Parts Of the Whole Armor by Brother Duke Hansen

         Good morning. There's always learning, teaching that goes with growing your knowledge in not only your walk but your time on earth. So, knowledge is important in your walk, and there are tools you can use. As you follow God, you will find out you are blind. You are going to need to be fed as well as led. You aren't sealed by merely just following the scriptures in the Bible. You need to practice humility to know when you are in ignorance. This morning we are going to the book of Ephesians chapter 6. We are going to start reading at verse 10.

        10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

        Whatever God gives you to be a steward of, you have to prove it. When you read the words "be strong" it isn't some instantaneous thing. No lightning bolt from heaven, causing your muscles to swell. Be strong is you needing to prepare for the havoc and chaos in your life.

        11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

        There are things you have to stand up and contend with in your life. You aren't covered and protected with a hedge at all times. You have to face sin, the world at large with its many twisted thinkings. You have to stand up against your flesh because your flesh is your biggest enemy against your spiritual growth. You even have to stand up against the wiles of the devil.

        12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

        This gospel has not been given to you and set up on personal mistakes but guaranteed mistakes. The more you dig, the more you find about yourself, the more you will win against your flesh.

        13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

        You will need to still stand when the rug is pulled out from under you. With true love, there is discipline in your life. We need to keep in mind that many are called and few are chosen. Be careful not to take your flesh as a comfort and God as an evil.

        14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

        We have been born into a world which coddles and nurtures emotions. It is so easy to slip into your emotions by just merely running your mouth. You go into confrontation so quickly just off your emotion. Our flesh will not follow any examples or warning in the scriptures. You will be and are blind to a lot of this.

        The point of the armor, the belt of truth you can tighten and loosen. Going a little further to what Jesus says, you can bind and loosen in the spirit because Jesus has given you that authority.

        15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

        You need to learn the truth about God, There are several parts of the truth that many will disagree with in life. We need to reach a point where we are walking in peace. You cannot claim peace when you are always provoking people. We are more concerned with gathering than we are with teaching, learning, working for God. The more the merrier for a lot of us because it feeds our flesh in pride.

        16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked,

        Shields are used for protection and for offense. We need to place our faith in the truth than in our ideologies. Our ideas are often passed from generation to generation, tried and fueled by emotion, wicked and corrupted by our flesh.

        Come follow me is doing our life as how God does it. We walk as how he walks. If you encourage people, you have a lot of grace and sometimes patience in your heart. If you are consistently harsh, you have a negative heart, If you are consistently bleak, you have a fearful heart, To overreact at anything is to be led by drama, by doubt, by having an uneven mind. When we know where our problems stem from, we can start to build off of that.

        When we continue to drink from the well of bitter water we are rehashing past hurts, slip-ups, failures, and mistakes.

        17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

        18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

        The word of God is more than just a weapon you use to defend yourself with, It is a tool that is to be used for many and varied things. Now I would like you to turn to the book of Romans chapter 5. We are going to read from verse 3.

        3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

        4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

        5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

        6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

        Look at verse 3 again and focus on the phrase Glory in tribulations. If I can get ahold of it, my mind will be clear. I would be blessed with rewards in all facets of life. Our flesh will let fear rise and push our flesh to run its mouth at tribulation. When things get difficult, hope evaporates. If you don't have patience, you don't have hope. The sequence Paul writes out in Romans, our flesh is the opposite of.

        You need to realize and understand the importance of patience to glory in your tribulations. You have to have a heart and desire to serve God. You have to put under the things which happened to you in the past that you let define you still today.