The Armor - the Conclusion

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The Armor - the Conclusion

Hi friends, today we conclude our study on Ephesians 6:10-18. Jim
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and 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. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Paul is reminding us hear that prayer is also part of the armor -- a great part -- of what keeps us safe.

I think that there are, among the many messages, three great thoughts in this passage to remember:

 

1. Satan and his cohorts are ever looking for opportunities to do us wrong.

2. We must be ever ready to stand our ground.

3. God provides us with all we need to do just that.

What new perspectives has God given you, concerning this passage?

Has it caused a change?

Has it given you any confidence or comfort?

May we be aware and prepared to glorify Him. Pastor Jim

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"This much is sure in all churches, forgetting party labels; the smallest meeting numerically is the prayer- meeting. If weak in prayer we are weak everywhere."

Leonard Ravenhill

A good offense; part II

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Take the helmet of salvation and 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. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

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Take the...sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Now then, there are two schools of thought on what this 'sword' represents.  One is, that it is the the Bible, which is the perspective we looked at yesterday.  There is another perspective...

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth...what is the belt?  The belt is truth...

...with the breastplate of righteousness in place...what is the breastplate?  The breastplate is righteousness...

...the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace...what is the readiness?  The readiness is gospel...

...the shield of faith...what is the shield?  The shield is faith...

...the helmet of salvation...what is the helmet?  The helmet is salvation...

 
OK, sorry for the repetition, but necessary to make the point; following this same logic, and 

from what I have read, this is grammatically true in the original Greek, then...the sword of the Spirit...what is the sword?  The sword is the Spirit...

When we see the phrase "word of God" we nearly always assume it means the Scriptures...but John 1:1 also calls Jesus 'the Word'.

The phrase is also associated with the Holy Spirit in the fourth chapter of Acts, where we are told that the believers were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.  1 John 1 says that Word of God lives in you.

And consider this image from the Revelation of John:  His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

So is the sword the Bible or is it the Spirit?  There are good arguments on both sides...that talk about linguistics, the original Greek, antecedents, verb/noun agreement and the like...but I don't want to argue.

To be honest, I do not see where there can be a separation.  Jesus himself quoted Scripture while dealing with Satan, and was accompanied by the Spirit also.  We need to know the written Word...we need to be empowered by the Spirit...we need the full armor.  Father, Son, Spirit, distinct yet one.  The believers make up a single Body.  One message of the Gospel is that we are not, and cannot be, separate in Christ, but one with Him, in the Spirit.

Questions:

1. What do you think of the sword is?

2. Are you confident in using this sword?

3. Are we able to pick and choose from God's armory?

May we use His Word to the fullest.  Pastor Jim

A good offense...

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Take the helmet of salvation and 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. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.  Ephesians 6:17-18
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Take the...sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Now then, there are two schools of thought on what this 'sword' represents. One is, that it is the words of God, as in the Bible, which is the perspective we will take today.

Today's discussion is quite different from the other parts of this passage. The other items mentioned, the full armor, the belt of truth, the breastplate, the gospel of peace and the shield of faith are all defensive items.

A sword however, is an offensive weapon, and this sword is the word of God.

This passage has been misrepresented at times, I think, to turn the Scriptures into a weapon with which to batter other people. We must remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. While the Word of God may be used for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training people, it is always to love and never to harm.

How then, is this sword to be used? Consider the story in Jude, about Michael the Archangel, invoking God's Word to rebuke Satan...or consider Jesus dealing with Satan in the wilderness.

The idea is, that we are not, of our own accord, equipped to deal any damage to the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms...but the Word of God is more than adequate.

Consider a few of these tools:

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that, and shudder.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

Questions:

1. What do you think of this perspective?

2. Are you confident in using this sword?

3. What else might the sword be?

May we use His Word as He sees fit.   Pastor Jim

 

"There is no better evangelist in the world than the Holy Spirit."

D.L. Moody

So, what's on YOUR mind?

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Today we continue our study on Ephesians 6:10-18. Jim

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17
 
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Take the helmet of salvation...
 
We have talked about protection for the heart, the feet, and the whole body in general...now we have the helmet of salvation.  A helmet protects the head, right? What then, are we to make out of this idea, the helmet of salvation?
 
This is one of my favorite images.
 
In physical battle we would think about the head itself...in a spiritual sense, we are to consider the mind...the intellect.
 
Take the helmet of salvation...in other words, take the knowledge of your salvation...it will save you! 
 
When you find yourself in the midst of sin, all is not lost...you can know you are saved!
 
When illness or even death is near...you can know you are saved!
 
When the rest of the world seems to be against you...you can know you are saved!
 
It is this knowledge of salvation that allows us to think straight through these and all spiritually challenging situations.
 
Knowing...knowing...that you are saved, forever through the blood of Christ.
 
Knowing...knowing...that your eternal home is already prepared and waiting for you.
 
Knowing...knowing...that your name is written, permanently, in the Lamb's Book of Life.
 
This knowledge is a protecting, saving knowledge.
 
Questions:

1. What do you think of this perspective?
 
2. Are you confident in your salvation?

3. How can this knowledge help you in dealing with the world?

May we be confident in the knowledge of our salvation.  Jim
 
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"The Gospel that represents Jesus Christ, not as a system of truth to be received, into the mind, as I should receive a system of philosophy, or astronomy, but it represents Him as a real, living, mighty Savior, able to save me now."   Catherine Booth

Keep it up; part II

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In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16

Let’s hover over this verse for another day, shall we?

I said the following yesterday:

“The shield.  Body armor defends particular parts of the body against personal assault, and provides one type of defense.  A shield is different.  It can be moved, it can defend against broad, sweeping attack, such as flaming arrows...”

Let’s think about that a little more.  Other parts of the armor, the parts we wear, stay on us, stay in place, guarding particular areas. We put it on, and we move on. The helmet goes where the head goes, the shoes with our feet, and so on.

But the shield requires intentional decisions and actions.  One must face the enemy, determine the mode of attack and its trajectory, and move the shield into the proper defensive posture.

So then, when we know we are about to be attacked, whether days in advance or split seconds before, we must then lift up our faith!  We must take our faith in Christ Jesus and put it in between the enemy’s launch and ourselves.

When we sense an imminent attack, we must lift up our shields, lifting up by praying, studying the Word, seeking wise counsel, etc., and then hold up our faith to the onslaught that will come.  The arrows of temptation  or attacks on the integrity of Scripture or…whatever…  Properly positioned, the shield will protect us!

Questions:

1. How do you see faith as a shield?

2. What arrows are the most dangerous to you? 

3. How do you position your shield?

May we lead with our shield.  Jim

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"Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe."

Augustine

"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading."

 Oswald Chambers

"Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted in spite of your changing moods."

C.S. Lewis

Keep it up!

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In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16

The shield.  Body armor defends particular parts of the body against personal assault, and provides one type of defense.  A shield is different.  It can be moved, it can defend against broad, sweeping attack, such as flaming arrows...

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The shield of faith provides that type of spiritual defense.  Philosophy, logic, intellect, scientific 'facts', political correctness...and more...are all flaming arrows launched at Christians today. 

We may be smart enough, we may have learned enough, and we may have read enough to deflect some of those arrows.  However, if we do not start the battle with our faith strong before us, then some of those arrows will get through...and how many does it take?

But if we lead with our faith...if we start with our ultimate faith in Christ Jesus...that He is Lord of all...the one and only path to salvation...that God's word is indeed the Word of God...that we are forgiven through and saved by the blood of the Lamb...then we can move forward, deflecting those arrows of doubt, disbelief, guilt, and more.  Amen!

Questions:

1. How do you see faith as a shield?

2. What arrows are the most dangerous to you? 

3. Are you able to move through this world, confident in the Gospel?

May we lead with our shield.  Jim

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"Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe."

Augustine

"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading."

 Oswald Chambers

"Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted in spite of your changing moods." 

C.S. Lewis

Put Your Shoes On!

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Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and 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. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.  Ephesians 6:10-18(NIV) 

Stand firm then...with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (v. 15)

What made a soldier's footwear different than everyone else's?  During that time, many went barefoot or wore simple sandals.  A warrior's footwear, however, had to be a bit more durable, heavier duty.  A warrior had to walk on city streets and country roads, soft green meadows and creek beds full of stone, level ground and rocky crags.  If the ground was hot, and the battle raged on, he could not wait for the cool of the evening to press on.  He had to be able to move forward regardless of what the earth lay in front of him. 

Whenever, wherever the battle cry sounded, his feet were properly fitted and he was ready to go.

So then, are we to be ready.

 

The footing before us may be rough, hard, sharp, or slippery.  But it matters not!  We are able to walk wherever, whenever we are called.

 

We have this capability because of the gospel of peace which protects us, regardless of what the world lays in front of us.  The knowledge of our salvation, and that salvation is available to all we encounter, gives us the peace needed to move to and fro through this world with confidence.

 

Questions:

1. What is your take on this verse?

2. How do you protect your 'feet'?

3. Are you able to move through this world, confident in the Gospel?