WHOLE ARMOR
This lesson will be on the full armor of God.
It is a lesson we must get from our minds to our hearts.
To study it and then ask God for understanding and the wisdom to put it to work
in our lives.
I hope that you enjoy this lesson.
Ephesians 6:10 says; Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the
power of His might.
This could be translated, become strong.
This verse is showing that we can't do it on our own.
Notice that it says be strong in the Lord.
Some say God has so much to do I hate to bother Him.
The thing is that is exactly what the Lord wants us to do.
We don't get our strength from within ourselves.
Our strength comes from the Lord.
So ask the Lord when you are so weary that you don't feel like you can go on.
Ephesians 6:11 says; Put on the whole armore of God, that you may be able to
stand against the wiles of the devil.
The whole armor of God is to protect us against evil and the evil one.
The wiles of the devil are Satans tricks that he uses against Christians.
If the enemy can distract you from the Lord he will.
The thing is that the evil one has no hold on Gods children.
He will lie to you saying you are not good enough and God doesn't want you.
Just remember that God is a loving God and He would never say anything like
that to you or anyone else for that matter.
God loves you so much that He allowed His only Son to die on the cross for your
sins and mine.
Now does that sound like a God that would say anything like that to you?
I think not.
Satan is a liar and a thief and he has come to distroy Gods children.
2 Corinthians 6:7 says; by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor
of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.
Paul is discribing how they conduct themselves.
We must have the word in us so the enemy can't deceive us.
We need to show love for all even our enemies.
We need Gods power to take the enemy down.
Ephesians 6:12 says; For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly place.
Our real battle is not with the lost souls.
Neither are the churches that are only teaching half truths.
Not even with the cults that are taking the money from people who are searching
for God.
All of these have demonic beings working through them.
Most of the groups above that I mentioned are not even aware that they have
demons working through them.
Christians that are seeking the truth through the word of God have the Holy Spirit
working in them.
The Holy Spirit discerns good from evil if we will listen to the Holy Spirit.
If you have the word in you, you will not be deceived.
Romans 8:3 says; For what the law could just do in that it was weak through the
flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on
account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh
The law could pronounce judgement on sin.
But they could do nothing about forgiving sin.
Only through our Lord Jesus Christ can sins be forgiven.
When Jesus died on the cross, then was resurrected from the dead 3 days later,
ascented to heaven and left the Holy Spirit to reside in who so ever believes
that Jesus is Gods only begotten Son shall have everlasting life.
A priest, nor pastor can forgive your sins, by grace, Gods, through faith, which
comes from God, are we saved.
Jesus paid the price for our sin, His blood.
Luke 22:53 says; "When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to
seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."
Jesus was talking to the scribes, hight priests, and the elders just before He was
arrested.
Jesus was telling them hat they had demonic spirits working in them.
If we don't have the truth, the word, in us we may be leaving an opening for a
demonic spirit to work in us too.
We have to know Gods laws so we can't be deceived by the enemy.
Most of the time people don't even realize that they have an evil spirit working in
them.
This can happen to Christians also.
We need to pray for protection and feed our minds wih the Word of God.
Ephesians 6:13 says; 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.
When Paul talks about the evil day it is the end of times.
The evil one wll come out full force and try to trick all of Gods children.
If he can trick all of Gods children into taking the mark of the beast he will be very
happy.
Anyone taking the mark of the beast will separate themselves from God forever.
This will be Satans last chance to draw Gods children away from our heavenly
Father.
We will have to be ready to die than to take the mark of the beast.
We will have to be ready to lead as many as we can into the light before it is too
late for them.
That is also why we need the whole armor of God and the word in us to survive.
2 Corinthians 10:4 says; For our weapons of our warfare are not carnal but
mighty in God fo pulling down strongholds.
Paul is talking about the things that have a stronghold on Gods children.
Lies that the enemy has told them to keep them captive, and their eyes off the
Lord and the truth.
We have to release Gods children as well as the lost souls that don't even realize
that there is a God in heaven that loves them.
God working through us is the only one that can release them from the strong-
hold the enemy has on them.
Ephesians 5:16 says; redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Redeeming time means to make the best you can of the time you have.
We only have a short time on the earth so we have to do our best to do Gods
work that He has willed us to do.
We must not waste time on non sense.
Instead we should be serving the Lord leading as many into the light as we can.
To seek Gods wisdom to do His will for your life.
Ephesians 6:14 says; Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having
put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Paul, in this verse, is talking abut the beleivers.
When he talks about girding your waiset with truth he is talking about how truthful
you have been in your life.
A dishonest Christian can't hope to withstand the father of lies.
The truth Paul refers to is integrity and honesty in our lives.
We should live by truthfulness.
The breastplate of righteousness is not talking about Gods righteousness but of
the believers.
But represents righteous character and deeds of the believers.
Isaiah 11:5 says; Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness
the belt of His waist.
This verse is speaking of the Lord.
For our Lord is righteous.
Jesus was faithful to the Father God in all that He did.
Isaiah 59:17 says; For He puts on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet
on His head: He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing. And was
clad with zeal as a cloak.
The saints of the Lord put on the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of
salvation, to do battle against the devil.
The garmet of vengeance is talking about the Lord coming to not only judge but
also to save.
Ephesians 6:15 says; and having shod your feet with the preparation of the
gospel of peace.
This verse could have 2 meanings.
1. That the gospel is the solid foundation that Christians must stand on.
2. Paul also could have meant that all Christians should get out and spread the
word of the Gospel.
Either way we should be doing both in our lifetime.
Jesus is sometimes refered to as the Word.
Therefore He is the foundation of our beliefs.
Isaiah 52:7 says; How beautiful upon the mountains. Are the feet of him who
brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good
things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, your God reigns!
This verse is confirming that Gods children should be out telling others of the
good news of salvation and the telling of the good news of Jesus Christ our
Lord and Savior.
What ever God gives us we are not to keep it too ourselves.
Rather we should spread it around so that the lost souls can find their way into
the light.
For all that God has done for us we should be willing vessels to go out and tell
others of Gods love for them.
Ephesians 6:16 says; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Above all might mean that the shield of faith will protect us against anything the
enemy would try to do to us.
It may also mean that the shield will cover the whole armor.
With each day we should try to build up our faith.
Stop worrying because that is showing a lack of faith.
When you find yourself worrying less you know that your faith is greater.
As Christians we should know that the Lord will supply all of our needs.
1 John 5:4 says; For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is
the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.
To over come is to recognize the false teachings of the world.
To love God brings a desire to serve Him in all that we do.
We will want to obey God and it will be easy.
We will be victoreous over the world if you keep your eyes on the Lord and seek
His will.
Ephesians 6:17 says; And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the Word of God.
When we ask Jesus into our hearts our salvation is sealed we are then Gods
child.
When Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days with no water or food, Satan came
and tempted Jesus.
In response Jesus always came back with it is written, meaning the Word of God.
Satan had to flee from Jesus.
If we do the same the enemy will have to flee from us too.
1 Thesalonians 5:8 says; But let us who are of the day sober, putting on the
breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
As Christians we should not partake in alcoholic beverages.
We should not be drunk and make fools of ourselves.
The world calls it having fun and getting drunk.
We have higher standards to live by, Gods standards.
The breastplate of faith symbolizes faith, hope, and love.
There are things that Christians should cling to.
To love God first and mankind too.
The hope of salvation know that we will have everlasting life in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 1:4 says; having become as much better than the angels, as He has by
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
This verse is talking abouty Jesus.
Jesus is higher rank because He didn't sin while on earth.
Jesus inherited the earth.
He sits at Gods right side.
His name is above all names.
Ephesians 6:18 says; praying always with all prayers and supplications in the
Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance supplication for all the
saints.
Without prayer the armor would do us no good.
Before we go into battle we must pray.
We must go to the Lord in prayer about all things.
Perseverance and patients are essential with all prayers.
Luke 18:1 says; Then He spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray
and not lose heart saying
Jesus made it clear that we must pray over all things that we are in His will.
Matthew 26:41 says; Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation. The Spirit
indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.
Jesus is saying that if we don't make prayer an important part of your life the
enemy could and will tempt you into sinning.
Our flesh is weak and is easily tempted.
If you are prayed up the Holy Spirit can help you when you are tempted.
Phillipians 1:4 says; always in every prayer of mine making requests for you all
with joy.
Joy is in every Christian.
But not joy as the world considers joy.
When we are born again we have love, joy, and hope of a better day ahead.
But the love, joy, and hope are of the Lord.
So it is a greater joy than you have ever known.
Ephesians 5:19 says; and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may
open my mouth boldly to make know the mystery of the Gospel.
Paul was asking other believers to pray for him that he would boldly witness to
others about the mysteries of the Gospel.
There are many mysteries for those who have ears to hear.
The mystery of salvation.
That the blood of Jesus paid for all the sins of the world.
If you believe that Christ Jesus is Gods only begotten Son, repent of your sins,
and ask Jesus into your heart.
Then get water baptised to show all that your heart now belongs to Jesus Christ
our Lord and Savior.
Colossians 4:3 says; mean while praying also for us, that God would open to us
a door for the word, to speak the msystery of Chrst , for which I am also in
chains
Paul is asking for prayer, that even though he was in prison, for preaching the
Gospel of Christ, he wanted doors opened so that he could continue to tell
others about Christ.
Paul was bold in Christ.
Even in prison he wrote letters.
They, the other disciples, went and told Paul what was going on in the churches
he wanted to be involved in making sure that they were walking in the ways of
the Lord.
He missed traveling to the churches to see how they were doing.
So Paul encouraged them in letters to walk in the ways of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:20 says; for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in it I may
speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Paul was an ambassador in prison, cold , hungry, and lonely most of the time.
But his heart, mind, and soul belonged to Jesus Christ.
He praise God with song and prayed constantly.
I am sure that at times he became discouraged and felt like he wasn't doing
enough.
But he would put on the full armor of God and stepped up boldly and spoke the
full Gospel of Christ even if it was to guards he didn't waste time.
2 Corinthians 5:20 says; Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though
God were pleading through us: We implore you on Christ's behalf, be
reconciled to God.
Christians have been called by God to go out and reach the gospel of Christ
throughout the world.
It was that way in Pauls time and it has not changed for this day and age.
It is imparative that we go out and boldly tell the lost souls about Jesus and how
He has set us free from our sins.
Because we are in the end of days we must put on the whole armor of God to
fare well against the evil one, for he will try to stop us from spreading the
truth about Jesus Christ.
The scriptures I used for this lesson are: Ephesians 6:10-20, 5:16, 1 John 5:4
2 Corinthians 6:7, 10:4, 5:20, 11:3, Romans 2:11, 8:38,
Luke 22:23, 18:1
Isaiah 11:5, 59:17, 52:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Phillipians 1:4,
Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 26:41, Colossians 4:3.
My prayer is that everyone that reads this lesson, the Lord gave me, will read all
of these scriptures and get them from their minds to their hearts. That you
have a better understanding about the whole armor of God. That it is vital that
we are prepared when we go out to lead the lost souls into the light. The
enemy will do anything to keep you from being an ambassador for Christ.
That you will search the Word of God for the wisdom to do the work of the
Lord. That you will seek Gods will as to where you need to be, and what He
would have you doing.
God bless you and your family, may the Lord keep you close to Him.
PRAISE GOD OUR FATHER, JESUS OUR SAVIOR, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
THAT LIVES WITHIN ALL CHRISTIANS.
