Use the Sword 101

Study 10

Putting on God's Armor

This is the final study on the series of using the sword 101.

Through this study we learned about each piece of armor from:

  • Eph 6:13-17 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;


    • This final week we will put on our armor, and keep it on.
    Why do I say keep it on?
    I know that many people will start their day by putting on their armor (God's armor), but you see in order to put it on everyday, there has to be a point that you take it off.
    Think about that, every night before you go to bed you take your pants off, and in the morning you put a fresh pair on. You don't sleep with your pants on then put another pair over them the next morning, or do you?

    So in order to put on God's armor everyday, you have to, at some point, take it off.
    When we read God's word, it never at any point tells you to take God's armor off, only put it on.
    You may think I'm just to hard on these people and should understand what they are doing.
    I do understand, but they must also understand what God's word says.
    I believe the correct thing to do each morning is to check your armor. Like a racecar driver; he never just goes out and race his car each weekend without checking it over first to make sure everything is in proper working order. That's the same thing we should do each morning, not put our armor on again and again, but check the armor we feel asleep with and make sure it's in proper working order, and in the right places.

    So let's get started putting on God's armor.

    The first piece as we learned in the study is not really a piece of armor, but more of a preparation, which we learned as prayer.

  • Eph 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints


    • This is mentioned after the armor is put on, but it is important to prayer before, during and after you are putting on God's armor.
    Notice it says praying always that means continually, without ceasing

  • 1 Thess 5:17 pray without ceasing,


    • As you have learned through the studies here, this doesn't mean that you are on your knees with your eyes closed and your head bowed 24/7, (although it wouldn't hurt to do that every once in a while). No, it means as you are going throughout your day, you keep in contact with God, and as He brings others into you remembrance you pray for them.

    We also need to be in prayer constantly because we are attacked constantly. It's like those on the front line speaking with the General of the Army seeking direction in the battle.
    So the first thing is to pray, then don't stop. It's like a song I heard says, "Just because we say the words AMEN doesn't mean this conversation has to end!"

    The first piece or armor as mentioned in Ephesians is the Belt of Truth.
    As we learned about this piece it is important because the enemy will constantly throw lies at us.
    So how do we put this piece on? By being in God's word.

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


    • As I said at the beginning of this study, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are truth, so by reading God's word you will see the truth and next time satan tells you that you sinned to much or that God won't forgive you for that sin, or that God has left you, you have the belt of truth protecting you against the lies of the devil and of this world.
    The belt not only protects you from the lies of satan but also the lies of the world. The world teaches that we came from monkeys, but God is not a monkey and we are made in His image, not in the image of an animal.
    We must also remember that the world will lie about believers making them out to be bad people who try and ruin everyone's fun.
    Jesus even warned us about this.

  • John 15:18-19 18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.


    • But no matter what we should stand on the truth in God's word.

    The next piece of armor is the Breastplate of Righteousness.

    We in ourselves are not righteous; we are all sinners before God.
    Because of our unrighteousness, we need someway to be able to approach God, because God cannot be in the presence of sin.

    We as Christian may appear to be self-righteous in the world's eyes because we flee from sin and don't practice it. But the truth is, we are righteous, because our Savior has made us righteous through the work that He did on the cross.
    It all comes down to believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and in the work that Jesus did on the cross. Just like we read in Romans.

  • Romans 4:24-25 (NLT) 24 It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.


  • 1 John 2:1-2 1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.


    • So putting on the Breastplate of Righteousness is putting on Jesus and knowing that you are righteous because of what Jesus did on the cross and not by anything you have done.

    We now have truth and righteousness on.
    The next piece is the sandals or shoes of peace.

    We learned that the word "Shod" is a verb or an action word? It means to do something.

  • Eph 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;


    • Using this piece of armor causes you to watch where you are going, whether it be physically from one place to another or what you watch or read.
    Also listening to what you say to others with your speech or even your body actions.

  • Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains
    Are the feet of him who brings good news,
    Who proclaims peace,
    Who brings glad tidings of good things,
    Who proclaims salvation,
    Who says to Zion,
    "Your God reigns!"


    • By putting on the sandals of peace you are telling others about Jesus and the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

  • Romans 10:15 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
    "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
    Who bring glad tidings of good things!"


    • If you have never told anyone about Jesus, then you have never put on the sandals. Why not put them on today and start sharing the Good News about Jesus and bring some peace in this world that talk of doom.

    The next piece is the Shield of Faith.
    Remember the other pieces so far just sit on your body protecting you where they are, but the Shield of Faith can be moved about in any direction because we are hit on all sides with temptation.

    To use this piece of armor we had the following illustration.

    Think of the chair you are sitting on right now. Before you sat down, did you doubt that it would hold you up? No, you knew it would because you may sit in this same chair everyday and you trust it or have faith that it will hold you up.
    It's the same with God's word, you must live God's word everyday to the point that you don't question what God says, you just believe it because God has never let you down before.

    To use the Shield of Faith you must take your eyes off the physical things of this world and trust in the spiritual things.
    To learn more about faith, I would encourage you to read Hebrews chapter 11. It not only tells of men of faith throughout the bible, but will also help build your faith. You will note that the men mentioned in Hebrews where normal men, but the things that happened to them was because of their faith in God, and not trusting in the things or ways of this world.
    To use the shield of faith you must pick up God's word and believe that tGod's word is truth, every word of it!

    Second to last is the Helmet of Salvation.

    As we learned about this piece of armor it's something that is given to you and not just something that you take.

  • Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


  • Eph 2:8-9 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.


    • We also learned that by accepting this gift from God we no longer try to earn our way into heaven because that is saying that what Jesus did on the cross was good, but not enough to pay for all our sins. And we know that's a lie. Because His grace is sufficient for us apart from our works.

  • 2 Cor 12:9a And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."


    • To put on the helmet you must believe that Jesus dies for ALL your sins, and that it was paid for on the cross, you must believe that Jesus is God who came down as a man to pay the price for your sins, and that He rose from the dead on the third day just as the scriptures testified that He would.

    In order to put on the helmet you must use the shield of faith as well as the belt of truth to believe God's word is truth.

    As it says in
  • Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.


    • It's impossible to please God without faith, why is faith so important here and in regards to the helmet of salvation?
    Because you are believing in what many would say is impossible

  • Matt 19:25-26 25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."


    • You are believing that a man died on the cross and this man's death paid for all your sins, then you are also believing that this man rose from the dead after three days.

    But I'm here to tell you that it's true! How do I know? Because God said so and God can not lie!

  • Heb 9:14 (NLT) Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our hearts from deeds that lead to death so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.


    • As we learned our enemy is a liar and the father of lies, but God is truth and in Him is no lie.

    So, if God cannot lie and He said that His Son's death was the price that was paid for your sins are you going to believe Him? God is promising you eternal life with Him in heaven!
    Or would you rather believe the one who deceived Eve in the Garden, the one who may have deceived some of your close friends and family in believing his lies, causing some to be drunks and fornicators, adulterers, drug addicts, hurting and harming others? The one who has so many times deceived you and made you believe his lies and you may be paying for some of them even right now.

    But you can have forgiveness, you can put on the helmet of salvation, all you have to do is believe the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ.

  • Heb 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.


    • If you want to believe God and stop believing the liar, then tell God. Yes right now!
    Tell him you believe in His Son Jesus and what HE did on the cross for you. Tell Him you believe that He rose from the dead and you believe His word.
    I normally have a prayer here, but I want you to tell God in your own words from your own heart that you believe in Him and His Son Jesus.
    When you do, then know that you now have the helmet of salvation on.
    And if you have been trying to earn your salvation as a Christian by doing things, you have taken the helmet of salvation off, put it back on and return to your first love and believe once again that Jesus' death paid for ALL your sins and there is nothing more you need to do!

    The final piece of armor is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

    We learned that we can all have this weapon, but in order to use it, you must live it and believe it.
    No matter how big and shiny the sword is, unless you know how to use it, it's of no use.

    These studies are a good starting place to learn how to use the sword (the word of God), but if you want to become a master swordsman, you need to be in God's word everyday, not just reading it, but studying it and meditating on it.
    I can only teach you so much here, but you must allow the Holy Spirit to continue to teach you in God's word.

  • Heb 11:6b He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.


    • I gave a closing statement and verse in the ;last study which I think is perfect for this final study.

    So just remember as you continue on with your walk with the Lord, you will have many battles, but you also have God's armor to protect you. But the only way to win the battle is not just stand there and take a beating, but fight back with God's word. Then and only then will you win the battle against sin!

  • 1 John 2:14c (NLT) I have written to you who are young because you are strong with God's word living in your hearts, and you have won your battle with Satan.


    • Start winning those battles with God's word, not you own.

  • Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"


    • Without God, His armor and sword of are no use to you. Make Him your God and Jesus your Savior, then and only then will you start to have victory over sin.

  • 1 Cor 15:57 (NLT) How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!


    • So what's next you may be wondering? If you have been doing the other studies then you know the next study will be in one of my favorite New Testament books, the book of James.

    So start reading it, (it's only five chapters) and when you are done, read it again.
    You will find the more you read it the more you get out of it.

    May God clothe you all with His armor and protect you from the evil one as you shod your feet with the gospel of peace, which is Jesus Christ!
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