Several years ago, as I (Joanne) was studying the scriptures on “armor,” I put together the drawing below. Notice the listings of the various offensive and defensive weapons from the Word of God. I put the drawing away like any good fastidious organizer suspecting I would need it again in the future. Recently, I rediscovered this drawing when looking over my study notes for the purpose of writing for the Herald of Hope. I showed this drawing to Sarah who suggested we share it with our readers. She wanted to share with you all a bit of the process that goes behind our work here. As we have mentioned before, the Herald of Hope is truly the Holy Spirit working through us. That may sound ethereal or perhaps even a bit haughty; but in truth, all believers in Jesus have the Holy Spirit in them and He works through them for God’s glory.
Now, back to the drawing. Several questions arose in my mind when I originally drew these “notes”. The answers, of course, have always been there but they are unfolding more clearly in these last days:
WHY was there a difference between our offensive and defensive weapons?
HOW are we to “arm ourselves” against the enemy, yet “walk in love”?
WHEN do we need to “put on the whole armor of God”?
WHAT did Jesus mean when He said, “be wise as serpents and harmless as doves”?
WHO gave us this authority is Jesus Christ, and His finished work on the cross has sealed the devil’s fate. We simply need to “initiate the promises to be fulfilled” in our lives.
Matthew 10:16 (NKJV) “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves”
Jesus’ statement seems to be a paradox, or a contradiction. Yet the Lord gave us the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” so that “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18)
Matthew 16:19 (AMP) I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.
Again, Jesus said that he gave us the authority to trample on ‘principalities and powers’ and over all the power of the enemy, and that nothing would hurt us!
Luke 10:19 (NIV) I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
Since “God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus,” (Ephesians 2:6), and Christ is seated at His right hand, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come,” (Ephesians 1:21) then we have authority over the enemy.
In the following few blogs, we will discuss the use of this spiritual armor and answer the questions that formulated along with the drawing below.
~ Joanne and Sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment