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THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD
The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians, Chapter 6, Verses 10-18: FINALLY, MY BRETHREN, BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT. PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR 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 DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. WHEREFORE TAKE UNTO YOU THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND IN THE EVIL DAY, AND HAVING DONE ALL TO STAND, STAND THEREFORE WITH 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.
Paul also said “THOUGH WE WALK IN THE FLESH WE DO NOT WAR AFTER THE FLESH.” (2 Corinthians 10:3). Many Christians fail to realize we are at WAR with an unseen enemy. We must understand we are in a battle for our souls, or the battle is already lost. Many Christians have lost spiritual battles they could have won if they would have known and understood proper battle tactics. Spiritual battles are won through knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and self-discipline.
The Bible says “God’s people perish for lack of knowledge.” However, God has given us all the tools and weapons we need to defeat Satan on every battlefront. Jesus defeated the Devil by applying the “spoken Word of God” to every trial and temptation Satan directed at Him.
The first mention of war in the Bible is found in Genesis, Chapter 3, Verse 15. God told the Serpent “He would put enmity between his seed and Eve’s seed.” Eve’s seed (Christ) would bruise his head, but what was Satan’s seed? In the Bible seeds are prophetic of people and words. The Word (Christ) was “made flesh” and now dwells within us if we have been born again. Jesus also called words seeds. The devil plants deceptive and destructive thoughts, which are “seeds” into the minds of people in order to deceive and manipulate them.
Our war is not against flesh and blood, but against Satan and the “powers of darkness” who come to “steal, kill, and destroy.” Our war is with unclean spirits who try to influence our lives daily with seeds (words or thoughts) of destruction. Our enemies have been practicing their craft for years, and they are very proficient at what they do.
We can find consolation in the fact that Christ defeated the forces of evil at the cross. Through the power of the Blood of Jesus, we have been given authority over ALL the works of the enemy. “For in all things we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us.” (Romans 8:37).
If we are going to be more than conquerors, we must use all the tools and weapons which we have at our disposal. We must fight the “good fight of faith” with power, perseverance, and piety. Our strength and help come from an omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent God who assures us victory if we will trust Him, be obedient, love His statutes and commandments, and walk in His ways. Jesus has already won the battle for us--all we have to do is trust in Him and use the power and authority He has entrusted to us by HIS SPIRIT.
The struggle for spiritual domination takes place in our minds. The mind has been called the “fortress of the soul.” The battlefield which we war upon is not an earthly one but a spiritual one. The location of the battlefield is found in our minds or souls. When we finally win control of our soulish battlefield, we will have no problem in dealing with the wiles or schemes of the enemy when he attacks us. Building up or reinforcing our minds to become spiritual fortresses will assure us victory over our enemies every time they attack.
The first rule of warfare is strategy. We must have a plan. Our enemy has a plan, and he is very adept at carrying out his plans. He has been using the same strategies for millennia, and he has been very successful in his endeavors to manipulate and control the masses. However, there are a few things which Satan lacks in his arsenal which we possess in abundance in ours: God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit. Satan also lacks the Blood of Jesus, the Name of Jesus, and godly wisdom, as well as the ability to pray to an omnipotent God.
We must put on the WHOLE armor of God if our battle plans are going to work. Strategic weapons only work if they are used and applied correctly during times of conflict. We must have the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom which comes from God above. We must put all our faith and trust in the Lord and the weapons He has so lovingly and faithfully entrusted to us in order for us to “win the battle for our souls.”
I have heard ministers say the Devil has been defeated and is no longer a problem. Yes, Satan was defeated by Christ at Calvary, but we are only free in the areas of our lives where we allow the Blood of Christ to dominate. We must realize we are not free from the wiles of a very crafty enemy until we “put on the WHOLE armor of God.”
The Bible tells us that the battle we are fighting is the Lord’s. Many Christian leaders believe this statement means “we do not have to do anything to secure victory over Satan.” This interpretation of scripture could not be further from the truth. If we are not responsible for keeping Satan “under our feet,” why are we told to “fight the good fight of faith?” What do we do with the “sword of the spirit” if God is going to fight all our battles for us? Why do we need a sword if we do not need to fight? The Bible says “the weapons of OUR warfare are not carnal.” Our weapons are “mighty through the power of God.” They are ALL weapons which were given to us in order for US to defeat our enemy when he comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
Jesus said in Luke, Chapter 10, Verse 14: “Behold, I give YOU power to tread upon serpents, scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.” God expects us to do all we can to fight the enemy. God will do His part as we trust Him and believe in the power of our Risen Savior and the finished works of the cross.
A plan or strategy is not worth the paper it is written on if it is not followed diligently with wisdom and understanding. Knowledge alone will not help us conquer our spiritual enemies. We must use ALL the weapons God has given us wisely and persevere in the face of adversity. We must never relinquish an “inch” of ground we have taken from the enemy. We must plant a STANDARD wherever we have taken ground to let the Devil know “this territory belongs to us.”
As the song says, “We must go down to the enemy’s camp and take back what he has stolen from us.” We must follow the strategies God has laid out in His Word or the battle for our mind will be lost and our warfare in vain.
We must understand how our enemy operates, how he thinks, and why he does things the way he does them. With information on Satan’s strengths, weaknesses, weaponry, and strategies, we will be able successfully defeat him. Through Christ we possess all the power we need to defeat Satan wherever and whenever he attacks. Satan has no weapon which can counter the power which is found in the Blood of Jesus. The BLOODLINE OF CHRIST is the one line Satan cannot cross.
Recently I received an email from a lady who attends a Lutheran Church. She was having a problem with a demon spirit which she did not know how to deal with. A friend of mine had given her my email address and told her to ask me for some advice. She said her pastor had been preaching a series on Spiritual Warfare. Imagine that, even the Lutherans have realized there is a war going on for the control of our minds. Before we can win battles, we must acknowledge “we are at war.” Before we can fight these battles, we must know how to utilize the weapons which we have at our disposal.
One of the things the lady said in her email was that after going to bed one evening a demon spirit appeared in her bedroom. It frightened her so badly she didn’t know what to do, and was unable go to sleep. She said she just snuggled up to her husband and tightly held onto him the entire night.
I replied to her email and explained to her some things regarding spiritual warfare. I told her how to dispose of this demon spirit the next time it attempts to bring fear into her life. I explained to her that the spirit she had seen was a Spirit of Fear, and its only purpose was to cause her to “fear.” That was exactly what the spirit did. I explained to her that she, through the Blood of Jesus, had power over this enemy of her soul.
A couple of days later she wrote me back thanking me for my help. She said everything was going much better for her. She was learning to fight the devil with the tools God had placed at her disposal, and the enemy was having to retreat when she used the authority God had given her. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound (disciplined) mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
If we do not have a battle plan, godly knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, we are no match for our enemy. If we are not aware of the power which God has given us over the enemy, we have already lost the battle, and the devil will bring chaos into our lives. We can conquer our enemy and claim victory in every spiritual battle because “greater is CHRIST who is in us than “he that is in the world.”
We overcome Satan by the “Blood of Jesus” and the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:11). Our testimony should be that “through the power of the Holy Spirit” we will be able to overcome in the face of ALL adversity. We need to know the power we possess in Christ, as well as “who we are in Christ Jesus,” or we will never be able to convince Satan we have authority over ALL his works. We also need to know “WHO Christ Jesus IS in us,” and what He accomplished for us at Calvary.
Someone said “The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Spiritually speaking, the Devil takes a terrible toll on everyone which has not been renewed in the “spirit of the mind.” It is the mind that does not acknowledge Christ and the principles He admonishes which is truly wasted.
Negative thought patterns will always result in negative attitudes and emotions. Negative attitudes and emotions will result in negative responses when we are attacked by the enemy. A mind which has not been renewed by the Spirit of God is a mind bound in “chains of darkness.” If we do not possess the “mind of Christ,” our mind is in a spiritual prison controlled to some degree by spiritual darkness. True freedom of thought comes only through the Spirit of Liberty. The Spirit of Liberty frees us to believe in and be set free by the Spirit of Truth. It is Truth which transforms us into the image of Christ when we possess the mind of Christ.
Many people have very little understanding about the human mind and how it works. Scientists have dissected and studied the brain for many years trying to learn more about it. Psychologists have studied behavioral patterns of the mind and have sought to understand the mysteries of the mind. With all the knowledge they have at their disposal, men still know very little about the human psyche and how it operates.
The mind is a very intricate instrument, and we may never know or understand its deepest secrets or mysteries while living on Earth. We are aware of the fact that man did not create the human mind. All the studying and experimenting men do will never bring them to the full understanding of the natural mind, its spiritual purpose, or how it functions. God’s thoughts and His ways exceed human thought and human emotions.
However, we can take heart in knowing that God knows and understands everything we cannot or do not understand. He gives counsel to those who lack spiritual understanding, knowledge, and wisdom when they petition Him in faith. As Christians, God has introduced into our “spiritual psyche” the “mind of Christ.” Because the human psyche wars against the spiritual psyche, we should no longer focus on natural wisdom and understanding, but on the “knowledge of God” to help us when we are fighting spiritual battles.
Our perception of the Word of God should be based upon revelation NOT upon human reason. The Bible tells us not to lean on our own natural understanding, but to trust in the supernatural power of God and His promise and desire to work on our behalf. The Bible tells us we must be renewed in “the spirit of our mind” so the truths of God can help us to rule and reign in life.
We must become “strong in the Lord and the power of His might” by putting on the helmet of His salvation. The renewing of the mind to the all the principles which establish faith in our hearts will cause us to be victorious in every area of our life.
The mind has been called the “fortress of the soul,” and we are the gatekeepers. The mind assimilates knowledge and wisdom and builds up defenses, offences and strategies for spiritual warfare as we put on “the whole armor of God.” The mind makes decisions and maintains, oversees, and directs our desires, feelings, will, and emotions. Our mind should be the most guarded and well-kept possession we have.
The mind is the storehouse of all of our accumulated knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. It is the sanctuary where all incoming thoughts, knowledge, truths, untruths, and spiritual strategies are either accepted or rejected. The decisions we make daily are based upon our desires, motives, attitudes and circumstances. We make decisions daily which may or may not bring us into a closer relationship with Christ. Unfortunately, there are many who make decisions which will eventually lead them to an eternity in the Lake of Fire at the end of the age.
Our eyes and ears are called “the windows of the soul.” They are the doorways by which we obtain “spiritual insight, knowledge, and understanding.” The “flesh” believes what it sees because it observes and experiences things in the natural realm. However, “the spirit” believes because it KNOWS and SEES through the eyes of godly knowledge and understanding. The eyes of our understanding are enlightened by the presence of the Spirit of Truth as we trust in the promises of God. Our understanding is always the first target of Satan. If we lack spiritual wisdom and understanding, we will also lack faith.
The Bible tells us to “lean not to our own understanding.” It does not say we will never possess understanding. Our understanding must be based upon spiritual principles and precepts which lead us into greater faith in the promises of God. If and when we possess the mind of Christ and are filled with His fullness, we will be able to understand the mysteries of God.
Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge and understanding correctly. Christ, who is our wisdom, gives us opportunity to obtain knowledge and understanding, and the Holy Spirit shows us how to apply them properly to our lives. True spiritual power comes from knowing and understanding the person of Christ, and having an intimate relationship with Him.
According to Ephesians 1:9, God wants us to know Him and experience the fullness of His power. Faith also helps us to obtain understanding. (Hebrews 1:11). When we understand where the” root “of our problems begin and how God gives us power to overcome them, we become more than conquerors. Through faith in the finished works of Christ, we overcome the devil by “the word of our testimony and the BLOOD OF THE LAMB.
“Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, who humbled Himself before God.” (Philippians 2:5). We must be obedient to the spiritual laws and statutes which God has written so graciously and perfectly upon the tablets of our hearts and minds. If we are obedient and humble ourselves before God, He will not withhold anything from us which He has promised in His Word. All of the promises of God are “yes and amen” to those who dare to believe and obey Him. We must not neglect the gifts and power which God has entrusted to us which enables us to triumph over “ALL THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.”
The most important part of the mind is the will. Our will includes our wishes and desires. The mind is where we find wisdom to make the hard decisions we face each day. The mind calls on and appropriates all the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding we have accumulated to make decisions which affect our lives daily. The will is where our purpose, intentions, and determination come together to make decisions which affect our life. Many of these decisions we make will affect our lives for years to come, and even for a lifetime. It is important for us to use wisdom in our decision making process so we can live in peace. If we lack wisdom, all we have to do is petition God and He will give wisdom to us liberally. (James 1:5).
The will is where the power to make godly or ungodly decisions resides. The will is where good or bad judgments and decisions are made based upon our knowledge, wisdom, emotional and spiritual condition. The will can be the greatest hindrance or help to the psyche of man. Even Jesus, who was faced with going to the cross, had to pray “Father Thy will and not Mine be done.” The power of the “will” is the reason why we must always pray that the will of the Father and not our own will be done. Our motives and attitudes will affect our decision making process, and will ultimately forge our future and destiny. We must surrender our will to the Father before His will can be done in our lives. Our will and purpose for our lives will be different from God’s will and purpose for our lives UNLESS we possess the motives and attitudes of Christ.
John, Chapter 1, Verses 11-13, says: HE CAME UNTO HIS OWN BUT HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT. BUT TO AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM, TO THEM HE GAVE THE POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, EVEN TO THEM THAT BELIEVE ON HIS NAME, WHICH WERE BORN NOT OF BLOOD, NOR OF THE “WILL” OF MAN, BUT OF THE “WILL” OF GOD.
When we are born again, the will of God, “to a certain extent,” dwells within us. When we accept Christ as Lord, He comes to dwell within our hearts to set us free from the power of sin. He gives us wisdom to help us make hard decisions in life, especially those which pertain to our walk with Him. Unfortunately, we still have to deal with the flesh, the Devil, and the motives and attitudes which ruled our lives before we entered into His grace and became a child of God.
Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The thief comes to steal the principles and doctrines of Christ which build moral character in the hearts and minds of men and women who are saved. Satan was a murderer from the beginning. He comes to kill the Words of Life which has been sown within our hearts by our Lord. Satan comes to destroy all that is holy in the Kingdom of God which dwells within our hearts.
Satan is insanely jealous of what God has created in the believer. Satan hates the Word of God. His greatest enemy is Truth. Truth transforms us into the image of Christ, but believing the lies of the enemy will keep us in bondage. Unless Christians become rooted and grounded in TRUTH, they will continue to fulfill the “works of the flesh.” Satan tried to destroy the Truth at Calvary. Truth, Jesus, sets people free from the bondage of sin. On the other hand, deception blinds the hearts and minds of those who have not been renewed in the “spirit of the mind.” Deception is Satan’s greatest weapon. The Spirit of Truth will always prevail against the spirit of deception if we will trust, embrace, and act upon God’s Word.
Satan’s greatest attacks are those he directs upon the “will” of a person to weaken its fortifications. The will can be influenced by temptation, evil desires, and selfishness, to name a few. That is why it is imperative that we “deny ourselves” and “pick up our cross daily” as we follow in the footsteps of Christ.
We must die to self so the “will” and power of Christ may dwell richly within us. Christ gives us power to overcome sin, temptation, and self-desire. If we appropriate ALL the weapons we have in our “spiritual arsenal,” we will be victorious in the battle for our minds. When we use all the weapons we have at our disposal, we will become victorious in EVERY area of our lives. Sin cannot have dominion in the hearts of those who are established in truth and righteousness. Truth will transform us into the image of Christ when our loins (minds) are “girt about” or established with the POWER OF HIS WORD. When the WORD is our testimony, the enemy must flee.
The most vulnerable place we possess on our spiritual battlefield is our emotions. It is no wonder our emotions are targeted by our enemy more than anything else. Our emotions are our feelings and passions. Our will is strongly influenced by our emotions or feelings. Emotions strongly influence us to do the things we do whether they are right or wrong. Emotions are usually controlled by our motives and attitudes. We act and react according to what motivates us and what our strongest desires dictate to us.
Many emotions reside within the confines of our spirit. Some of those emotions are good and some are bad. Some of the bad or negative emotions include fear, hate, anger, hurt, sorrow, guilt, pride, jealousy, and lust to name a few. Paul called these negative emotions the “works of the flesh” in Chapter 5 of the letter he wrote to the Galatians. On the other hand, we find positive emotions such as love, joy, happiness, courage, and peace. Yes, peace is an emotion. All godly emotions and attitudes will obviously produce godly character. On the other hand, negative emotions and attitudes will always produce ungodly character.
Negative emotions not only hinder the Spirit of Grace, but also the Spirits of Understanding and Wisdom from producing fruit in our lives. We will have no peace without wisdom! According to James, the fruit of wisdom, which is righteousness, is sown in peace. (James 3:17-18).
Our peace is reliant upon the strength of our emotions. Love is an emotion. If I possess the God kind of love, my will is to share that love with others, and I will desire for others to know and experience His love. When we are motivated by the love of God, we will love even the worst of sinners.
Seeing through the eyes of Christ enables us to understand why others live and act the way they do. When we are motivated by godly emotions, we will be able to cast down ungodly imaginations which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.
When Christ came to live in me, He set me free from negative emotions, thoughts, desires and attitudes. Everything we do is a result of our motives, emotions and attitudes. I have the desire to do what I do for Christ and in Him because I am motivated by His love. His love is the emotion which motivates me to seek His will to be done in my life.
STAND THEREFORE, HAVING YOUR LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH. Jesus said “I am the Truth, the Life and the Way.” No man comes to the Father but through me.” If we are going to be victorious in our sincere quest for peace and freedom, we must have our loins (minds) girt about with truth. Truth is not some man-made doctrine or philosophy. Truth comes to us and is revealed to us through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The truth which Christ offers to us is tangible, powerful, and absolute.
Christ gives us the “power of truth” which enables us to be delivered from all the schemes and attacks of the enemy. Truth sets us free when we accept and KNOW the truth. The truth is revealed to us by the “Spirit of Truth.” Truth is never negotiable. Truth does not and cannot change. In Christ, who is the TRUTH, there is no shadow of turning and cannot be changed, harmed, altered or destroyed. Truth is not a doctrine, but the embodiment of Christ in us--THE HOPE OF GLORY.
The words which Christ speaks and offers us are “Spirit and Truth.” Truth is able to transform us into His image because the words He speaks are “tangible truth.” Tangible truth is truth which becomes a part of our spiritual DNA. If we pursue and appropriate the “tangible truth,” His truth is able to transform us into His image. There is power in His Word--power to heal, the power to save, and the power to deliver. In Christ there is power to overcome “all the works of the enemy.”
We are sanctified and set apart from the rest of the world by the Spirit of Truth. Jesus said in John, Chapter 17, Verse 17, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.” It is the TRUTH which Satan disputes and denigrates. This was his strategy from the beginning when he beguiled Eve into eating of the “fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.”
With godly knowledge and understanding we can and will be able to defeat the forces of darkness. The Spirit of Truth sets us free. The Spirit of Truth establishes the tangible precepts and principles of freedom in our hearts. Truth will be deposited in our hearts by the Spirit of Truth. We must always allow the Spirit of Truth to permeate our understanding by renewing our minds. We do this by casting off the works of darkness and putting on the armor of God’s Light (understanding). (Romans 13:12).
If truth is going to be established within our minds, we must allow our minds to be transformed by the truth. We do this by allowing the Spirit of Truth to renew and strengthen the loins (where spiritual power is generated) of our minds. If we do not accept the truth, we will be destined to repeat the same failures we have experienced in the past.
According to the Bible, we will reap what we sow. Unless we repent and change our perception of truth, we will reap a harvest of sorrow and grief. Truth is not as hard to understand as the devil tries to make us believe. If truth was so hard to understand, Satan would not be working so hard in order to prevent people from understanding and receiving the truth.
Truth transforms us into the image of Christ. We are changed from glory to glory as truth is compounded and established within our hearts. Truth gives us the understanding and knowledge we need in order to discern right from wrong. Truth gives us the knowledge and power we need to tread upon serpents, scorpions, and all the works of the enemy.
As never before God is transforming the hearts and minds of individuals. He is doing this by pouring out the Spirit of Truth upon the Church. The Spirit of Truth will enable the Church to stand against the lies and accusations which the dragon will spew out of his mouth in the years to come. (See Revelation 12:14-17)
Christ, who is the Truth, transforms us into His image so He may reveal and help us understand the hope of His calling and the power of His love toward us. The power of TRUTH sets us free from the snares of the enemy. The power of TRUTH engages our voice to proclaim the “YEAR OF JUBILEE” and share the gospel with others. In Christ we live, and move, and have our being. In Christ, we become transformed from darkness into Light. In Christ is found all the fullness of the Godhead. In Christ the fullness of the Godhead is imparted to us.
In Christ we find Truth, Light, and Life. Truth, Life, and Light is what overcomes death, darkness, and deception. When the enemy comes in like a flood to devour his prey, the Light of Truth will defeat him. As Christ reveals Himself to us as TRUTH, we will be able to withstand the deceptive wiles and schemes of the enemy.
Fear will always magnify our problems. Truth will always magnify the solution to our problems. We must become rooted and grounded in truth because it is the TRUTH we possess or know which sets us free.
Beyond revealing Himself as Truth, Christ also reveals Himself as the “Righteousness of God.” This righteousness becomes a breastplate of His holy character within us. His character is formed within us to change us and protect us from acts of unrighteousness. It is Christ who allows us to experience the “hope of His Glory.”
Our lives were transformed from darkness into LIGHT the moment we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We become strong in Christ and in the power of His might because He has set us free from the power of sin. Jesus gives us life more abundantly. It is His life and His righteousness which comes to dwell within us when we accept Him as Lord and Savior.
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