One great thing in Christianity is that it brings us back to God; not only that we have mercies from God, providential and the like, but we are brought to God. Towards the Jew God put a veil before His face, and He said, “I dwell in the thick darkness;” and once a year, on the day of atonement, the blood was sprinkled on the mercy-seat; but now, once and forever, sin is condemned in the sacrifice of Christ, and we are brought into the very presence of God. Good and evil being known, the question between good and evil had to be settled before God. The redemption of the cross brings us out of the evil-from all evil to Himself. God's Son suffered, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to God. The consequence of this is that the whole life of the Christian is to go on with God, every day becoming better acquainted with God, everything going on in the presence of God. All our ways are elevated by this. If but a servant, he not only serves his master but Christ; and therefore, if he has a froward master, he can serve him just the same, because it is Christ he serves. All the life of the Christian is perfect liberty, because he is in the presence of God. It is liberty from sin, from fear, from wrath. Children are to obey their parents in the Lord. The commonest things in life are raised in their character through service to Christ. The parent must not allow evil in the children, but “train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord;” and the master to the servant “must forbear threatening.” In virtue of our place before God, our liberty and happiness are as perfect and blessed now as they will be hereafter; only the body will be set right then.
Verse 10. After speaking of the common details of life, the apostle rises up to speak of the proper position of the Christian as such, free in all things, but also to be “strong in the Lord and in the power of his might;” and goes on to speak of the “whole armor of God.” We are supposed, though in conflict, to be in our, proper position of blessing with God, standing in the power of redemption, not having to get there. The warfare is to stand when there, and Satan's aim is to get us out of that place. There can be no conflict between us and God, but between us and the power of evil. There we are as being God's army. We are naturally under Satan's power, but redemption brings us into God's army. This was the position of Israel when warring with Amalek. They were on God's side, and He said He would have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
Christ's conflict in Gethsemane was quite another thing. He was enduring, but before accomplishing redemption. We have it through Christ, and now have to stand. God can never use our flesh, but Satan always can: there is the difference. The new nature Satan never can touch, but unjudged and undetected flesh he can, and cause one to fall. The first and last thing, that is, all through, as a question of power, is entire dependence. Satan will come in all manner of ways-worship, &c.-and if the flesh is not judged, he will deceive us by it. The thing is, we want the evil of the flesh detected by the word of God, and not by temptation. “The word of God is quick and powerful,” &c. There is no good in the flesh. This, when I see how bad my flesh is, casts me only on God, making me feel the need of dependence. With our Lord Jesus there was entire dependence, and this is the perfection of a man. With us how different it is! You know how many things you do of your own suggestion, not perhaps knowingly or willingly, but you are betrayed into it. “To stand against the wiles of the devil"-such is the use of the armor of God.
Christ has overcome, and therefore we have only to resist the devil, and he will flee. If we resist him, he knows he has met Christ, who has all strength against him, for he has vanquished him. The devil can never touch Christ in you, only the flesh; so, if there is a fall, it is a proof you were walking in the flesh. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood,” &c. The contrast here is between the conflict with men that Joshua led the children of Israel against: flesh and blood as man, not sinful flesh, is meant here. Now we are not fighting with men, but we are men, and fighting with all these mighty beings whose subtlety we are apt not to detect, because they are so elevated-against “principalities and powers, against the world-rulers” of this darkness; and Satan can easily overcome a man with his wiles if we are not found in the strength of Christ. I must have God's armor; man's armor, intellect, or power is nothing in conflict with Satan. Satan used his wiles to Christ, but He answered him with the word of God, and there was no power against that.
We must have the whole complete armor. If I have a breastplate but no helmet for my head, I am assailable at that point. If it is only a matter of theory with me, I shall forget my helmet; but if I am in the place of dependence, I shall feel my need of it, and take care to have it on. Independence makes us careless. If Satan can get a Christian to give an un-Christian testimony to the world, he is satisfied. If he can dim the heavenly testimony for Christ here, his object is gained. Christ was God's testimony here; we ought to be so now, and what Satan is striving at now is to dim it. “That ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,” &c. All this time is an evil day. Though there is darkness in the world, we ought to be light in it. There are peculiar days of evil heresy, infidelity, &c.; so to an individual there are peculiar season's of buffetings, tossings, exercises, evil days; but to stand is the great thing. We are sitting in unchangeable blessedness before God, but our position in this world is standing. So David sat before the Lord; yet he had to fight the battles of the Lord. Our salvation is complete and perfect, for we are set clown with Him who has by “one offering perfected for over them that are sanctified;” but we are standing in conflict, just as the poor man, out of whom Legion was cast, was sent back to his house to tell them how great things the Lord had done for him. His house (Gadarenes) would not have Him; and the world will not have us, but we are to be God's army in this world, and a witness to Him, though they will not have us.
It is a question of struggling against Satan, while having the flesh in us; therefore we need the “loins girt about with truth,” that is, the affections girt up by the power of truth, and not to have all hanging loosely about. It is not merely having and knowing truth that will do. If the loins are girt about with truth, if the heavenly calling has power over you, you cannot follow the world, your affections will be in heaven, and Satan can have no power with you. The “loins” are the reins, inward thoughts and feelings and affections of the man; all that is going on in the mind needs to be exercised in the truth, so as to be girt with it. I can never use truth but in the presence of God, because truth is light, and light makes manifest darkness. Man on a sick bed will show what is in his heart; there is reality, sincerity there, when brought into the presence of God, and abstracted from other things. There may have been much profession before, but nothing but what is real stands before God.
All the perfection of divine life in man we get in Christ, and He is our example. In having on the armor of God, we have on what Christ was and had: e.g., the “breastplate of righteousness.” All these things, which are ours in Christ, are to be applied to us. Take truth-Christ is the truth; righteousness-He is my righteousness; and it is here to be used for conflict against Satan, not for God but for practical power. I must have it before God first, or I shall not be able to contend with Satan. I am made righteous before God-that is a settled thing; and now I want all that Christ is and has been for my power against the enemy. If a man has a bad conscience, there can be no power against Satan; there must be “the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.” The loins must be girt with truth first, and then a man will walk as in the presence of God. There will be a savor of Christ's ways in his character. What a difference there is between a man walking before God, and one walking before men! What a trouble there is for a man walking before men to keep things straight! While one who is walking before God, though in the presence of men, can leave things quietly to God. The real difference between a mere profession of Christ and a Christian is just this.
“Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” This is not only having peace with God, but walking in the spirit of peace. There is sure to be peace in the spirit of a man who is girt about with truth, and walking in the power of true righteous ness. A man who has been walking with God many years will be more gentle with others than one who has just begun to know Him. He will not be raving and irritated at evil in another, for his own soul has tasted what the peace of God is, in walking with God in the power of it. Then suppose a man has all this on, there is the need of dependence. Independence is sin, and there is need, therefore, of always being in conflict, and having the undeviating confidence that God is for me.
The thing wanted, then, is the “shield of faith.” Satan comes and tempts me. Is God for you? How do you know? There are, of course, different kinds of temptations (not lusts, but) questions whether God is for me, come what will. Then the shield of faith is needed. Christ was in an agony in the garden, but He could say, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee"-on the cross, when He said, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” “But thou art holy.” God has this place, come what will: we are not to be afraid with any amazement. If Satan succeeds in terrifying a man, he flies, and there is no armor for the back. Of Saul David said, “the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away” (amongst the Philistines)-” the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” To Christ he threw a fiery dart when he said, “Cast thyself down;” are you quite sure God is for you? Cast yourself down, and try. No, Christ says, I know God is for me; I need not try. “It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” The dart is quenched by the word of God. If the dart of doubt or fear, &c., gets in, you have no power at all. The moment the heart gets troubled, remember, “if God be for us, who can be against us?” If thoughts arise about yourself, “If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” God is for us through all, even chastening. If there is an Achan in the camp, God says, I will not go out with you, and they are beaten by a very little city; but if God be for us, &c. The “shield of faith” is mentioned after the others, because there cannot be this lively faith (not the certainty of salvation here meant, but practical faith) if sin is allowed, and if the loins are not girt about with truth.
Recognize yourselves as a people connected with God in respect to this power that is in Him, that is faith. Moses might have reckoned on God through all the murmurings of the people, &c. All this is defensive armor, the “helmet of salvation” also. There is not a single blow aimed by the Christian warrior yet. What is the helmet? God has saved me, and will save me. “Goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell,” &c. It is a general, broad, full apprehension that through all God will be with me and for me-not only faith in the particular thing, and at the particular time, but as expressed in Romans 8, “Nothing can separate me from the love of God,” &c. Therefore I may lift up my head with joy.
Now I can use the word of God as the “sword of the Spirit;” now I can fight. We ought to be able to confound every enemy, not with man's wisdom, intellect, or understanding, but in the power of the Spirit. If men do not believe in it, I am not going to give up the sword of the Spirit because you do not think it will cut. I know it will cut, and therefore use it. There is a power and authority felt by the person who uses it. There must be a sense of dependence for this; and therefore prayer, the sense of dependence expressed, is needed-praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Of one it was said that he “labored earnestly in prayer for the saints.” This was because of the sense of the conflict from Satan going on with the saints; therefore is labor needed, “watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” If other things come in, I have no power to turn everything into prayer; therefore watching is needed. “Give yourselves to prayer,” you are in God's interests, connected with all saints, therefore pray for all saints. There is nowhere that conflict is so much felt as in prayer; that is where Satan desires to come in.
Verse 19. We want to be bold for God in such a world as this.
How far are you identified with Christ in the world? And are you careful to avoid everything that dishonors Christ? Whatever destroys Christ's character before men is really a fall; it may not be positively gross sin.