The Armor of God

Test all things; hold fast what is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21 NKJV)

Physicists tell us we live in 10 dimensions; we experience only 4 (3 spatial dimensions plus time). Thus, we experience only a part of the world around us. It’s easy to dismiss the other dimensions as part of a strange science fiction novel, but they are no less real than the dimensions we commonly experience. We frequently have a problem with reality verses fantasy. For example, we think of tables, chairs, etc as “solid”, yet physics tells us this isn’t so. Much more emptiness is inside an atom than matter — matter is almost entirely empty space. So our concept of “solid” is only a reality of our perception, the “real” reality is much different.

At this point the reader might be confused — what’s going on here? Is this a Bible study or Physics 101? In order to understand the multi-dimensional space we live in, you must refer to an advanced Physics textbook. Fortunately, we have one, and any bookstore will be glad to sell you one (it’s been at the top of the best seller list for hundreds of years) — and with this textbook, you don’t have to worry about using an outdated edition; there is only one edition, and it’s been accurate for thousands of years. So let’s consider what this advanced text in Physics has to say about additional dimensions of space. Our text will be from 2 Kings chapter 6, verses 8 through 17.

Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.” Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice.(2 Kings 6:8-10 NKJV)

Syria was warring against Israel, and in war one of the best strategies is the element of surprise — you want to attack when and where your enemy least expects it. This was Syria’s plan. But a prophet of God warned Israel where the Syrian army was. Naturally, this presented a problem for the king of Syria — as we pick up the story again.

Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.” Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. (2 Kings 6:11-14 NKJV)

The king thinks he’s got a spy in his camp! How else could Israel be tipped off every time he makes a move? He’s right of course, a “spy” is in his camp — the Lord constantly watches over Israel (Psalm 121:4). The Lord simply tells His prophet Elisha the plans of Syria, and Elisha informs the king of Israel. This does not make the king of Syria happy, so his solution is easy — go get this prophet of God. So they find out where Elisha is, and send a great army to surround him so they might capture him and take him back to Syria. We’ll pick up the story again as Elisha and his servant wake up.

And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15 NKJV)

You could imagine the fear when the servant wakes up and sees an army surrounding them. But when he wakes up Elisha, Elisha doesn’t seem too worried about it.

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16 NKJV)

I’d like to see this scene acted out. The servant wakes up, sees the army surrounding them, and wakes up Elisha. Elisha wakes up, yawns a little while telling the servant not to worry about it, then probably goes back to sleep. I can see the servant walking away puzzled, counting on his fingers, “let’s see, Elisha and I, the Syrian army.” He can’t get the math to work out, so what’s not recorded (just my guess) in 2 Kings is the servant going back to the sleeping Elisha, rousting him out of a sound sleep again, and saying, “boss, you didn’t hear me the first time — it’s really the Syrian army! We’re surrounded!” At this point Elisha understands he won’t get any sleep until this little problem is solved, so he asks the Lord the following:

And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17 NKJV)

What did the servant see? He suddenly became aware of the other six dimensions of space existing around him; Elisha already knew they were there. Were the other dimensions any less real just because they weren’t experienced? Of course not. Elisha knew all along he was protected, but he had to let the servant in on what was really happening. The servant had confused fantasy and reality.

What does this have to do with us today? Just because you don’t directly experience the other dimensions doesn’t make them less real. But more important is what goes on in these other dimensions; there is a constant battle between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. Frank Peretti’s novels may not be theologically perfect, but they do provide a glimpse for the average Christian of what goes on during these battles (This Present Darkness is perhaps Peretti’s best and is highly recommended — just remember, it is a work of fiction).

The Christian life is NOT a playground — it is a battleground. When you accepted Jesus Christ you enlisted in the army of God! Many Christians mistakenly believe the Christian life is a walk in the park, but the Bible teaches exactly the opposite. In this warfare, who is the god (small g) of this world? Satan (Luke 4:5-7). We must remember we are on his turf — in essence we are already behind enemy lines. So the Christian must expect warfare, attacks and ambushes.

In this battle, what do we fight for? This is the key to understanding the strategy and weapons of the enemy. In a normal war, you fight for victory — but not in the spiritual war. For we fight not for victory, but FROM victory. That may sound strange, but it’s true for several reasons. First, God and satan are not equal combatants. It’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing an epic struggle between good and evil, and we don’t know how the end will turn out. But that’s simply not true. Satan was created by God, and is subject to His authority. In the book of Revelation we see satan’s destiny. First, an angel comes and binds satan.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-2 NKJV)

Satan is no match for God; an angel dispatched by the Lord binds him. But that is not satan’s final destiny, as later in the chapter we read:

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:7-10 NKJV)

Satan’s final destiny is clear — no doubt can remain. But he can still claim the souls of men and have them join him in his final defeat, except for one thing: Jesus came and died on the cross to save men from their sins. Satan’s final grip on the world has been broken.

Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” (John 12:27-32 NKJV)

The final victory is certain, but many skirmishes remain between the forces of light and the forces of darkness; this is what the Christian is involved in today. The only way for the enemy to win is for us to quit. As an analogy, imagine before a football game both teams being told the outcome was certain — one team would win. During the game, they certainly could be injured, and it doesn’t imply the game will be easy, but as long as they continue until the final quarter, the victory is theirs; the only way to lose is to quit. What would the strategy for the losing team be? To inflict enough pain and suffering, and enough discouragement the other team would quit; for the only way for them to win is by forfeit. Satan’s strategy is the same, he knows he can’t win, but if he can discourage the Christians he can take souls by forfeit.

In this battle, how does the army of God fight? Since we fight in dimensions we can’t see, our worldly weapons don’t work — power, money, influence, prestige are all worthless as the apostle Paul explains.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NKJV)

By ourselves, using our own understanding, we are useless in this battle. But through Jesus Christ, we can be victorious (Philippians 4:13). So, let’s dive in to see exactly what the Lord provides for us to use in this warfare engaging us. The classic list appears in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians at the end of chapter six. Paul wrote this chained to a Roman soldier, and makes effective use of the soldier metaphor in his letter. We’ll begin in chapter six, verse 10.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Ephesians 6:10 NKJV)

Paul says “finally” at the conclusion of the letter to the Ephesians. The first three chapters is doctrine, explaining our position in Christ. The next three is some of the most practical words in the Bible on how to live your life, covering such things as relationships between fellow believers, husband and wife, parents and children, employers and employees. It’s a goldmine of practical information (If you haven’t studied the entire letter, you should). But if you understand the doctrine of chapter 1-3, and live your life according to chapter 4-6, you definitely will be involved in the warfare Paul expounds on at the end of this letter.

Paul begins by telling us to “be strong” — this is in the present imperative active voice and is a command to be continuously strong (Zodhiates page 867). If you are a Christian, the armor is not optional — you’re involved in the battle whether you think you are or not. We should not be strong in our own selves or our own ability, but in the “power of his might”, which is total and complete (Jeremiah 32:27).

Quite a difference exists between God’s and man’s perspective on events. An interesting study is to find all the phrases “but God” in the Bible — it appears 45 times (Genesis 31:7, 48:21, 50:20, 1 Samuel 23:14, Psalm 73:26, Acts 7:9, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4, Philippians 2:27, etc). Notice the contrast between God’s view and man’s — man is frequently in despair and trouble, but God has a completely different view since He already knows the end from the beginning. And what does God want to do with all this power? The power that created the universe by speaking the word? God wants to “show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9)”. That’s important to remember when the battle is raging.

Now that we have an introduction, Paul moves on to explain how and why to fight this battle.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11 NKJV)

We must put on God’s complete armor, one or two pieces won’t do. If we are to be successful in the spiritual battle, we must use different weaponry. Fortunately, Paul explains each piece of armor, and how to use it. Standing with the complete armor of God, the Christian can stand against the schemes and trickery of the devil. Paul will mention standing a few times in these verses, and it’s vital to remember he speaks in military terms. When Paul says stand, we should think of the phrase make your stand, as in a military stand. If you’ve seen old John Wayne movies where he tells his band of motley associates, “boys, we’ll make our stand here” — and then holds his position against impossible odds — you can better understand exactly what Paul tells us to do here.

When do the troops prepare for the battle? When already engaged? Of course not. No soldier waits until under attack to perform basic preparedness tasks, insuring his equipment functions when life or death depends on how his equipment performs.

Now Paul gives us an intelligence report on our enemy, and again reminds us to take up the complete armor God provides so we can make a military stand against the enemy.

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. (Ephesians 6:12-13 NKJV)

Our battle is not some far off event; we wrestle with it on a daily basis. The battle is intimate and personal. Sometimes we may forget and think in general terms about battles between angels and demons doing battle somewhere out there, but Paul punctures that misconception with his use of the word wrestle. We must never forget it’s a personal battle. An illustration of the personalness of this occurs in Luke chapter 22.

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32 NKJV)

What we miss in our English translation is the first you Jesus says is plural. Jesus speaks to Peter, but when He says “satan has been asking for you” Jesus means a group, not just Peter! But Jesus then speaks to Peter personally, and says “I have prayed for you (singular)”. Satan asked for much more than just Peter. We know satan is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10) and spends much of his time before God accusing and asking God to remove His protection from the saints (review the first few chapters of Job). Truly we have an intimate, personal battle with the forces of evil.

Paul reinforces that our battle is not against flesh and blood; worldly resources won’t work. Money, power, prestige, influence are not only ineffective, but can prove deadly if we rely on them. But Paul doesn’t just leave us there, he moves on to provide us with a list of complete armor for this battle. Remember, one or two pieces won’t do, we must be covered in the armor God provides.

BELT OF TRUTH (V14)

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth

Background

The first piece of armor we need is the belt of truth; it is foundational as all the other armor attaches to the belt. If it fails, so does the rest of the armor. In particular, the sword is attached to the belt, thus a failure of the belt means the only offensive weapon is lost! We must never underestimate the importance of the belt.

But we come to the strange phrase “gird your waist” (or in the old King James “gird your loins”) that we don’t hear much today. In their culture they wore loose fitting clothing, thus before doing any strenuous activity you had to tie your clothes around your waist so you wouldn’t trip. So to gird your waist meant to be prepared for movement and action.

Our belt is not a physical belt, but a belt of truth. But what is truth? The philosophers struggled with this question for thousands of years. Even Pilate himself asked, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). As the world strains to find truth, for the Christian this is easy — God has given us truth in the Bible. We have the complete revelation of truth in Jesus Christ, and the entire Bible speaks of Him (John 5:39).

We have a complete revelation of truth, but we must remember truth is our most precious asset. Truth is not relative as is taught today, truth is absolute. Unfortunately, the Christian soldier must remember that while he has truth, the world in general does not. The world does not see truth as absolute. Just looking at the incredible leap of faith it takes to believe in evolution (“from the goo to the zoo to you”), to politics (“I did not have sex with that woman”), to the value relativism taught in our schools, shows for the world truth changes day to day as needed. The theme for today is “Don’t confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up!”

How to use it

1. Realize it is the primary foundation — all else is based on it.
2. There is absolute truth; some things are black and white. Values are NOT relative as is popular today. If no absolutes exist, my values are as good as anyone else’s. But if I want to steal your car, you might have a problem with the idea. So at least SOME absolute truth exists, the only disagreement is on where it is.
3. Jesus is truth (John 14:6), and does not change (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore truth doesn’t change either. It’s popular to say the Bible worked for a less enlightened time, but today we as a society have moved beyond it. Hogwash. What was true thousands of years ago is still truth today.
4. As Christians, we must always remember the end does NOT justify the means. This is another common deception from the world. If we tell a wild story and we get people saved, is that ok? Paul says no (Romans 3:7-8).

BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (V 14)

having put on the breastplate of righteousness

Background

The Roman breastplate covered the vitals of the chest. A blow through the breastplate was usually fatal as they did not have the advanced medicine we have today.

What does Paul mean by righteousness? First, we must never forget our righteousness is completely, totally, 100% worthless to save us (Isaiah 64:6). Any attempt to clothe ourselves with our own righteousness is destined for failure. Thus, many people would interpret the breastplate of righteousness to be the righteousness God imputes to us through a saving faith in Jesus Christ. But that righteousness is imputed to us when we are saved, and since Paul in this letter already assumes you are saved (he writes to Christians), something else must be in mind here. So while it’s true we have the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us, and our own righteousness cannot cover us, what Paul really gets at here is the practical righteousness of day to day living following God’s laws. Paul spent the previous chapters giving some of the most practical instructions for the Christian in daily life, covering relationships in the church, family, husband and wife, and employer/employee and at this point urges us to follow it.

An example from the book of Daniel should help explain the concept of practical righteousness.

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” (Daniel 6:1-5 NKJV)

After Daniel rose to prominence in the government, the other administrators were jealous and wanted to remove Daniel from his position so they sought to dig up some dirt on him. Imagine today in our political system — you just hire an investigator and search a persons past, and eventually you come to a “youthful indiscretion” you can exploit to your advantage. That’s exactly what these administrators did. Only one problem with their plan — Daniel didn’t have any skeletons to dig up so they conclude the only way to get Daniel is by causing him a conflict between the law of government and the law of God. Daniel would then follow the law of God, and they would have him — and that’s exactly what they did.

But Daniel is an example of the breastplate of righteousness. He lived his life so that no charges could be leveled against him. Compare that today with many in the “ministry” who steal, lie and live contrary to the law of God. It becomes easy for the enemy to take them out of the fight by piercing their breastplate, exposing them for the hypocrites they are, proving fatal to their ministry. This ought not to happen to the Christian. We are called to live according to the law of God, and not just give lip service to it. Daniel is an example for us.

In general, consider the complete lack of ethics and responsibility in today’s society. — not only do we tolerate sin, we actually promote it. Read the list at the end of Romans 1 and Gal 5:19-21 and consider the movies of today. Remember truth does not change, sin is ALWAYS sin. How many times do you hear the following:

• “It’s not your fault, you have a disease”
• “You were born that way”

Our society spends considerable time trying to blame others for our own problems. Very few people even live a “moral” (whatever that means) life anymore. People devoted to their spouse, honest on their tax returns and work 60 minutes for every hour paid are the butt of comedians jokes. Most people consider loyalty and personal integrity an outdated concept applying only to old-timers. The theme for today is “if it feels good, do it”. But Paul has a different idea.

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3 NKJV)

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. (Ephesians 5:1-7 NKJV)

How to use it

1. It’s not our righteousness, it’s Christ’s — and His is perfect. If satan says we are not worthy, he’s right. But we can come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) since it’s based on HIS completed work and nothing we have done or can do. (Ephesians 2:7-8)
2. If we live our life according to the previous chapters of Ephesians, the world can’t attack us either. Look at Daniel 6:3-5 — wouldn’t it be great if the whole church was like that?

FOOTGEAR (V15)

and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Background

Proper traction is important! A slip in battle fighting with swords is probably your last. The Roman army’s shoes were usually studded with nails to insure proper traction in slippery terrain. If you can’t stand you can’t fight.

How to use it

1. Get prepared NOW! Peter reminds us we are to be prepared to always give an answer for our faith.(1 Peter 3:15)

SHIELD OF FAITH (V16)

above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Background

The Romans used two different shields, a small round one and the one Paul mentions here. This shield was 2 1/2 x 4 feet and is the maneuverable part of the armor. They could lock shields in a formation and advance on the enemy. Thus, the integrity of the shield was critical! The time to fix it is before the battle, when you need it, it’s too late to find out it doesn’t work.

Warfare involves flaming arrows — usually dipped in tar and ignited. You can imagine as the arrow found it’s target, not only did it injure the person it hit, but bits of flaming tar splatter and injure others around. Satan will shoot fiery arrows at us such as:

• God doesn’t love you anymore.
• God isn’t hearing your prayers — don’t bother to pray, you’re not doing it right.
• You gone too far, you’ve lost your salvation.

It’s our shield of faith — faith that God says what He means and means what He says — that extinguishes these fiery arrows of the enemy.

How to use it

1. Remember it is the maneuverable part of the armor. Faith can cover weaknesses in the armor. But if you have some problems in your walk, take care of them now (God doesn’t love you anymore, backsliding/loss of salvation, etc).
2. Faith in God’s word. 66 books written by 40 guys over thousands of years, yet is an integrated message from OUTSIDE our time domain! (It’s Chuck Missler’s idea and he has extensive teachings on it.) The Bible is unique in that it accurately predicts future events with precision (Isaiah 41:21-24).
3. Soldiers can advance TOGETHER using their shields. The shield Paul has in mind is not small — it is designed to be used interlocked with other soldiers in unison. We must always remember to have support of fellow Christians during our battles. This is one area satan will consistently attack. A common military strategy is divide and conquer. So to with satan. He is constantly seeking to separate people in order to more focus and intensify his attack.

HELMET (V17)

And take the helmet of salvation

Background

The Helmet protected the head from cavalry attacks. The riders on horseback used a wide, blunt sword to split the skulls of the footsoldier’s head. It’s believed this was the sword Peter picked up in the garden when Jesus was arrested.

This helmet is commonly thought of as being saved, but again Paul talks to Christians — so he can’t be talking about saving salvation — since this gear you must pick up. Rather, he talks of the assurance of salvation — confidence no matter what happens, the ultimate victory is ours.

How to use it

1. Can anything separate us from God’s love? (Romans 8:31, 38-39)
2. We may not understand our situation but God has a plan (Romans 8:28)
3. Even trials like Job’s are God filtered (Job 1, John 16:33, John 15:18-21)
4. You can NOT lose your salvation since you did nothing to earn it. (John 10:27-30, Ephesians 2:89)

OFFENSIVE WEAPON — SWORD OF THE SPIRIT (V17)

the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

Background

The common sword of that day was a long, curved sword, sharpened on one side and used with a hacking motion. But the Romans innovated a short sword (only 18-24 inches) and sharpened on both sides. With this revolutionary new military weapon, they conquered the world. But several points must be made with regards to the Roman sword.

• It requires special training in order to use it — just handed one, you would have no idea how to exploit its power. If you were untrained in its use and sent into battle against the common sword of that day, you would be butchered. The Roman army constantly trained so they would be able to use this advanced weapon.
• It’s a close quarters weapon. From afar, you can’t use its power. It was designed to enable the soldier to get in close and win with superior tactics.
• It’s both an offensive and defensive weapon.

How to use it

1. Our sword also requires extensive training — you’ve got to be familiar with the Bible. The Holy spirit will bring to your remembrance things, but you’ve got to have learned them first. (John 14:26)
2. It’s a close quarters weapon. From afar you can’t use it’s power. Remember, the battle is personal.
3. It’s our ONLY offensive weapon. Intellect, money, power, prestige are useless to advance on the enemy with.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV)

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV)

“Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29 NKJV)

HEAVY ARTILLERY (V18)

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

Prayer is the deciding factor and our opportunity to affect battles in other countries. Satan will do anything to keep us from prayer. How often do you begin to pray and then immediately become distracted? If you were in a war and your enemy had a weapon you knew would turn the tide against you, wouldn’t you do whatever you could to keep him from using it? Satan is no different.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

As a final thought to the soldier metaphor Paul uses, note a soldier would NEVER attempt to fight a battle by himself, he would ask for reinforcements. So with us, we must never try to fight alone, satan can easily pick us off. Get with other Christians and ask for help! As Christians, we should ALWAYS be prepared to help a fellow brother who is in need. (1 John 3:16-18, James 4:17, and others)

CONCLUSION

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, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak (Ephesians 6:19-20).

Paul asking for boldness — If Paul asked for boldness, how much more do we need to!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Missler, Chuck — Ephesians -Tape cassettes with notes

Missler, Chuck — Armor for the age of Deceit - two cassettes tape pack

McArthur, John, The McArthur New Testament Commentary: Ephesians

McArthur, John The McArthur Study Bible

The NIV New Testament Commentary

Weirsbe, Warren — Be Rich - Ephesians

Zodhiates, Spiros The Complete Word Study New Testament

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright (c) 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.