Put on the Armor of God

Put on the Armor of God and win the battle against evilMost Christians only read their Bibles when their backs are up against the wall and pray when we feel like it, or read their Bibles when there is nothing better to watch on TV, we possess very little knowledge of our Enemy or his methods against us. Satan wants to blind us to the Gospel so he can have your spirit for all Eternity.  If you are a Christian, Satan has a plan to destroy your faith, you family, and your future. But where is this primary battlefield for the struggle for life and death taking place?  It is not in your home, or church but the battlefield for spiritual warfare is our mind. The fact is that we are not prepared for the battle. Paul is talking about a soldier who is alert and armed for the battle in which he is fighting:Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power (strength) of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the (schemes) wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle (our battle) 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. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to (resist) withstand in the evil day, and having done (everything) all, to stand firm.14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.Philippians 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are (honorable) noble, whatever things are (right) just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any excellence (virtue) and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate (think, dwell) on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”It is by what you think about that you receive the supernatural peace of God.  It makes sense that if God is influences us through our thoughts, then Satan also is going to influence us through our thoughts.Sin infected every one of us, we all had been wired to rebel against God. But when you become a Christian, trusting in Jesus Christ as our Savior, God puts a brand-new wiring system, the Holy Spirit in us. You have now a new set of desires – if God says yes, you want to say yes and if God says no, you want to say no.  But there is that constant battle according to Galatians 5.  Satan speaks to us through TV, other people – Christians and non-Christians, Matthew 16: 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Jesus realized that Peter was simply been used by Satan to voice an invitation to disobedience to God.  Sometimes God will use a friend or a pastor to voice His message of disobedience to you.  That is why we need to carefully evaluate every message that comes to you through people, but how can I know if it is God who is speaking through this person or Satan? Therefore ask yourself:

• Are these words spoken to you true? John 8:44 … for he (Satan) is a liar and the father of lies”.
• Do these words motivate me to faith of fear? 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”.  If somebody speaks words to you that question the goodness, the power, the love of God – that is Satan communicating his thoughts to you.  Do these words motivate me to faith or to fear?
• Do these words affirm or contradict the teaching of Scripture? Eve believed Satan’s words was best for her life more than God knows what was best for her life. Carefully evaluate every word that is spoken to us.

Random thoughts that comes to your mind that is so sinful and evil, this is simply Satan or his demons speaking to us as Christians. 1 Chronicles 21:1  Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it.” 3 And Joab answered, “May the Lord make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?”  David got this idea one day to ask Joab to count to see how many troops they have. What was wrong with that? God told David “do not do it” because if you are start counting your troops it means you are depending upon your troops rather than on My power to protect you.  Joab ask David, why would be do that?  It was Satan that moves in David’s heart to commit that sin – even though God said to David not to do that.  If these thoughts come into your mind, ask yourself, - are these thoughts true? - do these thoughts motivate me to faith or to fear? - do these thoughts violate the teaching of Scripture?Jefreys