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You can never speak too much on the armor of God, because we need it daily, and are admonished to take up our armor daily:
Ephesians 6:10-18
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..."
Verses 11, 12 & 13 I like in the old Wycliffe translation: "Clothe you with the armour of God, that ye be able to stand against the ambushings [the ambushings, or assailings,] of the devil. For striving, or battle, is not to us against flesh and blood], but against [the] princes and potentates, against governors of the world of these darknesses, against spiritual things of wickedness, in heavenly things.
Therefore take ye the armour of God, that ye be able to against-stand in the evil day; and in all things stand perfect."
It says the same thing, but different. "Put on" becomes "Clothe you", which almost makes it more personal: a complete covering - you are not just putting it on, but taking care to Clothe yourself property. "Wrestle" becomes "striving, or battle" and all hold true. The Greek word used there is "pale" which means "wrestle: a contest between two in which each endeavours to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to hold his opponent down with his hand upon his neck", so it is a striving and a battle. I also like the way Wycliffe refers to the standing as, "stand perfect" - having done all, to stand. It implies a "no matter what, stand" resolve.
Now the most important thing about this armor is KNOWING it, and not just reading about it, or saying a prayer like, for instance, "Lord, I take the helmet of salvation." That's fine, but do you KNOW what that means? First know that you are saved and have the assurance of your salvation. The helmet protects the mind: the head. Salvation is the most important thing to begin with because without it, this armor is useless to you, and is just so many words. Jesus, His actual name in Hebrew, Yeshua, means Yahweh is Salvation. The helmet of salvation then is Christ, who is the head of the body, so naturally the helmet of salvation protects the head and the mind.
I'm not going in order here as it is in Ephesians, but covering each piece as I put down in my notes as it came to me.
The belt of Truth protects the gut and the privates: places you don't want to take any hits. But it also holds up the other garments. To put it bluntly, have that belt of Truth tight so you don't get caught with your pants down. Adam and Eve were naked and they were ashamed and afraid. They were hiding from God, or rather, trying to hide from God, which right there showed they already were reaping the fruit of corruption, since they should have known it was impossible to hide from God! The truth: Jesus said, I am the truth, the way, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. "(John 14:6) But besides the obvious, that Jesus is the truth, we must speak the truth and not lie. We must live in honesty and integrity. That's all part of the belt of Truth. Live in a lie and that belt loosens and you're caught with your pants down.
The shield of faith stops the wicked darts BEFORE they reach you: before they reach your body. Your faith in Christ must be solid and steadfast. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" That's Hebrews 11:1 & 6, and we must pray that God give us the great gift of faith, and believe. Mark 11:22-25 explains further,
Have faith in God.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
When you are quenching the fiery darts of the wicked by faith, you are stopping them before they can stick in the other pieces of armor you wear on your body. The shield of faith is a primary defence, for you must have faith to be saved, so without faith you are not going to have any of the other pieces of armor. they all tie in together.
Your feet shod, with the shoes, or boots of the preparation of the gospel of peace: these equip you for mobility, and taking the Word to others, but also enable you to stand for long periods of time in this warfare, and having done all, to stand, or as the Wycliffe says, stand perfectly. " How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" (Isaiah 52:7)
And look at this miracle when Israel was in the wilderness: "And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot." (Deuteronomy 29:5) Now that was physical, but it also holds a great symbolism and type for us, because the Gospel of peace will never wax old. 1 Peter 3:15, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
The breastplate of righteousness protects the heart and the lungs: the vitals. Your heart is your seat of emotion, and it's from the heart all kind of wicked can come, so your heart must be guarded and shielded. Your breath of life is in the lungs, and they in turn feed the blood supply with oxygen, without which you cannot live. So it is with the Spirit, you must have the Spirit within you, that breath of life, and you must have the blood also, as in the blood of Christ applied to atone for your sins, for the life is in the blood. (Leviticus 17:11)
But also you must walk in His righteousness, for this is how we guard our hearts. Philippians 3:9, "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" If you are found IN HIM, that is, in Christ, you will have imparted unto you the righteousness of God by faith, so you really have that shield of faith up, and this breastplate on: that is two things keeping your heart safe.
Look also at John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." See everything tied in? Peace, which is the boots, tied in with the heart, which is covered by the breastplate of righteousness, and this all given by Jesus who is Yahweh's Salvation, which is the helmet of salvation, and also the truth, which is the belt of Truth.
Prayer is a given. Pray, pray pray. Paul writes "pray without ceasing." Bring everything before the LORD, and also praise Him, and thank Him. Prayer isn't exactly a piece of armor but I would say it is the fuel that keeps the armor going, or the oil that keeps it shiny and useable.
And finally the sword of the Spirit is your offensive weapon: the sword cuts down the enemy as Jesus did in the wilderness when He cut down the devil by using the Word of God: which is the sword of the Spirit. Hebrews 4:12, we all should know this - " For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart"
Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD."
Knowing and assurance is so important when it comes to the armor of God, making them alive to you, not just some words in a book, not just some fantasy: but reality, for this is a real battle we are in, and the only way to stand in this battle and gain the victory is to not only put on this armor but to know it. When David went to fight Goliath, King Saul gave him his armor, but David refused it. Look at this,
"And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him" (1 Samuel 17:38-39)
You see, David had not proved, or tested the armor, and it was the armor of another man, not his own personal armor. You have to know your armor, and it has to be specially fitted to you. I imagine also some of that armor was too large for David because Saul was a tall man. So it wouldn't fit right, and the result would be David couldn't move in it. David then took the weapons he KNEW and had used before: a sling and stones, with which he defeated the mighty ogre Goliath. Point being, you have the armor of God specially designed for you by God's wisdom in the forge of Gods consuming fire, and it will fit you perfectly, but you must KNOW it, you must PROVE it, you must test it.
The armor of God will do you no good if you're Bible is on a shelf, or under other books, or collecting dust. It will do you no good if you are not praying and in communion with your father who art in heaven. It also won't do you any good if you lay the shield aside, take the helmet off, and spend hours watching unclean shows on TV or listening to unclean music! That's like walking into the enemies camp, taking off your armor and become a prisoner of war to Satan! Same goes with reading, if you're reading lewd stories, or fantasy novels about wizards and sorcery, or looking at dirty pictures, or listening to foul jokes and cuss words. If you deliberately let the enemy stick those darts in you, he will gladly oblige and fill you full of his dreadful sinful venom!
Put ON the armor of God, and know your armor. Prove it, and train DAILY! Amen!
Ephesians 6:10-18
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..."
Verses 11, 12 & 13 I like in the old Wycliffe translation: "Clothe you with the armour of God, that ye be able to stand against the ambushings [the ambushings, or assailings,] of the devil. For striving, or battle, is not to us against flesh and blood], but against [the] princes and potentates, against governors of the world of these darknesses, against spiritual things of wickedness, in heavenly things.
Therefore take ye the armour of God, that ye be able to against-stand in the evil day; and in all things stand perfect."
It says the same thing, but different. "Put on" becomes "Clothe you", which almost makes it more personal: a complete covering - you are not just putting it on, but taking care to Clothe yourself property. "Wrestle" becomes "striving, or battle" and all hold true. The Greek word used there is "pale" which means "wrestle: a contest between two in which each endeavours to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to hold his opponent down with his hand upon his neck", so it is a striving and a battle. I also like the way Wycliffe refers to the standing as, "stand perfect" - having done all, to stand. It implies a "no matter what, stand" resolve.
Now the most important thing about this armor is KNOWING it, and not just reading about it, or saying a prayer like, for instance, "Lord, I take the helmet of salvation." That's fine, but do you KNOW what that means? First know that you are saved and have the assurance of your salvation. The helmet protects the mind: the head. Salvation is the most important thing to begin with because without it, this armor is useless to you, and is just so many words. Jesus, His actual name in Hebrew, Yeshua, means Yahweh is Salvation. The helmet of salvation then is Christ, who is the head of the body, so naturally the helmet of salvation protects the head and the mind.
I'm not going in order here as it is in Ephesians, but covering each piece as I put down in my notes as it came to me.
The belt of Truth protects the gut and the privates: places you don't want to take any hits. But it also holds up the other garments. To put it bluntly, have that belt of Truth tight so you don't get caught with your pants down. Adam and Eve were naked and they were ashamed and afraid. They were hiding from God, or rather, trying to hide from God, which right there showed they already were reaping the fruit of corruption, since they should have known it was impossible to hide from God! The truth: Jesus said, I am the truth, the way, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. "(John 14:6) But besides the obvious, that Jesus is the truth, we must speak the truth and not lie. We must live in honesty and integrity. That's all part of the belt of Truth. Live in a lie and that belt loosens and you're caught with your pants down.
The shield of faith stops the wicked darts BEFORE they reach you: before they reach your body. Your faith in Christ must be solid and steadfast. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" That's Hebrews 11:1 & 6, and we must pray that God give us the great gift of faith, and believe. Mark 11:22-25 explains further,
Have faith in God.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
When you are quenching the fiery darts of the wicked by faith, you are stopping them before they can stick in the other pieces of armor you wear on your body. The shield of faith is a primary defence, for you must have faith to be saved, so without faith you are not going to have any of the other pieces of armor. they all tie in together.
Your feet shod, with the shoes, or boots of the preparation of the gospel of peace: these equip you for mobility, and taking the Word to others, but also enable you to stand for long periods of time in this warfare, and having done all, to stand, or as the Wycliffe says, stand perfectly. " How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" (Isaiah 52:7)
And look at this miracle when Israel was in the wilderness: "And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot." (Deuteronomy 29:5) Now that was physical, but it also holds a great symbolism and type for us, because the Gospel of peace will never wax old. 1 Peter 3:15, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
The breastplate of righteousness protects the heart and the lungs: the vitals. Your heart is your seat of emotion, and it's from the heart all kind of wicked can come, so your heart must be guarded and shielded. Your breath of life is in the lungs, and they in turn feed the blood supply with oxygen, without which you cannot live. So it is with the Spirit, you must have the Spirit within you, that breath of life, and you must have the blood also, as in the blood of Christ applied to atone for your sins, for the life is in the blood. (Leviticus 17:11)
But also you must walk in His righteousness, for this is how we guard our hearts. Philippians 3:9, "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" If you are found IN HIM, that is, in Christ, you will have imparted unto you the righteousness of God by faith, so you really have that shield of faith up, and this breastplate on: that is two things keeping your heart safe.
Look also at John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." See everything tied in? Peace, which is the boots, tied in with the heart, which is covered by the breastplate of righteousness, and this all given by Jesus who is Yahweh's Salvation, which is the helmet of salvation, and also the truth, which is the belt of Truth.
Prayer is a given. Pray, pray pray. Paul writes "pray without ceasing." Bring everything before the LORD, and also praise Him, and thank Him. Prayer isn't exactly a piece of armor but I would say it is the fuel that keeps the armor going, or the oil that keeps it shiny and useable.
And finally the sword of the Spirit is your offensive weapon: the sword cuts down the enemy as Jesus did in the wilderness when He cut down the devil by using the Word of God: which is the sword of the Spirit. Hebrews 4:12, we all should know this - " For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart"
Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD."
Knowing and assurance is so important when it comes to the armor of God, making them alive to you, not just some words in a book, not just some fantasy: but reality, for this is a real battle we are in, and the only way to stand in this battle and gain the victory is to not only put on this armor but to know it. When David went to fight Goliath, King Saul gave him his armor, but David refused it. Look at this,
"And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him" (1 Samuel 17:38-39)
You see, David had not proved, or tested the armor, and it was the armor of another man, not his own personal armor. You have to know your armor, and it has to be specially fitted to you. I imagine also some of that armor was too large for David because Saul was a tall man. So it wouldn't fit right, and the result would be David couldn't move in it. David then took the weapons he KNEW and had used before: a sling and stones, with which he defeated the mighty ogre Goliath. Point being, you have the armor of God specially designed for you by God's wisdom in the forge of Gods consuming fire, and it will fit you perfectly, but you must KNOW it, you must PROVE it, you must test it.
The armor of God will do you no good if you're Bible is on a shelf, or under other books, or collecting dust. It will do you no good if you are not praying and in communion with your father who art in heaven. It also won't do you any good if you lay the shield aside, take the helmet off, and spend hours watching unclean shows on TV or listening to unclean music! That's like walking into the enemies camp, taking off your armor and become a prisoner of war to Satan! Same goes with reading, if you're reading lewd stories, or fantasy novels about wizards and sorcery, or looking at dirty pictures, or listening to foul jokes and cuss words. If you deliberately let the enemy stick those darts in you, he will gladly oblige and fill you full of his dreadful sinful venom!
Put ON the armor of God, and know your armor. Prove it, and train DAILY! Amen!
