Fight False Teaching by Donning the Full Armor of God
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If I stand at the edge of a cliff, gravity will keep me on solid ground. I know if I lean too far forward, I’m going to meet my demise the moment I hit the ground (if the cliff looms high). I believe, too, if someone pushes me, I will most likely scream and flail as I plunge to my death. An earthquake, strong gust of wind, or a decision to jump all factor in to the truth of what will happen if I go over the brink. Knowing all this makes me sure of the outcome if I don’t back away from the precipice and out of harm’s way.
Defense: Our strength comes from the Lord and His might.
Offense: Use your strength in Him to prepare for battle against the false teachers.
This is not a suggestion, it’s a direct order from the Commander of the Lord’s army (Joshua 5:14). And of course, He is our Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords who comes at last in righteousness to judge and make war (Revelation 19:11-16). He has won our whole armor for us. Without it, we cannot stand against the devil’s schemes. It’s the whole armor of God. There is nothing or no one stronger than God.
Defense: God’s armor is impermeable. Stand within it.
Offense: God’s whole armor speaks of who we are in Christ. Display every piece of it, every day.
Because we are covered by God’s armor, we need not stoop or cower. God equips us to stand against any and every scheme of the devil. And with armor that strong, our legs must be fortified, too. Not to worry; the Lord misses nothing as He covers us, including false teachers. Please read on.
Without God’s armor as our offense and defense, we would crumble with the realization of what’s going on in the spiritual realm. The devil’s attacks aren’t sporadic; they are ongoing and the onslaught varies to expose our weaknesses. No, Satan is not omniscient, but he and his minions can watch us and analyze our reactions to various triggers (visible emotional tells, such as becoming angry when something happens, etc.). They know our past, but in no way do they know our future.
But Satan knows his end, and before that happens (which is controlled by the sovereign Lord), he tries to infiltrate and discourage anyone from obeying the Lord before his demise comes. He’s crafty and is a master of twisting God’s Word (see Genesis 3). He is evil.
Notice the verse says wrestle. To wrestle does not mean to give in. It’s a match, a battle, and a war Jesus has already won from before time began. And Satan’s final defeat comes from but a breath of the Lord Jesus Christ as He speaks him into everlasting torment “day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
The wrestle is our faith in the Lord versus the lies of Satan.
Defense: We’ve donned the armor. Carry your conviction you are covered by Christ.
Offense: Wrestle as one covered completely by Jesus.
Because our enemies are in the spiritual dimension, trust the One who rules every corner of His creation. This evil is not a surprise to Almighty God. He prepares us with His Spirit and His Word. We are able to withstand the enemy and we can stand firm knowing that He has chosen us as His.
Defense: Once we don the armor, we withstand what the evil ones try to pelt us with.
Offense: The verse says to “take up” the whole armor of God. That’s an active measure as you do battle. We cannot remain passive and be all God has created us to be.
Beloved ones, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is Truth. When Jesus stood before Pilate on the day of His crucifixion and death, Pilate said to Jesus, “’So You are a King?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world — to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?’” (John 18:37-38a).
There stood a man, created in the image of God, asking Truth what truth is. Do you see the incredible irony of that question? Jesus, “the Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6) did not answer Pilate’s question. He didn’t have to because Pilate would discover the truth in God’s time. For the rest of John 14:6 states, “no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus was about to fulfill His work by giving His life as a ransom for many on the cross (Mark 10:45).
The belt of truth locks in the rest of the armor provided by God. Truth covers everything and serves as our umbrella, as it were, to reveal, protect, and provide our offense and defense. Each other part of the armor is created and undergirded by truth. We tightly fasten what the Lord delivers for our use.
Defense: Truth is a magnifying glass that exposes all else.
Offense: Using the truth of God and His Word is to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:1-11). As the magnifying glass exposes, so too it burns away the lies when placed in the light of God.
To read Part Two, Click Here!
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