A lot of so called Christians wish that the Apostle Paul had written these words instead of what he actually wrote down for us:
“Lay back and relax, then, with the belt of evasion buckled loosely around your waist, with the breastplate of defensiveness in place, and with your feet fitted with the pluralism that offends no one. In addition to all this, take up the shield of grudges, with which you can hold on tightly to hurts and slights. Take the helmet of entitlement and the bludgeon of the flesh, which is the word of anger. And air what’s been done to you on all occasions, with all kinds of criticisms and complaints.”
He didn't. What did Paul really say? "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Romans 13:14 nkjv
Wear him so to speak. Yes, the Lord of all lords. Yes, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. Put on the full armor of God by faith. The Bible says...
“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. Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Eph. 6:13-18
Paul didn’t say that he lived his life “by my faith” cuz even faith is a free gift of God.
Job 29:14 - I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
Galatians 3:27 - For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Galatians 5:16 - So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Ephesians 4:24 - and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.Colossians 3:10 - and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Colossians 3:12 - Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
1 Peter 2:11 - Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
1 John 2:16 - For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not from the Father but from the world.Galatians 3:27 - For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Ephesians 4:24 - And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Colossians 3:10-12 - And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him..
It's who we are and what we do. We can't put up with our friends being ripped off, or hurt, or killed without praying and wisely acting.
So we're clothed in Him, but we're also going to fight from victory (Jesus already won the victory for us). Yes, we fight the good fight from.. more so than fight for victory.
It's not the time for a détente or some spiritual-streaking. It's time for fully suiting up and biblical spiritual warfare.
Dare ya to.. think battleground instead neutral-ground or playground!
Paul said, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood contending only with physical opponents, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places." Ephesians 6:12 amp
So today, put on the armor of God by faith -- walk in the Lord, in victory, in world-changing love daily. Wholeheartedly, not half, not a quarter so. Fish4souls.org
You help and stand with your soldiers, Lord. You restore every heart that's been crushed.. that’s been broken.
We know the armor of God is a metaphor in the Bible (Ephesians 6:10-18) and this reminds us Christians about the reality of spiritual battle and describes the protection available to us all.
The full armor of God that Christians are called to put on comprises the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit.
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. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
As you pray, listen, and praise Jesus.. “Gird your waist with truth.” No time for duplicity a.k.a. hypocrisy, trying to lead a double-life. Remember how Billy Graham was year after year the same in public as he was in private. There were never two Billy Franks as they used to call this country preacher. Nope. Let it be that way for you too. Just one of you.
Graciously speak what is true. It’s time for holy candor and Spirit empowered integrity. Put on your “utility belt of truth.” As Verse 14 says, “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.” Officers refer to this belt as their “Sam Browne.” It consists of their radio, handcuffs, holster and gun, Taser, chemical spray, flashlight, holder for extra magazines, baton, etc.
My So Cal pastor Greg Laurie talks about this stuff a lot. It's helped us. He told us that the officer really needs his belt cuz when he is out and about working to keep the peace. The same was true for the Roman soldier.
The belt was essential. Why? Because the breastplate, and the sword’s sheath were attached to it. It also held up his tunic, giving him freedom of movement. If the Roman soldier’s belt came off, his breastplate would fall off, along with his tunic.
Believer, the day you believed in Jesus was the day that the real battle began. For just as surely as there is a God who loves you, there is also a devil who hates you.
It has been said, “Conversion has made our hearts a battlefield.”
So we have a choice in this spiritual battle. We will either win or lose. Gain or lose ground.
You can’t be a “spiritual-pacifist.” To fight a spiritual battle, you need spiritual armor. It’s time to “man up” (or “woman up”) and put on the whole armor of God.
It’s Your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise to You only. You save, heal, restore and fight for us and win, Lord. Thank you!
Galatians 5:16,17,24 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh…
“The saddest symptom about many so-called Christians is the utter absence of anything like conflict and fight against spiritual apathy in their Christianity. They eat, they drink, they dress, they work, they amuse themselves, they get money, they spend money, they go through a brief round of formal religious services once or twice every week. But of the great spiritual warfare - its watchings and strugglings, its agonies and anxieties, its battles and contests - of all things they appear to know nothing at all. Let us take care that this case is not our own.” ~ J.C. Ryle
“No church group that knows spiritual warfare has wiener roasts or even passion plays. There is a real warfare. I have said before that we are an arrogant, self-styled bunch of believers. We "believe" to the point of inconvenience - and then quit.” ~ Leonard Ravenhill
Colossians 3:5-8 - Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry...
“When you meet opposition to your faith, your first reaction may be anger toward your antagonist. This may divert your attention from the deeper, spiritual dimensions of your conflict. Your adversary may be hopelessly in bondage to sin. Rather than retaliating, you should immediately and earnestly intercede for that person. Your opponent's hostility is your invitation to become involved in God's redemptive work to free him or her from spiritual bondage. Be alert to the spiritual warfare around you. ~ Henry Blackaby
“If you are paralyzed by your past, if Satan is destroying your gifts and your calling by his incessant replaying of old tapes, you’re actually being hit by a double whammy. The original damage in the past is one thing – but now you’re letting yourself be hurt and sidetracked again by the memory of what happened… We should not be ignorant of Satan’s devices, and these ugly memories are one of the main weapons in his arsenal.” ~ Jim Cymbala
1. What is the full armor of God? Why is it important to put on the full armor of God before I engage in spiritual warfare?2. Questions about the Christian Life.. even about spiritual warfare. How can I overcome sin in my Christian life? How can I experience joy in my Christian life?3. What are the wiles of the devil in Ephesians 6:11? Why do we need the full armor of God to overcome the wiles/schemes of the devil?4. What does it mean to resist the devil, and why will resistance cause the devil to flee? Where can I find the strength to resist the devil?5. What is the readiness of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15)? Is the gospel of peace a part of the full armor of God?6. What is the belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14)? Why is it important to use the belt of truth in spiritual warfare?7. Who was David the warrior in the Bible? How is understanding the life of David valuable to our spiritual growth?8. Are we supposed to let go and let God? If not, where does the saying come from?9. What is the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16)? Why is it important to use the shield (buckler) of faith in spiritual warfare?10. What can I do when I am under spiritual attack? How can I know when I am being attacked spiritually?11. Why did God send an evil spirit to torment King Saul? Does God send evil spirits to torment us today?12. What does the Bible say about spiritual warfare? How can I achieve victory in spiritual warfare against Satan and his demons?13. Do we need to be aware of the spiritual battle that is taking place around us? How can I achieve victory in spiritual battle against Satan and his other fallen angel buds?14. What are the weapons of righteousness in 2 Corinthians 6:7? What is the meaning of 2 Corinthians 6:7? How can righteousness be a weapon?15. What does it mean to be strong in the Lord in Ephesians 6:10? What is the meaning of Ephesians 6:10?16. How can an unmarried person daily win the battle in this world now? How can he or she remain chaste and pure in the Lord.. in this good fight of faith? It's the same way a married person does, by choice. It's by faith in the word who fights for us and wins.17. How can I become a prayer warrior? Does God call certain people to be prayer warriors?18. Spiritual strongholds - what is the biblical view? How can I break the strongholds that are hurting my spiritual life?19. What are the works of the devil in 1 John 3:8? What is the devil’s ultimate goal in the works he seeks to do?20. How can I heal from the hurt of a broken relationship? Why does a broken relationship hurt so much?21. What does the Bible say about deliverance? How can we be delivered from sin, trials, and spiritual attack?22. Can a Christian be cursed? Can it happen? Will God allow a curse on a believer? Will God allow a curse on a believer? Does God protect His children from curses and spells?23. What does the Bible say about strength? How can I be strong in the power of God?24. How can demonic strongholds be overcome? What is a demonic stronghold? How can a Christian achieve victory over demons?25. How can I avoid being a doubting Thomas? Why did Thomas doubt? How did Jesus help Thomas overcome his doubt?26. What is the sword of the Spirit? How is the Word of God sharper than any two-edged / double-edged sword?27. What does it mean to be a slave to sin? Why is Christ the only way of redemption from slavery to sin?28. Does a believer have authority over Satan? What authority, if any, do believers have to rebuke Satan?
