159. WHEN GOD SPEAKS YOUR SURVIVAL, GOD’S ARMOUR. Ephesians 6:11

Each day we all battle the world, the flesh and the devil, nobody is immune from these attacks, and each day we fall, why? Because a. we forget, b. time takes priority, or c. our pride says we don’t need it. But it’s not for nothing Paul gives us specific instructions about spiritual armour, why it’s there and how to use it. Here they are, take a good look and understand why they are a must for ourselves and our families before leaving home each day for our jobs, school or starting our days work etc. 1. (Ephesians 6:14) The sturdy belt of truth. During world war 2 a plane flew many miles past its destination because the crew didn’t pay proper attention to the cockpit dials which were telling them they were running early because of the strong tailwinds. (They didn’t look at the truth of the instruments) The crashed plane was found several years later, and the dials were still working perfectly. Check for the truth of God’s Word. You can depend on God’s Word to guide you no matter what. Read it daily and believe it regardless of what your mind or emotions tell you. Put on God’s armour, your going to need it each day. 2. (Ephesians 6:14) The body armour of God’s righteousness” Note it’s God’s righteousness, not yours or mine. We are not saved by trusting our own performance but by Jesus’ performance on the cross. When you know that, God’s righteousness becomes your breastplate protecting your heart from doubts about your salvation. 3. (Ephesians 6:15) “For shoes, put on peace, shoes indicate movement, so don’t expect to hear from God if you are determined to remain barefoot and frozen to the same spot. When you start moving He confirms the rightness or otherwise of the direction of your movement by giving you a sense of peace, see (Colossians 3:15) You know in your ’knower’ when you’re on the right track. When you don’t have peace about it, seek God for further direction. This is particularly important if you are a self-starter who loves what you do. God wants you to have an abiding sense of peace – so don’t proceed without it. 4. Let’s look at the remainder of the gifts which God has provided for us to live victoriously and fight the battles we will encounter. 5. Faith (Ephesians 6:16) You will need Faith for your shield. For what? You may well ask Satan will be sending fiery arrows of doubt about God’s love and faithfulness towards you to snuff out your Faith, but your shield of Faith (Focussing on God’s Word) can snuff out his flaming arrows before they get to you. So that after the battle is over, you will still be able to stand firm. 6. (Ephesians 6:17) “Put on Salvation as your Helmet” Your mind controls your whole body, therefore it needs protection, this helmet does just that. When Satan whispers things like..., “If you were a proper Christian, you wouldn’t have -said that, gone there, or done something else… You repel his attacks by knowing (in your mind) your true identity in Christ – A blood bought, totally forgiven, seen as righteous, Heaven-bound child of God. The Helmet of Salvation, gives you that confidence you need, when you need it most. 7. (Ephesians 6: 17) “Take the Sward of The Spirit which is The Word of God” the word of God referred to here is not “logos” (the written word) but Rhema which means “utterance” it’s using the right scripture at the right time to deal with your current problem. That’s why Satan fights so hard to keep you from regular Bible reading. Three times he attacked Jesus in the Wilderness, and three times Jesus answered “It is written” He demolished Satan with Scripture. The devil can out-argue you and me, but he has no defence against The Word of God. So memorise the Scriptures and use them as a weapon against him. 8. (Ephesians 6:18) “Pray in the Spirit in every situation” Your Spiritual Armour must be put on correctly, otherwise you are vulnerable to defeat at Satan’s hands. So how do you do that? Paul tells us how: “Pray in the spirit in every situation>” Your cloths wardrobe is where you find the clothes you need to wear everyday in the natural world, and your prayer wardrobe is where in the spiritual realm. It’s only through prayer do you become clothed for spiritual warfare, so don’t go in to battle incorrectly dressed for the job. In (Romans 13:14) Paul writes Cloth yourselves with The Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.“ That’s one of the most effective verses in scripture when it comes to winning over temptations Professionals who train dogs to obey, their commands, start by throwing a piece of red meat in front of the dog. The untrained dog immediately goes for it, but eventually the trainer teaches the animal to give him its undivided attention regardless of what has been put in front of it. When the training process is complete the dog will not take its eyes off its master no matter, even when temptation is right under its nose. There is an important lesson here for you and me. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, it wont matter what kind of lie or temptation Satan throws our way. Every now and then we might want to go for it! But if we stay focussed on Jesus, and listen for His voice alone, we will be victorious in the fight and win the battle. Remember, Jesus has already won the War, our job is just to win the battles and we have all the Spiritual Armour of God at our disposal to do just that so use it. It’s Free and dependable. And God will love and bless you for trusting in Him. Thank you for reading my thoughts on How, why and when to dress in your Spiritual Armour. I urge you with Paul, to remain prepared for battle at all times, but especially now, when our world is in so many battles on so many fronts, I pray, Father God, we desperately need Your help and that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, His Holy Spirit power and strength to come, be our help, our protection and guide in the times we have ahead. In Jesus name we pray. ----------------------------------------