The Armor of God and Praying in the Spirit

Greetings,

                I remember when I first received the gift of speaking in other tongues. I was in my senior year of high  school. My mom had received the gift years before and I knew it was something that I wanted. With limited understanding, I walked into our house one day and found that no one was home. I figured that if it really was a gift then I should simply be able to receive it. I put one of my mom's worship CD's in the CD player and turned up the music.

                I began to seek God for the gift, not entirely sure of what to expect. I had no idea what would happen. With no one around, I didn't feel self conscious so I just went with the flow. I prayed and then I waited...and waited...and waited. After a while I began to feel something bubbling up inside of me. It was kind of awkward but, I wondered if that could be it. The bubbling sensation worked its way into my chest, then my throat, and finally a few sounds came out. WEIRD! I stopped.

                After hearing the first few sounds come out, I thought that it must just be me. I suppressed everything and started over. I prayed, sought God, and then waited. After more time passed, the same feelings began to occur. The bubbling sensation worked its way back into my throat and then out of my mouth. Still unsure of what exactly was happening, I decided to just let it happen. I was seeking God, earnestly desiring the gift of the Spirit, and was in a place of prayer. I had peace because the Bible says, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him (Luke 11:13)?"

                Sure enough, the same sounds from before came out of my mouth. Instead of resisting the Holy Spirit, I simply submitted to Him this time. Suddenly the awkward sounds that were coming out of my mouth were accompanied by joy that is nearly indescribable. The feelings of release and freedom were absolutely fantastic. I felt such joy, such peace, and such closeness with God in that moment that I will never forget it. That was the day that I received the gift of the Spirit which is also referred to as the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

                It hurts me to know that there are still many denominations and Christians that shy away from this gift of God. What hurts even more is that some will downright reject it. As a matter of fact, I have even come across certain theological positions that would accuse me of having received a demon that day! I would respond to those holding this position by asking: what kind of demon would bring with it such a heavenly experience? What kind of demon seeks to bring the Christian into greater intimacy with God and bestow upon him or her such excessive peace and joy? I certainly haven't confronted any!

                Since that day I have had the privilege of being used by God to help other believers receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. In every case, the believer has experienced similar feelings of joy, peace, freedom, and greater intimacy with God. Some have also had other manifestations such as becoming drunk in the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) or simply falling out under the power of God. In all cases, God has worked to further His relationship with the individuals and bring them closer to Him.

                We are talking about the gift of the Spirit in order to close out our study on the armor of God. The last part of the following passage clearly speaks to praying in the spirit.

                "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. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:13-18)

                The Bible is clear that in addition to putting on the whole armor of God we are to be praying with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. What does it mean to pray in the Spirit? The Apostle Paul put it this way.

                "What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." (1 Corinthians 14:15)

                The Apostle Paul makes it clear that he prayed with the spirit and also with the understanding. Praying with the understanding means to pray in the language that we naturally speak and understand. This is pretty straightforward. Therefore, praying in the spirit means praying in a language that we do not naturally speak and understand. In other words it means praying in a spiritual language. This is what the Bible refers to as speaking in an unknown tongue (or calls the gift of tongues). In accordance with this understanding the Apostle Paul stated the following:

                "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful." (1 Corinthians 14:14)

                When we pray with an unknown tongue it is actually our spirit that is praying. The purpose of this letter is not teach about how to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit or to lay out systematic theology to prove that it is biblical. Instead, my purpose for this letter is simply to bring out a few points regarding the purpose and power of praying in the Spirit. Many people are resistant to this gift of God because they simply don't understand its purpose. Even those that have already received the gift will often not understand how important it is.

                "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost" (Jude 20)

                Praying in the spirit is essential for spiritual growth. It actually causes us to be "built up on our most holy faith." When we are born again, we are born into the kingdom of God as babies in Christ. It is from this point that we begin our process of spiritual maturation.  While time and experience should all factor into our spiritual growth, praying in the spirit directly impacts our maturation. We are built up as we pray in tongues, making it incredibly important.

                "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth"  (Acts 1:8)

                When Jesus prophesied about the Holy Spirit "coming upon" His disciples, he was referring to the coming day of Pentecost when they would be filled with the Spirit and enabled to speak in other tongues. He said that they would receive power along with this experience. This word power comes from the Greek word dunamis and actually means ability, might, and miracle working power (Vine's Expository Dictionary). When we receive the gift of the Spirit as believers, we are empowered for the purpose of bringing our prayer life, ministry, and holiness to a new level. Our ability to walk according to the power of God will inarguably be limited if we refuse to receive God's dunamis.

                "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church." (1 Corinthians 14:4)

                When we pray in tongues we will edify ourselves. The word edify comes from the Greek word oikodome. It denotes the act of building and is used in the sense of promoting spiritual growth (Vine's Expository Dictionary). This confirms what we learned from Jude. Praying in the Spirit is a direct contributor to our spiritual growth. We actually grow as we pray in the Spirit. We are building ourselves into mature warriors for Christ as we take the time to edify ourselves according to biblical instruction.

                "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries." (1 Corinthians 14:2)

                As we speak in tongues we speak to God, using God's own language. In the spirit we speak mysteries. The biblical concept of mysteries denotes that which is hidden now being revealed (Vine's Expository Dictionary). In other words, as we pray in tongues we declare the deep and hidden things of God. This allows our prayers to reveal the mysteries of God. Practically speaking, I experience more revelation, visions, and prophetic insights while praying in tongues than during any other time. When I pray in tongues it opens up the mysteries of God to me, and it will do the same for you too. Furthermore, when we obey the biblical instruction to pray that we may interpret (1 Corinthians 14:13), the floodgates to the things of God are literally flung open! Through the practice of praying in tongues and interpreting it back to myself I have received boatloads of revelatory information. Who wouldn't want this?

                In closing, this letter is by no means all-inclusive regarding the benefits of praying in the Spirit. It is simply scratching the surface. The goal is that you would be empowered, by understanding what the purpose for it is. For those of you that have not received this gift, it is my prayer that this letter will inspire you to go after it. For those of you that have it and don't use it: it is my prayer that this will motivate you to use the gift that God has given to you.

The Armor of God and the Sword of the Spirit

Greetings,

                    Swords do no good if they are permanently sheathed.  Their purpose is only realized when they are used. As Christians we are responsible to use the sword that has been given to us. What sword am I referring to? I am referring to the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. This is the piece of spiritual armor that we will be focused on this week.

                "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. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:13-18)

                The sword is a unique weapon in that it is designed to be both offensive and defensive. It can allow the person wielding it to both block and parry. As an offensive weapon it can pierce, slice, fillet, chop, break, tear, and so forth. Just like any weapon, there are different types and styles of swords. There are long swords, short swords, swords designed to be wielded with two hands, thin swords, broad swords and so forth.

                In the New Testament two kinds of swords are referenced. The first type of sword described is the machaira (Strong's 3162). This was generally understood as a large knife with a curved cutting edge. Historically, this word referred to different types and designs, some employing one cutting edge and others employing two. The second type of sword referenced by the New Testament is the rhomphaia (Strong's 4501). This was generally understood as a long and broad cutlass. It's handle was typically a little over a foot and a half alone—the blade adding between 2 and 3 more feet to the weapon. This particular weapon was extremely feared, and caused the only documented change to Roman armor caused by a new weapon. One could use it to hack their enemies to pieces. Isn't that impressive!

                The question is: which one do we get? If you guessed the rhomphaia, you're unfortunately incorrect. It's okay though, I went through the same anticlimactic revelation in Bible school. As part of our spiritual armor we get the machaira—we get the knife.

                "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword [machaira] of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17)

                Jesus, on the other hand, gets the rhomphaia. As one would expect, it is used to execute wrath, destruction, and large scale death. This is the sword that comes forth from His mouth when he returns and smites the nations.

                "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war... And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword [rhomphaia], that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." (Revelation 19:11, 15)

                The question is, why is the sword that we get comparable to a large knife? Why can't we just get the "big guy" to hack all of the enemies of God to spiritual pieces? When I first realized this, I honestly felt kind of cheated. You may be feeling the same way right now. What I came to learn was that any weapon, in the hand of an expert, becomes extremely lethal. Some weapons simply require more skill than others. The Word of God is the same way.

                When I use the Word of God like a weapon I do not waive it around like a drunken gorilla. I use it skillfully. I can't just use it however I want. There is so much in the Bible, and it is my responsibility to train myself so that I can use it with excellence. Allow me to illustrate. Let's say someone comes to me and says, "I just lost my job, the bills are due next week, and I don't know what to do!" This is how I WILL NOT use the word of God.

                "Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die." (Job 2:9)

                Using the word of God like this is sloppy. This is what happens when we try to fight with the Word of God as if it were a rhomphaia. Instead, we need to use calculated precision. We need to know exactly what the Bible says about specific situations and apply that wisdom to our usage of the it. A more appropriate use of the Word of God in this situation is as follows.

                "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

                When I use the Word of God in this manner it becomes a two-edged sword in my mouth, bringing both conviction and healing. It convicts the person of God's faithfulness and of their abiding unbelief. It then brings healing by reassuring them that although things look bleak in the natural, their help comes from the Lord. The Bible describes our machaira as follows.

                "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword [machaira], piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

                The moral of the story is that we are responsible to learn what the Bible says and how to apply it to our lives. If we don't, it is no good to us or anyone else when it's in our hands. My question to you is, how effectively do you know (and use) the Word of God?

The Armor of God and the Helmet of Salvation

Greetings,

                I remember when I got my first pair of roller skates as a kid. They were specially designed to go extra slow. Don't get me wrong, I certainly appreciated them! However, they were toys. To ensure that I wouldn't get hurt going extra slow, I received a safety kit along with the skates. This safety kit included elbow pads, knee pads, and a snazzy helmet. How cool is it to go 1 mile per hour on roller skates with all that equipment! Did I mention it was color coordinated?

                What parent wants to put their child in a dangerous situation without the proper protection? Mine didn't, and I am very thankful for this fact. My snazzy helmet protected my developing brain from all manner of evils. In order to protect me from spiritual evils, my Father in heaven also gives me a helmet! It's called the helmet of salvation and it is the piece of spiritual armor that we will be focusing on this week.

                "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. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:13-18)

                The Christian faith is based around the concept of salvation in Jesus Christ. Salvation basically means to be saved or delivered from something. According to the Bible, when we believe with our heart and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, we will be saved.

                "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9)

                What do we have salvation from? Everyone likes the idea of being saved. Some people dream of being saved from abusive situations. Other people dream of being saved from their financial dilemma. Still others dream of being saved 40% during a Macy's sale. We read in the Bible that when confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead we shall be saved. What does this decision allow God to save us from?

                "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

                "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." (Romans 5:8-10)

                When we have salvation through Jesus Christ, we are saved from the wages of sin which is death. According to the Bible, sin is the problem that separates us from God. Since we are born with a sin nature it does us no good to try to earn our way into heaven. This requires us to be saved from our very nature, which is precisely why Jesus died for our sins. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God through the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ is life. We are reconciled to God through the death of Jesus.

                We are also saved from wrath. We are saved from bearing the guilt of our sins before the Righteous Judge over the whole of creation, and we are justified by the blood of Jesus. When you see the word "justified" think Just-If-I'd; in other words think Just-As-If-I'd never sinned! When we have salvation in Jesus Christ we are saved from hell and granted entrance into heaven. This means that we are saved from eternal death and granted everlasting life. For the Christian, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).

                "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16)

                However, this isn't all there is to the topic of salvation. The Bible actually goes on to say that when we are Christian: we have been saved, we  are presently being saved, and also that in the future, those that endure to the end will be saved.

                "Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)" (Ephesians 2:5)

                "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18)

                "And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22)

                Salvation isn't strictly limited to the moment we experience a new birth, become a child of God, and enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5). Salvation is something that God continually performs on our behalf. He continually saves and delivers us. God saves our marriages, God saves us from addictions, and God saves us from bad decisions. The Bible says that God will contend with those that contend with us, and He save our children (Isaiah 49:25). As a matter of fact, God is so powerful that He works all thing to the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). God continually delivers us from all of the various attacks of the enemy as we keep on the helmet of salvation.

                The fact that we are presently being saved also deals with the soul realm of the individual. This can be confusing until we understand certain basic facts. We exist in three basic parts being the body, the soul, and the spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The body is our physical aspect, the soul is most easily understood as the mind, will, and emotions, and the spirit is our contact point with God. When we receive new birth (John 3:5) it is our spirit man that is reborn. It is our spirit that becomes one with the Spirit of God when we are saved (1 Corinthians 6:17).

                The soul is not so quickly delivered. As you may have witnessed, not all of the Christians you meet have a perfect attitude, a perfect thought life, perfect emotional responses, and perfect will power. As a matter of fact, none do. This is why our soul goes through a process of being saved as we walk into maturity in Christ. As our soul is delivered from carnality and into the glorious liberty of God's holiness, we move on towards the saving of the soul.

                "But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul" (Hebrews 10:39)

                "receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:9)

                The helmet of salvation protects us from any type of fatal blow. When we have salvation in Jesus Christ we are permanently delivered from death. In Christ we have everlasting life. The helmet of salvation also protects us from the ongoing attacks of the enemy.  Not only does God deliver us from outside circumstances, but by moving us towards the saving of our soul, God also delivers us from ourselves. How great is our God?

The Armor of God and the Shield of Faith

Greetings,

                A shield is an indispensible asset to have, particularly when engaging in extremely dangerous combat situations. In the past, soldiers went out to war with a sword and a shield. The shield was to ensure that they wouldn't have to block swords, arrows, and spears with the face and chest. Today police forces will have SWAT teams that use shields to block bullets. No one wants to block bullets with their face and chest, even if they do have a helmet or body armor. Have you ever blocked something with your face? It's not pleasant. Just like there are shields in the natural, there is also a shield in the spirit. It is called the shield of faith.

                "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. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:13-18)

                A friend of mine has an interesting story. Due to the fact that it ties in so perfectly with our study, I am going to provide you with the cliff notes. This particular testimony helps us to understand the nature of just how the armor of God works. Understand that by providing this testimony certain assumptions are being made. The first is that demons are just as real today as they were when Jesus walked the earth. The second is that the Bible is very clear about what we as believers are expected to do with our salvation.

                "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues" (Mark 16:17)

                This friend was conducting a deliverance session with a man that was demonized. A deliverance session is when an individual receives personal ministry for the express purpose of breaking demonic strongholds and casting out demons. At one point the head demon manifested and began speaking through the man's mouth. A head demon is a spirit that holds authority and control over weaker spirits that are also at work in a person or situation. My friend (who happens to be an expert in this area of ministry) was questioning the spirit as to how he entered the man. During the explanation, the spirit mentioned that the man's shield (of faith) was extremely small and so it was very easy to get around. The spirit also mentioned that my friend's shield (of faith) extended from the floor to the ceiling.

                My friend was successfully able to get this man delivered in the name of Jesus, but I use this story here to bring out two important points. The first point is that the demon could only see the armor because in the spirit realm the armor was literal. Both my friend's spirit and the man's spirit literally had on spiritual armor. As I have shared in previous letters, while we can glean great lessons by studying out the meaning of the armor, the fact of the matter is that it literally exists in the spirit realm. The second point is very interesting. It seems that the effectiveness of the armor we have is directly related to the type of relationship we share with Jesus. Could it be that my friend's shield was much larger than the shield of the man he was delivering? Keeping in mind the source of the information, the only thing I can say is that it is certainly possible.

                In any case, the Bible distinguishes between different types of faith. Some people have strong faith and some people have weak faith. The closer we walk with Jesus, the more real He becomes to us, and the more faith we will have. It's pretty simple. Due to the fact that my friend had a very close walk with Jesus, his shield of faith was very effective. The man he was ministering to, on the other hand, had weak faith.

                "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations" (Romans 14:1)

                You may be reading this letter and realizing that your faith tends towards he weak end of the spectrum. If so there is a solution to the problem! The Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). When we begin to hear (and read) what the Bible says about what God can do, we are hearing by the Word of God. When we enter into prayer and begin to hear the Word of God ministering to our spirit, we are also hearing by the Word of God. This activity will grow our faith.

                As our faith grows it becomes a shield against the attacks of the enemy. Instead of fighting like Rocky (who blocked punches with his face) we will begin fighting like a professional SWAT team in the spirit. After our battles, we won't be a bloody mess. Doesn't that sound nice!

                The Bible says that the shield of faith quenches the fiery darts of the wicked one. Other translations render this as fiery arrows. These spiritual weapons can take many forms in the natural. They can come as groundless accusations, unexpected job loss, betrayal, rejection, discouragement, and a broken marriage. However these fiery darts manifest, their purpose is to be an offensive maneuver. They either wound us and keep us out of the spiritual fight, or force us to fight at a severe disadvantage. For this reason, the Bible says "above all else" take up the shield of faith.

                When we maintain our faith we rise above the circumstances that we are faced with. We have the ability to replace rejection in the natural with the spiritual fact that we are accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6). We have the ability to overcome unexpected job loss because we have confidence that God will provide our every need (Philippians 4:19). We easily overcome groundless accusations because we have faith that we have been justified by the grace of God (Romans 3:24). Faith allows our supernatural inheritance in Christ to overpower our natural circumstances. This is why we need to take up the shield of faith.

                A final point regarding the shield of faith the word translated as shield. It is the Greek word is thureos and it denotes a very large shield. It was large enough to completely shield an entire body ducked behind it (something like 4 feet by 2 feet). It contained an outer layer of leather that was treated with oil and water so that if fiery arrows struck the shield the fire would be quickly extinguished. Furthermore, when a group of soldiers were trapped under enemy fire they would create a circle, protecting themselves with the shields. Those that were in the middle of the circle would hold their shields above their heads creating an impenetrable fortress of defense. The lesson: our faith isn't only for us, it's for our brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we are fighting side-by-side. Your words of faith spoken into the life of a struggling brother or sister in Christ can make all the difference.

The Armor of God and the Shoes of the Readiness of the Gospel of Peace

Greetings,

                Some ladies love cute shoes! They believe that seven inch stilettos can take their perfectly color coordinated outfit to a state of near perfection. The visual appeal of the shoes outweighs all issues of practically. When wearing these shoes there are usually no problems as long as they are just walking from a car to a restaurant table and back. However, the problems begin when it's time to hit the dance floor or when the car breaks down and it's two miles to the nearest gas station. Only then does the fact that the shoes have no practicality become evident.

                While some shoes lack any practicality apart from visual appeal, other shoes serve a purpose. However, different shoes serve different purposes. Tennis shoes are good for playing tennis. Soccer cleats are good for maintaining balance, speed and grip on a grassy field. Basketball shoes allow for stability and speed on the basketball court. Army boots protect the feet, keep them warm in adverse climates, and allow for balance and reliability on various types of terrain. Different shoes serve different purposes and we have to make sure that we are wearing the right shoe for the job.

                If I am going to play soccer on a wet field, I want to be wearing cleats. If I am wearing basketball shoes I am going to have problems. I've actually tried this. What happened was that I slipped and fell several times because my shoes were not designed to be effective on wet grass. Due to the fact that I was constantly worried about slipping, I had to move slowly which inhibited my ability to play at my best. If I we're going to dance ballet I would not want to be wearing army boots. I have not tried this, but it's certainly a funny mental picture. For something that requires such grace and poise, heavy clunky army boots could not possibly yield anything good.

                The idea is that we need the right shoes for the job. No one wants to hike 50 miles over a sheet of ice while wearing roller skates. No one goes out to fight a war in stilettos . When our feet are suffering from a bad situation it can basically throw off everything else. This is why we must make sure that our feet are protected and outfitted with the right shoes for the job.

                We have been in a series on the armor of God. We have said that just like soldiers need armor to fight physical battles, we also need armor for our spiritual battles. While we learn great lessons by studying the meaning of the armor of God, we have also realized that as we put on the armor of God our spirit man literally wears it in the spirit realm. We have also come to understand that warfare is not an option for Christians. There is a perpetual war between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light, and if we are Christian then we are soldiers in kingdom of light. We are enemies of the kingdom of darkness and the devil wants to destroy us. Therefore, in order to stand against the devil and his inevitable attacks we should put on the armor of God daily. We put on the armor of God by praying out loud according to the following passage.

                ""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. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:13-18)

                I have underlined our focal point for this letter. Our feet are to be outfitted the preparation of the gospel of peace. This is the right shoe for the job of spiritual warfare. What we do not want is to have our feet shod with pride, anger, bitterness, resentment, hatred, alcoholism, envy, and other negative characteristics. Unfortunately there are a lot of Christians who are moving upon these faulty foundations. They are stepping out with the wrong shoes for the job and both they and those around them suffer as a result.

                There are times when my wife wears the wrong shoes for the occasion. Sure she looks as cute as can be, but her feet are not properly outfitted for the strain that will be put upon them. As a result, they begin to hurt her. As her wonderful and loving husband, it never works out that her terrible situation stays her terrible situation. Somehow I always end up sharing the grief. I will end up carrying most of her weight on my arm or even carrying her altogether. At the end of the day, her shoes have a negative impact on both of us. When we wear the wrong shoes for the job, those around us will suffer too.

                However, the question is accurately asked: why isn't it the shoes of peace? Why is it the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace? Let's take a closer look at this. We must first understand what is meant by the use of the word "gospel". Gospel simply means good news. Often times as Christians we will use the phrase "Go out and preach the gospel." The use of the word gospel in this phrase implies the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the good news that Jesus was born of a virgin, died, and was resurrected on the third day so that all that believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life. However, this can lead to a confusion of terms because the word gospel when used by itself does not always imply the gospel of Jesus Christ. For instance, consider the gospel of the Cheesecake Factory. This would be the good news that the Cheesecake Factory restaurant has delicious food and desserts.

                In this case we are dealing with the gospel of peace. It is the good news of peace. The word peace comes from the Greek word eirene and means peace, prosperity, and rest. What is the good news about this peace? The good news is that in Christ we have both peace "with" God and the peace "of" God. Having peace with God means that we have been justified by the finished work of Jesus. This means that because Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for us, He reconciled us to God by making it just as if we'd never sinned. When I think about being justified I think Just-If-I'd. Jesus made is just-as-if-I'd never sinned.

                "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1)

                Not only do we walk on the firm foundation of knowing that we have peace with God. We also walk on the firm foundation of knowing that we have the peace of God. This is God's peace manifesting through us. Do you know what gives God anxiety? Nothing. That's right, He is all-powerful, almighty, all-knowing, and He has all authority. What could He possibly worry about? Anxiety and fear are not of God. As a matter of fact the Bible comes right out and says that we have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). The same peace that abides in God is given to us. In Christ we receive a peace that by earthly standards passes all understanding.

                "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus: (Philippians 4:7)

                When we put on the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, we are prepared to walk according to the reality that we have both peace "with" God and the peace "of" God. This brings peace to our homes, to our workplaces, and to our relationships. When the enemy attacks either our identity in Christ or our situation in the natural, we are prepared to stay in a place of peace and clarity. Peace is an essential  part of participating in the kingdom of God.

                "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17)

The Armor of God and the Breastplate of Righteousness

Greetings,

                The human torso is an extremely vulnerable part of the body. It contains organs like the heart, the lungs, the spleen, the pancreas, the stomach and the small and large intestines. These are known as vital organs because they are classified as bodily organs essential for life. When soldiers go to war, they have to accept that protecting the torso is vitally important.

                In order to protect our vital organs we wear armor that covers the front and back of our torso. Today, people wear things like bullet proof vests or flak jackets. In the old world, soldiers wore breast plates. Breastplates protected their vital organs in order to reduce the chance that the soldier would take a fatal blow. Many injuries will heal, but if a vital organ is destroyed, a soldier's odds of living to fight another day are drastically reduced.

                If we are Christian then we are at war. This is not a natural war against natural enemies but a spiritual war against spiritual enemies (Ephesians 6:12). There is a battle being waged between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light, and it is inescapable. As God's children we are the soldiers of heaven. For this reason God has given us spiritual armor so that we can continue to stand in the face of constant spiritual warfare.

                "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. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:13-18)

                Just like soldiers wear breastplates in the natural, we are to wear a breastplate in the spirit. It is called the breastplate of righteousness. We put on this breastplate by speaking it over ourselves. This is accomplished by praying out loud according to the above scripture. When we do this our spirit man will literally take up a piece of spiritual armor. In my experience, the armor of God should be taken up daily. When I fail to do this, I often suffer unnecessarily in one way or another.

                The question I am going to answer this week is: why is it a breastplate of righteousness? Why isn't it a breastplate of might or a breastplate of love? In order to understand this question we have to first define what righteousness is. The word translated righteousness in this passage comes from the Greek word dikaiosynē (Strong's 1343). In a broad sense this simply means to be found in a condition that is acceptable unto God. This topic is horrendously misunderstood by many Christians.

                What does it really mean to be righteous? Does it means that we don't lie? Does it mean that we stop fornicating and stealing, or does it mean that we stop thinking inappropriate or hateful thoughts? What if our issue happens to fall into a "gray area" of the Bible—meaning the Bible doesn't provide us with clear and straightforward instruction? On what level of personal conduct do we actually begin to live "righteously"?

                There is no level of personal conduct that enables us to be counted righteous in the sight of an Almighty God. The Bible is very clear on this issue.

                "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away" (Isaiah 64:6)

                The Hebrew verbiage translated" filthy rags" actually makes reference to a woman's menstrual rag. This is the word picture that the prophet uses to illustrate our attempts at acting righteous before God. Having said this, having righteousness (or right standing) before God becomes an issue of identity. This means that just like I can't change the fact that I'm half  Puerto-Rican and half Haitian (because that is my identity), Christians cannot change the fact that when they are in Christ they are righteous.  When we are born again we receive a new identity in Christ. Let me illustrate this.

                "That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:29-31)

                This passage begins by declaring that no flesh should glory in God's presence. This is because our own righteousness is similar to menstrual rags in God's sight. However, things are different for those that are "in Christ Jesus." To be in Christ means to have received salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Once an individual is found "in Christ" the righteousness of Jesus becomes their righteousness because they are in Him! The Bible clearly says that Jesus is made unto us righteousness by a work of God. It is only through Him that we can have right standing with God. This leads us into the following passage.

                "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Philippians 3:9)

                Our righteousness becomes an identity issue the moment we are found in Christ. Our righteousness is of God by faith. This is why we can wear it like armor. However, I'm sure you will agree that this doesn't mean that Christians can't do unrighteous things. So how does this make any sense? Think about it like this. Even though I'm half Puerto-Rican and half Haitian, no one can stop me from adopting Chinese culture. This doesn't make me Chinese. In a similar way, the unrighteous acts of Christians do not nullify the work of Christ at Calvary (Galatians 2:21). Although Christians can do unrighteous things, it doesn't make us unrighteous in God's sight. It simply means that we must be cleansed of our unrighteous works through the act of repentance (1 John 1:9).

                 For example, if I roll in the mud I do not become mud. I am simply covered in mud and I must shower to wash the mud off of me. At no point does the mud alter my identity. In the same way, just because Christians can commit unrighteous acts, it does not make them unrighteous.

                I am convinced that one of the biggest barriers to intimacy with Jesus and a walk of power in His kingdom  is the problem of sin consciousness. Some Christians receive Christ and then go the rest of their lives considering themselves "unworthy," "filthy," and "no good sinners." They ride this roller coaster of sin consciousness always focusing on how they can never be good enough. This breaks my heart.

                It's true that our flesh isn't good enough, but the moment that we are found in Christ we are made "good enough" by His work. This means that I need to respond to Him according to what He has done, as opposed to responding to Him according to what I've done. I don't come to Christ as a sinner. I already did that. Now that I am "in Him," I come to Him as one who is worthy, dearly beloved, accepted, righteous, blessed, blameless, etc. If I sin and commit acts of unrighteousness I repent, but I don't need to allow the fact that I am imperfect to hinder my intimacy with God.

                This is why I have no fear of praying for miracles, signs, and wonders. This is why I don't waste my time getting jealous of what other Christians receive from God. This is why I enjoy glorious prayer times in the deep presence of God. Furthermore, this is why sin has little appeal to me. My mind is so renewed to the work that Jesus did for me, sin is a small nuisance in my daily life. It is not something that requires all of my strength and energy to avoid.

                When a soldier's vital organs are injured, they are impaled. When Satan defeats us by convincing us that we do not have right standing with God, we are impaled as well. This is why we must always wear the breastplate of righteousness. When the accuser comes, the breastplate will ensure that the finished work of Jesus continues to speak louder to us than any of his lies and accusations. If there is sin in your life: REPENT and GET IT OUT! This will keep us in a place where we are able to effectively stand against the devil and his attacks.

                "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

The Armor of God and the Belt of Truth

Greetings,

                When going to war it only makes sense to wear the best armor. Armor protects soldiers from  the inevitable violence that they will endure. In the old days, armor was for the purpose of protecting soldiers from swords, spears, and arrows. Today, armor is also for the purpose of stopping or reducing the impact of bullets and other weapons of modern warfare. If one goes into a warzone without armor, their chances of survival decrease drastically.

                Not all people realize this. When I was in college a movie was released called The 300, which was based on the battle of Thermopylae. It depicted soldiers with no shirts or armor on their bodies. Sure enough, the dramatized battle scenes bore out the ridiculous notion that true soldiers don't need armor.

                While Hollywood may glorify a soldier's exposed six-pack, you can bet that the real men that fought in this battle were well armored. Real men of war will never discard or neglect to wear their armor. It could be the difference between life and death. If this is true in the natural, how much more regarding spiritual things? Just like there is armor for the natural body, God has provided us with armor for the spirit. Unfortunately, like Hollywood dramatizations, some Christians don't see the need for spiritual armor.

                The irrefutable fact of the matter is that that we are at war. Every day, no matter where we are in the world, there is a war being waged between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. Until Jesus returns there will be no escape from this reality. As Christians, we are participating in a spiritual battle field whether we like it or not. It we are not using the armor that God has given us, we are like sitting ducks. We will have little defense against the pain that the kingdom of darkness will vault against us.

                For the next seven weeks I am going to spend time introducing the armor of the God. The armor of God is defined in the following passage from the book of Ephesians.

                "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. 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. Stand therefore, [1] having your loins girt about with truth, and [2] having on the breastplate of righteousness; And [3] your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, [4] taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the [5] helmet of salvation, and the [6] sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  [7] Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:12-18)

                The first thing that needs to be pointed out is that we have been given the armor of God because we are at war. Notice also that the apostle exhorts us saying, "take unto you the whole armor." The armor of God is something we must spiritually take up, or more simply stated—put on. When I speak of putting on the armor of God I mean praying out loud according to this passage.

                What I have realized in my own life is that this is something that I have to do daily. If I don't consciously take the time to speak the armor of God over myself I will often find myself getting blindsided by the enemy at some point during my day. This is not unique to my walk with Christ. If you have been getting blindsided by the enemy regularly it may be time for you to begin speaking the armor of God over yourself daily as well.  In practice, this technique works every time. It is a proven method of defending ourselves against the inevitable attacks of the enemy.

                Another important point to understand is that spiritual armor is not merely allegorical. Although we learn some great lessons by studying out the meaning of the armor, make no mistake—in the spirit realm it literally exists. When someone has on the armor of God, their spirit man is literally wearing armor.

                When I speak of the spirit man I am talking about the spirit that is in your body. It is the eternal part of the human condition that participates in the spirit realm and experiences life after death (either heaven or hell). While we are on earth, it is our connection point to God according to 1 Corinthians 6:17. This is the aspect of you that wears the spiritual armor because it is interacting in the spirit realm at all times, whether you are consciously aware of it or not.

                This week we are going to focus on girding up our loins with truth.

                "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth..." (Ephesians 6:14)

                When the apostle speaks of girding our loins, a question may arise as to how loins have any relevance to spiritual armor. Our loins are an extremely sensitive part of our body that, if wounded, will impale the individual. According to Vine's Expository Dictionary the word "girt" comes from the Greek word perizonnumi which means to gird around or about for service. In the East this dealt with tying down long garments with a belt so that the garments couldn't get in the way. This is why this part of the armor of God is referred to as the belt of truth. The belt allowed for protection, balance, and increased mobility. In the same way that a literal belt allowed for these things, the spiritual belt of truth has parallels regarding its purpose. It enables us to be girt about for service.

                " Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13)

                Interestingly enough, our spiritual loins are actually found in our minds. The fact of the matter is that truth must be in our minds. This goes beyond the notion that Jesus is the truth. This actually deals with the amount of truth that our mind has been renewed to. The more truth we have received regarding the nature of God, the truth of His Word, the truth about our identity in Him , and the truth about the world in general, the more effective we will be in His service. This also means that it will be less likely that lies will slow us down in our walk with Christ. In order to enhance the level of truth we are operating in, we must renew our minds to the truth of God's word.

                "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2)

                Truth allows us to be protected against lies. The enemy is constantly trying to destroy our lives by feeding us lies like "we're not good enough", "God isn't able", and "things will never work out". Truth makes us immune to the impact of these lies thereby protecting us. Truth also allows for balance. It allows us to lead a balanced life, embrace balanced relationships, and take a balanced approach to spiritual matters. Without truth, deception can lead a devoted Christian into error, heresy, or outright sin. Truth also increases our mobility. The enemy is constantly setting up spiritual snares in order to entangle us and get us off track. Truth helps us to not get caught up in the enemies snares, thereby keeping us in a place of forward motion regarding God's plan for our lives.