THE ARMOR OF GOD AND THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE
ON MY PILGRIM JOURNEY - WHAT I MUST WEAR
Here I am with my dear husband Henry and our three daughters
Dressed for a cool fall day in 1967.
We need to consider how we look and what to wear on our spiritual JOURNEY.
EPHESIANS CHAPTER 6 lays it out for us as the Apostle Paul writes to the Church at Ephesus.
EPHESIANS CHAPTER 6. 10 - 20
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour 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 the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places.
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.
Stand therefore,
having your loins girt (girded) 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:
and for me,
that utterance may be given unto me,
that I may open my mouth boldly,
to make known the mystery of the gospels,
for which I am an ambassador in bonds
that therein I may speak boldly,
as I ought to speak."
FIRST, LET US THINK
ABOUT HOW IT IS
THAT I AM DRESSED
IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS
OF JESUS CHRIST
HIMSELF.
NOW THAT I AM A BELIEVER WITH FAITH THAT GOD PAID
THE PRICE OF MY SIN NATURE UPON THE CROSS, AND THAT
IN POSITION I HAVE ALL THE RIGHTS OF A SON GIVEN TO ME, I
NOW CAN THINK IN TERMS OF WHAT I NEED TO WEAR THAT ADORNS
AND AFFIRMS THE LIFE WHICH I NOW HAVE IN JESUS CHRIST.
FOR TO ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST, AND TO DIE IS GAIN.
Philippians 1.21
AND YOU HATH HE QUICKENED , WHO WERE DEAD IN
TRESPASSES AND SINS, WHEREIN IN TIME PAST YE
WALKED, ACCORDING TO THE COURSE OF THIS WORLD,
ACCORDING TO THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR,
THE SPIRIT THAT NOW WORKS IN THE CHILDREN OF
DISOBEDIENCE; AMONG WHOM ALSO WE ALL HAD OUR
CONVERSATION IN TIME PAST..."
Ephesians 2.1 - 3
FIRST OF ALL WE ARE
TO BE STRONG IN THE LORD
AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT.
THE ARMOR IS GIVEN US BY GOD.
WE ARE HIS PEOPLE NOW.
AS SURE AS ASTERS BLUE GREW WHEN I
PUT THEM IN THE GROUND, SO TOO WE ARE
PLANTED BY THE LORD TO GROW UP.
YE ARE ALL
THE CHILDREN OF GOD
BY FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS.
Galatians 3.26
JUST AS THESE LITTLE FLOWERS BLOOM SO TOO,
WE ARE TO BE DRESSED IN THE GLORY GOD GIVES
US. HE HAS GIVEN US 'OUR SPIRITUAL ARMOR'
HERE THEY ARE : LET US LOOK AT EACH PIECE.
1. THE BELT OF TRUTH.
THIS HAS TO BE PLACE AROUND OUR LOINS,
IT IS THE PIECE THAT HOLDS EVERYTHING IN PLACE.
THE TRUTH AS WE KNOW IT IN GOD'S WORD IS
THE ESSENTIAL PIECE OF OUR CLOTHING.
Psalm 119.105 THY WORD IS A LAMP
UNTO MY FEET AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH.
2.
THIS HAS TO BE PLACED OVER THE HEART.
WE MUST PLACE THIS OVER OUR HEART, AND KEEP
IT SECURELY HELD CLOSE TO MYSELF THAT EVEN
AS I RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS THE LORD, EVEN SO WILL
I WALK IN HIM (Ephesians 2.8 - 10) "For by grace are ye
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift
of God, not of works, lest any man should boast; for we are his
workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
God hath ordained that we should walk in them."
I JOHN 1.9
IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS,
HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST
TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AND
TO CLEANSE US
FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.
I JOHN 2.6
HE THAT SAITH HE ABIDETH
IN HIM
OUGHT HIMSELF
ALSO SO TO WALK,
EVEN AS HE WALKED.
THE PAINTING ABOVE IS WHAT I DREW TO SHOW HOW PATHS ARE
EVERYWHERE AND ONLY GOD KNOWS THE HEART AND CAN SHOW US
THE WAY TO GO. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HIDE GOD'S WORD IN OUR
HEART, TO KEEP OUR HEART CLEAN OF ANY KNOWN SIN, AND TO WALK
FULLY DRESSED IN HIS CLEANNESS AND PURITY. AS WE WALK CLOSE
TO JESUS, AND ABIDE IN HIM, HE SHOWS US AND CORRECTS AS WE GO,
AND KEEPS US ON THE RIGHT PATH.
THE PAINTING ABOVE ALSO SHOWS US HOW DISTRACTED WE
CAN GET WITHOUT STAYING CLOSE TO HIM WHO IS THE ONE
TO WHOM WE BELONG.
3. FEET SHOD WITH THE
PREPARATION
OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.
MY SHOE ARE THE PREPARATION I MAKE TO PRESENT
THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. JESUS SAID, "I AM THE WAY,
THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE
FATHER, BUT BY ME." JOHN 14.6
MY SHOES ARE WHAT GOD GIVES TO KNOW I AM A BEARER
OF HIS LOVE, HIS LIGHT, AND THAT NO MATTER WHAT ELSE,
I AM PURPOSED TO BE HIS VESSEL - THE CANDLELIGHT IN
THE DARKNESS THAT JUST AS GOD IS MY LIGHT IN THE
DARKNESS SO TOO I CAN SHINE FOR HIM AND BEAR LIGHT
IT IS THE WHOLE BEING OF A PERSON THAT GUIDES THE FEET.
JOHN 8.12 THEN SPAKE JESUS AGAIN
SAYING, I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD,
HE THAT FOLLOWETH ME SHALL NOT WALK
IN DARKNESS, BUT SHALL HAVE THE LIGHT
OF LIFE.
AS JOSEPH AND MARY TRAVELED TO BETHLEHEM,
SO TOO, WE TRAVEL TODAY BY FAITH
WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE, OR GOVERNMENTS TOPPLE,
OR LIFE SEEMS FRUSTRATING, THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD
REMAINS. WE ARE, AS JOSEPH AND MARY, RECEIVERS
OF THE LIGHT. JESUS WAS THE LIGHT OF LIFE. WHEN
HE CAME, HE CAME THE FIRST TIME TO BE OUR KINSMAN
REDEEMER.
SAVIOR REDEEMER DELIVERER LIGHT
HIS MESSAGE OF PEACE IS THE ONLY ONE WE BRING.
4
ROMANS 10.17 NOW FAITH COMETH
BY HEARING,
AND HEARING
BY THE WORD OF GOD.
AT AGE FIVE I ENJOYED A FEW DAYS IN
MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MASS.
IT WAS PART OF CAPE COD
AND THE BEACH AREA.
GOD GAVE ME HOPE AS A CHILD
BUT
EVEN MORE
HE GAVE ME
PROTECTION
UNTIL I CAME TO KNOW HIM
AS MY LORD
AND SAVIOR.
NOW I ASK YOU
WHAT PROTECTION WILL YOU WEAR?
FOR THE JOURNEY OF LIFE
AND AS YOU ARRIVE AT THE PORT
OF ETERNITY ?
ARE YOU READY ?
ARE YOU PROTECTED
WITH THE SHIELD OF FAITH ?
THE PATH WE TAKE
MAY BE HARD.
THE WAY
MAY BE ROUGH.
BUT WITH THE SHIELD OF FAITH
OUR HEART WILL BE
EVEN MORE PROTECTED.
5. THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT -
OUR OFFENSIVE WEAPON TO FIGHT
THE UNSEEN REALITIES OF EVIL,
THE UNSEEN INNER BATTLES OF OUR SPIRIT
CAN ONLY BE WON BY THE WORD OF GOD
MATTHEW 4.4 [JESUS, SPEAKING TO SATAN] HE
ANSWERED AND SAID, IT IS WRITTEN, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE
BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH
OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD."
ROMANS 12.2 AND BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS
WORLD, BUT BE YE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF
YOUR MIND, THAT YE MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD
AND ACCEPTABLE, AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD.
TEN YEARS OLD, IN NORTH ADAMS MASSACHUSETTS,
HERE I AM, WHEN MY GRANDFATHER TOOK A
PHOTO OF ME IN FRONT OF MY HOME AFTER
HE HAD VISITED US. I RECEIVED CHRIST
AS MY SAVIOR THAT FALL, BEFORE THIS SNOW
CAME ON THE GROUND. PEOPLE AND PEOPLE
AND MORE PEOPLE LIVED ALL AROUND
ME. IN THE SECTION YOU SEE JUST
BACK OF ME, 17 PEOPLE LIVED IN FOUR ROOMS
AND SURVIVED SOMEHOW. I HAD NO
IDEA WHO I WOULD BE,
NOR WHERE I WOULD GO
BUT GOD KNEW.
AND HE KNOWS JUST
WHAT YOU NEED RIGHT NOW.
WHY ? NOT TRUST HIM
TO LET HIS SPIRIT
BEAR WITNESS TO YOUR
SPIRIT
THAT YOU
INDEED
CAN
BE
HIS
CHILD.
I NEVER HAVE REGRETED THIS.
GOD HAS BROUGHT ME ALL THE WAY.
IN SPITE OF ME
HIS UNDESERVED FAVOR - HIS GRACE -
HAS SHOWN
ME AND KEPT ME AND HELD
ME
IN THE HOLLOW OF HIS HANDS.
HE IS INDEED THE SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP.
I WAS JUST A LOST LAMB WHO NEEDED
SOMEONE TO LOVE ME,
TO CARE FOR ME,
AND TO LEAD ME
AND HE DID JUST THAT !
JOHN 3.16
IS STILL TRUE TODAY.
HE IS WAITING
FOR YOU
TO CALL ON HIS NAME.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD
THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN
HIM
SHOULD NOT PERISH,
BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.
JESUS SAID THIS OF HIMSELF.
START YOUR JOURNEY TODAY.
BECOME A CHILD OF GOD BY FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS,
AND
PLACE YOURSELF IN HIS CARE,
AND WALK WITH THE ARMOUR OF HIS PROVISION
ONLY WITH THESE CAN YOU FIND
VICTORY
OVER
SIN, DEATH, TEMPTATION AND HELL.
ONLY WITH
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
CAN YOUR FAITH GROW.
WE MUST EXCERCISE
THE
MUSTARD SEED OF
FAITH
THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US.
FOR YOU SEE,
EVEN THE FAITH I HAVE
IS NOT
SOMETHING I EARNED
IT IS A GIFT.
EVEN THE FAITH I HAVE
CAME FROM HIM,
NOT ME
SO
I
DO NOT GET
ANY CREDIT.
IT ALL IS THE GLORY TO GOD.
HE IS THE SAVIOR.
IT IS HE WHO ALONE CAN SAVE.
Just as this Mountain looms beyond,
and the meadows invite one to climb,
so too LIFE HAS ITS UPS
AND DOWNS
FACE HIM WITH THIS ARMOR
AND HE WILL NOT FAIL YOU.
THE FINAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT
TO REMEMBER
IS
THE HELMET
OF
SALVATION.
BE SURE THAT
YOU KNOW
YOU
NEVER
CAN
BE UNBORN
ONCE YOU BECOME HIS CHILD.
THIS WAS ME AS A BABY.
I WAS BORN.
WHEN WE COME TO JESUS
AND ASK HIM
TO BE OUR
SAVIOR
HE NEVER
EVER
WILL LET YOU GO.
YOU WILL BELONG TO HIM.
YOU ARE PART OF HIM NOW.
SO WALK EVEN AS HE DID.
ENJOY.
SEE YOU IN MY NEXT POST.
BIBLELADY99
LILACLADY JUNEBUG2
