After we have been at this table and have enjoyed Him, I always have the feeling that this is not a time of speaking.
The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him. I feel that we should be silent instead of speaking. We should remain in the presence of the Lord and behold Him. That is what we should do.
I feel myself this afternoon as Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration. He tried to say something, and no doubt he said the wrong thing. He did not know what he was saying.
I do not know whether it was the much speaking of Peter that brought that wonderful time to an end. They might have been longer there if he had remained silent. I hope I do not make the mistake this afternoon, but, in a sense, I am forced to make this mistake. I do not want to.
We really do not need to say anything. The best thing to conclude—if there is a conclusion—to this time of convocation is that we may all be still: silent, quiet, gazing upon Him, the altogether lovely One, the Lord.
We have to go down from the mountain to the valley. We soon will have to go back to our various places. It is good to be here, but down there in the valley a battle is raging. It is a battle of life and death.
The Lord, when He has done with this time, I feel it is only right just to read from the Word, make perhaps a few comments, and leave it with you.
We turn to Ephesians 6, beginning at verse 10 and continuing through verse 18.
Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
“Finally,” or “for the rest, brethren.” I remember about ten years ago, I heard our brother Keith Scott explaining to us the real meaning of “finally.” It has stayed with me.
“Finally” does not mean that Paul has said everything he wanted to say, and now there is just a little left. No. The word means that he is gathering up all that he has said before, putting all the things together, and then entering into a new phase with all the riches that he has unfolded.
After we have been shown all the unsearchable riches of Christ, after we have seen Christ, the unsearchable One, and have had shown to us His unsearchable riches; after that has come to us as a gospel, as something that we can not only hear but swallow and become a part of—oh, brothers and sisters, with all that has been said and seen and shown—finally, now it will be put into practice.
When Christ came to this world, He was contested from His birth to His death. We do not have time to go into it; you know that.
When He was born, Herod wanted to kill Him. He had to flee for His life. He was tempted in the wilderness by the devil, to draw Him away from that purpose that He came to fulfil.
In His own native city, Nazareth, they wanted to push Him down and kill Him. Peter wanted to divert Him from the will of the Father.
Friends and foes, Jews and Gentiles, seen and unseen—all the forces of evil tried to crush Him, to lead Him astray, to frustrate Him, to hinder Him, that He might not be able to enter into that purpose which was set by the Father.
He was tested and contested from birth to death. And yet, praise God, He came out in triumph. He spoiled the principalities and authorities, and made a public show of them, leading them in His triumph.
Brothers and sisters, He came out triumphant and victorious.
Now you have become a part of Him. Now you are drawn into Him, to share one life with Him and to share His unsearchable riches. Do you think that the enemy will not test and contest you?
Paul said, “Finally.” Now, with the unsearchable riches of Christ in you, you are drawn into a conflict of the ages.
But remember, you are not fighting against flesh and blood. You are drawn into a spiritual conflict with the principalities and authorities, with the powers of darkness, with the spirits of evil. It is a spiritual conflict. It goes on all the time.
It is a conflict against the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Do not think that now you can go home and enjoy the unsearchable riches of Christ, and just be carried easily into glory by the angels. You will go back, and maybe before you reach home, you will find that you are in the thick of the battle.
It is a battle of life and death. It is a battle as to whether the unsearchable riches of Christ are real, or whether they are only a theory.
Do not be deceived by the enemy into trying to fight against flesh and blood. You will go back, and flesh and blood will come in and try to wear you out.
Do not be deceived by the enemy. You are not fighting against flesh and blood; you are fighting against evil powers.
How are you going to fight? Be strong. This is your place. Do not move away from your place in Christ.
Be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. The Lord is your place; He is your home. Dwell in Him, and then draw upon the might of His strength.
You are not to fight this fight with your own strength. You are to fight this fight with the unsearchable riches of His mighty strength. Remember, He has overcome.
The battle is the Lord’s. You are just following Him and gathering the spoil. That is what you are doing. Do not you dare put yourself at the front, but hide yourself in Christ.
Put on the whole armor of God. And everybody knows the armor of God is nothing but Christ Himself—the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Another thing: who is this one that goes out to meet the adversary? Are you the one? Are you the only one? No.
This warrior is not an individual. This warrior is the Christ. You are not alone.
The Head has overcome. Now the Body is to meet the adversary, experiencing all that He has done for us. You are not alone.
The Body is meeting the enemy. How we need one another. Pray with all prayer and supplication for all the saints.
And only as we are together can we not only withstand, but carry through to the end the purpose of God and bring Him the glory that is due.
Our heavenly Father, Thou hast revealed Thy purpose to us. We do believe that an impression has been made.
We pray Thee that, as we go back to our various places, as we shall be tested, oh, that we may stay in Thee; that we may appropriate all the unsearchable riches and make them our own.
Oh, that we may, with all Thy saints, enter into that reality of Christ, that we may carry through.
And, as Paul said:
I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the course,
I have kept the faith:
henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.
Make it true, Lord, by Thy mercy and grace. We want to give Thee the glory, the honor, the dominion, and the power, unto the ages of ages, in Jesus Christ’s name.