We're going to take both of these today. Actually these two are intertwined with the rest of the armor. So let's do some very important reviewing.
Putting on the helmet of salvation is close to the same thing as buckling up with the Word of God. The Greek word that is translation 'salvation' actually means deliverance from dangers of all kinds including health, wealth and personal protection. If our minds constantly run in fear of situations we don't have on the helmet of salvation. If problems buffalo you into more questions than answers, you don't have on the helmet of salvation. If you are praying and it really sounds like wishing, then you don't have on the helmet of salvation. If when you finish praying you kind of say to yourself, "It probably won't happen but it was worth a try" then you don't have on the helmet of salvation.
Before you can be a successful Christian, before you will ever have an answered prayer and before you will bask in the victory of defeating the devil, you must first be assured in your brain that God's Word is absolutely true. You've got to be like Abraham as quoted in Romans 4:21. "And being fully persuaded, that what He had promised, He was able also to perform." Admittedly it took a couple of years for Abraham to fully believe the Word. But God brought Abraham through some things that settled the Word of God in Abraham's heart as well as his mind. He believed that it was going to happen just like God said it would.
On a side note, I memorized and preached scripture for years and didn't have a fully developed faith. It took spending time in His presence to become acquainted with Him soul-to-soul and spirit-to-spirit. The heart of God began to strengthen my feeble heart until it boosted my resolve to believe His Word no matter what it said.
Put on that helmet of salvation until you know that you know that you know that you know and that it won't be any other way than the way God said it would be. Then, it won't really matter HOW God brings it about. You just know that He WILL.
Before we take up the Sword of the Spirit let's deal with the breastplate of righteousness and having our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Most of us don't feel like we have a big problem with being 'right' with God. We too often neglect the second most important thing and that is being 'right' with our fellow man. We have hurt feelings, we hold grudges, we refuse to fellowship and all the while we're shoutin' up and down the aisles of the church.
Paul was like that before he got converted. He hated everyone that called themselves a Christian. And as a devout Jew he looked down on anybody that wasn't Jewish. But, he attributes his blazing success as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ to one thing other than the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. He said in Galatians 5:6, For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Until you get your Agape Love walk down pat, you won't be able to do anything with the Sword of the Spirit. Why? Because that same Word of God that you want to chop the devil's head off tells you to love EVERYBODY the way that Jesus loves them and the way that Jesus loves you. That's John 13:34.
That's why the shield of faith is so important. It quenches the fiery arrows of the devil. When someone does you wrong, use that shield of faith in the Word of God to put out the fire. People will say ugly things to you. They will ignore you when you've served God as hard as you can. They will talk about you behind your back. They will plan ways to bring you down. All these things the devil slings at you to hurt your feelings and therefore keep you from swinging that Sword.
It's your choice to forgive. It's your choice to walk in love. Now to put is pretty bluntly, if you really, really, really, really, really want to get the devil back for all of those things-----choose to forgive and choose to love. When you get your feelings under control, then reach over to your left hip (if you're right-handed) and-----KA-SHIN-N-N-G-G-G---whip out that Sword of the Spirit and get down to some devil business.
Remember, the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. You are buckled up with it's truth and you have your brain secured with the helmet of know-so salvation. With your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace you know exactly what needs to be done. You can't have peace when things look like they are going wrong. Rom. 8:28, All things work together for good. Swing that Sword in praise to God. You don't have peace when you or your loved ones are sick. Isaiah 53:5, By His stripes we are healed.
The way to peace is by wrestling with the devil and his evil spirits Ephesians 6:12. Do battle with them by swinging the Sword of the Lord. "Devil you can't have my children, (Deuteronomy 28:4). The fruit of my body is blessed." "You're not going to scare me with what happened today. God's going to work it out for my good and you can't stop it. (Romans 8:28) "How dare you hinder my finances. I've paid my tithes and given offering. Get your hands off of my money. The windows of heaven are opened and God has poured out a blessing that I don't have room enough to receive. (Malachi 3:10). That offering I gave is going to produce me a return harvest (Luke 6:38).
Folks get your heart right. Get the Word right. And start swinging that Sword.
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