Whole Armor Study 2

* Gospel of Peace (Shoes - Caligae) – spreading the gospel.

David laid aside Saul’s armor (man’s strength) and trusted in the power of God alone.  Flee to God’s armory for instruction and outfitting.

We must stand firm. The Roman’s calls their half-boot a caliga.  The legionnaires wore them while on duty.  It was an open-toed leather boot with a heavily nail-studded sole which was tied to the ankles and shins with leather straps, like a football cleat. They gave the foot traction and prevented sliding.  But they were not for running, not for fleeing or pursuing an enemy.  These boots were for long marches and fighting. They gave the soldier sound footing in battle.  The enemy cannot push us back with our gospel shoes on.

These boots provide balance, solid footing, don’t stray from the simple Gospel, the God-man tempted in all points as we are, He was crucified, buried, and literally rose from dead, ascended, seated at the right hand of the Father.  Stand in the Gospel.  (I Cor 15:1-4)

There are man-made religions that want to keep Christ on the cross. There are religions that like to keep Christ in Mary’s lap as a little baby boy. There are religions that make Christ equal with other prophets who came and went. However, the gospel has Christ no longer on the cross; no longer a little baby, but equal with God, sovereign over all things, majestic, and enthroned in His glorified state.

These boots are needed for progress – charge a hill, advance against the enemy, not for retreating, they are for climbing and advancing.  Don’t get caught barefoot on the battlefield.

The gospel of peace – this is the peace that comes to us in and through the gospel of Christ and makes us immovable in battle.

Peace with God – Rom 5:1, 8:6; Eph 2:14 Peace cannot come through money or sex, accumulation of knowledge, good works, or religious deeds or experiences.

Peace with God through Christ is knowing that one’s sins are all forgiven and forgotten fully and forever through the blood of the Cross.  Solid assurance that you are reconciled to God brings joy and peace.  Our feet must covered and planted in this peace.

Peace of God – John 14:27; Jesus gives us personal peace.  Matt 8:23-27; John 19:5-12.  This peace is from above and rises above strife and difficulties around it.  Phil 4:7  We can hold our ground in God’s peace.  Through rebellion and neglect of God we will lose our peace and fellowship with God.  We have peace WITH God forever because of the work of Christ alone.  We have the peace OF God through walking with and obeying God’s word daily (Psa 119:11).  If not, when the going gets tough we pain, and sometimes run, we are burden to those around us, rather than a blessing.

Peace with others – peace means reconcilation, reconciled to God and to others around you.  Live peaceably with others at home, neighbors, church, job, and so on. Rom 12:18; 14:19; II Cor 13:11; Eph 4:3; Col 3:15; I Thess 5:13; II Thess 3:16; I Tim 2:2; II Tim 2:22; Heb 12:14; Jas 3:18

Ambassadors of peace – peacemaker between God and sinners.  Pointing and persuading sinners to the Mediator.  II Cor 5:18-21

Keep the lines of communication open with God on the battlefield and always pursue His peace.

* Faith (Shield - scutum) – I need God.  Trusting in God’s promises, yielding, and obeying them when the devil throws his fiery darts at you.

Fiery darts - The soldiers would dip their arrows in pitch, light them, and fire them over the enemy’s wall.  It would hit buildings or clothes and splatter and start little fires.

There were two kinds of shields:  (1) small round shield wore on the arm for hand-to-hand combat, (2) there was another kind of shield – it was nicknamed the ‘wall.’  This was the shield of Ephesians 6.

This was not a small round shield worn on the forearm in battle.  This was a large shield about four feet high and two and a half feet wide.  The soldiers on the battlefield wound plant this shield on the ground, get down behind it and hide. We hide behind Christ. Wounded soldiers were sometimes carried from the battlefield on their shields.  This was the Roman scutum was made of two layers of laminated wood, covered first with linen and then with leather hide, and then bound top and bottom with iron, with an iron ornament decorating the front of it.  A legionnaire could put his entire body behind it as it absorbed the javelins, darts, and arrows of the enemy.  It would be dipped in water to snuff out and extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy. During battle these shield would look like flaming porcupines because of the flaming arrows in them.  He doesn’t question God’s goodness, or God’s commands, or God’s will. A round piece of brass was often attached to the center of the shield and it shined like a mirror.  They would tilt their shields and reflect the light of the sun into the eyes of the enemy and distract them.

Satan launches his fiery darts at us repeatedly - Doubts, deception, disobedience, depression, defeat, unbelief, illness, losses, crosses, tragedies, trials, criticism, hypocrisy, vanity, jealousy, offenses, reproaches, shame, doubting God’s goodness and promises, discouragement, temptations, sexual immorality, sensuality, evil passions and anger, materialism and covetousness. Exo 20:17; I Thess 4:3-8; Phil 4:8

Inward arrows – pride, lust, anger, hatred, spite, envy, cares of this world, self-love, self-preservation.  Jas 4:6-7; Matt 5:3
I John 5:4 (faith overcomes) Faith binds and unites us to God.  Rest and trust in the person of God and His promises to us.  There is battle and confusion all around us today.  Our shield is from God and to God.

The large shields were beveled and notched on the edge and were able to interlocked together with other shields.  During attacks, the Roman soldiers would team together, and interlock their shields and create a testudo, they protected themselves by holding up all of their shields together in front of them as screens, while the rear ranks raised their shields above their heads, and created an artificial shelter (roof), against which the javelins, arrows, and spears would strike with very little injury to the group.  They would all be a moving wall of metal advancing against the enemy on the battlefield.  The success of this formation depended upon the men keeping CLOSE TOGETHER (unity), so as to avoid any gaps in the barrier of shields.  The testudo was most commonly used by detachments advancing to the siege of a town or a camp.  Satan does not always attack head on, sometimes from above or behind.

Be must trust God and His word to protect us from the enemy’s attacks.

Fiery darts were dipped in tar (to burn) and poison (to kill).  Tongues are like arrows set on fire of hell.  (Psa 64:3-4)  Nehemiah was shot at by Tobiah, Gesham, and Sanballat, but Nehemiah remembered the Lord and His good hand.  Rom 12:21

Phil 4:8 – remember God’s word, shield flies up, devil’s darts fall to ashes.

* Salvation (Helmet) – trusting in Christ’s finished work, thinking about Christ, using your brain for Christ, keeping a clean thought life.

The Roman military helmets were of two types: the leather galea or the bronze cassis.  The helmet protected the forehead, the cheeks, and the neck.  The  helmet was heavy and line with felt cloth, leather, or sponge.  God gives us this helmet.  This is the assurance of salvation, this is spiritual confidence.  A football helmet gives the player confidence.  The sky was filled with arrows, javelins, and swords.  Whatever happens we will be saved and experience victory in Christ.  The helmet infuses optimism, hope, and excitement.  Phil 1:6: I Thess 5:8.  The helmet gives impressible hope of current and future salvation salvation, and eternal glory with Christ.  Lay hold on eternal life – the Christian’s helmet.  It is God’s helmet, it makes us victors in the battle of life and death.j

Three parts to salvation – 
Past work – justification, it has been accomplished by Christ Himself for us, when we received Him personally into our heart of hearts, received the gift of eternal, everlasting life.  It is finished and accomplished, you should not doubt it.
Present work – sanctification, this is continuous and daily purification and cleansing of the believer mind and walk with God
Future work – glorification, this is guaranteed at the rapture or death...
Put this helmet of truth on to protect your mind from day to day.

* Word of God (Sword) – ministering to the saints, comforting their hearts, exhorting them, helping them.

This is an offensive weapon – machaira, this is the Roman double-edged short sword.  The thrust was the primary method of attack, not the slash.

Matthew 4:  The word of God makes Satan flee.  Dt 32:45; Pas 119:11; Micah 7:8; Rom 8:37; I John 2:14b; Heb 4:12.  The Bible terribly wounds.  It kills to make alive.  Obey God – take it.  Read it, Meditate in it (Psa 1:1-3); Memorize it, study it (II Tim 2:15).  Grip God’s sword firmly, sleep with it, put it on daily.  It makes
Straighten up, stand tall with imperial confidence (Phil 1:28)  We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

* Prayer (God’s Strength) – all prayer
Be alert, watchful, persevering in prayer, be bold.
Praying always – Spiritual warfare requires prayer at all times.  We must stay in touch continually with headquarters.  No matter how well you wear your armor, no matter how grounded you are in peace, or how well you handle your sword, you must make prayer the first, second, third, and last thing.  The Christian soldier fights from his knees.  Prayer is the supreme weapon to use against the principalities, powers, rulers of this dark world, and spiritual wickedness in the heavens.

Spirit-Directed Prayer – prayer and supplication in the Spirit.  Rom 8:26-27. The Spirit helps and enables us to pray.  We don’t know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that cannot be uttered by mankind.  The Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  (Jude 20)

First, the Holy Spirit tells us what we ought to pray for.  We can’t pray with our own reason and intuition, we need the Holy Ghost’s help.  Seek His help and He will speak to you through His word (Micah 7:7).  He will convey God’s will regarding every matter of principle.  He will settle things in our hearts to pray for with the conviction that they are God’s will – we must pray the prayer of faith.  Pray in the Spirit fervently.

Second, praying in the Spirit provides the energy of the Holy Spirit for prayer, He energizes our wills, our bodies, takes away our depression and doubts and allows to pray with power and faith for God’s work.

Always pray in the Spirit.  Wait on the Lord to help you.  Ask Him to give you prayers to pray.  Have your prayer list ready, but first, always be open to the Spirit, be open to His direction and energy.

John Bunyan – “Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to the word of God, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.”

Continual Prayer – praying always
Acts 1:14; 2:42; I Thess 5:17; Col 4:2.
Secret dialogue with God at all times.

Varied Prayer – all prayer
Confession, thanksgiving, intercessions, adoration, meditation, praise, blessing the Lord, humility before God, submission, supplications.

Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks:
"supplications," signifies such petitions for things that are wanted by men, either by themselves or others; and that either for their bodies or souls, as food and raiment for the one, and discoveries of pardoning love, supplies of grace, spiritual peace, comfort, for the other:
"prayers," signifies good wishes and desires, directed and expressed to God for things that are in themselves to be wished for, and desired of God, either for ourselves or others:
"intercessions," intends either complaints exhibited in prayer against others that have done injuries; or prayers put up for others, either for the averting of evil from them, or for the bestowing some good thing on them:
"thanksgivings," with which requests should always be made known to God, designs that branch of prayer in which thanks are given to God for mercies received, whether temporal or spiritual: and these are to be made for all men;

Persistent Prayer – with all perseverance
Be alert, keep on praying  Luke 18:2-5; Matt 7:7
Ask, seek, knock – ascending intensity.
We must realize our lack of everything and ask for help.
* Asking – request assistance for a conscious need.  Humbly asking God for help.  The attitude used when asking something of a superior.
* Seeking – involves asking, but adds action.  Get up and look around for help.  Seeking involves effort.
* Knocking – asking plus persevering – like someone who keeps pounding on a closed door.

These words are extremely forceful and have punch.  The picture is of a man with tenacity who will not stop knocking.  Jesus will open the door with a smile on His face every time.  We can only prevail in the invisible war by persisting in prayer.

Intercessory Prayer – for all saints
The saints are to have a large part of our prayers.  We should pray for the lost, but especially for the brethren.

Stand and be victorious today, Christ is the captain of our salvation.  He must win the battle.  You can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth you.

Primary attack of Satan is upon the mind of the believer. The battle is daily and it is very real; it is deadly serious. Every believer encounters one of
Satan's deceptive methods every day. This is a daily test of integrity, purity, purpose, and honesty - we must look for the test, every day we will face this test.

The way we fight the battle for our minds is critical because:
* It is a matter of God's reputation
* It is a matter of Christ's glory and honor in the world
* It is a matter of being usable by Christ and for the advancement of His church and kingdom
* It is a matter of enjoying preciousness of fellowship with God and unity within the Church
* It is a matter of protecting the purity of the words of God and the Gospel.