

Once we are born again and washed clean with the precious blood
of Jesus we then enter military training to become honorable soldiers of the
cross. The Apostle Paul was writing to the Ephesian Church and he admonished
them to be strong in the Lord and power of His might. “Put on the whole armour
of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Now this
armor is a spiritual armor and the battle is a spiritual battle. “For we wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of the devil.” The armor of
God is a full suite of armor that covers from head to toe. God commands that
after we are saved to put on the armor and/or be clothed in and ready ourselves
for battle. The armor is provided by God to protect and defend us against the
tricks and deceits of the devil. There is no escaping this, no sidetracking or
sidestepping. The conflict is inevitable. The very name “devil” literally means
“slanderer”; but was not always in this fashion. He was originally created by
God as an angel who was righteous and holy and each day served God. “Lucifer”
means “son of the morning” and was most likely one of the most beautiful and
most powerful of all angels. At a point in time, he led a revolution against
God. This revolution was quite extensive and actually continues unto this hour.
God’s creation of man was His greatest performance, therefore, satan struck at
man and drug him down to the far lower level which he now occupies, This was a
great blow against the righteousness and holiness of God.
Satan tries every way he can to
stop man from accepting Jesus, God’s only solution for sin. Putting on the
whole armor of God is the only way of victory in this spiritual battle. “Wherefore
take unto you the whole armor of God, “ constitutes a demand given with
military snap and curtness, a command to be obeyed once and for all. “Having
your loins gird about with truth,” pertains to the Word of God. The truth
pertains to what Jesus did at the Cross and the Resurrection. If we have the
proper truth, what is born of us will be of the Spirit, if not, it will be of
the flesh. The Word says: Knowing the truth the truth will set you free. (John
8:32) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Way to what?
The only way to God. The only way to salvation and being set free from the
bondage of satan. Jesus is Truth! The Word says, “Satan is a liar and the father
of lies,” (John 8:44) He comes only to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10)
God’s greatest accomplishment, mankind. But being wrapped or engulfed with truth
(the Word) you will be completely set free. “And having on the breastplate of
righteousness,” proclaims the quality of righteousness (holiness, perfectness of
God) as a breastplate. This righteousness comes only by the finished work of
Christ at the cross, and helps us to love right in His sight. It was there at
the cross that Jesus poured out His life by the shedding of His own blood, which
satisfied the sin debt and the curse of the broken law. He was then buried and
resurrected from the dead. He then presented Himself spotless and righteous to
the Father and did so as a man, the man Christ Jesus. This righteousness will
definitely provide a breastplate of protection against the fiery darts of the
enemy; satan. The Bible says, “There is none righteous but Christ Jesus.” Our
righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God, but because of Jesus’
washing away of our sins; we are made righteous through His blood. “And your
feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace,” speaks of our
standing. Our standing is to be in Christ and Christ alone. One cannot take a
firm stand, if he is not standing on the right thing, “The Word” as well, if one
does not have the right type of shoes. Paul told us to “stand” and we can do
that only if we’re standing firmly on a proper foundation; the Rock Christ
Jesus, anything else is sinking sand. “Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always
abounding in the work of Christ. 1 Cor 15:58. “With the preparation,” speaks of
readiness and being prepared. It actually speaks of assurance and if we are
trusting in ourselves instead of God, there is no assurance. The Word commands
us to,
“Trust in the Lord with
all your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. “Of the Gospel of
Peace” proclaims the true gospel which always brings peace to the individual.
Peace can only come and can only be maintained, if we are sure of our ground,
the foundation of Christ. Peace is that inner most assurance that everything is
in order and maintained by God. A peace that surpasses our understanding. “My
peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” He is our Prince of Peace.
“Above all, taking the shield of faith where with ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked.” For the Christian the protective shield is
“faith”; believing whole heartedly in God; the truth. Faith is the assent of the
mind to the truth of God’s revealed will, believing without evidence. The Word
tells us, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. “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.”
Hebrews 11:6. We must believe!! The Bible tells us that in Matthew 17:20
that, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this
mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall be removed; and nothing
shall be impossible unto you.” Faith in the finished work of Christ always
brings about total dependance on God. “Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked,” represents temptations with which satan assails
the saints. God allows all
of
this for our spiritual growth. He intends that we come out of every temptation
stronger than when we went in. “And take the helmet of salvation and the
sword of the spirit which is the Word of God.” The “helmet of Salvation,”
refers to salvation from the power of sin in our everyday walk before God, from
the onslaughts of satan. As the helmet concerns the head, the idea is that the
Christian should have his thinking right. “The sword of the Spirit,” is the Word
of God, which refers to the entirety of the Bible! This sword is the Christian’s
only offensive weapon. All of the other pieces of armor are defensive, to
protect us. The sword is what we engage in battle to defeat and conquer the
devil. When satan attacked Jesus in the wilderness. He fought back with the Word
and conquered. It’s all about using the Word mixed with faith (believing in God)
and in the name and power of His Son Jesus. “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.” Hebrews 4:12 The Bible says, He has
made us more than conquerors and greater is He that is in us than he that is in
the world. Once we are saved, we are commanded to put on the whole armor of God
and fight the good fight of faith. We are in a spiritual battle everyday of our
lives with satan, but we already knows if we abide in Christ and He abides in us
and we are more than conquerors! For we are the soldiers of God!
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