AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Friday – June 4, 2021, Sivan 24, 5781
GIFTS – PART EIGHTY-TWO
ARMOR OF GOD – PART TWENTY-FOUR
Greeting precious saints of God and those who are pre-saints of God. Welcome to this ongoing Bible teaching on “Gifts from God” currently discussing the Armor of God. Please take a moment to share these teachings broadening and extending the reach of this Ministry with the Truth.
As I sat down to write this and the next few teachings in this series, I read a note from a regular reader, a real student of the Word, expressing frustration with not seeing the works of Jesus much less the greater works we are also commanded to do. I understand this frustration for I experience the same. I have had it with a little dab will do yah mentality. I just returned from a Celebration of Life for a cousin who died rapidly with an aggressive and vicious cancer. On the way to this Celebration of Life I get a call from a Partner of this Ministry about a beautiful saint of God in San Antonio who died just hours before with cancer. This lady and her family are beautiful saints of God. What are we missing ladies and gentlemen? I suspect some of you may be satisfied with the status quo or just accept it all as the will of God. We are redeemed from the curse, it is not the will of God that any of His children be killed by the curse, period.
We are to be doing the works Jesus did and greater works, it is a command. These atrocities brought by the devils are not the will of God, they are not a failure on God’s part, and they are not a failure of the Word of God. It is a breakdown on our side in faith, love, and/or the leadership of the Holy Spirit. For God to work it must be led of the Holy Spirit. For us to get the results Jesus got we must do what Jesus did. Jesus told us He didn’t say anything the Father didn’t say, do anything He didn’t see the Father doing, and the Father did the works. What about our faith? What about our love (agape)? Faith works by love. There is this idea that it is the will of God that we pray for everyone and anyone. That is tradition and not a Bible, God idea. We must have faith, love, and leadership of the Holy Spirit but it is the faith of the person being prayed for that ultimately brings the healing, the wholeness. Our part is to be ready for the Power of God to flow through us. Yes, it is always the will of God for every person on the planet to be saved and free of every aspect of the curse. However, it is not God’s faith or will, our faith or will, but the faith of person in need that draws the Power of God.
Now, let’s turn our attention to our Bible Study of the Armor of God. His armor works beautifully for us for we are in His image and likeness. These are not physical pieces of armor nor is this imaginary armor. This is spiritual armor which is far superior to any physical armor. David’s armor, the Word of God in his mouth, was far superior to Goliath’s armor. As you will recall, the Holy Spirit has not led me to jump right into a discussion of the armor itself but to explore what must be present for the armor to be effectual. We must not only know what the armor is but how it works and under what conditions does it work. Some of this may seem or sound complex at first brush but much of it comes as first nature (not second nature) with the guidance of our spirit man. Our nature is identical to that of the Father when we are born again.
As we have been meticulously proceeding through the fifth chapter of Ephesians on our way to the sixth, we have learned much. In a very brief summary, here are some of the things we have come to know are crucial to the effective use of the Armor of God. We are to walk in obedience to parents (dependent children) and others of authority in our lives. We honor not just parents but all peoples, they are all precious to our God saved or not. We must walk in love (agape). We must have a heart and voice of thanksgiving to bring victory and triumph. We must exam all that we read and are told from whatever source. Be good Bereans. The faithful among you will remember that we spent quite a lot of time with a list of sins most of the Church would disregard as not applying to them. The problem is that this is written to the Church and not the world. All those sins have a physical application and a spiritual application. For example, many Christians would reject fornication (or adultery) as well as idolatry out of hand, but should we? We are admonished to not hang out with darkness and this includes family. And, we are to be led of the Holy Spirit. Practice having the Holy Spirit lead throughout the day, talk to Him all day. Now let’s pick up with a few more verses. Read these as well as the whole study aloud, yes, out loud. Faith comes by hearing not seeing.
Ephesians 5:19-21 (KJV)
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Verse nineteen gives us more insight into what is to be going on in our thought life throughout the day. We are to have speak and sing to ourselves and unto the Lord with Scripture and spiritual songs, not the trash of the world. The Apostle Paul at the prompting of the Holy Spirit writes about what to do with our thought life in his epistle to the Church at Philippi.
Philippians 4:8 (KJV)
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
I don’t know about you, but I need to increase my vigilance in these areas. This has to do with a disciplined mind, we find this again in 2nd Timothy. A sound mind is a disciplined mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Lord willing, I will pick up right here tomorrow.
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.
Until our next publication, as your Bible Teacher and a Prophetic Voice in your life I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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