ARMOR UP PT 4

(The Message)

ARMOR UP PT 4

(The Message)

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants YOU strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And PUT THEM TO USE so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon.

SO -- God provided us with some weapons for the Battle -- His Armor -- not our armor -- but -- HIS ARMOR – LET’S RECAP ….

[1] REFINED MIND

· Helmet of Salvation - all about right thinking, right feeling & right choices

[2] CONDEMNATION STATION

· Breastplate of Righteousness - all about rejecting shame, guilt & condemnation

[3] FEAR FACTOR

· Girdle of Truth - pulls everything back into the proper perspective

TODAY -- I want to continue looking at what the Armor of God is all about for our daily living ....

[4] STRESSED UNREST

(NKJV)

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

WHEN YOU PUT ON THE SHOES OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE YOU DESTROY STRESS & UNREST

ILLUSTRATION

One of the biggest things I had a problem with before understanding this truth of PEACE was anxiety & paranoia -- I was always expecting the worse thing possible to happen to me somehow -- I never really ever expected anything good to happen & if it did -- I was looking & just waiting for the bomb to drop

The word “SHOD” = “binding something very tightly on the bottom of one’s feet.

This is not the picture of a loosely fitting shoe -- this is the picture of a shoe that has been tied onto the bottom of the foot extremely tightly.

PICTURE OF A SHOE -- we must firmly tie “PEACE” onto our lives. If we only give “peace” a loosely fitting position in our lives - then the affairs of life will knock our peace out of place.

We must “BIND” peace upon our minds, and upon our emotions, in the same way that the Roman soldiers made sure to “bind” their shoes very tightly onto their feet.

When peace has this firm grip in our lives then we are ready for action!

(NKJV)

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

“PREPARATION” -- DEPICTS shoes tied on very tightly which gives us a “firm footing”

THE word “PREPARATION” conveys the idea of “a solid foundation.”

GOD is clearly telling us that when “PEACE” is foundational in our lives we have a “FIRM FOOTING.”

This “PEACE” gives us a foundation so secure that we can move out in confident faith without being moved by what we see or what we hear.

“When peace is in place in your life, it gives you the assurance you need to step out in faith and make the moves God is leading you to make.

But before you take those steps, you need to be sure His peace is operating in your life, without it, the devil can try to kick, punch, pull, and distract you.

PEACE Gives You A Firm Footing -- Regardless Of How Hard The Enemy Hits You Or The Daily Affairs Of Life Hits You -- This Prevailing And Conquering Peace Will Hold You In Place -- NO WORRIES – NO STRESS – NO UNREST!

Maybe you are believing that God will work a miracle in your life, and the devil is trying to put your faith down, and keep you from moving into your land of blessing.

“When you have peace on the bottom of your feet, a herd of elephants couldn’t move you or knock you down!”

“Regardless of what I see or what I hear, I’m not moving! I don’t care how hard it becomes; the peace of God keeps me IN MY GOD POSITION FOR THE BLESSING!

(NIV)

Let the peace of Christ RULE in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

“RULE” was used to portray the umpire or referee who judged the athletic games in the ancient world.

What God’s Word Is Saying Is That -- this PEACE of GOD can begin to call the shots and HELP YOU make all the decisions in your life -- instead of STRESS, UNREST AND WORRY.

You could translate the verse,

“Let the peace of God call the shots in your life…”

“Let the peace of God umpire your life and your actions…”

“Let the peace of God referee your emotions and your decisions…”

THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER SIDE TO THE SHOES OF PEACE ....

(GW)

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces the good news, “All is well.”He brings the good news, announces salvation, and tells Zion that its God rules as king.

Fastest way out of a problem -- minister to someone else ....

You’re sick -- find someone sick & pray for them

You’re lacking money -- give to someone else

You’re lacking friends -- be a friend to someone else

You’re discouraged -- encourage someone else

Share what little you have & you’ll soon have what you need

(NKJV)

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

“I confess that God’s peace rules my mind and emotions, protecting me from the ups and downs of life. When storms are trying to rage against me and situations are hostile toward me, God’s peace covers and safeguards me from all harm. Because divine peace is operating in me, I am not easily moved, quickly shaken, or terrified by any events that occur around about me. This mighty and powerful piece of spiritual weaponry is mine to use day and night. Therefore, although the devil may try to kick, punch, pull, and distract me, that conquering peace empowers me to keep marching ahead, oblivious to the devil’s attempts to take me down!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!”

MOST OF ALL -- Share Jesus & His Love -- you will never lack His Peace!

[5] WIELD THE SHIELD

(GW)

In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

2 OR 3 THOUGHTS. FROM THIS PART …

[1] “Just as Roman soldiers kept their shields out in front of them to defend them from deadly attacks and blows from their enemies, God wants you to tightly grip your shield of faith while keeping it out in front where it can protect and defend you. When your shield of faith is kept in this out-front and covering position, it can do what God intended for it to do! This is why Paul continues to say, “…wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

[2] But it is also very important for you to notice that Paul says, “…Taking the shield of faith….” The word “taking” is from the word analambano, which is a compound of the Greek words ana and lambano. The word ana means up, back, or again; the word lambano means to take up or to take in hand — which means your shield of faith can be either picked up or laid “down. It places the responsibility on you as to whether you will use “your shield of faith or allow yourself to go through life unprotected.

If you want to employ the use of your faith, you must make the choice to take it in hand and to place it in front of you. It will not assume its defensive position over your life by accident. Your faith will only operate in your life the way it was meant to do when you choose to pick it up and put it where it belongs — out in front.

If you ever go into battle without your shield of faith, you are making a mistake you will seriously regret. Keeping your shield of faith in position is not an option if you intend to overcome the enemy and win the battles that are before you.”

[3] In , the Word of God is likened to water. So as we regularly submit ourselves to the Word of God, we soak our faith with the Word just as a Roman soldier soaked his shield with water. And when our faith becomes Word-saturated or Word-soaked, it becomes just like the soldier’s water-saturated shield. In other words, it will be so heavily inundated with the water of God’s Word that even if a fiery dart pierces our shield, the huge amount of Word in us will extinguish the flames and put out a potentially damaging situation!

The words “fiery darts” are from the Greek word belos. It referred to an arrow with its tip wrapped with fabric soaked in flammable fluids so it would burn with hot and angry flames. The famous Greek writer Thycidides used this Greek word belos to depict specially made, long, slender arrows that outwardly looked harmless; however, the hollow interior of the arrow was filled with flammable fluids that, upon impact, exploded into a raging fire. This last arrow is most likely the picture that Paul had in his mind when he wrote about the “…fiery darts of the wicked.”

“Often when the devil strikes, his attack looks inconsequential at first, like harmless little arrows that can do little damage. But when those arrows strike into the heart or emotions, they often explode and set human passions aflame, causing a minor issue to develop into a fierce, flaming situation. The damage done in such a moment is very serious — and all of it could have been avoided if the shield of faith had been held high and regularly doused in the water of the Word!

There is no doubt that the devil will try to shoot his arrows in your direction. But having a shield of faith that is soaked in the Word of God gives you double protection against these attacks. It guarantees that the enemy’s fiery darts will have little or no effect, even if they get close enough to strike your heart, mind, or emotions in the midst of the situations you find yourself facing today.

So I urge you today to take the time to soak your faith in the Word of God. Let the water of the Word so saturate your faith that if the enemy tries to launch a surprise attack on you — your health, your finances, your marriage, your children, your family, your church, your business, or your job — he will find that his fiery darts have no impact on your Word-soaked faith shield!

(NKJV)

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

(GW)

because everyone who has been born from God has won the victory over the world. Our faith is what wins the victory over the world.

Our ability to quench the fiery darts of the devil is our knowledge and confidence in God’s word

Faith is our shield -- it protects us from the fiery darts of the Devil

(NKJV)

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

— George Muller said;

“The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith; and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”

When we begin to live our Daily Lives totally trusting GOD & REALLY letting HIM direct us -- we will live FREE FROM STRESS & UNREST!!

(GW)

Keep your mind clear, and be alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour. Be FIRM IN THE FAITH and resist him, knowing that other believers throughout the world are going through the same kind of suffering.

BUT LISTEN -- GET THIS -- Faith as a shield is the strongest when it is “Interlocked” with other shields

ILLUSTRATION

Watch the old warrior movies -- when they go after a great walled city -- fiery arrows being shot at them -- they would all interlock their shields together & it would protect every one of them from head to toe against the fiery arrows

Our Faith is strongest when we are “Interlocked” with other believers who are walking “In Christ’s Faith” - RELATIONSHIPS OF FAITH!

Fiery Darts Are The Temptations From Hell -- When we are “Interlocked” together with “Righteous Relationships” we are stronger in “Keeping Our Shields UP!”

“Refuse to let yourself become the devil’s victim! Hold your Word-doused shield of faith high in front of you so it completely covers your life. Then rest assured that no fiery dart of the enemy will make any serious impact on you. That faith shield will protect you from anything the enemy throws at you through the dynamic, explosive power of God!”

YOU have to “Unlock” your shield from everyone else and walk away! That takes some considerable thought & effort & denial -- BEFORE satan can stomp you & trap you!

ILLUSTRATION

I heard a story about a train traveling through the night in a very violent rainstorm. The lightning flashes were almost blinding, the rain hitting the windows was deafening and the strong gusts of wind rocked the train from side to side. When the lightening flashed and lit up the darkness, the passengers could see the rising water along the tracks. This created terror in the minds of the passengers.

Several passengers noted that through all the noise, lightening and wind, one of the passengers, a little girl, seemed to be at perfect peace. The adult passengers couldn’t figure out why the little girl was so calm during all this excitement.

Finally, one passenger asked her, “How is that you can be so calm when all the rest of us are so worried about what might or could happen?”

The little passenger smiled and said, “My father is the engineer in charge & I totally trust him.”

KEEP FIRM IN GOD’S PEACE

KEEP YOURSELF SATURATED IN THE WORD

KEEP YOUR FAITH OUT IN FRONT