Every aspect of the full armor of God has to do with the Word as in Christ and the power of speaking and acting in Faith without doubt. It also points to the saved, redeemed and restored man as being that champion and not Jesus. Jesus only demonstrated by how we wear, carry and utilized the armor of God; then we can dominate the evil of the physical and spiritual worlds. As stated; "Till we all come in the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" - Eph. 4:13. Jesus is the perfection of the Righteous obedient man unto God. But the fallen man is appointed; now empowered to finish what Jesus started. For the armor of God consist of six components; although a typical Roman soldier carries more weapons that Paul chooses to mention. The six components referencing the number for man; not to be confused with the anti-christ number of 666. Christ wore this armor but by His obedience without question and doubt perfected His weapon of warfare. The image of God!
The first act; as stated; “the serpent” - Gen. 3:1; of Genesis is a foreshadow of the world in failure to have God’s character that was given. For no matter how you think you are isolated and insulated from the world. It will creep into your perfect facade of safe space. Adam should have been vigilant to satanic influence. The second act; as stated; “the two trees” - Gen. 2:9; speaks of despite being given the Holy Spirit and the Blood of Jesus; we often use our carnal feelings and minds to make decisions. When we fail to lead by God's Spirit; we invariably become entangled by satanic devices. And the third act; as stated; “hid themselves” - Gen. 3:8; indicates, we avoid the truth of our failings; often blaming others and things for our bad decisions. Without acknowledging our flawed actions; we do not grow up in the Mind of Christ. Three character flaws that keep us from the full Promise Land of God. But like every good tragic climactic moment, there is the chance of redemption. Because Adam and Eve did not seek this redemption provided by God as stated; “where are you” - Gen. 3:9; they inherited their woes of pain without any gain. God's Love always makes a way; but if we are not bold by Faith rather than doubtful in fear. We will miss it!
This is how when the dragon enters your domain; as a Christian; you are called to be a warrior of the Father against all unrighteousness; both spiritually and physically. There is no such creature as a passive Christian. For the Christian is not to be led by their feelings or their mind concerning issues but only by the Spirit of God. Now, some say; “But John, the beloved one was a lover, not a fighter. John bore some of the harshest punishments and burdens because he was genuine and pure in the Faith as a Christ-follower. So much so he was one of, if not the only confidant to Jesus as demonstrated in with the Last supper. John was an imminent threat to the dragon constantly because he understood the fight that had to be played out. And as such is given the responsibility of writing as a witness to the last Book of Revelation in isolation on the island of Patmos. A Spiritual warning as well as the promise of Faithfulness and unfaithfulness as stated; "He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" - Rev. 21:7.
The most existential dragon to the Christian is as stated by James; “he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was” - Jms. 1:22. For until we address each unrighteousness in our body, mind, and spirit; we will constantly waver from light to darkness and as stated; “For let, not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; for a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” - Jms. 1:7---9. What the world taught us from birth and continues to propagate at a greater and pervasive campaign especially today are venues for the Christian to demonstrate that despite the presence of dragons; we stand and claim in Victory as stated by our champion; “I (Jesus) have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I (and you) have overcome the world”- Jn. 16:33.
Flush it Out! - Confront the dragon.
Often, I counsel people who are young Christians or who enquire about the Christian Faith wanting to gain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding about it. Generally, they are told by others to just read the Gospels or the Letters by Paul. But in my own experience, I have found that these don't give us the real reason to become a Christian. Because it's rather easy to say; “Jesus died for you” or “Paul was a man of God”; almost as if to say; “Santa will visit you with a gift as long as you are a good person”. Now, I am not saying to disregard the New Testament but really it is written for the “seasoned Christian” having concepts that often escape people's everyday thinking and understanding.
Nov. 4, 2019.
Enter the dragon.
To believe that sin has the ability to subdue the Anointing and Spirit of God is to give power to a lower creation than God. It is like stating satan is greater than Jesus. What satan has successfully done to mankind is to convince him to believe in his lies. Lies that contradict everything that God has said, decreed and declared; but by sending Jesus; God disproved satan’s lies with the Truth of the creation of man in flesh and spirit. No one can outmaneuver God; least of all His creation. Until the saved recognizes it is not a matter of physical strength but consistent thoughts, actions, and words that will not only defeat satan but also defeat self-doubt so that the very dragons of our imaginations, ignorances, and misunderstandings are erased with only the confidence and Faith in the Word of God.
Many in the Body persistently encourages the self-infliction of satanic lies to dominate their thinking and actions not realizing if it doesn't walk, talk and act like Jesus; it is ungodly, unrighteous and demonic. We must affirm as stated;”Have the Mind of Christ” - Phil 2:5. It's the only method to defeat all the dragons in our life as stated; “Put on the whole armor of God” - Eph. 6:10. Paul uses the metaphor of physical armor to communicate the need for Jesus’ ways of walking in Victory against anyone or things that as stated; “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” 2 Cor. 10:5.
The Helmet of Salvation is not about protecting your physical head but about the abiding spirit in you which is where conviction of Salvation starts; having been reconnected as it were to the Spirit of God. The body follows the thinking and conviction of the mind with the spirit as some say; "I think therefore I am".
The Breastplate of Righteousness is not about abating physical harm but for keeping your heart pure in servanthood to God’s purpose and Righteous ways. When you know what the fight is about then with conviction and determination one prepares, practices and implements God's mandate to eradicate unrighteousness wherever one is present. For "from the heart come the issues of life" - Prob. 4:23.
The Garden presents like every good, intriguing play; the three main characters put on stage to entice the audience into speculation of the outcome. The audience for this play is not us but the Host that has observed our script from the Day, Lucifer decided to go against every Righteous precept laid down by God; the Word and the Holy Spirit. There is the agitator. That slithering snake of temptation. Then the innocent, Eve; unaware of the long term consequences of temptation as a child would be and only concerned generally with the security of being. Then man; Adam, charged not only with vision but to be the caretaker of all that he does and those under his authority and charge. He is the key to all God has ordained.
The feet shod with the Gospel of peace is not about protecting your personal journey throughout this life as Roman soldiers wore sandals when they marched and fought their enemies; which meant their feet got very dirty and bruised from being exposed. So by this; It means don't be surprised that in this life there will be trials and tribulations but in the midst of all to become mature with the task ahead of you; maintaining your peace or rather rest being a part of the Body of Christ.
The Sword of the Spirit is not about wildly slashing at anything or anyone that challenges your affiliation to the Word. For the Roman soldier’s sword was short and double-bladed requiring skill to weld it effectively. It means that the Word must be used in conjunction with the Holy Spirit being of the same weapon to first dispel wrongful thinking as in slashing and if required to pinpoint or rather put to death by piercing any unrighteousness. It also means it is required for close combat; not as in distance but as in commitment and conviction. That there is a danger to you bodily, mentally and spiritually if you have not gone into battle with the Righteous Spirit of God as some discovered as stated by evil spirit; “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?; Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded" - Act. 19:15-16.
Lastly, the Shield of Faith is not about defending your Faith as if to protect your vital organs and prevent getting hurt. It is about using it with your sword to push back the enemy with the Word first and then standing your ground followed by the same two actions one after the other until your enemy collapses or runs away. The shield also served as a weapon to offset the enemy's footing exposing his flank or any other vulnerable part to inflict pain or death. That with Faith by the Spirit of God; the fallen angels and demons have to submit to the name above all others including their own as stated;" - Phil. 2:9.
Enter the dragon; that serpent of old who seeks his own kingdom by toppling God’s into chaos and anarchy as stated; “I (Lucifer) will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:” - Is. 14:13. The stage was set thousands of years ago and according to the prophets is about to climax with the pending return of the King as stated; “And I saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He (Jesus) that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in Righteousness He will judge and make war - Rev. 19:11. A picture of nobility, purity, and Victory! It will not matter where you are or who you are with; but rather how have you prepared for the finality of this war that has raged for centuries with thousands of casualties, not on both sides; but God’s only.
For many saved Christians it is sufficient to have the knowledge and even the assurance that they are secured but little or no thought is given to the dead laid out on the battlefields of immoral and fatal choices. The dead that can no longer receive redemption by the Lamb’s Blood and once dead to Salvation; an inheritance of terror and hell now awaits them. The dragon doesn't care about who suffers and dies for his cause. For in this world only flesh dies and spirits are left to their demise. And for all the dead to Christ that grows in numbers; satan’s fallen inmates do not diminish but increase with every perversion of criminal and forbidden mixing of angelic to human DNA. For eternal death is not by the sword but by the corruption of the spirit’s twisted want for the flesh and blood's lustful desires of sin and disobedience.
God may have destroyed the offsprings of the sons of God who mingled with flesh but He is unable to destroy that spirit of corruption still active today that set about to destroy His very image charged to battle for the defeat of Lucifer and his band of cohorts. Yes; Adam was charged to take dominion not of what God created but of as stated; “and darkness was upon the face of the deep” - Gen. 1:2. To take dominion as stated; “the prince of the power of the air” - Eph. 2:2. The spirit of fallen angels just as a man’s spirit cannot be destroyed but is to be subjugated to the will of God. This bond will either be by force or by free will.
Here’s the question? God is perfect then why did Adam and Eve not have the fortitude to foresee and put satan in his place; which is the footstool of Jesus. They failed to comprehend the lesson of speaking the Word which was given to them prior to the temptation as stated by the second Adam; “It is written” - Matt. 4; or can easily be said; “As stated by the Word” That is by the Word of God! They did not take and use the weapon of warfare given to them. They failed to fight the dragon!
The dragon does not care you are the child of God; nor does he fight with honor. If there was ever a dirty rotten scoundrel; it is satan. Yet; he has not been given the weapons of warfare of the Word. But regardless of this, he dominates many in the world, especially many Christians. That's because he knows his ultimate demise and is fighting for his life in this world. A concept and Spiritual reality that escapes even those in the Body that has been saved since childhood. When will so many Christians learn God is not liberal or is a socialist. He gives nothing for nothing! God’s entire focus and purpose for this world is to harvest as stated; “The Godly for Himself” - Ps. 4:3. This implies an earning of His presence and ultimately His Kingdom. There is no free pass but a qualification as stated; "God is not mocked" - Gal. 6:7.
We are charged to put satan down in the manner and method God ordained. Yet, many Christians when spoked to about overcoming with Victory automatically grovel into pleads of "Lord Jesus; help me and have mercy"; when they should be declaring the Word in authority, Faith and Action. The Son did not use them. Then why would as a Christian expect them to show up in the reality that is faced as stated; “Do you think that I (Jesus) cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of Angels?” - Matt. 26:53. Whatever the dire circumstances Jesus faced before the Cross; never once did He grovel or grumble to God for relief, protection, and extraction? But He was the first true Son to fight the dragon not only face to face including satan’s proxies. He surrendered Himself to God's will. Be it for safety or for threats and in all as stated; "count it all joy" - Jms. 1:2. God's purpose for man is to shame satan into humility!
Where and when did the generations of men split from the image of God? And if Jesus was the Son of God and not the son of man; why did He require the Anointing to come upon Him as stated; “Holy Spirit came upon Him like a dove” - Lk. 3:22. Whenever as Christians we give credence to the idea that the Word did not become fully flesh as stated; “The Word became flesh” - Jn. 1:14; we inadvertently surrender our God given rights and ability to take on the devil, his cohorts and fallen army as stated; “for my strength is made perfect in weakness” - 2 Cor. 12:9. God could use a big stick to crush satan, but He decided to use a weakling; an inferior substance of flesh to demonstrate His far-reaching omnipotence to a highly defined and created Angelic being as stated; “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You, our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand". - Is. 64:8.
The real question to become a Christian is not so much about Jesus and that He died for us because of sin for which many non-christians have no concept of this. But is really about “why”? Why creation and as stated why; “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” - Jn. 3:16. Everything with God is about the “why” and its purpose of design. Why give up time, pleasures and the world for a being that no one has seen as stated; “For no one has seen God” - Jn. 1:18. That is face to face. God in His wisdom has decreed it this way because as stated; “But without Faith, it is impossible to please Him” - Heb 11:6.
How does Faith come? By the Word! Is this not a contradiction? No! Not when commitment is the key component for your daily Faith walk. Why be loyal to a person you have no seen but with the Word have known? Many in the Body often become more commitment or enthusiastic when a guest pastor or speaker gives a roaring motivational talk on love, forgiveness or personal testimony. Then as days pass; return to their normal carnal thinking beseeching for help on every level from the church until the next speaker comes to town. They ultimately have not developed the true character of a son or daughter of God. If you don't know God's character on all things regarding this world and His; then why discipline, educate and fight for any of it. Because having received Salvation more often than not many become bench warmers; snug and comfortable with the same spot and friends in the church taking on the world’s blinded mentality rather than the character bestowed on them which is God’s.
Is it coincidence, that Proverbs speaks about many "mores" on life but in reality reveals the type of character that pleases God which is His reflection also. It has 31 chapters as most months days and can be used as a daily Revelation of God, His Kingdom and what our Faith walk ought to be; not in the church but in the world as stated; “be fruitful, multiply and have dominion” - Gen. 1:28. Well; this couldn't be accomplished then, in the Garden, and certainly not in the church today.
Spiritual Awakening
But because he was not firm in his authority and protection; Eve was misled. But this was not the crime of the eons. The real unrighteous crime was not trusting God as stated; “for he that comes to God must believe that He is” - Heb. 11:6. God clearly stated the consequences of disobedience! Yet, for some reason, this warning escaped Eve and seemed to not have its impact on Adam’s overwatch. For the snake entering the Garden was on his watch and not on God’s or for that matter, Eve's. God gave Adam a utopia and expected him to treat it as such. And just like most of us; when given a gift or talent; we often miss the real gem and purpose of it by only focusing on its inner beauty to us and not the outward benefits to others; thereby not acknowledging its purpose in the Kingdom’s work. For the Garden was meant to remain Holy, Sanctified and Righteous for God and not become corrupt by selfish motives. God so considers the Garden critical that He preserves it for His purpose as stated; “He (God) drove the (fallen) man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the Garden of Eden to guard the way to the Tree of Life” - Gen. 3:24.
Often, as parents ourselves; we know the child is about to make a mistake and yet we allow it knowing it is necessary for the child to learn and mature by these mistakes into someone who then takes responsibility for their actions. Alas; this often is not the case and this was the disappointment God had to endure and having to move His plan forward while maintaining His integrity had no choice but to resort to as the saying goes; “no pain, no gain”. For our life is about pain that when taken with a certain disposition results in gains that build into greater rewards that ultimately have the potential to benefit many as stated; “becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches” - Matt. 13:32.
And with pain, comes tolerance, which when done right results in love. And ultimately the kind of love that the Father emulates for us who seek His Kingdom. For we cannot truly love everything else unless we first love God and by this love; His ways, views, and actions. Because God is Love and His Love is all about Fatherhood. In my early days as a father and occasionally when a put down the law as it were; I often defended the actions needed as if the Father would be the one who would implement them. This has aided me not only with my family but with everything that needs my attention. As Jesus stated; “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do, for what things soever He does, these also does the Son likewise (do).” - Jn. 5:91. When I please God first by doing things the way He does; it places me in that position of loving others as the Father does. This may either be soft or tough Love as the Father indicates.
Many of the Body of Christ see the Bible from Genesis to Revelation as a testimony of the Love that God, the Father has for His blinded, lost and weak children. There is truth to this but not fully accurate. The Bible from its beginning to the end is more about dissension into hatred and war to eliminate God’s Kingdom of Light. It is evil against good in an epic battle that outweighs anything that hollywood could fathom. God’s motive for creation is nothing short of preparing for a battle to end all wars. His sworn enemy; Lucifer has the same intent. We are not pawns but willing partakers for a city of Life or a world of deep dark death as stated; “gnashing of teeth” - Matt. 8:12.
So how you are originally made is perfection. This is why satan corrupted “the watchers” to mutate the flesh and ultimately the mind and spirit of man and when that was halted by God; he sought to demise the life of the firstborn males in his effort to destroy God's solution to his rebellion. This has continued in various forms and policies with the single intent to wipe out any flesh that may become his defeat in this world. Jesus; the perfection of flesh did this exactly. For flesh was not designed to be dirty, demeaning or carnally minded.
The Belt of Truth is not about holding up your sword or as some advocate state your waist. It is demonstrating that all things that the sword is used for must be upheld by the Truth that only God gives. That without this Truth; the sword becomes ineffective against the world's thinking; and it must be immersed in the sheath which is part of the belt. A constant indication that we must continually dip into and be immersed in the Word. Without doing this; we can’t use the sword to preach, admonish or edify without its foundation linked to the one Truth of Jesus Christ.