Armed for Battle

The point: Do not become insensitive to the world of spiritual reality, like the unregenerate.

This analogy, referenced from a previous sermon, describes an unregenerate person oblivious to God's impending judgment, much like a sailor sleeping precariously on a wall.

And he says, if you know that, then it ought to have some commensurate effect upon your life. And so, having reminded them of what they knew and of what they were by the operations of grace, he draws the conclusion in verse 6, which becomes the thrust of his exhortation, therefore, or so then, in the light of what you know, in the light of what grace has constituted you, sons of the night and sons of the day and sons of the light, let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober. And so he exhorts them, on the one hand, negatively, let us not sleep. Let us not enter that state i...

3:03 - 4:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: What is worldliness? Worldliness is conformity to the pattern of unregenerate men. That's worldliness.

Martin uses Dean Martin as an example of modern society's lack of shame regarding drunkenness, contrasting it with the shame attached to it in Paul's time, to highlight changing cultural norms around sobriety.

Drunkenness, the same way. There was a shame attached to drunkenness that is fast going from our society where we elevate to the place of popular heroes, those that go around in a state of semi-inebriation like Dean Martin and others of his crowd who are looked upon as the epitome of the relaxed, sort of easy-to-live-with kind of guy. And everybody knows he's half-looped half the time, and yet there's no shame attached to it. But at least in this time, there was a shame attached to drunkenness, so the man who was going to get himself drunk did so under the cover of night.

7:07 - 7:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain spiritual sobriety and mental balance at any cost, forbidding excessive use of even legitimate things, lest you lose perspective and are not prepared for Christ's return.

This vivid metaphor illustrates the absurdity and ineffectiveness of a drunken man trying to arm himself for battle, emphasizing that spiritual preparedness requires sobriety and mental clarity.

Can you picture a drunk man stumbling around in an armory trying to fix himself up for a battle and he ends up with his helmet over his arm and a breastplate around his leg and a spear slung under one arm and can you get the grotesque picture that's here of a drunken man stumbling around in an armory getting himself prepared for battle and then he goes out for battle and here he's got his helmet slung over his arm and his breastplate around his leg and he's looking for the enemy and he can't really see him and when he goes to shoot he can't shoot at him straight. You see, if there's to be any ...

16:06 - 17:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain spiritual sobriety and mental balance at any cost, forbidding excessive use of even legitimate things, lest you lose perspective and are not prepared for Christ's return.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on a Sunday morning, when many American servicemen were in a state of semi-stupor from Saturday night carousing, is used to demonstrate how a lack of sobriety renders one unprepared for battle, even if the means of defense are present.

It's interesting as the reports filed in as the historians collected their materials and have written about the second world war one of the reasons why the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on a Sunday morning was due to this very principle. As they observed the activity of American servicemen they knew that the great majority of them were out to the wee hours of the morning started Saturday night after hours and got themselves drunk, carousing, chasing around and the rest and that Sunday morning the great majority of them were in such a state of semi-stupor that this would be the ideal time to a...

17:18 - 18:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Continually feed on the unseen world of spiritual reality and gaze upon Christ, maintaining a firm grasp on scripture's perspective of eternity.

The story of Noah preparing the ark by faith for a flood 'not seen' is used to illustrate how faith grasps unseen realities, contrasting with those who were preoccupied with the visible world and thus unprepared for judgment.

preoccupation with what they can see and touch and feel the world of sense as in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the coming of the son of man as in the days that were before the flood they were eating something I can see something that feels good going down and when it's down if it's been prepared right and you don't eat too much of it drinking marrying giving in marriage things that are perfectly legitimate in themselves but notice this became the total sphere of their preoccupation so that when Noah talked about a thing they'd never seen before a flood is coming they say what'...

29:10 - 30:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate love for God and Savior, as it is the motivation to be watchful and sober, preventing spiritual slumber and intoxication with worldly things.

A story of a wife staying awake late at night to wait for her husband, despite her desire to sleep, illustrates how love for a person motivates watchfulness and alertness, applying this to love for Christ.

and protect a man in conflict Mr. Clark gave me an illustration at the door last week that I want to use if any of you want to do that I welcome those you think of something during the sermon and you want to pass on an illustration I'm never never reluctant to snatch at illustrations or anecdotes that will help in illustrating and elucidating the truth of God and he mentioned a friend of his who had been away somewhere and ministry I believe it was and the details aren't important and he came home one night real late at night 1.30 in the morning 2 o'clock something like that and he was so surp...

38:00 - 39:29 Read in full sermon