Understanding the Armor of God
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Spirit Wars • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:08:44
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· 1,205 viewsWe have an enemy that is out to kill, steal and destroy, we need to put on the armour of God. It means being prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for any situation that may come up during our journey through life. We need to know how to put on and use the full armour of God. Learn how in this message.
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Spirit Wars
Spirit Wars
Things are changing.
when I look back over the last week i really count my blessings
Cass graduated from High school last Fri/Sat
We had an amazing presense of God last Sunday
Billy Graham Canada
TJ Convocation on Thursday
I beleive the shift has happened and good things are coming for all!
Armor of God
Armor of God
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will 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 armor of God, so that you will 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, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows 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 petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
The Belt of Truth
The Belt of Truth
Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
The loin is an uncommon term in modern vernacular.
It refers to the lower back but includes the crotch area.
In ancient days, men would wear long robes that would get in the way of work or fighting,
so they would wrap up the long, draping material.
This was girding up one’s loins.
The Lord knew our loins needed to be wrapped in truth.
Regardless of the culture or time we live in, the Lord has seen all the paths we’ve taken and how they have hurt and derailed us. He knows we need truth.
“The first piece of the armor is the belt of truth. Truth, by its very definition, is exclusive.
It means something is true and other things are lies.
The evil one is the father of lies
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Every lie finds its origin in him.
“Every other piece of the full armor of God is attached to the belt of truth.
If you don’t begin with truth, you’ll never defeat the enemy.
Jesus said God’s Word is true (John 17:17)
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
How to Apply It:
Pursue the truth on a specific topic, but don’t forget to grab hold of the whole of Scripture.
Don’t just study the parts that come easy for devotional reading.
Press into the whole counsel of God’s word.Pray with God’s word.
Use the word of Truth as a template to guide your prayers.
Memorize the truth for quicker access when you need it.
Cover your world with Scripture on post-it notes, screen savers, décor, and anything that will help you remember God’s word in the spiritual battle.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The Breastplate of Righteousness
Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Righteousness means being made right. Sometimes Scripture refers to righteousness that Christ gives us – His righteousness
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Sometimes Scripture refers to righteousness that God carries out through us, like “the righteous acts of the saints”
It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
In daily spiritual battles, both varieties of righteousness protect the heart.
We need the complete righteousness of Christ, but also the continuing righteousness that comes as a response to God’s gift.
The enemy tempts with all kinds of sinful entanglements, but righteousness protects our hearts.
God’s instructions are often viewed as killjoys or burdens.
But obedience to God is a protection for your heart from being wounded by sin.
How to Apply It:
Soak in and obey instructions from the Lord.
If there’s an area of life that feels like it gets easily tangled up in sin, ask a trusted person to pray for you if you are struggling with obedience.
All Christians struggle, but none were meant to struggle alone.
We make easy targets for the enemy when we do not obey God.
The Gospel of Peace
The Gospel of Peace
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Peace is an attribute of the Lord’s very person and character (Galatians 5:22).
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
In Greek, peace means oneness or wholeness.
The gospel, which means good news, is the forgiveness of sins and access to and oneness with God through faith in Christ.
This oneness with the Lord produces peace.
Ephesians repeatedly reminds us to “stand” and “stand firm.”
One of the easiest ways for the enemy to succeed in shaking us loose from standing firm is to tempt us with worry.
When we carry anxiousness and worry with us, we are robbed of peace. But the gospel of peace keeps our feet anchored and standing firm.
How to Apply It:
Ask the daily Lord to remind you of His gospel work on your behalf.Set your security and identity in His work and not yours.Surround yourself with Scripture about the truth of your place with Christ into your heart. And remove the input that steals your sense of security in Christ.
The Shield of Faith
The Shield of Faith
in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
When Paul wrote this passage, Roman soldiers carried shields that were covered with heavy animal hide.
Before a battle, they would dip their shields into the water so that when fiery darts hit them, the wet hide would extinguish the darts.
In a similar way, a Christian’s shield of faith needs to be regularly dipped in the water of God’s word to be replenished and fully functional
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
How to Apply It:
If your faith feels less confident than you wish it did, ask the Lord to increase your faith
Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
Find verses that feed your faith and fill your world with them.Set your faith in God’s righteousness, not on a circumstance.
The Helmet of Salvation
The Helmet of Salvation
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Salvation comes the moment we place our trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection as the payment for our sin.
But salvation is also worked out through a lengthy process of sanctification.
The helmet of salvation (like the breastplate of righteousness) rests on the work of Christ to save us, but also involves us as we journey with the Lord and allow Him to work that salvation into every part of our thoughts.
The battlefield of our mind is the primary place spiritual battle is fought.
The Lord works His freeing truth into our perspectives while the enemy fights for strongholds to bind us
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
How to Apply It:
Surrender thoughts that don’t line up with Scripture.
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
Remember the Lord’s character and faithfulness in Scripture as well as in your life experience.
Wash your mind with the renewing of God’s Word.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
The Sword of the Spirit
The Sword of the Spirit
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The explanation of this piece of armor is right there in the verse – it is the word of God. And it is the only piece of armor that is both defensive and offensive.
“When we are tempted, the most effective weapon that God has given to us as believers is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness
for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.
And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ ”
And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
“Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.”
Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ”
And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here;
for it is written,
‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’
and,
‘On their hands they will bear You up,
So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ”
And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
When the devil tempted him three times, Jesus responded with the truth of God’s word – every time.
Conclusion
The Enemy has stepped up their efforts in order to minimize the move of God in this next season
but he has failed. God is on the move
and God is asking His people to join the fight.
To tear down the works of the enemy and advance the Kingdom of God on earth