Armor of God Session 6 - "The Helmet of Salvation"

Our last Wednesday was an amazing study time together. All of us girls heard Priscilla's teaching on The Helmet of Salvation and then moved into listening to session 7 The Sword of the Spirit.  We ended our time together with prayer - laying hands on those who needed healing with all of us joining our "shields" together to fight in prayer.

Priscilla started us out with a story about a little boy who got his head stuck in a stone wall that had a hole in it.  He was interested to see what was on the other side of that wall.  Rescuers were called to get his head out.  Warning: never do this......lol.

Her point: "Our head can be stuck on an idea or a pattern of thinking that is detrimental to us, or rationalizing specific behaviors.  Our head can be stuck and we just can't seem to get it free."  Apostle Paul has told us in Ephesians 6:14-16 how to stand.

She said our salvation is our liberation.

It's not just about getting a ticket to eternity.  Salvation was meant to implement an entire new way of thinking into our life. We are supposed to walk in the liberation we've been given - received and applied.

Salvation was designed for us to walk in victory.

Priscilla related our salvation to the physical body: All the functions of our body are attached to the signals, the impulses that our brain sends. What the brain is to the body, the mind is to the soul.  The mind is the spiritual expression of our brain.

Salvation is about our identity.  It's about who we are in Christ.  We need to remind ourselves of who we are.

Romans 12:1-2 reveals to us what we are supposed to do to make sure our mind is protected well.

Therefore I urge you, brethren (sisters), by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

We also learned that the helmet the Roman solider wore had been redesigned since Paul's day. It was made of iron and covered with bronze.  Its primary function was to protect the skull and brain from the swing of the "broadsword" - a 3-4 foot long sword with massive handles. There was a neck guard and cheek guards to protect the neck and shoulders.

The solider was well protected - so should we be protected as well. Strongholds in our mind are torn down by the Word of God.  Fortresses are dismantled by the Word of God.  As we apply our identity in Christ to our living, we can restructure how we think.

Priscilla said "as strategic as the enemy is in attacking our thoughts, that's how strategic we must be in taking our thoughts back."

Read Deuteronomy chapter 6.

Post the Word of God - put it over our "doorpost"; put it around our life so it's bombarding us. We can retrain our thinking so it lines up with what God says and who He says we are.

Remember this: Salvation is not just a past event; it is a present reality.  Our inheritance and our identity is in Christ.

Begin to see Salvation a defensive, protective device that covers you, shields you and protects you against the schemes of the devil.  It enables you to lead a whole and healthy life.

Put on your helmet as a protection for your life. Our God's Salvation is holistic and involves the well-being of the whole person - not just rescuing us but even reversing negative circumstances.

The price of our helmet was paid in full by our Savior.  What a shame if we never wear it.

Armor of God Session 5 "The Shield of Faith"

Wow!  We're almost finished with this study.  It's gone by so quickly, but we've gained a lot of strength in hearing Priscilla Shirer instruct us on the Armor of God.

Notes from this session:

Ephesians 6:16 was our main scripture:

"In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

Priscilla told the story of her propane tank being empty so there was no gas to provide heat to her house, water or stove.  It was empty.  Electricity was on but needed the gas to heat the water, the house and the stove.  Much like faith (having the electricity) without works (but being out of propane) is dead.  James 2:20.

Active faith is a shield.  It causes us to be protected against the fiery darts (the Javelins of fire) the enemy sends to disable us and keep us from being who God has called us to be.

The language has now changed in this verse and the verses to come.  Now, it is more action-oriented. Paul now says you "take up" the shield of faith. Priscilla says this: "If you want to be protected from the fiery darts of the enemy and to keep advancing successfully, you're going to have to do something with this faith that you say you have."

Faith is when you act like God is telling you the truth.  She says it's "our willingness to act in conjunction with God's Word." We need to "marry faith with our actions."

Most of the time, the promises we have been given God did not place in our hand but within our reach.  What does that mean?  We must be willing to do our active part in order to reach out and grab that promise and experience it in our everyday living.

Priscilla said there are more than 8000 promises for believers in Christ.  So we have 8000 opportunities to see God move in our life.

God will equip us.  Do you want a shield that is going to block you from the schemes of the enemy? Then you must put on an active faith to be protected.

The Roman army was the most advanced army in the Roman world.  They had intricately designed armor.  They had a practiced formation of an impenetrable line much like a fortress that the enemy could not penetrate.  Their shield was 2 feet wide and 4 feet long.  It had planks of wood sealed together much like a door.  The planks were covered by a canvas and the canvas was covered by leather.  In the center of the shield was an iron boss or centerpiece to fortify the shield.  Iron was also along the edges of the shield so that it could withstand any swing swords.  The soldier could crouch behind this shield and be hidden.

"When soldiers in the Roman army advanced toward their enemy, they would hold their shield out in front of them.  When an enemy was sending fiery arrows or javelins, they would group together in small huddles back-to-back, crouch down and link all their shields together over their head creating a shell - called a "turtle" formation.  When the fiery arrows/javelins would come they would all be protected together underneath these shields.  Often times, before this formation, they would wet their shields to quench these fiery arrows and javelins."

Why would the enemy send over fiery arrows and javelins?

"If they could get enough of those fiery javelins sent over at the same time, then they could set something ablaze and distract their enemy who would then try to put out these fires.  Their line would be weakened and vulnerable so that the enemy could now penetrate.  They were sending the fiery javelins not to kill them but to distract them, to cause them to turn their attention from the main priority."

This is what our enemy does as well.  He's good at distracting us so we cannot advance.  He wants us to be afraid, but according to 2 Timothy 1:7, we don't have to be paralyzed by fear.  The main antagonist of faith is fear.

We need to come to the faith place.  This place is what erects the shield over our life and sends the enemy to flight.

This is what Pastor Evans says:

"Faith is acting like it is so even when it's not so, so that it might be so, just because God said so."

Priscilla ended this teaching with these questions:

• What is it that your God has asked you to do?
• How has He called you to act?
• What conviction have you had even over the course of these weeks of study?
• Has God been beckoning you forward in a particular area of your life?
• What has He been convicting and challenging you to do?

He is setting us up for more than we can contain.  She used the story in Luke 5 telling us to "cast out your net" and "be willing to go to the faith place."

Last two sessions are this Wednesday "The Helmet of Salvation" and "The Sword of the Spirit".

Armor of God Session 4 - "The Shoes of Peace"

Our class last Wednesday was filled with women who are eager to study God's Word - always a good thing.

For the last 3 Wednesday's, I have had a drawing in class for give-away's. The first give-away was a coffee mug from the War Room movie won by Elaine Duehring.  The second give-away was a War Room CD won by Carol Long, and our give-away just last Wednesday was another coffee mug from the War Room won by my mom Lois Lobbs - and no - this was not rigged.  I just told her to make sure when I come over that the coffee in this mug is never lukewarm.

Notes from Session 4 by Priscilla Shirer

Priscilla started us out with an eagle story.  She said that an eagle can sense a storm coming and explained what happens:

• It goes to a higher point, settles in and.... 
• Locks its wings in place

The eagle uses the wind of the storm to lift itself above the storm.  The winds of the storm are actually benefiting the eagle in its flight.  It uses the elements below the storm to help it go higher. The scripture given was John 16:33 - "....in this world, you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world".

Our advantage: because like the eagle, we know a storm is coming, but we can prepare in advance. We can lock some things securely in place in our life.  We can sail above it.  We can benefit from it (James 1:2).  Something in that storm is making us into the women God has called us to be.  We must position ourselves to stand firm.

We cannot survive the storms of life without God's peace.  The enemy wants us unhinged.  He concocts plans to make us peace-less.  Peace-less can breed helplessness, she said.

Satan has come to steal, kill and destroy as stated in John 10:10.  The enemy causes discord and peacelessness.  For any sense of stability and security, we must lock peace into place.

The distinctive shoe worn by the Roman soldiers was like a heavy military sandal.  At the base of their tough leather soles were hobnails, little protrusions, steel posts that would protrude from the bottom of the shoe.  Reason: when they were on slick or rocky terrain, it kept their footing.  These nails would dig into the ground and enable the soldier to stay upright.

Life gets hard to travel - some rocky places, slick terrain, but when we have peace anchored in our lives, it digs deeply into our soil of existence and causes us to be able to stay upright.

When our feet are shod with God's peace, it gives us these benefits:

• A firm grip which we need in a world that is not firm
• Stability
• Allows us to keep our footing when everything around us is swirling
• Will help to keep us sane

Peace keeps us:

• Focused
• Pointed in the right direction

The benefits of having peace locked in are found in Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When peace is locked in our life, it will become our guard and protector.  It stands at attention over our soul, as an armed guard.  

According to the above verse, thanksgiving activates peace, trust fuels thanksgiving. God's peace is an anchor that tethers us to sanity, to stability no matter what comes.

In Ephesians 2:13-14, it describes to us what the "gospel of peace" is:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.

The good news (gospel) is that the separation that existed between us and God has been bridged in Jesus Christ.  The gospel gives us peace with God and as a gift, we also get the peace of God.

Another verse Priscilla gave us was Col. 3:15:

Let the peace of Christ rule (be the presiding officer) in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

There's that word again:  Thankful.  Remember that thanksgiving activates peace. Peace is not only our guard, but according to this verse, it is also our guide.  It lets us know what is in-bounds and what is out-of-bounds. It guides us.  Think of it this way:

• The red light of conviction means "stop"
• The yellow light of uneasiness and doubt means "wait"
• The green light of ease and peace when confirmed by the word and wise people means "go"

Priscilla taught us that not only is peace our guard and guide but we have these shoes of peace so we can move forward.  Standing firm does not mean we are in a stationary position if given shoes. Sometimes, we have to advance against the enemy.  We have to proactively move forward and tear down strongholds.

Remember this:  Trust fuels thanksgiving and thanksgiving activates peace.  We need to incubate our requests in thanksgiving.

Priscilla encouraged us to continue to write our prayer strategies and maybe this week to list the things we are thankful for in this week's strategy.

Next week:  Session 5 "The Shield of Faith"

Armor of God Session 3 - "The Breastplate of Righteousness"

Wednesday night Bible study is so inspiring not only with Priscilla Shirer's teaching but with all the women who come and participate. I am always encouraged by the chatter that happens as soon as women walk through the door.  Patty Karzmarski, who is a retired elementary school teacher, had to flick the lights off (as she has done in her classroom at times) to get everyone's attention to start class. So funny!  I would rather have loud chatter and laughing than an absolutely quiet room.  Give me loud chatter and women who love to be together studying God's word and sharing their life and experiences any day.

Notes from Session 3:

Priscilla talked about "The Breastplate of Righteousness" found in Ephesians 6:14

"Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness."

Why put on the breastplate of righteousness?  Remember the story about the overturned boat and her fishing with her boys?  When the boat is overturned, a lot of creepy things gather underneath the boat.  When you turn it right-side up, all those creepy things will scatter.  I've experienced this myself.  An "overturned boat" (unrighteousness) is the perfect environment to attract demonic influence in our life.  It's the enemy's invitation if we do not have the breastplate of righteousness on.

"Choosing right-side-up living deflects the attacks of the enemy", Priscilla Shirer says.

The first three pieces of armor are our uniform to have on every day, every moment:

• Gird our loins with truth
• Breastplate of righteousness
• Feet shod with peace

Our choices need to align with God's expectations.  Righteousness is upright living.

She mentioned we are strangers, aliens to this world.  We should live distinct from the culture.  We should affirm God's standard (truth) and then align (righteousness) our behavior with His standard.

Priscilla said that "truth is the railroad tracks in our life and righteousness is the train of our obedience and behavior that align with the railroad tracks of God's truth.  The enemy, though, wants to derail us.

When we live an unrighteous life, it leaves us open to a full frontal attack from the enemy.  We can pray until we are blue in the face, she said, but if you are praying against the enemy and living and unrighteous life, our prayers will not be effective.

If we want the guarding, the protecting the breastplate gives, we have to put into practice first girding ourselves with truth.

The breastplate is about living in alignment with truth.  The breastplate was connected to the belt to lift the weight off of the shoulders of the soldier and have the belt carry some of the weight.  Makes perfect sense.  We are not meant to carry our own righteousness.

Righteousness cannot be attained by us performing or striving for perfectionism.  Ephesians 1:13-14 explains to us that the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us allowing us to do what we cannot do in our own power.  Righteousness starts on the inside.

Sanctification (a setting apart) is done by the Holy Spirit as well.  It is a process.  We cannot do this on our own.  The Holy Spirit molds us into the image of Christ.  It is the job description of the Holy Spirit.

Righteousness cannot be manufactured.  When we try to make ourselves better, or strive to be perfect, or try to change on our own, it's a temporary fix.  The Holy Spirit gives a permanent fix - from the inside out.

What is righteousness all about?

It's about our attitudes, our motivations, our deep down stuff.  When we try to change ourselves from the outside first, it's exhausting.  It's the Holy Spirits job to chip away at everything that doesn't look like Jesus.  The breastplate fortifies us from the schemes of the enemy.  It protects our vital organ - the heart.

Priscilla said this, "your spiritual heart is to your spiritual life what your physical heart is to your physical life."  The enemy is after our heart - the centerpiece of our emotions.

Our conscience is the microphone the Holy Spirit uses to allow us to hear the voice of God in our life. The enemy wants to short-circuit our conscience.  He wants to weaken our spiritual immune system.

When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, the righteousness of Christ is credited to our spiritual bank account.  The Father sees the righteousness of Christ when He looks at us.

We need to remember the truth of who we are Christ.  Don't be crippled by perfectionism.  The treasure of righteousness is available for us to use.

Priscilla said to:

• Live righteous
• Have accountability
• Rely on the Spirit

Don't fight the change God is trying to do in us to live righteous.  Don't fight the cutting away process.  Don't fight the pruning.

Scriptures used in this Session:

Ephesians 6:14  
Romans 7    
Romans 7:24      
Ephesians 1:13-14  
2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Thessalonians 2:13  
Philippians 3:9  
Romans 5:19  
I Peter 2:24    
2 Corinthians 5:21

Proverbs 4:23
Galatians 5:16

Coming Up:  Session 4 "The Shoes of Peace"