"Living a Life of Order, Part 2"
Psalm 119:129-136 with Eph. 5:14-21

December 3, 2006
by C.W. Powell

As I said last week, the great enemies of the Christian as he makes his pilgrimage through this world are the world, the flesh, and the devil. These are great and powerful enemies and we cannot overcome them except through faith. These enemies are poised to attack us at every point.

The enmity of the world, the flesh, and the devil to God and his work is never more clearly manifest than their opposition to the way God would have His children order their lives.

"Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.
The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.
Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou used to do unto those that love thy name.
Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.
Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.” (Ps 119:129-136)

Because David recognizes the great threat to himself poised by the world, the flesh, and the devil, he prays, “Order my steps in thy word.” The word “order” means to arrange or to “prepare.’ Christ “orders’ his kingdom; Moses and Aaron set in “order” the service of the Tabernacle; Joseph’s servants prepared a meal or set it in “order.” We are to set our lives in order.

But let us get to the text and its application. My text is verse 133: “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.”

Last week spoke to certain principles concerning our warfare and the necessity of having God’s order in our lives and families in order to withstand our enemies. I want to continue this today.

A. In this great passage in Ps. 119, David reveals that the order of God had already begun to be realized in his own heart: “Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.” He knows that God is merciful and forgives his sins, but he want to be taught how to walk through the world, how his life was to be ordered. Chaos in our lives begins with chaos in our hearts. When the peace of God rules in our hearts, then we have the beginning of God’s order in our lives and families. But “He who has no control over his own spirit, is like a city without walls.”

B. The war of the world, the flesh, and the devil war against the order of the Holy Spirit is an assault upon person holiness and godliness. Paul said he must keep his body under control; his emotions under control. Sinful desires, emotional instability: anger, discouragement, gloom, depression, bitterness, giddiness, vindictiveness, malice, pride, etc., are not to rule over us. Our souls and spirits are to be sanctified by the word of God.

C. Self-control. Not to give in to weariness, to anger, to fear, self-will, and pride. Do not promote these things, but recognize them as soul-destroying; Control of the tongue. I must not allow myself to say whatever I please, and I am to teach my children to control their tongues. Our flesh will resist this order, and we will be tempted to give way to weariness, to anger, to gloom. Our children will wear us out. But we need to remember “If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” People and traditions will war against us living in God’s order. But remember, the Lord forgives you all your sins, but he would establish your way in His word. This means a life of selfcontrol. Satan would move you away from Christ, away from the word, away from the path of godly order, to introduce chaos into your life and family.

D. Let us be perfectly clear, however: the order does not produce the godliness; it is godliness that produces the order. David prays for himself first: “order my steps in thy word.” My heart is to be subdued unto thee, O God. I must disciple myself so that I can disciple others.

Today I want to look at Ephesians 5:14-21 and make some applications from chapters 5 and 6

I. This passage sets forth the fundamental work of the Spirit in the church.

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” (Eph 5:14-21)

A. We are to walk circumspectly: Our lives are to be in order. There is a “strict” order that takes everything into account. Leave no loose ends.

1. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Order.

a) See I Cor. 12:1-3. We are not carried away in ecstatic frenzies as the heathen; but we make a rational meaningful confession of faith that Jesus is Lord: this is the first principle of an orderly life.

b) He is the spirit of light: Satan’s kingdom is the kingdom of darkness, and he thrives where there I is no light. We must turn on the light to banish the darkness; it does not good to curse the darkness.

c) Our time is to be redeemed. Time is spent in vanity by the ungodly.

(1) We are to use the time that God gives us wisely, and not waste it like fools. The days are evil: the world the flesh, and the devil are our enemies.

(2) Be filled with the Spirit, not drunk with wine. Wine destroys judgment and good order. The contrast is a powerful one. He is not saying be drunk and irrational by the Spirit instead of wine; that is silliness. The contrast is between a life of discipline and order, and a life of chaos and drunkenness.

2. Three evidences of the filling of the Spirit:

a) Joy in the heart: melody in your hearts to the Lord.
b) Thanksgiving: no anger, bitterness, strife, pride, self-will, arrogance, etc.
c) Submission one to another: according to the gift and purpose of God. We live for the good of others and not to please ourselves.

B. The Holy Spirit disciplines me to be happy and to submit to the order that He has established.

1. Wives are to be subordinate. Their place in the order is to be helpers to their husbands. In the summary statement at the end of the chapter, she is commanded to “reverence” or to honor and respect her husband. She is not to demean him, especially before the children. Her great temptations will be to ursurp authority; to put down her husband; to shame him before the world. She has a right to entreat him, to speak of all her concerns to him.

2. Husbands are to love their wives and give themselves for them. He is not to be bitter or harsh, but he is to be firm to give guidance to the family. His great temptations will be to bitterness toward her, harshness, ignorance and bumbling. He should seek her counsel and treasure and love her, for she is his companion, as Malachi says.

3. Children are to be in obedience to both father and mother. This is right. It is unseemly and a blot for children to be mouthy, rebellious, and self-willed.

4. Fathers are to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord: They should be taught self-control, diligence, the value and necessity of work, integrity, compassion toward others, and charity.

a) Parents must model these things in their children.

b) Read and play with your children.

c) Work with your children. Teach how to manage and have order in their lives. They should have chores to do, and not get used to people waiting on them. Make their beds, pick up their toys, help with other chores around the house and yard. etc.

d) Study your children, for they are all different, and try to help them find the things that are of interest to them, and things that they can do well, that they may be successful in life.

e) Your responsibility is threefold to your children. They are not your toys to do what you wish, but a solemn responsibility that will require resources of your soul and spirit and body and the grace of God for success.

(1) Prepare them for success in the family: to treat each member of the family in a godly way. They should learn how to settle conflicts and live in God’s order.

(2) Prepare them for success in the church: personal godliness, piety, truth, and holiness.

(3) Prepare them for success in the community: to live in a calling, earn and eat their own bread with quietness and to do good to all men, especially the household of faith.

5. Christian order is also to be seen in relationships between the Christian employer and the Christian laborer, and we are not to leave behind our Christianity when we enter the workforce.

a) Employers: forbear threatening. You have power over the life of an employee—realize that the person is vulnerable, and don’t be heavy handed.

b) Workers: Be certain that you know that you work for the Lord, wherever you work, and your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Do all things as unto the Lord.

II. This Order is necessary, because we are engaged in a great conflict.

A. What you are called to do may be done only in the power of Christ. It is beyond your sinful capacity, and you will mess it up, if you do not receive wisdom and power from Christ the Lord. “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” It is His power and might that equips you.

B. Paul uses the image of a man armed for warfare. Realize who the enemy is: it is not your wife; it is not your husband; it is not your children; it is not your servant or your boss; it is not your landlord. Go home and look in the mirror; if you fail, it will be you who fails, for God has sufficient power and might, but you must put the armor on, to be fully prepared to overcome the devil and his allies, the world and the flesh.

1. Spiritual powers. This is not an independent kingdom that wars against God and his work without His permission. They have no power but what God gives to them, and He could dispel them in a moment: they are given that which is in rebellion to God. But Satan and his thugs are real and powerful beings, and you will stand only in the power and might of the Lord.

2. I believe with Calvin that the figures should not be pressed too closely, for Paul himself uses similar language elsewhere, but assigns some different qualities to portions of the armor.

3. But spiritual things must be met with spiritual power, and God has set the great powers before us, that we would have no excuse, but that we be fully clothed:

a) The girdle of truth. The order of truth, Gird up the loins of your mind: understand the power and the strength of truth.

b) The breastplate of righteousness. I don’t think he is talking about imputed righteousness, but deeds of righteousness. Integrity and honesty. The right kind of a life.

c) Preparation. It not that you prepare the gospel, although that is important; but that the Gospel prepares you. Do not leave anything undone in your preparation, whether for war or for peace. This is serious business, and we are to be on our feet and prepared.

d) Faith is the victory that over comes the world. The conviction of the truth of the Gospel must grip your hearts and minds. This means the knowledge of the scriptures and the promises of god, for you cannot overcome the world without the promises; faith cannot exist in a vacuum. In Thesalonians, Paul assigns faith and love to the breastplate.

e) Helmet of salvation; in Thessalonians he calls it the “hope of salvation.” Our salvation and victory is assured, therefore we struggle with great assurance.

f) Sword of the Spirit, the word of God. This is joined to faith, for faith is not passive only, but as Christ answer Satan with the word in His temptation, His word will enable us during the days of trial.

g) Praying always. There is nothing in which we are strong. There is nothing in which we can stand in our own strength. In all things we must seek the will and counsel of our heavenly Father

Paul has said these things, not to cause us to be discouraged or lag by the wayside, but to encourage us that success and victory are prepared for us by our heavenly father.

As Paul says in another place, “Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.”

May God bless you.

Amen and Amen.