the dangers around him, and to stand firm against them in dependence upon the Lord?
To stop the beach shop with the preparation of the gospel of peace is not a subject just confined to those who go about preaching the gospel. In fact, I believe it isn't really the stop.
Have the peak of the gospel creatures and their message going out to the world of unsaved. Here is something that is intended to exercise every one of God's children, sisters of young people, children one and all.
See, it has to do with our walk and if we're walking.
In a way that.
Tells the man of the world that we have something infinitely better.
Than all his wealth or all his worldly places. And we have quiet peace in our souls, that everything is right between our souls and God. It speaks louder than words. I remember dear old sister, Mrs. Foreman.
Within the London ON meeting for years 34 the woman of faith, he said at one time that her father allowed her to occupy rooms connected with his house very grudgingly, and she had so little and she was left a widow and was struggling along to care for her little children. Her father came in and she was instructing her children in the word of God.
And then had prayer with him.
He said that he stopped at the door and the poor old man said, I see that you have something that I haven't got.
And they said, I wish I had it. Well, now that dear sister, in her quiet simplicity in seeking to bring up her family for the Lord without getting out of her place and going out on the streets and shouting to sinners, was this carrying on a godly walking wave there in her little family?
That was really her feet were shoved with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
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And so, beloved, we can all be shot in that way, in our walking ways that we show and the world sees that we possess something of infinite more value than all that this world possesses. Well, doubtless Waters brought outside your old brother Herbert Christensen. I mean her Herbert Galbraith.
Was just like we've been speaking about. He proved to all fishermen that he had something better, that he could take losses.
For he had peace in his soul, and I knew that dear man well, and he certainly was well charged with the gospel of peace.
Earlier in respect to the.
The continual battle, continual front of the enemy.
And so it's often been remarked that in the armor that is given here, we find the child of God putting it on, but we never find him taking it off.
And the armor might look very nice hanging on the stable wall, polished and bright.
But it's of no avail if we do not make it practical in our lives, is it?