Clear and Present Danger:
We are told “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ” and that we are to put on the amour of God as the devil is or will be attacking us. Let me be very clear the devil does exist is real and is a clear and present and persistent danger. The big mistake is to pretend he does not exist, that precisely what the devil wants, and he will not hesitate to take out the unarmed, the sick, the weak, women, children all are fair game and there is no spiritual equivalent to the Geneva Convention in this war, our enemys are driven by evil. You will not see a red skinned horned figure charging you with a pitch fork aimed at you, no he comes in subtler ways, in our thoughts, in our relationships, in our homes, our work places and in our churches, were ever opportunity for strife, hate, un-forgiveness, resentment, judgemental thoughts and the like exist, that’s were he attacks. Be sure he knows every trick, every means to bring us down, makes every attempt to replace Gods image in us with his, turn us from God, knows that his time is short after the victory of Jesus on the cross and wants to take as many as he can with him to hell. He controls “rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”, he has power is well organized switch on the news, read a newspaper and tell me there is not an a well organized force for evil lose in the world.
Let us never underestimate the devil and the agencies under his control. The devil is not omnipresent, but he is superbly organized, by means of principalities and hosts he exercises immense influence. Remember how Christ referred to the devil as the ruler or prince or god of this world.
The devil has five divisions at his command as described here these are:
Demons; Principalities (chief rulers) spiritual rulers in power over nations, consider Daniel chapter 10:12; Powers or authorities derive their power from the rules of the principalities and exercise their will, opposed against the body of Christ; The rulers of this dark world, evil men, filled with evil spirits who fight against the body of Christ; spiritual wickedness in the high places, fallen angels they led by satan are the inventors of all sin and want to lead us into wickedness.
It is not only that Satan governs evil agencies but also that they wield phenomenal power in this world. Satan is powerful in name: he is ‘the prince of the power of the air’, he is compared to a roaring lion. He is powerful in nature and he has vast numerical strength. Is all this depressing and defeatist? No, for although Satan is mighty, God is almighty! The promise of God is that through Christ the Christian will trample Satan underfoot. Satan can’t do exactly what he wants, thank God for that!
Darkness in the Bible points to sin and especially ignorance - the spiritual blackout in which men live. Darkness restricts our movements, frightens us, spoils our appreciation and vision. The devil and his agents inhabit and control this spiritual darkness. This spiritual darkness depends on ignorance and falsehood. Satan is called the “father of lies.” All who are under Satan’s rule are in darkness, believers in Christ are called to bring forth his light
The Bible teaches clearly that Satan and his hosts dominate our globe and his power-base is above the earth but below the highest heavens. The devil’s domain is spiritual, immaterial; not hindered by flesh and bones: yet each spirit is a real spiritual substance, separate and entire. Consider the advantages of these spiritual beings. They have intelligence, intellectual ability beyond our experience. They have the advantage of being invisible: what is not seen is little feared. They have the advantage of ease and speed of movement. Their activity is unwearied, they need no sleep.
Not surprising we need armour:
It can seem overwhelming and scary can’t it, but fear not we have Jesus, not just the nice humble caring for the sick Jesus, but the fearfully warrior Jesus as well. The Jesus that the demons flee from, submit to and obey as he is all powerful, his is the name above all other names and the devil knows it. We are called to stand firm, to me that does not mean stand still, we are firm in Christ and move to take kingdom territory.
But sometimes we stand firm in our strong towers of rock and stone and they are pulverised by the crushing blows until reduced to a handful of pebbles, even then I say don’t despair stand firm. Look what David did to Goliath with a single pebble, when God is for you who can stand against you and remember when you give your life to Jesus then “Greater is he in you that he who is the world”
Tools for the Job – The armour:
We do not empower our self, we lay hold of divine resources, the Lord is the source of our strength, so we must draw close to God. Jesus supplies all of our needs in spiritual warfare, we need to know how to use the armour and weapons of God, he gives us his power, his might and his armour, how great is that not by our strength but his, Jesus is the source we trust in. So we trust not in the armour of God but in the God of the armour so that we will be able to stand and prevail, resist and oppose the schemes and attacks of the devil. When we give our lives to Jesus we stand in his authority. SO we take on the whole armour of God, we live in days of evil and taking the armour is the only way we can stand, the armour and weaponry is:
The belt of truth
The breastplate of righteousness
Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace
Taking up the shield of faith
Take the helmet of salvation
The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests
The belt of truth:
In roman times the legionaries belt was not a skimpy bit of leather wrapped around the waist, no this was a thick piece of leather that wrapped around the solider and stopped the armour chaffing and basically was used to hold the armour together, without it the armour was useless
In 1 Peter 1: 13 we are told “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed”
Gods word is the truth, the Bible is truth, we need to be filled with the words contained in the Bible, be prepared in the mighty word of God and hide Gods word in our hearts and minds, this will keep us from sin and keep us in the truth. The belt of truth in this context means having our minds filled with the truth of Jesus, the truth of the gospels that Jesus Christ is the son of God, God coming as a man to the earth, living without sin, dying on a cross, rising from the dead and that all who believe, confess Jesus is Lord will be saved washed clean forever and be with him for eternity. That truth, the truth that should join churches, fellowships and families, the belt of truth that actually holds the church together, the glue, the unity. We must protect this truth weed out any false teachings, any wolves in sheep’s clothing and any that preach another gospel, these are from the devil and are sent to un-buckle that truth. So we cling to the truth of Jesus to his promise and the faith that we have in a cross and blood shed thousands of years ago
The breastplate of righteousness:
The breastplate covers the heart
We are not righteous in ourselves or by our own strength, we gain the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus, by believing and walking in faith with Jesus. When we declare Jesus is Lord our hearts are changed and we receive a new heart, we are sealed in the Holy Spirit. A process of transformation beginning after our new birth, we are changed we exchange our un-righteousness for Christ’s righteousness, from un-holy to holy. God covers us is a woven robe of rightness in the life of his son Jesus Christ, God does many things in redeeming us, here are three that are useful to consider in this context:
Changes our nature from anti-Christ to Christ like
Gives us the rightness of Jesus, makes us Christ right
Takes our sin and condemnation that separated us from God and forgives us
As it says in 2 Cor 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”
So if we are saved and have the righteousness of Christ why do we need to ask for this breastplate?
This is the act of being like Jesus, living like Jesus showing we are reborn in Jesus by our works and ways. Its asking God and the Holy Sprit to keep changing us and making us ever like Jesus its keeping our gaze fixed on the author and perfect or of our faith – Jesus
So when the devil comes and says look at your thoughts, look at your actions and ways we can still respond and say “I look to Christ, I stand in his promises, it is his rightness that covers me, first find fault in Jesus before you drive me to despair my hope is in his blood and victory”
The devil will never find fault with Jesus, so be assured stand firm and resist when the day of evil comes “For us to live is Christ!”
Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace:
As we beginning walking in righteousness then we will know Gods peace
Romans 5:1 ”Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
When we give our lives to Jesus we are :
Free of condemnation
Free of Fear of death
Free of the devils authority
Free to share the good news of Jesus
The sandals of the gospel of peace give us a firm grip on the rock of salvation, which is Jesus, so we cannot be swept away and we can stand firm and most importantly advance with feet firmly fitted with the gospel. We are called to speak the gospel of peace the gospel of Jesus, this is a mighty weapon against the darkness, against the rulers, authorities and principalities of this earth, against the devil, why well the gospel saves souls, saves people around us from the evil one and an eternity of hell, what is more important than that?
Taking up the shield of faith:
The faith of God that protects us, above all take up the shield of faith, if we lose our faith all is lost. It is by faith that we can over come the world, it is by faith that we can quench the lies of the devil, it is by faith that we can stand confident in Jesus it is in faith that we can speak “Jesus is Lord”. Faith brings protection, as we keep in the truth of God and or faith in God will keep us safe
Why is this shield so strong? Because God is so strong, and when faith is your shield, God is your shield. God told Abraham, the father of believers, “I am your shield” (Genesis 15:1). Moses told God’s people, “Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield” (Deuteronomy 33:29). David said, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7). The book of Proverbs declares, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Proverbs 30:5). So many Bible passages speak of God as a shield that I can’t quote them all here, but you get the point
In roman times the legions used to lock their shields together and move forward and as massive armoured force taking territory, thats how I like to think of a Church fellowship, each raising there shields of faith and protecting self and others and moving the kingdom of God forward, so in living like Jesus surrounded by the shield of faith in God and bringing the light of the gospels to the communities in darkness, that’s church!
So Raise the shield of faith! Reject all the insidious lies that burst into flames in our minds. Trust in Christ. Trust him wholly. Trust him always. Trust him more and more. Trust him in life and trust him in death. Insist on the gospel.
Take the helmet of salvation:
1 Thessalonians 1:8 “But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet” and Hebrews 3:6 “But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast”
So the helmet of salvation is the hope of salvation, walk the walk, live the gospel, let salvation cover your life and never walk away from it. Keep enduring and keep walking with God, preserving in the faith allowing nothing to drive us away from the cross
As it says in 1 Peter 1: 13 - 16 “ Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
I am saying that a mind that knows Christ’s great salvation is an immensely safe mind when the enemy attacks us. That mind has a refuge and a fortress against which the enemy may continue to launch his attacks, but in vain. This salvation makes us strong-minded. It is a priceless protection against the enemy. It is indeed a helmet of salvation
The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
The Holy Spirit shaped this sword. All Scripture is God-breathed and contains the power of God, this can be for defensive and offensive means. Jesus showed us the power after his baptism when he went into the desert for forty days and the devil came to tempt him: Luke 4: 1- 4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.“ Jesus answered, "It is written: ’Man does not live on bread alone”
Do you see, Do you see Jesus full of the Holy Spirit and the word of God was more than a match for the devil, notice the devil knows the scriptures too, but Jesus has command of them, For it is written! You have to know what is written first hand to be that strong
As the Bible says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). But even as you grow stronger, more mature, more skilled in using your sword, the Holy Spirit is right there—beside you and within you. That’s all the more reason to live with confidence and to fight with confidence. The Holy Spirit not only gives you the ultimate weapon; he himself is the ultimate friend, defender, guide and counselor.
We need to use this sword of sprit on all occasions, in fact its when we speak the word of God in battle that’s using sword of the spirit
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests:
Pray at all times with all perseverance in the sprit, that is led by the Holy Spirit. Don’t listen to the famous Church lie “Its so hard to pray”…its not when you need it! Just do as you are told and get on with it, the church is emptied of much of the power it could have due to the laziness and lack of prayer
2 Corinthians 10: 3 – 5 “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” – prayer does this
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said. “Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul, Man is at his greatest and highest when, on his knees, he comes face to face with God”
We are told to come with all types of pray, here are seven types given in the bible as prayer:
Confession: speaking of who God is as David did in psalm 18: 1-3: I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. This prayer speaks of who God is
Supplication: Entreating God, pleading for an answer incessant and strong pleading, not giving up until an answer comes
Adoration: Adoring God our master, confessing our love and shear wonder for God
Intercession: Standing in the place of another and bringing requests in prayer for them
Worship: Communion and intimacy with God coming into his presence and letting God be
Thanksgiving: Thanking God for what he has or will do just taking the time to acknowledge and thank for all that has been given, always good to do in a healthy relationship
Praise: For the victory, for the almighty for being God, praise for all things
And we pray for all the saints, all of our fellow Christians the other members of this army of God, we lift them in prayer for deliverance, healing, for strength, for guidance, for protection, for the power of God to come upon them for all things and on all occasions, don’t worry what you pray I believe God will be able to sort it out and has it in hand, just pray!
Resistance is victory:
We put on the amour of God and take up our weapons and stand firm in the faith we are as we are called to resist we resist and as a fellowship of believers we advance as one in unity of the spirit to advance Gods kingdom. We keep the faith in Jesus Christ, his Lordship, his truth, his words:
We keep his words in our minds, which is the belt of truth
We keep his words in our hearts which is the breastplate of righteousness
We keep his words in our walk with God, which is the scandals of the gospel of peace
We keep his words in all our actions and deeds as we live out our faith, which is the shield of faith
We Keep his words and promise of salvation as the song and true story of our lives, which is the helmet of salvation
Remember these words 1 Peter 5: 7- 9 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferingsIn Christ”
So my friends stand firm, persist you are not alone and remember this truth in 1 John 4:4-5 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them”
And keep praying on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, Lets us pray
