“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:13-18 NLT
The Holy Spirit gives Paul a revelation of the parallel between the Roman soldier's armor and the armor of the Saint. In God's army, we, too, must suit up for battle. There are six specific pieces of armor and one way to initiate the use of them. 1. Belt of truth. Truth is what holds it all up (see John 17:17 and John 8:32). 2. Shoes of peace. This is the only way to walk. (see Matthew 5:9). 3. Breastplate of righteousness (body armor) to protect the vital things. Righteous living protects the credibility of the principles of the faith. We cannot expect our faith to stand up in the battle if we aren't living what we profess (see I Peter 1:14-15). 4. Shield of faith. We must be willing to walk into the fierce battle knowing that our faith in God is what deflects the devils attacks (see Hebrews 11:1 and 6). 5. Helmet of salvation. Knowing Jesus as our Savior and Lord will set our minds in proper order and will protect us from the assault of the enemy upon our knowledge of Christ as our redeemer (see Romans 6:23; 10:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 4:12; John 14:6). 6. Sword of the Spirit. This is the Word of God. This is the only offensive part of the armor. It is through God's Holy Word that we defeat the devil. Even Jesus used the Word (He is the Word made flesh) to refute the devil on the mount of temptation (see Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13). Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” NLT 7. Prayer. The one thing we must use as our call to arms is prayer. We must not walk into the battle without the clarion call of prayer. This is the only way we can enter into the fierceness of the battle with complete preparation. (see Luke 18:1 and I Thessalonians 5:17). Let's run to the battle suited and ready in Jesus name!!!
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March 2020
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