The Armor of God
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Last of all I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.
So use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will still be standing up.
But to do this, you will need the strong belt of truth and the breastplate of God’s approval. Wear shoes that are able to speed you on as you preach the Good News of peace with God. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. And you will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the Word of God.
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Why do we need to put on the full armor of God and why do we need to stand against the schemes of the devil? What do you know about the Devil or Satan? What can you tell me about him?
Satan is very powerful, but he is not God. He is not all powerful (omnipotent), he is not present everywhere (omnipresent), and he does not know all things (omniscient), but he is very very powerful. He has an army of evil spiritual beings at his disposal, and he hates us and he hates God to an extreme degree.
Why does Satan hate us?
Satan hates God and he hates us because we are made in the image of God and because God loves us. Satan hates whatever God loves. But there’s even more to it than that. He also believes that if he can kill us, he may be able to prevent Jesus form returning.
Do you know about that? Do you know what the Bible says about the return of Jesus and how Satan believes he can interfere with that return, and how that can affect you and me?
The answer in part has to do with Israel and the Jewish people. The Bible tells us this.
I want you to know about this truth from God, dear brothers, so that you will not feel proud and start bragging. Yes, it is true that some of the Jews have set themselves against the Gospel now, but this will last only until all of you Gentiles have come to Christ—those of you who will.
Did you know that when the full number of gentile people whom God has decided to save are saved then all the people remaining alive in Israel will be saved:
Romans 11:26 (The Living Bible)
And then all Israel will be saved.
Do you remember what the prophets said about this? “There shall come out of Zion a Deliverer, and he shall turn the Jews from all ungodliness.
You see when all the Gentiles are saved then all Israel gets saved. What happens to Satan then? Do you know?
The Millennial Kingdom begins and this has very serious consequences for Satan.
When all the Gentiles are saved leading to all Israel getting saved, Jesus returns then and sets uo His Millennial Kingdom and reigns from Jerusalem as King for one thousand years.
And what happens to Satan then? He gets thrown into the bottomless pit for one thousand years! Do you think Satan wants that to happen?
Then I saw an angel come down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the Dragon—that old Serpent, the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years, and threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so that he could not fool the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterwards he would be released again for a little while.
And what happens AFTER that? Why is Satan released for a little while? What do you think?
When the thousand years end, Satan will be let out of his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations of the world and gather them together, with Gog and Magog, for battle—a mighty host, numberless as sand along the shore. They will go up across the broad plain of the earth and surround God’s people and the beloved city of Jerusalem on every side. But fire from God in heaven will flash down on the attacking armies and consume them.
Then the devil who had betrayed them will again be thrown into the Lake of Fire burning with sulphur where the Creature and False Prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
You see even though everyone who is in the Millennial Kingdom when it begins, when Jesus returns is saved there will be children born in the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom and they won’t be saved until they accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, just like you and I had to do. Well at the end of the 1,000 years many will have accepted Jesus but many will not have. And all those who have not accepted Jesus will be drawn to Satan when he is let out of the pit.
What do you think those unbelievers will do then?
They will join Satan’s army and try to kill all the believers so that they can rule the world under Satan. But don’t worry! God in heaven will destroy them with fire!
Now who is the devil or Satan? Where did he come from? Can you tell me?
Satan was the highest of all created beings, not only in wisdom and beauty, but also in power and authority. He was a Cherub, higher than all other angelic beings.
Because of Satan’s pride and Satan’s desire to replace God as ruler of all things, God cast Satan out of the third heaven and Satan took 1/3 of the angels with him. These are the rulers, the powers, the world forces of darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (but not in the third heaven).
Did you know that God has allowed Satan to be the god of this world? Where does it say that? 2 Cor 4:3-4
2 Corinthians 4:3–4 (The Living Bible)
If the Good News we preach is hidden to anyone, it is hidden from the one who is on the road to eternal death. Satan, who is the god of this evil world, has made him blind, unable to see the glorious light of the Gospel that is shining upon him or to understand the amazing message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is God.
So Satan is a mighty enemy and he has an army of evil assistants.
What kind of things can Satan do to us? Can he kill us?
Usually he messes with our minds and thoughts. He plants lies in our minds. He did this first to Eve and through her he did it to Adam:
The serpent was the craftiest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. So the serpent came to the woman. “Really?” he asked. “None of the fruit in the garden? God says you mustn’t eat any of it?”
“Of course we may eat it,” the woman told him. “It’s only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not to eat. God says we mustn’t eat it or even touch it, or we will die.”
“That’s a lie!” the serpent hissed. “You’ll not die! God knows very well that the instant you eat it you will become like him, for your eyes will be opened—you will be able to distinguish good from evil!”
And Satan also lies to you, today. He might say this to you:
Did you know that your sister or your brother really hates you? Your brother or your sister want to harm you. Why not harm them first?
Why not cheat on this test? There’s no harm in doing that and you’ll get a better grade and you’ll get into a better college.
“Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden, for it is an enormous sin.
Satan might say to you: “God didn’t really mean that. There’s nothing wrong with practicing homosexuality or even changing your sex. Why, it’s even a good thing.
Kids, that is a lie that can lead to death. If Satan ever comes to you in that way, you must resist him using the armor of God.
He can kill you usually by convincing someone else to do it.
Listen to what happened to Job:
Job 1:6–12 (The Living Bible)
One day as the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan, the Accuser, came with them.
“Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.
And Satan replied, “From earth, where I’ve been watching everything that’s going on.”
Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth—a good man who fears God and will have nothing to do with evil.”
“Why shouldn’t he when you are so good to him?” Satan scoffed. “You have always protected him and his home and his property from all harm. You have prospered him in everything he does—look how rich he is! No wonder he ‘worships’ you! But just take away his wealth, and you’ll see him curse you to your face!”
“All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
Job 1:13–19 (The Living Bible)
A messenger rushed to Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided us, drove away the animals, and killed all the farmhands except me. I am the only one left.”
How did Satan kill the farmhands? He worked on the minds of the Sabeans and convinced them to do it.
While this messenger was still speaking, another arrived with more bad news: “Satan empowered fire has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the herdsmen, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
How were the sheep and the herdsmen killed? God allowed Satan to call down fire from heaven to burn them up.
Before this man finished, still another messenger rushed in: “Three bands of Chaldeans have driven off your camels and killed your servants, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
How did Satan kill Job’s servants? Satan worked on the minds of the Chaldeans and they did it.
As he was still speaking, another arrived to say, “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and engulfed the house so that the roof fell in on them and all are dead; and I alone escaped to tell you.”
How were Job’s sons and daughters killed? Satan called down a mighty wind which caused the roof of the house they were in to fall on them and kill them.
Now please remember, Satan can only do what God allows him to do. Remember that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.
Why did God allow Satan to do all these things, and more, to Job? Why? What do you all think? I don’t have all the answers but I do have some. And they apply to you and me today. Here are the answers I can give you:
God wants us to know that He has complete power over the devil.
God wants us to know that He loves us and He will protect us. God brought Job through this terrible trial and God restored Job.
God is always trustworthy. He wants us to know that.
But what about the people who died? The farmers, the servants, and even Job’s children?
We can always trust God. I know that God did the right thing with each one of them. Remember that death is not always a punishment. It can also be a reward, an eternal reward if it leads to eternal life, which it does for all who believe.
The killer at the school in Uvalde, Texas was undoubtedly inspired by Satan.
How did Jesus take away Satan’s ability to kill us? Let’s read a verse from Hebrews:
You see, Jesus saves us from death, from eternal death which means hell, the Lake of Fire. That’s because He paid the price for all our sins by the shedding of his blood:
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given you the blood to sprinkle upon the altar as an atonement for your souls; it is the blood that makes atonement because it is the life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
Jesus came to earth to die. By dying, He was able to conquer death in His Resurrection (John 14:19). By conquering death, He rendered Satan powerless against all who are saved.
Are you saved ? Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If you haven’t, you can accept Him today. Just ask Him. You can pray to Him like this: