Prayer Warrior: Praying Your Way To Victory - Session 7 - Put On Your Protective Armor Each Morning

The Church of Divine Guidance Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study Group is going through

Prayer Warrior The Power Of Praying Your Way To Victory by Stormie Omartian.  For a copy of the book, click or touch this LINK or the image, of the book at the end of the notes.

No one can sit on the sidelines today when it comes to spiritual matters. A war is going on between good and evil, and every believer is involved. For every Christian who wants a meaningful prayer life that is more than just asking for blessings.  Bestselling author Stormie Omartian shows how to pray with strength and purpose―prayers resulting in great victory, not only personally but also in advancing God's kingdom and glory.

These are my notes for the study. The audio of the study is at the end of the notes.

Soldiers for Christ - In Touch - August 14, 2017  

Soldiers for Christ

Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. - 2 Timothy 2:1‭-‬4 NLT

Today's passage is from Paul's letter to Timothy. The apostle encourages the young man—and, by extension, every believer—to face difficulty as a good soldier. The military term "soldier" implies that we are in a battle. And in fact, the combat started before Adam and Eve's lifetime.

We see the first evidence when almighty God, who had created all the celestial beings, nevertheless allowed Satan and other angels (thereafter known as "demons") to rebel against Him. They established their own kingdom and waged war with the Lord.
Later we see this strife extend to all humankind. In the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted Eve to violate God's command by eating forbidden fruit. Her disobedience corrupted mankind's innocence, and ever since, all human beings have been born with a nature bent away from the Lord—and with a profound need for a Savior.

Tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus modeled how to be victorious in spiritual conflict: by means of Scripture. God's Word gives us everything we need to win—from offensive and defensive weapons to the proper perspective on our adversaries' real identity: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the . . . spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places"

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. - Ephesians 6:11‭-‬17 NLT

When we see ungodliness in our society, the Enemy may at times seem to be winning. Yet we who are saved have assurance that we belong to Him who is greater—and who will have the final victory

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception. - 1 John 4:4‭-‬6 NLT

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33 NLT

View daily battles biblically and look to God, who is mightier than all evil.

PUT ON YOUR PROTECTIVE ARMOR EACH MORNING

Before a soldier goes on duty, no matter his or her job they make sure that they have everything that need for their task.  That means the uniform for the task and all the equipment they need to take with them.  For those going into a specific battle that requires engaging the enemy directly they may actually carry everything on their person.  If that's the case you don’t want anything that weighs you down or restricts your movement.  

It’s the same with us as prayer warriors.   We must not go to battle without the things we need in order to win. Our battle is spiritual, and what we accomplish in the spirit realm is as important as what the highly trained, prepared, and equipped soldier does in the physical.  First we must put on the armor God has given us in order to stand strong against the enemy.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. - Ephesians 6:10‭-‬13 NLT

We are given weapons because we are supposed to use them.  The reason we must put on the whole armor of God is to withstand evil. We don’t war against people, but against a spiritual hierarchy of invisible power.

Prayer warriors need to put on the armor of God every day because the war is always going on. New battles continually need to be fought so that evil will be driven back, the kingdom of God advanced, and the will of God be done. Our spiritual armor not only protects us from the enemy, it also gives us what we need in order to push against him.

We must have the whole armor of God protecting us at all times so we can stand successfully against the enemy’s plans for not only our life, but also the lives of others.

To “stand against” literally means to stand in front of and in opposition to the forces and plans of evil. It means to be the one standing after the battle. It also means to stand in preparation for the next battle.

You need this armor to stop any onslaught of the enemy’s destructive arrows into your life and the lives of those you care about—both now and in the future.

Some people think that because Jesus accomplished everything on the cross, we don’t have to do anything at all. But if that’s true, why did Jesus teach us to pray,  “Deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13)? Why did Paul say to “pray without ceasing.   (1 Thessalonians 5:17)? Yes, the victory over evil was accomplished on the cross, but the enemy is still here. He is a defeated enemy, but he is still waging the war. We don’t want him winning any battles on our watch, especially as long as we can be part of the force God has called to stop him.

Let’s take a look at this armor.  

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. - Ephesians 6:14‭-‬18 NLT

Paul would have watched the soldier who was always near him. He would have seen him put on his armor. The soldier put on each piece in the right order. So Paul tells his readers: Wear your armor as the soldier does.

Paul uses the Roman soldier's armor as a metaphor for our spiritual armor.   At that time the Roman army was by far the most powerful army of that time, and he relates the pieces of armor they had with what God has given us in the spirit realm.

Gird Your Waist with the Truth

Roman soldiers girded their waist with something similar to what a weight lifter wears to give him strength and support so he won’t hurt the core of his body. It enabled the soldiers to stand stronger against their enemy.

The belt is first before any of the outer pieces. The clothes underneath must first be in place. Then the soldier can put on the outer pieces. The belt will hold all the pieces together. Then the soldier will be ready for action.

We, too, need that kind of support to give us strength in our spiritual core. That means we must tightly surround ourselves with truth and not allow for anything other than the truth to enter into our thinking or situation. It means asking God to keep us undeceived so that we never allow deception to take root. Knowing the truth liberates us from all possibility of deception and illuminates any darkness in our life.

John 8:31-32 (NLT)31  Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
     
This doesn’t mean just know about the truth. It means know it so that it becomes part of you and you live it. And it is not just any truth that sets you free. It is God’s truth. When we wrap God’s truth around us, it protects us by strengthening our core being.  Truth is can be everything that God has told us about himself and Jesus Christ.  We find that truth in His Word the Bible.

Put On the Breastplate of Righteousness (Body Armor)

A Roman soldier’s metal breastplate covered his chest and kept him from being fatally wounded in the heart. Jesus’ perfect righteousness is what covers our heart, and that is what God sees when He looks at us. But we still have to put on righteousness like a soldier puts on a bulletproof vest. That means we must choose to live God’s way. We cannot be protected if we deliberately walk outside the ways and will of God.  Our breastplate of righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus in us. It protects our heart from any mortal wounds and assures us that the enemy can never destroy us because of sin.

Now we know that we are justified or made righteous by God but we still have the choice of living righteous  

God himself puts it on us

Romans 3:21-22 (NLT)21  But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.22  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

It makes us right with God. It is as if we had never sinned. It is goodness on the inside of us.

The breastplate covered the body from the neck to the thighs, and consisted of two parts, one covering the front and the other the back. It was made of rings, or in the form of scales, or of plates, so fastened together that they, would be flexible, and yet guard the body from a sword, spear, or arrow. It was often formed of plates of brass, laid one upon another, like the scales of a fish.  The breast-plate defended the vital parts of the body; and the idea here may be that the integrity of life, and righteousness of character, is as necessary to defend us from the assaults of Satan, as the coat of mail was to preserve the heart from the arrows of an enemy.

Shoe Your Feet with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace

Every soldier learns to protect his feet. They have special shoes or boots for that purpose. Roman soldiers had strong military shoes studded on the bottom of the soles in a way similar to cleats. Properly shod feet can stand strong against the enemy and keep from slipping. As a prayer warrior, we need to have the foundation we walkin to be solid and protective.

The Roman soldier’s shoes were short leather boots. These would grip the ground and they would keep his feet firm on the ground. They would prevent him from falling. The idea is that we should stand firm in the war. But this is not all. We should also tell the good news to other people. Our gospel boots should be a proper fit. We fight the war. But we send out the good news about peace at the same time.  This is the good news about the peace of God. We should always be ready to tell this to other people.  The word “preparation” means that the gospel of peace has already been accomplished.  

The good news is Jesus already prepared that for us.  Having peace with God and peace in God is an unshakeable foundation from which we can defend ourselves and stay standing strong.

Romans 5:1 (NLT)1  Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

You just have to walk in it. God has peace for us that is beyond our comprehension. It is not that we can’t imagine having peace;  it’s just that we can’t imagine having that kind of peace in the midst of the things we experience here on earth.  Jesus made it possible for us to have the peace that passes all understanding—the kind that carries us, stabilizes us, grounds us, and keeps us from slipping.

John 14:27 (NLT)  “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Philippians 4:7 (NLT) Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle Peter said this too.

1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)  Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

Take the Shield of Faith

Every soldier needs something to shield and protect him from the weapons of the enemy.  

This protects all the rest of the armor. It was a large object in the shape of a door. The Greek word for ‘shield’ is from the Greek word for ‘door’. The burning arrow would hit the shield. So the wooden shields needed a leather cover. They would also put the shields into water. Then the wet shields could put out the fire quickly.

The Romans would fix their shields together. That would make a larger wall. It would cover more soldiers. It is the same with the Christian church. Christians can join together. Then they can be safe from the attacks of the enemy.

The enemy shoots spiritual arrows and darts at us designed to pierce our heart with discouragement and make us fearful, anxious, uncertain, or incapacitated. The shield we have against these arrows of the enemy is our faith, and it is powerful protection from all that.  

How do we know our faith is strong enough to be a protective shield from the enemy?  We know because God’s Word says that it is our faith in God and His faithfulness to us that becomes a shield for us.

Genesis 15:1 (NKJV)1  After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."

Psalm 91:4 (NKJV)  He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

The buckler is a small shield, used mainly to deflect, trap and strike.  While it is useful for duels and small fights, it is not good for large-scale battle.  Bucklers are not good for handling arrows or other large projectiles.  These little shields were mostly carried by individuals who might have to defend themselves in day to day situations.  They were a civilian weapon. .

Psalm 84:11 (NKJV)11  For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.

When we put our faith in God and His Word, He is our shield and defense.

When the enemy comes to test your allegiance to the Lord, focus on God, His Word, and His faithfulness.  

Our faith must grow strong enough to believe for the impossible because we believe in the God of the impossible, and with Him all things are possible.  

And the angel answered and said to her, “ The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” - Luke 1:35‭-‬37 NKJV

Take the Helmet of Salvation

The helmet protects a soldier’s head.  The helmet was a cap made of thick leather, or brass, fitted to the head, and was usually crowned with a plume, or crest, as an ornament. Its use was to guard the head from a blow by a sword, or war-club, or battle-axe.

Our spiritual helmet protects our head as well.  And what does our head most need protection from? The lies of the enemy, of course.   The enemy wants to keep you from understanding—and living in—all that salvation means for you. He wants you blinded to everything Jesus died for you to have. He wants you convinced that you are worthless, rejected, weak, bad, unimportant, hopeless, and unlovable. Or if he can’t get you to think that way, he tempts you to go in the opposite direction and be full of pride. Either way, you fall.

He wants to fill our minds with feelings of guilt, helplessness, and misery. He doesn't want us to understand all that Jesus did for us on the cross because he knows when we put on that helmet of salvation and are transformed through the renewing of our mind, we will be able to see ourselves as God sees us—someone worth dying for.

Romans 8:35-39 (NLT)35  Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?36  (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)37  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.38  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.39  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

God loves us, but we too often see ourselves as unloved. God sees us as chosen and accepted, but we may see ourselves as rejected. God sees us from the perspective of who He created us to be, but we too often see ourselves from our limitations instead of our possibilities. The helmet of salvation gives us new perspective of ourselves that aligns with our heavenly Father’s view of us.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)2  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

We put on the helmet of salvation the moment we receive the Lord, but we must constantly remember what Jesus saved us for and from and who we are in Him.

Put on the helmet of salvation every day by reminding yourself of what Jesus did for you and why you now have the right to wear it as a royal crown.

Take the Sword of the Spirit, Which Is the Word of God

The ancient sword was short, and usually two-edged, and resembled very much a dagger.  The sword is the only piece of armor that they used for attack. The other pieces are for protection.

The sword was an essential part of the armor of an ancient soldier. His other weapons were the bow, the spear, or the battle-axe. But, without a sword, no soldier would have regarded himself as well armed. The word of God is itself is like a ‘sword’

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)12  For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

The Bible is like a sword.  When we we are attacked we have to use our weapon.  A good example of this is our Lord himself.  When Jesus was baptized and led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, Satan attacked Him again. Jesus’ weapon against him was God’s Word—which is the “sword of the Spirit.”  No spiritual battle can be fought and won without our greatest weapon—the Word of God.  

The word is a defensive as well as offensive weapon. As prayer warriors, we need both.  speak the word, pray the Word, live the Word, and let it live in you.

Pray Always with All Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit

God wants us to be persistent in our praying. That’s what it means to pray without ceasing. It is not intermittent start-and-stop-whenever-I-am-desperate kind of praying.  It is deliberate. It is with knowledge of what we are doing and why. It is not random throw-it-up-and-see-if-it-sticks kind of praying. It’s praying always, with every kind of prayer and supplication in the Spirit, which means it is Holy Spirit ignited.

Luke 11:5-10 (NLT)5  Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him,

6  ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’7  And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’8  But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.9  “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.10  For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

     
Praying always means praying through things and not giving up. It means being ever-watchful and persevering in prayer in order to see breakthrough.    It is important to pray according to the will of God.  And itis to pray with the leading of the Spirit.

1 John 5:14 (NKJV)  Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

The way to do that is to pray with the Word of God woven into our heart and our prayers.

John 15:7 (NLT)7  But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!

Be Watchful to the End

When a soldier is on active duty, he sleeps in his battle gear.  He stays dressed in case of a surprise attack. We do the same. We don’t take our armor off when we go to bed at night. It is protecting us while we sleep. But in the morning we need to put it on fresh and new—polished, so to speak—so that we have maximum protection for the day.

Our prayers are not answered as a way of rewarding us for good behavior, like a child who is promised an ice-cream cone if he behaves in the grocery store. Our obedience to God is evidence that we are in alignment with His will. The most important thing is not to get what we want in prayer, but to accomplish what God wants. We delight ourselves in Him first. We make Him our priority and our greatest desire is to please Him.  When we delight ourselves in Him and listen for His Holy Spirit to guide us as we pray, powerful things happen. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord , and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Psalms 37:3‭-‬4 NLT

Every Christian is in the war against *Satan. But a Christian prays not only for himself. He prays not only for his own part in the war. He prays also for the whole *church of Christ. He prays ‘for all Christians.

PRAYER FOR THE PRAYER WARRIORS

LORD, help me to put on the full spiritual armor You have provided for me so that I can stand against the wiles of the devil” every day. Show me how to gird up the core of my being with Your truth so that I don’t fall into deception of any kind. Teach me to not only know Your truth, but to live in it. Help me to put on the breastplate of righteousness that protects me from the enemy's attacks. I know it is Your righteousness in me that protects me, but I also know I must not neglect to put on Your righteousness like a bulletproof vest by doing what is right in Your eyes. Reveal to me thoughts, attitudes, and habits of my heart that are not pleasing to You. Show me what I have done, or am about to do, that does not glorify You. I want to see anything in me that violates Your high standards for my life so I can confess it, turn away from it, and be cleansed from all unrighteousness.
     
Thank You, Jesus, that I have peace beyond comprehension because of what You accomplished on the cross for me. Help me to stand secure with my feet protected by the good news that You have already prepared and secured for me. Because I have peace with You and from You, I am able to not only stand strong but to walk forward against the enemy and take back territory he has stolen from us all.
     
Thank You that You have given me faith and have grown my faith in Your Word. I don't have faith in my own faith, as if I have accomplished anything myself, but I have faith in You and Your faithfulness to me, which is a shield from the enemy’s arrows.  Just as You were Abraham’s shield and David’s shield, You are mine as well.

Thank You that even if my faith is shaky one day, Your faithfulness never is. “O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!” (Psalm 84:12). Help me to remember Your faithfulness at all times. You, Lord, are “my strength and my shield”; my heart trusts in You “and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7). Enable me to take up the shield of faith as constant protection from the enemy. My soul waits for You, Lord, my help and my shield (Psalm 33:20).
     
Help me to put on the helmet of salvation to protect my head and mind each day by remembering all You have saved me from, including the lies of the enemy. Enable me to remember only what You say about me and not what the enemy wants me to believe. Thank You that Your helmet of salvation protects me from warfare in my mind. Your salvation gives me everything I need in order to live successfully.
     
Help me to take up the sword of the Spirit every day, for Your Word not only protects me from the enemy, but it is my greatest weapon against him. Enable me to always pray as Your Spirit leads me, and to keep on praying as long as I should. Teach me to be the strong and unshakeable prayer warrior You want me to be so I can accomplish Your will.
     
In Jesus’ name I pray.  

The night is far spent, the day is at hand.  Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
 ROMANS 13:12

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