Mighty Wind TV Podcast (audio)
Suited and Dangerous!
Suited and Dangerous!
Ephesians 6 The Armor of God
Date of service 8/1/24
your armor is the word your armor throughout the day remind yourself I'm picking up my sword I'm picking up my shield I am armed with strength I have the armor on I don't take it off so in other words you're not gonna move even when it's painful you're not gonna move you're holding your ground don't forget who you are in Christ we're gonna start when John 8 8 44 so we're gonna get to Ephesians in a moment but I want you to go to John 8 44 it says you are of your father the devil and it is your will to practice the desires which are characteristic of your father he was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him when he lies he speaks what is natural to him for he is a liar and the father of lies and half truths which we know exactly what is intended here complete lies they'll speak it as a half truth there's no such thing but because I speak for truth you do not believe me and you continue in your unbelief which one of you has proof and convicts me of sin if I speak truth why do you not believe me whoever is of God and belongs to him here's the truth of God's words did you hear that whoever is of God belongs to him and here's the truth of God's words for this reason you do not hear them because you are not of God and you are not in fellowship with him truth is in Christ his word is truth and we live in a world that will tell you it's it doesn't have to be that way you're narrow-minded and there are other truths and you need to follow the great light the greater light well Jesus is the light of the world and he is the greatest light so if you're referring to Jesus then yes well we don't call him the greater light because that brings in confusion because some people call greater light something else right something else it we'll call it an it it's a spirit and it's not of God it's unholy but we have the spirit of God's truth in us and we have to recognize the lies when they are presented and they are presented consistently one of the ways that we need to do that we can do that is is that making sure that we put the word of God first and foremost that we live by this word we honor this word we believe this word and we say if it doesn't line up with this word we don't want it we don't agree with it you know that you will be called all kinds of names you know that you will not be accepted you will be rejected you will be because why because the word causes people to be offended the word is Jesus offended people where you will offend people it's okay it's actually good not because you're trying to offend but you're just trying to bring truth right and so the word will definitely offend so what do we need to do sharpen our armor make sure that we have the armor of God on so as we turn to Ephesians chapter 6 starting in verse 10 so I'm gonna start with verse 10 this is finally my brethren be strong in the Lord we can be strong in all kinds of things but God's telling us right here through Paul be strong in the Lord our strength has to be in Christ you may feel strong in other things at other times but let me tell you if that's how you walk then there's that's a faulty step right there has to be in Christ alone the hope of glory he is our strength he's everything within us he's our breath finally says be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might be consistent in him be consistent in him in his ability to strengthen you be consistent in his ability to strengthen you when you're strong in the Lord you are consistent not in your ability in his ability to strengthen you it's just to put on you can say be clothed put on the whole armor of God we're gonna be clothed with the whole armor of God put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wilds of the devil the wilds of the devil and I've told you many many times the wilds their schemes their strategies the deceit the lies the plans of the enemy oh he has plans but so do we and so does God and we know his word tells us the plans that he has for us right they're not for calamity they're good they're not for calamity they're not for evil right so we know that there are wilds of the enemy where we're called to stand strong put on the whole armor of God against these wilds against these schemes so we have to be aware that that these schemes come in different ways they come in different shapes they come in different they come in different styles they'll come through different people they'll be spoken they'll be done it'll be a spirit behind it that is just it's literally met trying to mess with your own emotions trying to mess with a memory trying to mess with a current situation so it comes in different ways it's not always spoken right sometimes it's the intention of that individual that is actually partnered with the enemy it's the wilds coming through that intended person it's their intentions and you can sense it by the spirit of God by discernment we have to discernment so we can discern what is really happening right now but even when you have discernment and you can discern what is really happening right now we know that we must put on the full armor of God because we are the target the enemy's target but he's ours and we've been we've been equipped with all manner of weapons of which we're speaking about here today and so we will always win amen somebody say amen we are victorious amen yes and so we it says you're put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wilds of the devil we must stand and every time you feel like you can't take it anymore you remind yourself you're gonna stand do you talk to yourselves because we need to talk to ourselves according to the Word of God David encouraged himself in the Lord and we need to encourage ourselves in the Lord and sometimes that encouragement may doesn't maybe doesn't always sound like encouragement sometimes that encouragement is more just like a command self get up that's an encouragement it's a command that we're issuing to ourselves get up am I the only one that does that okay because seriously sometimes encouraging yourself in the Lord is like you're issuing those commands it's the spirit of God in you if you're connected though I really believe that's the spirit of God in me because I know I'm connected to the spirit of God so it's like the Holy Spirit saying come on get up stand when you've done everything stand stand again keep on standing why it's a posture it's a position it's a posture so that you'll be able to stand against the wilds of the devil we do not wrestle against flesh and blood that word wrestle means hand to hand combat it's not we're not hand to hand combating against against flesh and blood but we do have swords God has placed a sword in your hand hasn't he it's called the Word of God do you know that there are specific swords specific scriptures there are specific swords that you need in specific situations and you need to make sure that you know those swords and speak them out that's why I always tell you put the scripture everywhere memorize it put it everywhere ride it out see it before your eyes let it be the first thing you see in the morning when you open your eyes have it present so we do not wrestle against flesh and blood we do not wrestle against flesh and blood you may be upset with somebody but you do not wrestle against flesh and blood they may have said something done something you still do not wrestle against flesh and blood they're not the enemy do you know how much deception has been placed upon those that are not walking in Christ of course deception is deception they're deceived but all you see is them but I believe God has opened our eyes because we don't just see them we see what's behind them we see the spirit behind them we see the world the attitude that is literally laced with a demonic spirit behind them what's really operating in this individual so we're very aware that we do not wrestle against people against flesh and blood and that's an area that everyone is in a different place in maturity levels with that but it's important that you continue to grow in that area because if anger in you starts to rise up and you're fighting in anger you're not fighting in Christ there's a righteous anger that's true but there's another anger that is not of God and that anger you all know what it is you can usually tell when it's a righteous anger a holy anger versus a man and I want to get I want to make sure this gets settled in the right way your way so we have to make sure rise up get character counts God's looking at our response so when it says we don't battle against flesh and blood we've got to remember that our battle and our victory is in prayer and it's on our knees in prayer using the word of God now it says it goes on to say so we don't wrestle against flesh and blood but but we are in a battle and it is here against principalities and against powers and against rulers of the darkness of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places so they're different rankings of demonic powers there are different rankings just as there are different rankings of the angelic realm there are different some some angels are stronger than others there are different rankings in the demonic realm as well and so we battle against these and I believe that as you win certain battles you are equipped and ready for the next level and don't somebody say oh no say oh yes because we're ready we're equipped because the minute you say oh no you've taken your focus off of Christ in you and your focus is on what you can do and that's wrong we'll fail if you if you think you can do any of it this is a spiritual war but we're equipped to fight the spiritual war as we keep our eyes on Jesus and know that we have literally been equipped with strength from above we have been equipped with God's strength hallelujah therefore take up the whole armor of God not part of it not part of it you might be working on meditating on a certain scripture but you're not but you're not you forgot about your heart what about your emotions the breastplate of righteousness we have to put on the whole armor of God and and I'm not talking about religiously going through okay I'm with the hell in the Salvation of the Belt of Truth the breastplate of righteousness the gospel should be I'm not in the sword of the Spirit's shield of faith I'm not talking like and that's fine if you feel like you need to go through the little song and everything's fine great a wonderful you want to do to memorize it great you want to do this little reminder wonderful but I'm telling you it's far far more than just remembering a little song and go I have my armor on your armor is the word your armor throughout the day remind yourself I'm picking up my sword I'm picking up my shield I am armed with strength I have the armor on I don't take it off so let's not take it off how do we take it off by forgetting who you are don't forget who you are in Christ see the world wants you to forget they bank on it throw things your way to hope and hope that you won't remember the strength of God in you but you have armor and you're already armed and you're not taking it off and that should be our that should be our stance anyways that should be our commitment to the Lord so take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand don't say well why is God allowing this to happen it says take up the whole armor of God that you you may be able to withstand think about that I don't want to finish the rest of that scripture just yet because I feel like somebody needs to get the revelation of this right now we are to take up the whole armor of God so that we can withstand with stand I'm with standing the devil I'm with standing the devil right now I'm with standing you're with standing you're holding your ground all of you are so in other words you're not gonna move even when it's painful you're not gonna move you're holding your ground because you know what's truth and you refuse to listen to the lie no matter how much it's thrown in your face so therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the day of evil oh there is a day of evil there are many days of evil not just the day many days leading up to the day you know what I'm talking about there are many days leading up to the day evil abounds but the love of God abounds even more no matter what assignments the enemy throws our way we are strong and the love of God abounds in us even more and the more we just keep our face reflecting his love the stronger we become in the midst of adversity that's why we are peculiar people that's why it's it's hard for people to fully understand we know how do you just keep on going it doesn't make sense especially those that know you the whole story your whole story any one of us our whole story they're like what in the world how how it's the strength of God it's not natural it's supernatural but any one of us could fall into that natural pit in any second if we take our eyes off of Jesus and we're not going to do that right we can't do that we won't do that we have been equipped we've been strengthened by the Lord Jesus so when it says to stand in him with standing the devil in the day of evil having done all to stand then it says therefore stand so consistently so what does what stand mean it means to resist resist the devil and he will flee James 4 7 we resist but we don't just resist we have to first submit sometimes people just go right into the I'm gonna resist the devil and he will flee I'm gonna resist the devil yeah that's it just gonna resist I resist you devil I resist you devil but if you forgot to submit to God first you're not fighting the battle completely as it was intended we submit first to God what I mean I'm submitted to God submit to God verbally make sure it's what comes forth out of your mouth but I'm already submitted to God the devil needs to hear you submit to God if there's that enough for you sometimes it's not just what you need to do for you but sometimes that's what you need to do so the devil says watch and it's really serious here submitted vessel continuing to submit yes submit to God submit to God let every area of within you submit to God every area every area within us has to submit to God it must and then when when you submit to God then you withstand then you resist to resist means aha no see the hand right we get to do this this is what we've been equipped to do so it's to withstand is to a strong resistance or a strong opposition to that which is evil a strong opposition to that which is evil I'm going to read that scripture again verse 13 therefore take up the whole armor of God take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand that you may be be able to strongly resist that strong opposition coming against you take up the whole army so I'm gonna take up the whole armor of God I'm taking it up how do we do this verse 14 stand therefore having as is having girded your waste with truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness so your waste with truth the word of God which is truth is literally what is securing you you're girding yourselves up with the truth of God's word if we're not girded in the truth of God's word we will fall for everything and the enemy is sly and he is very he's tricky very deceiving but we have wisdom the wisdom of God and that wisdom continues to grow within us amen and it also is growing within those that you are ministering to and you are all ministering to somebody I believe is that not true so the wisdom of God has to increase and it is increasing so that you remember the truth which is your God's he's your shield and he's your buckler buckle up with the truth of God's word Psalm 91 because we're memorizing that my my granddaughter and I we're memorizing Psalm 91 but his truth is your shield and buckler his truth which is the word of God and he says we are literally to gird ourselves with the truth it's a matter of life I don't know maybe it's just me my life's pretty intense at times and it seems like a lot of times and I'm telling you it's a matter of life and or death it's a matter of life or death we have to be the ones we must be the ones to stand and gird ourselves with truth the word of God which is truth because I'm telling you this is not for the faint of heart the battle is not for the faint of heart I'm just trying to equip some people that maybe some thought well Christianity I thought it was just simple we worship its glory it is glory we love the glory but it else also we have to war don't forget the warring don't forget the warring is not just in praying and tongues don't forget that warring is every time you feel like you got knocked down you get back up and you let that word come forth out of your mouths every one of you with the sword and it destroys what it needs to destroy and it brings healing where it needs to be to bring healing and they will not all like it but when something is said it said those words have power which is why we have to make sure we speak the word of God the truth those words have power what word the it's the word of truth that you're buckling around your waist the word of truth the sword of the Lord right that word has power once you said it once it's said it's said it's out there watch what you say make sure that you're intentional with what you say especially for those of us that are praying for a loved one every word is intentional every word isn't has to be intentional we have to see this for what it really is light versus darkness saved versus unsaved heaven versus hell we have to see it for what it is your words need to be intentional once the word is spoken it is spoken it's out there even if it's not received if it's the word of God it will come back it will not return empty it will fulfill what its intended purposes were when it's the word of God you know that even though it feels like a ricochet or bounced and was buried or whatever it happened it's still out there and it is still working God's word works so that's why it is life that's why we have to speak this word that the Bible tells us here gird your waist with it gird yourself up with it and then it says that having put the breastplate of righteousness the breastplate of righteousness and I always think about this I always think you know when we when we put on like if we were literally putting on armor on an individual you put the breastplate of righteousness so that you are armed not just not just for the the emotions that try to come against you the arrows that are trying to come against you to affect your heart right but also the things that you're thinking about that are stirring up on the inside of you we got a focus a soldier is going to focus on his assignment ahead of him militantly there's a time to weep there's a time there's a time to weep there's a time to praise to celebrate right there's a time for both but we have to know right now right this minute what is your assignment make sure you do it make sure that you're diligent it might make sense with with this point here because I feel like if you if you have like the mindset okay I've got the the breastplate of righteousness on and if you're if you're disregarding your disregarding what God is saying in that moment there are times that God says I want you to pray for an individual right and so and I will do so and then there are there also have been times and lawyers that stop I don't want you to pray leave it and let me do what I need to do right the breastplate of righteousness upon our heart will literally be that needle discerning within you how we are to pray when we are to pray what we are to pray when we need to stop and when we need to let God because in so in overstepping in over stepping what God has not said it's like you're not taking care of your own heart the breastplate of righteousness will protect you but we got to hear the word of God by the spirit of God and be led by his spirit because if we overstep say we weren't supposed to go where we weren't supposed to try to intervene because we're gonna fix and fix it and fix it and you know that kind of thing God didn't tell you to do that who's gonna be the one to get hurt you but isn't it because you were not listening so we're gonna listen we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna turn around whatever needs to be turned around so that we put the breastplate of righteousness on so that when any arrows sent our way we're ready we're prepared and we also only speak what he tells us to speak and only even pray what he tells us to pray because some people are weak because they've prayed beyond what God has asked them to the interceding where God said stop now you're in in my way Samuel how long will you mourn for Saul get up go Anoint the next person right go Anoint David that's not a word of oh my gosh am I supposed to stop right whatever it's seasonal we have to think seasons we must think Lord what are you doing right now today in this situation in this season so in other words a soldier is always going to be ready to get their commands they don't go by the commands they had last week do they I mean every day is a war isn't it and the battle does change doesn't it circumstance this change right the battle looks different if you're on the if you're literally on the battlefield every day every moment can look different every moment can look different so if we're going by an assignment that we were given two weeks ago we never checked in to say am I still praying correctly am I doing I'm suppose you might be going with an old set of of commands an old set of commands and those commands are not working for you they're not working yeah somebody's life could be at stake here so we got here right that's why I'm that's what I'm talking about how important it is to hear the truth of God every single day verse 15 and then having having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace I thank you for that Lord it's so good because it's the gospel of peace no it's a gospel of war no it's a gospel of peace and how beautiful of the feet of those that bring that gospel right so but there's a preparation did you read that having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace we need to prepare ourselves to walk in that place of peace because everything against you is trying to cause you to get off track without you even realizing it there there's seduction there and I don't mean sexual seduction but of course I could be for somebody but I'm talking about intentional distractions to try to take you off course right but we're to prepare we're to be prepared be prepared to live prepared are we gonna live prepared the gospel of peace in other words when we live prepared to the gospel of peace even in the midst of fire not the Holy Spirit fire but fire being like arms like you know weapons being fired against us like ungodly painful right even in the midst of that we are prepared with the gospel shoes of peace you walk in peace has nothing to do with your literal feet does it has everything to do with your path has everything to do with your path which means it has everything to do with your mind and your heart because your feet will take you where your spirit allows but are yours is your spirit every one of you your spirit connected to the Holy Spirit so that your feet are taking you where God spirit is directed that's what we need to do make sure that our feet are taking us where God spirit is directing us because we walk in the gospel shoes of peace and no matter what even in a hard hard situation you still have the peace of God you know the world doesn't have that does can't understand that you can't put money on that to have the peace of God and in a hard time because we know he's our father we've seen him prove that over and over his faithfulness right okay so having your feet shot with the gospel preparation of the gospel of peace and above all above all taking the shield of faith with which you were able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one every assault every personal assault of Satan against you yes it is Satan against you yes it is the enemy his his demons his minions against you but it says above all above everything else all of this is good do everything that I've said but above all take that shield of faith you have certain parts of your body your mind your heart you're you're protecting but above all take that shield of faith let's make sure that not only do you have one round but you have two rounds of that protection of God's protection over you and around you because you know how to walk in the armor so above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able doesn't say you might be doesn't say I hope you kind of figure this out no we have Christ in us we have the Creator the Spirit of God in us so above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able so I will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one fiery they're fiery but we're quenching them we're putting them out we're holding them out we don't quench the Spirit of God but we're quenching those fiery darts there's one thing we don't quench Spirit of God but there's something we do quench and that is these fiery darts that we're talking about how your shield of faith put up that shield of faith we need to have our defensive armor we need to have our offensive armor on right we have to be ready both ways what's coming and what's going above all says taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one it wasn't about your neighbor your husband your spouse whatever it was the darts came from whom read it with me where did the darts come from who do they come from the wicked one who's the wicked one the devil Satan the father of lies the accuser of the brethren the one that wants to strike you when you're down the one that wants to bring in one bad report after the next bad report but we're only gonna believe the report of the Lord the one that you just confused and confound his plan a key can't figure you out because no matter what you just keep getting back up fiery darts are being extinguished we're extinguishing every fiery dart right now by the anointing of the Lord on your lives because the anointing will break every yoke and you are anointed I mean I'm anointed quench those fiery darts and I will do so in Jesus name amen so we have there so we have that shield that shield of faith remember we can only please God by faith so that shield is not a shield of knowing it's not a shield of familiarity it's not a shield of well I already see the result so it's happened time and time and time again so it's the shield of assurity I'm I'm assured that that's gonna happen it's happened many times no it's the shield of faith it's a shield that a faith that stands boldly in the face of opposition it stands boldly in the face of impossible situations it's the shield of faith let's go on to the next verse 17 and it says and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit take the helmet of salvation we're gonna be sober we're gonna be vigilant first Peter 1 5 talks about being sober and being vigilant right and standing against the wiles the trickery the schemes of the enemy but we're gonna take the helmet of salvation so protect your minds what you think about the more you do this the easier it gets the more that we do this the less you do it the sloppier you become and the more that you're easily tossed to and fro by the enemy but you know as soldiers well as Christians as Christians we're called to be soldiers which means we're called to be live lives that are very disciplined very disciplined we we must live disciplined lives because in a war if you have an undisciplined person out there lots of people may have their lives taken including that individual like in other words sometimes it's not just that one individual others can be affected by your sloppiness so others can be affected by your diligence others will be affected by your diligence even if it looks like it's taking forever others are being affected by your diligence it doesn't matter if you hear about it here now or maybe in a future date others are being affected by your diligence I feel like I needed to say that over and over and over to get that in our spirit because we need to hang on to this because it really is a war we really are in a war and it's good because in the war we have joy we have peace we have the love of God but we're not unaware of the wilds of the MME and we must stand firm against it right so the helmet of salvation which we just spoke about and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God that sword is not defensive is it that with that sword we're going on the offense aren't we like with everything else there were all these different all these different pieces on the defensive side but that sword is that sword we're gonna go after we're chopping off the devil's heads we're chopping off the assignments we know that this is a spiritual war and this spiritual battle and and we know that they're not just words that are spoken without power behind them they're words that are spoken but they're words that are literally the words of life the words of heaven so there's power behind them and therefore when you speak it with the godly confidence things change things change are we all hearing and listening and are you we all gleaning yes okay I love it because it says which is the word of God the sword of the spirit which is the word of God I started off by telling you you know the the sword of the spirit which sword are you using not which version of your Bible I know I brought two versions today almost brought three but I'm talking about what specific verse are you using for that specific scenario we have to have those marked out we got to have those swords marked out we have to have them identified because greater is he that lives in you you got to have that word come up spring up greater is he that lives in you it's got a spring up what word what sword what specific sword are you using for that specific situation remember this part of the of the armor is not defensive it's offensive you're going on the offense you're it's attack mode say it's attack this is the attack mode part of our of our of our armor and so we have to know what Scripture it has to be on the tip of your tongue it's got to be on the tip of your tongue and if it isn't today make that a point you go home and you make sure that you seek the Lord what Scripture should I have on the tip of my tongue what is that sword that you want me to use in this situation remember one word from God frees the captive one word from God so that's why we ask the Lord I mean of course all of God's word will work of course but you do believe and I believe this fully God his word is life right he's breathed on this word it's alive but I also believe that God wants us to speak certain specific words in certain specific seasons and he by spirit will direct us if we're listening amen amen and then the last verse here is verse 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit in the spirit we're not praying in fear we're not praying in agitation we're not praying in anger we're not we're not praying in the flesh it says praying always it says with all prayer and supplication in the spirit holy spirit guide my prayer do you pray that holy spirit fill my tongue before I pray Lord pray through me I pray that all the time Lord pray through me and it says and be watchful to this end with all perseverance there's that word again perseverance we've talked about it we didn't mention it but we've I've hinted about it perseverance this is being watchful are we watchful yes you better believe it sometimes than being watchful it could hurt it's okay we get back up be watchful it says to this end with all perseverance you're gonna persevere supplicate and with all supplication for the saints Father as your word has been spoken here today and we receive your word father and we know that your word is alive well Lord there's so many that dishonor your word just by not believing it but we lift up your word right now let's if you have your bibles just lift up your word right now if you have your phone and that's how you you reference it then just lift up your phone father right now we we want to honor you and we lift up this word we lift it up because father God this word represents Jesus Christ the spirit of God and Jesus you were lifted up but not until you went down and then you were lifted up and Jesus you're also returning every eye will see you every tongue will confess that you are Lord right now we lift up this word and we honor you we honor this word we live by this word we thank you for it we cherish it we want to learn it more and more we want to have this word committed to memory we also want to have the heartbeat of God literally directing us every time we open this precious word which is alive and father no matter what comes against us we will be of those that live by the word of God we will hide this word in our hearts that we will not sin against you Lord we thank you for this word which is eternal it is a sword it is our it is our shield father and it is our buckler in the mighty name of Jesus a man a man give God the glory yes you you you you you you you you you you You You