The last time we were here, we were in Ephesians 6 and we want to continue that study on the whole armour of God. We looked at three verses and touched on a few things in verse 10, that is, it is the Lord’s power and His might. It is His might and His power. We do not do anything in and of ourselves, in our own power. We have no power, in that aspect. It is all the Lord. He is the One that does everything.
In Ephesians 6:11, we see this phrase, “put on the whole armour.” You see, “the whole armour” is one piece, just one piece. You cannot just have this part and that part, and that is it. It is not like that, because the “whole armour” is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is. We are going to see this. He is everything that is involved with this “armour” that God tells us about. We know that Satan’s major attack against the believers or against people in general is lies. He works through lies; the “wiles of the devil” is deceit.
We talked a little bit about wrestling against flesh and blood. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but it is against principalities and powers; it is a spiritual battle. We talked about being in this particular army, and we got there by looking at Ezekiel 37, and the army “stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.” If you are in the army, you need a leader. The leader in this army is the Lord Jesus Christ. We looked at Him as “Captain of the LORD’S host.”
We are going to move on and look at Ephesians 6:13, where He is saying:
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We will take a look at this, the first part of the whole armour of God, the word “whole.” This word is being used as meaning “everything” or “all” or “everyone.”
For example, let us take a look at Matthew 8:32:
And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
Now this word “whole” encompasses that all of them did this. So when we looked at this word, the “whole armour,” we saw that it was everything. It was one piece of armour. It was one piece of armour because the Lord Jesus encompasses the “whole armour of God.”
As a matter of fact, in the phrase, “the whole armour of God,” we do not find one word without the other word in these particular verses here. He uses “the whole armour of God,” so it is not like you can put on part of it and not have the other part. It is not like that. This encompasses everything.
One more example is Ecclesiastes 12:13:
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Do you see how the word “whole” encompasses everything? “This is the whole duty of man.” This is “the conclusion of the whole matter.”
There are other verses that I have here, but due to the time that we have, I want to try to get some more things in. But you can look this word “whole” up to get a sense of how God uses this word.
So let us go back to Ephesians 6:13:
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Now this word “withstand” is only translated right here as “withstand.” In some other places, it is translated as “withstood.” But the major word that is used is “resist.”
We will look at a couple verses, beginning at 1 Peter 5:9, which says:
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
But the verse before this, 1 Peter 5:8, says:
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Now our adversary is the devil. He is the one that attacks the believer. He already has those who are not believers. So he is our adversary. But we do not really deal with him. The Lord deals with him. We do not have any power in this area. The Lord deals with him, regardless of what anyone else may tell you.
The word “resist” that is used in 1 Peter 5:9 is translated as “withstand” in Ephesians 6:13. But I do not think that the word “withstand” gives the full flavor. It does not bring out what needs to be brought out.
Those of you who like to do word studies, maybe you could do a word study on that word. But in James 4, God does the same thing again. In James 4, He tells us about this particular word. In James 4:7, He says:
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
You have to understand that this is speaking of a saved individual. This person here that we are talking about, the one who is in this army, the one who has the armour on, that person is a saved individual.
Are we to withstand in the “evil day” or resist? And what is this “evil day”? We have to look at it together. What is this “evil day”? Is it Judgment Day? I do not think so. I do not think that this could be Judgment Day. I think that when we put James 4 in here and we see that it is telling us, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” that this is referring to temptation. The “evil day” for the believer is when you are tempted, and the victory is when you do not succumb to this evil desire that may come to you.
Whatever the temptation is, it is going to hit you. Oh, it is going to hit you at home. It is going to hit you where you do not think anyone else knows about it. And God allows this. He allows this to happen. He allows this temptation to come into your life so that you will be a stronger soldier, a stronger Christian. This will draw you closer to the Lord.
So when you get that victory, it may be this day or that day or whatever day it happens, and if you do not succumb to it, you are going to be a happy person because you know that you have pleased the Lord. No one else will probably even know about it, but you can rejoice and rejoice. You can rejoice at whatever it is.
So when temptations come your way and you resist that temptation, rejoice. Rejoice! People do not have to see you rejoicing. They might ask you, “Well, why are you like this or are not like that other?” Because if you can, share it. You can share this, but what I am saying here is that this word “withstand” should have been translated “resist.” And this “evil day” would have to be the temptation. I invite you to do a word study on this, but this is what I came up with.
Ephesians 6:13 continues:
…and having done all, to stand.
Now this word “stand,” just to read this, it looks like it is a word that is being used to indicate that you can stand up if you want to; you can stand up. But we are talking about spiritual things now, so let us look at Romans 14 and let us see what God has to say about how He uses this word “stand.”
In Romans 14:4 He says:
Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
This is the same word that He is using in Ephesians 6. See, God is the One who causes us to stand. You see, we do not stand on our own. He keeps us from falling. This reminds me of the verse that says, “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling.”
So God is the One. It is Him holding us up. He is the One who causes us to “stand.” We do not take any credit for this, “Oh, I am a big shot. I can do this or I have done that or I have done the other thing.” It does not work like that.
Turn to 2 Corinthians 1, and we will continue to look at this word “stand.” 2 Corinthians 1:24 says:
Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
First of all, we know that it is not our faith that causes us to “stand.” We “stand” in Christ’s faith. Do you see how this points back to the Lord? Everything that we look at here, it is all pointing right back to the Lord. It has taken us out of the picture.
We will look at one more. Let us look at Colossians 4:12:
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Do you see how God uses this word “stand”? I have a couple more, but when you do your word study, you can find all of the places where this word is used and how it is used. Then you can get the flavor of how God is using this word “stand.”
So let us go back to Ephesians 6, because now it is all pointing to Christ. He says in Ephesians 6:14:
Stand…
Now this is the same word again. It continues:
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
“Having your loins girt about with truth;” we are going to take a look at this. This is our first piece of armour here, if we can say it like that.
Now let us take a look at Luke 12:35, where He says:
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
“Your lights burning.” We are studying the words, “loins girt about.” But, you see, this is how we find out what it means. What does it mean to have your “lights burning”? This means to share the Gospel. When we share the Gospel with someone else, this is what happens.
When we have our “loins girt about with truth,” we are going to find out who “truth” is. When you gird up yourself, you are ready; you are ready to move this way or to move that way. So wherever you go, you want to share the Gospel. You want to be ready to share God’s Word with someone. This is what He is telling us here. This is one of the things that we do in His army; we do this. And so we share the truth of the Gospel, the Lord Jesus. He is truth.
But before we look at the word “truth,” we are going to look at this word “girt.” Let us look at Revelation 1:13, where it says:
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
So the Lord Jesus is “girt about the paps,” and He has this “golden girdle.” The fact that it is “girt” means that it is pulled tightly so that He can get from one place to the other. This is like a metaphor. I mean, He does not really need this, but this is a description of the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God. He describes Him in the next verse, in Revelation 1:14:
His head and his hairs were white like wool…and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Now let us take a look at Luke 17:8. We are looking at this word “girt.” These series of verses here or this parable that God is telling us about in these series of verses contradicts a doctrine that is going around through the churches that says that you can receive a reward when you get to Heaven, and this doctrine gets into crowns and things like that. But this parable right here refutes that all together. Starting in verse 7, we read in Luke 17:7-10:
But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, …
That is the word that we are looking at. It continues:
…and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Now we are not really talking about the crowns and things like that, but this parable right here with this word “girt” in it tells us somewhat about the doctrine that is going around that says that we can receive rewards and crowns and different things like that. And this is horrible! It is a horrible doctrine, because nobody is reading this. Nobody is reading this here. The Lord is telling us that we are only doing what we are supposed to do.
When the Lord opens your eyes to things like this, and this is just one little thing, there is a whole list of different false doctrines and different things like this; it is a whole list. And so, praise the Lord! He is still opening eyes.
Let us look at one more verse in 2 Kings 1:8. This is talking about Elijah:
And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
Now Elijah was a man of God. He preached the Word of God. So this is what we do when our lights are burning and we have our loins girded with truth. We are talking about the Lord Jesus. He is the One who we talk about. It is the Gospel of salvation. That is what we give out. And so, “loins girt about with truth” is talking about sharing the Gospel with other people. Be ready to share the Gospel with other people.
Now let us take a look at the “breastplate of righteousness” that is mentioned in Ephesians 6:14. Let us look at the word “righteousness” first.
Turn to Isaiah 59 and we will look at two verses. In Isaiah 59:16-17, He says:
And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.
Notice it is “His righteousness.” It is “His righteousness.” “His” who? The Lord Jesus, He is the King of Righteousness, because it cannot be our righteousness. As a matter of fact, let us just flip over to Isaiah 64, so that we do not go down the wrong trail here. In Isaiah 64:6, He says:
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
We have no righteousness in and of ourselves. As a matter of fact, if we think that we do, they are just “filthy rags.” The Lord is telling us this in Isaiah 64:6. Therefore, we have to be clothed in His righteousness, not our righteousness. We cannot stand before the Lord in our own righteousness, because if we do, we are not going to “stand.”
Now let us take a look at this “breastplate,” which is very interesting. Let us look at Exodus 28. God tells us some things about this “breastplate” that are very interesting. I will begin reading at verse 1. He says in Exodus 28:1-12:
And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together. And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold. And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
Now here we are looking at the ephod first, and this ephod has two stones: one on each shoulder, six names on each shoulder. Aaron is the high priest and he has these stones on his shoulders with the names of the children of Israel. Later on, we are going to see that each tribe has a name or each tribe has a stone and the stone is on the ephod.
Let us continue reading. It says in Exodus 28:13-15:
And thou shalt make ouches of gold; and two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches. And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
Wait a minute! This breastplate is a “breastplate of judgment”? Well, wait a minute! We are studying the “breastplate of righteousness.” So how can this be? How can this be? I mean it is only one breastplate but yet it seems like it was a “breastplate of judgment.”
Oh, now I see. Aaron is carrying this “breastplate of judgment” as he goes into the Holy of Holies on one day, the Day of Atonement. He goes in there with this “breastplate of judgment” on with my name on it, the Israel of God. And if you are saved, your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life before the world began.
So he is there standing before the Lord to be judged for my sin, for your sin, but when He comes out of there, it is no longer a “breastplate of judgment.” Now it is a “breastplate of righteousness,” but it is not my righteousness because I already know that all my righteousness is like “filthy rags.” Oh, but it is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now He sees us as being righteousness, but not in and of ourselves. It is only because of what Christ has done.
We are reading from the Old Testament, all the way back in Exodus, and this is salvation right here. And I did not realize this until I started studying it. I am studying the breastplate and I am all the way in the New Testament. Who is it that has the audacity to say that salvation is not in the Old Testament? It is right there. We just saw it, or the Lord allowed us to see it. The Lord has allowed us to see some things about this breastplate.
There are more things. For instance, there is a ring that God commands to be tied to the ephod and this ring is a gold ring; there is one on each side. There is also a chain that connects to the ring. It is like we are chained to the Lord. We cannot get away from Him. Once He has us, He has us. This is eternal security. And why is the ring made out of gold? Gold speaks of deity. We talked about this earlier today. One of the magi brought gold. He asked where the King of the Jews was, and then he gave Him a gift of gold. But this is a gold ring. It is just like a ring for those of us who are married. We have a gold ring. It has no beginning and it has no ending. He is a King, and this is His deity that He is talking about here.
All of these things represent the Lord Jesus Christ and how He has hidden His salvation in His Word. What a joy it is that the Lord allows us to see just a glimpse of truth, of a nugget of truth here and a nugget of truth there. Then we share it with someone so that they can look in God’s Word and find these same nuggets of truth.
We are going to close right here and the next time we will go on and look at some of the weapons of our warfare.