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Either God is a liar or there are rulers of darkness in this world that are not flesh and blood. They are principalities and powers. Ephesians 6:12.
Jesus rules, not principalities and powers or might. (Eph.1:19=21). These principalities and powers in heavenly places are revealed to His church through the wisdom God has given us. Through Jesus name we have boldness & access with confidence by our faith in Him. (Eph.3:9-12). Matthew 17:14-20 tells us it is lack of faith in Jesus & what He told us in Mark 16:17. Did you ever notice that all the passages where Jesus deals with demonic beings, He treats them as if they are of little consequence? He doesn't even mention much about them, which in itself shows how unimportant they are in the lives of God's people, if only they "KNEW" it. The enemy can wreak havoc in peoples lives but only because they believe Satan & what HE says he can do. If we believe Jesus they have no power over us at all.
Ephesians 6:11_So we can "stand against the wiles of the devil". Wiles in the Greek can be interpreted "traveling over" (trickery). This is when Satan tricks us into thinking he's superior to God. Implanting thoughts in our minds: 'God doesn't love you'; 'see, He doesn't care'; 'look, those people think they are better than you'; 'you aren't really saved'; 'there is no God'; 'God is mad at you'; 'you'll never be good enough'...and so on, and so on..endlessly coming up with new phrases to replace the ones we no longer listen to or refuse to hear. By implanting thoughts we think are our own, he leads us astray (down pathways we never intended to travel) and each time he tricked us into believing him instead of all the things God told us.
Ephesians 6:12_It isn't 'evil people' that we wrestle but 'evil spirits' that try to rule their lives.
Ephesians 6:13_If we use the whole armor of God Satan can't trick us and we will have done all we could to stand against the enemy.
Ephesians 6:14_Loins girded with Truth. (see John 4:23, 24). Loins in the Greek, (fig.) means source of strength and confidence. Girded refers to belts worn in Biblical times. They would stuff their skirts into these belts to free their legs so they could move more freely when working or fighting. Truth, Jesus IS the truth (John 14:6) and the Word of God is the truth (1 Thess. 2:13) and if we know the Truth the enemy cannot trick us with a lie. (Psalms 119:30). How important the truth is in our lives or the degree to which we value it is the key to how deeply and how often the enemy can 'travel over' us or trick us. Put another way, how much Satan can trick us depends totally upon how much Truth we want in our lives and minds.
Breastplate of righteousness-Righteousness means conduct of strict honesty and morality, "correct" judgment which means 'absolute fairness without prejudice'. We cannot be just without faith and mercy. (Micah 6:8; Romans 1:17; 1 Thess. 5:8). Breastplate covers the upper body cavity where all our vital organs are, called thorax. These 'vital' organs are necessary to sustain our lives. Put figuratively, our spiritual heart and lives are protected by righteousness. Righteousness in Ephesians 6:14 means 'justification', which translates, acquitted, rends innocent, justified. (Romans 4:25; Acts 13:39; Romans 5:9; 8:30; Titus 3:7; Romans 8:33). Paraphrasing Galatians 3:24, "...the law was our schoolmaster (teaching us we are sinners without hope) to bring us to Christ, that we can be justified by FAITH". If we are believers we are 'justified', acquitted of all sin and rendered innocent in the eyes of God. Who will lay anything to 'God's elect' (accuse us) will God, who is the one who justified us? Who would condemn us? Christ who died and rose again so we could be saved (acquitted, rendered innocent, justified)?
Why do we have these nagging thoughts: Am I really saved? Is God mad at me? I'm so bad even God can't love me. I can never be forgiven. These are the implanted thoughts of the Accuser (Revelations 12:10) condemning us. A babe, one who is without knowledge, can easily fall into condemnation (1 Timothy 3:6). "Who do you believe?" Jesus said, if you believe on Him you will not be condemned to death, in John 5:24 and happy is he that 'condemeth not himself'. (Romans 14:22).
In order to 'put on' the breastplate to protect our spiritual heart and life we must recognize our righteousness. The Truth about who we are in Christ so the enemy cannot use lies of condemnation, guilt and accusations and lead us down wrong pathways or turn us from our set course.
Ephesians 6:15_Having your feet shod with the preparations of the gospel of peace. Feet (lit. or fig.) foot(stool) and the footstool is the earth (Isaiah 66:1; Matt. 5:35; Acts 7:49). Shod meaning 'bind under ones feet, put on shoes and sandals'. Bound under ones feet see Matt. 16:19; 18:18; 22:13 and the reference to putting on your sandals and being delivered from bondage is in Acts 12:8-11. Preparation is a reference to preparing for the Feast of Trumpets (Matt.24:29-41). Preparing for the 'Coming of the King'. Readiness. Gospel of peace is, of course, the teachings of Jesus. (Romans 10:15). Peace, (lit. or fig.)'to join'. "...hath quickened (made us alive) us together with Christ.." (Ephesians 2:5). Make ready to join the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6).
We who are no longer under bondage are to be preparing the world for the coming King by using the Gospel of PEACE. We are not to be critical, accusing or judging brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are not to cause our sisters and brothers to fall under condemnation or bring them bad tidings. Rather, we should be quiet and mind our own business and obey the command, "Go ye into all the world and preach the 'GOOD NEWS' to every creature". (Mark 16:15). Some will believe, some will not and those who don't will be damned (so keep telling them the 'GOOD NEWS'), don't chase them away with bad tidings. And if they don't hear us our responsibility is at an end. However, if we have been critical, accusing or condemning our responsibility before God will be greater. Power to fight the enemy comes from Jesus and, as I said, He isn't too concerned with spirits and demons, they are, after all, so low on the scale of earthly matters as to be under Jesus footstool and bound under our feet. We should be concerned with worshiping Jesus and making ready for the Prince of Peace by sharing Him with those who want to hear the 'good news'.
As part of our armor we shouldn't give the enemy more attention, consideration or scrutiny than he deserves because this in itself draws us from our purpose. In plain english, when a Christian enters a room full of evil, that evil should recognize Jesus in us and should be running in fear in the opposite direction. 'Who do we believe?' (Luke 4:4; Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 6:16). Preparation for the coming of the King should occupy us night and day and our armor is strengthened as we obey and prepare.
Ephesians 6:16_Above all (most important) taking the shield of Faith so you will be able to quench the fiery darts of "the wicked". Notice this verse says "the" wicked. Not the wicked "one" and when you refer to the Greek it says, hurtful, ie. evil (prop. in effect or influence). (Colossians 2:4-8). Effect, the result of something caused by someone else or the impression produced on the mind of an observer or hearer; something produced or accomplished by someone's words or actions. Influence, the power of persons, things or another's actions, seen only in it's effects (results); a person or thing that has influence. Plain english: Don't let unbelievers influence our opinions and things opposite of what God teaches. Pastors, Sunday School teachers or Christian brothers and sisters can effect and influence a life and therefore should be very cautious in words, actions and deeds toward other people, especially unbelievers. We could inadvertently turn someone away from the Lord in our zeal to bring him/her to the Lord. Christians, too, can cause an evil effect, albeit not intended.
The fiery darts here could well mean people who claim to be Christians and are not but rather, wolves in sheep's clothing (Acts 20:29) bringing you back under bondage to sin (Matt. 23:2-4) by saying things like, 'you can't be saved or loved or even have your prayers heard until you give up all your vices'. If that were true we would not need a savior. We could just clean up our act and be perfect enough to attain heaven without the sacrifice of the blood of the Lamb. Or maybe they say or imply that your appearance isn't acceptable, 'your hair is too long, earrings are forbidden, long eyelashes are a sin,' etc. These are people who are forever critical about everything and accusing (and as we've established, that is the enemy talking). They get that idea from 1 Corinthians 11:14 and 15 and I guess just ignore verse 16 which says WE HAVE NO SUCH CUSTOM, NEITHER THE CHURCHES OF GOD. We cannot bow to people's ideology. I have no idea if earrings are good or bad and if I did I'd keep my opinion to myself, because frankly, there are things better left to the individual and his/her walk with God, and is none of my business. It has nothing to do with me, my walk or my calling to 'Go into all the world and preach the Good News'.
I would like to make a clear point here about evangelists. Pastors are called to 'lead' the sheep but evangelists are called to convert sinners. When they are pointing out the laws of the old testament they are doing their job, calling sinners to repentance, letting sinners know they are sinners and therefore need repentance. If they don't realize they are sinners how will they come to Christ? We shouldn't get upset with them for telling the Truth but we are not under bondage to sin because Jesus set us free. If we love Him we will do our best to walk in His precepts. We shouldn't beat ourselves up when we are unsuccessful because that's when Jesus steps in to help. He delivers His people when the timing is right. Actually, He wants us to know "we can't" because then we learn "He can". We are no longer in control, He is. As to our witnessing, if we aren't evangelists, then we are called, like pastors, to lead, not entire flocks but one person at a time to Jesus, the one who loves them and wants to save them. With love we should 'lead' them to the Lord and let Him take it from there. Jesus led with love.
How do we quench the fiery darts of the wicked? Faith. The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). In the Greek, means conviction, assurance and fidelity (loyalty to Jesus and His word). Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17). In Biblical times they only had a few texts and everyone would gather in the City Square to hear the word read out of those texts. Faith comes by hearing (reading) what God says to us out of His word. Before Jesus came there was nothing to give us hope. (Galatians 3:23). We believe in Jesus by the faith that was GIVEN to us at the moment of our salvation and then as we grow in the word our faith grows accordingly. How much time we spend in the word will determine how deep our faith grows. Because I read the word so much I learned from it and came to believe:
I'm a beloved child of God". (John 3:16; 10:27-29)
"He saved my soul and will continue to change me". (Phil.1:6)
"No matter how bad things look He will change it for the better in His time". (2 Cor.5:7)
"Every test and trial bring me more and more faith". (1 Peter 1:6-9)
"I will be with Him in heaven and will look upon His face". (John 3:36; 1 Cor. 13:12; 2 Cor.3:18; Rev.22:4)
I believe everything the Bible says is true. And that the Bible was not written by men but by the Holy Spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16). Why do I believe the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible? Because I read it, study it and try to live by it and it is full to bursting with secrets and mysteries. Because I could read it for 500 years (if I lived that long) and find something new everyday. Because unbelievers can't read it or understand what they do read. After studying it so many years, WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it comes alive in the hands of a true Christian who seeks only one thing, the TRUTH. "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man comes to the Father but by me." (John 14:6). Faith. This is WHO I believe.
Ephesians 6:17_Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Greek for 'take' in this verse is 'receive' or 'accept'. And salvation is 'defender' or 'defense'. We must first receive salvation and then accept that it is a done deal. Then we will have a defense. Greek, helmet, 'encircles the head' (mind thoughts and beliefs). (Proverbs 23:7; Phil.4:8, 9; 2 Cor. 10:5; Psalms 94:19).
If we believe Jesus is Lord, He is; and if we don't, He isn't Lord of our lives. (Acts 13:46). If we believe He died on the cross for us and God raised Him from the dead, we are saved. (John 1:12-14; 1 John 5:1 and 4:2). Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee.." (Hosea 4:1).
Being 'taught' by men gives us what is often called 'head knowledge', the word taught to us from an early age that we just know in our minds, like, 'Jesus loves me this I know' or John 3:16. However, this knowledge is not enough. We must have what is often called 'heart knowledge' and this cannot be taught by the words of men. It's like someone telling us 'falling in love can be painful or the greatest sensation' but until we've experienced it our heart doesn't recognize the reality of the truth of that statement. God's word is like a beautiful garden, the longer we are there, motionless, brings to pass little revelations of truth. Like the squirrels playing on the tree branches, butterflies fluttering over flowers, the sound of the bees gathering pollen, baby frogs jumping in the bushes and birds flying from branch to branch in the trees. We can invite someone into the garden and share it but all the little 'revelations' hide. And don't come out again until we are alone and still.
Ephesians 6:18_Prayer is the time we spend in the garden talking to Jesus. And the way we make our requests known to the Lord. It's the Holy Spirit that guides us into the Truth, when we are studying the word we should always ask the Holy spirit to help us learn and to interpret for us. (1 John 2:27; 2 Peter 2:1). Who do we believe? "...let God be true and EVERY MAN a liar;..." (Romans 3:4).
Let the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth. (John 16:13)
THE WOODSMAN by Jet
A group of children are lost in the woods and a woodsman appears.
"Are you lost? Let me guide you to safety", says the woodsman to the children.
"Oh, no," says one of the children, "my brother can lead us, he is older and wiser and he says he knows the way. We trust him because he always seems so able and smart, but we thank you just the same."
The woodsman's at a loss as to what he should do. He can't just leave them to survive in the woods alone, on the other hand he's not going to drag them with him forcibly. While he is considering his next move the children begin walking toward a path winding through the woods. "Children, children, please, that is the wrong way, please let me guide you!"
At this point the older brother gets all puffed up and angrily replies, "I know what I'm doing. My father taught me all about the woods. Generations of my people have been following this same path, see how worn it is? I don't know you, so please, let us get on our way." And with that said he turned and started up the path with all the children following him.
The woodsman had no choice but to let them go their own way but he followed, staying as close as he could without upsetting them. "Surely," he thought to himself, "when they get tired and hungry and it grows dark they will allow me to help them find their way home".
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Created: May 2000