The sermon of this post is the 59th of 67. Apparently, MLJ had not preached on the Armor of God for 3 weeks and gave a 9-minute review to introduce the sermon. So, if you haven’t listened to one of these sermons, then this might be a good one to sample, as it covers a lot of territory.
Furthermore, the notes provided by MLJTrust are more thorough than in most of the other sermons of this series. The topic is very important and foundational: every Christian must understand the things covered in this sermon. It is therefore, a good one to hear to see how on point your Christian walk is and / or, to discover things that must be considered in you walk with the Lord.
He says much about what it looks like to walk by grace and not in one’s own strength. That is a topic that is greatly misunderstood. I have been struggling for most of my 20-year walk to understand such things….
Slaves of Christ (Remastered)
From the YouTube site, MLJTrust, linked below:
Feb 19, 2025
A Sermon on Ephesians 6.14 https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book…
“Armor of God” playlist: • Introduction ― A Sermon on Ephesians …
“Are you grumbling and complaining? Are you halting and limping through life? Remember, you’re alive unto God. You’ve no business to be weak and frail in this christian life. With the sun shining upon you and all its glorious healing activity. Realize it. Get out into the sun. Get up from your corner. Stop commiserating with yourself.” ―Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Ephesians 6.14
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness…
Sermon Description [by MLJTrust]; [Bracketed comments are mine]:
The Bible has made it clear that the life of the Christian will not be one of ease, but a continuous battle against the evil one. In order to live in victory, one must put on the breastplate of righteousness. The question, then, is how does one do this?
In this sermon on Ephesians 6.14 titled “Slaves of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains what it means to put on the breastplate of righteousness. He begins by stating that putting on the breastplate of righteousness can be equated to putting on Jesus and walking in the Spirit.
Walking in the Spirit shows that the Christian is a new creation in Christ and has made Him the master rather than themselves.
[This is a huge problem for every Christian I know, it is about learning to deny self, self-rule… and learning to submit to Christ’s Spirit.]
Second, he explains that to understand the breastplate of righteousness, one must first understand that they were once dead in their sins, but have been made alive through Christ Jesus. They are no longer under the reign of the law and unrighteousness, but under the reign of grace.
Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that in putting on the breastplate of righteousness, the Christian needs to realize the help available to them through Jesus Christ, the High Priest. It is through these actions and realizations that they will stand in victory in the day of battle.
Sermon Breakdown [by MLJTrust]:
- The context of the sermon is Ephesians 6.14 – the armor of God. The apostle Paul is reminding Christians that though they have eternal life, they still face difficulties and spiritual battles in this life.
- The devil and his forces are powerful, subtle, and cunning. The only way to stand against them is by relying on God’s strength and using the armor He provides.
- The armor of God includes:
- The belt of truth: The Christian life is based on truth, not feelings.
- The breastplate of righteousness: Protects our heart, feelings, conscience, desires, and will. We must protect ourselves from moods, feelings, disappointments, and the devil’s temptations.
- Putting on the breastplate of righteousness means:
- Realizing the old self is dead to sin (Romans 6:6)
- Realizing we are no longer under Satan’s dominion
- Realizing we are dead to sin’s dominion
- Realizing we are dead to the law (even God’s law) – we have died to the law through Christ’s body (Romans 7:4)
- Positively, putting on the breastplate of righteousness means:
- Looking to Jesus – seeing how He endured and overcame temptation. We should follow His example.
- Realizing why Jesus died – not just to save us from hell, but to make us good and zealous for good works
- Realizing the consequences of Jesus’ work – we are new creatures with a new position. We have a new master (righteousness) and are alive to God.
- Being alive to God means:
- We are open to God’s gracious influences and under the reign of grace. God is working in us to will and act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:12-13).
- We are no longer trying to earn salvation or make ourselves good – we are living to please the One who saved us by grace.
- We have God’s power and Spirit working in us, so we have no excuse for failure or defeat.
We no longer fight in the old way (trying to keep the law to earn salvation) but in the new way – by the Spirit’s power and with the motive of pleasing Christ. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6) We have help and sympathy available through our High Priest, Jesus Christ, who endured all we face yet without sin. We can come boldly before the throne of grace to find mercy and help in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)