"Stand therefore…having on the Breastplate of Righteousness." Eph 6:14 (KJV)
"Stand your ground… (wearing) the body armour of God’s righteousness." (NLT)
"So stand strong… And on your chest, wear the protection of right living." (ERV)
"Stand therefore (hold your ground)…having put on the Breastplate of integrity and moral rectitude and right standing with God." (AMP)
The main problem of the church is not Satan or the world system. The main problem with us is an enemy within called Self, The Flesh, Lower Nature, Carnal Mind etc.
Self is the art of thinking, talking, and acting like a carnal being. It acts, thinks, and talks based on what he can see, what he hears, what he smells, what he feels and what he touches. Self cannot please God because it is opposed to God’s nature and will.
Self actually enjoys and revels in everything God forbids.
It is not enough to have our minds "buckled" with the truth when our lives are still infected with sin.
There are Pastors today who, after sharing very powerful revelations in the church, they will still end up in bed with one of the sisters in their congregation that same day!
"So stand strong…and on your chest, wear the protection of right living." EPH 6:14 (ERV)
Right living protects. Living right, thinking right and acting right is what draws God closer to us.
Satan and his cohorts are stained with sin. They are now a shadow of what they used to be. Thus, they cannot touch a man who is actively living right.
By righteousness here, we are not saying we should have a "holier than thou" look. Rather, we mean patterning our lives according to God's perfect will – as revealed in His word.
There is a power that accompanies a holy life. A man who lives right becomes a shining and burning light.
Satan begins to see such men as the most terrible threats to his kingdom. This is because no devil gets close to Christ without being burnt. No life comes in contact with Him and will ever remain the same. Everyone who comes across Christ gets ignited.
"So stand strong… (hold your ground)…and on your chest wear the protection of right living. (ERV, AMP).
Our Master said, "You are the world's light, a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see." Matt. 5:14 (TLB)
The world is lost in darkness. They are confused as to what is right or wrong because Satan, the god of this world, has blinded their minds (2 Cor. 4:4).
We will lose spiritual battles once the world's system begins to influence us in any way.
Why is this so?
"We know that we are children of God and that all the rest of the world around us is under Satan's power and control." 1 John 5:19 (TLB)
To copy or be influenced by the world's system therefore brings us "…under Satan's power and control…"
Therefore, churches today are tired of exercising their rights in God because sin has entered their midst.
Whatever song that is reigning in the world is what they are singing in church (although they would have "christianized" it).
Now, how can such people who still believe they are missing the world wage spiritual warfare?
How can they hold their ground against the enemy when, before God, there is a faulty mark in their lives?
"Israel has sinned and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have taken some of the accursed things and have both stolen and deceived: and they have also put it among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you." Joshua 7:11-12 (NKJV)
Once we are not living right before God (whether people know it or not), we become open to attack. We become useless to heaven and a mockery in hell.
Without our armour of right living, Satan, who is in control of "wrong-living", will question our authority to order him around since the same thing that made God reject him (i.e. Sin) is now found in our own lives too.
"Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish Chief Priest were doing this. (One day) the evil spirit answered them 'Jesus I know and I know about Paul but who are you?' Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding." Acts 19:13-16 (NIV)
Right living protects.
Can you imagine seven able-bodied men being beaten up by a single demon-possessed man?
Yet our Master Jesus, a single person who completely pleased God with His life, cast out seven demons from a woman! (Luke 8:1-2). The evil spirit said, "…Jesus I know and I know about Paul, but who are you?"
Brethren, let us consider this with humility.
Are you bragging about the fact that your Pastor is called and anointed to God?
Well, that is good, but while the devil and his hordes know your Pastor by name, are you an authority to them yet?
Do demons gather around when you pray and say "amen" when you bind them?
Do they mock and scorn you?
In the Kingdom of God, names are not made as a group. No! Names are made as individuals.
No matter how holy your Pastor is, his holiness cannot eventually save you.
If he is holy, then you need to copy from his lifestyle the need for you to live a correct life before God, too.
Whether or not you have interest in spiritual warfare, you are already thrust to the frontlines and the battle has begun!
But do not forget your body armour of righteous living, because you will surely need it if you really want to survive!
