Put on the Armor of God

Under God’s Protective Armor (Part 3)

Satan blinds the mind of an unbeliever (2 Cor. 4:3, 4). But even as we become a born-again Christian Satan still looks for an opportune time to tempt us (Luke 4:13). We as Christians need to be fully aware of the spiritual principalities and powers of this dark realm that wait for opportune times to advance their cause but not as those who live in fear but rather as those who are vigilant, living under the protection of truth and righteousness. The devil can be resisted since God has provided all the necessary resources for battle. Putting on the armor is putting on the light of Christ (Rom 13:12-14). In essence we put on the robe of Christ which replaces our flesh. The Gospel of John reminds us the prince of this world has no hold on Christ (John 14:30), so when we put on Christ, we are protected and Satan cannot touch us (1 John 5:18). O’Brien comments that Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:16 speaks, ‘that you may be strengthened with the power of the Holy Spirit’, indicates believers do not empower themselves but rather are empowered with strength from an external source, the Lord Jesus. He is the person with whom believers have been brought into union with (cf. 2:21; 4:1, 17; 5:8; 6:1, 21). The fact also remains that Christ has been raised up and positioned at the right hand of God where He rules over every power and authority (Col. 2:10). As believers we have been marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). This is our true position in Christ, this is our protection; this is our seal!

The Belt, Breastplate, and Shoes

Only after being enveloped by Christ in reception are we then commanded to put on the full armor of God to be able to stand firm. It is because of God’s victory in His Son that believers are in the battle at all.

Receiving Christ unites us with the truth, as Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). With the belt of truth we can discern Satan’s deceptions by comparing his invoking thoughts with the Word of God. Jesus prayed for his disciples safety from the evil one (John 17:15) by being sanctified in the truth; Thy Word is truth (John 17:17).

Receiving Christ covers us with His righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30). As Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10) it is important we have the breastplate of righteousness to combat his lies and continual accusations. We cannot forget that although we have received Christ, sinning is still going to occur. We still have physical fleshy bodies and therefore sins in the flesh will happen. Although the new Spirit within us does not want to sin, the existing nature of our flesh does. God tells us if we sin we have an advocate with the Father, Christ Jesus (1 John 2:1). Learning to confess our sins when we are immediately convicted of them restores our righteousness with God.

Receiving Christ unites you with His peace for He is the Prince of Peace: this establishes your new position in Christ (Rom. 5:1). Paul also informs us that we need to press on “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3). After we have been clothed in Christ we are then commanded to put on the ‘full’ armor of God.

The Shield, Helmet, and Sword

Faith is established by God and His Word. Faith within the believer increases as knowledge about God increases. Faith comes by hearing the message (Rom 10:17). We deflect the lies and accusations of Satan with the shield of faith. To take up the shield is to trust in the promises of God alone for protection.

Satan will constantly try to deceive you by placing evil thoughts in your mind. He will challenge your faith by trying to get you to question your position in Christ. In 1 John we have complete confirmation as believers in Jesus that we have eternal life (1 John 5:13). As the serpent attacked Eve in the garden, filling her mind with doubt by questioning her about what she knew to be true, he continues to try on believers today. The helmet of salvation protects us from these attacks on the mind. The Holy Word reminds us we have been saved by the good works of Christ and that we are now united with Him and “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16).

The Word of God is our only offense against Satan’s attacks. Jesus illustrates this by addressing Satan with the Word of God and only God’s Word during His time of temptation. Jesus spoke out loud the Word of God as He was being attacked. It is imperative that the Sword of the Spirit is spoken out loud trusting that as we have hidden God’s Words in our heart through diligent study and intense meditation, the Holy Spirit will bring them to our mind and out of our mouth as we are confronted by temptations, lies and accusations from the evil forces in the spiritual realm! Again, we are not called on as believers to defeat Satan and his many evil forces, he has already been defeated; we are only commanded, so God can protect us, to put on His Armor and leave it on so when the day of evil comes, we may be able to stand! These last three pieces of armor are available but it is incumbent on our part to seize them. God has provided us with His Word but He cannot study for us. He will join us in His Word but until we join Him there our spiritual growth will suffer. We have the gift of unity in Christ who has made us one. We need to exercise this gift of unity by praying and interceding for each other. We are called upon to pray in the Spirit for the brethren. The reader can be sure the discipline of prayer as requested by the Apostle has the power to move and protect God’s children.

Praying in the Spirit

Our prayers need to be Spirit-led because in all truth we often lack knowledge in what to pray for. Praying to God gives us an opportunity to line up with His works. God knows what is going on and if we want to be effective in the battle, we need to ask the Spirit to bring us into the presence of God’s movement; into His ministry. In Ephesians 1:18,19, we find Paul praying that the eyes of the believers heart may be enlightened in order that they might know the hope in which they were called, the spiritual power, authority, and protection which was their inheritance in Christ. Like Paul we need to be supportive of one another in our prayers, spiritually led before God so as to be certain our petitions and intercessions for others are received by the request of the Spirit. A major target for prayer from this perspective on intercession for others is against what Jesus called the “strongman” (Matt. 12:29). Rescuing people from the bonds of spiritual blindness cannot be achieved until we bind the strongman. Satan is powerless, but if a brother has any unforgiveness, resentment, or unrepentance of any kind in their heart Satan has access to them. As they belong to God, it is our duty to pray in the Spirit with certainty that what is bound on earth is already bound in heaven and whatever is loosed on earth has already been loosed in heaven (Matt 18:18). Our prayers may often go unanswered and denied because we ask amiss but the prayers of the Spirit are always answered with great authority from the kingdom!

Blessings,

Pastor, Jim Bringman

Greetings, brethren

The Battleground of Spiritual Warfare

The struggle takes place in within the hearts and lives of believers. Another fundamental truth in spiritual warfare is how we, the believer, allow the devil access into our lives. “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph. 4:26-27). According to this Scripture, anger is an emotion that if not spiritually controlled, can turn into a sinful action, leaving one in a state of sinfulness, where if left un-repented of, gives the devil open access into the sinners life. God told Cain, “If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it" (Gen. 4:7). Again we can see how vulnerable we are to the works of the devil. God provides protection and a way for us to escape reminding us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We as believers have the choice, and in order to stay under God’s protection we must choose to repent when we sin and discover the devil has a hold on us! We must remember the works of the devil have been destroyed and in this truth we can know for certain that he has no power over us other than what we give him. However, we give him power often without knowledge of it and while enabling the devil may not affect our salvation, it certainly destroys our witness to others as well as the joy we can have in Christ while here on earth.

 The Wiles of the Devil (Deception, Temptation, and Accusation)

We are vulnerable to Satan because he is formidable and without the protection of God we are helpless to the prince of this world! Another major foundational truth about spiritual warfare comes to us from Paul’s teachings in Ephesians. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:10-12). Our battle is not with what or who we can see but with who and what we cannot see. Without spiritual discernment, God’s armor, we can and will be deceived.

Deception is an evil scheme, a purely evil practice. To deceive someone, is to get a person to believe something that is not true. Once in a state of deception it is easy to create a wall of lies, strongholds, that will eventually lead the deceived into temptation, action, and death (James 1:14, 15). We discover Satan’s strategy of deception in Genesis. First of all he appears as something he is not, a serpent, and in this lowly state of appearance he begins a dialogue with Eve. He starts by injecting doubt into the certain truth Eve has received from God (“Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” (Gen 3:1)). This subtle tactic is very effective on the Christian who is not confident in the Word of God; questioning God’s truth plants seeds of doubt in the believer’s mind; leaving them with the thought that perhaps God’s Word cannot be trusted. If this method of deception gains a foothold, if Satan can actually control the way you think about the certainty of God’s truth, he can and will destroy you! Hosea proclaimed in his warning to the Hebrews, “My people are destroyed by lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Paul warned believers countless times not to be ignorant concerning the Word of God.

It is while in a state of deception that Satan then entices us with temptation(s). Once the devil had Eve questioning God’s truth, injecting thoughts of doubt into her mind about what God said, he then contradicted God’s warning of death to the disobedient, “You will surely not die” (Gen 3:4) he claimed,  therefore presenting the fruit as both harmless and desirable. Once the fear of death for eating from the forbidden tree was eliminated, Eve was comfortable with eating its fruit and sharing it with Adam. The lie was easy to proclaim to Eve in her state of deception and without the strength and protection of God’s Word to sustain her she was tempted and easily provoked to act on that temptation. This disobedience brought on by the wiles of the devil, coupled with man’s lack of trusting God by obeying His Word, is the essence of spiritual warfare. Deception is Satan’s number one tactic. It is his agenda to get mankind to trust in their own strength apart from God’s protection so he can boast to God of his cleverness over His when it comes to governing the affairs of mankind.

Lastly, Satan likes to remind the sinner of their faults and shortcomings; he is known as the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). It is an ongoing effort in these accusations to keep the sinner feeling guilty thereby keeping the act of repentance between men to God from occurring. Satan knows that repentance brings cleansing to the unrighteous sinner. So how do we stand firm in this world where Satan is the ruler of the air, against the principalities and powers? In James we are told to resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7). How do we do that, resist him? The remainder of this paper will focus on our command to put on God’s armor, stand firm against the schemes of the devil, and pray for the brethren. It will do us well to remember we are not called to defeat the devil that has already been accomplished by Jesus Christ. We are only told to spiritually suit up, stand firm, and pray and as these are the prerequisites for protection in duty, we can be sure God has provided a way for us to exercise these commands.

In Christ,

Jim

Hello! Housekeeping!

Greetings brothers and sisters in the name of Christ Jesus!

"I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth" (1Tim 3:14).

"Hello, house keeping." I heard these words almost every morning when I attended college in my youth. They were there to empty the trash can. Sad to say, the neatest thing in my dorm room at the time was the trash can. You would think watching house keeping do there job day in and day out would have some effect on my cleaning habits, but it didn't. I remember the first time my wife- to- be, walked into the house I was renting and asked the silliest question, where is the sink? It was right in front of her, somewhere, buried under the clutter. Before you get the impression that I didn't have any training in house cleaning when I was a child, let me be clear. I was shown how to clean, I was expected to clean, and with firm guidance I did keep my room clean. It's when I got on my own, out from under supervision that I became careless and untidy.
Today, I like to keep things clean. But even with the desire for tidiness there are times the cleaning gets away from me. I'm reminded of this fact during the moments something falls out of my car when I attempt to get in. It's during these moments, while cleaning the neglected mess, two questions come to mind. How did things get so dirty, and how long have they been this way? Both of these questions reflect on my negligence and even though I've tried different methods in the past to keep things clean and organized it wasn't until I realized I had to change my habits that anything happened.

The process of asking God to change my habits brought two questions to mind as He revealed what was inside my heart. How did I get so dirty, and how long have I been this way? God brought into my life people who were disciplined, organized and unwavering. As I studied their habits I noticed their lives were surrounded with others who shared the same values and practiced the same disciplines. They watched out for one another with love and devotion. Rebuking one another wasn't frequent but it was exercised without hesitation and with a tremendous renewing of each other's spirit. Do you follow? We are human and we will do things wrong, it is wonderful to have people around who care about our souls and will point out practices that will separate us from God.

Church life, worshiping the Father, fellowshipping with the body, praying for each other and staying in God's Word will help us keep His house in order. But what will really be pleasing to the Father is that we practice these spiritual disciplines with an attitude of joy and sincere love for Him and all that is His. Let's always worship God in a manner that is suitable to the King of Kings!

Christ's peace be with you,

Jim

The Doctrine of Hell

A Defense of the Biblical Doctrine of Hell

Introduction

So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come” (Luke 3:7)?

This proclaimed danger is the wrath of God; which abides on every ungodly man and woman. It is written, “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11); and, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18); and also, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

This paper is going to deal with the result of God’s wrath, the doctrine of hell. I will contrast terms such as Hades, Sheol, Gehenna, and Abaddon for clarification on what hell is and what it is not.  

Hell is a real place often spoken about by the Lord Jesus Christ to all of His listeners. A striking question He posed to the religious leaders of the Jewish ecclesia was, “…how can ye escape the damnation of hell” (Matt 23:33)?  I will present my defense on the doctrine of hell with various Scripture references but will work within the parable of the drag net Jesus spoke about in Matthew 13:47-52.

This doctrine is important too me based solely on the shallow rhetoric I’ve heard in the clerical arena about the subject. I attended a seminar where I listened to a well known pastor declare before a large student body, “there is no hell.” Later I approached her about the comment she made about the non-existence of hell and she very matter-of-factly told me, “Man has used this doctrine to scare and control their congregations for far too long! Jesus spoke only briefly about hell and never once did He directly describe it as a literal place of eternal torment; and until somebody can show me differently, I along with many other clergy in this area, certainly in this denomination, will be teaching otherwise!” Not until she included other supporting pastors for her cause did I grasp the totality of the danger in this growing movement.

Hades, Sheol, Gehenna, Abaddon

For clarification, let us examine some terms, descriptive places the Bible speaks about that can get tangled up in the definition of hell and therefore cause misinterpretations about mans eternal state and place after death.

Hades: It is described as the abode for the dead (Matt 11:23; 16:18, Luke 16:23; Acts 2:27). All people who die, believers and unbelievers go to Hades; [1]  in fact, Hades and Death are used four times interchangeably in (Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20: 13-14). In NT Greek, Hades can be found ten times and is uniformly translated “hell” in the KJV.[2] It must be clarified however, that Hades is not hell! For example, in Matthew 11:23 our Lord says Capernaum will go down to Hades and then in Matthew 24, He puts the Day of Judgment for Sodom and Capernaum later than their stay in Hades. In Matthew 16:18, we are told the gates are locked; awaiting the coming redeemer who has the keys of Death and Hades (Rev 1:18). The dead remain in Hades until the end of days, when each one faces judgment.[3]

 Hades is not the permanent region of the lost; in point and time it is, for such, intermediate between decease and the doom of Gehenna.[4]

Gehenna

Gehenna: The abode of the wicked; the name (given as hell KJV) is derived from the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom.[5] Scripture tells us that God has the authority to through wicked men, in whose fire can destroy body and soul, into hell (Matt 10:28; Luke 12:5). It is a place of punishment (Matt 5:22, 29, 10:28; James 3:6). Jesus tells us in (Luke 16:19-31) about a rich man who was conscious, able to feel pain, thirst and even experience remorse. This has significance as there are some traditions that teach at death, we sleep in the grave. Jesus also taught that that if your eye, hand, or foot cause you to sin, it would be better to remove it than go into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched and where the worm dies not (Mark 9:43-48). Gehenna is everlasting, “He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone… the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night (Rev 14:10, 11).

To further grasp the bodily state after death let us examine the OT description, Sheol.

Sheol: is the domain of the dead, located beneath the earth (Num 16:30), and under the waters (Job 26:5). The comparison of the NT word Hades and the OT word Sheol are stark. One thing we can glean from the description of Sheol comes to us from the Book of Ecclesiastes and describes our condition during our initial time of passing; “Neither doing nor thinking, neither understanding nor wisdom” (Ecc 9:10); and as for our relationship with God at this time, the dead did not have any communication with Him (Psalm 88:6) nor could they praise Him (Psalm 30:9). The contrast between Hades and Sheol with Gehenna are obvious and relevant when defending the doctrine of hell. Finally let us examine one last word used in the Hebrew Bible that parallels the English word “hell,” Abaddon.

Abaddon: (“place of destruction”) is described in the OT Canon as a region of the dead (Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12).[6] Abaddon in Hebrew is translated Apollyon (destroyer) in Greek. In Revelation 9:11 he is said to reign over the locusts which rise from the bottomless pit at the sounding of the fifth trumpet. These descriptions give us an overall understanding of timing and continuity in part from the moment of death (Hades/ Sheol), to the moment of destruction (Abaddon), until the final judgment (Gehenna); in which we will either live in eternal glory or eternal gloom.

Parable of the Dragnet 

When I hear a question like, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3:7); and bring it along a statement like, “…how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matt 23:33), I get the big picture of why God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world. Number one, we need to flee from God’s wrath; and number two, the hell we are running from is real and in our own righteousness is impossible for any of us to avoid.

In the parable of the dragnet (Matthew 13:47-52), Jesus gives us a vivid demonstration of how men will be judged when gathered by His angels in the final moment of separation. I have seined for bait. I can imagine the little creatures in the waterhole swimming unaware, not believing the net is approaching, or even caring about it.  I get the meaning of the parable. I understand the dragnet is all consuming and that all of us will be caught, examined, and allocated to our places according to God’s standards. Thrown out resonates with me. Jesus proclaimed a coming resurrection for all men; some “unto the resurrection of life” and some “unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:25-29). In (Matthew 13:50), Jesus proclaims, “And shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” The wicked will be cast “into the furnace of fire,” this is proclaimed by Jesus Himself. What I fail to grasp is how the doctrine of hell can be misunderstood, reasoned away, or flat out denied!

Oppositional statements

I’m going to share some statements I’ve heard people say about their concept of hell and how it stands up with the Word of God.

“I’m looking forward to hell. I know a lot of friends who will be waiting for me there.”

God sees all things. He is Just and through Scripture has indicated the destination of those who reject Christ and continue in their sin. Sinners actually see hell as a fun destination, a place to continue their sinful practices forever. But Jesus tells us it is a place of torment, where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched (Matt 9:43-45). The psalmist puts it this way, “Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for the wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them” (Ps 55:15).

“The God I know would never create a hell.”

The God they proclaim is not the Holy God in Scripture. This God has been created from human reasoning, worldly philosophy, and satanic commentary. This comment comes from one who has created a god that accommodates a sinful lifestyle; it’s a sin called “idolatry.” They see other gods that satisfy their desire rather than a Just God who punishes sin. “And if your eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you: it is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire” (Matt 18:9). The pastor I mentioned earlier falls into this category of deception. She has been blinded to the God of the Bible.

“What about the people who have never heard the Gospel; will they go to hell?”

Failing to hear the gospel is not a sin, knowingly committing sin when you know the Law says not to is a sin (I John 3:4). We are not held accountable for what we do not know. “For as many as have sinned without the Law shall perish without the Law: and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law” (Rom 2:12).

“Hell is just a metaphor for the grave.”

This comment brings us back to the description of hell we discussed earlier.

The three words translated “hell” in Scripture:

Hades (Gk): The abode of the dead (Matt 11:23; 16:18, Luke 16:23)

Sheol (Hebrew): The grave (Psalm 9:17; 16:10)

Gehenna (Gk): Place of punishment (Matt 5:22, 29; 10:28; James 3:6)

Hell for some is just a place of eternal rest. I suppose they cannot accept a place of eternal torment. What they fail to recognize is this concept allows for a rapist, murderer, etc… to receive as a punishment a deep long sleep. This isn’t Biblical. Remember the rich man Jesus used in His parable that was in hell? He felt pain, thirst, and terror for his family still living; this is a far cry from eternal sleep. “I an He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death” (Rev 1:18). Death couldn’t hold Christ and it will not hold any of us.

Conclusion

Hell is as real as heaven. Both doctrines are covered in Scripture. There seems to be an imbalance problem between the Gospel of Law and Grace being preached and taught in this generation which has led many to disregard the reality of hell or heaven for that matter. The danger of course in promoting a no hell doctrine or even an incorrect doctrine of hell nullifies the need for God’s grace. Christ’s sacrifice is nullified in this false teaching and “idolatry” is enhanced. The emergent church that promotes a doctrine of universal salvation says Jesus has forgiven you of your sin already, relax and live; do not listen to those who insist you must receive the gift of Christ, it has already been given to you. It is messages like this and passivity in the clerical arena that bolsters the rise of apostasy in our churches today. We must continue to contend for the faith (Jude 1:4). The doctrine of hell must be taught not avoided; it must be presented in a way that brings conviction therefore highlighting the glory of Jesus Christ, our blessed Redeemer. Hell was created for Satan and his fallen angels, not for man; but we can make the choice to reject Christ and therefore choose Hell, a place God never intended for mankind.

Biblical Authority
The Bible claims to be the inspired Word of God. I will reply to this claim only by the Words of the Bible itself.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (II Timothy 2:16,17).

This inspiration then would refer to the work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible doesn't just contain the Word of God, it is the Word of God; authored entirely by the Holy Spirit.
We find, however, the Bible is a difficult book to understand; it seems to contradict itself in several areas, proving to be a poor source for edification or foundational training in correction or righteousness as the quoted Scripture in II Timothy previously suggests. So how do we justify this discrepancy of truth; who do we believe, man or Spirit? Again, allow me to quote the Word in it's own defense.

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned" (I Cor 2:14).  

As the Bible is Holy inspired it can only be Holy discerned. Natural man, (unregenerate) will never be able to comprehend Scripture. Philosophers, scientists, or psychologists who are tops in their respective fields of study will never in their natural minds be able to make sense of the Holy Script.

It is with this knowledge that we find the Bible to be the ultimate authority in all matters related to the church. It is the primary source of understanding that all other sources of information must be filtered through. The Bible does not contradict itself, we simply fail at times to correctly discern the truth as presented in Scripture.