"Stand Firm!"

“Stand Firm!”

 

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 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.                        Ephesians 6:12-17

 

We are living in PERILOUS times, in a DANGEROUS world.  One that is wrought with EVIL and WICKED schemes.  A world that is RIDDLED with demonic influences.  A world that is in conflict, GOOD vs EVIL, Satan’s minions vs God’s Children.  Because the Children of God is in battle, they MUST be PREPARED.  So God gives them instructions, through the Apostle Paul, on how they should PREPARE for battle.  The mandate is to STAND FIRM! 

 

In order to STAND FIRM, you MUST BE DRESSED for battle, with the FULL ARMOR of GOD.  You MUST have the BELT of TRUTH BUCKLED around your waist.  This is the basis of a BELIEVER’S FAITHFULNESS. The BELT of TRUTH gives FREEDOM and STABILITY.  Then you MUST put the BREASTPLATE of RIGHTEOUSNESS  IN PLACE, this BREASTPLATE is the RIGHTEOUSNESS of Jesus Christ, and will PROTECT the BELIEVER’S HEART from the assaults of Satan.  Next, is to have your FEET FITTED with the READINESS, which comes from the GOSPEL of PEACE.   This represents the STABILITY to STAND FIRM, which comes from the GOSPEL and it gives the BELIEVER PEACE, in order to STAND in the battle.

 

They SHOULD also TAKE UP the SHIELD of FAITH.  The STRONG, ABIDING FAITH of the BELIEVER can EXTINGUISH ALL the flaming arrows of the evil one.   They NEED to TAKE the HELMET of SALVATION and the SWORD of the SPIRIT, the last two pieces of armor to be added.  The HELMET Of SALVATION was a sense of safety, in protecting the mind, whenever attacked by the devil.  It is the assurance of the HOPE of SALVATION.  The SWORD of the SPIRIT is the “SPOKEN WORD of GOD, which is BENEFICIAL to the BELIEVER, when attacked by the devil.  The Spirit of GOD will bring to the mind of the BELIEVER, the WORD of GOD, which is MORE POWERFUL than a two-edged sword. 

 

This ARMOR will bring PROTECTION to the TRUE BELIEVER, in the PERILOUS TIMES in which we now live.  Are you in possession of such an armor?  Or are you one of Satan’s minions?  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, then you are DOOMED and fighting a LOSING BATTLE.  You will end up spending ALL ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO way of ESCAPE.  In order to CHANGE your DESTINY, and become a TRUE CHILD of GOD, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU and is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be able to STAND FIRM! in the BATTLE.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!