THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE (PART TWO)
If the Lord of lords abides in us no-one can battle with Him and be successful. It is time for us to start viewing the things that arise against us, as things that actually arise against God. The weapons that we have been given are certain to capture and subdue everything that rises up against Him. In that light, let Him fight.
Sometimes we get all worked up because we forget that God is at the controls. Observe closely! God is keeping us abreast of the Enemy’s tactics. The Devil is really after our souls, so he disguises himself behind people who allow themselves to execute his plans: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Look at the various platforms from which the attacks may come and remember that that loser has been a coward ever since he was ejected from Heaven. This results in our need for the full armor so we can persevere when trials come. We have the God of our fathers in whom we have hope.
REFERENCE: Ephesians 6: 11-18
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
We do get dressed before going out in the street. So why would we go through life naked, knowing that we are born of woman and as a result, we are full of troubles? Let us be clothed as we face daily challenges. Without the full attire we will be wounded in battle. To stand against the tricks of the devil, the whole armor must be engaged. For this purpose, let’s get dressed from head to toe.
Shield of Faith
First we must believe that God exists and as our source of strength we lean on Him for support. In the family we work at pleasing our earthly father and never stop for once to focus on his inability to provide everything we need. If our goal is to please our heavenly Father, then faith is the shield that we utilize to gain His attention. Faith is the nucleus of all that we hope for. In other words, it’s the life-giving part of our existence. As we believe , we are able to approach Him with confidence He knows that we are made of dust and as such, we can easily be blown about. He has given us this remedy, faith, which is substance and evidence. By its very nature, it is both invisible and intangible, yet because of its Author, we expect to receive our needs met. This shield goes before us and now, He can be trusted for salvation.
Salvation’s Helmet
When we accept Jesus as Savior, as newborns we sometimes enter the relationship unadvisedly, but as we mature in Christ, we become aware of our susceptibility to the craftiness of The Evil One. The helmet protects our head, the seat of reasoning. The seeds of doubt and fear are planted, fertilized and watered in the mind, but they are crushed by the helmet of salvation. In other words, our outlook changes as we think on lovely, praiseworthy things. Whenever a baby’s head is wobbly, doctors are sought to correct the malformation. Similarly, the Great Physician will take us through the process of correcting our mind-set.
Any current physical disfigurement of the head (the house of the mind) causes us to be somewhat unrecognizable to those who have not seen us for a while. Consequently, if our mind is somewhat warped with the wrong focus, the Enemy can mistake us as one of his. Command him, “Don’t get it twisted, Satan. I am a child of the Most High.” Cover your head therefore with the helmet of salvation. Does that mean we will not be attacked? Of course not, but we will be protected from the effects by donning righteousness.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
Take the stance that we are not just any conqueror, but we are more than conquerors through Christ. Exemplary living as a representative of Christ should be the norm. Never mind the naysayers. We may even be called, “Holier than Thou”, but don’t worry about it. Thanks to God we have a more excellent name: CHILD of GOD. To which name will we respond?
The breastplate protects many vital organs, among which are the heart and liver. It is up to us to diligently protect our heart because out of it are the issues of life. Also from its abundance, we speak. When our words deliver grace to hearers we know that our words are well-seasoned, and are therefore palatable. It’s all a result of righteousness. The breastplate dictates that we become beautiful for God. Right living is non-negotiable if we are ambassadors of Christ..He already knows our vital statistics and has ordered our custom-made garments. Display Him. Wear Him well.
As for the liver, life depends on the liver as the Hepatitis International Foundation puts it.Your liver is your ‘pantry, garbage disposal, food processor, refinery, engine and guardian angel!’ as was submitted by William James (2012). As livers should we deem the breastplate necessary?
The Sword of the Spirit
When Jesus had ended His fast and was tempted by the devil, He used the sword of the spirit (the word of God) to combat him. Ps.119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
that I might not sin against You.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help us memorize the scriptures so we can quote them appropriately. In this case it’s our weapon of choice. God’s words are life and health to our flesh. Without them we function like zombies, not knowing where problems may lead us, but knowing the word, provides a lamp for proximity and a light for the distance.
The word edifies us so that our most holy faith can build one another and admonish us to good deeds, right living and the tree of life Remember there is an on-going quest for our soul. The word is quick, powerful and sharp so sword the Evil One and hasten his demise in each of his pursuits. Marrow and bones seem as inseparable as some of the challenges that we face. Thrust the sword straight down to the dividing asunder. In other words, plunge it straight to the heart of the matter. That can only be done if we have the sword ready at the draw. Memorize1 Memorize! Memorize! Did I say, “Memorize”? If the Son of God quoted the word, we should follow His example. Get to the girding of strength with the belt of support.
The Belt of Truth
The old adage, “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou cans’t not then be false to any man” (William Shakespeare) is as relevant today as it was in the sixteenth century.
Since God desires truth in our inward parts, it stands to reason that the seat of the body’s strength, the loins, must be girded. Fortify it with truth. What is this truth? Pilate asked that too. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Jn.14:6). Without Him there is neither going, knowing, nor living. Actually, without Him we become oblivious to the realities of life and we exist in a vacuum. Unless we plan to sag, we will wear that piece of the armor. Now, we are almost ready to trample the enemy head-on. This takes us to the feet.
Shoes of Peace
Romans 12:18 (NKJV)
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Many times we omit: as much as depends on you and conclude that it is not possible. In the book of Psalm we are reminded that beautiful feet carry good news. Amidst the turmoil of the world we all crave good news, that of hope and peace. Change the atmosphere around us by shifting to good news of peace . It is one of the components of the fruit of the Spirit. Invoke the Spirit.
Jesus, knowing the anxiety that the disciples would feel during His agony and crucifixion bestowed on them His peace. We are commissioned to disallow a troubled, fearful heart, but instead, cultivate belief in God. His peace is the solution to our fears. Live as if our life depended on it and console each other with this comfort of love. How satisfying it is to help fulfill someone’s joy. When the peace of God has preeminence in us, then Colossians 3: 15-16 is demonstrated in our activities.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
According to this scripture we have the ability to either allow or ignore the peace of God in our hearts. If we allow it then we can walk in wisdom and grace thus glorifying God. To complete the attire, put on the accessory of prayer.
Prayer
Prayer, the mighty weapon, cannot be over-used. That is why we are commanded to “Pray always, without ceasing, with all perseverance. How is that possible? Our attitude towards God answers that. As we commune with Him and allow the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts we can focus on His mighty acts and saturate our minds with His power. The problems may still face us, but our perspective of Him causes us to maximize Him, thus minimizing the effects of those problems. They may not readily disappear, but our outlook is changed. The weapon of our warfare is then seen in light of the power we have, to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Watch, pray, give thanks and persevere. For whom? All saints! We may not know when someone is praying for us, but be assured that the Lord knows when to prompt someone to pray for us. I was so sick I could barely speak and at 3: 15 AM two different people at opposite ends of the island (Jamaica) called within five minutes of each other to say they were praying for me, not having known that I was sick. That’s how God works.
We are in warfare, but He who has called us has already won. Isn’t that amazing? He takes the battle, wins it, and hands us the victory. We know that in the end WE WIN! Our weapons are mighty thru God.
(Is 54:17} “No weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue which rises against you in judgment, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. And their righteousness is from Me”, says the Lord.
REFLECTION
Give examples of how we can demonstrate that the peace of God is operational in our life.
Discuss: “Faith is the nucleus of all that we hope for.”
Dr. O. A. James