God's Voice 7 RESISTING THE ENEMY

If you want to get the devil off your back then you are going to have to do two things. Submit and resist! When you submit to God and his order you enable him to take charge of the battle for you. If you are rebelling against God in any area of your life then it will be impossible for you to resist the enemy's attacks. Once you have submitted to God you then have to be strong and courageous and resist the enemy. 


God has given you several pieces of spiritual armor that you can put on which will enable you to resist anything that the enemy throws at you. However, the armor of God will only work for you if it is properly worn.

THE ARMOR OF GOD

Ephesians 6:11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 

When writing these words to the Ephesians the Apostle Paul was paralleling the spiritual armor we have to that of a Roman soldier. In the same way that each piece of natural armor protects a certain part of the body, each piece of our spiritual armor protects a certain part of your spirit.

The belt of truth.

Ephesians 6:  14 "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist," The primary purpose of the belt of truth is to illuminate and expose the lies of the enemy and therefore set you free from any influence those lies have had over you. The three key ways in which you can actively wear the 'belt of truth' are obeying God's word, speaking the truth and living in the light. James 1:22 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." The word of God (logos and rhema) is truth. Walking in the truth and wearing the belt of truth involves being obedient to everything God tells you to do. You will never experience total freedom if you act independently from God or walk in any other teachings other than bible's in Ephesians 4:15 It says" 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." Speaking the truth in every conversation you have will ensure that you  avoid any snare that the enemy has set to trap you with. At times it may be tempting to tell a lie to avoid embarrassment, humiliation or a telling off, but it is always better to tell the truth. Lies always lead to more lies, more deceit, distrust and it also damages your relationships with others, not to mention your relationship with God. The devil is the father of all lies but Jesus is the truth! Speaking the truth in love will bring respect, freedom and life in all it's fullness. I John 1: 6 "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth." Speaking the truth is one thing but living in the light is another. This involves allowing God's light to come into any areas of darkness, including hidden sin and theft and living open honest lives.

The breastplate of righteousness

Ephesians 6: 14 "with the breastplate of righteousness in place," The primary purpose of the breastplate of righteousness is to protect your relationships with other people. The word 'righteous' means to be in a right position or relationship. When you are saved, God restores you into a right relationship with him and declares you to be righteous. The one key way in which you can wear righteousness each day is through forgiveness. Galatians 2:21 "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"  We are made righteous by God not by doing what is good or right but by Jesus Christ. It is by grace (undeserved favor) we are saved by faith and not by our works (Ephesian 2:8) Through Jesus, God the Father is able to forgive you of every act of sin you have committed. In Matthew 6:14 it says "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. " You righteousness with God depends upon your forgiveness of other people. When you forgive others you clear away anything that was in the way of your relationship with them and you declare them to be righteous with you. You have a responsibility to be righteous in all your relationships.

The sandals of peace.

Ephesians 6:15 "and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. " The primary purpose of the sandals of peace is to protect you from any attack that comes against your service to God. A person who is at peace is ready and able to do the work or ministry that God is asking them to do. A person who is not at peace may be worried and anxious and unable to give themselves fully to the Lord's work. The one key way in which you can wear the sandals of peace is by praying in faith, Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." When you pray, pass all your problems, anxiety and stress onto God and he will give you peace. The bible also says in I Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." By submitting everything to God in prayer, he will take control of your circumstances and will work them out for you. You will walk in peace when you know that God is in control.

The shield of faith

Ephesians 6:16 "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. "  The primary purpose of the shield of faith is to protect you from any attack that comes against your promises from God. Whenever God promises something to his people the enemy will always attack with doubt and unbelief. The two key ways in which you can quench this doubt and unbelief is through thanksgiving and reading the bible. In Philippians 4: 6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God. " Doubt and unbelief cause you to take your eyes off God and fix them on to your problems instead. When this happens you move out of a position faith and will not receive anything from God. Thanksgiving will focus our eyes back onto the Lord and your problems will look minute compared to him. Every believer should keep a record of everything that God has done for them. This will help you remember what God has done for you so you can thank him for it, especially if you are being attack in any way. This will restore you back into a position of faith. Romans 10:17 "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." When your faith is under an attack you need to get into reading scripture. Just hearing the words as you read them to yourself will strengthen your faith to believe in what God has said to you.

The helmet of salvation.

Ephesians 6:17 "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." The primary purpose of the helmet of salvation is to protect you from any attack that comes against your spiritual growth as a Christian. new believers are most susceptible to being convinced that they are not saved. As long as they believe this they will not be able to mature spiritually. The helmet of salvation gives you an assurance of your salvation. The one key way in which you can daily wear the helmet of salvation is by believing the word of God. Romans 10: 9 "That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Salvation is not a feeling but a fact. If you have done what Romans 10:9 says, then you are saved - end of story. You just have to believe it!

CONCLUSION 

It is essential that you never take off your spiritual armor once you have put it on. By keeping it on you will not give the enemy any place or foothold into any area of your life.

PRAY

"Lord Jesus, help me to wear my spiritual armor everyday"