Ephesians 6 :10-20 The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For 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. 13 Therefore 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
With all the devil throws at us we must put on our defensive armor and wield our weapons against his devices. The buckle of truth is our confession…that we are sinners against God….and that we are redeemed by His precious blood. The Devil wants us to think we are not so bad…or…we are too bad to be saved.
The Devil shoots his fiery darts of condemnation at our hearts. He wants to try to turn our hearts from loving God and people inward to ourselves. He wants us to feel condemned and blind to the free gift of righteousness Jesus died for. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Satan calls us to a different walk than God intends for us. We all want peace, and with feet of the TRUE Gospel, we are ready to carry this Message of Grace. We don’t get weary in these shoes.
When we put all our faith in Jesus, He is our shield. When we turn from Him we find ourselves on fire.
Psalm 3:3 But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
Genesis 15:1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.
1 Peter 1:5-6 This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
The Devil always works in our mind. If he can make his domain our thought life, and he keeps us sin conscious, instead of Christ conscious he can undo the finished work on the cross. We must put on this Helmet (Grace) of salvation to protect our minds from being blinded to our redemption.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, We must use it effectively by reading the Word and getting it into our hearts.
1 John 2:14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Jesus will come again with this Sword… Revelation 1:16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
This whole ensemble works together to keep us in peace and joy but it takes a conscious effort to keep the outfit together. Satan will find our weak spots and focus his efforts there. Next time you feel you are under attack, check these areas of exposure. If you have an unsettled, anxious mind, a broken heart, weak faith, or are confused about whom you are in Christ…start by going to God’s Word and to Him in prayer that you may be dressed properly.
13 Therefore 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.
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