PUT ON YOUR ARMOR!

I am pretty sure I posted an earlier version of this at some point - - but this morning as I read through what I had written previously in my prayer list, I made several additions, and decided to share the updates....

Ephesians 6:10-18

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For 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. 13Therefore 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. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And 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.

We have to understand that Satan’s goal every day of our lives is to destroy us….  TO COMBAT HIS SCHEMES WE MUST PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD:

Ephesians 6:10-18 (armor as worn from top to bottom:)

The HELMET of SALVATION

Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone.  Knowing that protects our way of ‘thinking’ – protects our mind and our soul.  Places Him above all else.  Commits us to submitting our intellect to His sovereignty.

The BREASTPLATE of RIGHTEOUSNESS

True righteousness is imputed through Christ.  It is HIS righteousness, not ours.  We can’t be righteous without having Him as Lord of our lives – but His righteousness infused into us is lived out in intentional holy, right living by his standard.  The breastplate guards our heart!  It protects our emotional submission as well as living out the intentions God inspires within us.

The BELT of TRUTH

Jesus Christ is the Truth.  There is no other Truth.   In addition, telling the truth is important.  The belt of Truth holds one’s personal attire on and in place.  Truth is not subject to or conditioned by perspective. Being committed to Truth compels us to speak the truth of who He is in all circumstances.  It also compels us to be truthful in everything we say. 

The SHIELD of FAITH

Our faith is in Christ alone.  Adhering to that reality and placing absolute faith in God’s sovereignty unconditionally extinguishes Satan’s flaming arrows.  Faith inspires faithfulness and commitment to the Lord.  It also inspires praise.  He is worthy of our praise no matter what our circumstances.  Faith knows that no matter what, He is victor!

The SWORD of the Spirit, which is THE WORD OF GOD

Truth begins and ends with God’s WORD – anything that subverts, abrogates, waters down or adds to God’s WORD is a lie – a pernicious lie!  God’s Word is our daily manna for spiritual sustenance and our source for finding wisdom and spiritual strength.  It is the guidebook for life, and the source of Truth about God’s character and His divine plan.  Everything we believe has to line up with God’s Word, or we are living under a cloud of deception.

SHOES of READINESS that comes from THE GOSPEL OF PEACE….

This means we are ready to partner with Him in doing His work….being about the father’s business; contending for what the LORD contends for (What He revealed to me that He contends for is TRUTH and the SOULS of man).  Wearing shoes of readiness means living in obedience.  This embraces our physical strength and action.  It is the message of the book of James – we demonstrate our faith by what we do….

and PRAY in the SPIRIT.  Be alert.  Keep on praying. 

Don’t give up!  Pray without ceasing!  Drench everything in prayer – the kind of prayer that always submits to God’s will:  Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done….  When we pray in the Spirit, God is praying His will through us…. Emotional strength, resolve and sustenance comes through the Holy Spirit.  We align to God in prayer when we are open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

The Bible is very clear that "In this world you will have trouble'" - - which is followed by Jesus' declaration, "but I have overcome the world."

Walking the Christian walk doesn't mean things will  go smoothly - - in fact, it means just the opposite.  But - -the good news is that "in all things God works for our good."  It's just that we have a different conception of what would be good for us!  Ultimately, 'good for us' means our eternal salvation.  If it was going to be easy, we wouldn't need armor!  Armor is for a battle - - and we are in one:  the battle for souls, both ours and on behalf of others.  

Lord, help me keep my armor on and not grow lax in the pursuit of Your divine plan...remind me daily to put on Your armor.   It's a minefield down here!