RSS

Monthly Archives: July 2023

The Spirit Sword

31 Jul
The Spirit Sword

As we go through the book of Ephesians, I’m taking a little extra time to talk about spiritual warfare. It’s an important topic that needs to be taught in our generation.

In my last post, I talked about prayer in the spirit as the key to spiritual warfare. It’s through prayer in the spirit that we receive the helmet and the sword.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:17-18

As we’ve already seen in this series, the helmet and sword speak of the authority and power of God working in us. God wants to show His power through us in order to bring the Good News of Christ to the world.

We need to understand how our weapons work. Specifically, I’m talking about the sword of the spirit – the rhema – Word of God. For a detailed discussion of the word, rhema, click here.

Remember, we’re talking about the armor of God. That means this is the sword of the Lord. Our knowledge of this got watered down over time. We’ve used this weapon less and less since the advent of the printing press.

You may not want to hear this, but the Bible is not our sword. The sword is a spiritual weapon. As a matter of fact, the devil doesn’t fear the Bible. He has it memorized. There are even times that he uses it against God’s people.

It’s the rhema – Word of God that’s our spiritual weapon. But does that mean I don’t need the Bible? Absolutely not! We are to study in order to show ourselves approved to use the rhema.

Look at what Jesus said to the Pharisees.

“If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
John 5:46-47

Literally, the Lord said, “If you don’t believe what was written, how will you believe my rhema?” The rhema is the revealed Word of God to me…and to you. This is the greatest weapon of the church; God speaking to us.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Matthew 10:34

Christ brought us the spiritual weapons that we would use to fight the enemy’s kingdom. The Sword of the Spirit was just what we needed for victory.

Under the Old Covenant, they had no spiritual weapons. All their battles had to be fought in the natural. That’s why the Law of Moses had so many death penalties. The only way to stop the spirit of adultery was to kill those who were controlled by it.

After Christ died and rose again, everything changed. Now there’s nowhere in New Testament that tells us that God will fight the battle for us.

We now have a weapon that the enemy cannot defend against. He can debate the Bible with you. But a sword that pierces the spirit…he has no defense against that.

That’s why it’s so important that we understand, not only what the Word of God is, but how we use it against the enemy’s kingdom. God wants His people to hear His voice and act on it in obedience. That’s the key to our victory.

Question: Why is a Word from God so destructive to the enemy’s kingdom?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 31, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

Tags: , , , ,

Prayer in the Spirit is Key

28 Jul
Prayer in the Spirit is Key

We are currently looking at Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. We’re in chapter 6, which deals with spiritual warfare.

Now the apostle will bring it all together. There are some practical things that we need to know if we’re going to walk in the power of God.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:17-18

I’ve already talked about the helmet and sword. They’re the pieces of armor that are issued after we’re properly trained and approved. If you remember, the word, take, actually means to receive or accept.

Now the question is; how do we receive these powerful spiritual weapons? To answer that, we need to understand the Greek language of these verses.

First, let me say that I’m grateful for the translators who have given us the Holy Bible in the English language. I’ve met some of them and I know that most of them are sincere in their service to Christ. The time and dedication that they gave is a wonderful gift to the church.

That being said, there are some inherent challenges when you translate a text from one language to another. Depending upon your experience and/or your spiritual baggage, sometimes your own thoughts can unknowingly color the translation.

This is especially true when dealing with prayer in the spirit – praying in tongues. We know that the Apostle Paul had a very rich experience praying in the spirit (1 Corinthians 14:18). He had an understanding of this discipline more than most believers, even in our generation.

The problem comes in when a translator who has never even experienced the gift tries to figure out what Paul is saying. They look at the Greek words but have no understanding of how to apply them. They then make their best guess at how to align the translation in a way that also works with their own personal experience.

On top of all that, the Greek language allows for what we would call some huge run-on sentences. Sometimes two, or even three, English verses are actually all one sentence in the original Greek text. In order for the passage to be more understandable to modern readers, the translators have broken them up for us.

This is the case in the above section of Scripture. The clue to this is when you see verse 18 starting with the word, and. That should tell you that verses 17 and 18 are actually all one sentence.

In the original text, the word translated, and, is actually the Greek word, dia. Dia literally means through or by means of. That one change brings a whole new meaning to this verse.

It literally reads, “Receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God by means of prayer and requests, always praying in the Spirit.” The apostle makes it clear that we receive these weapons through our prayer in the spirit.

I know that there are those in the body of Christ who don’t believe that this gift is still active and available. Unfortunately, that’s the result of some translation issues that I’ve outlined above. So, over the next few posts, I’m going to specifically write about prayer in the spirit (tongues) as it relates to spiritual warfare in Scripture.

God’s people need to be spending quality time in the spirit if we’re going to see the end-time harvest in our generation.

Question: How much time do you spend praying in the spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 28, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

Tags: , , , ,

Walking in Authority and Power

26 Jul
Walking in Authority and Power

We’re continuing our walk through the book of Ephesians. Over the past few posts, I’ve talked about the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, in chapter 6. I looked at them individually in order to understand what they are and how they operate.

But if you remember, when I first talked about them, I said that they were given to us as a set.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17

After we lift up the Shield of Faith, the next step is to receive, accept, the helmet and sword. As I’ve said, these are the two pieces of armor that God bestows on us once we’re sufficiently trained.

You may not like this teaching. Most others preach that these are ours to use simply by faith. However, I think that a quick look at the church today will prove that relatively few believers are victorious over the enemy and his kingdom.

Personally, I want to see results in my Christian walk. To do that, I need to trust what Scripture says and not a good sounding preacher.

I need to first prepare myself for battle. I take up the belt, breastplate, shoes, and shield. I submit myself to the training of the Holy Spirit. Only then am I in a position to receive the helmet and sword.

To review, the Helmet of Salvation is the authority of God working through me. The Sword of the Spirit is the power of God. This is a lethal combination against the enemy’s kingdom.

Authority is the permission you need to carry out your calling effectively. Power is the ability to see it accomplished. You can’t complete your assignment without both of these ingredients.

The concept of “issued armor” is not only a spiritual truth. It works this way in the physical as well. Think about what it takes to become a Police Officer.

First, they have to undergo classroom training. They need to learn the law, tactics, and procedures. Then they need weapons training. After that, they need to practice their fieldwork. If they pass all their training, they can graduate from the Police Academy.

However, even then, they can’t hit the streets and start arresting criminals or issuing tickets. There’s one more important step. They need to be accepted and hired by a police force.

Let’s say that a graduate from the academy is hired by the NYPD. Only then are they issued their two most important pieces of equipment. I’m talking about their badge and their gun.

The badge tells the city they work for, their rank, and the authority they have in the department. The gun gives them the power to enforce the authority that’s been given to them.

The Scripture teaches that it’s the same way in the spirit. We need to be issued a helmet and sword. Unfortunately, because of a lack of teaching about this, there are many believers trying to battle the enemy hand-to-hand. We were never called to do that.

On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
1 Thessalonians 2:4

We get into trouble when we ignore verses like this. Paul clearly taught that God has an approval process before He’ll entrust you with His Word of power. It’s the Holy Spirit that does the testing.

This concept is found all through the New Testament. We would do well to understand it and walk in it. Only then will we see the power and authority of Christ affecting the world around us. I believe that this is the next step on God’s agenda. He wants to train His church to live and minister as Christ did.

Question: How does the spiritual helmet and sword increase the effectiveness of our evangelism?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 26, 2023 in Anointing, Ministry, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Applying the Sword of the Spirit

24 Jul
Applying the Sword of the Spirit

In my last post, I explained that the Sword of the Spirit is a special Word that you’ve received from God. You get it by spending quality time in His presence. The Holy Spirit trains you before giving you this gift.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

This truth is hard for us to accept sometimes. The true Word of God is alive and active. It has a life and will of its own. I can speak it, but I can’t control what it does.

We sometimes think that if God would speak through us, we’ll have such a great time. That’s not always the case.

Think about Elijah. He heard from God and then spoke to a king saying that it wouldn’t rain for a few years. Because of that Word, Elijah had to live by a brook for his water. Later, the brook dried up and he had to go to a widow for provision.

When God’s Word is invoked over a situation, that Word has its own plan. Scripture makes it clear that it will accomplish what God ordained it to do. (Isaiah 55:11)

Even more than that, once God’s Word goes forth, nothing can be protected from it. It can totally change every area of your life. The writer of Hebrews continues with this thought.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews 4:13

When this verse says that everything is laid bare, it uses a special Greek word. It literally means to expose the neck of a victim so that they can be killed. This is a powerful spiritual weapon.

This is why the Holy Spirit must train us to use it. God will never entrust it to an infant, the unapproved, or fools. It can totally destroy the work of the enemy in someone’s life, in a city, or in a region.

As believers, we should desire to enter the spiritual battle. Our goal should be to set the captives free from the influence and control of the enemy.

In speaking about those with God-given authority, Paul made an interesting observation.

For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
Romans 13:4

I know that in its context, this verse is talking about people in authority, such as the Police Department, who are authorized to keep the peace. But there’s a greater application.

Are you God’s servant? Do you desire to do good? If so, then this verse could be applied to you in a spiritual sense.

This verse tells me that there’s a reason why the police carry a gun. In the same way, the Lord doesn’t issue the Sword of the Spirit for no reason. If you have no reason to bear the sword, you will not be issued the sword.

What’s the reason that we’re given this sword? To explain it, I’m going to give a word by word translation of the last sentence of the above verse. In essence, God’s servant is a punisher, who repeatedly carries out justice against evil, while motivated by a violent passion.

Please remember – I’m ONLY talking about attacking the devil’s kingdom IN THE SPIRIT. I’m not talking about any physical attack.

With that in mind, if you have no intention of attacking the enemy’s kingdom with a violent passion, then you’ll have no reason to be given the Sword of the Spirit. To put it another way, God will have no reason to give you a special Word from Him.

We need to allow the Holy Spirit to train us. Our generation needs more believers who can handle this sword.

Question: How passionate are you about seeing God’s will done on earth?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 24, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

The Word as a Sword

21 Jul
The Word as a Sword

Today, as we continue through the book of Ephesians, I want to begin looking at the Sword of the Spirit. It’s the second of the pieces that we receive.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17

It goes without saying that the sword is an offensive weapon. Everything so far has kept the enemy from hurting you. This piece actually hurts the enemy and does damage to his kingdom. If we’re going to walk in the victory that God has ordained for us, then we need to understand what this weapon is and how to use it.

First, we need to know what it’s not. The Sword of the Spirit is not the Bible. The Bible does not hurt the enemy. As a matter of fact, the devil has the Bible memorized and he quotes it when it suits his purposes (Matthew 4:5-6).

The Sword of the Spirit is a rhema-Word from God. It’s a Word I need to receive directly from God.

We serve a God who speaks to His people. But we need to be in a position to hear what He’s saying to us. I must spend the time needed to be listening in His presence.

That’s why it’s important that we understand this is a received weapon, along with the helmet. The fact is that the Holy Spirit has to train us to use this weapon.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15

There are many Scriptures that talk about our need to be approved. For the most part, we ignore them. Then we wonder why the church seems to have no power.

The word approved means that there has been an inspection. More than that, the inspection has been passed and the one tested has been certified. There needs to be training.

The phrase that’s translated as correctly handles actually means to make a straight cut. We need to be able to make a straight cut with the Word of truth. This verse is talking about the logos-Word of God.

It’s the logos-Word that trains us to use the rhema-Word. For in-depth teaching on the differences between the logos, rhema, and graphe word of God, click here.

The fact is, if you can’t make a straight cut with the logos-Word, then you’ll not be given permission to use the rhema-Word. We must be approved to use the sword. It’s not some spiritual toy that we can take out and play with whenever we want.

The question is, how do I become approved to use this sword?

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
James 1:19-21

This verse tells us that anger, man’s passion, will never win the war against evil. It’s the humble acceptance of the Word that rids us of evil. At least that’s how it’s written in Greek.

James goes on to tell us how to prepare.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22

These verses from James are all talking about the logos-Word. If I can’t hear and obey God’s logos-Word to me, then I’m not ready for His rhema.

If I want to walk in the greater things of God, then I first need to be faithful in what I’ve already received. That’s the key to a victorious Christian walk.

Question: What’s the last thing you knew that the Holy Spirit was speaking to you?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 21, 2023 in Anointing, Revival, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Applying the Helmet of Salvation

19 Jul
Applying the Helmet of Salvation

In my last post, we saw that the Helmet of Salvation speaks of the authority we’re given in Christ. If you remember, all of the armor is put on by my choice. This piece is received once I’m trained in its use.

Think about when Jesus entered the Temple courts and overturned the tables of the money-changers. At that point, the priests asked Him, “Who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23)

That’s because authority is like a chain. Each link is connected. Authority must be given and received.

So how does salvation enter into all of this?

Salvation means that we’re safe and defended. When I say that I’m saved, I mean that I’m safe in Christ. However, there are three distinct works that the word, salvation, refers to.

The first took place when I bowed my knee to Christ and prayed for Him to save me. I was saved. I was taken out of the world’s trash heap and placed in God’s house for His use.

Now, in God’s kingdom, I’m experiencing an ongoing cleaning process. All that “stuff” from the world that stuck to me is being removed – sin, sickness, poverty, anxiety, depression, bitterness, etc. I’m in the process of renewal. I am being saved.

Then, someday Christ will return to take physical possession of the earth. At that point, I’ll receive my new resurrected body. I will be saved from decay and death.

The question is; which of these works does the helmet speak of?

But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
1 Thessalonians 5:8

If you read this verse in the original, you’ll see that it’s not saying that we’re hoping for salvation. Instead, it’s the hope, literally the expectation, that comes from our salvation. So it speaks of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

If I submit to the process of salvation, I am being saved. It’s this ongoing work that protects my authority in Christ.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Romans 1:16

This verse makes it clear that salvation requires power. That’s important because, like I said in my last post, authority is the permission to use power. Submitting to this cleaning process allows God’s power to flow through me.

Please understand what I’m saying. You don’t have to be absolutely clean and perfect to walk in God’s power. But you do have to be submitted to the process.

How then do I receive and put on this helmet?

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13

It’s obedience to God that works out this salvation in us. The reason Paul tells us to use such respect – fear and trembling – is because it’s the God of the universe who’s working in us. Simply put, obedience is the acceptance of His process at work within us.

I put on the Helmet of Salvation as I submit myself to God’s ongoing work in me. That brings an expectation of the good things to come as a result of this.

Question: How well do you see yourself submitting to God’s process of renewal in your life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 19, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Spiritual Warfare

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Salvation as a Helmet

17 Jul
Salvation as a Helmet

I’m continuing to post about the epistle to the Ephesians. We have been going through the section on the Armor of God. In today’s post, we’ll talk about the Helmet of Salvation.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17

Before I talk about the helmet, there’s something I need to explain. The Greek text has an interesting and important twist in this verse. Up until this point, every piece of armor was taken with a unique word. For instance, under bind your feet with the shoes or take up the shield.

In this verse, there’s only one action for both pieces of armor. We’re literally told to accept or receive the helmet and sword. That leads me to believe that these two are an all or nothing combination.

In fact, once we understand these pieces, we’ll know why this is true. I’ll talk about why they’re combined together in a future post. For now, I simply want us to get to know them as individual pieces of armor.

So the question is; what is the Helmet of Salvation used for? The obvious thing is that a helmet protects your head. It’s also obvious what the head symbolizes in Scripture.

…and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
Colossians 2:10

Christ is The Head. He has the final power and authority over all of Creation. But I am also a head under Christ.

First, I need to explain power and authority; they’re not the same thing. Power is the ability to act. We were told in Acts, chapters 2-3, that we would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us. Do you have the Holy Spirit? That answer is yes if you’re in Christ. So, you also have power.

Authority is something very different. It is the right or permission to use that power. Now, I need to know where I can get this authority.

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Romans 13:1

All authority is given by God. I can’t take it for myself. There are 4 distinct authority structures ordained by God. They are the church, the government, the home, and the workplace.

As we look at the pieces of armor, we find that there are groupings of items. First, there’s the “standing armor”, which is truth, righteousness, and preparation. Then there’s the “armor of approach”, which is faith so you can get near enough to strike the enemy.

The next two, the helmet and sword, are something else completely. The word, take, in the Ephesians verse, literally means to accept or receive. So these to pieces are the “issued armor”.

In the Roman army, the helmet told your birth country, your rank, what division you were in, and your place in the army. It was the sign of how much authority you had in this army.

The Helmet of Salvation is the same for us. It’s the sign of our authority. That’s important because if I haven’t received authority, then I can’t walk in authority. Without authority, I have no ability to use power.

The key is that I can never take authority. It can only be received when it’s given to me.

He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
Matthew 10:1

Authority can only be given by someone who has it. It flows from the top down. It’s vital that I do what’s necessary to receive God’s authority in my life.

God’s authority is how I accomplish the Lord’s work. It gives me the right to use the power of God against the enemy and his kingdom.

Question: Why is walking in both power and authority important for the church of our generation?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 17, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Spiritual Warfare

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Applying the Shield of Faith

14 Jul
Applying the Shield of Faith

In my last post, we saw that the Shield of Faith is the first of the offensive weaponry given to us. It protects our whole life against the fiery trials of evil. It also identifies me as a member of God’s family.

Today I want to talk specifically about how to use your faith in the midst of the spiritual battles you face. Let me first warn you, because I’m going to say some things that you may not agree with. Stick with me and see where I’m headed.

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak…
2 Corinthians 4:13

There are many places in Scripture where we’re told to speak out our faith. This is important in using the shield. To use faith as a shield, I must speak what I believe.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12

Paul talks about the fight of faith. It’s a shield fight. It can fend off the enemy when he first attacks. It’s all about having a good confession.

Wait a minute! Let me explain to you what I mean by “a good confession.” First of all, that word, confession, in the Greek means to speak the same as. This means that I confess the Word of God.

But be careful. I’m not saying to mindlessly repeat something over and over again. God’s Word is not some sort of magical spell. You can’t just repeat some words and get what you want.

The key is in the verse from Corinthians. I speak what I believe. If I don’t believe what I’m speaking, I get no results.

Think about when Jesus was confronted by the devil in the wilderness. The Lord was not victorious because He quoted the Scripture. He won the battle because He believed the Scripture that He spoke.

The point is that I can’t simply have God’s Word in my head. I need to get it into my heart.

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7

We’re told here to imitate the faith of godly leaders. They spoke the Word. But more than that, because they believed it, they lived it. It was a faith that could be seen and copied.

By spending time in God’s Word – reading, memorizing, speaking, and meditating on it – my heart begins to have faith in that Word. Then, in the middle of a spiritual battle, the Holy Spirit is able to use that Word as a shield to protect my life.

But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
Hebrews 3:6

As I said in my last post, faith shows that you belong to the family of God. The word, hope, in this verse actually means expectation. What do you expect God to do in your life? It’s time to start boasting about it.

We need to take our trust for God’s Word out into the open. People need to see the faith that’s in our hearts. When I speak my faith, evil will have a hard time sticking to me. My life will start to line up with the Word of God.

Question: What are you expecting from God in the near future?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 14, 2023 in Faith, Revival, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Faith as a Shield

12 Jul
Faith as a Shield

We’re continuing our walk through Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. We’ve been going through chapter 6 in detail. In talking about God’s Armor, the next piece we’ll see is the Shield of Faith. That’s probably one of the most preached about in our generation.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16

There are some assumptions being made in this verse. Paul says that this is in addition to the pieces already talked about. This assumes that you’re already standing firm in the Word, walking in righteousness, and prepared to do God’s will.

We can stand firm in just these. What we have to realize is that when we take up the shield, we’re going from defense to offense in the spiritual battle. Up until this point, your goal is to keep the enemy from harming you.

You add the shield so that you can now defeat the enemy. You take up the Shield of Faith because you’re now going into the part of the battle where the arrows are flying.

Please understand that I’m not talking about saving faith. You’ve already trusted Christ for that. I’m also not talking about faith in the promises of God. I’m looking at using faith in the middle of the battle as a shield.

It’s your protection against the flaming arrows of the evil one. This means that there’s more than just one arrow headed in your direction.

That brings me to the word, shield, itself. The Greek word used in this verse is not the little one that looks like a trashcan cover. Get that picture out of your mind, even though most of the illustrations for the Christian armor look like that.

The word Paul uses comes from the word door. That’s because this shield is as big as a door. The soldier could hide behind it and be totally protected from these arrows as long as he stayed there.

That tells me that faith protects my whole life. So far, the armor has protected my mind, my heart, and my will. This piece protects everything else.

This shield protects me from evil. What kind of evil? I’m talking about the random evil that’s flying in the front lines. The archers on the wall loose a volley of arrows against those who are advancing. These are simply flying to take out whoever they can hit.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day…
Psalms 91:5

If the enemy can hit our flesh with evil, then our flesh will take us out of the fight. We’ll end up battling our own sin nature instead of defeating the devil’s kingdom.

These are the flaming arrows of the enemy. As the weapons of the enemy hit the wooden shield, it begins to wear away. If you just stand still in your Christian walk, you begin to lose ground. Your faith begins to fade.

That’s why prayer, reading the word, and fellowship with other believers are so vital to our walk with the Lord. We need to continue in all of these things just to stand still. If that’s the case, then I really need to build my faith for moving forward in God.

However, there’s one more purpose of the shield other than for protection. In the Roman army, everybody’s shield was painted differently. They did this because your shield identified your family. Members of the same family had the same design on their shields.

But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
Hebrews 3:6

The fact is that we’re now in God’s family. This verse tells us that we can show it by our outspokenness. When we walk in faith, we can boldly declare our expectation in Christ. In that way, we show what family we belong to.

In my next post, I’ll talk about how to use and apply this piece of armor.

Question: How has God shielded you from the enemy’s attacks?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 12, 2023 in Faith, Ministry, Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Warfare

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Applying Your Spiritual Shoes

10 Jul
Applying Your Spiritual Shoes

In my last post, I talked about what the shoes protect. They keep our endurance to complete God’s will in our lives. Today I want to talk about how to use this piece of armor.

…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Ephesians 6:15

We’re told in the above verse, that this readiness comes from the Gospel of Peace. The Apostle explained this Gospel right in this same letter. You may want to read Ephesians 2:11-22 before continuing with this post.

In the second chapter of Ephesians, Paul shows us that the Gentiles were far from God, while the Jews were in His family. However, when Christ came, He destroyed all the barriers.

Formerly there were three parties at war: God, Gentiles, and the Jews. Through His death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus reconciled all people to Himself. We are all members of one body. We all have unlimited access to God.

Paul concludes that chapter by stating the point of the Gospel of Peace.

In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:21-22

Now, everyone who bows their knee to Christ has a place in this Temple. We’re being built into a dwelling place for God.

What we’re told to do takes effort.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:3

We’re told here to guard the oneness of the Spirit in the bond, or literally, the ligament of peace. Contrary to what many say, peace is not just some calming factor. It’s the glue, the unifying factor, in the body of Christ.

This tells me that I put on my Shoes of Readiness by connecting to the body of Christ. In talking about the reason for the five-fold ministry gifts, the Apostle Paul explains it.

…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…
Ephesians 4:12

This is why we connect with the body of Christ. By connecting, I learn to serve.

I know that right now many have stopped going to church meetings. They may have stopped attending during the COVID crisis. Maybe they’ve been hurt in the past. Or it could be the proliferation of TV and online preachers.

There’s a question that some ask. “Can’t I be a Christian and never go to a church?” The answer to that is yes, but it’s not all about you. Apart from a local church, you can never be prepared for works of service that build up the body of Christ.

Of course, there are a lot of believers who attend church yet aren’t connected. That puts you in the same condition. You’re shoe-less.

As a matter of fact, the above verse continues to say…

…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:13

It’s all about the body of Christ as a whole operating on the level of Christ. That’s not going to happen without us all being connected. The church needs to arise in this generation.

That’s how you put on the shoes of readiness. You can’t move forward unless you find your connection. If you’re not connected to a local body of believers, then you’re trying to walk without shoes.

It’s my connection to a local church that fleshes out the Gospel of Peace. Then, from that connection, my spiritual feet can be protected as I move forward in God’s will.

Question: What are your connections in the body of Christ?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 10, 2023 in Fellowship, Ministry, Relationships, Revival, Spiritual Warfare, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , ,

← Older posts