Suit Up!
(Put on the Full Armor of God) Part 2
By Daniel Carandang
For better appreciation of this blog entry, it's highly encouraged to read the first part.
If you already have, then let's get going :)
13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:13-17
In the book of Ephesians, we can find our defense against our enemy in this intense spiritual battle: SATAN. The first three parts of the armor have already been discussed in the previous entry. Now, it's time to get to know the remaining three items on the list.
When one is preparing himself against a battle, it's good to be fully equipped. You can't just run towards the enemy with a sword. Though the sword will do a good job of attacking the opposition, plunging without protection is dangerous. In order to protect yourself while you fight, the SHIELD plays a vital role in keeping you alive.
The typical shield in the early days was as big as a door. It was able to cover the entire man.
In Ephesians 6:16, Paul talks about a shield- the SHIELD OF FAITH.
What is faith?
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
Hebrews 11:1-2
FAITH requires complete trust.
When you read the label off an insect repellent spray such as Baygon and it says 'Do not drink,' you don't just take the lid off and immediately gulp the whole thing. We don't drink Baygon because the warning said so. We trust that and therefore, we obey it.
When you have faith in God, it means that you have complete confidence in what He says, in His character and in His promises. You trust that His judgement is better than ours, therefore, when He tells us to do this and that, we should obey Him. We do so because we trust Him.
Genuine faith = OBEDIENCE.
Take a look at Eve.
God commanded Eve and her husband Adam to eat the fruit of any of the trees, except from the one found in the Tree of Knowledge. But, as we all know, Eve chose to disobey. The Snake attacked using his ability of persuasion, causing Eve to let her guard down and fall into the biggest mistake of mankind. Her disobedience reflected her minimal faith in God's Word.
Whenever we sin, we believe in the lies of the devil and doubt God's character. It goes to show that we don't have absolute confidence in who God is (*insert heart break here*)
In 300, there's the final scene involving Leonidas facing thousands of arrows aimed at him. He chose not to raise his shield up and allow himself be killed. This illustrates the defeat we Christians face when we put our shields down.
Exercise your faith! Do not put your shield down. It serves as our protection from the lies of the devil. When you have faith in God and you believe with confidence that He knows the Way, rest assured, you will not be mislead by the enemy.
Put on the shield of FAITH!
Whilst the shield protects its owner's body, not much is left for the head. This shouldn't be taken lightly because our heads are undeniably one of the most important parts in our bodies. For one, it contains the brain: an organ that basically controls all our movements.
When the head is off, it's definitely GOOD BYE.
Life is definitely filled with disappointments and hardcore distractions, especially for Christians. The enemy is always on the look-out for us and whenever he has the chance, he terrorizes us with lies that make us doubt our identity in Christ.
Don't be swayed by the devil!
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
If you have truly accepted Christ, willing enough to give up everything and carry your own cross for Him, we find comfort in the salvation He has given us. When we surrender our lives to Him, we find forgiveness for our past, protection from our present desires of the flesh and assured that Jesus will return for us in the future.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Focusing on your eternal destiny will protect you from the deceitful lies of the enemy.
Put on the HELMET OF SALVATION!
Now, we have come to the end of the list.
Majority of the parts we have discussed involves our protection from the enemy. This remaining piece of the armor is meant for offensive purposes. Protecting ourselves will never be enough. We must stake our stand and FIGHT! With what?
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...
Ephesians 6:17b
The Sword of the Spirit- our weapon against all attacks.
We are to be the bearers of Light- the ones who hold the Truth about God. The truth, undeniably, shall set those trapped underneath the lies of the devil, FREE.
14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:14-15
Fight the lie with the truth via the guidance of the Spirit. Reflect on your standard of truth, first. Make sure that your grasp of the Word is in line with God. Be steady with your obedience to Him. The Word contains the truth we can use against the Devil so we better make sure that we will use it indefinitely and fight with confidence in the Lord. It is a big benefit whenever we believe and practice what our Father tells us to do.
Use the Sword of the Spirit!
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Ephesians 6:10-11
Ultimately, we can never face this battle alone. We need the guidance of our God. If He is for us, then who can stand against? Feeling scared in facing the battle of life? Never fear for the Lord is here! We should put on the armor He has provided for us and rest assured, He will fight the battle with us. When you have God on your side, you can be assured of a victory for His glory.
When you sense the enemy prowling nearby, don't waste time.
SUIT UP!
Written by: Ashley Petallano (c) 2013
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