L
lorisolutions
Guest
God has been putting on my heart lately to write down some of the things that he has put on my heart over the past few years. I have never really shared my writing with anyone and don't feel real confident doing so yet but I hope it will be a blessing to others who read it. Any feedback, both good and bad is welcome.
Putting on the Full Armor of God
6 Part Series
by Lori Arriaga
Bible Scripture:
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. ...Ephesians 6:10-17
Each of us face battles every day and we often get discouraged and give up when we lose those battles. God has given us all that we need to fight those daily battles to come out victorious if we put on the full armor of God and trust Him to help us take a stand against the devils schemes. His armor is our spiritual weapons we fight with that are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Cor. 10:4)
It wasn't until I was fed up with feeling so discouraged and negative about my life when I finally made the decision to stop trying to fight those battles on my own because I knew God had something much better for my life if I would just take Him as my partner.
The armor God gives us to fight our daily battles are:
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit
Shield of Faith
Gospel of Peace
Breastplate of Righteousness
Belt of Truth
Part 1 - The Helmet of Salvation
I chose to start my 6 part series on Putting on the Full Armor of God with the Helmet of Salvation because for me it has always been much easier to do what is right outwardly, but inwardly my mind was very sinful. My mind has always been my greatest battle and often I never even put up a fight. I had many prideful, angry, hopeless and fearful thoughts that raged war in my mind every day. Those thoughts were at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. (Rom. 7:23)
God tells us to put on the Hope of Salvation as a Helmet. (1 Thes. 5:8) How do we clothe ourselves with this spiritual armor? Lets look first at what helmets are used for. Helmets are worn by soldiers, athletes, fire fighters, construction workers, motorcyclists, and many others but each helmet serves the same purpose for all those people: to protect the head from physical injury. Now the Helmet of Salvation doesn't protect us from physical injury but it protects our mind from spiritual injury. To take a stand against the devils schemes being fed to us every day that rage war in our minds, we would be wise to put on the Helmet of Salvation. I believe it all starts with making an effort to setting our mind on things above (Col. 3:2)
In order to set our mind on things above, we need to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5) In order to take captive every thought, I began by meditating on his law day and night (Psalm 1:2) and on His wonderful works (Psalm 145:5) to be made new in the attitude of my mind (Eph. 4:23) It takes discipline and hard work on a daily basis but the more you discipline yourself to take captive your thoughts, the more naturally it will become for you to disregard those thoughts and lies that rage war in your mind and to focus back on God's truth and the grace that brings us His Salvation. (Titus 2:11-12) and deliverance from evil.
Also, please keep in mind God doesn't expect us to be perfect. All he asks is that we do our very best, to repent when we do fall short and to get back up to continue to fight because if we get discouraged and give up we only give the devil the victory. Every time we do get back up, we win because the devil hasn't succeeded in keeping us down.
Sample Excercise:
(Try memorizing the following scripture and meditating on it piece by piece.)
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable and if anything is excellent or praiseworthy to think about such things. (Phil. 4:8)
Whatever is true - think about any scripture that speaks to your heart personally.
Whatever is noble - think about all the wonderful deeds of God's people that you know about and around the world.
Whatever is right - think about anything you did that was right, not on what you did wrong)
Whatever is pure - think about any pure thoughts you've had, not the battles that rage war in my mind.
Whatever is lovely - think about God's beautiful creation all around us.
Whatever is admirable - think about things you admire in your husband and children to keep your thoughts off what you want changed in them.
If anything is excellent - think about Jesus because he is perfect or anything else you believe is excellent.
or praiseworthy - think about God our Father who gives us all we need and loves us even when we fall short.
I chose to think about such things in order to help set my mind on things above and take captive every thought making it obedient to Christ and I was amazed at how I found myself being transformed by the renewing of my mind. (Rom. 12:2)
Power in Prayer:
Lord, thank you that your mercies are new every morning, I give myself anew to you today. I desire to walk in your spirit so I may be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. That I put on the full armor of God so I can take a stand against the devils schemes. Today I especially pray that I set my mind on things above and that I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. Thank you for giving us all that we need to fight our daily battles.
Putting on the Full Armor of God
6 Part Series
by Lori Arriaga
Bible Scripture:
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. ...Ephesians 6:10-17
Each of us face battles every day and we often get discouraged and give up when we lose those battles. God has given us all that we need to fight those daily battles to come out victorious if we put on the full armor of God and trust Him to help us take a stand against the devils schemes. His armor is our spiritual weapons we fight with that are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Cor. 10:4)
It wasn't until I was fed up with feeling so discouraged and negative about my life when I finally made the decision to stop trying to fight those battles on my own because I knew God had something much better for my life if I would just take Him as my partner.
The armor God gives us to fight our daily battles are:
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit
Shield of Faith
Gospel of Peace
Breastplate of Righteousness
Belt of Truth
Part 1 - The Helmet of Salvation
I chose to start my 6 part series on Putting on the Full Armor of God with the Helmet of Salvation because for me it has always been much easier to do what is right outwardly, but inwardly my mind was very sinful. My mind has always been my greatest battle and often I never even put up a fight. I had many prideful, angry, hopeless and fearful thoughts that raged war in my mind every day. Those thoughts were at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. (Rom. 7:23)
God tells us to put on the Hope of Salvation as a Helmet. (1 Thes. 5:8) How do we clothe ourselves with this spiritual armor? Lets look first at what helmets are used for. Helmets are worn by soldiers, athletes, fire fighters, construction workers, motorcyclists, and many others but each helmet serves the same purpose for all those people: to protect the head from physical injury. Now the Helmet of Salvation doesn't protect us from physical injury but it protects our mind from spiritual injury. To take a stand against the devils schemes being fed to us every day that rage war in our minds, we would be wise to put on the Helmet of Salvation. I believe it all starts with making an effort to setting our mind on things above (Col. 3:2)
In order to set our mind on things above, we need to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5) In order to take captive every thought, I began by meditating on his law day and night (Psalm 1:2) and on His wonderful works (Psalm 145:5) to be made new in the attitude of my mind (Eph. 4:23) It takes discipline and hard work on a daily basis but the more you discipline yourself to take captive your thoughts, the more naturally it will become for you to disregard those thoughts and lies that rage war in your mind and to focus back on God's truth and the grace that brings us His Salvation. (Titus 2:11-12) and deliverance from evil.
Also, please keep in mind God doesn't expect us to be perfect. All he asks is that we do our very best, to repent when we do fall short and to get back up to continue to fight because if we get discouraged and give up we only give the devil the victory. Every time we do get back up, we win because the devil hasn't succeeded in keeping us down.
Sample Excercise:
(Try memorizing the following scripture and meditating on it piece by piece.)
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable and if anything is excellent or praiseworthy to think about such things. (Phil. 4:8)
Whatever is true - think about any scripture that speaks to your heart personally.
Whatever is noble - think about all the wonderful deeds of God's people that you know about and around the world.
Whatever is right - think about anything you did that was right, not on what you did wrong)
Whatever is pure - think about any pure thoughts you've had, not the battles that rage war in my mind.
Whatever is lovely - think about God's beautiful creation all around us.
Whatever is admirable - think about things you admire in your husband and children to keep your thoughts off what you want changed in them.
If anything is excellent - think about Jesus because he is perfect or anything else you believe is excellent.
or praiseworthy - think about God our Father who gives us all we need and loves us even when we fall short.
I chose to think about such things in order to help set my mind on things above and take captive every thought making it obedient to Christ and I was amazed at how I found myself being transformed by the renewing of my mind. (Rom. 12:2)
Power in Prayer:
Lord, thank you that your mercies are new every morning, I give myself anew to you today. I desire to walk in your spirit so I may be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. That I put on the full armor of God so I can take a stand against the devils schemes. Today I especially pray that I set my mind on things above and that I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. Thank you for giving us all that we need to fight our daily battles.