Are you Spiritually Dressed for Success? Challenge Yourself to Know Truth. and How to Defeat the Enemy! THE ARMOR OF GOD

Are you Spiritually Dressed for Success? Challenge Yourself to Know Truth and How to Defeat the Enemy! THE ARMOR OF GOD This Holy Spirit led document contains over 50 Scripture verses relating to the Armor of God. If you are online, clicking on the blue links will lead you directly to the respective New International Version (NIV) Bible verse. Prepare yourself daily before you leave the house.. Put on THE ARMOR OF GOD Pass onto our children, our future, so they can be dressed for success in today s world! 1

PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD Are You Spiritually Dressed for Success? Get Suited Up for Battle! WARRIORS FOR CHRIST MUST BE PREPARED FOR DAILY BATTLE AGAINST THE EVIL ONE The prince of this world (John 14:30) comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). We have no chance to defeat the enemy with our own worldly strength, but we can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13) when we suit up under the unmatched power of our Almighty God. Before you leave the house each day, prepare in advance for the enemy s tactics put on the Armor of God and claim victory! HELMET OF SALVATION verse 17 BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS verse 14 SHIELD OF FAITH verse 16 BELT OF TRUTH verse 14 SWORD OF THE SPIRIT verse 17 FEET FITTED WITH READINESS FOR THE GOSPEL verse 15 THE BATTLE AGAINST EVIL: Ephesians 6:10-20 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." 2

SPIRITUALLY DRESSED FOR SUCCESS: PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD In numerous accounts, Holy Scripture exhorts us to put on the Armor of God. If we are to live our lives as a Christian servant of God, He promises us that we re going to have trouble from the enemy. Satan is a very real and constant adversary who never takes breaks. So, we need to be prepared when those difficulties come. By donning the Armor of God, we are, in a Spiritual sense, dressed for success! The Holy Spirit brings us into a new and ongoing (conversion) relationship with God the Father. It is the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to see and receive the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. When we are open to receive His Love, God shows up in a big way as only He can do. This is the Holy Spirit working within us. But what is it?? Where in Holy Scripture can I find it?? This Holy Spirit-led document discloses how being equipped with the Armor of God is essential in our daily battle in the war against sin and the deceitful ways of the king of liars. THE ARMOR OF GOD EPHESIANS 6:10-20 - The Battle Against Evil "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." Romans 13:11-12 adds: "And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." 3

THE HELMET OF SALVATION The helmet of salvation is for the head. It covers our minds, intellect or reasoning. When the enemy comes calling, we need our minds to think clearly so that we do not fall prey to the works of the evil one. As we are children of the Most High, let us take a look at what the Word says to us. 1 Peter 1:13-19: Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy. Since you call on a Father who judges each person s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. Romans 12:2: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. 1 Thessalonians 5:8: But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. Isaiah 59:17: He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. Jeremiah 46:3-4: Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle! Harness the horses, mount the steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears, put on your armor!" 1 Corinthians 2:16: for, Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. Philippians 2:5: In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 1 Peter 4:1-2: Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6: For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. 4

Ephesians 4:10-16: He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS The breastplate covers the chest. In our case, the breastplate is made not of iron but of righteousness. A soldier with his breastplate on goes boldly into battle full of confidence. Righteousness allows us to stand before God, men and demons. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31: It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 5:8: But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. Isaiah 59:17: He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. Jeremiah 46:3-4: Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle! Harness the horses, mount the steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears, put on your armor!" Romans 8:10: But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. Philippians 3:8-11: What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 1 John 2:1: My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 5

Exodus 28:15: Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 1 Kings 3:9: So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours? Psalm 94:15: Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. Proverbs 2:6-8: For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. THE SHIELD OF FAITH So, faith is the shield of the Christian soldier, defending us from the fierce attacks of our foe from within and beyond. The shield of faith is able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, no matter which direction they are coming from. This shield cannot be pierced or destroyed by the fiercest fires of hatred or malice. The arrows of the evil one, though flaming with cruelty, are stopped by the shield and extinguished. Romans 10:17: assures us: Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Psalms 35:1-3: Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, I am your salvation. Psalms 33:20: We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. Proverbs 30:5-6: Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. Hebrews 11: Numerous references to "faith." James 2: Numerous references to "faith." Romans 4: Numerous references to "faith." 6

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT A sword is an unmistakable weapon of offense and, with blessed assurance, it can also be used as a defensive tool. This weapon, however, is no ordinary sword. This sword is made of the Holy Spirit and The Word of God. In spiritual warfare, the battles are fought with prayer and Spirit-led words. The irresistible power of Jesus Christ, which no enemy can match, is divulged below in the Holy Scriptures: Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Jeremiah 46:3-4: Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle! Harness the horses, mount the steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears, put on your armor! 2 Corinthians 6:1-10: As God s co-workers we urge you not to receive God s grace in vain. For he says, In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God s favor, now is the day of salvation. We put no stumbling block in anyone s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. Psalms 149:1-10: Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them this is the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the Lord. Revelation 1:16: In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. Revelation 2:16: Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 7

Revelation 19:15: Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. Ezekiel 21: Multiple references to "sword." Ezekiel 32: Multiple references to "sword." THE BELT OF TRUTH Truth is the sincerity of the heart. Sincerity leads us to be open to God. It keeps our motives pure, devoid of malice and wickedness towards our fellow men. The belt of truth involves truth in two placesin our hearts and in our minds. Satan's main weapons of attack are lies and deception. His lies are strong and dangerous. They sound very much like truth. Peter warns us all about the evil one: 1 Peter 5:8-10: Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. We can start right at the beginning of the Holy Scriptures in Genesis 3. With Satan appearing as a serpent, he lies to Eve to get her to eat from the Tree of Life. We wonder why, during these days, sin seems so prevalent. We sometimes see things that are wicked and vile yet, occasionally, we join in (or do nothing to quell it). At times, we become numb to sin and are unable to recognize it. Satan is knowledgeable of all Holy Scripture and his lies can appear as sweet as honey to us when we make ourselves vulnerable to his attacks. He knows the loopholes. With Christ as our Savior and knowledge of His Word - His Love Letter to us - the evil one can be kept at bay. But it won't be easy, He comes to steal and kill and destroy our souls (John 10:10). We MUST be armed and at the ready. Luke 4:1-13: Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. Jesus answered, It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone. The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours. 8

Luke 4:1-13 (cont d): Jesus answered, It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only. The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. If you are the Son of God, he said, throw yourself down from here. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Jesus answered, It is said: Do not put the Lord your God to the test. When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Isaiah 11:5: "Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips." 1 Kings 18:46: The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. Ephesians 4:25-27: Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. John 4:24: God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. Colossians 3:8-10: But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 2 Thessalonians 2:8: And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. FEET FITTED WITH THE READINESS THAT COMES WITH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE This piece of armor, in existence since the beginning of time, directs our movement and defense against The Tempter. John 1:1 tells us we have had protection from the evil one since before we were created: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Ephesians 2:14, 17-20: For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 9

Proverbs 4:26-27: Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. Romans 10:15: And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! 1 Corinthians 15:1-5: Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. Isaiah 52:7: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, Your God reigns! THE WEAPON VERSE Isaiah 54:17 No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me, declares the Lord. PLEASE COPY THIS DOCUMENT SHARE WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY & STRANGERS! SPREAD IT FAR AND WIDE TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD HERE ON EARTH! 10