AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Friday – April 16, 2021, Iyar 4, 5781
GIFTS – PART SEVENTY-FIVE
ARMOR OF GOD – PART SEVENTEEN
Greetings dear and precious saints of the only living God and welcome back to this Friday Bible Study of the Gifts of God. Currently I am focused on the Armor of God. Please take a few moments and share this teaching as widely as possible to expand the reach of the Truth beyond this Ministry by itself. Thank you for being a friend or partner and doing that. As you know I have not just jumped to the seven pieces of armor listed by the Apostle Paul by the unction of the Holy Spirit. Instead, the Holy Spirit has prompted me to look closely at the context within which the armor is discussed. And so, we are doing that in a meticulous fashion as led of the Holy Spirit.
The Armor of God like anything else we use in the physical or spiritual realms. It will work best when we know all we can possibly know about its purpose, how it works, and what circumstances it is to be used. Thus far we have seen that obedience, honor, love (agape), thanksgiving, proving the Word, and the avoidance of sin are essential to the success of our spiritual warfare. We learned we are never to excuse sin or have a permissive attitude towards any sin. Before we continue, I want to caution each person to not get focused on the Roman soldier and the various pieces of physical armor but on the spiritual weapons at our disposal. Without these spiritual weapons, both offensive and defensive, we are easy prey for our spiritual enemies who seek to destroy us daily. Now, let’s turn our attention to our initial Bible text for today and read it aloud, yes, out loud.
Ephesians 5:6-10 (KJV)
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
As we move forward into verse seven, we are clearly told to not join in with these folks who have vain words concerning our sin and leave us way too comfortable with our sin. Unfortunately, these can be the Pastors and other leaders in the Church who mistake this type of thing as love. Repentance is not a naughty or other awful word; it is a wonderful gift of God that restores without a trace of the sin or condemnation before God. If we explain away any sin over a long enough period of time, we will have a calloused, hardened heart, and don’t even hear our conscious anymore. Then the thief has free access to steal, kill, and destroy in our lives and we wonder why? Let us be very conscious of our thoughts, words, and actions allowing no sin to take root, and never making an excuse for any sin.
The Apostle Paul points out to them and to us that this is how we thought, talked, and acted when we were of the darkness but that should not be so now that we are of the light. The light is the anointed Word of God, it is God Himself, we are children of that light. As children of the light (Anointed Word of God, God) we are to behave as such, being like our Master Christ Jesus. God is light and dear ones so are we. We are sons and daughters of God, therefore His attributes, character traits are to be ours as well. Let’s see how the Apostle Paul puts this in another place.
2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (KJV)
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
We cannot simultaneously fellowship with God and the unclean. That is not to say we are not to have contact with unclean persons but we are not to fellowship. Now, let’s look at verse nine in the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
Ephesians 5:9 (HCSB)
9 for the fruit of the light ⌊results⌋ in all goodness, righteousness, and truth—
I cannot speak for you but I for one want my life to reflect abundant goodness (God’s standard of goodness), to exemplify right standing with God, doing things God’s way on a God level, and never deviating from God’s standard of the Truth. There is only one Truth and it is in that Truth that I am determined to walk day in and day out. What about you?
Lord willing, I will pick up right here next Friday as make our way to a discussion of the Armor of God.
2 Chronicles 20:20b (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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