July 2, 2017 AM

Three of the five members of this committee are well known to wear presidents of the United States. John Adams who was the chair Thomas Jefferson who would become the one task in drafting the first rendition of the Declaration.

Benjamin Franklin the two others were also well-known but this not known to us today Robert Livingston who would later become the ambassador to France and who would negotiate the Louisiana Purchase. And then Rodger Sherman the only person in American history who signed all four. Founding documents of the country the Continental Association the Declaration of Independence the Articles of Confederation Confederation and the US Constitution just a little history lesson to you. In this document that was actually approved on July 2nd 1776 and Thomas Jefferson was so convinced of the momentous occasion of Congress passing this declaration on July 2nd that he wrote his wife and said July 2nd will be known throughout history as the day in which the United States became a nation. He was off by 2 days. The reason being is it it through a parliamentary procedure was not officially made made into effect until July 4th 1776 document. That has had a profound impact on our lives and the life of this world. It is in the second section of the Declaration. Most of you know this when you were school kids you had to memorize it we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among them or among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It was at that moment in time 241 years ago that people in the 13 colonies draw a line in the sand. And the United States would fight to be free. This perilous fight would usher in one of the most important see changes the world has ever known. However It is not the only perilous fight there is one that is of a more critical nature. I'm with me and your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 6. Ephesians chapter 6

Beginning with verse number 10 the Apostle Paul writes these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These are revealed words are Revelation from God finally. Be strong in the Lord. and in the strength of his might put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. But against the rulers against the authorities against the cosmic Powers over this present Darkness. against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly places therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all the stand

nearly 250 years ago men and women boys and girls Began to realize that something was seriously wrong. In the way, they were governed the way they were treating.

They attempted to figure it out the attempted to make peace. They attempted for reconciliation. But everything just got worse.

Now these people were not perfect people. There's only one that's perfect in that his and his name is Jesus Christ.

But they were engaging in a battle. in the end of that document we called the Declaration of Independence.

They pledged each other and signed it. there their sacred honor The Fortunes their life

I wonder when we look at the reality of spiritual warfare. Where there is indeed an enemy who is on the prowl to bring absolute destruction in our life? If we're willing pledge. Our lives our fortunes and our sacred honor for cause that is much greater than the one that was bought 200 50 years ago

every person who has walked on this planet has been engaged in this kind of battle the spiritual war. This is a spiritual life and death struggle. This enemy is ferocious. But there's a mighty God who is greater.

But the question that we have to ask ourselves. Is not whether or not we want to engage in the spiritual war because guess what we are in it whether we like it or not whether we believe it in in it or not this war exists.

Not too often. We we we we focus on people that we see and we will determine if they are Friend or Foe and if they are full we consider them the enemy but I will tell you there is an unseen enemy.

That wants to bring you down wants to bring absolute destruction in your life. We cannot afford to ignore this enemy. So, how do we engage in this battle? 2 over the next several weeks of time in the month of July. I want us to look at the realities of the spiritual battle and what God wants to do in and through that God wants to make you a more than conqueror in Christian. Not somebody who Rings his or her hands looking down looking discourage not believing that they can be an overcomer. God wants you to know that he wants to give you victory in Christ.

So, how do we engage in this battle? the scripture here uses metaphors for the spiritual resources. God gives us through Christ. f****** verse 14 Ephesians 6:14 says stand therefore. having fast and the belt of Truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. The first thing that we need to do is actually prepare for the battle. Our eyes need to be open. We need to be astute. We need to recognize the reality that we are in. And the reality that we are in is more than just what meets the ice.

the scripture says that we are to stand there for stamp weather confronting Satan's efforts to distress God or forsake of forsake obedience or produce doctrinal confusion or falsehood living hypocritically being worldly. The armor is our defense. And We Begin by standing firm For the third time in this passage of scripture. There is a call for the Christian to take a firm position in the spiritual battle against Satan and his cohorts but the problem is we get distracted, don't we? We get distracted all the time. life happens We engage in conversations. We have things that happened at work. When the car breaks down? Or we find out somebody's mad enough. Or we get that unexpected bill. And we get distracted.

The problem is is when we get distracted.

We can lose sight of the spiritual reality that we are in and when we lose sight of the spiritual reality, one of the one of the side effects is that we get easily discouraged. We get impatient with people we get very frustrated with our life circumstances. We wonder God. Where are you?

And we cease to be effective in our witness as a follower of Christ. And that's exactly what the enemy wants to happen in your life. We cannot afford to be distracted. This is no time for wavering or for engaging in apathy. It is facing reality with careful thought with Resolute discipline. We need to stand firm. plantar feet firmly on the foundation of Christ and engage in the direction that God has for us in full alignment with what he is doing. We need to prepare for the battle. The problem is like I said life happens. We get distracted we lose sight and we begin to waiver. in our steadfastness

now we look at the scripture.

What we see is a a very clear order of how to put this armor on. So you begin with preparation with Focus? That's the first thing you do. The second thing that you do is you need to embrace truth. The scripture says put on or fasten the belt.

The soldier 2000 years ago wore a tunic of loose-fitting cloth. Since ancient combat was largely hand-to-hand a loose tunic was a potential hindrance and a very real danger. In fact, we saw this just a couple weeks ago in the south of France where there was a bull fighting X exhibition. and in that bullfighting exhibition a matador was engaged in the battle with the ball. and in a moments Mmm, just a in just a Split Second. unbeknownst to The Matador his cake which was free-flowing caught in his shoe. He tripped. In that one moment it cost him his life.

The belt in Roman times was necessary to pull in all everything that was loose.

So that it would not get in the way of combat.

What is loose? in our life

The spiritual belt this belt of Truth pulls all the Loose Ends. Together nothing is let alone.

Specifically this is speaking of integrity. We are called to be Integra people Integrity speaks of wholeness.

We are to be committed to fight and win without hypocrisy.

We need a jealous and thought I could say whatever I want to say. Thank whatever I want to say God is going to come to the rescue. I can be whatever I want to be. And too often that's the way we live our life. Christian believer

We are called to be people of integrity.

We see things as they really are honest.

Today in our culture. We have a huge problem with the truth. If the truth gets in the way make up something. That's the way we live don't we? I'm telling you what that way of thinking is incredibly dangerous.

I use a solar stration several years ago, but some of you probably forgotten. That's okay. Out of Chicago when I was a child, but this happened in Chicago. So I'm all the news. a DC-10 a Boeing DC-10 took off almost immediately after it lifted off the ground. Is lost an engine. I believe the DC-10 had three in it lost one of the engines that was fastened to the to the wing. It went down killing everybody on board. After investigation they have determined. Why that engine fell which contributed to the disaster? It was a small little Bolt.

Something very insignificant that created the disaster that failed. friends

something that may seem really small.

Can bring everything down. We are called to be a people of Integrity wholeness that looks at ourselves and say are we fully aligning with the truth of God? Are we actually living it and not just saying we live it but actually doing it.

This is something that weighs on me. So significantly.

Our Lives can get busy But one thing that we determine several weeks ago. Is that our priority in the Walker household? More than anything else is that time in which the family comes together every single day. And we have family devotions. She too often we get busy. And so we'll just put it off this time. We said we're not putting it off. It's our priority. We got a good book to I really like it. It's good questions if we've been talking about marriage with our kits.

And they and they think they have a lot of thoughts.

And then we pray together. Just friends if I am not a man of integrity with you. I'll fill you. If I'm not a man of integrity with my wife, I'll fail her and my children. We got to be people of integrity.

You know, the scripture says in Hebrews 12:1 therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clean so closely. Let us run with endurance the race that is set for us. We can't let anything trip. Nothing, no, no matter how big or small we need to we need to jettison everything. This is a self discipline in Devotion to Victory everything that hinders is tucked away.

See facing the enemy of our souls requires us to adjust address our personal character. To root out those flaws that lead to compromise and send so we pray. the words of the psalmist search me o God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts. We cannot afford to ignore personal spiritual failure. So what's loose in our life?

What's dangling that needs to be addressed? Can see this leads us to to another thought that Paul introduces here having put on the breastplate of righteousness putting on righteousness. We need to put on or or or or or we need to put on Integrity. We need to put on righteousness there two kinds of righteousness. For the Christian positional righteousness. That's the righteousness of Christ gave us on the cross not because of what we did not because we were great and perfect because of Jesus Christ in his Perfection his Holiness when we receive Jesus Christ by faith and became the recipient of his grace and his forgiveness. We were made holy because of Jesus Christ expositional positional righteousness. But the thing here that I think Paul is really zeroing in on is practical righteousness. The price of the breastplate in Paul's day was usually a very puff sleeveless piece of leather. Or some kind of heavy material and they would weave into it animal horn and Hooves.

This would cover the Torso of the soldier. And would protect the soldier. Protecting is hard and other vital organs. Through Christ the Believers called to put on righteousness.

We are to put on righteousness by fully embracing obedience that is consistent with what Jesus Christ demonstrates. In a spiritual warfare, there is no time for mediocracy or compromise in 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1 the scripture says since we have these promises beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of the body and spirit. Bringing Holiness to completion in the fear of God. So how do we put on the breastplate of righteousness? I have several thoughts focused on Psalm 119.

Psalm 119 verse 9 says how can a young man? Keep his way pure by guarding it according to your word? We need to know and practice the word. We need to know and practice the word. Too often. We have become comfortable and setting aside. this revelation of God

now, let me tell you sometimes I'm going through 1st Chronicles right now. This is the hardest part of the scripture, I believe okay, because it lists hundreds of names most of which I cannot pronounce the k in and so it's very easy for me to slow down in this part. But I will tell you we need to be diligent in studying God's word. This is how we know if there is a prophetic message given in church. How do we know it's true? We got to go beyond just because it felt like it was true. We need to know that it was true by the written word of God.

When my grandfather called me over to his house when I was 19 years old getting ready to go into the Air Force. He wanted to pray for me.

And he gave me this verse verse number 9. How can you young man? Keep his way pure but by taking heed according to Thy word that was in King James Burbage. You said that?

You're going to go off into the world. You're an adult. You're going to have to make adult decisions.

And you need to decide here. And now are you going to trust God completely? And you going to know his work because only by his work. Are you going to be able to be victorious in life? I've never forgotten that conversation.

We need to know and practice the word. Secondly we need to. Become wholehearted in our devotion to God in verse 10 of Psalm 119 with my whole heart. I seek you. Let me not Wander from your Commandments to Austin workout farted. We get bored. We life happens when we put I will tell you when we need to be totally committed to our relationship with cheese.

Jesus needs to be our priority in life. In fact more than a priority. We need to revolve around him.

He needs to be the center of our life.

Secondly or third how we can put on this breastplate of righteousness. I'll go back to the word. We need to take this in. Over and over again. We need to just needs to be our food. Our spiritual food is right here too. Many of us are are are dying of spiritual starvation. We need to take this word into us. Psalm 119 verse 11. I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Another way in which we can put on the armor of or the the breastplate of righteousness as we need to receive God's instruction with enthusiasm and eagerness.

First 12 Blessed Are You O Lord, teach me your statutes.

Lord I bless you for what you doing in my life. I bless you for working in me. I want to know you teach me all of your words.

and then

I see another thought here in verse 13. We need to confess and believe with my lips. I declare all the rules of your mouth. I will declare it. I will declare I will confess it. I will admit it.

the Apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 10 You want to be saved you want to know that you're safe? You need to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for you Rose again for you. Is your lord and savior? There's power in confession.

The perilous fight cannot be ignored or minimized. Sometimes it can feel like a losing battle. To the enemy is Crafty powerful.

so what to do with the scripture tells us to do Standifer

let's do what the scripture tells us to do. Let's put on the belt of Truth and be men and women of integrity. honest and sincere in your faith in Christ and put on the breastplate of righteousness be holy because God is Holy.