In Ephesians chapter six we read of a suit of armor that the believer wears. The CLNT calls it the panoply (every-implement) of God, which is closer to the correct meaning, as a sword and a shield would be considered accessories to the suit of armor.
From Ephesians 6:10-17:
10 "For the rest, brethren mine, be invigorated in the Lord and in the might of His strength.
11 Put on the panoply of God, to enable you to stand up to the stratagems of the Adversary,
12 for it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of
this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.
13 Therefore take up the panoply of God that you may be enabled to withstand in the wicked day, and having effected all, to stand.
14 Stand, then, girded about your loins with truth, with the cuirass of righteousness put on,
15 and your feet sandaled with the readiness of the evangel of peace;
16 with all taking up the large shield of faith, by which you will be able to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the wicked one.
17 And receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is a declaration of God."
These implements are not used as attacking weapons, they are strictly defensive. They are not used to pound the evangel on unsuspecting humans, but are for the believers, to enable them to withstand the stratagems of the Adversary.
In the CLNT Greek-English Keyword Concordance the word "Stratagems" is found under the word "Systematizing", which means: a method of procedure. (Page 296).
The Adversary's method or procedure is to first confuse, and then divide.
Here, in Ephesians, Paul gives us our defense mechanism which will enable every believer to not only withstand the attacks, but to recognize them as well.
Although the armor (panoply) is not literal, Paul uses these implements of armor as a backdrop for the effectiveness of these eight valuable spiritual implements available to everyone who names the Lord as their Savior.
Here is the portion of scripture with the six spiritual implements highlighted, also I will highlight "stand", as this is the position of those ready for defense:
10 For the rest, brethren mine, be invigorated in the Lord and in the might of His strength.
11 Put on the panoply of God, to enable you to stand up to the stratagems of the Adversary,
12 for it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of
this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.
13 Therefore take up the panoply of God that you may be enabled to withstand in the wicked day, and having effected all, to stand.
14 Stand, then, girded about your loins with truth, with the cuirass of righteousness put on,
15 and your feet sandaled with the readiness of the evangel of peace;
16 with all taking up the large shield of faith, by which you will be able to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the wicked one.
17 And receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is a declaration of God.
To these seven highlighted words, I would also add a word from the next verse:
"During every prayer and petition be praying on every occasion (in spirit being vigilant also for it with all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints."
With this we have everything a believer needs; every implement necessary to withstand every and all attacks that come at us as we go on our journey in the Lord.
There are seven spiritual implements; truth, righteousness, evangel of peace, faith, salvation, declaration (word) of God, and prayer.
Bullinger tells us in the appendixes of his Companion Bible, the spiritual significance of the number seven:
"Seven. Denotes spiritual perfection. It is the number or hall-mark of the Holy Spirit's work. He is the Author of God's Word, and seven is stamped on it as the water-mark is seen in the manufacture of paper. He is the Author and Giver of life; and seven is the number which regulates every period of Incubation and Gestation, in insects, birds, animals, and man." (End quote)
Every highlighted word (for the believer) is done by the strength of the Lord for us, His people, it is all His work as He leads us into spiritual perfection, we are the beneficiaries of all He does. Our flesh cannot withstand an attack by the Adversary; only by God's power are we able.
This is seen in verse 10:
"For the rest, brethren mine, be invigorated in the Lord and in the might of His strength."
It is only through His strength will we realize the power and protection of these seven implements that are at our disposal to aid us during times of attack, and for our growth as well.
And we will see it is only when we stand still do we come into the realization that He is the One working in and for us, giving us all that is necessary in our life in Him.
When the Israelites had their back against the Red Sea, and the Egyptian chariots coming for them, Moses told them to do only one thing;
"Stand still"
"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which he will work for you to-day." (Exodus 14:13)
In the next verse we see why they were to stand still:
"Jehovah will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."
Jehovah was their strength, they had no need to fear, they had no need to fight, they only had to stand still and see the salvation of Jehovah.
Paul tells us to:
"Therefore take up the panoply of God that you may be enabled to withstand in the wicked day, and having effected all, to stand." (6:13)
The panoply of God is not "our" panoply it is "God's" panoply, we are only exhorted to put it on and stand.
The result (effect) of the whole panoply of God is to enable us to stand. But in order to stand we must have the whole panoply, every implement. To have just one or two, or six implements would not be enough to stand unscathed from the Adversary; all are necessary.
Only when we are standing still can we see (realize) that all power is from God. He is the One who is working; we are the spectators; just as Israel were spectators at the Red Sea. As we stand He works, and as He works we watch and learn of the power we have in Him. This power is not a power to pillage or conquer; it is the power of peace that comes from a Saviour who gives us His peace. This is the purpose of the armor of God, to give the wearer peace in times of turmoil, and to witness His salvation.
Many think this armor enables them to attack the ways of the Adversary, to chase him around the universe: I heard a televangelist tell his viewer's: "we got the devil on the run," but that is not the case, he has most Christians on the run, as most do not realize the purpose of the panoply of God.
God's armor enables us to withstand the Adversary, and the only way anyone can withstand is to stand.
Paul tells us to: "Put on the panoply of God, to enable you to stand up to the stratagems of the Adversary." (6:11).
So not only are we to stand, but we are to stand up to the stratagems of the Adversary.
To stand up means to not back down, but to hold your ground, not to take chase or overcome, but to not be overcome. And this is only accomplished by putting on God's panoply, because it is by His strength that we stand and stand up to the stratagems of the Adversary.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58:
"Now thanks be to God, Who is giving us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. So that, my beloved brethren, become settled, unmovable (standing firm), superabounding in the work of the Lord always, being aware that your toil is not for naught in the Lord."
Again, here in 1 Corinthians Paul reminds us to become settled, unmovable, as this is not our work we are superabounding in, it is the work of the Lord always.
It is not easy to stand, yet it is the first thing we are asked to do after we put on the panoply of God. As we stand it is as if we are doing labor (toiling), using every implement of the panoply of God to withstand, but while we are standing we are being: "invigorated in the Lord and in the might of His strength." (6:10)
So now, with the whole armor (panoply) of God we can stand firm, and begin to see and realize the power of the seven spiritual implements of God for us, causing us to be able to withstand every attack from the Adversary, but again, this is only realized as we stand.
You cannot put up a picket line around spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.
Today it seems that most Christians believe their armor is best used at an anti abortion rally, or an anti gay rights movement. Many believe they should fight against government that does not believe as they do. This is not our fight, as Paul tells us:
"Put on the panoply of God, to enable you to stand up to the stratagems of the Adversary, for it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials." (6:11-12)
Our enemy is not flesh and blood, actually the opposite is true.
We are not to consider anyone an enemy, we are to pray for all:
"I am entreating, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, pleadings, thanksgiving be made for all mankind, for kings and all those being in a superior station, that we may be leading a mild and quiet life in all devoutness and gravity, for this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our Saviour, God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
Our enemy is unseen, one that works behind the scene, one not only focused on a fallen human race, but focused on attempting to corrupt the truth revealed to all who are now in Christ. To rob them of their freedom in Christ, to rob them of the grace and salvation that has been bestowed on them by God through Christ, to rob them of their operation in Christ. Our enemy does not wear a robe or a crown, does not live is a palace or government building, or hold hands with the same gender. Our enemy tells us to hate those who we are to pray for.
This is how deceptive our Adversary is, he will use any means for the believer to put down one or all of their spiritual implements, which then allows him to infiltrate the truth waiting to be revealed, or corrupt the truth already known, one being; pray for all mankind, not fight against them.
Those who war against flesh and blood, do so unarmed. They have unknowingly abandoned the truth in Christ; they have set aside the panoply of God, and replaced it with the armor of flesh and the traditions of a religion that has long ago forgotten their ministry in Christ.
This does not mean they have lost their salvation, they can't, they are secure in Christ. This means they have opened the way for deception to slowly make its way into their understanding. There is a reason why all believers do not believe all truth; they are focused on an earthly warfare, a war they are not to fight. They are trapped by the Adversary, as Paul tells us in 2 Timothy:
"Now a slave of the Lord must not be fighting, but be gentle toward all, apt to teach, bearing with evil, with meekness training those who are antagonizing, seeing whether God may be giving them repentance to come into a realization of the truth, and they will be sobering up out of the trap of the Adversary, having been caught alive by him, for that one's will." (2:24-26)
We wrestle; "with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials." (6:12) None of these have a face, none of these are flesh and blood, they are far more powerful than anything a human can conjure up, and the only way we can resist is with the entire panoply of God. Once this is realized we can do only what is required for our defense; stand, with every implement of the panoply of God working for us against every stratagem of the Adversary, and every sovereignty, and all authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.
A SPIRITUAL BLESSING
In Ephesians 1:3 Paul tells us:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the celestials, in Christ."
We are to put our focus, not on worldly blessings, but on our lasting blessings, those that are among the celestials.
Contraire to popular teachings we are not promised health, wealth on this planet by God. Many of the believers in Christ barely make ends meet, and many do not at all. Many suffer from illnesses, and loss, and the Adversary would have us to believe that we are a failure if we do not have all we can imagine while we live our lives here and now, so, many focus on the tangibles. It is not that paying the bills, feeding the family and having a nest egg is an unscriptural teaching, but, building an empire at the expense of spiritual maturity often is the cause of a life of worry and bondage.
Paul tells us:
"Now my God shall be filling your every need in accord with His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)
Jesus said:
"Do not hoard for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and corrosion are causing them to disappear, and where thieves are tunneling and stealing. Yet hoard for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor corrosion are causing them to disappear, and where thieves are not tunneling nor stealing; for wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
The Adversary knows this, he knows Christ will supply our every need, so the Adversary will tell us what we want, turning our focus from Christ' promise of fulfilling what we need. The Adversary also knows that where our treasure is, that is where our heart will be also, so he will make earthly desires more inviting. Do not think this is not true, even those who seek knowledge in the things of the Lord are susceptible to the subtle nudging of the Adversary.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:11:
"Lest we may be overreached by Satan, for we are not ignorant of the things he apprehends."
And in chapter 11:3:
"Yet I fear lest somehow, as the serpent deludes Eve by its craftiness, your apprehensions should be corrupted from the singleness and pureness which is in Christ."
The panoply of God not only protects us from these stratagems of the Adversary, it strengthens us for our celestial destiny and promises.
It is God: "Who rescues us out of the jurisdiction of Darkness, and transports us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (Colossians 1:13), where we come to know the spiritual blessing we have in Christ.
The panoply of God will keep our focus on the love we have in Christ, the protection we have in God, and every spiritual blessing we have in the celestials as well.
So, now, as we take up the panoply of God we see it is a blessing, one that is not seen by the natural eye, nor can it be comprehended by those who are not believers, it does not produce so called soulish blessings, but protects us from them, and brings us into focus with what we have coming, so that we will:
"Be disposed to that which is above, not to that on the earth, for you died, and your life is hid together with Christ in God. Whenever Christ, our Life, should be manifested, then you also shall be manifested together with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:2-4)
"Stand, then, girded about your loins with truth."
In the Concordant Greek-English Keyword Concordance truth=that which corresponds with the actual facts, in contrast to the false.
In order to know the truth you have to dig for the facts, to just accept any teaching from any teacher without searching on your own will not benefit you when the attacks come, truth is revealed to the one who diligently seeks it out, and as we search truths out we are laying a foundation that will sustain against the stratagems of the Adversary, this is why truth is first on the list of spiritual implements, because without truth there is instability.
When Jesus was tried by the Adversary He spoke truth every time the Adversary tried Him, He withstood him with the truth, so it is with us.
We can only stand up to the first attack by knowing truth.
"Your dead loved one, who never received Jesus, is in hell with me now, in horrible torments, and will be that way for eternity," were Satan's words to a grieving parent. She could do nothing but sob and shake with the thought that she failed to save her daughter from the fate she now is experiencing.
Is that the relief truth would give a grieving parent? A truth that her daughter, and Satan were far more powerful than the Jesus she accepted at the alter call thirty five years earlier. A truth that after the first attack dropped her to the ground in tears and torments.
Remember what truth is?
"That which corresponds with the actual facts."
Jesus says in John 8:31-32:
"If ever you should be remaining in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will be making you free."
Truth is freedom.
"Now the Lord is the spirit; yet where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17)
Freedom from an Adversary whose only desire is to cause us to believe the false concerning Christ Jesus and all He has accomplished for mankind.
Paul wrote this concerning the strength of truth:
"For we are not able for anything against the truth, but for the sake of the truth." (2 Corinthians 13:8)
Young's Literal puts it this way:
"For we are not able to do anything against the truth, but for the truth."
The first half of that verse can also be applied to the Adversary; he can do nothing against the truth. When truth is spoken he can only leave, but there are still six other spiritual implements of the panoply of God that are vital to withstanding the stratagems of the Adversary, and just because we know truth, does not mean he will stop trying.
It is because we know truth he continues his attacks on the believers. And the reason for this is Paul's words to the believers in Ephesians 4:20-25:
"Now you did not thus learn Christ, since, surely, Him you hear, and by Him were taught (according as the truth is in Jesus), to put off from you, as regards your former behavior, the old humanity which is corrupted in accord with its seductive desires, yet to be rejuvenated in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new humanity which, in accord with God, is being created in righteousness and benignity of the truth. Wherefore, putting off the false, let each be speaking the truth with his associate, for we are members of one another."
Those who have truth, share truth. They are not ashamed of the truth; because the truth brings peace of mind, especially when the false is past off as truth, bringing only sorrow and torment.
Every believer has the spirit of truth in them, Jesus assures us of that:
"And I shall be asking the Father, and He will be giving you another consoler, that it, indeed, may be with you for the eon -- the spirit of truth, which the world can not get, for it is not beholding it, neither is knowing it. Yet you know it, for it is remaining with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17)
It is only when we come to realize this will we be led into truth, and know truth, because the spirit of truth will lead us into truth.
Now that the Adversary cannot twist the truth we have, he next attacks righteousness.
"Stand........with the cuirass of righteousness."
Some versions have instead of cuirass, the breastplate of righteousness. This is not at all adequate, as the Adversary almost never attacks from the front. A cuirass protects both the front and the back.
During the time of Adam and the days of Job the Adversary attacked a believer straight on, you knew he was there, you saw the devastation caused by him. Today he is far more subtle, he performs his work in a cloak of righteousness, a misinterpreted verse here, an added unscriptural word there, a false teaching or tradition replacing the truth, and over the course of several centuries he has accomplished his work.
Paul confirms this in 2 Corinthians:
"For such are false apostles, fraudulent workers, being transfigured into apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is being transfigured into a messenger of light. It is no great thing, then, if his servants also are being transfigured as dispensers of righteousness -- whose consummation shall be according to their acts." (11:13-15)
Who would be a dispenser of righteousness?
Answer:
Someone who believes in their own righteousness, their own acts.
Someone who believes: "Undertaking in spirit, are you (you are) now being completed in flesh" (Galatians 3:3)
The righteousness we have is not our own self righteousness, it is the righteousness of Christ Jesus, that we have in Him.
"For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sakes that we may be becoming God's righteousness in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
The Adversary would have us believe that it is our own righteousness that keeps us, and made us worthy of salvation, this is why he attacks righteousness next. Although we have truth, we do not have all truth, and this belief of many concerning our own righteousness is visible, as it is what we and others see and hear by our acts and by our words. How many times has a believer felt unworthy of their salvation due to some flaw (or multiple flaws) in them that they cannot seem to rid themselves of? Our own self-imposed righteousness will never stand against the stratagems of the Adversary, we have to see ourselves in the righteousness of Christ Jesus, because our desire for righteousness can take far longer to manifest than our understanding of truth. The Adversary knows this; Adam and Eve knew they were not to eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but their flesh had yet to catch up to the truth.
Paul knew our weakness in this area of our walk, he was once a self-righteous Pharisee, knowing God, but doing things that were against God's word.
"But, to be sure, I am also deeming all to be a forfeit because of the superiority of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, because of Whom I forfeited all, and am deeming it to be refuse, that I should be gaining Christ, and may be found in Him, not having my righteousness, which is of law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is from God for faith." (Philippians 3:8-9)
What did Paul forfeit? His Pharisee self righteousness, in other words: his religion that outwardly made him very pious, but inwardly took him away from God, making his flesh his god, all the while quenching the spirit of righteousness.
Righteousness, according to the Concordant Greek-English Concordance=the quality or state of being righteous, the status of one who is justified.
That knowledge alone will strengthen the believer as he/she stands up to the attacks of the Adversary. To be justified is being reckoned not guilty, so when we are attacked on our status in Christ, we don't look to ourselves to see if we measure up, we look to Christ and see ourselves in Him:
"If, then, you died together with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as living in the world, are you subject to decrees: "You should not be touching, nor yet tasting, nor yet coming into contact," (which things are all for corruption from use), in accord with the directions and teachings of men? -- which are (having, indeed, an expression of wisdom in a willful ritual and humility and asceticism) not of any value toward the surfeiting of the flesh. If, then, you were roused together with Christ, be seeking that which is above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Be disposed to that which is above, not to that on the earth, for you died, and your life is hid together with Christ in God." (Colossians 2:20-23, 3:1-3)
That is the Adversary's line to condemn a believer: "You should not be touching, nor yet tasting, nor yet coming into contact." That line alone has brought more guilt and confusion, unrest and fear, and robbed more believers of their freedom in Christ then any other, as it draws our attention to ourselves, and away from the One we are secure in.
"Yet to him who is not working, yet is believing on Him Who is justifying the irreverent, his faith is reckoned for righteousness." (Romans 4:5)
Now, with all that being said, this does mot mean we do not perform acts of righteousness, or shun them, this only means that we are not kept, or saved by them. We all, who believe, believe because of the grace of God:
"Yet God, being rich in mercy, because of His vast love with which He loves us (we also being dead to the offenses and the lusts), vivifies us together in Christ (in grace are you saved!) and rouses us together and seats us together among the celestials, in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-6).
And this all happened before the disruption of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
So as we stand up to the stratagems of the Adversary (and the spiritual forces of wickedness) we stand in the righteousness of Christ, we look to Him in us, and not to ourselves. That drives the Adversary and his minions away, but he is not finished; he will next attack our evangel that saves us and gives us peace.
"Stand...with your feet sandaled with the readiness of the evangel of peace."
We have the evangel of peace, and life. Our message not only brings hope to the hopeless, but an expectation for all. Our evangel is not one that threatens, or places those who do not believe in a cauldron of fire and torment. Our evangel brings peace to all, to those who believe it now, and to those who do not believe it now.
When the angel appeared to the shepherds it said:
"Fear not, for lo! I am bringing you an evangel of great joy which will be for the entire people." (Luke 2:10)
Shortly after this proclamation the heavens opened up and a multitude of heavenly hosts, praising God said:
"Glory to God among the Highest! And on earth peace, among men, delight!"
That is what our evangel brings to all mankind.
The sign at the local church read: "Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace."
I can guarantee that congregation has no need to worry about the stratagems of the Adversary. He will not bother with those who are proclaiming a teaching he prescribes to. Our evangel is not a line in the sand, or a threat. There is no: "Turn or burn" in the evangel of Jesus Christ. Our evangel saves, and brings peace to all who hear it. The reason there are so many people who do not yet believe is they have never heard the true evangel. They have heard the threat and it goes like this:
"God loves you, and Jesus paid the price for your sins. If you repent of your ways and believe in Jesus, you will be admitted into heaven. If you refuse, you will be damned for eternity in hell, where you will be tormented by demons, as the Devil watches and laughs, gloating over his victory."
The evangel of peace is the opposite.
The evangel of peace brings peace to all that hear it. It first brings peace to the believer, because it reveals the truth of Jesus Christ' sacrifice for all mankind:
"For this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our Saviour, God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all (the testimony in its own eras)." (1 Timothy 2:3-6)
Our (the believers) era has come:
"Lo! Now is a most acceptable era! Lo! Now is a day of salvation!"
We, who are chosen to believe in this era, believe. We are the believers in this era, the rest of mankind will believe as Paul says: "the testimony in its own eras," later.
The meaning of the word testimony = in the law, testimony is a form of evidence that is obtained from a witness who makes a solemn statement or declaration of fact. Testimony may be oral or written, and it is usually made by oath or affirmation under penalty of perjury.
The evangel of peace is based on facts, not tradition. We who believe the evangel of peace must present the facts or we will be found guilty of perjury, and the fact is:
"God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all (the testimony in its own eras)."
What peace that brings to all humanity. Even an atheist will get peace from that message; he/she may not believe it, but peace they will get from hearing it. Yet most Christians do not get much peace from the message they proclaim, they can't, because there is no peace in it. No peace for their unbelieving friends and family. And if and when they die without Christ, only torment for the unbeliever as well as the believer who lost their lost loved ones. And the mental anguish for the believer who has lost an unbelieving family member only ends when they die.
We, who believe the evangel of peace, although we undergo attacks form both the Adversary, and many in Christendom, stand ready with the evangel of peace, as Paul tells us:
"Faithful is the saying and worthy of all welcome (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers. These things be charging and teaching." (1 Timothy 4:9-11)
We have the evangel of peace, the reconciliation of all, and with that we rely on the living God Who is the Saviour of all mankind. And with this evangel we are able to stand up to the stratagems of the Adversary, because we know our evangel is true, and our Saviour is the Saviour of all, at present it is believed by; especially believers, but in its own era's this testimony will save all mankind, that is how powerful it is. This is something the Adversary would rather most would not believe so he attacks those who do, and leaves those who don't alone, and lets them prosper in the traditions.
To those who have the evangel of peace, they know that the Adversary will not conquer them or mankind, because it is the testimony of God and Christ, so now they stand in readiness to proclaim it, and now they ready themselves for the attack on their faith.
Right in the middle of these spiritual implements is faith. Before faith is mentioned we have; Truth, Righteousness and the Evangel of Peace, after faith we have Salvation, a Declaration of God and Prayer.
Paul tells us:
"With all taking up the large shield of faith, by which you will be able to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the wicked one."
David wrote concerning the Shield of God:
"Yahweh is my Strength and my Shield; In Him has my heart trusted, and I have been helped." (Psalm 28:7)
"Yet You, O Yahweh, have been a shield about me, my Glory, and the One raising up my head." (Psalm 3:3)
Agur wrote in Proverbs 30:5:
"Every word of God is refined; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him."
God is our Shield, our refuge, our help, the Giver of faith, according to Paul in Romans 12:3: "as God parts to each the measure of faith." And our faith is the faith of Christ Jesus, as Christ is: "the Inaugurator and Perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:2) We don't muster up faith, it is already ours, and that is from God, and perfected by Christ.
We read this in Galatians 2:20:
"With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ. Now that which I am now living in flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me."
How we live in our flesh is seen as living in the faith that is of the Son of God, Christ. We may not see it that way at times, and others will definitely not see it most of the time, but God sees it that way all the time. The Adversary will point out how scant our faith is, and will fire accusations at us, trying to discredit our position in Christ by our walk, comparing us to others, or to Christ, showing to us our utter hopelessness and helplessness to measure up to what others say we are to be in Christ, but God the giver, and Christ the perfector of our faith, are also the protectors of our faith.
I heard a man say his faith is challenged every day. He didn't qualify what he meant, but the conversation was to do with lust, and greed, that many fall prey to, so I have to assume he was speaking about "his" faith, and the weakness of it.
If we look to "our" faith, it falters daily, and at times hourly, we have to see ourselves in Christ, relying on His faith, as that is how God sees us; in Christ. This is the how and why the Shield (God) of faith (Christ's faith) are able to quench "ALL" the fiery arrows of the wicked one. It is not by "our" faith, or our strength. We may be able to take a hit or two, but when the gloves come off, and we rely on our faith, we don't have the strength to withstand, or as David said: "raise our head." It is only when we rely on the faith of Christ and the Shield of God do we have the faith by which we are able to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the wicked one.
Paul does not say some of the fiery arrows are extinguished, he says "ALL" the fiery arrows are extinguished. Nothing can penetrate the Shield of God that protects the believer who is living in/of the faith of the Son of God, Christ Jesus. Every fiery arrow will be extinguished for those who look to Him, and rely on Him for protection at all times.
The Adversary likes nothing more than to limit salvation, and by that, he will try to convince those in Christ that they can lose their salvation. That this is true can be seen by the many denominations that teach and preach your salvation is in your hands. Jesus is the way, but you have to make your way to Him, and walk the straight and narrow to realize the completion of your salvation. Those who believe that and teach it obviously do not wear the helmet of salvation, because if they did they would have been able to withstand the blows to the head and realize they are saved always no matter what.
Could anyone convince a stable minded believer that they were not saved if they believed that Christ saved them?
Apparently they can, as there are many who teach they can lose their salvation.
Here, the adversary can be a false doctrine, a doctrine that attempts to strip a believer of their salvation in Christ, a doctrine that makes Christ a potential Saviour instead of what He is; The Savior.
The helmet is the spiritual implement that keeps our thoughts from wandering and wondering concerning or salvation, as well as many other truths in the scriptures.
Religion has made its living by convincing immature believers of the necessity of keeping oneself saved. I was told thirty five years ago that if I did not get into a church I would soon stray and find myself on the road to hell (exact words). I (thank God) saw through the sham and saw that my salvation had nothing to do with me, and everything to do with Christ and God. Paul was my example; he was saved while he was on his way to arrest believers in Christ. He was not looking for, and never asked for salvation. He said no sinner's prayer, he asked one question: "Who are You Lord?" The Lord answered: "I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting." I remember saying to myself: "wait a second, Paul was persecuting believers, not Jesus," and then it hit me, I am in Christ Jesus and He is in me, there is no way I can ever lose my salvation, as it would be like losing yourself when you are looking at yourself in a mirror, impossible."
Here is a verse to stand on when you are threatened as I was:
"In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in M e, and I in you." (John 14:20)
I then realized I was wearing the helmet of salvation, a helmet that the pastor who came to our home to warn me of my impending doom if I did not get to church, had not worn yet.
If you are uncertain of your salvation, do not listen to the many who will bind you by and with tradition, the sure way to know you are saved is through the declaration of God (God's word), the next implement of our spiritual armor.
"Stand...with the sword of the spirit, which is a declaration of God."
Paul wrote in Hebrews:
"For the word of God is living and operative, and keen above any two-edged sword, and penetrating up to the parting of soul and spirit, both of the articulations and marrow, and is a judge of the sentiments and thoughts of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
Today we have the whole word of God which we call the Bible. As a believer we all should spend as much time as is possible reading and studying the scriptures. This does not mean that we "have to" read and study, but in order to know the why and what of your belief it is recommended.
This I believe is the most effective implement in our armor, the word of God, we need all to withstand, but because the word of God is the one implement that the Adversary will twist, and make what isn't truth sound as if it is. He can twist it so it appeals to the soul, but the spirit starves for truth.
As Paul tells us; we are not warring against flesh and blood, we do not have the spiritual armor to fight against it:
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For, walking in flesh, we are not warring according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful to God toward the pulling down of bulwarks; pulling down reckonings and every height elevating itself against the knowledge of God, and leading into captivity every apprehension into the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
The Adversary would have us look to soulish matters, things that are fleshly, things that keep us from standing in the Lord, things that draw us out of the panoply of God. The sword of the spirit, the word of God, brings us into the celestial realm of our defense, focusing our attention on all things Christ.
As with salvation, the word of God is something we receive from God ("receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is a declaration of God"), he provides it, and He provides it so we may stand up to all that would try and rob us of our security in Him, and that may be our own imaginations of scriptural truth that will often turn our eyes toward our flesh. If we are not immersed in the truth from the scriptures we will find ourselves falling into all sorts of trappings that will try and rob us of not only our peace, but our salvation as well.
The word of God will always keep our spirit Godward, revealing to us all that He has given us, and what our expectation is in Him. The word of God brings us closer to Him than anything else except possibly prayer, which brings us into His presence.
"Praying on every occasion."
Prayer brings us into the presence of God.
Some would say that prayer is not one of the spiritual implements in the panoply of God because it has no implement of armor to describe it like the girdle of truth, or the cuirass of righteousness, the sandal of the evangel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the word of God. But of all the spiritual implements only prayer lifts us into His realm, strengthening us, encouraging us as well as others that we bring before Him in prayer.
When we pray we are acknowledging all is of God, the Provider of all, the Knower of all, the Creator of all. When we pray we then become an implement of God, one that is used in the defense against the Adversary as we pray for others, as well as ourselves, who are under attack. Paul continues in Ephesians 6 saying:
"During every prayer and petition be praying on every occasion (in spirit being vigilant also for it with all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints, and for me), that to me expression may be granted, in the opening of my mouth with boldness, to make known the secret of the evangel."
Perseverance=steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
While standing up against the stratagems of the Adversary and spiritual wickedness in high places we need to be in constant contact with God, prayer is our direct line to Him; as His word is speaking to us, we speak with Him through prayer.
With these seven spiritual implements: Truth, Righteous, Evangel, Faith, Salvation, Word of God, and Prayer the believer is well equipped to stand up against the stratagems of the Adversary, world mights of this darkness and with spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.
Only with this panoply of God is anyone able to stand, without it we will struggle at every turn. Without it we will be at war with an enemy that knows our flesh better than we know ourselves. An enemy who will try to rob us of every spiritual blessing among the celestials.
Every one of these spiritual implements is of God, not one has to do with our own ability. He causes us to stand, and He brings us to pray, He reveals to us truth, and He imparts to us His righteousness, He has given us the evangel which brings to us His salvation now and in the oncoming eons, and He has imparted to all of us a measure of faith, and everything He has done, is doing, and will do He has shown us in His word.
Paul tells us the outcome; the victory:
"Now the God of peace will be crushing Satan under your feet swiftly. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!" (Romans 16:20)
Put on the panoply of God, to enable you to stand up to the stratagems of the Adversary.
Rick
Continued.
(Taken from Daily Thoughts From The Scriptures)
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