Oh but for a taste of Living Water!!
Armor of God : Intro
by , Apr 19th 2012 at 06:49 AM (1147 Views)
What does your clothing tell me about you?
People get dressed because:
(Slide 2 ) 1. It is all Eve's fault !!
She was tempted.... and the rest is history
Thus we dress for Modesty. To cover our shame. . (Slide 3)
(Slide 4 ) 2.We get dressed to show our occupation, or for identification .. Policemen, army, doctor, scholar even for a bride and groom, or spots-teams
(Slide 5) 3.We get dressed for protection:Against the sun, Beekeepers, Eskimo, Firemen etc
(Slide 6) 4.Some people get dressed just to look pretty, or for making a Fashion statement.
(Slide 7) 5. Sometimes we dress to broadcast a message!!
(Slide 8) 6.We are commended to get dressed.
Paul, who fights against the demonic realms, commands the church what they need to do. He writes his concluding remarks to the saints at Ephesus in:
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.
(Command)11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(Slide 9). (Reason why) 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, (Slide10) but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.
This scripture then tells about the different pieces of armour, butWe'll look at the individual pieces of Armour one-by-one, later.
When I was going through some difficult times in my life, some people used to tell me:”Put on the armor of God” and when I asked but how? They said just pray it on ”
Just say: “On my head, I wear the helmet of Salvation, In my left-hand I take up the shield of faith. On my heart I put the breastplate of righteousness. In my right-hand I take up the Sword of the Spirit, Around my waist I put the belt of truth, and on my feet, I put the shoes of the Gospel.”
But this did not make sense to me until I found a Prayer, which taught me how to Prayer-fully get dressed. A Copy of this prayer is on a bookmark Cathy made for us. Thanks Cathy.
This felt a bit better, however it can become like a “Ritual”, and what I'd like to share with you is the difference between “Ritual” and “Relationship”, how to put on Christ, and when I am dressed in Christ, I am dressed in His armor.
Being dressed in Christ means that I need to be in a personal relationship with Him, and when you are in a relationship with somebody you love, you want to spend time with them, you'll know His Name.. Do you know His Name?
**In Hebrew a person's name tells you about his character.
Praying the ritual prayer taught me about God, but walking in relationship with Him, is to experience Him and to know Him.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things,
The Holy Spirit of God will work in you, to reveal God, His purposes and His ways to you. To know God is to experience Him.
God has created you for a love relationship with Him, To know God by Name,meant that God has revealed Himself to that person, in a specific character of God, (I am not going further into God's Names as that is a whole teaching on it's own ,and Time does not allow for that today) Hebrews 11 is seen as Faith's Hall of Fame, see there how people has experienced God.
God gave you your sences to experience Him with through the Holy Spirit. It is your passion for God that keeps your heart pure and helps you to make the right decitions and to stay standing against temptations.
Before we carry on, I just want to say this: If I today say something that is different to the way you do or believe things to be done, I'm sorry. I love you all. Today I am sharing my experience with you.
Why is wearing God's Armor so important??
To be wearing armor means that we'll be involved in 'war,' a Spiritual-war.(Slide 11) Because 1 Pet 5:8 Your adversary the devil, walks around like a Roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Therefore we need to wear armor to protect us, I have to be able to move with it.... reminds me of the guys that went to the army and had to run the 2.4km with full armor, ..those years we were fighting a war on the border, and they had to be fit fighting with full kit on and not grow weary or tired ... imagine being dressed with full kit on in combat situation and not being able to run or move.
(Slide 12) Being in combat is like a choreographed dance... you have to practice the dance sequence so that the outcome can be effective.
In the movie :”Real Steel” we see how machines/robots are taught to fight, and even in a boxing match or karate or judo, (I think the movements are called a “Kata”) it is choreographed movements... and you practice them until you are comfortable using them in combat.
This war is not a “Once-off” event, it is war that goes on all the time! So we have to be 'fighting-fit'
(Slide 13)
A soldier had to be ready at all times. In Isaiah 5 we read how God was using the Assyrians (Enemy) against Israel, and we see the picture of a soldier's readiness, v26 ….Behold, they (the enemy)will come speedily and swiftly.
27 they will be weary nor stumble , None shall slumber nor sleep; Neither shall the belt of their loins be untied, Nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
28 their arrows are sharp, And all their bows bent. Their horses' hoofs will be like flint, And their wheels like a whirlwind.
But it also gives the picture of the enemy:
29 Their roaring will be like a lioness. They will roar like young lions. Yes, they shall roar, And seize their prey and carry it off, And there will be no one to deliver.
->Therefor we have to take stand against the strategies of the Evil in this world, because we have to be watchful, and again I quote 1 Pet 5:8 Your adversary the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
So STOP with excuses saying 'I am only human'...get dressed, stand firm and stay standing.
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