WILES OF THE DEVIL – PART SIX AND PATRIOT’S DAY
Monday – April 17, 2017
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior from Patti and me at The Three Minute Word publication. Grace and peace be multiplied to you as you receive and incorporate the Word of God into your thinking, words, and actions. We are thankful for each one that partners with this ministry and we are thankful for all that partake of the sweet Word of God through this ministry.
If you are wondering about the picture, today is Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts and Wisconsin. It is also Patriot’s Day in my home state of Maine (notice the difference of spelling). This particular holiday commemorates the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord which were the first battles of the Revolutionary War, April 19, 1775. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Okay now let’s dive back into our Bible Study from Ephesians with a current focus on the ‘Wiles of the Devil’. Following this I will be moving forward into the discussion of the ‘whole armour of God’ which we are told is so we can stand against the wiles of the devil.
It is important for us all to recognize that what we commonly call an attack of the enemy such as an adverse financial situation or illness did not start with the appearance of financial trouble or illness but long before. It has its original seed or root perhaps years before in a lack of diligence to advance in the Kingdom of God and the failure to recognize and correct wrong thinking, words, and actions. Let’s review our primary text from Ephesians then I will move to our secondary text in 2 Timothy.
Ephesians 6:10-13 (KJV)
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
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. (Bold added by Dr. Wood)
As I mentioned before this topic of the armour of God is commonly talked about as the various pieces and that these are used as singular weapons as opposed to a unified whole. When we get to it I will also talk about the seven features individually however we always keep in our thinking that none of the individual components work without the harmonization of the others. And even these as a unified group do not accomplish the full will of God absent Godly Bible love.
The Apostle Paul by the leadership of the Holy Spirit did not say to take the shield of faith when we thought we needed it or the put on the belt of Truth as we saw the need, no, he said “put on the whole armour of God”. Why, “that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”. The message here is clear, without the whole armour of God we are going to be weak and tricked by our spiritual enemies. Each of us must ask ourselves as to whether we are aware of the full armour and are we diligently working to mature the component pieces and the whole? With this backdrop let’s look at another Scripture where the Apostle uncovers examples of the wiles of our spiritual adversaries.
2 Timothy 2:20-26 (KJV)
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
I hope that we can all agree that we are part of a “great house” and I think all of us want to be vessels of gold and silver, and to bring honor not dishonor to this great house the Kingdom of God.
Paul speaks along these lines when he wrote to the Church at Corinth so let’s listen in on that for our own benefit. I will return to this tomorrow.
1 Corinthians 3:9-17 (ESV)
9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—
13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
We all must take this heads up very seriously and be about the Master’s business led of His Holy Spirit and no one or nothing else. Did we all read verse seventeen in the preceding passage?
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
