RESOURCES FOR THE DISCIPLINED LIFE
   
Thank you, and once again, good morning to students and teachers of 
the word of God.  We hope that this morning, once again, you'll take a 
little time out from the activities of the day, and the preparation 
for Sunday school and church, to listen for just a few minutes to the 
word of God, and particularly the Sunday school lesson for this 
morning, which is from Galatians chapters 5 and 6, and Ephesians 
chapter 6, and is titled, "The Resources for the Disciplined Life."
   
Now, in our last article, we talked about the "Motivation for the 
Disciplined Life." And then, in our next article, we'll be talking 
about the "Expressions of the Disciplined Life."
   
Here were have a lesson on the resources.  That is, the thing that God 
has provided to us to help us discipline ourselves and live the 
disciplined life.  Our lesson comes in three installments--Galatians 
5, Ephesians 6, and 1 Peter chapter 5.  And, because of lack of 
space--you couldn't possibly cover the material in less than 100 
pages--we're going to confine our remarks this morning to Ephesians 
chapter 6, verses 10-18, where the main resources are listed in a 
group.
   
In Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10-18, of course, we have the famous 
passage on the Christian armor or armament.  And this is the armament 
of a first-century Roman soldier.  The outline will be Ephesians 
chapter 6, verses 10 to 12, the adversaries of the soldier.  And then, 
in chapter 6, verses 13 to 18, the resources, of the armor or the 
armament of the soldiers.
   
Now, to those of you who are rather surprised to find the military 
figure given in Ephesians chapter 6, let me remind you that the Bible 
very often uses these figures in describing service for the Lord of 
any kind.  In Exodus 15, when the children of Israel came up out of 
the land of Egypt, the Lord was said to be a "man of war." That's 
where the expression came from.  In your New Testament--I don't know 
whether you know it or not--but the Lord Jesus Christ is called the 
"Captain of our salvation." This is a military term.  In modern 
terminology, it's a reference to a command of a rifle company.
   
I've been out of circulation a long time in these matters.  I no 
longer know the "T.O." and the "T.E." of the rifle company.  But Jesus 
Christ is called the Captain of your salvation in Hebrews chapter 2, 
verse 10.
   
Paul's writings abound with the military figure.  For example, Paul 
says to young Timothy, "Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus 
Christ.  No man that warrath entangleth himself with the affairs of 
this life, that he may please him that hath chosen him to be a 
soldier," 2 Timothy 2:4.
   
So, before we begin to read the lesson today on the Christian armament 
as a soldier, let us make a mental note that the military figure is 
one of the strongest figures in the New Testament of the Christian 
life.
   
As a matter of fact, when Paul gets through with his ministry, do you 
know what he says about his entire life?  Second Timothy 4:7:  "I have 
fought a good fight." The Christian life then is a battle.  It's not a 
summit conference at Camp David.  The Christian life is a war against 
the world, the flesh, and the devil.  The Christian life is such a 
life that Paul, when he speaks of it in 1 Corinthians 15, likens it to 
fighting with wild beasts.  That's the picture.
   
Does that match your kind of Christianity?
   
Now, let's make no mistake about these matters.  I realize, with the 
suffering that goes on among God's people in the tribulations and 
trials they endure, many of them, and the hard times they have and the 
persecutions they undergo, and the privations they suffer--and many of 
them do--I realize there's a certain place in the Christian ministry--
there has always been and there always will be--for a soft, gentle 
ministering of the word of God to broken hearts and broken lives and 
broken homes--and this certainly is needed.
   
Unfortunately in America, that is about ninety-five percent of what's 
going on.
   
And, if we get a little bit rough in these articles at times, let's 
make ourselves very clear.  It is for matters of balance.  There is no 
lack of the other side and kind of preaching.  Believe me, there's no 
lack.  You can turn the radio on day and night and get "Love," 
"Peace," "Joy," and "Faith"--"Faith," "Love," "Joy," and "Peace"--
"Peace," "Joy," "Love," and "Faith"--"Love," "Peace," "Joy," and 
"Faith"--"Love," "Faith," "Joy," and "Peace"--from morning to night!
   
Now, there's a place for that.  And certainly it's needed in many 
places.  But woe be to the child of God that forgets the military 
figure!  The Christian is told to follow Paul.  Paul said, "Be ye a 
follower of me as I am a follower of Christ." That was a commandment!  
Not merely to follow God as dear children (Ephesians chapter 5, verse 
1), but Paul never hesitated to say, "Be a follower of me, as I am a 
follower of Christ." You'll find that in 1 Corinthians.  And Paul used 
that statement very frequently.  In one place, Paul was so bold as to 
say that he was an example for you to follow, and a pattern for the 
child of God to follow.
   
Notice 1 Corinthians 11:1, and notice in particular in other Pauline 
epistles, where Paul said that He is a pattern for the believer to 
follow, and He was a pattern that Jesus Christ set up.  First Timothy 
1:16.  Now, if this great example of Christian suffering and Christian 
combat was set up for you to follow, then don't you think we should 
pay some attention to his attitude about the Christian life?  Paul 
calls it a warfare.
   
Paul tells his young men coming along after him, "Endure hardness as a 
good soldier of Jesus Christ." "Fight the good fight of faith." "Lay 
hold on eternal life." And he says, right before his death, "I have 
fought a good fight."
   
This brings us to our lesson on the adversaries and resources of the 
soldier, Ephesians 6:10.
   
"Finally, my brethren." This is the final thing, the conclusion, when 
you wind it all up--this is the summation. "Finally, my brethren, be 
strong in the Lord." That's very important.  When the Christian tries 
to become strong in himself, he's very weak.  We're no match for the 
devil.
   
When the Bible says, "Resist the devil," it had no intention of 
putting you up before a roaring lion with nothing in your hand, and 
telling you to run out there and tie a knot in his tail!  The devil 
goes about as a roaring lion, and I'll guarantee you, if a full-grown 
African lion came into this room where I am right now, there'd be 
people heading for the windows!
   
"Be strong in the Lord." Paul said about his own flesh--and he was as 
well trained and as well educated and as cultured a man as you could 
find in his day--although they said his speech was contemptible, and 
he confess that it was rude; he did that to be plain--Paul said about 
his own flesh, "We are of those that rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and put no confidence in the flesh."
   
"Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." Not yours--
HIS!  "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand 
against the wiles of the devil." "Wiles" or "wily" means "craftily." 
"Tricky." "Subtle." "Put on the whole armour."
   
Then Paul is about to describe the equippage of a first-century Roman 
soldier.  This is a foot soldier, what we call an infantrymen, red-
leg, mud-slogger.  In my day, "dog face," because he had dog tags.  
Called, collectively, "G.I."
   
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against 
the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood." 
A remarkable statement that sometimes you'll find very hard to 
believe.  There are men reading these words right now who think the 
adversary is your wife.  There are men who think that.  And there are 
women reading this right now who think the adversary is your husband.
   
The adversary is the devil.  And that isn't all; he has plenty of 
help:  (1) principalities; (2) powers; (3) rulers of the darkness of 
this world; and (4) spiritual wickedness.  Notice here there are all 
kinds of aides and assistants that work under Satan.  Satan said to 
Jesus, "I am the god of this world.  All the kingdoms of this world 
are mine, and I can give them to whomsoever I will." And he wasn't 
lying.  When Charlemagne wanted them, the devil said, "Come on; get 
'em!" When Napoleon wanted them, the devil said, "Come on and get 
'em!" When Adolf Hitler said, "I want 'em," the devil said, "Come on 
and get 'em!"
   
And right now, in the Vatican-Moscow alliance, some man is heading up, 
who says, "I want control over the whole the thing," and the devil 
says, "OK, just pose as a common, ordinary man, don't run around like 
a regal king in royal robes.  Come down and act like a common, 
laboring man in the union, and we'll put you in the workers' and 
farmers' union and give you a hammer in one hand and a sickle in the 
other, and after awhile, son, you can run the world!"
   
That's what he offered Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ turned it down.
   
In addition to these rulers of the darkness of this world are 
spiritual wickednesses in high places.  And, of course, these high 
places have no reference to anybody in such a small position as a king 
or a governor or a mayor or an ambassador, or something like that.  
The "high ones" in the "high places" are spiritual principalities and 
powers that are over your head--in the second and third heaven.
   
You say, "Where do you get that from?" Well, there's nothing like the 
Scripture to give light on the Scripture, is there?  Isaiah 24:21.  
When we speak about "spiritual wickedness in high places" we're not 
talking about thrones on this earth.  Those are the low places.  
Isaiah 24:21:  "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord 
shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings 
of the earth upon the earth." The kings have the lower position.
   
Then there's something over your head.  Sometimes it manifests itself 
in U.F.O.s.  Sometimes they have bright, funny little movies about it 
for the kiddies like "Star Wars." People like to watch children play.  
Some people pay 20 dollars to see a bunch of kids play beanbags, or 
jack-in-the-box, or tic-tac-toe in the sandbox.  But over your head 
are spiritual wickedness in high places.  They're not said to be 
demons.  Demons are so small that thousands of them can get into one 
man.  These aren't demons.  They're certainly not angels.  You never 
met an angel in your life who needed to travel in a U.F.O.  What a 
ridiculous thing!  Angels in the Bible travel at the speed of light 
and go up in fires.  They travel without radar or landing systems or 
take-off systems or re-entry systems.  Who ever heard of an angel 
needing a machine?  Boy, you talk about "Fantasia"!  You talk about 
Disneyland!  That is the most, man!  Somebody connecting the angels 
with U.F.O.s?  I'll tell you, some of the brethren aren't wired up 
correctly!  Somebody blew out the pilot light!  There isn't an angel 
in that Bible who needs a machine for anything!  So these aren't 
angels.  And they aren't demons.
   
They're said to be "spiritual wickedness in high places."
   
"Wherefore," he says, "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."
   
Well, the "evil day" will come.  Not just the "evil day" of the great 
tribulation, which is the evil day, and not just the day of the 
Antichrist, which is certainly the evil day.  But the evil day will 
come in your life when you're going to have to take a stand.  And when 
that time comes, most of you are not going to take it.  I teach and 
have always taught for 28 years, over radio stations, in books on the 
market, in tracts that are printed, in newspapers that are read, from 
pulpits up and down this country--I've always taught that the apostasy 
in the last days will be in the body of Jesus Christ, and will take 
place among the born-again, soul-winning, so-called premillennial 
fundamentalists who brag about their orthodoxy.
   
You say, "How will they apostasize?"
   
Very simple.  The Bible when offense comes because of the Word, they 
get offended, and they fall away.
   
When the word of God becomes an issue in your life--that is, when what 
it says--are you paying attention?--when what it says conflicts with 
what you want or how you feel, that's where some of you are going to 
drop the cake and run.
   
In Mark chapter 4, verse 17, we read about a certain class of people 
who have received the word.  They have no root in themselves, and so 
endure for a time.  But afterward, when affliction or persecution 
arises, "for the word's sake" (small w), immediately they are 
offended.  Of that class of person, the Bible says, the word fell upon 
stony ground, and immediately it sprang up, because it has no depth of 
earth.  But when the sun was up, it was scorched, and, because it had 
no root, it withered away.  It couldn't stand.
   
Now the acid test always comes when you know that Bible says a certain 
thing about a certain thing, and then one of your friends or relatives 
refuses to accept it.  That's a testing point.  When that Bible says 
one thing, and somebody obeys it, and you know they're obeying it--you 
know what it teaches because you've been taught right--but their 
action offends you and embarrasses you and causes you trouble, so you 
forsake them because they obeyed the Scripture--and took your own 
stand, when you knew your own stand was contrary to the Scripture--
then down you go!
   
Do you know what this means?  This means that, out of every 500 born-
again saved people saved upon this earth, less than 20 of them ever 
stand faithful to the word of God more than three years.  It means, 
wherever the word of God crosses their education or their opinion, 
they drop it.
   
Now, I'm going to give two quick examples.  Do you realize there are 
Christian teachers in Christian universities in America today arguing 
about whether or not Genesis 1:2 was a gap?  And they say those who 
believe it was are courting a "gap theory"?  Did you know that 2Peter 
chapter 3 interprets that verse, and tells you what happened during 
that verse?  There wasn't any "theory" to it!  But where 2Peter 
chapter 3 crossed the belief or teaching of the kid who went to the 
school, he must take his stand against it.  Do you realize before you 
go on six verses in Genesis, you're confronted with a firmament with 
water above it and water below it?  Do you realize that, since no 
scientist believes there's water above the solar system, that you 
don't dare believe what you read literally?  So the Scofield note says 
it was vapor.  
   
Boys and girls, it's not "vapor" in Psalm 148 and Psalm 149!  Because 
the "vapor" is a separate item from "water above the heavens."
   
Now, where that Book crossed the scientific opinion of the majority of 
scientists, you have to choose.  Which one did you choose?
   
Now that's what goes on in America today.  And you're never going to 
be able to stand unless you have the whole armor of God.  And the 
whole armor of God includes the "sword of the Spirit" (verse 17), 
"which is the word of God."
   
And if you don't have the word of God, how do you maintain a stand?
   
Did you ever see a British square make a stand against a regiment of 
fuzzy-wuzzies in Africa, when the Britishers had no weapons?  Did you 
ever see a Roman legion make a stand on a phalanx against a charge of 
cavalry, when they didn't have spears or swords--only shields?
   
The modern Christian is fighting a defensive war.  That's why he's 
always talking about "faith." Verse 16, "Above all, taking the shield 
of faith, wherewith..." what?  You'll be able to battle?  No.  Strike 
a blow for God?  No.  Maintain a standing position?  No!  All he can 
do with that is "quench fiery darts." That's why the emphasis today is 
on "faith." The Christians have ceased to hold their position.  They 
are retreating and fending off blows by the enemy.
   
Faith is not an offensive weapon.  It's a defensive protection against 
attack (Ephesians 6, verse 16).  And every time you hear a fellow 
going on about having faith, having faith, releasing your faith, turn 
loose your faith, have your faith--that's a Christian who's on the 
defensive with Satan all over him.  And all he's trying to do is get 
rid of the fiery darts.
   
The offensive weapon is the word of God.
   
Do any of my readers have the offensive weapon?  It's an offense, I'll 
guarantee you--and it will offend.  Verse 14:  "Stand therefore." 
Don't give way!  When there's a break in ranks, the whole line is 
exposed.  That's what we call "flanking a unit." If one unit presses 
farther forward then another unit, the flanks are exposed.  If the 
units behind don't fill up the gap and come up alongside, the flank is 
left unprotected.  "Stand therefore." You fellows who play football 
know what I'm talking about, don't you?  When a tackle or a guard 
misses a block, you can red-dog the quarterback.  In comes somebody, 
like Night Train Lane or Mean Joe Green, or Alan Page, or somebody 
else--and there's blood on the highway.  Stand therefore!
   
"Having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the 
breastplate of righteousness." These are the believers' resources.  
The resources for the disciplined life.
   
Get in the habit of telling the truth.  "Your loins girt about with 
truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness." Get in the 
habit of doing right!  If it costs you something, do right!  If you 
lose friends, do right.  If you lose influence, do right.  If your 
income comes down, do right.  If you lose a chance at promotion, do 
right.  Do right!
   
"The breastplate of righteousness." If you're misunderstood, keep on 
doing right!  If you're persecuted and attacked and criticized, keep 
on doing right!  If folks don't understand, keep on doing right!  "The 
breastplate of righteousness."
   
"And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." What 
does that mean?  Well, the Bible says, "How beautiful are the feet of 
them that preach the gospel." How beautiful are the feet of them that 
preach the gospel, that bring good tidings." The soul-winner, the 
witness for Jesus Christ, is supposed to have beautiful feet.  You 
say, "Where do you get that from?" You get that from Romans chapter 
10.  Romans chapter 10, verse 15.  The believer should be always ready 
to preach the gospel.  "Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel 
of peace" simply means that, wherever you walk, you should be prepared 
to preach the gospel.  Any born-again, saved child of God should be 
able to tell anybody how to get saved.  And this should be on your 
lips and in your heart and in your mouth, so that, at any time, under 
any circumstance, any occasion when called for, you can open your 
mouth and speak out.
   
Now, if you ever find yourself in a place where you cannot witness and 
open your mouth and tell somebody how to get saved, you're in the 
wrong place!  The feet should be shod with the preparation of the 
gospel of Christ--the gospel of "peace." Christ said, "My peace I 
give, not as the world giveth I unto you." The Bible says, "Having 
made peace with the blood of his cross, we have peace with God through 
Jesus Christ, who is made for us the atonement."
   
Now, I'll give you an illustration.  A girl goes to an upholstered 
sewer somewhere, with indirect lighting for both sexes.  And she says 
to the young man opposite her--both of them are doing the belly dance 
and the bumps and grinds--she says, because of a bad conscience, "Are 
you saved?" I mean, her conscience is killing her in the first place, 
and she feels like she has to identify herself.
   
And the fellow curses and says, "No!  Are you?"
   
And she says, "Yes," trembling.
   
And he says, "Well, then, what the so-and-so (and fills in the blanks) 
are you doing in a place like this?"
   
That's a good question!
   
One of my best friends--as a matter of fact, the man who got me 
preaching--is dead now.  He died this year.  His name is Glenn Schunk.  
Glenn Schunk was the first man who got me out on the street preaching.  
And eventually, that street preaching turned into a ministry.  And 
Glenn Schunk told me that when he first got saved, he knew nothing 
about the Bible.  And the next Saturday night after he got saved, he 
went to the gambling bin, where he hung out and sat down at the table, 
and got a hand belt, and put his chips down there.  And then he said 
he got so filled with the joy of the Lord he couldn't keep his mouth 
shut, and he said to those fellows around the table, "Boys, you ever 
been saved?"
   
And, man, a silence fell over that place like a turkey farm on 
Thanksgiving afternoon!
   
And one old gambler there said, "No!  Are you?"
   
And Glenn Schunk said, "Yeah, boy, it's great to be saved!  You ought 
to get saved!"
   
And the old gambler didn't make a fuss or anything; he just stuffed 
out his cigarette and said, "Well, Glenn, if you're saved, and you're 
a Christian, don't you think perhaps you're in the wrong place?"
   
And Glenn looked around there at the cards and the eye shades and the 
felt and the dice and the chips, and said, "Yes, I guess I am." And 
got up and cashed his chips in and left--never came back!
   
"Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.  Above all, 
taking the shield of faith." This is a defensive weapon.  "Wherewith 
you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And 
take the helmet of salvation." This is absolutely essential.  In 
fighting against the devil, no man who's saved has a chance of a 
snowball in hell.  There isn't any way in the world you can fight 
against Satan unless you're saved.  Every soldier needs a helmet.
   
Why, in the Air Corps, they wear helmets.  On board ships, when the 
action starts, you watch those fellows put on helmets!  Soldiers have 
been wearing helmets since the foundation of the world.  You say, "Why 
is that?" Because you can get over an amputated hand, or finger, or 
toe, or foot, or leg, or sometimes even a couple of legs.  But you 
won't recover from an amputated head!  There never has been a case in 
medical history where a G.I.  came back from the front lines, with the 
walking wounded, with his head in his hand, and said to the medic, "I 
need a little first aid."
   
"The helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the 
word of God." The sword of the Spirit, then, is the word of God (small 
"w").  This "word of God" is the written word of God which the 
Thessalonians received not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, 
the word of God (1Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 13).
   
Of this written word, the Holy Spirit has said, in Hebrews chapter 4, 
verse 12, "The word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any 
two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit."
   
Now the question comes up for the minsterial student, "Do you have the 
word of God?" Paul said, "Preach the word." Have you got it?
   
The modern teaching being taught by higher Christian education in 
every college in the country--I'm not picking at anybody--any 
university in the country--I'm not picking at anybody; some of you 
people have a persecution complex, because you're kinda proud--sort of 
like the campfire girls; they get upset, you know, when the weenie 
roast doesn't come out right.  I'm not picking at anybody.  Every 
seminary--does that include everybody?  let's get `em all in one 
shot--are teaching young men that they believe the Bible is the word 
of God.  And when the ministerial student gets there, he finds nobody 
there has a Bible.  They have what they call "reliable" and 
"unreliable" translations, and they have a book nobody ever saw, 
called "The Word of God Which Was Inspired." How do you preach 
something that is quick and powerful and sharper than a two-edged 
sword if you don't have it?
   
How do you study the word of God to show yourself approved if you 
don't have a copy?
   
Or even more than that.  Since Timothy had the Scriptures, and from a 
child knew the Scriptures (2Timothy 3:15), and those Scriptures were 
inspired (2Timothy 3:16), why do you suppose it is that every apostate 
fundamentalist in America is teaching that 2Timothy 3:16 is a 
reference to the originals? It isn't in the context.  It's a reference 
to the Scriptures that Timothy read.
   
Now how do you go out and face the enemy and, right before you go out 
to face him, your professor takes your weapon out of your hand, and 
you go out to face the devil, the principalities and powers, 
barehanded?
   
The dirtiest traitor to the cause of Christ you ever met in your life 
is a Christian who will take your weapon away from you before you go 
into combat.  And, alongside him, Judas Iscariot was a gentleman!
   
Final resource--praying.  "Praying always with all prayer and 
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all 
perseverance and and supplication for all saints."
   
Well, our space is up.  There's no space left to make application.  
There's at least one message in the passage.  Notice the seven pieces 
of armor, with one piece unlisted.  The piece that's unlisted is the 
"leg pad," and the "shin guard." And the reason why it's not listed is 
because this soldier's knees are covered, because, verse 18, he is 
praying.
   
Notice no armor for the back, because the Christian is not told to 
turn from the enemy; he is told to face the enemy!
   
One final nugget before we leave; I wish we could have space for more.  
Lesson #3:  The further out you get in front of your own troops, 
pressing the battle, the more times you're going to get shot in the 
back by your own troops.  Don't forget that!
   
May the Lord help you to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus 
Christ, and fight the good fight of faith.
   

   
