Why Do We Need Spiritual Armor?

Why Do We Need Spiritual Armor?

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11, Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13, Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Eph. 6:10-13) 

What is the purpose of spiritual armor? Actually the answer to that important question is found in Ephesians 6:11 and 13. You see, God’s spiritual armor enables us Believers to become strong in the Lord for the purpose of standing firmly while resisting the “wiles of the devil.” Such armor is for engaging in supernatural combat with demonic agents, and continuing to “withstand in the evil day” of temptation. Thus armor is protective gear—a defensive measure that preserves the warrior in combat. As such the Christian warrior can persevere in the battles while facing a formidable foe. Our spiritual armor affords us supernatural and divine protection in a war that is intensely spiritual in nature. In fact based on our passage in Ephesians, the following four observations spell out the incredible benefits of our God-provided armor.

God’s Special Armor Equipment is for Divine Protection (Eph. 6:11).

Since we are fighting against enemies in the spirit world, we need special equipment both for offense and defense. While God’s armor provides the protection we need, the weapons provide effective means of assault. Do not miss the point…complete protection is given to God’s warriors as we engage the enemy under God’s power and authority.

God has provided the “whole armour” for us, and we dare not omit any part. All forms and every form of defense required to engage the enemy effectively has been furnished to us. We must be certain to don the entire armor set. Satan looks for that unguarded area where he can get an advantage. He desires a strategic position that will afford him opportunities for launching life-crippling attacks (Eph. 4:27). God assures each of us of the need to put on the “whole armour”! We must take up the prescribed weapons of this warfare, and by the power of our Lord Jesus withstand Satan. Beloved, any and all of this must be undertaken by real faith. In the middle of battle is not the place to doubt our body armor or our weapons!

The armor is our God-given resource for our protection, power, and effectiveness in the spiritual warfare against the forces of darkness. These supernatural resources are truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. None of these implements are carnal; all are powerful through Almighty God for surviving the spiritual assaults of the wicked one. These are the spiritual resources for God’s embattled people.

God’s Armor is For Resisting the Enemy’s Strategies and Tricks (Eph. 6:11).

Our supreme Commander-in-Chief has issued divine and complete “war gear” to provide all we need “to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Our armor provisions are the result of His careful plan and strategy to help us thrive in the theater of war. It is certain the devil rules the world of darkness, and postures his armies to engage God’s people. Satan leads the evil kingdom in opposition to God and our Lord Jesus. He uses an array of methods to achieve his wicked goals.  

Our objective is to “stand against” his tricks. This ancient military term means to resist the enemy, hold our position, and offer no surrender. Our Lord would have us “stand fast in the faith” (1 Cor. 16:13), with the determination to “stand perfect and complete in the will of God” (Col 4:12). Standing against Satan and his armies is the imperative: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Once more Peter challenges us concerning Satan’s aggression to “resist stead fast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9). God’s plan for each Believer is to stand our ground refusing any advances of the enemy. All of this means that God has equipped us for victory through His armor.

Also it is important to understand that Satan will not fight fair; his “wiles” will often include subtle tricks, schemes, and devices of non-material conflict. For instance the word “wiles” means strategies or methods of deception. It implies craftiness, cunning, and scheming—this accurately describes Satan’s tactics. It has been well observed that he often uses “discouragement, frustration, confusion, moral failure, and doctrinal error” (MacDonald).  We must also be aware of the fact that Satan has been using these strategies for thousands of years and so have his armies. We may be new to such battles, but our enemy has vast experience and is highly skilled! He is well aware of the multiplicity of weaknesses and vulnerabilities of humanity—fallen mankind. His armies have been manipulating peoples and nations since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Often without our knowing it the enemy takes aim at our greatest susceptibilities to defeat us. If we are not careful we will think the failures, complications, and troubles we find ourselves in are purely the result of our botched efforts. While we may have some responsibility, we must also wisely recognize that a clever enemy is working to deceive us. If he cannot disable us with one method, he will try again with another. Beware of the “wiles” of the wicked one! Always remember that our “ability to stand” in spiritual battles depend ultimately on our use of “the whole armor of God.”

God’s Spiritual Armor is for Complete Victory (Eph. 6:13).

The phrase “having done all, to stand” probably summarize the believers’ victory after the battle. It is well reported that in ancient times, those still standing after the battle were the victors. The whole context of Ephesians six implies that we have the victory. That is correct; without any exception each Christian can experience Christ’s triumph in their individual battles! While it is true we must call every faculty into submission and obedience to Jesus Christ, we can be winners! The passage does not say, ‘having done nothing to stand!’ No, God requires that we give our best energies to this conflict. We are to participate in Christ’s victory over Satan.

It is true that we know the ultimate outcome of this war. Still individual battles can be lost if any Believer has not done all in order to stand (see also James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9). The victory comes from the Lord, but we will undoubtedly know we are at war with a terrible enemy. This is not a matter of doing nothing while the Lord fights the battles! It is a matter of our participating in these battles by faith and consecration to the Lord. God will work harmoniously in us and with us to defeat the foe. We must be in concert with Him to secure victory.

Knowing that Christ has already conquered Satan, and that the spiritual armor and weapons are available, by faith we accept what God gives us and go out to meet the foe. Yes, the day is evil, and the enemy is wicked, but “if God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

God’s Armor Assure us of Ultimate Victory!

When we engage in warfare at Christ’s command and under His authority, we are assured of full triumph and victory. Whenever we feel as though we are losing the relentless battles, there are two key points to keep in mind.

First, the loss of a battle is not the loss of the war. In some cases, you may feel as if you have lost a round in your fight against the devil and his cohorts. You may experience what you perceive to be a setback. It is helpful to remember our setbacks do not surprise our Lord, nor change His designs for us.

When the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples to preach the gospel and heal the sick, He said that if the people in a city did not receive them, they were to wipe the dust of that place from their feet, give a warning to the people, and move on. Jesus anticipated that His disciples might not be successful 100 percent of the time.

Nevertheless, our Lord fully expected His disciples to continue to move forward! They were charged to do the maximum amount of good. They were to continue preaching and praying with the greatest amount of effectiveness possible in any given town, village, or rural area. Christ Jesus expects the same of us. We may not win every battle or realize the results we anticipated every time, but God’s designs for His warriors have not changed. We still have our orders to stand! There is no incentive for quitting because of personal frustrations when we realize this truth. It may surprise us to not realize, but our Lord does not call us to be successful by our reckoning, but rather, faithful to His purposes. We are to do what He calls us to do; the consequences and results are His responsibility.

Secondly, the final victory will be revealed fully in eternity. You and I cannot presently know the 360 degree impact of our lives and ministries on the lives of others. Some of what we accomplish for Christ on earth will be revealed to us only in eternity. And when it comes to eternity, the devil has absolutely no hold on us once we have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Nothing the devil can do to us will change our eternal destiny. Think about when the Lord Jesus sent out seventy of His disciples, two by two. He gave them specific instructions to preach the gospel and heal the sick, which included anything that might keep a person from being whole. This was their concentrated focus for this entire tour of service. The disciples returned to Jesus with great joy, saying, “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us in thy name” (Luke 10:17). Satan’s hindrances and oppositions were no match for our Lord’s power and authority! Jesus responded, “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. [19] Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:18–19).

Understand that sometimes in the Scriptures, serpents and scorpions are other terms for demons. Jesus told His disciples then, and He tells us today, that His followers have authority over the devil, and the devil can do nothing to cause eternal harm to those who rest in the authority of Christ. We may have moments of timidity and fear…we certainly will feel real pain from time to time. Still…be assured we will NOT experience any eternal damage at the hand of Satan. Beloved, vested with the power and authority of our exalted Lord Jesus Christ, we can face our enemies with assurance the victory is ours! So, now that we understand better why we need spiritual war gear…suit up! 

God's Strategy for Victory I

God’s Strategy for Victory I

1Cor. 10:1-14

Struggling with re-occurring sins? Feeling like you are trapped in habits and patterns that have become progressively worse? Have you ever said, "That will never happen to me!"? All of these questions point to some struggle with temptations! We need a way to win the battles against temptations. Without exception trials and temptations are welded to the human experience. Whether we are saved or lost the same holds true. Everyone on the planet is facing some sort of test at one time or another. All of us know what it means to feeling enticed by something forbidden, illegal, or unholy. We all have acutely felt the invitations of evil and have believed the false promises of satisfaction, thrills, or significance. Every one of us can also testify to the fact that the devil does not tell us everything up front nor in the heat of the moment. After we have failed and sinned comes the seemingly endless waves of guilt, remorse, sorrow, pain, disappointment, questions, disillusionment, and on the lists of regrets and consequences continue.

We need a way to win these battles with our temptations. Whether “temptation” means a certain person at the office, church, or in the community, we desperately need a way to beat temptations. Whether “temptation” is a long grueling trial in our family, walk with the Lord, physical body, Internet life, or a relationship, we need a means of enduring without failing the Lord or ourselves. The good news is God has made provision for Christians to experience real victory in our battles with temptations. What then is God’s winning strategy for reoccurring temptations?  How can we break the chains of defeats and become victorious? Actually, part of a sound strategy for overcoming temptations consists of refusing an overconfident attitude about our ability to handle them. God’s strategy for victory over temptations involves listening to His warnings, adopting His perspective, and trusting Him to supply power and grace to continue in righteous victory.

A CAUTION: Listen to God’s Warnings to Avoid Overconfidence While Facing Temptations (1Cor. 10:11-12).

Never let your guard down because of overconfidence in the face of temptation or never embrace a false sense of security. Sometimes we place too much stock in our privileges, situation, or perceived advantages, and fail to meet each battle with full strength. Such missed placed confidence manifests itself as overconfidence and we are blindsided by the magnitude of a test or enticement to do evil. There are three lessons we must learn in this connection.

Great Privileges Do Not Necessarily Provide an Impregnable Defense Against Temptations (1Cor. 10:1-5). Correctly Harold Willmington wrote,

The ancient Israelites enjoyed God's supernatural signs and spiritual blessings, but all to no avail, for their hearts were not right before him (10:1-5). The tragedies that befell them were recorded as object lessons and warnings to us, lest we also fall (10:6-11). We should always be on guard against temptation, trusting God to help us resist it (10:12-13).

Great opportunities, benefits, and promise do not guarantee great outcomes (10:1-4). Israel had received numerous blessings of God’s grace and witnessed many miracles performed before their very eyes. But they still failed!

Spiritual privileges do not prevent us from falling into sin.  Yes, we are saved; yes, we have some strength in the Lord. Yes, we belong to a Bible preaching church. Yes, we have viable ministries to introduce people to Christ. Yes, we have a well-equip ministry staff of great experience in Christian service. Yes, we habitually walk in the truth of God’s Word, but none of these eliminate the possibility of falling into sin. While it is true such privileges will make us less vulnerable to temptation and sin, nothing eradicates the possibility.  In fact our pride about our privileges can be the very thing the devil uses to drag us down into great sin!

Adam and Eve had splendid privileges as perfect human being living in perfect harmony with God, but still she fell into temptation and they sinned! While we want to use whatever advantages the Lord affords us to become strong against temptations, we must also recognize their limitations and our persistent vulnerabilities.

The Failures of Others Should Serve As Examples And Warnings To Us (1Cor. 10:6-11).

Yes, Israel gave in to temptation and fell into sin Repeatedly (1Cor 10:6-12). They were guilty of “lusting,” idolatry (Ex 32), fornication (Numb. 25), tempting God (Numb. 21:4-6), and complaining (Numb. 14 & 16). These forms of rebellion and sin are serious and God does indeed judge them. Some of these rebels died immediately (see 1 Cor. 11:29-31), and others were not permitted to enter the Promised Land. They were saved from Egypt but lost the privilege to claim their rich inheritance. There are consequences of enslavement to sin and entrenchment to wicked lifestyles as a result of repeatedly giving in to certain allurements. 

The meaning of Israel’s failures is not limited to their historical value (10:11). They are warnings to us who are living in this gospel age (10:11). “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). Possibly you view trivial fleshly indulgences as of little consequence. A little complaining here, a tiny bit of ingratitude there, and a slight measure of lusting every now and again never hurt anyone…right? Perhaps you feel you can dabble with self-gratification and not be affected by it. Maybe you have convinced yourself that you can handle high living, lax attitudes about self-control, pleasure mongering, and self-indulgence. Such deceived individuals are in the greatest danger of falling into sin.

The Bible is filled with examples of the dangers of overconfidence. Sennacherib, king of Assyria (Isa. 36-38), was enjoying tremendous victory as he conquered the nations and kingdoms of the Middle East. Standing outside Jerusalem’s walls, his general Rabshakeh taunted Israel with the boast that her God could no more save her than the idol gods of other lands had saved them. A short time later, the Angel of the Lord was dispatched to strike down 185,000 troops in the camp of the Assyrians. When the surviving members of the camp awakened early the next morning, they found dead soldiers strewn everywhere. A few days after, this same defeated king returned to Nineveh, Assyria, where he was assassinated by two of his sons and succeeded on the throne by a third (Isa. 37:36–38). He was prideful, arrogant, blasphemous, self-sufficient, and he placed too much stock in his military might. If we are wise, we will learn from the failures of others and not pretend that we are better than they just because we have not falling into sin. Lusting/coveting, premarital sex, bitter complaining, pride, defying/daring God, deifying celebrities, revering sports figures, worshipping high-powered leaders, and loving/trusting money are serious sins in the eyes of Almighty God. Such behaviors are not only prevalent in society, but even ‘Christians’ are sanctioning many of these blatant violations of God perfect standard! The failures of others are not opportunities to gloat, but promptings to take serious inventory of our condition instead!

These Warnings Instruct Us To Avoid Overconfidence When Facing Temptations (1Cor. 10:12). One of the surest ways to fall into temptation and sin is to become overconfident.

Each Christian must be careful to avoid becoming Cocky and Overoptimistic by Overestimating our strength against sin (10:11-12). We can become too sure of ourselves, almost prideful. If Israel fell into idolatry, so could we. Many believers feel themselves perfectly secure in their Christian lives believing that they have arrived. They are saved, baptized, well taught, part of a Bible preaching church, and presumably mature. They think they are strong enough to freely associate with lost friends in their social activities and not be affected morally or spiritually, as long as they don’t participate in outright immorality or sin.

Temptations are common to everyone, even mature Christians. The noblest souls are often the ones most tempted. It seems that Satan assaults Christians in positions of leadership with his strongest weapons. Therefore, we must all be on our constant spiritual guard (Wiersbe).  There are dangers to maturity as well as to immaturity, and one of them is overconfidence. When we think we are strong, we discover that we are weak. The strong believer who assumes he has enough experience to handle anything may find himself struggling with an enemy who is too strong for him (Wiersbe).

No human being is ever beyond temptation while he or she is on this earth. We are warned to not let down our guard. Those most liable to fall are those who think they will not. “O, that will never happen to me,” they say! We cannot live long on the far edge of risk without falling into sin. When a Christian becomes so confident of his strength that he thinks he can handle any situation, he is in great danger of falling. The danger is not of falling from salvation but of falling from holiness and from usefulness in service. It is a serious danger and the Lord does not take it lightly. Therefore, He warns us!

Peter discovered that he was extremely weak in the very area he thought himself strong! Satan will not seduce some of us in our areas of weaknesses; he will come by way of our strengths to destroy us. Peter was most vulnerable in an area of strength, not weakness! He assured Jesus, “Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison, and to death!” But, as Jesus then predicted, before dawn Peter denied three times that he even knew The Lord (Luke 22:33–34, 54–62). We all tend to be overconfident in the areas we feel are our strengths…beware.

We should also strenuously avoid the deceptive game of “comparison pride.” Unfortunately most of us can list people who are moral, ethical, and spiritual “failures.” We may become proud of ourselves as Believers who have “stood strong” by comparison. This is a dangerous game to play:

·         We ought to take their failures as sober warnings of our own vulnerability to sin.

·         Such comparisons fail to demonstrate compassion for others who have failed.

·         Such prideful comparisons evidence NO respect or concern for the dangers of false confidence.

·         We must place our confidence in God rather than in our personal record or efforts.

If you visited the Golan Heights you would see the place where, in 1967, the Israelis penetrated the Syrian defenses and secured that strategic area for themselves. From those heights Syrian guns overlooked most of the Galilee region of northern Israel and were a constant threat. The entire Golan area was closely guarded by the Syrians, except for one spot where the cliffs were so high and sheer that they seemed perfectly safe from attack. One night, however, Israeli bulldozers cut out the cliffs enough to push tanks up to the top. By morning a large contingent of tanks, followed by infantry and supported by fighter planes, completely overran the Syrian positions and secured an area that extended ten miles inland. The spot the Syrians thought to be the safest turned out to be the most vulnerable (Source Unknown).

God Knows What He Is Doing!

God Knows What He is Doing!

Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Why must 'everything' go haywire on the same day?! "My spouse, the kids, the car, the rent, my work, and now my health; certainly, things cannot get any worse than this!" Does this sound like anyone living at your address? Would not it be great to find a place in life where everything is easy from now on? I know the feeling, but there is no such reality on this side of eternity. No, the truth is we face one trial after another crashing on the shores of our lives like billows and waves ceaselessly coming...coming...and coming….Then there are those awful days when 'everything' goes wrong at once...missed deadlines, a flat tire, the kids have a virus, the computer crashed, and I can't take anymore.... Sometimes it feels like pure madness; it makes no sense at all. That is, until we use our faith to recognize what is actually happening, and what is truly at stake. The Lord weighs in on this very issue; consider these perspective-shaping admonitions from the Apostle Paul,

Now all these things happened unto them [Israel] for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12, Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Cor. 10:11-13)

A number of helpful insights should be noted from this text. The Lord desires that we learn from Israel's mistakes to avoid moral failures. He likewise cautions us by making us aware of our susceptibility to overconfidence because of past victories and/or certain advantages. He then offers us His revelation (the Bible) to help us accept the reality of trials and temptations; He desires to shape our concept of challenges—even the painful ones. Then He also makes provisions to help us resist temptations and endure trials most effectively. Our Heavenly Father faithfully prepares, postures, and powers us through ever escalating challenges. Our obligation is to adopt His guiding perspective on life's tests. This involves trusting Him to supply the grace, wisdom, strategies, and power to manage the trials and temptations life seems to indiscriminately throw at us.

In fact, God faithfully prepares us for the big challenges in life by providing us with opportunities to face the smaller challenges victoriously. This strategy reflects His grand intent to avoid over burdening us with more than we can handle (1 Cor. 10:13). At first young David's task was simple--guard the family's sheep. On occasion, his guarding the sheep escalated to protecting the sheep. First, he fought against a bear and then a lion to do so. Then as a young man he faced down a Goliath in the strength of the Lord. Ultimately we see him on the throne of Israel fighting the mighty battles of the Lord against the enemy nations. His life is marked by ever escalating crises, oppositions, and triumphs! God did not put him on the throne until after He had taken David through the caves! In due course his challenges increased in magnitude and intensity under God's watchful eye.

No doubt someone will object saying, “But, I don’t want any more big challenges!” If this is your response, then you are in good company because many of us are honest enough to admit the same. You see, we are also a bit intimidated by the idea of bigger and even bigger challenges to overcome. However, we must understand that God is not like the mother who over protects her children, or the father who attempts to make life’s challenges as easy as possible for his children. Such well-meaning parents actually cripple their children and limit their ability to discern and handle life as it is. A cursory reading of the Book of Proverbs with our children will expose them to all the hardness, and wretchedness this life is capable of belching out. The Word helps prepare us all for the ugly times.

No, God is more like the battle-hardened drill sergeant who knows exactly what it takes to face battles and wars effectively. So instead of mollycoddling the new military recruits, he drives, drills, and demands more and more and yet more of them pushing them to their utmost limits! When he perceives the new recruits are at their wits end, he kicks out the walls and pushes them yet further to stretch their endurance and concentration. His aim is to develop their discipline in extremely challenging situations. Why? Because that is the true nature of war! No, he is not crazy, and this is not an amusing game to him. His purpose is crucial and his approach is serious. He does know precisely what lies ahead and how much is at stake….

And so it is with our Heavenly Father, He knows where you are presently, what lies ahead, what is at stake, how much you and I can handle, and what He needs to take us through to prepare us for yet other significant battles. Anticipating bigger challenges is a little scary; we naturally recoil at the thought of greater pain, trouble, opposition, complexity, confusion, and heartache…. We deeply yearn for life to level off and just leave us alone while we enjoy some time free of any heavy worries, problems, or perplexities. We even question God’s love for us when He permits us to experience pains and sorrows in rapid succession. We feel abandoned and alone…It is vital that we remember that even the very difficult and painful crises are tests of our faith. The immediate challenges will lead to greater ones to be sure, but God is entrusting us with His work and He does not want us to fail. He wants to increase our faith so that bigger challenges seem surprisingly smaller when He has adequately prepared us to face them. Be assured God knows exactly what He is doing. I said, God know what He is doing! Therefore, Beloved, trust in Him. Your measure of peace in the midst of war will always be proportionate to your degree of trust in the Lord. Let Him stretch you to increase your readiness for the next battle.