Use Your Sword — Erlo Stegen

We praise you our God, you are great. To be feared, no one is like you. We thank you, we praise you. Thank you that you have blessed us with so much rain, and that today we have such lovely sunshine.

We thank you that you have blessed us with so much rain, and that today we have such lovely sunshine.

We thank you that you have blessed us with so much rain, and that today we have such lovely sunshine.

We thank you that you have blessed us with so much rain, and that today we have such lovely sunshine. We thank you that you have blessed us with so much rain, and that today we have such lovely sunshine.

We thank you that you have blessed us with so much rain, and that today we have such lovely sunshine.

The Sword of the Spirit and the Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the full armour of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up the full armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm, 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.

In addition to all, take up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

We've read quite a few verses, but I'd really like to speak just about one thing. In verse 17, Take and use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. These days I was happy I got an opportunity just to have a time where I wasn't busy with people all the time.

It was a time where I could pray and read. I had a wonderful time. I can't understand it when people say, Oh, they're so lonely, they've got nothing to do. Because what a wonderful opportunity it is when you are alone and you can spend time with the Lord and pray and studying His word.

It's a time which is like gathering firewood, where you get it together and then you can keep a fire burning for a long time. You get so many sermons that you can prepare that you feel like you could go out and preach for a long time.

Growing Where God Has Planted You

Our brother from Alaska told us and encouraged us to grow there where God has placed and planted us. Some people don't know what that means, to stay in a place and grow there in that place where they are.

They're like people with ants in their pants. They're always looking for the next place to go to. If you're in a place where you see the sun for two months at a time, or whether you're in a place where it's dark for many months, or whether you're in a place where you see the sun every day, no matter where you are, you need to grow.

These days, Uncle Ernie and Auntie Jenny, Carol's parents, came and brought me a book. Something which I had known about or had, but I hadn't looked at it. And so I took it and I read it. And eventually I just laughed.

And then I thought, well today I'd like to speak about the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Many people, they give their lives to the Lord, dedicate their lives to the Lord, they make that once-off decision, but then they don't grow, they don't continue.

Why is that? And a person should actually stand firm. Now we should continue in the faith. We should grow in the faith, as our brother has said. And how shouldn't we be able to grow where our sun is the sun of God that shines in our lives?

Surely we should bear forth even greater fruit, much bigger.

We should bear forth even greater fruit, much bigger. We should bear forth even greater fruit, much bigger.

It's always so wonderful when brother Mandler, who is blind, he likes that verse where it says we don't need the light of the moon or the sun, because we have the sun of God in our lives. He is our light and our sun.

Well, here we don't just have sun, and then we don't have just sun for two months in a year, and even if it is continuous sun, we've got this wonderful heavenly sun. How then shouldn't we be growing? And then it says we must put on all the armor of God so that we will be able to resist the devil in the evil day and stay firm and standing.

Standing Firm Against Spiritual Attacks

But oh, so many Christians, they are blown over by the slightest little thing that comes across their path. And we should be like David, even though we are small. We should be able to resist and overcome that Goliath, the devil in our lives.

But many Christians are almost like a Goliath, big in their own right, but then a small little thing comes and knocks them down and overcomes them. Let me just share a little bit about Jonathan Goforth and his wife.

His wife wrote the book. She had been married to him 49 years, and after his death, she wrote the book. And then also relates a bit about her life as a child. She was born in 1864, 6th of May. Now when she was 12 years old, she was in a service.

They had a campaign in that place. And there was a minister that came to hold services. And the preacher preached on John 3, verse 16, and he really preached with fire. And at the end, he made an invitation and said, who wants to give their lives to the Lord?

Who wants to accept the Lord Jesus? And she says she got up. And others got up too. But she got up, she said, I want to confess the Lord. She says after the service when she went home, someone said to her, but you're actually stupid.

You're a real fool. Do you really think that the Lord Jesus will have accepted you? And again and again, she heard this, you say you've accepted Christ, but has he accepted you? You see the devil. One young person said to me, you know, it's like this, when I'm in the service, it's as if God is speaking to me in such a real and direct way.

And I want to live for him and serve him. But when I go out the church, it just disappears. Now just think then of this child, just 12 years old, so young. When she got home that night, that night when she slept.

She slept the next morning, she got up very early. The first thing she did, she took her Bible. And she took her Bible and she went through it. And she was looking for a verse that would give her the answer to this thing that was troubling her.

This question, yes, you've accepted Jesus, but has he accepted you?

You see, when I'm in the service, it's as if God is speaking to me in such a real and direct way. And I want to live for him and serve him. But when I go out the church, it's as if God is speaking to me in such a real and direct way.

And I want to live for him and serve him. Because she was in great need. She had committed her life to the Lord. But the devil came and snatched up that seed, like those birds that snatch up that newly sown seed.

Assurance of Salvation in Christ's Promise

And she was filled with doubt. And this girl, this child took the Bible and looked and looked. And then she got that verse in John 6, verse 37. That he who comes to me, I will in no wise cast out. And that strengthened her and encouraged her.

That she said, Lord, so that's true, if we come to you, you will most certainly not cast us out. See, she had committed her life. See, she gave her life to the Lord, and then the devil came with all this doubt.

Saying, oh, that's just a joke. That's not real. You just say so, but it doesn't really happen. The Lord won't accept you. Now you must take on and put on all the armor of God that you will be able to stand in that evil day.

Now that day in her life started off being a wonderful day. Her giving her life to the Lord. But then it became an evil day where the devil came. But she could resist him with that verse. And resist him with the word of God.

It comforted her. And she was comforted. And she could hold on to that verse. Where she said, Lord, I came to you. When you say, if we come to you, you won't cast us out. It's wonderful to stand on God's word.

Yes, of course, the devil can use the Bible too. But we don't have time to speak about that today. Even if the devil should come with a verse, then you can answer him with another verse. So this little girl was comforted.

And she was strengthened and encouraged. Because she said, Lord, I did come to you. And even though the devil is trying to sow doubt and to make me doubt it. But I came to you, so I accept that you won't cast me out.

Using Scripture to Resist Doubt

But then the enemy, the devil, came again. And the devil said to her, oh, my girl, you're just 12 years old. You're just a little child. What can you do? Can God accept just a 12-year-old child? And the devil said to her, oh, my girl, you're just 12 years old.

And the devil said, God will not be interested in you. And then she took the Bible. She looked again for a verse. And looking to see what God says about this point. And then she came across Proverbs 8, verse 17.

But it would be good if you had an English Bible. It's not so clear in Zulu.

And she said, seek me early. You shall find me.

And she was overjoyed. And she praised and thanked God. She said, Lord, thank you for showing me that as well. That truth, that you say, those who come early, early in their lives, while they are young, they will find you.

And she said, from that day on, she never again doubted that she belonged to the Lord Jesus. She never again doubted after that, because she used the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And that gave her that answer, which made her stand firm.

She never doubted again. Troubled are the people who doubt. And I loved that.

We are born of Satan.

Testimonies of Consecration to God

It's like someone else who also used to doubt, who used to give his life to the Lord, and then later the devil would come and make him doubt and say, oh, you didn't do a proper job. You didn't do it well enough.

It's not good enough. You don't really belong to the Lord. One day he prayed and he said, Lord, today I give my life to you. From now on, I belong to you and you alone. And then he took an iron standard, about almost two meters long.

And he went outside, took a huge hammer, drove that standard, that pig, into the ground. Deep into the ground. And said, devil, today I've done this as proof that I've given my life to the Lord. I now belong to him.

He went back into the house and the devil came again and he said, you don't really belong to the Lord. And he said, devil, come along, I'll show you. Took him to that iron standard and he said, you see here, this is a testimony, this is a witness that I belong to him.

That's what some people do. Wumyan Yostun also arrived here one day after his conversion. And he brought some Lukwat trees, about seven of them. And he said, look, I want these to be planted here and these will bear testimony to the fact that I've given my life to the Lord.

Now God is first in my life. Not fishing, not hunting, not farming, but God. They were planted here. I think one or two of those trees are still standing here. But of course, Wumyan doesn't need them anymore because he's in heaven already.

He used to smoke. And he got sick, went to the doctor. The doctor said, Mr. Yostun, if you stop smoking today, never smoke again, you may be able to live another 15 years.

He said, only 15 years? Such a short time. He said he got a terrible shock. Only 15 years. He said, yes, Mr. Yostun. You've been a smoker and you will have to die because of it.

You've cut your life short. And he said, well, I'm going now to Sizabantu.

Did you know? I have no plans to return to the people. Let them say what they will. We 'll compromise with them and face with them. You're not allowed to be promoted. Negimcooba!

Now he was actually, is this a godfather, he was my godfather, he was Uncle Elo's godfather so he stood up in church and said that he will look after me but it is like it so often is in church, you say things in church but then you yourself don't even stay true to the Lord.

And you deny the devil and the world, you live in the world, you don't know the Lord. And he said, I'm going to die, I'm going to die to Zizabantu and I'm going to speak there.

Because I took this child when it was baptized and stood there for him and to help him in his life but now I've got to go and say that I'm giving my life to the Lord. So we went down there and planted those trees.

But he didn't live 15 years after that. Because as you may know a lukwa tree takes about 5 years before they start bearing fruit and it was the first year when they blossomed and were to bear fruit, that's the time he died.

The doctor said 15 years but he only lived 5. But in those 5 years he served the Lord and worked for him and held services also for young people. Just before he died when he was on his death bed, the children and his wife were around the bed and then he said music.

His wife was a very good pianist, she played the piano from a young age and she could play just any song. You gave her the notes and she'd play it. And so just before he died when he said music, they thought he wanted her to play the piano and the children said to the mother, play something on the piano, that's what he wants.

But then he said, no. And then they realised, no he didn't want her to play the piano, but he was hearing the heavenly music. So he heard the heavenly music when he died. And so this girl, she grew up serving the Lord and living for him.

A Godly Marriage and Putting God's Work First

And she said, Lord I want to serve you right to the end. And then she prayed, she said, Lord if you ever want me to get married, I pray that you won't just give me any husband, but one that is faithful to you, that serves you day and night.

She prayed that when she was 19 years old. And she said, Lord, I want a man, if I should get one, that is faithful to you, not one that backslides and goes back into the old life, but one that is faithful to you to the end.

And she always went to the services. And attended church regularly and one day someone else was to take the service. And so it was a different preacher and he preached. And as he got up to preach, she looked at him and she said, oh shame, the poor soul, his clothes aren't even ironed properly.

And his suit looked all tattered somehow and all creased, hadn't been ironed for a long time. And it wasn't long after that, then it was this preacher, the very same one, who came to her and said, look, God is calling me to China to go and preach there as a missionary, would you be prepared to join your life with mine and that we go there?

In other words, he proposed to her. Now, his Bible, this Jonathan, it was a really worn out Bible, one that you could see was used very much with notes and underlinings all over. And then she realized, well, that in spite of his clothes being in the state they were, but she realized that he loved the Bible and studied it carefully and he loved the Lord.

Now, that's the way they did it. At that time, and she remembered how she had prayed and said, Lord, if you want me to get married, I want a man that is on fire for you, that loves you with all his heart.

And then she realized that this, this man actually was one like that.

And she then agreed after two or three days.

And so after two or three days, this young man came to her again and said, tell me, are you prepared to marry me even if I put God and his work first in my life, even before you? And I had to smile. I didn't know that there was someone else who had spoken these words before I spoke them.

Elijah, Spiritual Zeal, and the Remnant

You remember Elijah when God spoke to him and he said, Elijah, what are you doing here? He said, I'm serious. He said, Elijah, what are you doing here? He said, oh, my Lord, I'm zealous for you. I'm the only one here that still stands for you, that hasn't bowed his knee to bow.

And the Lord said, no, that's not true, for there are 7 ,000 others who haven't bowed their knee to bow. So don't think that if you serve the Lord, you're the only one. There are others too. And when she heard that challenge, she was shocked.

She didn't know what to say. She said, well, what will that mean then if God and his work come first and then I'm after that? She didn't know what to say. And then she answered. She said, yes. She said, yes, I'm prepared for it, that God and his work come first, even before me.

And then she remembered her prayer when she was 19 years old. Not like some people. She remembered the words she prayed when she was 19 years old, when she said, Lord, I want a husband. If you ever give me one that lives for you with all his heart, where you are first in his life.

And she remembered what she prayed at that time. Not like some people, when they pray, if you ask them straight after that, well, what did you pray? They don't even remember what they prayed. And then she said, Lord, I realize now that you're actually answering my prayer.

Real Values and the Choice of the Engagement Ring

And then after a few days, she was tested. Because this man wanted to get engaged to her and marry her. And she thought, well, now I'll get a ring. And she thought, well. And then she, like probably most girls, got very excited about the prospect of getting this new ring, this engagement ring.

And she was thinking of walking around with this engagement ring and then everyone would be asking to see it. Some people are so obsessed with this idea of having an engagement ring or a ring that they eventually even betray their Lord just to be able to get engaged and get a husband.

So one day when she went to church and she saw him there, he said to her, oh, by the way, we are getting engaged. But I thought that instead of buying you an engagement ring, I'd rather spend the money on spreading the news about China and telling people about the work and the great need there is in China.

Rather spending the money on that. She was bowled over. She was bowled over. That was quite a blow for her. She had been so excited about getting this ring and now here he comes and saying, well, I'm sure you won't mind if we rather use that money that we can spread the message there at the college where I'm studying.

And then she said, this was my first lesson in real values. This was my first lesson in real values.

Examining Whether We Live for God

Well, that's wonderful. When someone lives for God, walks with God in everything and uses God's word as the sword of the spirit. Now the life that this 12-year-old child lived from then on, tell me, do you know that kind of life?

Is that how you live? Is that the way you live? That when you're at school, you're there but you're living for the Lord. There where you're in a situation where you're faced with decisions all the time, where you have to make vital decisions, but you choose the Lord in every situation.

Just be quiet for a moment. Test yourself. Answer that question. Do you live this kind of life?

We'll sing a song in Zulu that says more or less, speaks about the real values. Lord, let me go deep. Deep, not being busy with superficial things, but that which is of real value. That which is of real value.

I don't want you to leave this auditorium without having faced this question squarely before God.

You heard what Michael said. He said he grew up in the congregation. But when he was 13 years old, he turned his back on the Lord. But God was gracious. He got sick. And then he realized that if I die in this state, I'm on my way to hell.

And now he's on his way to go and make right. Let us stand up. Lord, we've heard of this 12-year-old child that used the sword, which is your word. The devil wanted to trip her up, but she didn't leave your way.

Thank you, Lord, for giving us this sword, which we can use to drive away anything, anyone, even the devil himself. We know how important this weapon is that you're giving us. If one would have to go into war without a sword, one would be devoured by a sword, by the sword.

But you've given us a weapon that we can use. Lord, he are parents, he are children. Lord, may each one be wise that he and she may overcome the wiles of the evil one, of the devil. Amen.