Intro

This is Dreamwalker1960. As a reminder you can read the transcripts of all my podcasts at dreamwalker1960.com. You can use most podcast platforms if you wish to listen. All you need do is do a search for Dreamwalker1960.

Discussion

I have been led by the Holy Spirit to talk about the Armor of God. However, I am not going to follow it in the same way others have. So, let us look into these verses that are so important to us.

Ephesians 6:10-20 – A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. 19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

Throughout my studies of the Bible. When reading the New Testament, especially those letters written by Paul. God guided him through the Holy Spirit, I believe, to write the most important elements of a point last. Why? Because being the last thing the person heard or read would be what stuck with them the longest.

With that in mind, what is the most important points found in these verses?

The answer:

Ephesians 6:17-18 – Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Asking God into one’s life, and then learning the Word of God. I mean truly learning the Word of God.

When understanding the true Word of God, we come to know why it is the sword. For a sword cuts. A sword hurts. It can cut us to our soul and cause us to weep from the pain. For we come to know just how wicked we are living in sin.

Which brings us to something that all need to accept. Being in corruption we all have a sin that we can never totally rid ourselves of. Even when we become saved, we have a sin that we will never lose. Paul understood this and confessed it. (Romans 7:7-25) This is also said in Galatians 5:

Galatians 5:16-26 – So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

We all struggle, but it is those that repent, and seek not to repeat the sins they have committed that shows the difference between those that are faithful to God and those that are faithful to themselves. Those that accept the sword of the Word of God accept that salvation can be lost if someone does not reign in their behavior and their sins.  There are those that challenge this. Many of those that do are with the group that follows the man-made doctrine of “once saved always saved.”

Right now, someone listening to this just got angry at what was just said. Apparently, they were not paying attention to the verses that were read a bit ago, so I will key in on key verses they should have listened to.

Galatians 5:19-21 – When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature… hostility, quarreling… outbursts of anger… dissension, division.”

Did those that got angry just display one of these sins? I will allow them to make that determination.

What is important is coming to understand the truths within the Word of God. Accepting the pain of the cut which is meant to discipline.

Revelation 3:19-21 – I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

Do you feel pain, discomfort, sorrow over your sinful actions? I know I do, and I stive to end them, through prayer and supplication. We all have a sin nature that stays within us. Paul showed this in the verses in Romans and Galatians. Yet as you have seen within the New Testament the letters between the book of Acts and Tribulation are written to those that have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Time and again the words “do not sin” are seen over and over. So, if salvation can never be removed why bothers saying this? But enough of this for now.

When wearing the Armor of God, we also follow the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when we do this, we bear this fruit shown in Galatians:

Galatians 5:22-23 – But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

We have to live two lives. One on a spiritual level which is why we need to wear armor. The other is needed to show the world the love that God has for all of humanity.

This is a concept that many get confused about, especially those that embrace the “once saved always saved” concept. God loves every single human, be they sinner or saint. How can we help others to know God if we allow ourselves to be like those of the world?

The answer is we can’t.

That is why people look down upon those that believe in Christ. They see those that do this as ignorant and simple. Those that know God through our Savior Jesus Christ do not see them as lesser if we truly follow the teachings within the Bible. We see them as equals, worthy to be added to the family. All we must do is accept that they truly are and allow them the time they need to come to this conclusion themselves. How this is accomplished is by following the ways the Holy Spirit guides us to do so. Those things which bear the fruit of Galatians 5:22-23.

Our true battles are spiritual, which is why we need the full armor of God. By knowing the Word of God, we wear the helmet and carry the sword, which can cut the souls of those that believe they do not need God, as well as cause those that are already within the fold to learn through pain that they have failed our Creator.

Proverbs 13:24 – He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

In Luke 16 Jesus explains that we are to seek to befriend and live peaceably with those that deny Him and His Father. One statement is made after this teaching:

Luke 16:14-15 – The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. 15 Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.

What does the world honor, which is referred to as something the Pharisees dearly loved?

Those that seek after wealth, that seek after the best the most expensive. The most luxurious, that which causes the world to be envious of those that do this. In reality it is seen as detestable to God.

Luke 16:15 – And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Abomination – G946 – bdelugma – a detestation, that is, (specifically) idolatry, an abominable thing, an accursed thing

Those that seek after riches are seen as an abomination to the Lord our God. The Glorified Jesus Christ dictated a letter to them:

Revelation 3:14-22 – “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation: 15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

God Bless