This post contains message 34 of MLJ’s messages on the phrase, “wiles of the devil,” from the KJV’s translation:
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
I have posted many of MLJ’s sermons from this series, and highly recommend hearing it. I wanted to note that this sermon on worldliness is complemented by the post that occurred before it and the post that will occur after it.
The post before was about Bishop Buddy, therein, the vlogger commented on the harmful influence of theological liberalism on mainstream Christian churches….
The message of the next post is about the Willow Creek Churches, Megachurches that began trending in the 1970’s; they were also known as “seeker friendly” churches.
There is much on the web about Willow Creek churches, but the one-page article of the next post gets to the point of why they failed; it also very briefly notes what Christians must do to keep from having a similar failure in their own Christian lives.
Today’s post and the post before and after it all fall under the category of “worldliness” in the body of Christ.
I highly recommend hearing the sermon in addition to reading MLJTrust’s overview and points. About 12 minutes into the sermon, MLJ said some things that reminded me of Willow Creek Churches and other Megachurches such as Lakewood.
Worldliness (Remastered)
The sermon of this post is from the YouTube site, MLJTrust, linked below:
A sermon by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on on Ephesians 6.10-13 https://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/book…
“Armor of God” playlist: • Introduction ― A Sermon on Ephesians …
“The Christian is a man who belongs to a different realm. His realm is the realm of God. The kingdom of God. He’s been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear son. He’s a stranger here, he’s a journeyman, he’s a pilgrim, he’s a wayfarer.” ―Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Ephesians 6.10-13
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…
Sermon Description [by MLJTrust]:
When someone mentions “worldliness,” what comes to mind?
In this sermon on overcoming worldliness from Ephesians 6.10–13, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps the listener come to a proper understanding of worldliness and how it affects the Christian walk.
Worldliness, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is when one allows things that are good in and of themselves to occupy too big of a part in one’s life. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that this happens when the Christian doesn’t allow their walk with Christ to overlap with the other areas of their life.
Being a follower of Jesus means following His instruction for every action, thought, and desire one has.
How can one prevent falling into the trap of worldliness?
First, they must remember that salvation is not just to save one for eternity, but is also to save from sin now and deliver the Christian from the present evil.
Second, Christians must be cautious of any hint of sin and run from the scent of it at all costs.
At times it can seem like an impossible task but Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that they are called to stand strong in the Lord and the power of His might.
Jesus has overcome Satan, and the Christian can do the same because He is alive [and] lives in those who believe in Him.
Sermon Breakdown [by MLJTrust]:
- The devil attacks us in the realm of conduct and practice through worldliness.
- Worldliness is allowing legitimate things to have too big a place in our lives and distract us from God.
- We must remember we are strangers in this world and our citizenship is in heaven. We must use the world but not abuse it.
- We defeat worldliness by purifying ourselves and keeping our hope in Christ.
- The devil also attacks through the commission of sin which grieves the Holy Spirit.
- We must confess our sins, believe God forgives us, and continue following Him.
- The “evil day” refers to satanic attacks of unusual force. We must be strong in the Lord to withstand them.
- Christ has already defeated the devil and his forces. Greater is He in us than he in the world.
- We belong to God and the devil cannot touch us. We must stand confident in God’s armor.
MLJTrust Video-page link: https://www.youtube.com/@MLJTrust/videos
Playlist-page list: https://www.youtube.com/@MLJTrust/playlists