Part 9: The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:18-20
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

(Note: Part 9 of this series will finish up our exploration of the Scripture verses, and just as a preview of things to come, Part 10 will be a review and what we will call a “tie-together.” Over the last several weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to assist several people in various spiritual areas, and had the chance to document my responses to their questions. So, in the weeks ahead, I look forward to sharing some of these things with you. It should be an exciting look at some confusing Scriptures and practical applications of our faith, and I hope you will join me. And don’t forget to send your comments about this series and any entry to soulscape@alltel.net, and check out westwoodchurchofgod.org/. Now, on with the show …)

About nine years ago, I had the opportunity to travel with the University of Kentucky Basketball Pep Band as we played for the Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament. (Kentucky was National Runner-Up that year; you can’t win ‘em all!) During the first two weeks of the tournament, we traveled to Salt Lake City and San Jose, spending time in the surrounding cities of each, such as Park City, Utah, and San Francisco, California.

While in Park City, I entered one of the many shops lining the streets of the quiet ski town. There, just inside the door, was a full suit of armor. If I am not mistaken, that was the first time I had ever seen a suit of armor in person. I was amazed, and took a few pictures of it to show my friends back home.

These days, every time I visit my mother, I pass a particular house painted a peculiar shade of pink. In front of this house, beside the front door, are two suits of armor. This is a bit out of the ordinary, nay, even strange, for northeastern Kentucky. Still, everyone has their own tastes.

But one thing I noticed about these suits of armor: with no one in them, they are merely for decoration and show, with no practical purpose. And, if I were to somehow squeeze my 6’2” frame into one of these suits, I would be worthless, because I would not know how best to utilize the armor to my advantage.

We have looked at many individual pieces of armor and their uses, but what ties them all together? What makes it all work? The answer is found in verses 18 through 20. To help us understand, I would like to break down verse 18 for examination, followed by a quick look at verses 19 and 20.

PRAYING ALWAYS WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION IN THE SPIRIT
In this context, the word ‘prayer’ is indicative of the worshipful communication with the Lord, be it private or public. When trying to fight against the fiery darts of Satan, we need the constant, unceasing attitude of prayer, which should be worshipful of the Lord. No matter what we are enduring, we must never fail to worship our Savior. This is stressed in the words ‘always’ and ‘all.’

The word ‘supplication’ lends itself to specific petitions to God. Our hearts should always remain in worship, respecting whatever circumstances might bring as within the knowledge and divine will of God, but we should also not fail to bring our request for guidance, strength and victory to the Master’s feet. We should pray … and pray … and pray … then pray some more! Do not be afraid to ask for Godly assistance.

Still, all these prayers must not be uttered to God in a selfish manner. We should not pray, “Lord, deliver me because I don’t like it.” Our prayers must be inspired by the Spirit of God. We should instead pray in this manner: “Lord, I don’t know why I am being attacked in this way, but I know there is a purpose. Satan is trying to destroy me, but You are here to give me victory, to teach me, and to strengthen me. Help me to take the right steps, make the right moves, and handle things in the way You would have me to do. Help me to effectively use Your armor for my defense and for Your glory.”

BEING WATCHFUL TO THIS END
Don’t walk in defeat; walk in victory. Live your faith despite the situation, letting that faith dictate your path, not circumstances. Press forward with the hope and assurance that God’s armor is effective and sufficient. Wait and watch for the victory God has promised you. But don’t always expect earthly victory. Perhaps the victory God is giving you is spiritual instead. Ask the Lord to show you what victory He has for you, so that you can properly acknowledge, appreciate, and testify to it. Be careful to pray, to worship and bring your petitions to Him, not forgetting His power and grace.

WITH ALL PERSEVERENCE AND SUPPLICATION FOR ALL THE SAINTS
Remember that you are not alone. We must all persevere no matter what, and must never forget that we are not the only ones in a struggle. Every child of God is a target under the fierce onslaught of the devil. It is by pulling together, holding up one another, edifying one another, that we can be made stronger. There are few greater sources of strength than the strength of numbers, especially if those numbers are Godly men and women, uniting in prayer. Keep in mind the words of Matthew 18:19 – Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

VERSES 19 AND 20
Paul is not afraid to ask for the prayers of his brothers and sisters in the faith. But notice the substance of his prayer. His is not praying for deliverance, nor is he praying to merely endure the attacks of the devil. He asks for the strength to go on the attack himself. Remember that armor assists in defense, but that defense is what enables the wearer to go on the offense. It is not enough to just “take it,” but fight back. Our prayer should be for endurance, but also for the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional ability to speak the truth of God’s Word, and to speak it boldly, without fear, knowing that when we live for God and His will, we come out on top every time.

And this is what we ought to do. In Acts 5:29 Peter and the disciples said this to the order by the high priest and council not to preach in the name of Jesus: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Christians are not called to be cowards, to be weak, or to be silent. We are called to be bold, to be strong, and be vocal about the message of Christ. But it cannot be done in the strength of self alone. Even the Apostle Paul, with such great faith, knew that in himself, he may be afraid or refrain from doing what he ought to do for God. So he rightly asked for prayer. Help must come from above. This should be our petition and desire as well.

Part 10 will be coming up in the next few days. In it, we will try to tie everything together, so feel free to read all the prior parts again, and ask for the Lord to enlighten you. My words cannot do that at all; only God can open our spiritual eyes and ears to receive His Word. Until then, God bless you!

NEXT TIME: The Conclusion


© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Part 8: The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:17b
(And take) … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Until now, all of our armor pieces have had one thing in common, but now we come to a piece which has a slight difference. The armor we have explored thus far, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, are all what we could describe as defensive tools. The sword of the Spirit, also known as the Word of God, is both defensive and offensive.

All too often, we as Christians equate meekness with weakness, and allow the world to walk all over us. Defeat is rampant, sin continues to grow, and the Christian is silent. Our best and most effective weapon is, regrettably, the least used. That weapon is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

God’s Word is unlike anything else, truly beyond description. In order for us to understand this most vital piece of God’s armor, we must think of a fencing match, or one of those old swashbuckling movies. The sword is capable of blocking an incoming attack, as well as inflicting its own injuries. Being able to use the sword in both these ways is essential to success.

For instance, you may be able to use a sword as an exclusively defensive weapon. You can block any attack that comes your way, but if you don’t know how to use it offensively, to use it to attack your enemy, the enemy will merely continue to harass you. Likewise, you can swing the sword in an efficient, deadly and powerful way, but if you don’t know how to use it to block, you will soon find yourself in bad shape.

Other comparable analogies might include a golfer who has a long drive but terrible putting skills; a baseball player who can catch almost anything, but has a very bad throwing arm; or a mechanic who can take an engine apart, but has no idea how to put it back together again. Each of these people have very developed and useful skills, but without the other side of the equation, their effectiveness is greatly limited.

When our adversary attacks us, hurling temptations, doubts and fears our way, we can use the Word of God to stand against them. This is exactly what we should do; however, we often find ourselves standing around, waiting for an assault, when we should be taking the attack to the enemy.

In today’s culture, Christians are sometimes described as exclusive, intolerant hypocrites or bigots. Perhaps this is one reason we are too often silent when we should be speaking up and standing our ground. This is not to imply that we should use God’s Word as a “big stick,” with which we strike others over the head. But it does mean that we should not be afraid to offensively use the Word.

Many people, friends and strangers alike, do not necessarily see things the way I do, but I believe if the Bible says it, we can stand upon it. The Bible is not just some collection of ancient stories or moral codes, but is a source of life and strength. Its lessons can provide a defense against the problems and trials of life, a sure foundation of what is right and wrong, and a guidebook for what the believer should stand for in this life.

As Christians, we should not look for a fight, but we must not be afraid to use the Word of God to take the fight to the enemy. Do not be content merely to take whatever is dished out to you. Instead, stand boldly and proclaim the truth of God’s Word. Truth is truth, whether it is accepted or not. When you stand up for the things of God, you will undoubtedly come under fire from all sides. But use the sword of the Spirit to defend yourself. Know what the Bible has to say, and allow the Spirit to reveal its meaning to you.

The Word of God is described as being sharper than a two-edged sword. A double-edged sword cuts coming and going, but like all the other pieces of armor, it is only effective if it is used. Your only hope of surviving the relentless attacks of Satan against your life is to stay in the Word and stand on that Word. That means to find out what it says, then do what it says.

The Lord did not create us to be defeated, but to be victorious.

NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:18

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.