Can you hear the sizzle? (Part 3 of 3)
Part Three: Armor – some assembly required.
Reminder from last week – You have Christ as your savior, and, are headed to Heaven – but you have tiny armor.
The lying arrows are real. The armor is available. He is available. Remember, the armor IS HIM ! He is available. Repeat that to yourself. ‘He is available to me.’ His grace toward you is not limited. Building armor requires that you draw near to Him. Because He is the armor. Have I said that enough? But you must wear it, and grow it. It is not given to any of us fully formed. Each piece must transform to become more of what/WHO it is. Your shield must become more than it is today. More of Him! You can do this. God is in it!!
Your belief is not in a shield to protect you. Your belief is in the Person who IS the shield.
Let’s build three pieces of belief (in Him) for your shield. Take each one of those flaming arrows/lies I mentioned in the first blog in this series. Let’s look at what a flame-out sizzle looks like.
A lie – The enemy says God still condemns you for something in your past.
Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Psalm 103:12 “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
You can believe definitively that God says to you that you are not condemned, and He has thrown your transgressions away? Do you believe Him?
Can you hear the sizzle?
A lie – The enemy says that you don’t have what it takes – you will fail.
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
I Corinthians 10:13 “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.”
Christ Himself gives you strength for what He has for you to do, and He Himself will provide a way of escape when the enemy tempts you. Do you believe Him?
Can you hear the sizzle?
A lie – The enemy twists truth by saying ‘what God really meant was’.
John 5:39-40 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”
John 15:15 “but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
The scriptures talk about Christ. He is your friend and will make known to you what the Father wants. Do you believe Him?
Can you hear the sizzle?
Your belief is in Him, not just the text. Your ‘shield of belief’ is in a person AND what He says. Your shield is built with Him.
You don’t just believe truth, you believe HIM! We need to be ‘shield up’ to extinguish the flaming arrows of the enemy. We can sense the thud on the other side of the shield. I can almost hear the sizzle of the flaming arrows being extinguished by our belief in the One Who saved us. He is with us through His Holy Spirit. He guides us. He reminds us of what we already know. And He teaches us new things. John 14:26. In doing so, He helps us through life to be His instrument of setting captives free. But we must build the shield!!! Who is helping you do that? Answer: God and others!
“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” — Jeremiah 31:25
From God’s Word:
- Romans 8:1
- Psalm 103:12
- Philippians 4:13
- I Cor. 10:13
- John 5:39-40
- John 15:15
- John 14:26
- Jeremiah 31:25
