(Photo reference: http://www.scripturetruth.com/images/Armor%20of%20God.jpg)
I. Introduction – Session 1 – Part 1A-1: We
are in a spiritual battle but the battle is not ours, it belongs to the
Lord!! Jesus lets us know that in Him we will have peace and in the
world we will have trouble but to take heart, He has overcome the
world (John 16:33). Jesus
has fought the battle and won and has given us the victory!! Therefore,
we are not fighting the devil and his evil spirits, we are standing
firm and resisting them when they attack us!! And to do this, we MUST use EVERY piece of God’s armor. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6: 3 “For thought we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against
the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the
obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (biblegateway.com – NKJV).
The material in the rest of the sessions
in this teaching was taken from Chapter Thirteen (“The Armor of God”)
of Dr. Art Mathias’ book, “Biblical Foundations of Freedom Destroying Satan’s Lies With God’s... with
his permission. Therefore, no part of this teaching cannot be used
without Dr. Mathias’ permission. You can contact Dr. Mathias at:
Wellspring Ministries of Alaska 2511 Sentry Drive
Anchorage, Alaska 99507
907.563.9033
E-mail: akwellspr@aol.com
Web Site: www.akwellspring.com
God
gave us spiritual armor to use in our warfare with Satan. Many books
have been written and sermons preached about this armor, but it is a
subject that is greatly misunderstood and, therefore, misapplied. God's
armor is not some sort of magic that our minds apply to fend off the
devil. It is not something that we apply or take off each day. We need a
clear idea of the make-up, purpose and use of the armor of God.
Ephesians 6:10-18 says, "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; 18 praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful
to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—“ (biblegateway.com – NKJV).
In Ephesians 6:10, Paul says to be "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." "Be strong" is the Greek word endunamoo, meaning empowered. So to be strong is to be empowered by God and to appropriate His strength. Paul prays in Ephesians 1:15-23 and 3:14-21 that we would recognize that the power of the resurrection is ours. He commands us to act accordingly.
Ephesians 6:11 says to "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Scripture lists two kinds of armor:
- The helmet: protecting the head, comes in various forms embossed with many kinds of figures.
- The girdle, or belt: protecting the loins to brace the armor tight against the body, and support daggers, swords and other weapons.
- The breastplate in two parts: one covers the breast and the other covers the back, protecting the vital organs of the body; it extends down to the legs.
- The greaves, or sandals, cover the shins: a form of a sole was often used to protect the feet from rocks, thorns, etc.
- The shield: to protect the entire body from blows and cuts
- The sword is used to destroy the enemy and bring his surrender. Besides the sword, other weapons of offense included the spear, lance, battle-axe, club, bow and arrows, and sling.
The phrase, "that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil;" (Ephesians 6:11) describes three blessings received from the armor of God:
2. The ability to withstand all attacks (Ephesians 6:13).
3. The ability to quench Satan's fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16).
"Having done all to stand," or "to
stand" is a military term meaning to hold one's position; having already
conquered, stand ready again to do battle. "Wiles" is the Greek word, methodeia, referring to the methods one would use to accomplish a task. In this context, it includes the different means, plans, and schemes used to deceive, entrap, enslave, and ruin men's souls. The
defensive armor is a soldier's personal armor, used for protection. The
offensive armor is for conquest, bringing the enemy into surrender, or
slaying the enemy. Paul uses these common military tools to make a spiritual application. Ephesians 4 and 5
encourage us to appropriate the things that are of God. It warns us of
many ungodly practices as well. Paul tells us to take up, or put on, the
armor of God giving us the power and authority to do those things that
we should do, and not do the things that we should not do.
Putting on the armor doesn't just
happen; it takes effort. It is not a ritual of some kind. As believers,
God gives us access to His armor, but we are commanded to put it on — all of it. This is a result of doing, believing, embracing, responding, and studying to gain knowledge and truth.
May the peace of God guard your hearts and minds ALWAYS!!!
Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks
NOTE:
These materials are copyright protected therefore you must request
permission to reproduce any part of this material. To request
permission, please contact Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks: drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.
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