Christians are called to lay aside malice, deceit, and other fleshly weapons to wield the powerful, living Word of God as their primary spiritual weapon. Peter's first epistle, addressed to war-weary saints, emphasizes that believers are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation, equipped by God's provision to fight battles in the heart, the world, and the flesh. By embracing the Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword and alive and operative, believers can overcome temptations and live lives pleasing to God, glorifying Him through their conduct and proclamation of His marvelous light. The sermon concludes by urging believers to treasure and actively use God's Word as the ultimate provision for spiritual warfare.
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Will you turn with me once again to the First Epistle of Peter? We want to begin this morning with chapter two and verse one. We'll read the first twelve verses together. Just to remind you, I'm reading from the New King James, so if it's just a little bit different, you can make those corrections in your text as we go. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, coming to him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious.
You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is also contained in the scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore, to you who believe, he is precious, but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the word to which they also were appointed.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, who once were not a people, but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme or to governors as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. I know I read two extra verses there, but, uh, there's no extra charge for those two extra verses. I just was caught up enjoying the text. I didn't want to quit. Let's look to the Lord in a word of prayer. Father, we do thank you for this morning, for the night's rest, for the fellowship that we have already enjoyed with many of thy saints. And now it's been our joy to open your precious word and to read it and to know it's your word.
And we ask that as we spend these moments meditating upon this portion, we ask that your Holy Spirit would touch our hearts. Lord, we need you. We need the sustenance that comes from contact with you. We ask that that which is our portion given to us this morning from yourself, that Lord, you would use that to the glory and the honor of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. For those who are new with us this morning, in other words, if you weren't here yesterday, uh, we're spending some time in First Peter, and we're visualizing something.
Now, I know that's a word that scares people, so I didn't use it yesterday, but that's really what we're talking about. We're imagining, we're picturing in our minds a group of war-weary saints. And we said it's very appropriate for us to do that because many of the Lord's people who are, have been out in the front lines fighting spiritual battles, have found themselves weary. And if you're like me, there are times in your life when you just wonder if you can keep going on. Can I make it through another day? Well, the commander in chief in this epistle has done something beautiful.
He's brought in to this war-weary group of soldiers, one of the top generals of all time, General Peter. We mentioned yesterday morning that this general is a tremendous man. This general knew what it was like to have the thrill of victory, walking on water. He knew the agony of defeat as he denied the Lord and then suffered grievously because of that. But he bounced back in that glorious day of Pentecost when he preached that message that led to the conversion of thousands of saints. He's an older man when he addresses these saints scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
And in the first part of chapter one, we saw that what this tremendous general does is he helps these saints to refocus on what God has already provided them with. And what a glorious scene that is. Chosen by God the Father, set apart by the Spirit of God, cleansed by God the Son, blessed in a tremendous way with living hope, because that hope is based upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Victory is assured. There's an inheritance laid up in heaven for them. And even as they go through the battles down here, they have the knowledge that they are kept by the power of God.
And even though trials come, they can greatly rejoice. Uh, is that your portion? When trials come into your life, have you learned to greatly rejoice and say, thank you, God, for these trials? I'm learning that. I- I wouldn't dare say to you that I've learned to do that, but I'm learning a little bit of what it means to say, thank you, God, for this trial that has come into my life, because I'm learning just a little bit of how that trial brings me closer to the Lord Jesus. It shows me my need of him, and then I get to see him work.
And my, what a glorious thing it is to see God work. Last night we went to the second half of this first chapter, and we said the general has shifted his message just a little bit. In the first half, he's talking about what, what God has already done for us, and now he tells us our responsibility. And we said the key phrase in the second half of that chapter is this: prepare your minds for action. My text says, gird up the loins of your mind. In other words, develop a soldier mentality. How many of you have been in the military? Thank you.
And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for serving our country. But those who have been in the military understand that a soldier's mentality includes learning obedience. That's one of the first things they do when they train a soldier. They, they bring them through some difficult experiences, and sometimes the, the one in charge isn't always asking you to do the, the logical thing, at least to your mind. But if you don't do what they tell you to do, then there are consequences to pay, because they want you to learn obedience. The Lord wants us to learn obedience. Trust in the commander.
When we were doing a vacation Bible school on this particular theme, in the puppet show that I wrote, I had a little scene where, where two soldiers are, are given their orders to go down a certain path and take the right fork in the path. And, uh, one of them gets to that point, one of the, the soldiers in this one of the little puppets, and he says, I think if I go the other way, I can get there quicker. He doesn't trust the commander to know more than he does. And he goes the wrong way, and of course, you know what happens. He falls into some quicksand, and one of his, his, uh, fellow soldiers almost dies trying to rescue him, and he learns what it really means to trust in the decisions of the commander.
Sometimes we think our way is better, don't we? Well, I don't know why God's asked me to do this. I don't know why God sent me here. But if we're where God has indeed sent us, then God knows what's best. We saw in that second half of that first chapter instruction to get serious. We're not playing games. The battle is real. The issues are genuine, and we need to get serious. One of the most shocking research studies I've ever seen was, was a study, and I've been quoting this for years because it made such an impact on me.
It was a study that showed the percentage of Christian, professing Christian young people who, after graduating from college, no longer professed in being Christians. And the study was done of why they left the faith, and the overwhelming answer was that they did not see at home or in their local churches reality. It was as if people were going through the motions, playing games. Sunday morning Christianity, but they didn't see seven days a week Christianity. We need to get serious.
And then finally, we zeroed in on this being focused on reality. The reality of who God is. You know, we can't dwell on that enough. God is God. We sang that little chorus. We sang it twice now since we started Sunday morning. He's still working on me. It took him just a week to make all of creation. I was thinking while we were singing that, really didn't take him a week, did it? He did it in six days because he rested on the seventh. Six days, and he cast all those stars by the word of his mouth into existence.
Now that's power. And he's the one with whom we have to do. He's the judge before whom we will stand and give an account. And he's the commander in chief. Focus on who God is, but then focus on the reality of the word of God. God has given to us his precious word, and every word of it is true and practical. And then we talked about, we really ran out of time at this point, the shortness of time. All flesh is as grass, and the glory of man is the flower of the grass.
The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. These two things that end chapter one form the introduction for chapter two: The shortness of time and the reality of the enduring word of God. That's why the chapter begins with this word, therefore. Therefore, because time is short and because God has given to us all that we need to know in the form of his word, lay aside.
Now, do you see that in the text? Therefore, lay aside. Now, what are we asked to lay aside? Well, you say it's listed there, malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, evil speaking. Well, yes, it does say that, but it says more than that, doesn't it? It says lay aside all malice, all deceit, envy, hypocrisy, and all evil speaking. What are those things? Are we acquainted with those things? Those are weapons. I have to use that military term.
Those are weapons that people in the flesh use when they're up against the law. And I think all of us, more than we would like to admit, must confess that we're well acquainted with each of those things. But General Peter says, in light of the shortness of time, in light of the fact that God has given to us his word, we're to lay aside all of those weapons that the flesh delights in using. And the reason is this: the Word of God is the weapon that God has given to us to fight the spiritual warfare with.
And there is no weapon in all of man's creation that can compare to the weapon of the Word of God. Listen to what the apostle says in Hebrews chapter four, verse twelve. You sh- probably could quote it with me. Can you? The word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. What a weapon. Quick and powerful. I like the Darby translation of that, alive and operative.
The word of God is a multifaceted weapon. It's alive. It- it- it's not a dull, old weapon that- that outlives its usefulness. You know, I know some of you have a few years behind you, and you've got a number of years ahead of you. I was talking to one of the, the men in the manor yesterday who was telling me he was in the, the Navy in World War I. Now that's going back a few years, isn't it? I wasn't even born then. I was born during World War II, and I'm an old man.
World War I. But you know, the weapons they used in World War I were modern weapons compared to the weapons they used in the Revolutionary War, or even the Civil War. You know, they used those flintlock rifles back in the Revolutionary War, the muskets, and they would, they would shoot, and then they would have to put the powder in, and, and I don't even know how they did it. I'm so used to just doing like that and shooting again, but I've read about it, and I've seen some pictures of how they did it. And those weapons that they used in World War I were modern weapons, but by the time World War II came, those World War I weapons are kind of archaic.
I love to deer hunt. I don't get a chance to do it very much, but I, I, I bought a, an old nine millimeter German Mauser rifle one time to go deer hunting with. That thing must have weighed fifty pounds. And I'll tell you, I remember walking over the mountains of Virginia carrying that thing and saying, I don't know if, if I shoot a deer, if I can get this gun and the deer both back to where we're going to be able to process it. What a weapon. I mean, it was a marvelous piece of craftsmanship. That was a World War I era weapon. World War II, boy, they had improved weaponry so much.
But you wouldn't fight in the Persian Gulf with World War II weapons. You see, earthly weapons change, and they, they outlive their usefulness. But the word of God, the word of God is alive, and it's always applicable. What a tremendous, tremendous gift we have in the word of God. Notice, therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil things as newborn babes. I want to stop there. As newborn babes.
Has that lost its thrill for you? Sometimes I ask myself that question. Do I ever cease to be amazed at what it means to be a newborn babe, a new creature in Christ? We're to lay aside these old weapons because we are newborn babes. We're not what we used to be. Oh yes, we can sing and and identify with he's still working on me. But I thank God I'm not what I used to be. I know I'm not what I ought to be, or what I'm yet going to be, but I thank God I'm not what I used to be.
I've been born again by the Spirit of God. I've got a new commander. I've got new responsibilities. I've got new goals in life. I've got a new song on my tongue, a new weapon in my hand. As newborn babes, desire what? The pure milk of the word. Desire to know how to use this weapon. Desire to familiarize yourself with it.
I confessed to you yesterday that I, I love to read old historical novels. Novels that, that relate the actual how it happened, particularly war stories, particularly Revolutionary War and Civil War type stories. And, and occasionally you come across a character who has become almost one with his weapon. In fact, they give their weapons names. You ever read stories like that? Excuse me. Betsy, sometimes they call him, old Betsy, and they even pat him. You know, the the weapon has perhaps saved their life, and they thank the weapon as if the weapon is alive.
How much more can we, who are newborn babes in Christ, take this book in our hand and say, thank you, God, because this book is alive. All scripture is alive and operative. It's the very breath of the holy, righteous, living God. Now notice this. If indeed you have tasted, you found the Lord is gracious. You see, this book introduces us to the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, you can find him on almost every page. Oh, what beautiful pictures of Christ are found in the Word of God.
I want you to notice something with me. You see, there are three arenas in which we're called to fight. There's the arena of the heart. I don't know about you, but a lot of battles go on in my own heart. That's an arena where battles take place. Then there's the arena of the world. There are battles that must be fought in the world. And then there's the battle that takes place in the flesh. When the Lord Jesus was on this earth in bodily form, the Spirit of God led him into a wilderness.
Do you remember that? To be tempted by the devil. It's the account of that is found in Matthew chapter four, and I think it would do well for us to, to turn to that, because I want you to see an example of how the weapon, the Word of God, this mighty, powerful weapon, works in the arena of the battle for the heart. You see, God seeks worshippers who will worship him in spirit and in truth, but Satan also seeks worshippers. Satan seeks the allegiance of men's hearts. Verse one of chapter four of Matthew.
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry. Now, when the tempter came to him, he said, if you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. And Jesus picks up the weapon, and he answers and says, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The devil couldn't stand that. He backs off, and then he comes at him again and says, takes him up into the holy city, sets him on the pinnacle of the temple, and says, if you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, he shall give his angels charge over you, and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against the stone.
And Jesus takes that weapon again. It is written again, you shall not tempt the Lord your God. And then the devil pulls his ace out, takes him to an exceedingly high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he says to him, all these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me. You see the battle of the heart? But Jesus picks up the weapon and says, away with you, Satan, for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only you shall serve. And the devil left him. What a weapon.
What a weapon. The word of God. But there's another, there's another arena in which we fight. The arena of the world. It's awful difficult battleground, the world. The world has many allurements. And the world isn't a friendly place for those who are godly. But I want you to turn with me to second Corinthians, chapter four, And I want you to see the Apostle Paul fighting in the world and getting victory because he's got the right weapon.
Verse 1, 2 Corinthians 4. Therefore, since we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the hidden things of shame. We've laid down the weapons that Peter is talking about. Not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel, the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But notice this, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. Now watch Paul as he lives in the world. We are hard pressed on every side, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken.
Struck down, but not destroyed. Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. Do you see the picture? Here's a man of God who has desired above all else in life to know him, the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, who desires to be made brought into conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. And he has that word of God indwelling in him, and he goes into the world to do battle, and it's not all glorious victory.
There are defeats to the flesh, but there's victory in the spirit. Oh, what a marvelous, marvelous weapon we have in the word of God. But then there's this third arena, the arena of the flesh. Oh, it's a powerful battleground. I would that we all could understand the fullness of what the Apostle Paul teaches in the book of Romans about putting to death the flesh.
The flesh rises its ugly head and slays many a saint. When I view the arena of the battleground of the flesh, I think of guerrilla warfare. Just when you think everything is, is wonderful and we've, we have defeated the enemy, a sniper comes up, boom, and the old flesh rears its ugly head, and you get shot down. I think we've all been hurt by watching some public figures professing to be Christians, slain by the flesh.
I think of an illustration I read somewhere about Saint Augustine, who apparently was quite a, a wicked man before he came to know Christ. And after he had come to know Christ, he was walking up down the road, and a voice cried out, Augustine. And he recognized the voice, but he kept walking. Augustine, it's me. The voice of a young lady that he had been immorally involved with before he came to know Christ. And he kept walking, and she kept calling after him, Augustine, and she ran after him, and she caught up to him, and finally he was forced to turn around, and she said, Augustine, it's me. And he looked at her and said, yes, it is, but this is no longer me.
And he turned and ran from her. He knew what it was. To flee the flesh. Put to death the flesh. Sometimes we find that easier to say than it is to do, isn't it? The flesh. The battleground of the flesh. Obedient soldiers learn to put to death the flesh because the heart is full of something greater than the desires of the flesh.
It's full of Christ. We've come to Christ. We found him gracious. We found him precious, and we, we find that he's made us holy priests, and we occupy ourselves as holy priests with him. And there's something wonderful that takes place in the heart of those who come to Christ and learn what it is to fellowship with Christ and to worship Christ. They find it easy to talk of Christ. And that's why Peter says, you're a royal priesthood. Spending time with the weapon, showing forth to the rest of the world Christ, the glories of Christ.
But notice this. Therefore, verse seven, to you who believe, he is precious, but to those who are disobedient. Our portion is to be obedient, but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone, a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. Some of the worst people on this planet are those who were introduced to the truth, knew the truth to be the truth, and then turned from it.
You see, he's become a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. I used to do seminars on rock music for Christian young people and their parents. And in doing all of the research that I did in music, I found out that there is a man who many of these rock stars look to for leadership in occult matters, openly following Satan. A man who was known as the most wicked man in all of Europe was brought up in a, quote, brethren assembly, had godly parents.
Christ becomes a stone, a stumbling and a rock of offense. Everything in that man's life was designed to fight against the very truth that he had heard as a child. You see, these are serious, serious issues. I could give you other illustrations, but our time is up. And I guess the sum total of what we've been sharing with you this morning is in this spiritual warfare, this battle that we go through, and the battle takes place in different arenas. God has made provision for the fight.
Not only has he given us his son, but he's given to us his holy word. I often think of the words of the Lord Jesus as he got ready to go back to the Father. He said, I'm leaving, but I'm going to send the comforter to you, the Holy Spirit. He will bring you, bring to your remembrance all that I said and did. He'll bring new truth consistent with what I have already revealed to you, and he'll show you things to come. We have all that in our New Testament. Why we have the gospel accounts that tell us of what Christ said and did.
We've got the epistles that bring us that new truth that had been hidden to past generations, and we've got those tremendous portions like the book of Revelation, and there are other passages that tell us of the future. God has given all of that to us so that we might live our lives here and now in a manner pleasing to him. And so I underscore the message of General Peter this morning. Lay aside those old weapons, they don't work anyway, and pick up the most powerful weapon that will bring you into fellowship with Christ, give you the full knowledge of the word of God, and you'll find this weapon works.
Praise his name. Shall we? Father, we thank you for your word. We stand amazed at what you have provided us with, and we confess to you how little we appropriate the treasures that you've given to us. Lord, I thank you for reminding us not only of who you are, but what you have made us in Christ, what you have given to us in your word. Lord, help us now to prize Your Word, and Lord, may we use it to the honor and glory of Him who died for us on Calvary. For we ask this in His own precious and worthy name. Amen.