03. Take Up Spiritual Arms

 

God’s Bucket List for You, part 8

 In case you missed it, to read the introduction of this series, click here.

Introduction

In the general world of religion, there’s an extreme dislike of the militant language used in the bible. Here are some examples:

Phil. 2:25, Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need.

2Tim. 2:3-4, You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

If this is such a negative aspect, then why did the apostle Peter describe Satan as an adversary (1 Pet. 5:8)? Whether you want to believe it or not, we are at war with Satan and his minions, and it is up to us to arm ourselves and defend the word of God.

 

Arming Ourselves

The apostle Paul describes the armor of God in Eph. 6:11-17, Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 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.

If we don’t put on this armor, we might as well go into battle naked. For that is what we will be considered if we do not take precautions first. Paul said in Colossians 3:1-2, If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. If we clothe our mind first, the rest should be relatively simple.

The writer of Hebrews describes the scriptures as such, For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). This is the Sword of the Spirit as Paul described in Eph. 6:17b.

 

Going to War!

We go to war every day whether we want to admit it or not. But it is not a carnal war. Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 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, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The strongholds we pull down are those ideas which do not align with the bible; opinions of men. Jesus warned of this in Matthew 15:9, “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” To lay the proper foundation, sometimes you have to tear down what’s currently there. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

 

Defending The Faith

Part of going to war is to defend the faith. People want to follow the belief of, “Go along to get along” or, better still, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, we all worship the same God.” The question to ask then is, “Do God accept all these different forms of worship?” And the answer is, “No!”

Paul wrote, For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (1 Corinthians 14:33). This shows that He won’t accept all forms of worship because He wants everyone to worship Him the same way (1 Cor. 1:10).

It’s up to us, then, to defend the one true faith (Eph. 4:4-6). Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:15, But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. One of the best ways to defend the faith is to explain why you believe the way you do. This is why all bible-based Christians use book, chapter, and verse for the things that we say, do, and believe.

I’ve asked numerous people, over the years, why they believe what they do and none ever give me a bible answer. Some will say, “Oh, I just feel that I’m saved.” Others might say, “My family has believed this way and that’s the way I believe too.” You can’t find either of those answers in scripture and it’s a sure sign that they’re not a true New Testament Christian.

 

Conclusion

It’s time to put on the Armor of God and …earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). Take up spiritual arms, as God would have you, and fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12).

If you want to become a true Christian, I ask that you read the article, What Must I Do to be Saved? If you need assistance, leave a comment and I’ll help out.