NOT ONLY MUST THE ENEMY FLEE BUT SO MUST WE.

If I have one regret (which I cannot change) is the fact that for numerous years I did not know after I became a Christian (at 10 years old) that not only had my sins been forgiven but I NOW had an inheritance through the finished work Christ on the Cross that I could withstand temptation and by the grace of God live in spiritual victory over all the wiles and tricks of the enemy.

Paul reminds us in Eph. 6:10-18 that we have a complete set of armour available to us, and that especially through Biblical Discipleship if we learn to recognise which piece of armour we need, put it on and learn to use it, we can resist temptation.

NKJV Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness 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.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

NLT A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

PASSION Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.
Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser! Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage. Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.
Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph. Put on holiness as the protective armor that covers your heart. Stand on your feet alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace.
In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the Evil One! Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts from lies. And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken Word of God.
Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers.

MESSAGE And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

I have listed these various translations for you to get a FULL AND CLEAR picture of these 7 pieces of armour God has given us.

The Helmet of Salvation

The Breastplate of Righteousness

The Belt & Skirt of Truth

Peace on our feet

The Sword of the Spirit

The Shield of Faith

Paul tells us we have an enemy, who will seek to do anything to cause us to sin and rebel against God, but if we put on this armour we can be MORE THAN CONQUERERS (Rom.8:37)and walk in victory and purity.

Can I encourage you to spend time meditating and praying about your set of armour, and let the Holy Spirit give you revelation and understanding on how to wear and use your armour.

A very favourite verse to me, that reinforces this truth is James 4:7 NKJV Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

PASSION So then, surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will turn and run away from you.

MESSAGE So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper.

There are two key words here,

SUBMIT, We must learn to live the “surrendered life”, re-affirming Christ Lordship over our loves continually Rom. 12:1.

RESIST, Greek scholars tell us that we can both offensively and defensively stand against the enemy especially using the “whole armour of God.

This is what I do,

1. Like Michael the Archangel I say The Lord rebuke you Jude 6
2. I remind him the blood of Jesus is against him
3. I use my God given authority to use the Name of Jesus against him
4. I take the Sword of the Spirit (which is the Rhema Word of God) and confess 1 John 4:4 NKJV You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

The result is he must obey the Word of God and FLEE. Sadly, he continues to do as Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:8-9 NKJV Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

As a good soldier of the Lord we must continually be alert to his tricks and never relax.

Not only must the devil flee, but this same word is used numerous times in the Word of God that as Believers we must also FLEE.

1 Tim. 6:11-12 NKJV But you, O man of God, FLEE these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

2 Tim. 2:22 NKJV FLEE also youthful (forbidden) lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 John 2:16 NKJV For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

PASSION or all that the world can offer us—the gratification of our flesh, the allurement of the things of the world, and the obsession with status and importance —none of these things come from the Father but from the world.

NLT For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

MESSAGE Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.

Just as the enemy must flee, so we must flee and run totally in the opposite direction, this is an act of our will, I CHOOSE TO RUN AWAY FROM THESE THINGS AND RUN EVER FORWARD TOWARDS THE LORD.

Once again, not only must we never relax when it comes to the tricks of the enemy, but our own sinful nature will also wants us to sin, but as we PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR GOD (all 7 pieces) AND CONTINUE TO DEEPEN OUR INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD WE CAN WALK IN VICTORY AND PURITY AND POWER.

May this simple blog be a reminder to us all of what is available to us, we thank God afresh today again for His SO GREAT SALVATION amen.