To be effective as watchmen on the wall helping to bring about God’s purpose, we must make sure we have on the full armor of God and are suited purposely for the battle within us, and the battle that will be before us on every side, to cause distraction.
In Isaiah 52:8 - “Thy Watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing for they shall see eye to eye, (be in agreement, be of the same mind/opinion, be in accord), when the Lord shall bring again Zion.
In Ephesians 6:10 -18 (KJV)10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.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, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
The Belt of Truth
The belt of Truth is a very important first piece when putting on the Whole Armor of God; even today, a belt is very important in keeping our pants or other pieces of clothing in place. Some belts are designed to hold or conceal other things the worker or fighter must carry. The Belt of Truth, which is the Word/Truth of God, The Belt helps everything else functions the way it is supposed to. When we have the Truth of God written on the Tables of our Hearts, we can fight spiritually against any Wiles of the enemy of our souls.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The Breastplate of Righteousness guards our heart. A wound to our heart can sometime be fatal to our spiritual walk, because out from our heart, flow springs of Life. With that being said, we have to recognize the things within that fatally harm us.
Proverbs 4:23 – 27 ”Keep heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. ”Put away from thee a lying mouth, to let our eyes look directly ahead to the path of moral courage; and our gaze fixed straight in front of us to the path of integrity; considering well and watch carefully the path of our feet. If we do this, the springs of life coming through us will be safe, and powerful.
For We Know righteousness and righteous living only comes from Jesus Christ; so allow it to keep your heart strong and pure before God. Putting on the breastplate involves the practice of righteousness an godly living. Paul mentioned in Ephesians 4:24 “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
And Your Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace
On this spiritual journey, there are pitfalls and detours the enemy set before us, as we are used by God to spread the gospel.
The gospel of peace assures us that it is by grace we and all others are saved, and whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16. The gospel of Peace, with Readiness, we can proclaim the gospel of good news with boldness. A Christian's stability will not be assured without the Word of God. When our feet have been established in the Word of God, and we are led by the Spirit, our feet will not be entangled by anything else. Amen.
1 Peter 3:15 – 16 KJV15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 16Having a good conscience; that, whereas they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
Romans 5:1 states, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Shield of Faith
A shield was considered one of the most important defensive armor there was. Doubt is one of the most persuasive tools the enemy loves to come at us with. If he can cause us to doubt the words of God for our lives, He knows he has his foot in our door. Our faith in knowing God’s word is true, and we can rely on Him, will cause the devil to flee from our minds. When we stand, immoveable in the word of God when everything about us is going wrong, it will close the mouth of the lions.
Taking the shield of faith,with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. This is the reason the shield is an important part of the armor of God. When we put on the shield of faith, we tell God we trust Him to give us strength and protection. We trust that God will protect us from the lies, temptations, doubts, and anything that can steer us away from the Lord.
During the Roman soldier era, the shield was a full-body shield designed to protect the soldier from harm, and even protect the other soldiers as well. The shields were used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows. The shield blocks, instead of providing passive protection.
Hebrews 11: 6 states, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.
"Attacks in our lives may sometimes cause us to doubt God, but faith prompts us to Believe God. Paul mentioned in Ephesians 6:16, Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. We as believers need to keep our shield held high, confident in the knowledge that God provides, God protects, and God is faithful to His Word, for His children. Our faith will stand assuredly because our faith is in Jesus.
The Helmet of Salvation and Sword of the Spirit
The helmet protects the most important part of our body – the head. In biblical history, when a soldier suited up for battle, the helmet was the last piece of armor to put on – signifying, he was ready for battle. The helmet was vital to survival. We know today when a helmet is put on, it is worn to protect the brain. Our brain commands the rest of our body.
As we prepare for the attacks of the enemy, we must close it securely, that the enemy’s attacks will not embedded in our thoughts and cause us to lose faith. We are reminded "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ: (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
The truth of salvation through Christ does indeed set us free. Those who reject God’s perfect plan of salvation, will always war with Satan without protection, and will suffer the consequences of hell fire.
Prayer
Ephesians 6: 18, Paul gives us the last element to us putting on the whole armor, is the power of prayer. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
1 Thessalonians 5:17, states for us to “pray without ceasing.”
As in the natural military, all soldiers know communication with the commander is vital to their survival. Communicating with the Lord, through prayer, fasting, studying scripture, and being guided by the Holy Spirit is paramount.
We can’t defeat our enemy if we don’t know His tactics and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us every step of the way. Satan do not want us to have that open communication with the Father, through prayer. When we pray, we are strengthened, and with discernment by his Spirit, keeps us alert and always battle ready.
WATCH, PRAY, AND REMAIN VIGILANT
Fully dressed and equipped soldiers are useless if they don’t know the enemy tactics and how they will advance into the enemy’s territory, while fighting on the battlefield.Remaining vigilant is a must for survival against the wiles and plans of the enemy for lives, communities, states, and nations. Knowing the importance of battle engagement to win the war, is most important than anything else.
Matthew 26: 40 - 41 (AMP) - And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So you men could not stay awake and keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep actively watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
Colossians 4:2 (AMP) - Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving.
I Corinthians 16;13-14 (AMP) - Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong. Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].
1 Peter 5:6-11 (AMP) - Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, one and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].
Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious continuously. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack-rooted, established, immovable] knowing that the same experiences of suffering are beingexperienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone].
Afteryou have suffered for a while, the God of all grace [who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (AMP) For though we walk in the flesh [as mortal men], we are not carrying on our [spiritual] warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man. The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. The (king James Version statesthat our weaponsofwarfare are notcarnal butare mighty with the pulling down of strongholds).
Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete.
We must have a warriors’ mind set going into “battle. It is mandatory for us not only to be fully clothed for battle, but knowing we are going in to win. If we understand that Jesus is in full control of all situations, we will put on the whole armor of God, and not suffer the pitfalls, distractions, and holes the enemy is digging for us.
There is great preparation for us when we are called to stand in the gap for others.
Blessings in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Amen!
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Lynne Brundige
July 31, 2023
Amen! Awesome breakdown of the armor of God! It blessed me to read this.