The Spiritual Armor (Part 2)

By Pastor Young Joon Park

3-21-10

I. Our Enemy

  1. People are not our object to wrestle

    1) People in church or among Christians

    2) People among Non-Christians

    3) People as our enemy

      a) Yourself – so we have to die continually. 

      b) Your family members

      c) People who are against Christians among Non-believers

  2. Our Real enemy

II. Our preparation for the war

  1. Be strong in the Lord

  2. Be strong in the power of His Might

3. Put on the whole armor of God

III. The Spiritual Armor (영적 무기)

· Personal combat Armor (개인 전투 장비)

· Armed forces combat armor (군대 전투 장비)

In the battle ground, we have two different types of armor, Personal armor for the combat and the one for the armed forces as a whole.

The battle ground is not for your own personal war, but against the entire nations. Which means is that you cannot just engage in the war in your own way, but you have to follow the Higher Authority and according to the Tactic Plan.

1. Personal combat Armor (개인 전투 장비)

Ephesians 6:13

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Especially Paul brought up more of armor at the personal level in the battle ground.

Taking Up the Whole Armor of God

Paul tells us to take up the whole armor of God. But what is this armor, and how do we put it on? Is it still relevant for Christians today?

Paul’s life, an apostle of God's first-century Church

His life had been accused of sedition, beaten, arrested, came close to being assassinated, shipwrecked, attacked by a snake and placed under house arrest since his conversion to Christianity due to his faith in Jesus.

Throughout his life it had been full of many hardships with different kinds of battle ground, hardly any peace and rest.

One of the most common misunderstanding concepts of the Christian Life is about the BLESSING.

It is true that we have the most blessing (all blessing) from the Lord eternally with a great peace and eternal salvation in Him from the moment of believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

In general people misunderstand that the blessing means everything will be well and OK, peaceful, financially well, successful and prosperous in life.

Some Christians get upset and discouraged when they are faced with the hard times in their lives. There are even some Christians who condemn the people who are going through the difficult time as the issue of their sins.

The real blessing is that our life conforming to the image of Jesus Christ throughout the hard time and any circumstances.

Paul finished well his race with the victorious life, because he was well equipped with the spiritual armor and used it very well in the spiritual battle ground throughout his life, He had the good fight.

What Do We Need Armor for, Anyway?

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

How?

How is it that, as Christians, we are expected to withstand incredible pressure and still not to be defeated? How can we possibly stand up against everything the world has to throw at us and still be expected to emerge victorious?

The answer lies not within us, but in a divine, unbeatable defense: the armor of God.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God,

You may be able to withstand in the evil day,

and having done all, to stand.

When I was in the military training, I had to know how to use all kinds of weapons as an officer. One of the trainings was the handling of the Light Machine Gun (LMG), of which I had to know how to assembling as well as disassembling it quickly. If there is even one piece missing in the LMG during to assembling the pieces together, then this all powerful LMG becomes useless as a weapon. Knowing an armor is one thing, but knowing how to put it on correctly is totally another,

So what is this spiritual armor and how do we put it on?

Armor #1: The Helmet of Salvation (the hope of Salvation)

Ephesians 6:17a

And take the helmet of salvation…

Friend’s invitation to share the Gospel for his sick friend

He was being kept alive only by the life support only. And I spoke the Love of God to his spirit through his ear and gave him the invitation to come to Jesus because I knew that his spirit was still in his physical body. It was not possible for him to make any physical response for the invitation; however, it was possible for his spirit to do so. Right after that, the family decided to remove the life support, and he was pronounced dead.

When the brain dies, we are physically dead.

The Helmet of Salvation is our first piece of protection.

This helmet is related with the Salvation.

What is salvation?

In the New Testament, as we will see, it is generally used to refer to deliverance from the eternal death penalty of sin and into God's Kingdom.

The Roman helmet, like helmets today, protects head injuries from the attacks. Also different helmets were used for rank and files in the military.

Our mind is the most critical battle ground.

Remember that the thorn crown was put on Jesus’ Head, and Jesus was crucified on the Golgotha, which has a meaning of skull. These did not just happen accidently, but of the prophetic purpose. Through Jesus’ Blood we received His Salvation, and by the Love of God we are born again as God’s children.

But satan tries to destroy us through our mind. He knows how to destroy us utilizing maximum damage to us as in John 10:10.

The Salvation is our eternal life and the key of our life,

and it is our identification and our destiny.

Remember:

God confirmed to Jesus, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Jesus knew that He is beloved Son and well-pleased to Father God. God knew that satan will attack Jesus to steal His ID from Him and that’s why Father God spoke to Him this undeniable truth. He also wanted to set an example for us. After fasting for 40 days, satan challenged Jesus on His ID directly, “if You are the Son of God…” Satan used the Pharisees and other leader, “If you are Son of God…

Even while Jesus was on the Cross, Israel people, Roman soldiers, and even a sinner on the cross were all mocking Jesus’ ID.

Jesus Christ entire life was challenged His ID from satan.

There are so many Christians who are confused about their Salvation and their ID in Christ, because satan continually steals our ID from inside of us.

If we lose our ID because of satan’s deception, we will be confused greatly, and our destiny will not come to pass.

How can we put the helmet of the Salvation? 

1) by faith

Ephesians 2:8

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

With the helmet securely fastened, we can have the same confidence that Paul did that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). We understand that it doesn't matter what happens to us now. No matter what trials we face, we know that at the end of it all waits God's Kingdom and an eternity of His perfect reign—and what could be better than that?

2) by working out our own salvation everyday

Philippians 2:12

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

We are each individually responsible for whether or not we choose to accept the invitation into God's Kingdom and then to stay on the path of obedience with His help.

We are waiting for Jesus’ Second Coming for us.

Jesus will come for His Pure Heart Bride, and He will take only His Pure Heart Bride.

3) by loving relationship with the Lord everyday

Revelation 2:4

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

4) by Confessing our faith in prophetic way everyday

Romans 10:9-10

if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses,

Make sure you have established a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. A relationship with Christ is essential not only in fighting the battle, but in winning the war! Only through salvation can you claim the protection and power contained in the Blood of Jesus. Never underestimate the power of His Blood. It is by His Blood that you were saved and redeemed, and it is by His Blood that you can overcome the enemy.

Armor #2: The Breastplate of Righteousness

Ephesians 6:14b

and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

The next piece of spiritual armor to put on is the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness covers the vital organs of your body – the heart and the lungs. Satan brings accusations and condemnation to you about your past – some action, some sin you committed long ago – so you will submit to him and take off the breastplate of righteousness. When you take off the righteousness of Jesus, satan can defeat you. Are you going out to war without your breastplate? If you do, you will be whipped, beaten, and possibly mortally wounded as satan renders you useless to the Kingdom of God.

The Lord is our Righteousness

Jeremiah 23:6
In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Also refer to scriptures which show that true righteousness comes from God such as Job 36:3; Psalm 5:8; 23:3; 24:5; and 71:16. It is God's righteousness, and not of our own, which must serve as our breastplate and defense against Satan.

How righteous are you? Are you 50 percent righteous? 90 percent righteous? You probably believe you are somewhat less than 100 percent righteous, and need to work to obtain the rest. Truthfully, you are 100 percent righteous, because God’s Word says you are.

We are righteousness by Him

Romans 3:26

for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

You are as righteous now as you will ever be because your righteousness is a gift from God. It is not produced by your good works, as religion would want you to believe. God gave you His righteousness as a gift when you were brought into the new birth experience, when you were born again.

The meaning of the righteousness

1 Corinthians 15:34
Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

1) To be righteous is to do what is right in God's eyes. God's commandments are righteousness. In contrast, lawlessness is sin and sin is the opposite of righteousness.

2) To be righteous is to obey God's Laws of Love,

3) follow His Way alone.

Armor #3: The Belt of Truth

Ephesians 6:14a

Stand therefore, having tightened the belt of truth around your loins, …

The piece of armor God has given us to combat satan’s lies and deception is the belt of truth. Jesus said, “I am the Truth.” He didn’t say, “I am part of the truth, or I am some of the truth.” He is the Truth.

Knowing something in your mind does not mean you know it as the truth.

What was the belt used for in the Roman army?

The belt played a crucial role in the effectiveness of a soldier's armor. It was the belt that held the scabbard, without which there would be no place to put a sword. Imagine an overzealous soldier, fired up and charging out into battle—but without his belt, and consequently without a weapon!

In addition, the Nelson Study Bible says from the belt "hung strips of leather to protect the lower body." The Matthew Henry Commentary says the belt "girds on [secures] all the other pieces of our armor." Truth should cleave to us as a belt cleaves to our body.

What is truth?

John 17:17
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

The truth is the word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 – inspiration = breathed

1 Thessalonians 5:21
Test all things; hold fast what is good.

As Christians, we are to examine all things and hold on to only those that are good—the truth—discarding all else.

We should be like the Bereans who

"searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).

If we are not convinced that our principles and beliefs are 100 percent true without exception, how can we expect to accomplish anything?

What are the dangers of not wearing the belt?

Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The world we live in teaches that truth is what we make it—that good and bad is relative and that there are no absolutes, only equally valid opinions. But the Bible teaches that truth is God's Word—that good and bad are defined by Him and that there are eternal and unchangeable absolutes, uninfluenced by opinions.

Paul wrote to the Romans telling them "not to be conformed to this world." Part of that means not buying into a system of belief that says that absolute truth is a myth. As Christians, we know that there is truth and also that truth it is absolute.

We need to continually grow in the Truth of the Lord.

2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.