Words From The Bible
4/13/2018
EPHESIANS 6:10-18
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
1: Be strong! This isn’t a suggestion, it’s a command. There is no point in thinking about how weak we are. There is no time for that. We are weak God already knows this. This is why these set of scriptures are so important. That’s why Paul says “Put on the armor!”
Life is like a battle. In any battle to be victorious the first thing to do is suit up in your armor. 2nd thing is to understand your enemy is not your spouse, it’s not that friend you have had a disagreement with. It’s Satan.
Please do not underestimate Satan, He can be strong and if you are not prepared, if you’re not suited up in proper armor, He will surely overcome you. With Him come rulers, authorities, powers on earth, spiritual forces of evil. Satan’s one desire and ultimate goal is to destroy you by any means possible. (1 Peter 5:8) He seeks to devour you!
vs14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
2. Girded your waist with truth.
Girded= Surround. To encompass your life with truth.
So that when it’s all over but the shouting you will still be standing on your feet. What is truth? The world we live in teaches that truth is what we make it—that good and bad are relative and that there are no absolutes, only equally valid opinions. But the Bible teaches that truth is God’s Word—that good and bad are defined by Him and that there are eternal and unchangeable absolutes, uninfluenced by opinions. Truth is God’s word.
Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. As Christians, we are to test all things and then hold on only to that which is good—the truth—discarding all else. Truth must be bound around us and written on our hearts.
3. The Breastplate: The breastplate was the central part of the armor. It protects the vital organs and without it would like asking for death. (Proverbs 11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.) Righteousness is doing what is right in God’s eyes.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
Jeremiah 23:6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
4: Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel
Preparation means to get ready for something. Always be prepared.
Shoes allow us to step freely and without fear while we turn our full attention to the battle at hand. They give us balance. The gospel does the same thing. It’s referred to as the gospel of peace because through it peace comes but without it you will stumble and there is no peace.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, you will always have God’s peace as long as you’re wearing your “shoes”.
5: Shield of Faith
A roman shield was 4 1/2 ft high and 2 1/2 ft wide. It was used to cover the whole body and guard it from the enemy. As a shield guards Faith protects.
If faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” then this has far-reaching implications. Substance is tangible, and evidence is solid proof. Faith is, by definition, not just some emotion without any grounding in reality. It is the irrefutable truth. It is real. Faith also involves a huge element of trust. We can examine the evidence and see that God has proved Himself to be unchanging and consistent, and we must firmly believe that He will fulfill His promises to us.
When our faith in God is strong, it’s impossible for Satan to break through and land an attack. However, if we do not make the effort to hold to it and use it that then leaves us exposed to whatever the devil has planned to trip us up.
6: Helmet of Salvation
A helmet when used in battle protects the head from attacks.
Salvation means to be saved or delivered from something.
What does Salvation have in common with a helmet? We can receive tremendous hope and comfort by focusing on the incredible sacrifice Christ gave to save us and the amazing Kingdom that is the goal of our salvation. This hope works like a helmet to protect our minds from the discouragement and despair in this world.
7: Sword= word of God.
The word of God is effective and powerful. This is the only weapon Paul gives us as means to attack. It’s the ultimate weapon/tool to use in order to live the best possible life, free from the restraints of stumbling in darkness. It reveals to us the good and the bad, the wise and the unwise.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
8: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
Prayer is the way to put on the armor. It’s the most important because without prayer our armor will be useless.
It also should not always be just for us but for our other brothers and sisters in Christ. That they might be able to stand against the attacks of Satan and overcome. Paul says to pray in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit inspires our prayers and teaches us what to pray.
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us[a] with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Truth, righteousness, peace, faith and salvation – they are more than just words. They are important when it comes to beating the enemy and withstanding his attacks. So it’s important that when we rise up in the mornings and when we go to bed at night that we continually make certain that our armor is intact.
M. C.