THE PANOPLY OF GOD
Peter S Barlow
Ephesians 6: 10-17
Beloved brethren, this well-known scripture has been before me. I believe I have heard it being used in an occasion like this a number of times in this locality; but there are three things that struck me and as thinking over them, I felt free to say a few words as to them. My thoughts relate to “Put on”; “take to you”, and “stand”.
Now we might have suggested that what should have come first in relation to the panoply of God is to “take to you”, then to “put it on”. But the Holy Spirit through the apostle records it this way round. I believe what it shows is that the whole panoply of God, the whole armour, is available to every believer. It is available, it is God’s, it is from God Himself, and is available to every believer. But there is more to it than the simple matter of putting it on. I wondered whether the thought of “take to you” gives the impression - and I speak for myself first here - that whilst I may have the armour, there is the need for me to enter into what that armour really means. It would have been very simple for David to have put on Saul’s armour, as it was far too big for him. But it would have been of no protection for him; it was Saul’s armour. The armour he had was knowing what it was to go forth as prepared of Jehovah to meet the Philistine, what God provided for him. He had not just put it on, but taken it to him as seen in all God’s preparatory ways with him leading to facing Goliath.
Here it is an armour that is to be put on. Why are we to put this armour on? Our warfare is not against flesh and blood - such is the warfare that is peculiar to the day we live in, particularly in this country, beloved brethren. We are privileged, as was remarked in prayer, to enjoy liberty in gathering together but there is apathy all around us. Here our warfare is “against principalities, against authorities, against the universal lords of this darkness, against spiritual power of wickedness in the heavenlies”; it is that which is more powerful than mere flesh and blood, more subtle. It has been said respecting the language that Paul uses here, that he clothes the enemy with titles of ‘impressive dignity’ (CAC Outline of Joshua vol 6 p47); what a solemn warning to us. We see at the very beginning that the serpent was deceitful and subtle; he did not outwardly attack Eve in the garden of Eden; he said, “is it even so, that God has said?”, Gen 3: 1. He brought in doubt, brought in something that created doubt in the mind of woman; I believe that is what the enemy is doing very much today. He is bringing in doubt, bringing in questioning, bringing in compromise, bringing in an attitude that says, ‘Well, those are the old things: today is different, we need different things. Things do not mean the same today as what was taught by those of old’ - speaking of those that were used of God in recovering us to the truth. Beloved brethren, it becomes very important, that we must stand. That is why I feel exercised to draw attention to the words “to stand”. Over these past few years we have known that various attacks on the truth have been subtle, but we have been given the strength to stand.
What has much struck me recently, is what has been said, that God always gives testimony to a thing before it takes place. I have proved this recently with a recent reading meeting as to the young and the old going on together. Shortly afterwards, a matter came up directly with me which needed to be faced which challenged this truth. We have also had recent occasions as to fellowship. We have been much occupied with the truth of fellowship, and I believe we have learned a lot from it over these past few years. Why, then, did God see fit to give us an occasion on fellowship again? I think it all has to do with standing; what is needed is “to stand”; stand and be established in relation to the truth. We get one of David’s mighty men in a plot of ground full of lentils, 2 Sam 11, 12. It said the people fled from the Philistines; the sophisticated character of man, the mind of man coming in. It said the people fled but one mighty man stood and by him “Jehovah wrought a great deliverance”.
We need to stand. God has given us all the armour that we need to stand, but there needs to be a working out of this armour, beloved brethren, because the enemy attacks for he knows his time is short. He is subtle, subtle and undermining, subtle in causing the letting go of things. Remember a reading in this place where it was brought before us that what came in at the beginning was the breakdown of relationship between man and woman. That is what the enemy did. These things are subtle to break down relationships. Now “Stand therefore, having girt about your loins with truth”. That is where the apostle starts; the truth is not to be let go of. The thought in relation to girt about your loins with truth would suggest something of depth, vigour and energy. It has got to be held onto in the heart; it cannot be held in the mind; I have got to hold onto it: it has got to be formed in me, “girt about your loins with truth”, something that is established and firm on the sure foundation. I feel much challenged about this for myself as over recent years I have known these things but they have not been formed in me. I would not claim they are now fully formed in me, but I have come to have a greater appreciation of the truth and the reality of them. The need is that I should be girt about with truth; you need that to stand. If my grasp of the truth is weak, held in the mind, distracted by other things, how can I stand? The enemy will soon find that chink, for he is subtle and will bring something in that will cause me to doubt and fall away.
Then “the breastplate of righteousness”. Now I struggle with the word ‘righteousness’. It has often been said ‘It is what is right’. But if I apply my mind to it, it becomes what is right in my own eyes. There is the well-known description given by Mr F E Raven, that ‘Righteousness … is the maintenance of fidelity in every divinely appointed relationship’ (vol 15 p207), and that got me thinking. It sounds complicated, but fidelity has to do with faithfulness, obedience; holding fast - not letting go, not slipping. That is fidelity in the divinely appointed relationship. What is that for us? Would that not be “holding fast the head”, Col 2: 19? Is that not seen in that God has established everything in Christ as the Centre? Is it not seen that everything for God begins with Christ? Everything has been established in that One. “For the rest, brethren, be strong in the Lord”; that is what we have; that is where we can find our resting place and it flows out in all our relationships, beloved brethren. We see how with man the subtlety of the enemy has brought down right relationships. Consider the chaos even in the creation because things are out of right relationship with one another. But everything that is held for God is according to the divinely appointed relationships of God. That is what we need to hold on to and is to be found in our every relationship; primarily in relation of what is due to God, and in our relationships with one another, but it must be in all our relationships. Be it at work, be it at school, be it in the home, how can I be holding fast to what is due to the Lord if I am compromised by having a relationship with an association that belongs to man? They are incompatible; you cannot have that; it must be compromising and I must let it go, avoiding it, lest it become another chink for the enemy to get in in order to destroy and to spoil.
So we have here, “shod your feet with the preparation of the glad tidings of peace”. I suppose that will raise a question with me as to my walk. Is it tending towards peace? Am I living in the joy of the gospel or am I one of those that goes around looking lost and feeling I have lost something because I have given myself to Jesus? There could not be anything better than giving yourself to the Lord Jesus, with the result there is to be joy and peace. That should be my walk and way, walking in the joy of the gospel so that not only am I called to preach the gospel, but I should be a living witness and exponent of it in my walk here. It brings a joy and a glow that I can be that, does it not? But it is no good if I am not keeping my eyes centred on and occupied with the glorious One whom God has established, because it all flows from that.
Then, “the shield of faith”. The shield of faith is important as there are the inflamed darts of the wicked one. It is not just to cover a particular part like the breastplate, the breastplate of righteousness. Affection underlies righteousness, love underlies righteousness, and it is protecting it. The shield of faith is given for the protection of the whole body, wherever it is needed. Maybe there is a weakness coming in in relation to righteousness: well, the shield of faith will rise to that and turn aside the darts of the wicked one because if that dart finds a place, it is a fiery dart. If it finds a place you think of what it can get into, what it can destroy. Beloved brethren, the shield of faith is important. Faith is important: faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and all that He has done.
We “Have also the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit”. Now I see there is a link between those two. The helmet of salvation does not so much relate to our eternal salvation, because that is untouchable; that cannot be touched. Once you are saved you are saved for eternity; that salvation is untouchable. This has to do with our current salvation in this scene, and I speak really for myself because I do not know all your circumstances, but for myself I think this is something to increase with me. I do not think it is exactly that you are saved practically from everything at once; you have to work it out and come to it. I pick on two things as examples if you will bear with me, because they have a big place with me. One is sport; and the scripture that comes to mind in relation to that is the two armies that faced each other. The two leaders there said, “Let the young men … make sport”, 2 Sam 2: 14. What was the result of that? They slew each other - that is not salvation. I know what it is for these things to occupy my mind - great sportsmen, sporting events, or whatever it be - it hinders me and distracts my thoughts in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ; it begins to absorb me. So, beloved brethren, I need the helmet of salvation to meet that.
The other is books. I love books and reading, but I see an increasing danger in that for we see how the subtlety of the enemy has come in as books have been made so readily available. The reading of books in itself is not wrong, and when relating to divine things, is a positive benefit. However, the enemy has made available that which easily distracts from divine things, fills our minds with that which is not of Christ - more so now in their being more readily available. All these things are liable to allow the subtle operations of the enemy. We have recently touched locally as to Othniel. He took Kirjath-Sepher and that was the City of the Book, Judg 1: 11 and footnote. He took it, and what was the result of that? He received Achsah as his wife; in type we can see that the features of the assembly were more precious to him than all the world’s learning; most wonderful. But what did she desire? She desired the upper springs and the lower springs, v 15. I think that gives some impression as to the Holy Spirit. That is why I believe these two things go together. Salvation - “the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. As we know what it is to get free of these things it gives greater room for the Holy Spirit to work and to operate to bring me into the enjoyment of things that are unfailing and precious.
The height of Paul’s ministry is this epistle from which we have read, the epistle to the Ephesians. It has been said (see J B Stoney vol 2 p42) that this and the epistle to the Romans are the only two doctrinal epistles setting out the truth, not exactly in a corrective way. In Ephesus, Luke in the Acts records that “they that practised curious arts brought their books of charms and burnt them before all. And they reckoned up the prices of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver” (chap 19: 19); naturally speaking a very large value. This giving up and complete destruction was for their salvation in that city, and it is to that place that Paul was given of the Spirit to open out the height of the truth. Beloved brethren, I think these give little illustrations, little examples, to encourage each one, to get free of this world’s offerings in knowing the helmet of salvation, to get free of the mind of man, entertainment and the philistine mind, its sophistication and learning. The enemy is bringing these matters into the things of God, but if I have got on the helmet of salvation I can get free of them all as the helmet becomes more and more real, the sword of the Spirit becomes more powerful to me, and the Word of God becomes more precious to me.
It brings us back to the need to gird ourselves about the loins with truth and to be maintained in righteousness. All these things go together, beloved brethren, and they are given of God. What God looks for is that we might take them up, through experience, through working them out, that is in the power of the Spirit and before Him. So it is, “For the rest, brethren, be strong in the Lord”; it is the Lord - divine authority; and all these other authorities, they are nothing: the Lord has destroyed them for us. We have His authority to stand, to stand fast until He comes.
Well may it be the portion of each and every one of us.
Sunbury
18th April 2019