InPerspective

Harry Reeder: We now live to please the one who enlisted us. Forget the picture of Uncle Sam on the poster. There is the glorious picture of Jesus. I want you. The bloodhound of heaven, the Holy Spirit, tracked us down. And the message from heaven eventually got hold of our heart, and the Lord enlisted us into his army. That means being in his army, you are now called on a mission. We call it a great commission to go and make disciples of all the nations.

Guest (Male): Putting life in biblical perspective with Dr. Harry L. Reeder. This is in perspective, a radio and internet ministry of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. A good soldier follows orders issued by his superior officer. Ephesians chapter 6 issues this order from our divine commander in chief. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. We dare not fight this spiritual battle in our own strength, but rather in the strength, might, and power of the Lord. For this is the only path to victory over our spiritual adversaries. Stay with us as Dr. Reeder takes us to Ephesians chapter 6 for today's teaching, part 2 of the message, The Strength for the Battle.

Harry Reeder: Number five. The strength of God's might is found in Christ. General orders number one. The strength of the Lord is what we want. Be strong what? In the Lord and in the strength of his might. Be strong in the Lord. There's where our strength is. The Lord himself is the armory. We're going to get to the armor, but the Lord himself is the armory that we flee to. He is our strength. Take your Bibles and go back in Ephesians to chapter 1. This marvelous prayer of the Apostle Paul. There are 17 recorded prayers of Paul in his 13 epistles.

Look at this one in verse 15. For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you. What are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints?

And what is the Look at this word. What is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named not only in this age, but also in the one to come. Why is the power of God accessible and available? Because it is all found in Christ. And you are in Christ and Christ is in you.

Do you get the picture of what he's saying? There are just a couple of key things that I just read. The first one is this. In Christ is immeasurable power. Harry, is there enough power for the battle? The power in Christ. The strength of his might is immeasurable. What the Bible is trying to get across to us when it says that is this. If I'm going into the battle, let me just make this as plain as I can. I wish I had better powers of illustration, but if I'm dipping into the reservoir of the power of Christ in me and I'm in Christ and I take that power that is within me.

When I reach for that power in Christ to take it to myself, whatever it is I've brought to myself, the reservoir is not diminished one bit. It is immeasurable. When I was a kid, my dead used to work out a deal when he would sell insurance in the off season. He would work out a deal with people trying to get vacation time for us. And about the best we could come up with was a 2-day vacation somewhere. I never forget one of them. It was to Lake Lure, right outside of Asheville. Now Lake Lure is not on the beaten path anymore.

Now you got the Cove and everything else that everybody goes through, the country clubs in Waynesville and Sapphire Valley and Maggie Valley. But if you just get on an old 2-lane highway, Highway 64 where it unites with 74, you'll get to a little bend in the road called Lake Lure. And over to the side, you'll see at Lake Lure a beautiful little inn where we stayed for 2 days. And then next to that inn is an advertisement. Come see the bottomless pools. Ripley's Believe It or Not has authenticated these pools are bottomless. Okay. Now I'm perfectly aware Ripley is a liar, cuz there is no such thing as a bottomless pool.

But God is not a liar. God's power is unfathomable. It is bottomless. It is immeasurable. And no matter how much he assigns to you what he works in you, work out what God is working in you, no matter what it is, his power has not been diminished one bit, none at all. Now this power that's in Christ, how do I dip into it? Well, let me give you just a couple of things. The first thing is the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of the Holy Spirit. Take your Bibles and go with me, if you would, to Romans chapter 8.

Romans chapter 8. In Romans chapter 8, look at this marvelous statement. Verse 9. You however not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, all right? Here's Christ. I am in Christ. Christ is in me. Here is the power of the Lord, the strength of the Lord. If I am in Christ and Christ is in me, then what? Although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Now go back if you would to Ephesians chapter 1. Look at how these two come back together. I'm just doing a little work with you that normally I would try to do for you, but I want you to see it. Go back to that prayer. Go back there. Look with me in verse 19. What is the immeasurable greatness power toward us who believe according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.

When the Father raised his son from the dead, he did it with the strength of his might. Who is the strength of his might? The Holy Spirit. Romans 8, Ephesians 1. By the Holy Spirit, he raised Christ from the dead. It is that Holy Spirit who is in you. And what kind of power does the Holy Spirit have? The Holy Spirit has resurrection power. What kind of power is in you? Resurrection power. That's the kind of power within you. The same one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you if you are in Christ and Christ is in you.

Resurrection power. Therefore, while I still battle sin and I still have sin living in me, I now know I do not have to sin. That the power of God within me is greater than the power that's in this world. It is a resurrection power that's available to me. The question always is, will I obey General Orders number one and avail myself of that power? Or will I think my strengths are sufficient? Or will I deny the battle? Or will I think somehow I am greater than Satan? Certainly, I would not fall prey to such deceit.

There is a marvelous hymn that I know we love to sing and I know you love to sing it. It's a hymn of just great blessing. It is a hymn that I love to sing it on Sunday mornings. Most of all, I love to sing this hymn on Reformation Sunday. A mighty fortress is our God. Don't worry. I am not going to sing it, but I am going to read it. Um No, I'm just going to read it. Just going to read it. Here Luther is bringing everything from chapter 6 verse 10 right before us.

A mighty fortress is who? Our God. A bulwark never failing. Our helper he amid the flood is always available of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe Who's that? Doth seek to work us woe. You're in a battle. His craft and what? Power are great and armed There's power behind what? Evil. And armed with cruel hate. On earth is not his equal. I need power. My adversary and evil and hate is more powerful to me and he is bent upon my destruction. And if not my destruction, the destruction of my witness. Now look at verse 2.

Did we in our own strength confine our striving would be losing? You want to do this in your own strength? You lose. Our striving would be losing. We're not the right man on our side. The man of God's own choosing. Where's my strength? The right man, the man of God's choice. Who is that? Who is that? Jesus. Dust ask who that may be? Christ Jesus. It is he. Lord his name. From age to age the same. And he must win the battle. And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, we will not fear.

For God hath willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him. His rage we can endure. Why? For lo, his doom is sure. One little word shall fell him. That word above all earthly powers. No thanks to them abideth. The Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go. This mortal life also. The body they may kill. God's truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever. Hope that hymn is never the same for you the next time you sing it. It is an exposition not only of Psalm 46, it is an exposition of the glory and majesty of Ephesians 6:10.

We have an adversary whose power is greater than us, but we are in Christ and Christ is in us. Therefore, his strength will win the battle. His strength is glorious. His strength is sufficient. His strength is always before us. And that strength comes through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let me give you another way to dip into the reservoir of Christ's strength, the word of God that's been given to us. The word of God that's been given to us. Take your Bibles and turn with me to Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4. Look with me in Hebrews chapter 4.

Now if you don't mind, I'm going to resort to another translation. I love the English Standard Version, but I am going to move to another translation and it's appropriate. Both the translation of the English Standard and this NAS translation. Look at Ephesians 4 verse 12. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, of discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The word of God is living and active. Appropriate translation. Also, powerful. The word of God is living and powerful.

It can't be stopped. The Bible tells us that the word of God is like a hammer that breaks the anvil and breaks the hard heart. The word of God is the power of God. And that word of God comes down to the gospel. Its central message is the gospel. And I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is what? The power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. So Harry, where do I get the strength that I have in Christ? I get that strength from the strength of his might, the Holy Spirit.

The strength of his might, the word of God, the Holy Spirit who is within us, the word of God who has been given to us. Number three. You get the strength of the Lord and the power of the Lord by the weapons of God that he's given to us that are powerful. Take your Bibles and turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 10. 2 Corinthians chapter 10. Turn there. So what is this power that's working toward us in Christ? This resurrection power, Holy Spirit, word of God. Now look with me in verse 3. For though we walk in the flesh, that is we live in a body, we are not waging war according to the flesh.

We're not looking to the strength of the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete. So what other power do we have? We have the divine power of the weapons of God, those weapons that have been fashioned by God. Harry, what are those? Well, they're going to be listed in the armor of the Lord for us.

Prayer, the preaching of the word, the proclamation of the word, prayer, fellowship, all of those things that God has put together that are the weapons of the Holy Spirit. I want us to rise up with the weapons of the Lord, the love of Christ that wins lost sinners, a zeal for truth and love, a zeal too when we see the adversary against the Lord. We go on our knees and bring the weapon of prayer against them, target them. Put them right there in the laser. Just target them with prayer, not an AK-47. Target them with prayer.

Put the death grip of the gospel around them. Jesus Christ loves you, will take you just as I am, forgive you of your sins, and change you from death to life, from unbelief to faith, from destruction to life, from anger to love in Christ. Oh, I pray we have zeal, but not displayed in the flesh, but with the divine weapons of power, prayer, gospel, fellowship, the love of the Lord shown in the lives of God's people, the power of the Holy Spirit in Christ at work with the word. And you shall receive power when you get guns.

No, no. You shall receive power when you become the majority office holders. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Then I'll turn you loose as witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the world. And that kingdom conflict went forward. And 23 years later, a pagan almost throws his hand up in surrender and says, these people have turned the whole world upside down. Not with guns, not with drums, not with martial array, but an army on its knees with the whole armor of God, snatching sinner after sinner with the gospel, rescuing the perishing.

One other little piece here. The Holy Spirit is in us, the word of God before us, and the weapons of God designed for us. We need to just take a couple of moments to some practical applications and then we're done. Just very briefly. Here's the takeaways. Number one is this. First takeaway is this. What do I need to do? All right? If I'm going to be strong in the strength of his might, I must avoid spiritual laziness. There is a notion out there that if you really believe in God's grace, the testimony is is that you actually do not engage the Lord, that you actually don't engage the word, that you actually don't surrender to the Holy Spirit, that you actually don't pursue holiness in the Lord.

We say no to spiritual laziness. We say no to shortcuts. You know, instead of me coming to the armory of Christ in the word and surrendering to the Spirit and taking hold of the divine weapons and wielding those weapons, instead of me doing that, what I'm going to do is I'll hire a preacher to do it or I'll go to some meeting in which the preacher will do something and this will instantaneously be given to me in my life. No to spiritual laziness. Avoid shortcuts and avoid the counterfeits. See, right now I am laboring with you.

Now you don't know the privilege I have to labor with you. I'm so glad I don't have to labor in some situations, but right now laboring to get people to see that spiritual warfare is relevant for them is so difficult to because there is another gospel that is being preached in evangelical churches in which Jesus Christ is seen as the answer to giving me everything of affluence in this world that I can't get some other way, that the whole purpose of knowing Christ is to make me somebody in this world instead of me die to him in this world.

That the whole point that when you come to Christ, your problems disappear and you get healthy, wealthy, and wise. That's a counterfeit gospel. That's another gospel. It may use the same terms as the gospel, but he did not call us to flowery beds of ease. He called us to sail the bloody seas. He didn't call us to a cruise ship. He called us to a war ship. He didn't call us to run from the battle, but to engage the battle and resist Satan. And he will flee from you. Number two. The second second takeaway. Pursue the means of grace.

Pursue Here's the picture I try to give to people. Here is my Jesus in heaven. The reservoir of grace that's bottomless, bottomless, immeasurable. That grace and power now flows to me through two conduits, the word of God and the Spirit of God. The word of God given to me, the Spirit of God given in me. Where can I as those conduits come, what are the fountains that flow with this water of power? The fountains of preaching, of fellowship, of prayer, of worship. Those are the means. They're not what I do to merit God's power. They're the means whereby God's power flows into our life, that we want to partake of the means, we want to pursue the means of grace which bring the power of God to bear upon us, to be strong in the strength of his might.

Number three. The third thing is this one, is that you and I need to keep this perspective in the spiritual warfare. And that's this. In spiritual warfare, the question is never, is God on my side? The question is always, who is on the Lord's side? Who is on the Lord's side? Who will answer his call? Who will follow the Savior? Who will leave all to have him who is all? There was a day that Joshua entered into the battle. Joshua stepped up to the battle. And the day before the battle, he's walking over the field that's about to be the battleground.

There is Jericho with all of the battle that's before him. And as he comes, he sees an angel, a man, a warrior with a sword. And he comes up to this one and he says to him, are you for us or you for our adversary? And the one answers him, no. No. Let me ask this again. Are you for us? Are you for our adversary? No. Wrong question. This is what he says. No. I am the captain of the Lord's host. The question Joshua is not, am I on your side? The question is, are you on my side?

Guest (Male): You are listening to in perspective, featuring the teaching of Dr. Harry L. Reeder. Heaven, we have all heard how wonderful it will be. No more tears, no sickness, streets paved with gold. But what else should we know about heaven? And what about the new earth? Will we have jobs to do? Will we recognize our loved ones? Will we have hobbies? What about our pets? Dr. Reeder answers these questions and more in his audio series, What Happens When I Die? It's our gift to you when you call 1-800-488-1888 or when you visit inperspective.org. For the in perspective daily broadcast to continue in 2027, we are in need of partners to come alongside us to cover the cost of production and distribution.

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And again, if you would like to receive a complimentary copy of the series, What Happens When I Die? call 1-800-488-1888. A commanding officer does not offer suggestions or helpful hints. He issues commands which must be obeyed. Dr. Reeder examines this essential divine imperative. Put on the complete armor of God. That's next time as we turn back to the Scriptures to put life in biblical perspective.