The Believer's Armor, Part 4: The Shield of Faith B

So the only way to quench the darts of Satan is to believe God. The Bible says Abraham believed God was counted to him for righteousness. Second Corinthians 124 says, by faith he stand causes us to stand back, you have an enemy named Satan. He's relentless and he is vicious he tempt you to sin, he seeks to discourage you and he wants you to doubt the reality of your own faith. So how do you fend off his attacks find out as John MacArthur shows you how to use the shield of faith, a vital piece of the believer's armor.

Now before we get started, John.

Here's a question I haven't asked you for a while. What's on your reading list these days always pay attention to the books that you're going through because it gives me a lot of helpful direction in my own reading. So what has captured your attention lately and I've been reading a little book I can't member the title of it but it has to do with the Christian walk, written by one of the one of the Westminster theologians I've been reading John Piper's book on Providence 650 pages but it's really a biblical theology for 400 pages in its truly a monumental work. It traces God's operation in the world from from the beginning to the consummation and it shows how God's providence orders. Everything is just loaded with Scripture. It's it's dense but it's incredibly incredibly rich. There are the few other books on doctrinal themes that I have been reading some sections on the atonement.

I'm always enjoying reading Christian biographies from time to time. I have read recently, a couple of the smaller works on John Knox because I and I do well when I have some some heroes or make me feel small and insignificant.

John Knox was heroic. John Knox would be would be one such man or William Tyndale for that matter. I guess that sums up the fact that I read mostly theology and then Christian biography of people that that I know God has blessed and profound ways and put his hand on and I want to keep doing that. I read a relatively new book on Spurgeon, to which I found to be very helpful and also wonderful book on his sort of friend across town. Rev. Brown Wright who pastored in a more low income part of London but had an amazing impact there.

So those kind biographies are wonderfully encouraging to me and they help me keep my focus on the right kind of models and examples yes and all those men had an incredible trust in the Lord, and friend. That is exactly what today's message is going to help you do trust the Lord even more so, let's jump right to it.

Here's John MacArthur we come again to Ephesians chapter 6 Ephesians chapter 6 and we are looking at this wonderful section on the armor of the Christian chapter 6, verse 10 through 17. Finally, my brother and be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly's are wicked spirits in the heavenly's wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that he may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truthfulness and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and here we have the great text in the book of Ephesians that delineates for us the warfare of the Christian. Our manner of life in this world will be conflict. We are set against the enemy. We are fighting against the devil and his demons who are actively involved in an aggressive attack on the truth of God and the character of God and his people now need to ask ourselves what are the fiery darts. What is it will try to stop their seducing temptations that so he simply referring to temptation Satan fires shafts of impurity, shafts of selfishness, doubt, fear, disappointment, last greed, vanity covetousness, it all comes down to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. He literally bombards the believer with the arrows.

The fiery darts of seductive temptation to elicit out of us ungodly non-Christlike evil response and the only defense we have at this point bosses the shield of faith because sometimes it just rains temptation.

We live in a world where it really does it really does all around us. We must have the shield of faith. Now what is he mean by the shield of faith and understand the Roman picture we got the picture of the Army in the Aeros F why is faith the shield against temptation. How does faith carry the errors as faith secure the well first of all let me say that the term faith means believing God and that is the bottom line of the Christian faith. That is the bottom line of everything we believe everything we hold everything we have our confidence in the hall of Christianity is an act of believing that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him believing that he wrote the Bible believing that Christ is God believing that he died believing that he rose believing that he's coming believing that by believing we can enter into his kingdom.

The whole thing. That's why Habakkuk 24 says the just shall live by his faith. Romans 117 says the just shall live by faith.

Galatians 311, the just shall live by faith. Hebrews 10 the just shall live by faith, God says something that many times you get the message.

The just live by faith. Faith is our life is a matter of believing God nobody lives by something as faith in something you can you try F8 obituary going up blown up just talking about that, like the man and the magazine that monsters bulldozing mover that huge thing a man stand there with his arms full like this and says I call her faith. She can move mountains are generating Reader's Digest about the people to drink the water in the town in Kansas is coming to them on some kind of a pipe system out of a great big huge reservoir storage tank and what was so fascinating about it was a grain storage tank when they converted to another system and they found all kinds of dead animals in the bottom of the StorageTek and everybody got retroactive dysentery. It's one thing to live by faith and you better be sure your fate is in the right thing.

Oliver Wendell Holmes pulled up his chest one day and said and he everybody thought was a great statement he said is faith in the something that makes life worth living faith in something so I faith in something Little League or came into his mommy said mom I think were gonna lose a game today. She said no, no, something positive. I am positive there was a game today faith is got to be in something that's worth putting faith in what is faith. Faith is believing God not believing God and every fiery dart that Satan never shot was alive right and if you brought it in a five bonnet we believe him, not God. When the great missionary John Payton was translating the Scripture for the South Sea Islanders he found there was no word in their vocabulary for believe there was no word in their vocabulary for trust or have faith had no idea how I would convey it to them since they had no word for one day as he was in his heart, translating a native came running and running hard and fast ran up the stairs and in and just flapped himself in patent study in a chair and then he said to John Payton, it's so good to rest my whole weight in this chair John Payton said I had my word. Faith is resting your whole weight on God. That became the word that edited of the translation of their New Testament that brought that whole civilization of natives to Christ. Believing is putting your whole weight on God is saying.

If God said it, it's true in all believe the house is working temptation.

We should, God comes with the garden of Eden creates a perfect environment creates a perfect man, perfect woman, perfect in the sense of sinlessness, not in the sense of an accomplished perfection untested and there they are not here come St. disguised as a servant and what is he say has gotten really sad and then he says you know God doesn't want you to know good and evil, because you will be like him. He doesn't like competition, you can't trust God has ulterior motives. He cannot believe exactly what he says. Satan was tempting them to doubt God and believe him.

Eve was a sucker.

He was a fool. She believed the devil, and you know what happened. Every temptation that ever came to you came on the task of believe me, not God. Will you come in the New Testament the great passage on temptation is in Matthew four. Look for the temptation of Jesus Christ. Christ is been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights letter to the wilderness by the spirit of God as God prepared him for his ministry at the end of that time, Satan comes to attempted and how is he tempted me tempting to not believe God same audio nobly got believe me. And this is the approach take those stones and turn them into bread that is nothing wrong with doing after the son of God, you can make stones bread is not a moral thing. Some of the say the sin was in eating bread is not a sin to eat bread. If that's true, are all sinners. Most of you have for breakfast. That's not the point is no sitting bread in his nose and in doing a miracle if you happen to be God. Here was the approach Satan was saying in what's the deal 40 days and does nothing to eat. 40 days out here in this godforsaken devastation. 40 days out here was God not abandon you.

Why God said he would take care of you. God said he would sustain you.

God said he would replenish her need and you are the son of God. What's gonna grab some satisfaction you can't wait for God. He's forgotten she was a temptation to distrust God, but temptation to not believe God temptation to take things into his own hands and Satan said luck. Didn't God promised to make you the Messiah God promised that every knee will bow before you didn't, God promised you'd be the king and all of these things. Didn't God promised you homage and worship. Kiss the son, and all that stuff.

What does it get you out here, they will go to the temple, you'll dive off and they'll say wow what a deal this is the Messiah and you get all the stuff you been looking for and by the way, didn't God tell you, give you the kingdoms of the world and not doing too well. You don't have any of them come with me are given to in other words, don't believe God he doesn't keep his word. He didn't give me the whole picture.

He didn't tell you the truth.

Believe me, do it my way and that's the way every temptation comes to every believer every time Satan comes along and says I know the Bible says you're not supposed to have sexual relationships with somebody outside of marriage. But it's far every time you sin you bought Satan's lie. Everything some years it was. I know the Bible says them only to marry a Christian and is not a Christian, but all we have this wonderful relationship. Laura work it all out were all praying for and you know after all, the Lord is gracious and you know what you don't. God says don't do it. Satan is dude dude dude. Would you believe Satan.

Satan gotchas don't read that corruption front of you read that dirty makes no go watch a dirty for touching on your income tax. Don't do that the opposite is right. Don't proclaim some you don't really have on your expense.that is due until you get little more money little more thrilled you believe when you sent by the it's a bottom-line people are so simple.

When you sin you believe Satan when you when you will basically get. That's the bottom line and the shield was the double protection. I will believe God said Christ Galilei.

Satan, God of anyone is ready and God will annoy me as Messiah when he's ready and God will give me the kingdoms of the world when he's ready. On his terms.

I will not believe you. First John 510 says if you doubt God, you make him a what a liar got a liar. Titus 12 God who can not lie God's. Yet every time you sin you dumb enough to believe Satan is all mine. We been sucker to get. I know what I'll do give this to the Lord. This is what I'll give the Lord and all but I want to buy this. I want to do this. I want to save this and so we do what we think were going to win by doing were doing and will go just sort of shut got a corner lot workout. You don't and all we've done is cheat ourselves the we just did our set.

God stands there with his hands open and he says if you asked me for bread, will I give you a stone. No. Do I want to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing so much you can't contain it wrong to give it back to you press down, shaken together and running over to want to bless you with all spiritual blessings in heavenly well I do exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think you want to give you every good and perfect thing that comes down from the father of lights in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Why want to unload all of this substance of heaven all over you for as long as you live. Yes I do and will you believe me and obey me so I can Satan comes along and says do it my way and you like it will be fun. It will fulfill you will gain what you lack. He is a liar.

John 844.

The father of lies. Every time he comes. It's a lying intent whenever you sin your say I really don't believe God knows best. Satan is best you believe no we say all my God shall supply all your needs. It is in Christ Jesus will say amen brother preach yes you will supply all your needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus. No question about and then we lose a job. All God were you doing we will see desperation second. Yes, we know the Bible says I've never seen God's people begging bread all yes you can first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added and we run through life seeking all the things that should be added, missing the kingdom of God.

You can't just go arising.

I just shall live by faith and then grab everything you can grab Proverbs 834 says happy is the man who hears my word and keeps it will be happy okay. Jeremiah 1516, Jeremiah was living in the midst of a society where nobody listened to God, absolutely nobody and yet he said, thy words were found, and I did eat them in thy word was in me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Psalm 119. From beginning to end, says how wonderful it is to obey the word of God. Revelation 13 says happy is the man who reads this and keeps it. First John 14. I write these things unto you, that your joy may be full. If you want joy and blessing upon them. Obey the word if you want your heart to burning you as it did on those and those on the road to Emmaus to let the word find root in your life. Satan comes Alonzo don't believe God have believed God do what you think every time you sin you believe the devil is pretty dominant. We keep doing you know I hate them so much.

I just don't want to sink as I only like to give him that much satisfaction, let alone forfeit the blessing of God. So the only way to quench the darts of Satan is to believe God. The Bible says Abraham believed God, it was counted to him for righteousness. You believe Abraham believed God who you believe you believe got second Corinthians 124 says, by faith, ye stand that's right it's the shield that causes us to stand faith in God believe God and will stand. Proverbs 30 verse 50. It's a great state. Every word of God is pure, he is a shield unto those who put their trust in him, don't add to his words, lest he reprove the and then I'll be found a liar. In other words, what God said is true. If you believe it and obey it. It'll be a shield if you mess with it you will suffer. See, Satan comes out as well. I know God said that but the me at this no no, he is a shield to those who put their trust in him and then in Psalm 12 verse six, you have a similar word. The words of the Lord are pure words like silver tested in a furnace of earth seven times purified in Psalm 18, verse 30 we find this as for God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord is proven he is a shield to all those who trust in him. As long as you believe God is shield is up. I hope you understand this, it's just that simple. Satan lies you believe is lie shield comes down you get trust God in everything. First John 54 this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith all that's right we win when we believe God. We win we trust God, you may go through doubts and anxieties and fears and worries and concerns and problems and struggles in trials and tribulations of persecution long as you believe God is you believe is sustenance you believe is word you believe is power you believe his promise that doesn't have to be a point of loss. It can be a point of strengthening appointive gain in first Peter 589 verse we refer to many times in the study, Peter says, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil like a roaring lion walk. It's about seeking whom he may devour.

And I listen whom resist steadfast in faith, steadfast in faith. You resist the devil by believing God, so let me sum it up the shield of faith is the consistent application of what we believe about God to the issues of life.

That field testing then you don't know him well enough right because if you really knew me, trust all the more you know God, the deeper you get into the heart of God. The more you know about his truth in the word of God and the more you meditate upon his person in your prayers and meditating times. The more you know God, the greater your trust God and the greater you trust God, the less likely you will be to not believe him. And so it all goes back is everything is in the Christian life. Your relationship to God. It's there, it's down deep in the heart. If you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. If you believe that God is who we claim to be. If you believe all the God's promises that he gave you a really true, then you not to sin because you gonna stand in the place of the greatest blessing everybody wants to be blessed every wants the best God is not guilty if you do it my way.

If you do it Satan's way. You just disbelieve God, but the more you know I'm more trusted the more you believe. Genesis 15 one God said fear not Abraham I am thy shield that great. I am thy shield. Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in time of trouble. Proverbs says the name of our Lord is a strong tower and the righteous runs into it and is safe. Psalm 84 says the Lord God is a shield he's on your side and he wants to bless you and he wants to give you victory over Satan which God believing and do it his way keep his word and obey it so were ready for the bell belt of commitment.

The breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of confidence God's on our side and when the battle begins. We grabbed the shield taking it up. We parry the fiery darts of temptation by trusting God implicit 11. There's no reason there's no reason to lose the battle. None go is ultimately the war is ours. Romans eight we are more than conquerors. That's the total picture know since losing along the way.

Put the armor on, will win a Sprague as we pray.

I want to borrow a prayer, a prayer from an old Puritan who express what's in my heart pray with me. Oh God, I bless the that the issue of the battle between thyself and Satan has never been uncertain and will end in victory. I thank you that Calvary broke the dragon's head, and I contend with the vanquished photo, who, with all the subtlety and strength is already been overcome when I feel the serpent of my heel.

May I remember him whose heel was bruised but who when bruised broke the devil's head my soul with inward joy extols the mighty conqueror shield meal God of any wounds received in the great conflict if I have gathered defilement if my faith has suffered damage if my hope is less than bright. If my love is not fervent if some creature comfort occupies my heart if my soul sinks under the pressure of the fight. Oh thou, whose every promises bomb whose every touch his life.

Draw near to thy weary warrior refresh me oh Lord, that I may rise again to wage the strife and never tire till my enemy is trodden down give me such fellowship with the that I may defy Satan unbelief the flesh, the world with delight that comes not from a creature in which a creature cannot mar or Lord, give me a draft of the eternal fountain that lies and I am mutable everlasting love, then shall my hand never weaken my feet never stumble. My sword never rust my helmet never shatter my breastplate never fall.

My strength shall ever rest in the power of thy might and my faith shall shield me from every temptation father to that prayer. I had this if there are some in our midst this morning who've never even joined the Army they don't even know the Lord Jesus Christ. So God made this be the day that they open their hearts to Christ and for those who are Christians Lord who have such deep needs who hunger to know the victory may this be the day when they get the armor on, that they may know that victory that you've granted to all of your super conquerors through the risen Christ Jesus name a. How can you withstand spiritual attacks in the days to come.

That's what John MacArthur study of the believers armor here on grace to you is all about.

He is equipping you to face the discouragement out and the temptations to sin that will come to you if you're Christian Dell friend a reminder, we recently published a study guide for John series on the believers armor is a great resource to use while listening to these lessons again and is also excellent for studying Ephesians chapter 6 with your small group to order the believers armor study guide.

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Go to TTY.org or call us at 855 now for John MacArthur in the entire grace to you. Staff I'm Phil Johnson inviting you back when John continues his series on the believers armor with another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on tomorrow's race