THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD

Spiritual Warfare

.....God has designed every Christian for spiritual warfare. We are all commanded to resist the devil so that he will flee from us. We must all wrestle against principalities and powers and rulers of darkness or wickedness. In this combat, each of us must learn to endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. In a day when the Church is being challenged to a contest of power by the forces of evil, it is essential every Christian learn how to carry out effective spiritual warfare, and put on the pieces of God's Armor and stand against the devil.

The Whole Armor of God (Ephesians 6: 10 -- 20 ).

How to put on our Armor and Weapons.

.....A soldier must expend time and energy in order to put on his armor and take up his weapons. Similarly, a Christian puts on each piece of armor through precise disciplines in the Christian life. The spiritual armor of the Christian is similar to the physical armor of a soldier; however, it is of a different nature. Example -- David went out against Goliath in full armor, but all Goliath saw was a slingshot. David's armor had been forged and put on through the years of Godly disciplines which he developed in the wilderness caring for his father's sheep. ( See Psalm 78: 70-72)

1.) Belt of truth

.....Throughout history, the belt has been a symbol of strength, it is also been a means of freedom, and open times. Men wore outer garments which reached to the ground. If they ran in battle, they would be apt to step on the garments and stumble. To avoid this danger, they would raise their garments to the knee and secure them around their waist with the belt. Peter had this picture in mind when he quoted, "Gird up the loins of your mind." (1 Peter 1: 3).
Truth is also a means of freedom, as Jesus said, "And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free." (John 8: 32) (see also -- John 14: 6 ).

The Discipline related to the Belt of Truth:

Reading the Bible daily

.....Satan is a liar and the father lies. (See John 8: 44). He will tell us lies about God, ourselves, sin, the purposes for which God made things, and about every other aspect of our life. The best way to guard ourselves from Satan's lies is to have a daily program of reading and studying God's Word. ( The Truth )

2.) Breastplate of Righteousness

.....The Roman warriors who directly engaged the enemy wore plate armor around the trunks of their bodies to protect vital organs. In the same way, Christians are directed by God to guard "Their hearts with all diligence; for out to of them are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4: 23) The plate armor was heavy and restricted motion somewhat; however, the protection it gave was necessary for the soldier's survival.

The Discipline related to the Breastplate of Righteousness:

Memorizing God's Word

.....The ability of the Word of God to protect our heart is explained in Psalm 119:11, "Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee."Satan is the accuser of the bretheren (Christians) and brings condemnation to our hearts, (attacking the mind) if we do not know how to offset it with the Truth, such as passages in Romans 8. As we memorize God's word, our hearts, (minds) are sanctified and cleansed, according to John 15: 3, "Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you." (See also Galatians 3: 6 )

3.) Feet Shod with the Gospel

.....The foot is a symbol of authority. When a king was conquered, he would be brought to the victorious ruler and made to bow his head down to the ground. The conqueror would put his foot on the neck of his defeated foe, symbolizing that he had jurisdiction(and victory) over him and his kingdom.

The Discipline related to the Shoes of the Gospel:

Meditating on Scripture

.....Since Satan is the author of rebellion, he will do all he can to cause us to rebel. However, by engrafting Scripture into our souls,( mind, will, and emotions), we will be able to think God's thoughts,(revelation, wisdom, knowledge,) after Him. Meditation On Scripture is the way to engraft God's word into our lives so we can walk in his ways and bring peace to many others through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

4.) Shield of Faith

.....Roman shields came in various sizes and shapes, but the purpose was the same: To protect a warrior from deadly spears, arrows, and swords of the enemy. Even with the other pieces of armor, a soldier had vulnerable areas and needed the added protection of a shield to stop or deflect what would otherwise be lethal blows. The Roman shields were designed to interlock with one another. With this feature, soldier's interlock their shields over their heads and advance towards the walled cities of the enemy. The fiery darts that came down upon them from their enemies on the walls, were thus ineffective.

The Discipline related to the Shield of Faith:

Fasting Regularly

.....Satan is the one who buffets the Saints and watches for openings to attack. It takes spiritual discernment to anticipate and deflect these assaults. Such discernment comes through fasting. Jesus promised to reward openly those who fast secretly, and Isaiah 58 promises good judgment to those who fast. When Paul was buffeted by Satan, he resorted to prayer and fasting.

5.) Helmet of Salvation

.....A variety of helmets were worn by soldiers of different armies. In hand to hand combat, it was a distinct advantage for a soldier to have a helmet which protected not only his head, but also is face, an especially his eyes. A blow to the uncovered head would immediately disable the soldier; therefore, this was one of the most important pieces of armor.

The Discipline related to the Helmet of Salvation:

Rising Early

.....One of Satan's most devastating tactics is to disable us with fear. (False Evidence Appearing Real). If he can bring fear to our minds, we will take our focus off the power and protection of the Lord and lose our will to sustain the battle. By rising early in the morning and having a communion time with the Lord, we renew our minds to what's true of us in Christ and focus on God's power and purposes for us through the day. (Reflection and repentance also). David wrote, "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and I will look up." (Psalm 5: 3)

6.) Sword of the Spirit

.....The first five pieces of armor are defensive; however, the sword is to be uses an offense a weapon. The effectiveness of the sword depended on the hardness of the metal and the sharpness of the edges. The two edged sword was essential in battle because the soldier could wheeled it at the enemy in either direction.

The Discipline related to the Sword of the Spirit:

Using Rhema in Warfare

.....The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. The Greek term used in this verse for "Word" is not Logos but Rhema. Rhema is Scripture which the Holy Spirit gives us for a particular situation. Jesus demonstrated how to use Rhema when he was tempted in the wilderness. With each temptation, he quoted a verse of Scripture from the Old Testament Logos. ("It is written" or "God says").The disciplines of reading, meditating and memorizing Scripture will provide the basis of receiving Rhema from the Holy Spirit. A wise exercise in spiritual warfare would be to match Rhema with temptations which you anticipate. (Rightly understanding God's Word and the right use of it.)

7.) All Prayer

.....Our second offense a weapon is prayer. "The effectual ferverent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (Makes much power available.) (James 5: 16). The scope of the influence of prayer is extensive: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make know the mystery of the Gospel." (Ephesians 6: 18 -19).

The Discipline related to Ferverent Prayer:

Establishing Priorities

.....Satan is a hinderer of the Saints (see -1 Thessalonians 2: 18). It is our responsibility to determine what is most important in our lives and to choose the things that are excellent. (Good, perfect, and pleasing to God). Ferverent prayer for the salvation of non-believers and for the strengthening of our brothers and sisters ( In Christ) damages Satan's kingdom. Satan will, therefore, do all he can to hinder Christians from engaging in prayer. We can, however, be more than conquerors if we turned Satan's temptations into signals for prayer. This brings victory in a Christians life. Prayer is the battle itself. God's word is the chief weapon. The bottom line is that an unbroken, ongoing relationship with God is the only absolute guarantee of being constantly dressed in the Whole Armor of God, thus producing true freedom. (Fully Renouncing Every Evil Dominion Over Man.)

.....In conclusion, notice that the Armor of God does not protect the back of the Christian. That is because first of all, God has our back, and also our brothers in Christ. Also we are to stand against the wiles of the enemy, not to run from or shy away but to stand. For weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual and mighty in the pulling down of strongholds, warring against principalities and powers and rulers of darkness.

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