PH 6:10-6:20{" Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." Marvelous things had the Apostle Paul been opening up in his epistle to his beloved Ephesians. Rich things in divine counsels (chap. 1); marvelous ways in which those counsels were made good to men upon earth (chap. 2); wonders that had never been shown till then about the Son of God, and the mystery (chap. 3); blessed and precious truths about the Church as to that which is true of it in itself,-as to the walk that became it,-as to the way that, even in its earthly relationship here below, it had blessed connections with Him that is in heaven (chap. 4-6);-but all this leads on to an end, to a present end-to a finally, as here given to us. And this "finally" is, I think, the present end of the revelation to us of all those counsels, ways, wonders, blessings, and privileges which have been spoken of before.
"Be strong in the Lord." The doctrine of "the Lord," as here introduced, leads us naturally back to the first chapter. There we read how the God of our Lord Jesus Christ set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. That is, as I judge, it is the person of the Lord rather than His lordship to which we are turned. The person of the Lord Himself and our association with it-rather than the sphere in which His title of Lordship is now, or at any time here-after, owned and enforced. The reference does not lead me then so much to the doctrine of the Lordship of Jesus as to that of the mystery of the Lord Jesus as Head of the body which is the church.
He is Lord, Lord of all; but we have a special and a most peculiar connection with Himself as such; we are in Him, members of that body of which He is Head:- and we are to be strong in Him, the Lord, and in the power of His might. His lordship is His title to claim all things. He is over all. That we own: He is Lord; and we are His servants. This is fully opened out to us in Phil. 2 But Be who is Lord over all is Jesus, who is Head of the body, the church; and we are in Him, the Christ, and are to be strong in Him. As vitally one with Him, we may use His strength, and the power of His might: this is something more than merely owning that He has right and title to all, and that we are His servants, sustained, sheltered, and guided and honored by Him, in His gracious love, as we may be and are.
Fellowship in life, and in the privileges of the Lord, enables us to be strong in Him, and in the power of His might, which is, as I have said, far more than the privilege of knowing and owning that He is by right, Lord of all; and, in fact, our Lord, and that we are, in practice, His servants. The power of His might is ours,-for it has laid hold of us,-and we are so in Him, whose it is, that we can use it-it is a spring that is full and ever flowing. Next comes the word:-
" Put on the whole armor of God;" that is-the panoply or complete suit of armor of God's providing. The text then proceeds to show, what is the nature of the conflict in which the soldier is here supposed to be engaged:-" that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to with-stand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore," &c.
From the exhortations to-"put on the panoply of God" (ver. 11); to " take unto you the panoply of God" (ver. 13), (exhortations which are addressed to those only who are already Christians) it is clear that one may be a Christian without having as yet put on,-taken to one-self-the said panoply at all. And the same truth is evidenced by the fact, that, even in Paul's day, there were some in whom that which was the end of this exhortation never was made good. Yes: alas! as now there are many-so then, in Paul's day, there were also some-of whom it would not have been truth to say they have withstood the wiles of the devil-they have withstood and stand fast.
The "wiles of the devil," or the systematic workings of the false accuser (as it might be rendered literally) bring before us cunning deceptions of one who is an unscrupulous accuser. Other characters he has also, and other -ways of working:-but, here, this is the character we have to be guarded against, and these are the ways in which he acts.
When Jehovah gave promise to Israel of a land flowing with milk and honey-that land was possessed by nations strong and mighty-and Israel had, after crossing Jordan, to take possession of that land, and of those cities. They were not to fight in their own strength, nor go their own way to work,-Jehovah was their King and Leader; and the battle against the uncircumcised was His. What they had to do was to keep themselves pure from every accursed thing; and, in the spirit of implicit obedience to their God, always to be strong, and of a good courage. The battle was the Lord's. But they had to fight aggressively; and, at times, sore was the conflict through which Israel had to pass with the nations which had possession of the land before them. Though Israel failed entirely, and so gat not the land in possession,-yet Israel shall eventually, upon the ground of the faithfulness and obedience of their King, yet come into possession of that land.
But the Lord Jesus Christ has sat down in heaven, at the right hand of God, and been owned as Head of His body, the Church. In Him we are possessed of all things. In Him we stand-stand forever before God. The work is done. The light of a risen and of an ascended Christ has shined into our hearts to make this good for us, to assure us of this. Yet, is there a trial of our faith. And, while we are here below, there are, and will be, exercises which cannot be avoided by us. There are on high powers of spiritual wickedness-there is one there that accuseth day and night-and he has those that are his-principalities and powers, (chiefs and authorities)-the order-holders of the darkness of this world,-the spiritual powers of wickedness.
The question here is not as to what makes me a Christian; nor what are the privileges and blessings of being a Christian;-but, this rather, What is the conflict in which the consistent Christian is sure to find himself engaged? I say sure. For as sure as Christ sits in patience at God's right hand on high, waiting-so sure is conflict to them that are His, while they remain outside the veil. He, inside, is faithful to God and faithful to those over whom God has set Him: may we, outside, be faithful to God and to Him whom God has set over us, and then conflict must be ours. It appears, then, that there are on high certain wicked spiritual beings who have the rule over wickedness in this world, and that the Christian soldier cannot escape from the power of the assaults of these without the aid of the armor of God.
This will, upon further consideration, I think, show (what we hardly think of enough, namely), that if there are lusts which we do not judge, the enemy can make any of us Christians to appear like one of his own people, and so find ground for accusing us on high.
It does not require much insight into the false worship of the heathen, to see how their gods were, after all, but deified carnal lusts. The Jupiter and the Juno, the Minerva and the Venus, etc., etc., of the ancients were nothing more than this.
There are testimonies for the one true God the Creator and Provider-the wide world over. But men do not like Him or His testimonies.
" That which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, (even) His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that when they knew God, they glorified (Him) not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.... who changed the truth of God into a lie, and served and worshipped the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen..... And, even as they did not like to retain God in (their) knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind (Rom. 1:19-2819Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (Romans 1:19‑28)).
It seems to me to be impossible to read this passage (and such portions as Psa. 19, Matt. 5:4545That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45), Acts 17:24-3124God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:24‑31)) without seeing that God has left a testimony for and of Himself upon creation, and in His dealings with man since the deluge, which is enough to condemn man as to all his religiousness, and as to all his self-invented religions. And these testimonies for and of God cannot be obliterated. Alas! neither can the record of the principles and the conduct of those who acted independently of them be effaced.
When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God; they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools; and, even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind.
The gods of mythology were but imbecile personifications of qualities which fallen man admired: patrons of lusts, such as the heart and mind of man, with his back turned upon the God of light, could, in his own heart, imagine, that, if multiplied, they would satisfy himself. The only ground for this, his vain imagining, that can be formed, is the self-love which suggests that that which proceeds from our much-loved selves must be good for us. But God had never made man's belly to be satisfied with the husks which the swine do eat. Man's heart and mind were made by God to find in Himself and in His service their refreshment, aliment, and strength. It was not on that side that God would, or with any moral propriety could, turn from the natural and established order of things. He could not meet lusts, though He could and would meet guilt, misery, and sin.
But these gods of old were none of them pictured as having even a single trait of Deity, as a Christian has been taught it. There was no proper eternity connected with them-no omniscience-no omnipotence-no moral character-no, not so much as is found even in a good man. But abominable passions and lusts in all of them, and all subject to Fate.
The gods of the heathen now-a-days are no better: gods that may be whipped, and gods whose pictures, according to the accounts given by their worshippers, are more like him that was a murderer and a liar from the beginning, than aught else. And how could it be other-wise. When fallen man sets to to make for himself a god, he is out of his own place, and human wisdom and energy can do no more here than they could if man attempted to add new suns and moons to the firmament. What divine glory could there be in the gods which the fathers served that were on the other side of the flood? (Josh. 24:1515And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)). What the worthiness of all the strange gods which Jacob hid under the oak in Shechem (Gen. 35:44And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. (Genesis 35:4)), in order that God, the living God, might not see them? What the value of all the gods of Egypt (Ex. 12:1212For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. (Exodus 12:12)), against whom the Lord did execute judgment? And, alas! what a picture of man's folly does the first commandment contain (chap. 20, ver. 4-5)! And the molten calf (chap. 30), with Israel's burst of joy, "These be thy gods, O Israel, that brought thee up out of the land of Egypt!" How does it all-as well as their two calves afterward, with their tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of their god Remphan-how does it all proclaim the utter madness and folly of man as to God, when he acts for and from himself, and is not guided by revelation. When man makes a god for himself, whence can he draw his pattern, save from creation around him; from his own imaginings, or from Satan? God, the true God, cannot be the wisdom or power to aid man thus to dishonor Him, and to degrade himself. In point of fact, man has always drawn base picturings for his gods, from the cravings of his own desires and will; and, I doubt not but that the enemy has been constantly there to aid him in so doing. What suits his purpose better than that man should deify his love of wealth (or covetousness)-his love of power-his love of fleshly gratification, than by making gods for them in the heavens: thus man dishonors the true God, degrades himself by deifying his own lusts and passions, and puts himself, in spirit, under the power of Satan. He has made a religion of his own lusts and passions, and has bound himself with it. The words, " worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed forever " (Rom. 1:2525Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (Romans 1:25)): " and whose god (is their) belly, and (whose) glory (is) in their shame, who mind earthly things (Phil. 3:1919Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) (Philippians 3:19)), are remarkable.
That evil spirits have sway over men, there can be no doubt: the words "The rulers of the darkness of this world" (21, 22), and " Ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. (chap. 2 ver. 2), would suffice to prove it; but the truth is proved by passages innumerable besides these.
And the way, too, these enemies act upon man, is shown (chap. 2 ver. 3): " Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were, by nature, the children of wrath, even as others." That is-they act through the lust of the flesh, leading us to fulfill the desires of the flesh and the mind.
It is a great truth that Satan could get no hold of our blessed Lord, because He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and had a will and purpose to be obedient in all things. And when led up to be tempted of Satan in the wilderness, this was fully evidenced. We, on the contrary, have, besides the new nature, the old one too; and we need to be put on our guard, lest the enemy should act upon it in its deceitful lusts and passions, and so lead us off our high and holy ground of being, and being able to show that we are in the Lord, and have the power of His might.
It may be said: " But in Christendom we have no false Gods, which are deifications of evil human passions." Be it so. Yet this same principle may be present, only a little more artfully covered over. It has been said, that the Papal system is so arranged, that you may be and do anything you please in it, if you will but belong to it. I know not how far this is true; but, certainly, in the variety of its orders and classes, as presented, there does seem a path prepared for all the various conceits and fancies of the fallen human mind. In principle, the thing is clearly done in the Papal system: for the poor, fallen, though blessed, Virgin Mary, is set, by, that system, as the person to whose human affections we can appeal-whose human affections and thoughts sway the Lord Jesus and God. In the patron saints, too, and the position in which a devout Romanist finds himself before them, the same may be seen. And have we not, nearer home, all around us, systems of religion so framed as to shut out the free influence of God's truth, and to hinder and to prevent the Spirit. The national system is the sanction of this world in every way. Membership with it, and separation from the world, cannot possibly co-exist. The most that a member of it can do, is to judge his own heart and mind, and see that inwardly he does not love too much that world which, though it crucified Christ, is an integral part of His church. I know that dissent is upon a narrower, more separative, principle; but, practically, it is based upon the world, and shuts out the truth of God's church and of the Spirit, and sanctions this present evil world. I do not speak of what these Protestant systems were at the first, when the fresh energy of the Spirit of God was at work; but what they have now practically become in man's hand.
Again: as to the ruling of the darkness of this world; it is said to be under these wicked spirits who are on high. If I look at nations, as contrasted one with another, and at their chief cities, not in the point of Christlessness and Godlessness, in which, as being of this present evil world, they have a common agreement; but, as contrasted one with the other, I seem to learn something which is in accordance with our subject. There are such things as national peculiarities. A mass of Italians, and a mass of French, and a mass of English, would require very different modes of handling to rouse them up, and to work them. And this, not only because of the present differences of their present respective circumstances, but because also of constitutional difference, and difference of tastes.
If there be an evil spirit that watches over martial glory, one can well suppose it to be the one whom the French speak as (the deification of their own pride) "La gloire." If there be one evil spirit more than another that watches over and cherishes commerce, one can well suppose it to be the one of whom the English speak (embodiment of their love of money), as commercial prosperity. Petersburg, Rome, Paris, London, may each have its own distinctive peculiar trait. Each has one most surely; and how are these connected. On the one hand, with the lust of the flesh and mind of the citizens of these places; and, on the other, with distinctive powers of darkness on high. The darkness of the order of the world in France has been ruled by Glory; and the darkness of the world in England has been ruled by Commercial Prosperity. An idea, or, some one that presented an idea has ruled Russia since the days of Peter the Great, and, perhaps, will rule it still onwards; for He that marked, in prophetic history, a sphere for the King of the North, for Gog and for Magog, for Tubal and Meshech, is above all the powers of darkness; and the Prince of the kingdom of Persia, who withstood Daniel. (chap. 10 ver. 13) has his counterpart in the North; and yet, opposing as he may be, he cannot prevent all things subserving God's counsels.
Now, the exhortation to us is to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might." To stand upon the defensive, as being in Christ; and, when attacked, to stand fast, to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.
Now, in order to do this the first of all things is to have the affections of my heart, and the thoughts of my mind in the light. That so everything that rises may be measured and judged ere it be accredited. Observe it: the issues from, the heart and mind have to be judged. The entire badness of the flesh in itself has been taken for granted; the world has been stamped as the scene of the adversary's power; the new man has been created, and all its springs are from above. But as standing down here upon earth, the soldiers of the Lord, the issues of our hearts and minds have to be judged.
If I stand fast in the Lord and use the power of his might-I know where, and what, and who I am as so placed, and what manner of life here below it is which becomes such a one. The issues from heart and mind are not to be of the flesh, and according to the world and the spirit of darkness, but of the Holy Spirit and according to the truth. Nothing can guard my heart and mind as a child of God, and a member of Christ, but the indwelling of that truth in my soul, by the Spirit of God, which has made me such.
We see then that we have a conflict -have to wrestle; that there is methodical order in him against whom we have to wrestle; accusation is his mode of work-as well as wrestling. Accusation had to be met against Israel in the days of Balaam (Num. 22-24), against Job in his days-against saints of another class, too (Rev. 12). All that the adversary can find in that which issues from a heavenly member of a risen Christ which is not according to the believer's place in the Lord, and according to the power of His might—becomes the ground of accusation. The effort on the enemy's part is, to stir up the old man in us, to get us occupied with it, to lead us to act upon it; and. to do this, he tries to hide the truth from us, to keep us from it, from living upon it. Our wrestling is to abide in the Lord and in the power of His might. We see, too, that there is a connection between powers of darkness on high and the order-holders of the darkness of this age. But the darkness of this age is but the sanctioned systematized wickedness of the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life-systematized by certain principalities and powers, and sanctioned by men.
And who but God can cause Christ to dwell thus in our hearts by faith, the center of all our thoughts and desires, the one from whom we have the Spirit abiding, and hidden in whom we are the subjects of the action of the Spirit who worketh in us.
According to the measure which the saint has of the preciousness of this epistle to the Ephesians, will be his measure of the importance attached to this walk. The glory and honor of God in the Lord Jesus Christ are deeply concerned in our walk down here. It was, if I may so say, the practical obedience of the Ephesians, which was the open window that let all the flood of light about the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, shine in. God and the Father in all the bright counsels and plans about His Son the Lord Jesus Christ and the heavenly bride, never so revealed Himself to a disobedient and gainsaying people. For, while the obedience in us Christians is the occasion of receiving fuller light, the goodness of God himself is the alone cause of the revelation of Himself. What a contrast, in this respect, between this epistle, in which the full unhindered play of God's truth and light and love is found, and the first epistle to the Corinthians, where fleshly disorder had to be corrected, or the epistle to the Galatians, in writing which Paul's spirit seems to have been straitened in him through the darkness among them, which had led them to grope after another foundation than Christ, and another energy than the Holy Ghost. The testimonies for God of the two masses, that at Ephesus and that among the Galatians, how contrasted! And how contrasted, too, (while each was perfect and gracious in its place), the two letters of Paul to the Ephesians, and Paul to the churches which are in Galatia!
Warfare may, as man speaks, be of two kinds;-it may be offensive, or it may be defensive merely. In the case of Israel it was offensive; for they had to be aggressive on the flesh and blood that were in the land, to drive them out of the Lord's inheritance. For us the warfare, as here presented at least (in other places, where the question is of carrying the testimony forward and planting the truth in parts where it was not before, it may be looked at in another aspect, but here the warfare), is defensive; we are to stand fast, to withstand, and having done all, to stand. For it is not for us to take possession by violence of the heavenly places, much less is it for us to think of ejecting thence the wicked spirits: they will be ejected hereafter, as we are told in the twelfth chapter of the Revelations. The Lord, when He has risen up from the right hand of God, where He now sits, and when they have overtly shown out their nature and works more fully and more openly than they have as yet,-the Lord will drive them out and their places shall be found no more in the heavens. But now we are the objects of assaults from them, and we must be prepared to resist and to wrestle. The call to us here is, not to mortify the flesh with its affections and lusts. That would suit very well other epistles and places, in which man as a sinner is being treated of; but in this epistle 'tis the Christian as partaker of the new nature, enjoying it and acting in it, which is the subject; and, consistently herewith, not the danger of the flesh of itself breaking loose, is treated of, but the danger of assaults upon it, efforts to stir it up, so as to hinder the right and true display of Christ in us,-efforts by spiritual wickedness on high. That there is that which is common between fallen flesh and blood and these wicked powers has been shown, and may be seen in another way, too, viz., in the different ways in which the evil is met in various epistles. If the evil power of the flesh in itself has to be met, then the cross is thrust before us-we are reckoned to be crucified, dead, and buried, together with Him. But if, on the other hand, as here, the question is of that which ever is on the watch to take occasion of the old nature in us, then the evil principalities, the order-rulers of the darkness of this world; whom Christ has overcome (Col. 2:1515And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)), though they are now still found antagonistically agonizing against His glory in us, is referred to. The immense importance of seeing this, may be easily realized by the effects of the revelation to us (in Gen. 3) of a master-mind as the one that ruined man: and by such revelations as are found elsewhere (as in Zech. 3:1,21And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? (Zechariah 3:1‑2); and in Job 1 and 2; Matt. 4, &c.) The discovery that it is not merely man, set loose from God through sin, that is wandering, he knows not where, but that there are master-spirits who can play with him, and mislead him by his own lusts and passions-this discovery puts man's position in quite another light to him. And to us it is known, that these regulators for the present of wickedness are all conquered-and are under the power of Him that conquered. Such a thought helps one to cease from oneself, and to look on high, where they, that deal contemptuously enough down here, are seen in their true light; seen too, as not so much our enemies as His; and already, though still allowed to show their active opposition to Him and His glory, they are shown there to be already condemned. Oh, that the glory of God and the honor of our Lord Jesus Christ lay a little nearer to our hearts, were a little more visible in our minds, how would it simplify ten thousand difficulties; how would it set our hearts free and happy, yet in care-fullness and watchfulness too,-lest His name, whom we love, should be blasphemed through us!
The whole context (ver. 10 to 20.) is in character ex-hortative: therefore, it has to do with practical conduct in us, and so it connects us with the government of God exercised over a people whom He has already saved. Now, as to such, there is a judgment exercised by God according as they fulfill their service or not. The judgment upon the service is not stated here, nor entered into the least, because the Spirit is occupied with the armor, as the provision of love divine for the service.
In handling the various parts of the panoply of God, most writers seem (to me at least), to have taken the subject too abstractedly, and to have viewed the various parts of it too much apart from the light peculiar to the epistle itself. Alas! we are, all, and always, too prone to bring our own thoughts into a text, or to find them in it, than to find and deduce from it that which God has put therein. Truth may be looked at as emanating from God, the expression of certain glory which is in Him-full of privilege and blessing to him that meekly receives it, and it may be looked at as connected with the people to whom it comes according to their needs and wants.
So far as I see, the cloth is shown to us on both its sides in this epistle. What truth more glorious as to God than the revelation of " the church-the fullness of Him that filleth all in all?" That is one side. The other is the suitability of this truth (that " the church is the fullness of Him that filleth all in all,") to carry the believer, who walks in the Spirit, right through the wilderness aright. This armor is but the application to the believer, while in the place of conflict, of the precious truth of the earlier chapters. The girdle of truth; the breast-plate of righteousness; the preparation of the gospel of peace (for the feet); the shield of faith; the helmet of salvation• and the sword of the Spirit; are found in a heavenly 'Isaac's tent, and nowhere else. We must not treat of them abstractedly, as though they were by origin ours and not God's, nor may we think of the panoply otherwise than as God's panoply for that body which is the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. It is a complete suit of armor, and is of God's providing. The figure of "girded loins" to express readiness for, and strength in, service is modern as well as ancient, and quite common in scripture. Truth is the girdle. That is truth, the truth. The truth, too, of the glorious revelation contained in this very epistle is to be our readiness and strength in service. When truth sits close in upon the hidden man of the heart, so it always is. When the gracious, glorious heavenly revelations of this epistle are our girdle, they (not only discover all that in one aspect of it is leanness, our leanness, what else have we of our own, but they) are the power of an entirely new judgment of things; we that are thus girded are the members of the heavenly family of God-Christ is to be the first-born among many brethren. Nothing is more complete strength against the enemy, nothing is a more powerful answer to a lust of the flesh or mind, than the present privilege, calling and hope that belongs to us. Should such a man as I flee? (Neh. 6:1111And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. (Nehemiah 6:11).) Darkness is detected by light; error by truth; truly so: but truth is also the girdle of our loins-that which gives us readiness and strength to meet all the assaults of the foe; to stand in patience and endure the conflict, and to be found in peace when the conflict is over.
We have thoughts and affections, and that, too, as good men, which sometimes need the girdle, that is, we are not always abiding in the light of divine counsel and love (see Paul, 2 Cor. 12). But in the measure in which I act upon the truth of my being a heavenly man, a member of that body of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the glorious Head, a Son of God-in that measure I get a new canon, a new rule of walk; and we have power to walk in it. A perfect rule of walk is quite separable from perfect keeping of that rule of walk in all details. The believer has, and it is a marvelous statement, no less a principle, motive, rule, or end of walk, than had the blessed perfect Son of Man when He was in the world. This is proved most abundantly by Scripture: "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (See also chap. 17) The Lord's walk was perfect in every detail,-no failure; all perfection. Paul could exhort us to follow him as he followed Christ-but while no other path, or principle, or kind of walk than Christ's was Paul's, or is ours-we do fail; and, practically, our own walk is not perfect. The blessed Lord came forth in His own perfect strength—though, in servant-character,-obedient unto death, the death of the cross-our standing is in Him who has been crucified, dead, and buried, but is now alive again from the dead. Thus our life is a life of dependence upon Him, but a life which is not other than His own-for He is our life-and it is a life which knows, here below on the earth, no other principle or rule of walk than was His when here below, of complete perfect subjection and obedience. It is clear that the same principle may regulate two minds whose duties and actions will differ, because their positions are different. Implicit obedience is the principle, as much of a lieutenant as of the least sailor-boy in a ship. But the actions and duties of the two differ, because their positions differ. The Son of God was, as Son of man, obedient unto death, the death of the cross, and that too a most peculiar cross; for there He bore our sins in His own body on the tree., I have to stand in the effects of the work which He wrought and accomplished; and to be obedient to God in the path wherein He leads me, as thus saved by grace. Lo! I come to do Thy will oh God-the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it. "If truth is the rule of a heart: error has no power against it; simply because that heart is under the rule of truth, and error is not truth."
The reference to preparedness for service and preparedness to use all the strength which we possess comes naturally before the mention of all armor. "If any man will do His will he shall know, etc." And "thou has a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name" teach us, in principle, this. What use is armor to him who does not mean to fight, has no purpose of heart to do the best he can? The girdle, therefore, is named rightly before the rest. With armor or without armor, the girdle has its place and its value.
Clothed with the breastplate of righteousness. If, in the human body, the head be most exposed in conflict (as, indeed, it is); yet, in a soldier, the body is the more likely part to be wounded. For this (as also for the head) there is the suited weapon of defense: the breastplate of righteousness. Upon the force of this righteousness, I would remark, that man-placed upright and able to meet every just claim-in the garden of Eden-has so acted as to betray his inheritance to Satan; he took place under Satan to share his fortunes and lot. But God saw, in the riches of His grace, an alternative open to Him, and that was, that His own Son should redeem the inheritance, and identify the believer with Himself. So the gospel now sets forth.
But, in the wonders of the Way in which God has wrought, His righteousness comes out most marvelously; a righteousness which is the expression of God's just appreciation of, as He counts it, the person and work of the Lord Jesus. His Son came forth as Son of Man, and was rejected by man, by all men, as under Satan. As sin-bearer, He was allowed to bear sin in His own body on the tree. God would show forth what Heavenly mercy and grace could do; and the Son willingly took His part in the work. But it was justice not only to judge the Sin-bearer, but also to honor the Servant (who, though Son had done such service). Now in the expression of that part of the divine justice, Christ not only got a place in heavenly glory, as Son of Man,-but a glory attached to Him in it which identified, divinely and inseparably, with Himself, those that believe in Him. It is most just. For if He bare the penalty of my sins, I should never bear it myself. Yea, and more than this; for, one with Him, I am necessarily accepted in the Beloved. This is my righteousness-divine righteousness. I have a connection, through faith as the means, but in the Spirit, with Christ the Head, which connection demands and secures blessing on me from a righteous God. I am in Him, and am so blessed: graced in the beloved: looked at by God as a member of Christ, as one of that family circle in which He is the First-born among many brethren. Vast is this privilege. But not only is it thus, but further: He is by the Spirit in me. Not two, but one. So that there is a practical consequence attendant upon the blessing, even righteousness and true holiness. The righteousness of the breastplate, what is it, here, but that marvelous blessing of recognized fellowship with Christ the Head, referred to at the close of the first chapter. But if I know that God has made me to be a member of His family, an individual item in the body of which Christ is Head-and that God owns it in heaven (as in chap. 1), and presents it to our faith and intelligence, then, most surely, must I, down here, count myself so too, and practically endure the present consequences of the blessing. I can thus sanction nothing in my walk which would be unworthy of fellowship with Christ in the Spirit.
3. As an effect of this, the feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Christ is my peace before God. He speaks peace to my soul. His word is peace I peace to him that is nigh, and to him that is afar off, too. God is the God of peace. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." "Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all."
Faith in a heavenly Christ, glorified on high, gives a peace that passeth all understanding to the soul in the presence of God and man; and a heavenly, spirit-led, Nazarite passes through a desert world with foot unhurt, unweary,-he is withdrawn from minding earthly things by possession of a better portion, he can yield to the worldly that which they seek; and if there is contention, it is for the truth. But I would ask, how far does want of peace, as one passes through the earth, argue and prove the soul to be out of communion with its heavenly stores?
Next comes, "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked [one]."
The expression "above all" might, in English, mean either " over all these" (forenamed parts of the armor), or "above all things." In the Greek, it does not mean the latter. It is an expression marking accumulation, addition, besides or in addition to; it might also be rendered with a view to all these, or dependent upon all these. I may remark that there seems to be more of individual energy marked in, the expression " taking the shield"- in order to meet the fiery darts, than at first sight may appear. Being girt, or having girded oneself, about with truth, and being clothed, or having clothed oneself, with the breastplate, and been shod, or having shod oneself, with the' preparation of the gospel of peace-then we have to take up, or take into our own hands, the shield of faith. The expression, "take into your own hands," is correct, because the idea which is sought to be communicated is that of appropriation for personal use; even in order individually to resist the fiery darts, etc. Of shields, there were two, the thureos, or large oblong shield, here referred to; and the aspis, or round shield.
The shield of a faith, which comes in, in addition to girded loins, cuirassed bosom, and shod feet, marks with emphasis [just as does, indeed, the use to which the shield is put] that it is faith exercised during the life of the believer, which is the subject. From the hour that we know that God has given to us eternal life, and that this life is in His Son; from that hour, we know that we live by faith, and that all our life here below is one of death and resurrection: for we have the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God that raiseth the dead. The practical power to do this develops itself as we go on. The babe in Christ has less of it than the young man, and the young man less of it than the father in Christ. Father is not more saved, or more safe, than babe, 'tis clear; but in the practical power of walking by faith, there is growth; and yet all have the power in principle: for other life of Christ is there none other than this life of dependence. Readiness and purpose to serve-full instruction in the fellowship which we have in the righteousness of God in Christ-in principle and in practice-peace of heart, leading to peace of ways, expose us to assaults from the foes of Christ. But he that knows himself to be indeed one with Christ, sees a father's heart glowing in the Father of the Lord Jesus towards himself, he has the secret of shelter for his joy. All divine counsel rolls around Christ. Christ's glory is the end which God proposes. The believer is inseparable from it, and knowing this, has power to receive and ward off the fiery darts of the wicked one. Man's flesh, when at work, is like dough-air rising, ere it is fully leavened. Bubble of paste rises after bubble of paste, and swells and bursts, pouring forth its air. But a believer's heart may be there, and kept there through faith, and then all that is evil in the flesh will be judged in principle, and all practically set aside, with Faith's motto-" Crucified, dead, and buried, together with Christ." The fiery darts of the wicked one are not the belchings forth of the law of sin and death in our members, to which I have adverted. But they are rockets fired at us by the wicked one-which is quite another thing. The law of sin is in my members: if I go into the way of evil, I tempt Satan rather than he tempts me. He may come and tempt me on the principle of the flesh, if I be idle, and go not forth to the war at the time that the King's sons usually go forth. But a fiery dart-a dart carrying fire-is quite another thing to a mere hurt, and it is launched, in the case before us, by the wicked one, and against us. If we may believe some heretics and schismatics, a sudden and bright luminous thought was the beginning of their course. They judged it to be of God. The denial of the grace, or the holiness, or the truth of the Gospel, led others to suppose it was of Satan-a fiery dart-that set them on fire. Blessed be God! He has said whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. The light of heaven has truth, righteousness, and grace always in it. The light of the enemy is often only one element, so exaggerated as to displace the other two: and it has thus proved to be not of God. But practical dependance upon God tries all things, discerns and judges all things: tests all things by its congruity or want of congruity, before God, with Christ. And dependance upon God, the shield of faith, can receive upon it and quench all such fiery darts, be they great, or be they little. But it needs practical faith to walk thus.
The flesh works most with the carnal Christian. The darts are aimed at the soldier on service.
5.-The next word is- "And receive the helmet of salvation." It is a different word in Greek- "receive ", "accept what is offered" (v. 17), from the word "take to yourself " (v. 16). The complete deliverance from evil, and the complete introduction into blessing, seems to me the force, here, of" salvation." According to the epistle before us, both of these are ours already, and known to us as ours; and, as righteousness covers and protects the seat of our affections, so does perfect salvation shelter the head or seat of intelligence and thought. As a man naturally clothes himself in his armor ere he dons the helmet, so also there is spiritual propriety in the place and order in which this truth is here introduced to us. Next, we have-
6.-[And receive] the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
None but God himself can fully appreciate or use perfectly aright the things of God. The Lord Jesus on high applies that sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, to the hearts of heavenly worshippers (Heb. 4.12,13). He uses it for God among the churches, and among them that have an ear to hear (Rev. 2 and 3). To them that are strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might, this sword is put into their hands. They need to remember that it is the sword of another, and that they must use it according to His exercise, and under Him: but, like as Goliath's sword was to David, and in an hour of distress he said, " there is none like that; give it me" (1 Sam. 21.9); so is this sword of the Spirit to a believer. It has quite a history of its own; and its being ready provided for his hand is a very history in itself: and to him it is not said, as to David, "If thou wilt take that, take it," but "receive ye the sword of the Spirit."
I should limit my thoughts here by the position in which the epistle views the soldier. In the temptation in the wilderness, the sword of the Spirit which the Captain of Salvation himself used, was used defensively, as parrying the assaults of the adversary, and driving him from the attack. Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be exposed there to the aggressive attacks of the foe. He was there tried in every way, and He was found to be that which He assuredly was, "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners." But He showed the power of the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. "IT IS WRITTEN," was his answer to every assault. He kept the perfect servant-place and character, though He was personally Lord and God. And He there showed the almighty eternal temper of the weapon. Satan can do naught against any one that is sheltered in intelligence, subjection, and obedience to God. If he could, he would be more than God; and God's character would not be that which it is, nor His way such as it is, to honor those that honor Him.
As a man, I may well pray " Lead us not into temptation;" but, as a saint, I may also well say " Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations" (James 1:22My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (James 1:2)). As soldiers of Christ, the Lord's battles are all of them ours; and we have to endure hardness as the good soldiers of Jesus Christ.
May we know how to act in the Lord, and in the power of His might; that so, not our poverty, but the ethereal, divine perfectness of the weapons wherewith we are armed may be made apparent.
7.-Lastly, we have the individual tone and the individual connection with the Church Militant, marked in the final exhortation-All-prayer.
" 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 bonds: that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak."
Praying: "praying always" marks the moral position of dependance; "with all prayer and supplication", shows its fervency; "in the spirit," marks its tone.
And the extent of range: first-"for all saints"; and, secondly-for the outwardly embarrassed, but heaven-sent and heavenly sustained, servants of the gospel upon earth is to be noticed, viz.: I, however little I be-however little known to the saints-my name, perhaps, unheard of by the Lord's servants in the work of the gospel and the truth in the Church Militant upon earth-I am one of them, and I have to resist as one of them as one that has an interest in them all, and the work which God is doing through them and among them; and they all have a place in my heart* and I in theirs.
The heart and mind are found at various times, in various states and circumstances; but "praying always with all prayer" takes in every state of experience. We can empty our hearts out with all that's in them, though we may then have to add a "nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt," which the Perfect One added (Matt. 26:3939And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39)), though His servant Paul forgot to do so (2 Cor. 12:88For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. (2 Corinthians 12:8)). We can pray, when we do not know what to pray for (as in Rom. 8:26, 2726Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26‑27)). And we can pray in the Holy Ghost, knowing at the very time that we have the petitions from Him, and shall receive the answers in due season (as Dan. 9, etc.).
It is in weakness that we find strength made perfect: but it is also (as is seen in this contest) in strength being made perfect in us, that we realize and learn the weakness, yea, the nothingness of what we are in ourselves.
A faithful, victorious servant knows his own dependance and weakness better than any other one.
Mail'd in armor, heavenly bright,
Strong in Him, whose grace is might;
Faint not, little doth remain
Of the drear campaign.