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Putting on the Armor of God


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Putting on the Armor of God

By Jim Crews

 

We often forget who our real enemies are. Our enemies are not people around us. In fact, we are not even able to see our REAL enemies. That’s because our real enemies are spiritual forces and our own emotions.

Ephesians 6: 12

James 4: 1

 

Our enemy is Satan.

I Timothy 5: 15

I Peter 5: 8

 

The battle for our souls is an ongoing one between God and Satan. It has been going on since the beginning.

Genesis 3: 1 – 5

 

 

 

 

It was going on during the time of Israel’s captivity and during the time of Israel’s restoration. It was going on at the time of the birth of Christ.

Daniel 10: 20 – 21

Revelation 12: 1 – 8

 

And as we read in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, it is STILL going on. So how are we to overcome in this spiritual war? How are we to fight against things we can’t even see? The Holy Spirit has shown us the way. We have the full armor of God protecting us.

Ephesians 6: 10 – 13

 

First, we fasten on the belt of truth. What is truth?

John 17: 17

John 14: 6

Jesus tells us that the Word of God is truth. He tells us that He is truth.  And truth will set you free.

John 8: 32

 

So we are first to gird ourselves with the belt of truth. The truth of things is this: God came to the Earth in the form of His creation to live, be tempted, suffer, and die as a sacrifice for us. He then rose from the dead on the third day, casting off the chains of death and throwing open the cells so that we no longer have anything to fear.

John 1: 9 – 14

 

How do we put on that belt of truth? We simply believe Him. And when we truly believe Him, we DO WHAT HE SAID TO DO.  How else is your belief shown if not by your actions?

And what did He say to do?

He said that we are to REPENT of our past sins.

Luke 13: 3

Acts 2: 38

 

He said that we are to CONFESS our belief in Him every chance we get.

Matthew 10: 32 – 33

Romans 10: 9

 

He said we are to be BAPTIZED to wash away our past sins.

Mark 16: 15 – 16

Acts 22: 16

 

Doing what He said to do is fastening on the belt of truth.

 

Putting on the belt of truth then allows us to have the breastplate of righteousness.

Ephesians 6: 14

 

Doing what He said to do washes the stains of our past sins from our souls. We are not righteous, but we are pardoned and deemed by Him to be righteous.

 

Romans 3: 10

Romans 4: 5 – 7

 

By doing what He said to do, we put on the breastplate of righteousness.

After putting on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness, we are then told to put on the shoes of readiness.

Ephesians 6: 15

 

Shoes are for travelling, and the shoes spoken of here show the willingness that a Christian has to spread the Word. Teaching others helps us to learn better. So we are to teach the word. We are to teach the Truth which we have learned and believed.

Matthew 28: 19 – 20

Acts 5: 42

Acts 18: 11

I Corinthians 4: 17

I  Timothy 4: 11

 

When we teach the Truth, we learn it more perfectly. When we are devoting time to teaching the Truth, we have less time to be tempted to sin.

 

 

We have the shield of faith to help us overcome the spiritual and emotional forces that seek to separate us from God.

Ephesians 6: 16

 

This is living a faithful life in service to Him.

Revelations 2: 10

 

The shield of faith can help us to overcome the temptations of Satan and the lusts of our own hearts. The shield of faith is a life in service to Him. It means worshiping Him in Spirit and in Truth.

John 4: 24

 

Worshiping Him in Spirit means that our worship is not a fleshly worship like under the Old Law, but one that comes from inside of us. We don’t make physical sacrifices of bulls and goats with musical instruments and incantations like they did. Instead, we do as the Holy Spirit showed us.

 

 

 

We come together EVERY first day of EVERY week, putting Him above all other people and above all other things.

Acts 20: 7

 

When we come together, we sing without the accompaniment of musical instruments.

Ephesians 5: 19

Colossians 3: 16

 

When we come together, we pray.

Acts 2: 42

 

When we come together on the first day of the week, we remember the sacrifice that He made for us by partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

I Corinthians 11: 23 – 26

 

 

When we come together on the first day of the week, we return to God a portion of the money He blessed us with.

I Corinthians 16: 1 – 2

 

When we come together, we listen to and study the Word.

II Timothy 4: 2

 

The shield of faith is our work and worship of God. When we do this, we begin to resist Satan. When we resist Satan, he flees.

James 4: 7

 

When we do all of this, when we gird ourselves in the armor or God, we put on the helmet of salvation and wield the sword of the Spirit.

Ephesians 6: 17

 

 

 

 

We grow in knowledge of His Word and are better able to fight off the wiles and temptations of satan by using the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We check everything and test everything against God’s Word.

I John 4: 1

 

We should be like the Berean’s.

Acts 17: 11

 

 If we can’t find Scriptural backing for what we think or believe or feel, then it is NOT truth.

 

So, to help us in this spiritual war, this battle for our souls, we need to put on the whole armor of God. We need to embrace God’s love for us and allow God to fight our battle for us. We need to rely on His Providential care for those of us who are His children, for those of us who seek Him first above all else.

Matthew 6: 25 – 34

Romans 8: 28

 

 

We need to cast all of our cares and burdens on Him and let Him carry us through.

I Peter 5: 7

 

God is love. God loves you. He wants to help you, but you have to let him. Get rid of your anger, your hatred, and your unforgiving attitude and come to Him. Throw away your lust for alcohol, drugs, sex, riches, and anything else that He has forbidden you or that comes between you and Him and come to Him. Stop worrying about things of this world, stop being anxious about what might happen. Live in the present; let Him take care of you. Let Him bear your burdens and ease the emotional load that you are bearing. Rest on Him.

Matthew 11: 28

 

 

 

 

 

 

Give up your sinful ways and come back to Him. If you’ve never come to Him, now is the time. You are not guaranteed anything but now. If you have obeyed Him but fallen, come back to Him, now is the time.

II Corinthians 6: 2

 

Don’t put it off until it’s eternally too late. Come to Jesus today.

Revelation 22: 17

 

 

 

 

 

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