Put on the armor of God so that
you
can withstand the Devil's evil tricks!
Every Christian is in constant warfare against numerous
powerful spiritual foes.
These enemies will use all sorts of methods, plans and schemes to
deceive, entrap,
enslave and ruin the souls of men. The purpose of the armor of God
is to protect us
against the destruction of our bodies and souls.
"The thief comes only in
order to steal, kill, and destroy." (Joh 10:10)
The enemy
has power all over the world.
"They do not believe, because
their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this
world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the
light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who
is the exact likeness of God." (2Co 4:4)
"We know that we belong to
God even though the whole world is under the rule of the Evil
One."
(1Jo 5:19)
Some of
the enemy's terrains are as follows.
-
The secular economic systems.
-
The secular political systems.
-
The secular education systems.
-
The secular religious systems.
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"Put on the armor of God
so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the
devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the
principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this
present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore,
put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil
day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
(Eph 6:11-13 NAB)"
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Without the armor of God, you will have no chance against the
enemy.
"There is nothing in us that
allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work.
The capacity we have comes from God." (2Co 3:5)
"A branch cannot bear fruit
by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine.
In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me."
(Joh 15:4)
"You can do nothing without
me." (Joh 15:5)
Our strength is in Christ, clothed with the armor of
God.
"Build up your strength in
union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power." (Eph
6:10)
"I have the strength to face
all conditions by the power that Christ gives me." (Phi
4:13)
"He is able to keep you from
falling and to bring you faultless and
joyful before his glorious presence." (Jud 1:24)
"He is able, now and always,
to save those who come to God through him,
because he lives forever to plead with God for them. (Heb
7:25)
You will
need the complete armor of God, and the skill to use
it.
"Take up the weapons of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and stop paying attention
to your sinful nature and satisfying its desires." (Rom
13:14)
Put on the armor of God!
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The
Helmet - to protect your face and your brain.
The
Breastplate - to protect your heart and your other
internal organs.
The
Shield- to protect your whole body against swords and
arrows.
The
Sword- to destroy the enemy.
The
Belt - to keep your clothes
together.
The
Shoes- to protect your feet.
The
Robe - to protect your back.
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Prepare yourselves for combat!!
When describing the armor of God, Paul referred to
the armor of the
heavy troops among the Greeks, those who were to sustain the
most
powerful attacks, storming cities and breaching the city
walls.
"The weapons we use in our
fight are not the world's weapons but God's powerful weapons,
which we use to destroy strongholds." (2Co 10:4)
The armor
of God that you must wear,
is the same armor that God himself wears for battle.
"He will wear justice like a
coat of armor and saving power like a helmet. He will clothe
himself with the strong desire to set things right and to punish
and avenge the wrongs that people suffer."
(Isa 59:17)
You
will need much strength and courage to keep your post, stand
your
ground and continue in the station in which you are
placed.
"Be strong and courageous!
Let's fight hard for our people and for the cities of our God.
And may the LORD's will be done!" (2Sa 10:12)
"Be alert, stand firm in the
faith, be brave, be strong." (1Co 16:13)
Remember
these words of God, then you will not desert the army of
Christ,
nor its cause.
"Today you are going into
battle. Do not be afraid of your enemies or lose courage or
panic.
The LORD your God is going with you, and he will give you victory."
(Deu 20:3-4)
So then,
put on the full armor of God...
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