AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Friday – May 6, 2022, Iyar 5, 5782
GIFTS – PART ONE HUNDRED-TWENTY-NINE
ARMOR OF GOD – PART SEVENTY-ONE
THE SHIELD OF FAITH – PART THREE
Greetings dear and precious saints of God and welcome back to our series entitled “Gifts” currently focused on the “Armor of God”. As you can see in the title, I have been dealing with this for well over a year, seventy-one weeks counting today. Please take a moment and share this teaching as widely as possible to expand our reach with the best news anyone anywhere ever heard. Thank you so much for sharing, you are a vital part of this Ministry.
Once again before I delve into our study for today let me again ask us all a vital question. What is more important to me, to you, than the Word, which is Jesus, the Logos of God, the Rhema of God, the very person of God? Perhaps all of us answered that no other person, no activity, no thing, was more important than Jesus, the persons of God. Let us reflect upon ourselves, our thoughts, our words, our actions to see if we answered truthfully. Now let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text. This week, I will continue focusing on “the shield of faith”.
Ephesians 6:11-18 (KJV)
11 Put on the whole armour 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 armour 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. (Bold added)
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;
Remember we are not focusing so much on images of Roman armor as we are the body of knowledge those pieces of armor represented. The last two weeks I have spent time and presented several Scriptures concerning faith. Faith is one of the big three (faith, hope, love – the greatest is love). If we are asking, begging God is protect us we will have a really long wait, not happening. We put our protections in place and He backs us up. Notice in verse eleven whose responsibility it is to put on the armor of God. Not God, not someone else, but we ourselves. Notice in verse twelve who is doing the wrestling. Not God, not someone else for us, but we ourselves. In many of these verses who is responsible to stand? We are!
Again, in case we didn’t get it, in verse thirteen we are reminded that we, and we alone, are to take to ourselves the whole armor God provides. He provides for us, but He does not dress us nor does He utilize any of these weapons of our warfare on our behalf. God is not in control here; you and I are! If any of us want to move from defeat, manifestation of the curse to manifestation of the curse, let’s get this demonic lie of God being in control out of our thinking. We were given a freewill and God will not violate that, the devil can’t and neither can other people. Again, who is doing the standing? We are. What if we don’t, will He do it for us? No, He will not. In verse fourteen, whose responsibility is it to stand? Once we stand, He will back us up, but He will not stand for us. So, there is no misunderstanding, this command to stand does not have to do with being motionless but with continuing in our Kingdom assignments in spite of the attacks.
Looking at verse fifteen, who is responsible for the preparation of the gospel of peace? We are responsible to study, to ask the Master Teacher to instruct us and be prepared to share the good news of the Kingdom of God, the gospel of peace. This brings us to verse sixteen (Bible number of love) and the command for us to take the shield of faith. All of these are commands from our Lord and Savior, not holy suggestions, or a give it the old college try. With Him we are well able but we must be the initiator. When our faith is at full strength for our development, He will make up the difference and we will have a complete shield of faith. He will not do His part until we do ours with a whole heart. He does not run to the whinner but the one standing as commanded.
Lord willing, I will pick up right here next Friday.
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Receive the blessing in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (MSG)
24 GOD bless you and keep you,
25 GOD smile on you and gift you,
26 GOD look you full in the face and make you prosper.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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