Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…. Having your shoes on is symbolic of going out. When we go out we need to be ready to be able to meet people’s needs as we come across them. The fact that Jesus was prepared to die in order to provide our salvation means that we should at least know what to say to someone who has not yet found that salvation. If we find ourselves in a situation where we cannot answer a question or a need, we need to sort it out so that next time we will be. There is nothing wrong with saying to someone “I don’t know, but I will find out for you”, but it is much better if we can be prepared through knowing our Bible and spending time with our Lord. Having Jesus in our hearts and a good knowledge of the Bible is a very good way to get ready to go out! Jesus often spent time alone with His Father and then did the things that the Father showed Him.
Could Losses Be Gifts?
If we can begin to see our trials through the eyes of these promises, even the losses themselves hold their own gift. James says earlier in the same chapter,
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)
How can someone possibly count the sting and heartache of trials as joy? When the trials produce something more valuable than they took away. And is anything more valuable to you than the steadfastness of your faith in Jesus? Wouldn’t you pay any price to know that you’ll make it to glory and live in his presence — without pain, without frustration, without sin, and with him?
So, when your trials and temptations come, don’t let Satan and his schemes have your ear. Don’t assume that God’s sovereignty over all things means that temptation is from him. Rather, in your suffering, remember that he’s a good and perfect Father. He’s the giver of every good thing you might lose, and he’s the giver of every comfort or pleasure you might crave. And better than any of his other gifts, he holds out himself, the gift that surpasses every other one.
Don’t Be Deceived?
What could be deceiving about a cherished truth like this? To understand the deception at work among these good and perfect gifts (and the real power of the verse), we have to follow the thread back to the previous paragraph.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)
The apostle James writes to a suffering people, a people bearing heavy trials. He begins his letter, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2). He says that because some were tempted to grumble and despair. They wanted to give up. They also started pointing fingers at God. As James writes in verses 13–14,
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
While God stands over all that transpires, and sovereignly works all things for the good of those who love him, no one can ever say that temptations come from him. He never devises evil. He’s not trying to make you stumble, but holding out his hand to keep you upright.
No, temptations arise from our own desires, which gets to a second problem James addresses in his letter: the problem of worldliness. Christians were growing faint under painful opposition. They were also giving in to sinful, fleshly desires (James 4:1–3). They were seeking comfort and relief in indulgence. They had formed an adulterous friendship with the world (James 4:4). So, James says to the church,
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above . . . (James 1:16–17)
What might suffering people hear in such a warning? How might this kind of wide-eyed thankfulness guard us against the lies we’re tempted to believe in the midst of trials?
3. Practice love:
Now you are saying, ‘how can I do that’? Start by taking time to really forgive others that have wronged you. How to do that? In prayer take time to picture that person in your mind. Lift him before God and say, Father I give all those unloving, bitter and hateful feeling toward this person to you. I will no longer be bitter towards this person. I surround him with love. I love that person as much as I love myself. Spend time loving God and focus on forgiving people who have been hard to love in your life. Pray for them. Consciously strive to live and walk in harmony especially those with and around you – especially with your family, people at church. The devil know the power of agreement. Mathew 18: 19-20, “ If two of you agree touching anything in this earth, it will be done by my father in heaven.”
When you catch yourself saying something angry or unloving, do not allow you to be that way. Repent immediately. Say, “ I judge myself for that in the Name of Jesus. I am not full of anger but I am full of love.”
Another way you can practice the love of God is by looking for secret ways to bless people. Do not even put your name. Let God get the glory out of it. Don’t do it to be seen or appreciated. Do it purely out of love. Look at James 2:14-17.
Finally confess the One who is the greatest. 1 John 4:4 says, “Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world.” With Him we can do everything. We can love anyone. Cultivate a conscious awareness that God is walking with you all the time
“For you are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:16-18).
Become God-inside minded. Say, “When I walk, God walks. His hands are in my hands. I have the mind of Christ. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. When you begin to live in the light of that revelation, you are walking in love and your path will grow brighter and brighter every day. You will be hearing specific orders from Heaven at every point.
May the Lord pour out His love on us in Jesus Name.
Breastplate of righteousness
Having put on the breastplate of righteousness…. The breastplate protects you as you face a battle or confrontation. It protects our vital organs, particularly the “heart” (soul), which is susceptible to spiritual damage. Righteousness simply means right standing before God. Right standing before God is achieved chiefly through having a good, honest, and open relationship with Him. Once again, a good relationship means spending quality time with the other person, in this case, God. Sin will separate us from God and therefore weaken our protection (breastplate), but praise God, He is quick to forgive us when we ask Him to. Putting on the breastplate of righteousness is achieved by spending time with our Lord, and then walking in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit and in accordance with Scripture
2. Believe that love is in you
That love is living inside of you. Romans 5:5 says, “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Believe as Jesus said in John 17:26 that the love with which God loved Jesus is in you. 1 John 4:15,16 says, “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in God. And we have and believed the love that God has for us.” The love of God is imparted in your heart and you are the authorized user of it. God has deposited His love in your heart and you need to withdraw from that deposit all the time. When you realize that you activate the most powerful force. You begin to love every one. You will not only love God, with the same love you will start to love on the most crazy and the meanest people you know. You will be full of love, you will not have problems releasing it. You will be so full of love, it will begin to overflow.
Belt of truth
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth…. To gird your waist means to move out of a comfortable or relaxed position and to prepare for confrontation. Most people don’t like confrontation, and we generally tend to get knots or butterflies in our stomach when we find ourselves going into this sort of situation. It is a normal, healthy reaction. To gird our waist with truth simply means that as we prepare to confront the enemy each day, in whatever form that may be, we should be prepared with the truth as it is in Scripture, and/or, more importantly, revealed by the Holy Spirit. As we spend time with Jesus each day, He prepares us for the day ahead, and this is an imperative part of being ready, or “girded”.
1. Love God, love others
These are the general and direct orders of the Kingdom. 1 John 4:10 says, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” The word love is a strong term. The cycle of love begins with God. His love is what gives us love for Him and love for others. Jesus prayed to the Father for His first 12 disciples and for all who would believe in Him, and said, “You have sent me and have loved them as You have loved Me.” (John 17:23). God love me as much as He loves Jesus. Thank God for that and say it out loud till it sinks in. The devil may attempt to convince you the other way but don’t give room for the devil. Pray this: Father, I thank you for loving me so much. Thank you for sending Your Son for me. I receive that love in Jesus name, Amen.
The Armour of God Posted on 28 May 2012 by Truth in Reality
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Every Christian needs to wear the full armour of God. God’s word tells us clearly that for every one in the body of Christ, this is the only armour that can and will protect from the evil days.
Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armour of God”. It means to put on the “full” armour of God and not just a part of it. It we leave any one part off, the devil would hit us right in that place. The enemy is looking for whom he may devour. Therefore, we need to put on the full armour of God. Apart from the sword of truth, all the armour of God is defensive.
John repeatedly says that every believer should know he is of God and needs to distinguish himself from the fact that he does not belong to the wicked one. Satan exercises dominion over the world as its ruler. The enemy does not take a break. He is continually at work and that is why there is not a single place in Scripture where it tells us we can take the armour off. We have to put on the armour of God all the time to stand against the schemes of the devil in every place.
One thing God has assured that His peace will be with us. “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, But my kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall “My covenant” of peace be removed,” Says the Lord who has mercy on you.” (Isaiah 54:10)
The peace of God is a great weapon against the power of the enemy. This peace is something we experience even in the midst of the greatest battle. We will know the greatest peace even in the midst of the greatest battle, but there is no time we should ever let our guard down or remove our armour. Armour of God is not just protection that we have come up with human ability. It is something that God Himself has given us. This weapon will fully protect us in this life and from any weapon that is formed against us.
Standing firm is very significant. We are supposed to stand and stand firm. This armour does not cover our back which means we are to progress in the forward direction.
We can stand against the schemes of the devil. Note the phrase, “evil day”. Paul is not referring to any day in particular, although some disasters will take place in the last days. Paul talks about something that every Christian will go through. There will be times when his faith will be challenged and he must confront the forces of the evil. Is there a need to face the evil day? Yes, in fact, it is not an option but a certainty. We will not escape the evil day but we have to go through the evil day.
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
“We know that we are of God and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one”. (1 John 5:19)
May the Lord help us put on the whole armour of God always in Jesus name. Amen.
There are seven ‘pieces of equipment’ in this armour.
- The belt of truth, which is your trust in the Lord Jesus who declared Himself to be the Truth.
- The breastplate of righteousness is your assurance that the blood of Christ enables you to stand righteous before our Father – your heart’s decision throughout the day.
- Have your feet shod with the gospel of peace. That way you prepare for the Lord’s service as he is setting you apart to fulfil his purposes and wherever you go, his presence and power will be with you, ready for action.
- Next is the shield of faith to extinguish the enemy’s darts aimed at any weak areas in your life. The shield does no good unless you are gripping it tightly, prepared for battle.
- The helmet of salvation focuses your mind on eternity with God, and guards you against any further enemy intrusion into your soul.
- You wield the sword of the Spirit as you immerse yourself in God’s word and put it into action.
- Pray in the spirit, so you can be alert and available at all times for communion and intimacy with our Lord.
7. Perfect (Divine) Faith
Absolute confidence in God’s own Word and Being.
This will be tested with fiery trials.
While other levels of faith receive some support, and encouragement from God, this level takes what is learned from earlier levels, and endures to the end without apparent support.
Tribulation will come. Suffering will come.
Good works continue, in spite of persecutions.
We no longer care about our own needs. We forget who we are, and only desire to serve His purpose, and have His needs met.
Prayers are spoken, but there is no answer, yet one continues to hold on and believe.
There are wars, and one loses the war.
There is sickness, and there is no healing.
There are problems, and they are never resolved.
One does good, and it is called evil, and is punished for it.
One is faithful, and is betrayed by others.
One is generous, and loses everything.
One is alone, and no one comes to comfort.
One blesses, and is cursed and rejected in return.
One calls out to God, and does not receive an answer. One feels abandoned.
You are afflicted, but there is no deliverance.
Where are the promises, and the answers we have been waiting for?
But will that person respond by abandoning God?
This is the level of “the cross.”
There is no reward in this life at this point. Suffering seems to be around every corner. Will we endure to the end? Will we be faithful, without helps, and rewards, and interventions from God?
This is the point where we could lose our lives for the gospel.
Are we ready? Will we die for Him?
Is our love enough? Is our faith great enough? Have we died to ourselves yet, where HE is the only One that matters any more?
Have we forgotten who we are yet, and can only think of Him?
The faith God is looking for is NOT the faith that comes, because he helped us, or rewarded us, to encourage us.
The faith he is looking for is the faith that continues to trust and love, when God has seemed to turn away, and there is NO reward coming at all.
Persecution Live 