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The Essence of THE ARMOR OF GOD
It’s not a typical thing to address the supernatural. In fact, most would like to sweep it under the carpet and never even think of it. But, we cannot do this. If you treat is as such you’re asking for trouble.
What is it?
It’s rulers of various areas of descending orders of authority and structure. This highly structured darkness is a territory in which no man can fathom because of its size and authority.
The war which is waged is not within the scope of earth itself, but a cosmic realm. And because 99.9% of man has never seen the cosmic realm, we can only imagine the circumference of its spectrum.
We are told in the Bible that satan was given authority over earth, and that his reigns is a highly-organized kingdom. He is so powerful that indeed he even challenges the very Son of GOD, our beloved Jesus Christ.
But thank the Lord, we have another kingdom which is brought against this hideous darkness, the Kingdom of GOD.
Although satan was literally ‘kicked’ out of heaven, this is a formality because his kingdom reigns in the heavens. But, GOD resides in the highest of heavens and he requires permission to come even in the vicinity of GOD and HIS Holy Palace. So, clearly there are many levels of the heavens.
Because satan is so devious, his slight-of-hand even gets him before GOD as described in Job. And amazingly, he goes before GOD and the other angels don’t recognize his. This is the problem, you see. If he can fool even the angels of heaven because he can pose as an ‘angel of light’, then how are our defenses such that we can discern his presence? Herein lies the problem of man!
2 Chronicles 2:6
“But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?”
2 Corinthians 12:2-4
“I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”
Here we get a sense of height and status. So, inevitably if we have a ‘third’ heaven then there is a first, and second.
So, we see it’s a battle of the highest affairs!
My intention here is to break down the meaning, but more importantly to tell others how to fight the supernatural.
We live in the natural. It’s the world of the flesh (physical), and consequently you would think there’s enough of a battle in and of itself, right? But there is a spiritual world coinciding parallel to this one. A spiritual realm of the Light (GOD) and dark (satan). And the battle between the two has waged on for millenniums. So, if there are physical weapons then assuredly there must be spiritual ones. This is the focus.
GOD is the ultimate authority! GOD in HIS infinite Wisdom, gives us simple and precise instructions on the battle of the supernatural. But satan as despicable as he is must twist everything of GOD for his benefit. So, what did he do? He formed his angels to teach us how to battle each other! Why? Because this distracts us from the TRUE battle. The natural (physical) against the (spiritual) dark supernatural.
Mankind has learned to battle each other through the fallen angels but we must learn the REAL BATTLE techniques…
Battlefield of the Mind
Ephesians 6:
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
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, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Strongholds are an issue, fortresses are another and to resist them takes courage and knowledge. These assignments are a broad term for security. If one knows how to use the security blankets (hedge) which GOD provides then we can access great power.
Paul says, “Put on the full armor of God…that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
Ephesians 6:13
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Continuing…
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
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, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
So, we must utilize these weapons.
GIRDLE OF TRUTH
A girdle holds things in place. It wraps around you and keeps you. It’s ‘body-shaping’…this is speaking of the mind! Think about that for a minute! But it also protects the vital organs.
1. Truth of everyday living. This is a life of honest integrity. If you were given too much change after making a purchase, you give it back! This is plain and simple. But, many wouldn’t. You see it is common sense but also honesty. This is what GOD would have you do!
2. The Truth of the Gospel. I believe this is the integrity of the Word. So many are out there are changing the Word, to dilute it! To take away its core value. I think this is why GOD tells us;
Matthew 5:18
“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
GOD knew there would come a time when man would try to change it. But also a time when the supernatural forces would as well. Why? To sway the people away from the Truth. How? By slight of hand. Like a magician….in the broadest terms it’s a magic show. But, this is not child’s play!
It’s deeper than you realize. To change one word is to change the meaning!
FEET OF PREPARATION
Paul speaks of the shoes/sandals as ‘the preparation of the gospel’ and this means we are obligated to discern Scripture. From this it means to memorize it, to communicate naturally about its content. We cannot speak in depth about something we have no knowledge of.
Being prepared is inevitably a smart way to translate the Word.
Then, wisdom is the knowledge of how to use it as a catalyst in your life, in other’s lives. Put them shoes on and wear them! Go out into the world in whatever way the Lord speaks to you and SERVE YOUR KING!
SHIELD OF FAITH
This one immediately makes me think of the ‘fiery darts’. The Greek word used to describe these particular “darts” is a very specific word of warfare. “Thucydides, the ancient Greek writer, used the same identical Greek expression to depict especially terrible “arrows that are equipped to carry fire.”
Three types of arrows were used by the military of New Testament times. First were plain arrows, similar to arrows that are shot from bows today. Next, there were arrows that were dipped in tar and set on fire, and then shot through the air. Last, there were arrows that contained combustible fluids that burst into flames upon contact. One might say these were the bombs of the ancient world!
I imagine the present day parallel to this is FLESH! What better way to hit the target than to cause your emotions to ignite. There are so many reasons in this world to be angry or even enraged, have so many worries it causes anxiety attacks, but we must pick up that shield…and place it in front of us instead.
In order for the ‘shield’ to work, you must keep it in front of you. It can’t be held at your side or timidly held behind our back! Faith is to be OUT IN FRONT so it can cover the Believer. To believe that GOD has complete control, you must lay down your faith, but you must bring it back up to confront the enemy. It must be utilized in many ways. Discernment is key.
A Roman soldier going into battle never went without his shield. It was not optional. Sadly, many Believers have fallen astray because their faith was not strong enough to be penetrated by the enemy.
Faith is mentioned twice in the list of Armor. The Breastplate is the faith and love (our righteousness), and the shield is the confidence in GOD to protect us.
I was recently attacked in my life. My loved ones, and myself were being attacked! I knew what it was….it was satan and is demons. I have been told that my site was the cause demonic attacks. This was on many levels; attacking peoples computers causing the page to not load, or certain articles would not load at all; then I was informed that demons were actually attacking individuals. I took this very serious!! At first I blamed myself…then I realized that’s what satan wants! I came to realize there are certain dark authorities which hover over my work on a natural and supernatural level.
PUT YOUR SHIELD ON and PLACE IT IN FRONT OF YOU.
I may not be able to control man but I can control demons? So can others. Using faith and our armor of GOD! We must hold out the Shield of Faith, rebuke the power of confusion, and have faith in GOD to restore peace and order.
The Shield of Faith is your way of escape from the fiery darts of the adversary.
HELMET OF SALVATION
Our minds are a precious commodity. Without it our body would cease to perform. It tells us to breathe, to move and think.
My helmet was broke!
Several years ago, I underwent a serious surgery…a second neck fusion. The first fusion was over 20 years ago and it was an on-the-job injury which caused extensive damage in my upper and lower spine. My hip bone was removed and placed in my neck to replace the damaged area. I went back to working hard and thinking it would be okay! The ability to perform ordinary tasks became hard once again but I continued working. Then, the pain became insurmountable. I underwent surgery (titanium disc fusion) and my surgeon (one of the top ten in the USA) informed me that the damage was significant! For him to say that I knew it must be bad. All I knew was the horrible pain was mostly gone. I came home and soon realized that ordinary tasks were so hard. My brain didn’t work the same!
I couldn’t do sequential activities, like loading a dishwasher or cook. It takes your brain to tell you that a order of sequential events must be performed in order for the task to be completed. My speech was impeded…I couldn’t think of the words I needed to speak! I couldn’t read because my brain didn’t ‘digest’ the words. I would have to read the same sentence over and over! I couldn’t even walk normally because my gait was off! Talk about frustrating….but, I was determined. It took me over a year for my body to begin to respond normally. Then within the next 12 months, I had 4 more surgeries on my hands, wrists and elbow for carpel tunnel, trigger fingers (my thumb and fingers were locked in place because of arthritis for almost 2 years), and cubital tunnel.
Do you see how important our mind is? We take things for granted, especially the simple things.
BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
In Roman times, a breastplate kept the soldier protected. It was of great importance and they took it seriously.
Proverbs 4:23
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Emotions beget thoughts
Thoughts beget actions
Actions beget destiny
Simple enough right? Well, some just don’t get it. Where your mind is therein lies your heart. So ultimately, you must guard every thought before it leads to actions which eventually is the outcome in your life, and consequently, your immortality.
Righteousness comes by faith which is GOD’S Law not man-made law. This is actually where man-made law originated but man would like to pump himself up and think it was himself which designed it. Pride originated with satan and his fallen angels.
Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
This is a clue….it’s supernatural. Faith is supernatural in its essence.
Faith is the essential element of the breastplate! And we cannot succeed in a life as a Believer if we don’t have faith, but this works in unison with love. Faith works through love. Love is GOD. GOD is love.
Song of Solomon 8:6
“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.”
Death is inevitable. We must encounter it and not one can resist it. And love is as strong as death. This is amazing! Love protects the heart from bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, dispair, discouragement, and all other negative forces which can corrupt our hearts.
The breastplate guards the heart! That’s some tool, right?
SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
We must examine the sword as a defense tool. The Spirit is GOD! HIS tool which HE gives us is the Word…this is our sword. It pierces, and penetrates and protects. It’s our giant protector from satan and his unholy angels.
But we must also think of the Word as a LIVING OBJECT! It’s the very essence of GOD! Amen. It sinks into the very soul of your body, the depths of your immortal spirit. It is sharper than any man-made sword and the reason it is double-edged is because it is the VERY WORDS of JESUS CHRIST!
What about the unprotected areas the Armor doesn’t speak of…
The Word
This is what I like to call the ‘FORCEFIELD OF LIFE’. This is directly speaking of the Word. But also how to apply it. Prayer! This puts a hedge around whoever and whatever you pray for.
Much like a Sci-fi movie, I picture an invisible force-field which surround the body, possessions or whatever you need secure.
Source: http://endtimeswatcher.wordpress.com/2014/07/05/the-essence-of-the-armor-of-god/
Revelation 12:9Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
9 and the great dragon was cast forth — the old serpent, who is called `Devil,’ and `the Adversary,’ who is leading astray the whole world — he was cast forth to the earth, and his messengers were cast forth with him.
Utter WITLESSNESS.
The “beast of the sea” consciousness of the “self” has created an IMAGE of the good and an IMAGE of the evil. Then it acquires a number of other images: “armour”, “shield”, “breast plate” and other such nonsense–ALL of which are “images of the beast”, or images created by the beast…
All of which are to protect WHAT?
The “beast of the sea” consciousness of the “self” itself.
Why are those images created in the first place?
Out of desire for pleasure, and the fear of the loss of pleasure; out of self-preservation.
This is NOT anything “supernatural”.
This is what serpents and worms do. They are just unable to describe it in words.
The “war in heaven”–the War of the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness–does NOT occur at the level of the thoughts of the ‘thinker’. It occurs at the level of CONSCIOUSNESS between the consciousness Created by God and the ‘fallen’ consciousness of the “beast of the sea” consciousness of the “self” and the “beast of the earth” consciousness of the ‘thinker’; and between the Knowledge Revealed through the Vision of the “Son of man” and the Revelation of “the resurrection” and the thoughts originating in the consciousness of the ‘thinker’ and the “self” in contradiction and denial of that Knowledge.
Michael (interestingly enough)