Eph. 6:10-17 NKJV 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; God has supplied us with a helmet of salvation to protect and sanctify our thoughts and ideas. The enemy often attacks our mind. It’ s an old proven war strategy that if you take out the head, the rest of the body will easily fall. But God has instructed us to wear our helmets. Meditating on His word, renewing our minds, daily, and concentrating on whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, and are praiseworthy all describe ways of wearing our helmet (Phil 4:8). In order to do this, we have to be cautious about what we watch, read, listen to, and the company that we keep. Next, is the shield of faith. Our faith is what separates us from everyone else. As soldiers, we have to hold our shield directly in front of us, which lets everyone around us know which side we’re on. We have to take a stand against the enemy, even when it isn’t the most popular stand to take. The shield isn’t to hide behind, it is there so that we can press forward, even though arrows and darts are flying directly at us. Isaiah 54:17 NKJV says, No weapon formed against you shall prosper. So we must hold up our shields and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ (Phil 3:14). Lastly, is the sword of the Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 NKJV says, For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two- edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Every time, Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus would only respond with the living Word of God. Satan was cut so badly, he had to withdraw in order to give himself time to regroup and think of plan “B” (Matt. 4:1-11). So you see, because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, means that we cannot fight with flesh and blood, either. In order to win, we have to use our spiritual armory. If you want bigger weapons, then you have to study the Word of God more diligently. The more you study, the more your faith will increase, which means, you will have a larger shield. You are also sharpening your sword every time you meditate on God’s word. I don’t know about you, but I want my arsenal to be fully stocked when the enemy pokes his ugly head in my business. Let’s go study! I hope you enjoyed reading the word of God in a new light. Have a Happy Wednesday! God Bless, Min. Tommy & Sis. Shatika Gray |
| Whole Armor of God, Pt. 3 Aug. 25, 2004 |