Telling the Truth

Guest (Male): Like any warrior heading into battle, the Christian must be outfitted with the proper armor. Today, Stuart concludes his message, "Living to Fight Another Day," looking at the indispensable components of the full armor of God. Stuart will be with us in just a moment.

Your generous support this month is vital as Telling the Truth prepares to close out our financial year and step into a new season of proclaiming God's truth. With partners like you, we can reach even more people with biblical truth in the year ahead. Right now, more people than ever are searching for truth. Through this ministry, God's word is reaching them where they are across digital platforms and around the world.

Thanks to an $82,000 matching grant, your gift today will be doubled, helping extend that reach and keep messages like this one going out to you and to others who need the hope found in Christ. As our thanks for your gift, we'd love to send you Stuart Briscoe's book, *A Peace of My Mind*, a powerful resource to help you experience God's peace in whatever you're facing. Call today to request your copy at 262-788-4648. That's 262-788-4648, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now here's Stuart with the second part of his message, "Living to Fight Another Day."

Stuart Briscoe: This is fascinating to me because the Apostle Paul is at pains to show that we not only have a devil, but we have a devil as an enemy who has with him legions of spiritual powers, but he doesn't go into detail. One of the interesting things about modern Christianity is that there has been increased interest in what we call spiritual warfare. This is a salutary interest. It is a healthy interest.

Quite frankly, very often because we have been subjected to modern thinking, we've dismissed the devil as something that isn't really worth bothering about. With this revival of interest, however, has come an excessive speculation. Now it is not unusual for people to speak with great authority in areas where scripture keeps a benign silence. Always beware when people speak with great authority in regions where scripture chooses to keep a benign silence.

Many people have now got caught up in spiritual warfare, not primarily on the basis of what the Bible says, but on the basis of what Frank Peretti says. Read Christian fiction with care. I'm not even convinced that Christian fiction isn't an oxymoron, but that's another subject for another time. The point that we need to be recognizing is that there are these spiritual powers.

However, the most important thing about them is this: while we're not given any details about them, we are told in Ephesians chapter one that when Jesus Christ rose again from the dead, God placed all things under his feet. He gets very specific, and he lists all the powers and all the authorities. Whatever they are, whatever they're doing, and we're not specifically told, we do know this for we are specifically told it: they are under the authority of the risen Christ. Know your enemy. If you don't, you may find you're shooting up your friends, and you may find you get your head blown off because you didn't recognize the enemy had come.

Here's the second thing. The second thing that soldiers need to recognize is they must learn to obey orders. This perhaps is one of the great advantages of time in the military. We begin to understand something called authority. We begin to understand something called obedience. Because many people have not been fortunate enough to have military experience, and because in many other areas there is a resistance to authority and an unwillingness to act on the basis of obedience, many people come into Christianity without the remotest idea of what it means to acknowledge the lordship of Christ in terms of an obedient lifestyle.

That is why I am grateful for a strict upbringing which I did not appreciate at the time, because it prepared me for life in the Royal Marines. Life in the Royal Marines was a piece of cake after being brought up in my family. They insisted on obedience. They insisted on duty. There were no questions about authority.

If somebody goes into the army and is not used to doing what he's told, and feels that he has the right to question everything that he's told, and feels that nobody has authority to tell him what to do or to give him a lead, that person will find grave difficulty in a military situation. For the very simple reason that when he's told to do something and to do it instantaneously because his life or the life of his friends depends upon it, instead of doing it unquestioningly and instantaneously and thoroughly, he stands and argues. He wants to know why. He wants his input to be considered along with the input of everybody else, and the net result, of course, is he's blown away while he's busy arguing. You learn to obey.

Now I want you to notice that there are just one or two very simple commands in Ephesians chapter six. The first one is this, and it is a command. It's not a suggestion. When you're in the service, the commanding officer doesn't come along and say, "I say, if you wouldn't mind, I know this is going to be terribly inconvenient, but try to fit it in if you wouldn't mind, and I'm terribly sorry to upset you." He doesn't do that. He says, "Do it."

The commands of scripture are very straightforward. Here's the first one in Ephesians chapter six: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might." That's not a suggestion. It's an order. Get it? It's not a suggestion. It's an order. Please notice what the order consists of. It consists of a reminder that you are in the Lord.

In other words, it consists of a reminder fundamentally that your spiritual experience is all about your relationship with the risen, living Christ. That's the bottom line. Now, in your relationship with the living, risen Christ, you are introduced to his might. You stand secure in him, and he stands powerfully in you. On the understanding that you stand secure in him and he stands powerfully in you, allow yourself to be strengthened by that understanding. For that is the correct tense there. The command is, in light of the fact that you are in the Lord and in the Lord there is the power of his might, allow yourself to be strengthened by that understanding. That's an order. It's not an optional thing. It's not a suggestion for those who feel that way inclined. That's how it works.

Every time you feel overwhelmed, remember the commanding officer's order: be strengthened. Every time you feel yourself inadequate, remember the order: be strengthened. Every time you find yourself succumbing once again to that old, old problem, remember the order: be strengthened. It's an order.

Guest (Male): Stuart will be back in a moment with more about the armor of God that every believer must wear each day. But first, here's a note from an online listener named Thomas, who shares, "I receive your daily devotional emails each day. This has made a huge difference in staying connected with Jesus and his word. Thank you." Thank you, Thomas. That's the kind of impact your gift can have right now, helping more people encounter God's truth at the very moment they need it most.

As Telling the Truth approaches the end of the financial year, finishing strong is critical so that many more people can be reached in the coming year. Through expanded digital outreach, biblical teaching is reaching people across the world who are searching for peace, direction, and hope. When you give this month, your gift will be doubled thanks to an $82,000 matching grant to extend that outreach even further and keep broadcasts like this one going strong all year.

We'll say thanks for your generous support with Stuart Briscoe's book, *A Peace of My Mind*. Stuart wrote this resource to help you experience the peace of God in the midst of whatever you may be facing. It's our thanks for your financial year-end gift, worth twice as much when paired with the match to help more people experience life through the teaching and resources of Telling the Truth. So request your copy when you call 262-788-4648. That's 262-788-4648, or give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now we head back to Stuart Briscoe.

Stuart Briscoe: I remember on one occasion being in the Marines, we were on an assault course. It was a very, very hot day. It was a very, very tiring assault course. I finished the course, and at the top of the cliff, there was a family having a picnic. They were drinking lemonade. Suddenly, I appeared, hot and sweaty and covered in camouflage cream. They were rather surprised to see me there, and I was equally surprised to see them. They immediately called me over and said, "You want a drink?" I said, "Oh, do I want a drink." I got there, and I guzzled down their lemonade.

From behind a tree came the Sergeant Major, who said to me, "Where's your rifle?" I said, "It's over there by the tree." He said, "Go and pick it up." So I picked it up. "Now," he said, "go back to the assault course and do it again. Don't ever lose track of your equipment again." Put on the whole armor. Be strengthened in the Lord. Two orders.

Here's the third one, the third order: pray at all times. Know what it is to be calling on heaven's resources as an instinctual response to what is going on around you. It isn't just flesh and blood, so there aren't just flesh and blood answers. Recognize the flesh and blood part, identify the spiritual part. Flesh and blood answers for flesh and blood problems. Maintain the spiritual connection, praying at all times in the Spirit, that you might know what it is to have heaven's resources for earth's struggles. Two things. Number one: you know your enemy. Number two: you obey your orders.

Number three and finally: you become familiar with your equipment. One of the things I learned in the Marines was this: all the equipment that we had, we had to learn how to dismantle it, clean it, and reassemble it in the pitch dark. Until we could dismantle it, clean it, and reassemble it in the pitch dark, we were not familiar with our equipment. The reason for that was that when you get into conflict, you will never, ever find yourself in ideal circumstances.

The equipment of the Christian soldier is spelled out for us. You could have a series of sermons on this, obviously. I don't have time even to do much more than touch on these things. Let me give them to you very quickly. First of all, the equipment that you put on. You make sure first of all in the morning that you put on the belt of truth. The belt is the basic part of a soldier's equipment. Everything that he carries is fastened on his belt.

I remember we were going out on exercises one time, and a little fellow with me from Liverpool, he was a real character. He had all his ordinary equipment on, and then I had the Bren gun, so they began to load him up with all the ammunition for it. We were going to be out sleeping rough, so they gave him a spade on the back of his pack. Then they gave him some other stuff. Then he turned to the instructor and he said, "Where's the bale of straw?" The instructor said, "What?" He said, "Where's the bale of straw?" He said, "What bale of straw?" He said, "You're making me work like a donkey, you might as well feed me like a donkey."

That's what happens when you start putting on your equipment, but everything that he was carrying was based on the belt. The belt of truth means that at the beginning of the day, you make a decision. Today, as I go into conflict, I will operate on the basis, as best I know how, of biblical truth which will lead to moral integrity. That's the basis of your day. Biblical truth as the basis of moral integrity.

On the belt, fasten your breastplate of righteousness. It will guard your heart. The breastplate of righteousness means first of all that you embrace with all your heart the righteousness of Christ which makes you right with God. You're not righteous in yourself. You're only made righteous or right with God in Christ. Having been made right with God in Christ, you are then commissioned to live rightly among people. Make sure that at the beginning of the day, you put on the belt of moral integrity and the commitment to live rightly before your God among people.

In addition to that, make sure that your boots are right. In fact, every day on parade, they used to check on the three Bs: boots, belts, and I won't tell you the other one, but those of you who have been in the army know what it is. Check on your belt. Check on your boots. If your feet are not shod properly, you'll be in trouble in conflict. The Roman soldier didn't have boots; he had sandals with spikes in the bottom. This was so that in muddy ground he could get purchase, he could get a grip when he was in sword hand-to-hand conflict.

As far as the Christian soldier is concerned, he needs to have his feet shod with the gospel of peace. What that means is this: that he is secure in his stand in the gospel. He understands the gospel. Because he understands the gospel, he is at peace with God. Because he's at peace with God, he knows the peace of God. As the mud begins to slip and slide under his feet and as the blood begins to flow in the heat of battle, he is at peace in the gospel. That is his secure footing.

He puts on the belt of moral integrity. His heart is guarded by a commitment to living rightly before God because God has made him right with him. His feet are secure in the peace that comes from believing the gospel. In addition to that, he puts on the helmet of salvation, which begins to guard his thinking. You see, your mind can get screwed up in a hurry. But the salvation that is ours in Christ produces a renewed mind. You begin to look at yourself differently because you see God differently. Because you see God differently, you see yourself differently, and you see life differently. Because you see life differently, you understand the battles differently. The helmet of salvation will guard your thinking.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Stuart Briscoe on Telling the Truth as he's sharing his message, "Living to Fight Another Day," from Ephesians six. He'll be right back with some closing thoughts.

We're in a pivotal moment for Telling the Truth as the financial year comes to a close. Your support now can help us reach even more people with God's word in the year ahead. More people than ever are searching for real peace, and through this ministry, biblical truth is reaching them in those moments across digital platforms and around the world. Thankfully, a group of generous friends has offered an $82,000 matching grant, doubling your gift this month to extend that outreach even further. Your generous gift today, worth double when matched, will help more people experience life through the teaching and resources of Telling the Truth.

As thanks for your gift, we'll send you Stuart Briscoe's book, *A Peace of My Mind*. Stuart wrote this resource to help you experience the peace of God in any circumstance you may be facing. Simply request your copy when you call today and give a gift to help keep the ministry of Telling the Truth going around the world. Call 262-788-4648. That's 262-788-4648, or give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now here's Stuart with the conclusion of his message, "Living to Fight Another Day."

Stuart Briscoe: On top of all this, you take the shield of faith. The big old heavy shield that the Roman soldier carried, made of wood covered with leather, so that when they fired arrows at him that were dipped in pitch and set on fire, they would come thunking into his shield rather than come thunking into his chest. The shield is the shield of faith. You stand behind the dependence that you have upon the God who is in control.

When you've got all that in place, you take your sword of the Spirit out of its scabbard and you say, "Okay, let's go." The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. You begin to learn how to handle the word of God as an offensive and a defensive weapon. Jesus showed us how to use it defensively in the temptation in the wilderness. The Apostle Paul showed us how to use it offensively as he took the word into the regions beyond.

Put all that together, and here's the picture of your equipment. Look at them piece by piece. There's a belt of moral integrity based on biblical truth. There's a breastplate of righteousness that will guard your heart. There's a helmet of salvation that will keep your mind secure. There are the boots that are secure in the peace of the gospel that will give you a firm footing. There's a huge shield here, a shield of faith that will protect you from the fiery darts of the evil one. You have the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. In case you're not sure what that is, it's your good old Bible.

You learn how to use it. You learn how to use it as a defensive weapon, and you learn how to use it as an offensive weapon. You put on your armor at the beginning of the day. The people who decided there were some things worth dying for were the people who believed there were some things worth living for. The people in the spiritual conflict who believe that there are some things worth suffering for are the ones who believe in the spiritual conflict there are some things worth living for. They fully understand the enemy. They know full well what their orders are. They're thoroughly conversant with the equipment made available to them. They understand all this is made available to them so that they may go about life one day at a time, fighting the good fight and winning.

This is the example we've been given by those who've gone before. This is the call, the challenge, and the commission we're given in scripture. We are to know our enemy, we are to obey our orders, and we are to use our equipment. These aren't suggestions. These are orders. Because commanding officers don't make suggestions; they give you orders. And you say, "Yes, sir." That's what God's looking for today: some "Yes, sir."

Guest (Male): We hope today's message encouraged you. Before we go, here's something important to remember. There's still time to make a meaningful impact before the end of this financial year and help reach many more people with the truth of God in the year ahead. Right now, your gift will be doubled through an $82,000 matching grant, helping extend biblical teaching to people searching for peace, hope, and a direction.

As thanks for your gift, we'll send you Stuart Briscoe's book, *A Peace of My Mind*, a resource designed to help you experience God's steady peace in whatever you're facing. Call now to give, knowing your gift will be doubled. Remember to request your resource with our thanks when you do. 262-788-4648. That's 262-788-4648, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. Tomorrow, Jill begins her message, "Chains of Blessings," about how to experience greater spiritual intimacy with God. Join us next time on Telling the Truth with Stuart and Jill Briscoe. Listen and experience life.