Standing Firm

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. [1 Corinthians 16:13]

Biblical TeachingsPodcast EpisodeYou Are Who God Says You Are

Put Your FULL Armor On

Cathy

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. [Ephesians 6:10-11].  

QUOTE:  The enemy wants your MIND. Your ATTITUDE. Your HEART. Your FAITH. Your PEACE. Kick him in the teeth and take back what’s yours and stand-up (Real Talk Kim).

As we have been talking about, in previous chapters we are in a spiritual battle and there are specific things we can do to take our thoughts captive. But when there is an all-out war, and all biscuits are flying we not only need to take our thoughts captive, but we need a supernatural spiritual armor. Paul talks about the “full Armor of God” in his letter to the Galatians and it is used to protect every aspect of our body, mind, and heart. These scriptures are some of my very favorite passages.

The “Armor of God” is a metaphor that equips us for the reality of the spiritual battle we are in. This describes the protection that is available to us. The armor is comprised of seven spiritual weapons. These are not physical weapons that we can physically touch. But when we put them and we speak Scriptures out loud, look out devil, because this is what WILL protect us from all the arrows the enemy tries to fling at us. So below I’m going to briefly outline each of piece of the physical and spiritual armor.

GET DRESSED FOR THE BATTLE: Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground. We put on the armor to “stand firm.” To stand is mentioned at least three times in this passage. You wouldn’t go into any other type of battle without weapons or some form of protection. Some of you ladies wouldn’t think about going out of the house without your makeup and hair done perfectly. So, for this thinking war, please girlfriends take the time to put on and take hold of these seven spiritual weapons. Don’t go into battle naked.

BELT OF TRUTH/INTEGRITY
PHYSICAL ARMOR: This armor is a symbolism from Paul’s day and the Roman Empire. A soldier would wear a leather girdle or belt that he tightened around his waist to protect his loins and carry his weapons of warfare, such as a dagger or sword. The belt also held his tunic together so it wouldn’t be snagged.

SPIRITUAL ARMOR: The belt of truth protects our integrity. Integrity is what holds everything else together. Integrity is doing what we say we are going to do, conducting our business and life with honesty no matter what the cost. It is listening to the Holy Spirit who will nudge us when we have gotten off course. If we do not have integrity even in the small things of our life, we are going to lose the battle.

BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS/PURITY
PHYSICAL ARMOR The breastplate of a soldier was sometimes made of woven chain and used to cover the soldier’s vital organs.

SPIRITUAL ARMOR The breast plate of righteousness protects the purity in our heart and mind. The enemy wants to attack you not only with lies, but also deception and impurity. He wants us to think lusty thoughts, look at photos that we shouldn’t, sleep with men outside of marriage, watch immoral movies, and engage in all temptations of the flesh. The bottom line is that the enemy wants to get into your heart and mind. He’s looking for a crack in your armor.

SHOES OF PEACE/TRANQUILITY
PHYSICAL ARMOR: A Roman soldier would have hobnails on the soles of his shoes, kind of like football cleats because when they were fighting, they needed solid footing when maneuvering.

SPIRITUAL ARMOR: The shoes of peace protects our tranquility. There is NOTHING like having peace during flying biscuits. When the enemy comes against our peace, he throws stones of doubt and discouragement and without our armor we will stumble. Protective and supportive (like panty hose!! 😊

SHIELD OF FAITH/CERTAINTY
PHYSICAL ARMOR: The Roman soldier’s shield measured approximately two by four feet and was made of wood covered with leather. During that era, soldiers dipped arrows in oil, then lit them and shot them at the enemy. These shields were vital to protect the solider from getting burned when they were being attacked. They were pre-soaked with water so flames just bounced off.

SPIRITUAL ARMOR: The enemy is going to shoot flaming arrows of doubt at us. He wants to place doubts in our minds about God and His Truth. He knows a spark can ignite a big fire. You will need to feed your faith and know without a doubt that God has you.

HELMET OF SALVATION/STELLAR THINKING
PHYSICAL ARMOR: A soldier used a helmet to protect his head because if his head was wounded, he wouldn’t be able to think. Also, it was a symbol of military victory!

SPIRITUAL ARMOR: The helmet will protect our thinking. Take every thought captive! We as believers have the mind of Christ and we need to do all we can to protect our Stellar Thinking.

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT/WORD OF GOD

PHYSICAL ARMOR: Obviously the main weapon a soldier carried was his sword on his belt. Without this he was obviously going into battle a dead man before he even started.

SPIRITUAL ARMOR: Our sword is the Word of God. Without this we are going into battle dead before we even begin. Choose to memorize scriptures to use them against the enemies lies and attacks on your mind.

PRAY IN THE SPIRIT/GAME PLAN
PHYSICAL ARMOR: Typically, soldiers don’t go into battle without a game plan or a strategy on how they are going to attack their enemy.

SPIRITUAL ARMOR: Prayer is our game plan. Remember who is fighting our flying biscuits. The battle is the Lord’s, fought in his strength. When we are in close relationship with the Lord, we will listen to his guidance, have peace, and stand firm. Prayer is where we draw strength. It activates the armor. Without God, and reliance on Him through prayer, our efforts in spiritual battle are ultimately futile. But remember we not bystanders in this fight, we have a responsibility to use this armor and to speak the Word in prayer.

PUT ON YOUR ARMOR: Have integrity, keep purity, maintain tranquility, possess certainty, rock solid stellar thinking, speak word of God, and have a game plan. Girlfriends let’s remember to put on all these components of the spiritual armor and stay ready for flying biscuits at any time.

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DAILY ACTION STEP
Say to yourself out loud
I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM

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FRIENDLY REMINDER: take out your journal and write down your thoughts, takeaways, and progress for this week!

TAKEAWAY GEMS

  • There are seven weapons we can use to capture our thoughts and fight the enemy.
  • We must put on our supernatural amour.
  • We can choose to have integrity in all that we do.
  • We can choose to have thoughts that are pure.
  • We can choose to have peace.
  • We can choose to have faith.
  • We can choose to capture every thought.
  • We can choose to speak the word of God out loud.
  • We can choose to pray in the spirit.
  • We can choose to have Stellar Thinking.

QUESTIONS TO “THINK ON”

  1. What are ways YOU can use armor of God in YOUR life?
  2. What areas of your armor could use some strengthening?
  3. What are your thoughts about the armor of God?

ACTION STEP: PUT YOUR ARMOR ON and BURN THAT LIES LIST: To start putting your armor on, first we have to get rid of the junk. Remember in week seven you created a bunch of lies about yourself. Well, get that list out. Read it one last time. Get some matches or a lighter and burn this baby up… Forget those lies, they are gone, they have been destroyed, because they no longer will hold you back. FINISHED – DONE.

DAILY SCRIPTURES

DAY 1: A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. [Ephesians 6:10-11]

DAY 2: For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. [Ephesians 6:12]

DAY 3: Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. [Ephesians 6:13].

DAY 4: Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. [Ephesians 6:14-15].

DAY 5: In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. [Ephesians 6:16].

DAY 6: In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. [Ephesians 6:17].

DAY 7: Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. [Ephesians 6:18].

SPECIAL NOTE: This is just a very brief outline of this armor. For a more detailed study about these important scriptures, how to stand firm using this armor, and utilizing the ten Spiritual essentials – please go to the podcast series Ten Essentials for Standing Firm. 

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