RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-10-26	What Is The Whole Armor of God? (Ep.6:12-18)
		Eph 6:12 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. Eph 6:13 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. Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, Eph 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Eph 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; Eph 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Paul in verse 12 tells us the conflict we have with Satan is spiritual. So no tangible weapons will work against him. When we follow all the instructions faithfully we will be able to stand (v.13). We will have victory regardless of Satan's strategy. 1. Belt of Truth (v.14) Satan is the father of lies (Jn.8:44), so deception is one of his major tactics used against us. Since ancient combat was largely hand-to-hand, a loose tunic was a potential danger. A belt was necessary to cinch up the loosely hanging material. Girding up was a matter of pulling in the loose ends as preparation for battle. The idea is of sincere commitment to fight without hypocrisy. 2. Breastplate of Righteousness (v.14) It was designed to protect your vital area, namely, the heart. It guards our hearts against the accusations and charges of Satan. This righteousness is not works of righteousness done by men. It is the righteousness of Christ imputed by God and received by faith. 3. Shod Feet of Gospel of Peace (v.15) In warfare, sometimes an enemy places dangerous obstacles in the path of advancing soldiers. This suggests the need to advance into Satan's territory, knowing there will be traps, with the message of grace. Satan has many obstacles placed into the path of believers to halt spreading the gospel. The gospel of peace pertains to the good news that, through Christ, believers are at peace with God and He is on their side. This confidence in divine support allows the believer to stand firm 4. Shield of Faith (v.16) The shield makes Satan’s sowing of doubt about the faithfulness of God and His Word ineffective. The faith to which Paul refers is not the body of Christian doctrine (as in Ep.4:13) but basic trust in God. The believer's trust in God's word and promise is “above all” absolutely necessary to protect him from temptations. All sin comes when the victim falls to Satan's lies and promises of pleasure, rejecting the better choice of obedience and blessing. Our faith is like a shield protecting the whole body. 5. Helmet of Salvation (v.17) This is protection for the head. We could say that our way of thinking needs preservation. With the helmet of salvation on we will not receive false doctrine or give way to Satan’s temptations. This speaks to those already saved. Satan seeks to destroy a believer's assurance of salvation with doubt and discouragement. The unsaved person has no hope of warding off the blows of false doctrine because he is without the helmet of salvation. 6. Sword of the Spirit (v.17) This is the Word of God. While all the other pieces of spiritual armor are defensive in nature, the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God. A greater spiritual weapon is not conceivable. When Jesus was tempted in the desert, He used the Word of God as His overpowering response to Satan. That same Word is available to us today! 7. Praying Always (v.18) Prayer is the means by which we draw spiritual strength from God. This is our heavy artillery. Without prayer our efforts at spiritual warfare will be futile. The full armor of God includes (1) truth; (2) righteousness; (3) the gospel; (4) faith; (5) salvation; (6) the Word; (7) prayer. These are the tools God has given to us to be spiritually victorious in overcoming Satan's attacks and temptations. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

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