The Armor of God

Malohaut

Malohaut

Moderator
I think I have done an Armor of God series once before. But whether I have or not, I feel compelled to bring it forth once more, not only for my own re-application for myself, but also for any who have interest.

"So what's the big deal about this spiritual armor anyway? I'm a Christian, and I seem to be doing well." No matter how well you are doing, or how at peace you are, war wages around you daily! You have to fend off the deceptions of the fallen ones. You have to resist the temptations of the world. You have to overcome the corruptable desires of your own flesh. These very things hound your every step and seek to drag you down in depression, despair, and sin. Your fight can be made successful by wearing Christ, the armor of Christ. And you will find life with God to be far sweeter and less worrysome.

And if that's not incentive enough, God promises to reward those who overcome in times of trial:

Rev 2:7 " . . . To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life . . . "
Rev 2:11 " . . . He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death."
Rev 2:17 " . . . To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat."
Rev 2:26 " . . . And he who overcomes, and keep My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations."

Don! Fight! Overcome! Watch the devil run like a baby! And allow God to bless you for it!
 
lynx3x shared this:

Ephesians 6:10-17 - One of may favorite sections of the Word. This is a great one for writing down and placing on your front door or bathroom mirror so that you can "Put on the full armor of God" before you face what the day may bring.

Excellent insight. I shall share that full scripture here:

The Armor of God
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
 
The Helmet of Salvation




James 1: 14-15 "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."

Sin does not appear out of nowhere. It is a process. It starts as an enticing desire, which if left unchecked, will give birth to sin; and when sin is full grown, your walk in this world will be as if you were spiritually dead. As Christians, we know in our minds what is right and what is wrong. When desires come, we can pretty well guess if its a bad desire or a good one. When we reason in our minds that a bad desire isn't so bad, that's where our trouble begins. We conditionally accept bad desires, and allow them to take root in our heart. There, sin is born as we lust and dwell on and eventually pursue such evil pleasures. We must cut off that process from the source: the mind. We must capture and toss out all ungodly thoughts and desires. Do not convince yourself that certain sins are okay. Do not even allow opportunity for such thoughts to enter your mind, and avoid pictures and places and people that seductively promote such evil.

Romans 7:14-15 "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do."

Although I have strongly advised that you refrain your mind and thoughts from evil, we as a flawed people cannot do this alone. We need help. We need God.

Romand 8 : 1-3 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."

We have been sancitifed by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. In this sanctification, we have been set aside from our sins to accept the salvation of our Lord. Through this, by God's gracious transformation through Christ, and not by our own efforts, you can be assured of your salvation. What a great peace of mind: to know that we are royalty, heirs of the kingdom of heaven. We may fall, but we now have the strength and authority to get right back up and run straight to the open arms of Jesus!

Let this peace of mind and this reminder of your royalty to be your mental strength. Don the crown, the helmet of salvation you princes and princesses of Christ. Let your proud heritage overpower the depression, doubts, lusts, and evil of your minds. Its your salvation, guarenteed in blood. Know it. Believe it. Live it. Enjoy it.

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, bretheren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things."

Set your mind on this salvation, on heavenly things, and on all thoughts pure and righteous, and cast out all thoughts of idolatry, slander, deception, greed, lust, hatred, and fornication. Do this and you will have donned the Helmet of Salvation well.
 
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The Breastplate of Righteousness



Do you want to see amazing things happen in your life? Are you tired of depression, despair, and self doubt? Do you feel conquered by the enemy? Do you feel yourself conquered by sin?

Life isn't easy. And Satan will throw anguish, despair, and even fear in our lives. He will seek to bring us down so that we'll be too down or too deep in sin to want to even stand up. Guard your heart from such attack with the breastplate of righteousness.

During the reign of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Jerusalem was conquered, and Daniel and 3 friends were sent to exile to Babylon. Because of their wisdom, Daniel and his friends found favor in Nebuchadnezzar's eyes. Daniel, however, did not want to defile himself by eting of the king's delicacies, which was unlawful to eat for the jews. Worried for his life, the chef was reluctant to give in to Daniel and his friend's dietary request.

Daniel 1:14-15 "So he (the chef) consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. And at the end of the ten days, their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies."

Daniel and his friends loved God so much that they choose to follow His law, and they benefitted from it. Following the will of God is not just righteous, but its very beneficial to us as well.

Do you love God? How much do you love Him? Perfect love for God produces a hert-felt desire of obedience: obedience of God's will and of God's commandments. Love God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul. Love your neighbor as yourself. Remember the 10 commandments of Moses. From these heart-lead obediences of these commandments comes a walk in righteousness, or, a heart-produced breastplate of righteousness.

So. Love of God produces obedience, which in turn produces righteousness. So what does this breastplate do for us?

Isaiah 33:15-16 "He who walks righteously . . . he will dwell on high."
Proverbs 28:1 " . . . the righteous are bold as a lion."
Psalm 34:19 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous. But the Lord delivers him out of them all."
Psalm 55:22 " . . . He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."
Romans 15:17 "for the kingdom of God is not eting and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

That's powerful stuff! The breastplate of righteousness produces security, boldness, safety, firmness, and tremendous peace and joy.

I ask again. Do you want to see amazing things happen in your life? Are you tired of depression, despair, and self doubt? Do you feel conquered by the enemy? Do you feel yourself conquered by sin?

Love God. - Obey His commands. - Don the Breastplate of Righteousness - Become empowered by God in boldness, firmness, peace, and joy. - Find Godly strength to stand against sin and to resist the devil.

Forged and custom made personally for each of you in the blood of Jesus, this piece of armor will become a powerful defense in your spiritual warfare.
 
The Belt of Truth

Sister Brenda and Sister Kathy were walking home from service late one night. Sunday's evening service had ended and the two nuns were returning to their convent. It wasn't long before sister Brenda whispered, "I think we're being followed." Sister Kathy looked back and sure enough, a strange man was not too far behind. As the nuns quickened their pace a little, so did the man. So Sister Kathy whispered, "He can't follow us both. Let's split up and meet back at the convent." Sister Brenda was reluctant but agreed. The two split up and Sister Brenda hurried on her way. She was relieved that she wasn't being followed, but also worried for her friend. Sister Brenda arrived first at the convent and awaited her friend. Half an hour later, she started to get worried, but Sister Kathy finally showed up with a smile.
"What happened?" asked Sister Brenda.
"Well, after we split, that guy continued to follow me. I walked faster, but it wasn't long before he caught up to me. I stopped and faced him, and by his gaze, I knew what he wanted."
"Oh my!" gasped sister Brenda. "What did you do?"
"I pulled up my robe."
"You did?!? What did he do?"
"He pulled down his pants."
"Oh my! Then what?"
Sister Kathy smiled. "Someone with her robe up easily outran someone with his pants down."

Having your pants around your ankles makes walking difficult, much less running. Not that I've ever tried, but it sounds right. There are times when a belt certainly comes in handy doesn't it as its good for keeping your pants up! What is interesting is that Roman Soldiers, during the disciple's days, didn't wear pants. They wore skirts. And they weren't scottish! Not only did they use their belt to hang things on, but they also used it to tuck in their skirt so they wouldn't trip over it.

You should be able to guess the metaphorical connection. Our belt of truth helps to keep us from tripping and falling. Have you ever tripped on a curb or object and embarassed yourself in front of people? How much more embarassing it is when people catch us in a lie, or when they catch us behaving in a non-Christian manner. Although we are at war with demonic influences as well as worldy temptations, we also have to fight ourselves to keep from falling.

Whenever we do things in sin or we are deceptive or we tell lies or half-truths, we are wearing our spiritual belt very loosely, and we risk tripping and falling. Think about the worst thing you did last week. Also, think about your deepest, darkest secret. Can you picture yourself going to your next-door neighbor and openly sharing these things? Can you walk into a grocery store and shout out that you lusted after your co-worker, that you stole things from work, or that you cheated on your wife? Imagine yourself standing in a Christian book store full of people. Then you suddenly say to them, "Guess what everybody? Last week I (insert your worst sin.) And I also (insert your darkest secret.)" Not a very comfortable situation is it? We can avoid those skeletons that plague us, or at least reduce them down.

We are people of the light, and we must conduct ourselves in thoughts, words, and deeds, both in public and in private, and in a way that would not embarass ourselves. Those in darkness like the darkness because they can sin happily and hide it. We are in the light and are out in the open in front of everybody. And we should be not only an example to them, but avoid evil and lies and non-Christian thoughts and activities so that they do not haunt us later. Watch your step, both in public and in private. If your mind is dwelling on something evil or perverse or in anger or in greed, or if you are about to do something that you would not comfortably share in public, you might want to reconsider. By not lying or lusting or stealing or coveting or any of these things, you keep yourself clean and your belt tight. You can walk proudly in the light and be honest and open and not worry about tripping or falling or embarassing yourself. With God as our strength, and your continued efforts to walk righteously in truth, you will stand strong and firm in your spiritual warfare, and your belt of truth will shine brightly.
 
Boots of the Gospel of Peace

One of the most important things that we need to remember with our armor is that it’s the Armor of GOD. Thus, it's only through God's strength and guidance that it becomes most powerful and effective. If we placed a razor-sharp dagger in the hands of a 2-year old, (as if any of us here would), he would probably end up cutting himself while trying to figure it out. If we placed a razor-sharp dagger in the hands of a 2-year old, then place our hands over his and guide his efforts, not only would we show him its proper use, but by our ability, that dagger can become a dangerous weapon or an effective tool. In the same way, putting on the armor of God is pretty much putting you in the Master's hands, that we may become skillful and effective in our walk like Jesus Christ.

This very concept is the essence of the Boots of the Gospel of Peace. When we walk, we must walk humbly in peace and in the Lord's strength and glory, never charging forth dangerously in pride and relying only on our own abilities. Isaiah 10:15 "shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it?" Now there is nothing wrong with being proud of your abilities, but when you go forth, go not in your strengths, but in your weakness and your meekness. Look at Jesus. When the Israelites awaited their coming Messiah, they were looking for a mighty warrior, one to bring down the Roman Empire by the sword and re-establish the kingdom of Israel as a separate and mighty nation. But Jesus entered the world humbly in the stench and filth of a livestock manger. And Jesus left the world humbly in the stench and filth of all our sins. His life of humility and love and peace was more effective and powerful than the combined efforts of warriors and conquerors of all time.

We must walk in humility wherever we go. You're not superior to anyone, and your strengths and successes are not of you but of God. And by our humbleness, God will empower us and proclaim our steps. Matthew 23:12 "And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." We must walk in peace wherever we go. For only in gentle peace can we penetrate the most powerful of strongholds. Matthew 10:16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

Walk cautiously and wise as a serpent, but gently and harmless as a dove. Don't boast or brag, but exalt others. Focus your thoughts more on the needs of others and less on your own wants. Be slow to anger and quick to forgive. Offer kindness in place of evil. Be content in all circumstances, be thankful in all trials, and understand and rejoice that you walk victoriously in God's strength and not your own. This is the ministry of love that you are to walk. Such a walk can only be made successful with the Boots of the Gospel of peace. Your enemies may re-think their evil, the lost will be attracted to your light, your brothers and sisters will be encouraged, and you will be filled with unparalleled peace and joy that can far outlast any trial or storm that comes your way! I can't imagine living life any other way! Can you?
 
SHIELD OF FAITH

"Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Riiiight. How about "The pen is mightier than the sword." That sounds more accurate doesn't it? Fences, dogs, and bullet-proof vests are one of many things peple use to protect themselves. But there is no physical barrier or invention that can protect you from words. Can a dog bite the butt of a solicitor who calls? Can a fence keep out the drifting words of an angry driver? What spam guard can perfectly keep out all offensive or solicitive spam mail? Thus, we cannot rely on the physical to protect us from words and thoughts and fears that seek to hurt us, bring us down in spirit and heart, or destroy us. We must turn to the non-physical for that. We must turn to God.

John 14:27 "Peace I leave you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Mark 5:38-39 "But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm."
From Genesis 37-42 Joseph - his brothers hated him, his brothers hated him more, they conspired against him to kill him, they stripped him and cast him into a pit with no water, sold him to the Ishmaelites, taken to Egypt, sold to Potiphar of Egypt, endured sexual harassment from Potifer's wife, was falsely accused by Potifer's wife and thrown into prison, encouraged a prisoner and asked for a word passed to the pharoah but was forgotten by the newly freed prisoner. "And Pharoah said to Joseph, 'See I have set you over all the land of Egypt.' "

God loves all His sheep and tends for them all, no matter where they are. Yes, they may suffer the pain of correction, but they remain in His protective hands. When you walk in your Christian walk, what do you fear?
Persecution or rejection from others? John 15:18 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first."
Trials? James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
The future? Jeremiah 29:11 " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD , 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' "


God never let down Joseph. God was with Moses when he faced the Pharoah. God went with Jonah to Ninevah, went with David into the wilderness, went with Daniel into the lion's den, and even went with Elijah to the great cook-off. Now its your turn!
God is with you; who can be against you?
The Lord is your shepherd, and you shall not want.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that because you have believed, you will not perish and will have everlasting life.
Fear not, for God is with you.

So walk your Christian walk fearlessly. Do not be afraid to openly speak of Jesus. Do not be afraid to do what is right. Do not fear people who seek to insult or mock you. And do not fear your weaknesses. If you walk in Christ, then Christ will walk with you! Such is the power of protection God gives us in the shield of faith! Quench the arrows of the enemy, and have faith! After all:

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
 
Sword of the Spirit

One last piece is needed to make our armor complete. No, it's not turtle wax. It's the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Jesus Himself used this very weapon in Matthew, Chapter 4.

"Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, 'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.' But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' "
When the temptations and wiles of the devil came, Jesus countered it with scripture.

"Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.' Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.' "

This time, Satan wised up and used scripture in his attack. But he twisted its meaning, employing the Psalm 91 passage about trusting God to justify testing Him. But Jesus parried with scripture, using Israel's wilderness experience in Deut. 6:16--recalling the experience at Massah, where the grumbling Israelites put the Lord to the test, angrily demanding that Moses produce water where there was none. Ex 17:2-7

"Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "

Mated in 3 moves. It seems no matter how much effort the devil made, he could never break through scripture. This shows us that knowledge of the scriptures makes for a skillful weapon. Such examples are as follows:

Marriage: Eph. 5:22-6:4, Col. 3:18-21, 1 Cor. 7:1-16
Forgiveness: Matthew 18:21-35, Matthew 6:14-15, James 2:13
Temptation: James 1:12-15, 1 Cor. 10:13, 1 Peter 5:8-9

Want to be a master swordsman? Study the scripture. Understand the scripture. Live the scripture. Do these and your Sword of the Spirit will be sharp and deadly!
 
Now we have the piece of armor assembled and we look quite dashing in the mirror don't we? But don't let it just sit in your closet unused or forget about what you've learned. Until you get used to wearing your armor habitually, you should spend a little time each day putting on each piece and focusing on each piece's meaning:

Helmet of Salvation - Guard your minds, remember that Jesus died for you, and focus your mind and heart on good and Godly things.

Breastplate of Righteousness - With God's help and inspiration, our hearts compel us to follow the commandments by loving our God, loving our neighbors, and loving our enemies.

Belt of Truth - Don't just tell the truth, but live a life deceit free, in public, in private, and in thoughts, words, and deeds.

Boots of the Gospel of Peace - Walk humbly in peace as though you had no armor or training or strength, and allow the mighty strength and victory of God to flow through your humility in all your thoughts, words, and actions.

Shield of Faith - When you walk in this world as a Christian, you can trust completely that no matter what comes your way, you are still a mighty and wonderful child of God, and that God will help you through all things in His perfect ways and timings.

Sword of the Spirit - Fight off doubts, temptations, corruptions, and cults with the word of God, which you should study and consume and apply perpetually.


Now, we know that soldiers of the past used weapons and armor for both defense and offense. Once they suited up, they practiced, patrolled, and battled. With armor comes action, after all, we have to do something with that armor don't we? But let me ask you a question. Are we human doings or human beings? The Armor of God is not something we use to do something. The Armor of God is something we become. All we have to do is wear it well and Satan will tremble! Even if we just stand there wearing the full glory of Christ, people will see our light, enemy plans will fail, and we will stand powerful and firm. Its so effective, I encourage you to wear your armor in all times. When you drive, drive in your armor. When you sleep, sleep in your armor. When you're at the grocery store or in your own living room, whether with friends, family, strangers, or alone, wear your armor. Such is what makes for a powerful witness.

Practice the armor. Wear the armor. Become the armor. And you will become more like Christ in your daily walk, be filled with amazing peace and joy, become a powerful witness to the world, and become a mighty wall to the enemy.
 
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