"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 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, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." (Ephesians 6: 10-18 ).
¤ Shield of Faith: (Eph 6:6, 1Peter 1:3-5, Heb 11:1).
The greek word for faith is 'Pistis' meaning 'conviction of the truth of anything; belief.' Faith in God is:
• Trusting in God's word as truth.
• Trusting that God will provide for our needs.
• Trusting that God will protect us from the evil one.
• Believing that God is with us and lives in us, though we may not see Him.
• Believing that Christ's sacrifice paid the penalty for our sins, reconciling us to God.
• Believing that through faith, we have Christ's authority over evil powers. (Hebrews 12:2)
You can ask Jesus to help you overcome doubt. Note that, believing the devil's lies is putting faith into them and opening the door for the devil to influence us. This is negative faith. Thus our faith must be based on the truth of the word of God.
How the shield quenches the fiery darts of the Devil:
The fiery darts i.e. temptations, seek to inflame our sinful desires (such as Lust of the flesh, Lust of the eyes, and the pride of Life) by stirring up our thoughts of fulfilling those desires. If our faith is effectively operating, the enemy's temptation will not be able to inflame sinful desires in us, because we don't believe the lies behind them.
Actions to put on the Effective shield (2 Cor 4: 13-14 ):
Our spoken words of faith set the shield into place.
• Reaffirm your faith in the Lord each day by saying words like ''Lord God, I believe that you are the Lord of Heaven and earth, and the creator of all things. I trust in You for my provision, protection, and life today. I take up the shield of faith today and believe that it quenches every fiery darts of the enemy.''
• Daily intake of God's word, and using to destroy the incoming lies (John 8: 31-32 ) behind every temptation you face.
• Ask for God's strength to perfect your faith in any area that it is weak. ''Heavenly Father, I believe that with You nothing is impossible. I believe, Lord, but please help me overcome any unbelief I have, especially in the areas of __, __, __.. I recieve your perfection of my faith right now in Jesus name. Thank you Father. Amen.''
¤ Helmet of Salvation:
The devil seeks to persuade us to sin because it will increase his own power and influence in the world through our minds. Jesus authors our faith, while our minds form it and put it into action. We should be aware that the power of faith can be used for sinful purposes and Satan seeks to harness that power. Thus the mind is important (Matthew 17:30).
Satan tactics against the mind which is designed to weaken our faith, ruin our discernment, and corrupt our thoughts (1 Timothy 2:26); decieve with false doctrine (2 Cor 11:3) like smooth talk and flattery to decieve the mind (Romans 16:18); deceitful scheming through the cunning and craftness (Ephesians 4:14); distracts with carnal interests (by combo of lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life (1 John 2: 15-17 ). An earthly mindset weakens our devotion to God and causes us to be unfaithful for God's Kingdom (Romans 8:5-7), for example sexual temptations (Proverbs 6: 23-29 ).
How the Helmet of Salvation Protects our Minds:
This helmet function by the peace of God, which is engaged when our minds are focusd on God, and trusting in Him (Philipains 4:6-7, Isaiah 26:3). The helmet, like the other pieces of amour is dependent on our faith in God, and His promises.
How to put on the Helmet:
• Put it on by faith, believing that you truely have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16, Hebrews 10:16) by saying words like ''I put on the helmet of salvation which protects my mind from the enemy's attacks. I have the mind of Christ.''
• Focus your thoughts on God instead of sinful things (Colossians 3:2) which basically involves the redirecting our thoughts towards God and/or Godly things whenever we are tempted (E.g, speaking Bible verses, singing, picturing Jesus on the cross and saying ''The blood of Jesus covers me.''). And don't delay in thought shifting.
• Direct your requests to God through prayer. By taking our requests to God, we enable God's perfect peace to protect our mind and heart (Philipians 4:6-7). (Our prayers should always include thanking God for who He is and what He has done in our lives).
¤ Breastplate of Righteousness (Ephesians 6:14):
Greek word for righteousness is 'Dikaiosune' meaning ''doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God; integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feelings, and acting,i.e. condition acceptable to God.'' We can only reach this condition through faith in Jesus Christ. In exchange for faith, God counts us as righteous (being acceptable in His sight (Philipians 3:8-9). Its a combo of the perfect righteousness God imparts on us and our obedience to His commands for living (which proves that our hearts are in agreement with God and that our faith is genuine).
How the Breastplate works:
By believing in Jesus, we recieve all the power and benefits of being righteous in God's sight. If we don't believe that we have God's righteousness, then our breastplate will be ineffective. Also, the blood of Jesus, spiritually washes us clean from our sins (Hebrews 9:14; 10:12, John 14:30).
How to put on the Breastplate:
It is done through faith by speaking it. Words like ''I put on the breastplate of righteousness. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and saviour. I am clothed with God's righteousness which protects my heart from the enemy. All footholds that the devil had in me have been washed away by the blood of Jesus. I am no longer clothed with filthy garments, but rather with rich robes of righteousness (Zechariah 3). The righteousness of God covers me and protects me from the enemy.''
How to maintain the Breastplate:
• Obey God's command for living (out of loving appreciation for what Jesus did for us (Romans 6:19). God gives us power to live obediently through the Holy spirit (Romans 8:11,13).
• Live in love. Love is the key activity by which we live for righteeousness (Galatians 5:14, Collosians 3: 12-14 ). By showing God's love to others, we will grow in righteousness towards holiness. When we combine our faith with living in love, our breastplate is strong, like an alloy of two metals.
¤ Belt of Truth (Eph 6:14, John 8: 31-32 ):
A christain survival in the world requires a firm grounding in the absolute truth of the Bible.
• Sanctification: sets us apart from people who don't follow God (John 17:17). To Sanctify means to set apart for a special purpose and to purify. The truth help us stay on mission for God and avoid falling back into sin's corruption.
• Guidance: Holy spirit uses the truth to guide us in whatever situation we are in (John 16:13).
• Intelligence and Discernment: God's truth helps us decisively recognise the devil's lies in spiritual conflicts (Hebrews 4:12).
• Battle readiness (1 Kings 18:46, 2 Kings 4:29, 2 Samuel 20:8): The belt helps for firm support of the garment and place for attachment of weapons (Prayer, Praise, Sword of the Spirit, etc.)
How to put on the Belt each day:
• Speak it: say words like ''I put on the belt of truth. I believe that God's word is truth and I fill my mind with God's word. I have the Holy spirit living in me, who will guide me in truth. The truth enables me to discern the devil's lies and avoid being take captive to his will.''
• Study the word (John 17:17, John 8: 32-32 ).
• Ask God to remind you of the truth (John 14:17, 26). By praying thus; ''Heavenly Father, please remind me of your word today and guide me in truth by the Holy Spirit. Please help me hear, know, and obey your voice in every situation. Please strengthen my abilities to retain and recall your word as it applies to the situations I face. Thank You Heavenly Father, In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.''
How to Maintain the Belt:
This can be done by keeping our hearts pliable and obedient to God by clinging to His word. Note that the truth can be corrupted by sin we commit and tolerate in our lives (1 Kings 2:5, 1 John 1:7).
¤ Battle Shoes, i.e. Readiness to Preach The Gospel of Peace (Ephesians 6:15):
Battle shoes are for protection, support, traction, performance, and comfort. The spiritual footwear that comes from the gospel of few gives us the firm-footed stability, promptness, and readiness we'll need to face our agile adversaries. Gospel of peace refers to the peace we have with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2, Isaiah 53:5, Colosians 1:20, Ephesians 2: 13-22 ).
Putting On The Battle Shoes:
• Speak it by saying words like ''I shed my feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. I have peace with God through faith in Jesus and have access to God. I have His resources at my disposal for the battle I may face today. Father, please guide my footsteps and secure me on your path of righteousness today. Thank You Father.''
• Learn God's word.
• Don't be anxious about anything, but take all your needs and concerns to God in Prayer (Philipians 4:6-7).
¤ Sword Of The Spirit (Eph 6:17):
The sword is formed by speaking God's word. The greek words for the word of God are: ''Logos, meaning word of God--written form (John 1:1-5, 14)'' and ''Rhema, meaning the spoken word of God-sword of the spirit .
How to use the Sword:
• Standing in faith on the word God has given us for our particular situation and confessing it in the face of the enemy's attacks.
• Speaking or singing scriptures that applies to the situation we are facing (John 8: 31-32 , Psalm 119 : 160 , Proverb 18:21).
• Praying the word (Acts 4: 24-31 ).
• Preaching the word (Acts 13: 38-43 ).
• Answering questions using the word (Acts 13: 46-48 ).
• Daily training through daily quiet times, memorizing key verses..
¤ Prayer In The Spirit (Eph 6:18, Jude 20-21 ):
Our part is to pray ''always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit'' and ''to be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints (2 Corinthians 10:5). Supplication means asking humbly or earnestly as by praying. When we pray, we should do so earnestly in humility, inviting the Holy Spirit to work in the situation as God wills. Then, the spirit intercedes for us and plead on our behalf according to God's will (Romans 8: 26-27 ). Praying in the spirit perfects our prayer, and takes our case directly before God, and it increases the effectiveness of prayer for others, as well as alligns our prayer with God's will.
Conclusion:
Satan does not concern himself with the world. He is not interested in them because they are already headed down the broad path of destruction. Those who do not believe in Christ do not need persuasion to sin. They are already held captive by the god of this world (II Cor 4:4). Spiritual attacks seem to most frequently occur at times of personal growth in a believer, when a Christian is overcoming a major sin or addiction, and when they are sharing their faith in Jesus Christ with others.
The full armor of God—truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer—are the tools God has given us, through which we can be spiritually victorious, overcoming Satan's attacks and temptations.
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