Put on the Whole Armor of God

66 Pages·2010·1.71 MB·English

Put on the Whole Armor of God
…That ye may
be able to stand
against the wiles
of the devil.
Frank R. Anderson
The Whole Armor of God

© 2010 WITNESS FOR THE WORD PUBLICATION
Rev. Frank R. Anderson

CHURCH OF MOUNT ZION
18th & Liberty Streets
ERIE, PA 16508
Revision 12
12-20-2010
www.witword.blogspot.com

The image on the cover is taken from:
"Treasures of the Bible" by Henry Davenport Northrop, published by International Publishing Company 1894
All references are taken from the Authorized Version (KJV)
Dedicated

This study is dedicated to one of my lovely daughters,
Rebecca Mae, who had the hunger to ask,
“How do I know I am clothed with the Armor of God?”
Thanks my sweet!

Thanks
Special thanks to Reverend Jason Gohl
and his lovely wife Ashley
for their hard work and their attention
to detail in editing this book!
I would like to also thank Carol Scheid
And my wonderful daughter Elizabeth Marie
for their last minute edits!
Table of Contents

Preface………………………….……………………………………… Iv
Introduction…………………………………………………………… V
Part I: The Four Great Conflicts…………………………………….. 1
Conflict One – The Assault in the Garden……………………… 7
Conflict Two – The Assault Against Job………………………... 11
Conflict Three – The Temptation of Christ……………………... 15
Conflict Four – The Assault of the Last Days………………….. 18
Part II: Put on the Whole Armor of God…………………………… 20
Three Areas the Enemy Tempts Mankind……………………… 21
The Armor of God Represents Virtue…….…………………….. 26
Loins Girt About With Truth……………………………………. 30
The Breastplate of Righteousness……………………………...... 37
Feet Shod With the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace………. 40
Above All Else Taking the Shield of Faith……………………… 45
The Helmet of Salvation………………………………………….. 49
The Sword of the Spirit Which is the Word of God……...……. 51
Conclusion……………………………………………………...…….. 57


iv
Preface

The Armor of God is a very serious doctrine that, as of yet, much of the Church
world is yet to fully understand. The over-riding truth contained throughout this
book is that the Armor of God is used to protect the saint of God against the
wiles of the Devil and to arm him against his adversary. Jesus made the
declaration that the prince of this world came and found nothing in him; one of
the reasons He was able to say this was because He Himself was clothed with the
Armor of God. This book seeks to unfold for us some of the hidden treasures
found in the truths associated with the Armor of God. We will realize as we read
on that there were at least three major conflicts recorded in the Word of God
where Satan engaged in his wiles to manipulate mankind into turning against
God. These three conflicts are a precursor to the fourth and final conflict, which
is to take place in the days in which we live. We are going to expose the enemy
through these conflicts in order to impart wisdom and help us understand how
we can be victorious against him. We are going to seek to clearly identify the
three areas that the enemy tempts mankind (body, soul and spirit) through
examining the temptation and ultimate victory of Jesus Christ against his (and
our) adversary, the Devil. Finally, we will seek to identify what it was that Paul
was talking about when he taught on each piece of the Armor of God. It is my
belief that this was not just an allegory that Paul used to make a point, but rather
an interpretation of what he saw of this Armor in the Spirit. I encourage you to
prayerfully read this book and begin to ask the Lord to clothe you with this
Armor of God because ultimately it is being clothed with the Armor of God that
enables the saints to stand successfully against the wiles of the Devil.
v
 
PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD

Introduction

Let us begin this study by covering the text that sets up the Apostle Paul’s
revelation of the Armor of God so that we can fully understand both its reason
and its importance. In Ephesians 6:10-12, Paul states, “Finally, my brethren, be
strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that
ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

First of all we must not think of this revelation of Paul on the Armor of God as
simply an analogy using the armor of a soldier to make a point. Based on his
revelation of what each piece represents; it is my conviction that the Apostle Paul
actually witnessed this Armor in the Spirit and understood completely its use.
“Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might…” - This is what the Armor of
God produces in the life of the believer, strength and might. If one is weak, if one
is feeling like they cannot stand, the very remedy for that condition is to put on
the whole Armor of God. Paul goes on to say “…that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil…” - The wiles of the devil are the assaults, deception and
pressures he puts upon the saints and upon churches (we will look at these in
more detail when we examine the Four Great Conflicts in the Word of God that
illustrate the need for the Armor). God has given us the revelation of the spiritual
Armor of God so that we, the saints of God, might be strong and walk in the
power of His might. Why? “…For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph 6:12).

We have unseen enemies who seek to keep us from the mark and even to cost us
our very salvation. In Romans we are told that we are more than conquerors; the
Armor of God is one of the tools that will ensure that this is so. It is with a great
burden to clothe the saints who will face the most formidable assault the world
has ever known that this book on the Armor of God is written. We are seeing
saints fall today in alarming rates through sin, offense, deception and all manner
of disobedience because they are not armed against Satan. Perhaps people you
know and love, those very close to you, are already casualties of the enemy. It is
in light of this that this message must get out to every believer that we may all be
armed.
vii
In this study on the Armor of God we will look into each piece of the Armor one
by one, however, to summarize the Armor we can say they are realized in the life
of the saints through the following:
1. Loins girt with truth – Being lovers of the truth
2. Breastplate of righteousness – Protection that comes from walking
uprightly
3. Helmet of Salvation – Maintaining a blood washed conscience
4. Feet shod with the Gospel – Being a good witness of the Gospel and
being ready to share it
5. Shield of faith – Being rich in faith, which comes from hearing from
the Lord
6. Sword of the Spirit – Having lips like a two-edged sword, speaking
what Christ speaks

In this study we not only include a discussion on the pieces of armor, but also
teaching that illustrates the importance of the Armor. We must not fail to
appreciate what the wiles of the Devil are and the details of how he approaches,
assaults, and at times effectively slays the saints of God. Failing to understand
this will be fatal for some believers.

The Whole Armor of God 1

The Four Great Conflicts
Revealing the Tactics of the Enemy

There are (at least) four times in the Word of God when the cloak is removed
from the enemy and the Devil is exposed for the threat he really is. This threat is
not metaphoric; it is real and it is very serious. In the examples we will discuss,
we will see conversations between the enemy and God, as well as between the
enemy and mankind. In these exchanges we will see what the enemy is made of,
what is in his heart and what his most effective strategies against mankind are.
Just as the Sermon on the Mount is a literal dialogue from the lips of our Lord
Jesus Christ exposing His heart to mankind and clearly revealing who He is,
what is important to Him and what his doctrine is; we will look at the enemy’s
actual words that expose him for who he really is, what he is all about and his
agenda in his interaction with man. God forbid this study should in any way
glorify the evil one, but it is intended to make us wise and understanding
concerning what he is really after, how he trips up mankind and what God has
provided for us to overcome him (the Armor of God). When I was younger and I
went fishing with my father I would first lift rocks to find worms I could use for
bait. When the rock would be lifted all kinds of things that were seconds earlier
hidden now came to light. The intention of this book is that we would pull up the
rock and see the actual nature of our adversary and be instructed and made
wiser about the one we fight against.

The enemy is more effective when we are ignorant about him, when he is hidden
and his wiles are not clearly understood. We intend to lift the rock and bring the
light of day to his works and, once he is exposed he will lose some of his