Armor of God – Hope for Complete Healing

THE ONLY WAY TO STOP DEMON INFLUENCES

Do you wonder why you or your loved ones are struggling? Why do you or others sometimes feel hopeless about doing what is right? In my first post about Jesus’s perspective on the spirit world, I said Christians could unwittingly invite evil spirits into their hearts to oppress them. You will learn how to recognize the schemes of the devil to deceive you and how to stop them. The devil works in your mind to deceive and tempt you. 2Corinthians 11:3 explains, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” In this post, we will look at three examples of temptations, the results, and how to stop the temptation before you sin and invite the devil to occupy your heart and mind.

In the last post, I explained how to successfully fight against the devil’s attacks. I will expand on that. 2Corinthians 2:11, Paul said, “So that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” Put on the full armor of God so you are not outwitted by Satan’s schemes or designs. The devil’s number one scheme is temptation to get you to disobey God and sin so you will be separated from Him (Is. 59:2). If Satan can separate you from God, then he can oppress you and cause all kinds of troubles in your life. Repentance is the only solution to defeat Satan if he does tempt you to sin. 1Jonn 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Remember, Jesus is your advocate (1John 2:1-2).

Temptation of Judas Iscariot

One sad example is when Judas Iscariot, a disciple of Jesus, was tempted by Satan to betray Jesus for money. Judas followed Jesus for three years and believed He was the Son of God. Luke 22:3-4 tells us, “Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4) He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.” The Apostle John wrote in John 13:2 that “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.” And in John 13:27, he says, “Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

Because Judas opened himself up to Satan to sin, he then tempted Judas to kill himself. Matthew 27:3-5 states, “Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ They said, ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself.’ 5) And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.” If Judas had repented, then Jesus would have forgiven him. Satan is the thief that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to give us life (John 10:10).

Observation: Satan first put it into Judas’s mind to betray Jesus. Then Judas acts on the temptation and seeks a way to betray Jesus. He still had a chance to take that thought captive and rebuked the enemy as Jesus did when He was tempted. In the Gospel of John, he said that the devil put it into Judas’s heart to betray Jesus, which involves feelings. Then, when Jesus pointed out Judas at the last supper, Satan entered into him. Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas would betray him. God knew Judas’s heart, that he valued money more than Jesus and would do the will of the devil. Judas kept the moneybags, and he would keep some of the money given that was to take care of the poor (John 12:6).

Interpretation: We all have weaknesses that the devil will use to lure us to sin. For Judas, that was money. He never repented of his sin of stealing, which was why the devil was able to enter him. James 1:13-15 states, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14) But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15) Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

Application: All temptation begins in the mind, so when you are tempted, take the thought captive (2Cor. 10:3-5) and verbally put it out of your mind, then put into your mind the truth found in God’s word. So, putting on the armor of God and reading your Bible each day will help you know the truth and speak the truth into Satan’s lies and temptations.

Jesus Overcomes the Devil’s Temptations

Jesus is your example for how to overcome the devil’s attempt to destroy your life. Read Matthew 4:1-10 about how Satan tempted Jesus and how He responded to Satan using God’s word, the truth. Jesus told Satan to be gone, and you can do that also. The only way to overcome the temptations and deceptions of the devil is to humbly submit to do God’s will and speak the Word of God.

Satan tempted Ananias and Sapphira

Other believers who were tempted to sin were Ananias and Sapphira. You learn about them in Acts 5:1-11. Again, the temptation involved money. 1Timothy 6:10 states, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” The Apostle Peter said that Satan filled Ananias’s heart to lie. The followers of Jesus were selling their property and donating the proceeds to help those in need. The consequence of lying to God was devastating.

1) But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

3) But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?

4) While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”

5) When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.

Observation: When Ananias gave the money to Peter, he made it appear that he gave the whole amount. Peter, being filled with the Holy Spirit, knew in his heart that Ananias did not give all the proceeds from the sale. The consequence was being struck dead by God, which caused all who saw it to fear God and not do evil and sin. The same thing happened to Ananias’s wife.

Interpretation: When you are tempted, Satan fills your heart with deception to justify your sin. He will make you believe it is okay and nothing bad will happen. It is never good to sin. It breaks trust with God and with others, and there is always consequences.

Application: When you are tempted, ask God to help you do what is right, not what you feel like doing, which may be Satan working in your heart. Make no provision for your fleshly desires (Rom. 13:14). Ephesians 2:1-3 explains, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Evil spirits work in those who disobey God by following the passions of their flesh and not walking in righteousness.

Conclusion

Temptation is inevitable, and it begins in your mind. When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, He included the line, “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one.” Jesus included that line because He knew we would be tempted by the devil as He was. Jesus successfully defeated all the devil’s attempts to get Him to sin by using scriptural truths against him. That is what we must do when we are tempted by the devil. My book, Fighting Unseen Battles, identifies Satan’s deceptions and lures and the Scriptural truths to defeat him.

The Apostle Paul was concerned that those in Thessalonica who believed would be tempted to sin and to turn away from the faith. 1Thessalonians 3:5 states, “For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.” The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian church in Corinthians10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

We have hope because Jesus suffered when tempted and now helps us when we are tempted (Hebrews2:18). All you need to do is recognize that you are being tempted to go your own way and do what feels good to you, and not go God’s way. If you have God’s armor on, you will recognize when you are being tempted and can call out to Jesus to help you do what is right. Hebrews 4:15-16 states, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16) Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The only way to stop the devil’s destructive work in your life is to humbly submit to God’s will, put on God’s armor, and speak the Word of God to overcome the temptations and deceptions of the devil.

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All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright-protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and the truths behind them. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles.

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.

Spiritual Warfare 2: HOW NOT TO DIE SPIRITUALLY

Why do Christians fall away from their faith? Never forget that Satan is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1Peter 5:8). Because we live within the spirit world, we must always be vigilant for demonic attacks. Those attacks can be wrong thoughts, false beliefs, or temptation to sin. Often spiritual attacks are through people who offend us or lead us away from our devotion to God and into worldly activities.

Christians leave the faith because they take off the breastplate of righteousness that protects their heart from the daily temptations to be offended or give in to deceitful desires, which leads to sin. Being offended causes us to be self-focused and prideful, then we say and do unkind things. Righteousness also protects us from God’s wrath for sin by reminding us to do what is good and pleasing in His sight. For example, do you think Christian leaders who fall into sexual sins have on the breastplate of righteousness?

The first step to putting on the breastplate of righteousness is to ask God to forgive your sins so you can then forgive other’s their sins. Next, invite Jesus into your heart and be your savior and Lord because you can’t be righteous without Him. 2Corinthians 5:21 states, “For our sake, he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

God’s righteousness protects your heart when you surrender your life to do His will and obey His instructions. Romans 12:2 states, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” And 1Peter 4:2 states, “So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” Also, 1John 2:17 states, “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

How do you know if you have on the breastplate of righteousness?

The righteous walk by faith (Habakkuk 2:4b; Romans 1:17b). Galatians 3:11 states, “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” And Hebrews 10:38 states, “But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” Also consider, Hebrews 11:6, which states, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

The righteous die to sin, then practice righteousness. 1John 3:7 states, “Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.” Also, 1John 3:10 states, “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” And 1John 2:29 states, “If you know that he [Jesus] is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.” 1Peter 2:24a also states, “He [Jesus] himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”

The righteous rejoice in the Lord and gives thanks. Psalm 97:12 states,”Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!” And Psalm 64:10 states, “Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!” Also, Psalm 140:13 states, “Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence.”

The righteous are wise and increase in learning. Proverbs 9:9 states, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” And Proverbs 10:31a “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom.” Also, Psalm 37:30 states, “The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.”

The righteous hates falsehood (Proverbs 13:5a). Proverbs 15:28a states, “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer.”

The righteous are not selfish but gives. Psalm 37:21 states, “The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives.” And Proverbs 21:26b states, “The righteous gives and does not hold back.”

The righteous serve God and desires to do His will. Malachi 3:18 states, “Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.” And John 9:31 states, “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.” Also, Isaiah 48:18 states, “Oh, that you had paid attention (listened) to my commandments (instructions)! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.”

The righteous pursue righteousness. 1Timothy 6:11 states, “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” And 2Timothy 2:22 states, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” Also, Romans 6:13 states, “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”

The righteous seek first the kingdom of God and are not anxious. Matthew 6:33-34 states, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

According to what you have just read, do you have on the breastplate of righteousness? From the list above, where do you need to improve?

The best way to practice righteousness is to fear God.

Hebrews 11:7 states, “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” God told Noah to build an ark and gather two of every kind of animal to survive a great flood, something they never experienced. Noah faced constant ridicule from the wicked people around him. But he obeyed God out of reverent fear, and because of his faith, he was considered righteous.

The fear of God is to have a deep respect and awe of His judgement, mighty power, and love. We demonstrate reverent fear by obedience to God’s Word and loving Him. Deuteronomy10:12-13 states, “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?” Do you fear God, walk in all His ways, love and serve Him, and obey His instructions? The following verses describe what it means to fear God:

You who fear the Lord, praise Him! …glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him. –Psalms 22:23

Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you. –1Samuel 12:24

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh [body]; and refreshment to your bones. –Proverbs 3:7-8

Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity (the pit). –Proverbs 28:14

You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. –Psalms 115:11

Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack! –Psalms 34:9

Conclusion

The breastplate of righteousness protects our hearts from becoming offended and the temptation to give in to our fleshly desires that leads to sin. When we seek to please God, we will love those who hurt us, forgive them, and not allow sinful desires to trap us in pleasing ourselves or being unkind. Being righteous requires that we make Jesus Christ Lord of our lives and surrender our will to do His will. The person who has on the breastplate of righteousness will walk by faith, die to sin, rejoice in the Lord, increase in wisdom, hate falsehood, give, serve God, and pursue righteousness. Fearing God helps us keep the breastplate of righteousness on by reminding us to trust Him, shun evil (sin; wickedness), and do what is good and honorable in the sight of God and men. Romans 12:9-10 states, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

Pray the following each day: I put on the breastplate of righteousness and receive forgiveness for my sins and forgive others their sins. I will practice righteousness and do God’s will by obeying His instructions. I will please God in reverent fear, knowing I will stand before Him to give an account of the good and evil I do while in the flesh. (Matt. 6:12-15; Acts 10:43; 1John 1:9; 2:29; John 9:31. 2Cor. 5:9-10)

RELATED POSTS:

Four Realities of the Spirit World

HOW TO PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD AND DEFEAT THE ENEMY WHAT

HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR?

In The Last Days, Why The Righteous Will Not Fear

Can You Be Too Heavenly Minded?

Fear God, Not People

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom.

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, salvation for non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.

PUTTING ON THE ARMOR OF GOD PRAYER MODEL

What is God’s armor, and why do we need to put it on? Who is my enemy? Ephesians 6:12-13 states, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” And 2Corinthians 11:3 states, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” Your enemy is the serpent, rulers, authorities, etc., otherwise known as the devil (also called Satan) and demons. Satan has been deceiving and tempting humanity to sin since the Garden of Eden. We need to submit our minds to God daily and trust Him and resist the devil (James 4:7). The armor of God is one of the strategies the Apostle Paul outlined in Ephesians 6:14-18 to fight the daily spiritual warfare.

As you put on the armor, know that God’s divine power helps you succeed. Trusting in the truths of His great and precious promises allows you to have His divine nature to defeat the enemy of your soul. The devil’s single goal is to deceive you and corrupt your relationship with God and others through your sinful nature (2Peter 1:3-4). Daily put on God’s armor through prayer to keep the victory.

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Dear Lord, I am weak, but You make me strong with Your mighty strength. I put on the whole armor of God so that I can stand against the schemes of the devil. I remind myself today that I do not wrestle against flesh and blood but with unseen evil powers. With Your armor on, I can withstand the destructive plans of the spiritual forces of evil and stand firm against deceptions and temptations.

I put on the belt of truth by meditating on scripture day and night so I will not sin against God and succeed in all I do. I will depend on the Holy Spirit to lead me in truth, so I am not deceived. I humbly yield my mind to the truth of God’s Word and resist the devil’s temptations to sin through my deceitful, corrupt desires. (Josh. 1:8; Ps.119:11; James 4:7-8; Jer. 17:9-10; Eph. 4:22.)

I put on the breastplate of righteousness and receive forgiveness for my sins that I may practice righteousness and do God’s will. I will seek to please God in reverent fear, knowing I will stand before Him to give an account of the good or evil I do while in the flesh. (Acts 10:43; 1John 1:9; 2:29; John 9:31. 2Cor. 5:9-10.)

I put on the shoes of the gospel of peace, being prepared to be at peace with everyone and in every situation, even when people do not meet my expectations. I put off the spirit of pride and walk as God walks in humility, love, compassion, and respect for others. I will share my testimony of hope and encourage everyone I can to love and trust in Jesus Christ, who gives peace. (Jam. 3:18; Rom. 12:16-18; Col. 3:12-14; 1John2:16; Prov. 16:18; 1Peter 3:8,15.)

I put on the helmet of salvation and take every tempting thought, offense, and unholy desire captive and make it submit to the Lordship of Christ Jesus. I have the mind of Christ and His authority to overcome every obstacle to my faith. I will forgive offenses quickly so the devil doesn’t get a foothold in my mind to produce the fleshly desire to be angry, impatient, and unkind. I will renew my mind with the truth in God’s Word daily. (2Cor. 10:3-5; 1Cor. 2:16b; Col. 2:9-10; Matt. 6:14-15; Eph. 4:26-27; Jam. 1:14-15.)

I take up my sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word, to strike down every temptation to yield to my pride and deceitful, fleshly desires. I will discipline my mind to memorize Bible verses and practice them to strengthen and sharpen my sword. And I yield to the Holy Spirit’s control and guidance over my thoughts. (Heb. 4:12; Rom. 8:5-8; Mat. 4:1-10; John 16:13-14.)

I take up my shield of faith to block the fiery arrows of condemnation, accusation, temptations, doubts, and flattery of the enemy. I believe that God loves me, cares about me, and is the shield that protects me from evil. I will strengthen my faith by meditating on Scripture day and night. (Eph. 6:16; Rev. 12:9; 1John 3:1; 1Peter 5:7;2Thes. 3:3; Rom. 10:17)

I will pray continually and give all my concerns to God. I will be thankful and not complain or argue. I will praise God’s attributes and trust Him. I will serve others in love, do good, and share. (1Thes.5:16-17; Eph. 6:18;Phil. 2:12-16; Heb. 13:15-16; Gal. 5:13)

I am prepared to be victorious today by the grace of God and in His strength.
By Joyce Hanscom–hopeforcompletehealing.com

You have my permission to copy this declaration and use it in your daily prayer time.

Grace and peace to you.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR?

Spiritual Warfare 1: HOW TO DISCERN THE TRUTH

Spiritual Warfare 2: HOW TO NOT DIE SPIRITUALLY

Spiritual Warfare 3: HOW TO BATTLE FOR PEACE

Spiritual Warfare 4: How to Protect Your Mind

Spiritual Warfare 5: HOW TO ANNIHILATE UNSEEN ATTACKS

My latest book is Unlocking God’s Promises, which explains 18 categories of promises that are relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and what the truths are. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles.