Kinda what I think Son is saying, that it is a daily thing, a lifestyle, not something you go to the closet and dust off the armor on a bad day... interesting
Yeah, Cman the quench did catch my attention. Does not say "stop or prevent". It says "quentch..."
Son of the master any insight?
I am seeing more from the Bible as a whole "teacher" than just looking "at Eph" as to how the was a battle is to be won (in the sense of only here is the great key on what to do, when it has been a telling and retelligng through out ). Perhaps, my misunderstanding and missing the word FINALLY has been key to my confusion
Ephesians 3:14-21 Expect to receive HIS strength when you pray for it. Not only will you get revelation, you will understand how to apply the revelation. Glory to God. We cannot rely on our own strength or worldly knowledge to defeat Satan. Rely on the strength of God. Be confident. Move forward.
Thanks Dan, Rachel, Jeff, Masterherbalsit and all .... Let's keep going...
And the LCM version of it being sports like -- was that just for him to be able to dance or is that real? Cause that makes less sense to me.
Dot While I would agree that one must re-examine all of our previous ideas about the scripture I would not be dumping the bathwater just yet. I’ve undertaken several seminars on Ephesians in the past few years most were no more than rehash of the Corps notes. I did enjoy Peter Wades work on In Christ, Christ In, and Ken Petty’s The Blessed Life but those covered other sections than the topic at hand.
Bare with me here for some background
First the change to athletic terminology in the Way came about in the early 70s and became increasingly more prevalent. I just listened to a segment of a 1968 Advanced class this morning since we were discussing this subject, on Ephesians 6 and the focus was on armor in the spiritual fight not one mention of athletic terms.. While there are some athletic terms in the Bible I don’t think these are among them. You mentioned the Corps notes I’m guessing you speak of the ones from your Corps the 11th 81-82 your Corps did Ephesians for the second time the 4th did them in !974-1975 Often there are differences in those notes. While the athletic terminology had crept into the notes even as early as then there is a section that freely admits that there is no scriptural proof for their belief of their athletic terminology. They arrived at that conclusion due to a couple of things 1. the Aramaic word palakh which means labor or work which is used in many of the references to war, warfare, and soldier. 2. The belief from Romans that we are more than conquerors left them not knowing what to do with a war that was won This led to the statement The War Is Over, It Is Finished Jesus Christ Did It. While Paul as someone mentioned was familiar with the armor of the day and I can see a case maybe for a dual analogy here he also was well schooled in Old Testament Law, there is another truth here as well it was buried really only in a scripture footnote in the early notes. most probably skipped over it as just another scripture reference to support the thought being taught.
The reference is Exodus 28:30
And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
There is also mention of this in Deuteronomy 33: 8. Bullinger offers this note on the verse - The Urim and Thummin were probably two stones that were drawn out as a lot to give Jehovah’s judgment The Heb. Is lights and perfections light put by Metonymy for what is brought to light (ie guilt) and perfections by Metonymy for moral perfection (innocence) Thus when these two stones were placed in the bag of the breastplate and one lot drawn out it would give the judicial decision of the Lord. It became known as the breastplate of judgment. (You can read the companion Bible for a longer explanation).
With these stones Aaron made right decisions they were worn close to his heart. The breastplate covered his heart. He continually with the help of the Lord, or in unison with God made right judgments
While today we don’t have stones we do have spirit indwelling within us and it can govern our heart to make the same sound decisions with the help (and that is the key here) of God. We can not rely on our heart Psalms is clear on who we need the help from.
Psalm 26:2
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
Psalm 27:8
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
I think Paul was clearly telling us that just as in the Old Testament when Aaron made right decisions we too, although in a different manner, can go to God with our breastplate of Righteousness (in all that Jesus Christ accomplished for us.)We can stand before him as sons not in the sense of hey I’m a SOG with all power(although there is a time for that as well) but more of hey father need a little help here can you help me with this problem, much like a child maybe would do with a problem at school maybe. The temptation for us is to be sidetracked by other things sometimes our love for other people even and to not seek or to seek and not follow-through or hear what he says. In the example that you gave of the abused wife often their love for the person prevents them from doing what God is telling them is the right judgment which is to leave to some place safe. In this day and time there are options although sometimes not easy ones. Aaron went before him with a quest for right decisions from the heart. So we do today. In the battle the enemy is the accuser but from God’s point of view we stand before Him in His righteousness. We need that armor clothing us or we will fall victim to the constant doubts that are hurled our way of our human failures.
Also of interest are the two commands in Ephesians
1. To put on the armor (enduo) to clothe with
And
2.To take up (analambano). All the armor of God
The first three things are all things to be clothed - loins, breast, and feet. The last three things in vs 16 are all things that we must or are told to take up, shield, helmet and sword. They are preceded with the word analambano related to lambano receive something to the end of making it known. I think that is the practical application of the breastplate of righteousness, in the day of evil we are to go to God for right decisions His wisdom in the situation not with stones but with our hearts like Aaron in quest for help. And who ever said it , its right not something that we put on and off but a constant covering for our heart that we do continually as did Aaron in his day.
Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
In the later years of the Way these truths were lost we became the focus, and while we do have a active part in the process it remains quite clear that without the greater part we would be severely lacking.
I've been thinking some more about what I shared about looking at the practical side of Ephesians and it's still working for me. I'd like to add, look at the doctrinal side too. After all, isn't doctrine part of what's supposed to be covering our head? (As far as the armor goes that is.)
Back to the practical side: things to fight for.
Eph4:3 The unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.
Eph4:12 The work of the ministry
Eph4:15 Speaking the truth in love
Eph4:23 Being renewed in the spirit of our mind.
Eph4:32 Be ye kind one to another.......
Eph5:2 Walk in love
Eph5:8 walk as children of light
Eph5:11 reprove darkness
Eph5:16 redeeming the time
Eph5:18 filled by the spirit
family relation, love, employment,etc.
There is plenty of things to do and fight for in the practical section. That list isn't exhaustive, just the result of a quick looksee.
I'd tend to agree with you Dot that the entire scripture is suppose to be our teacher, but it might be a better place to start for you if you simply considered practicing the practical section of this epistle. Not that you don't walk already, but just that the focus of imediate context is often the most fruitful place to start with in terms of understanding the practical application of any analogy including the armor of Eph 6.
Right now I'm thinking this approach would be more fruitful than a simple tweaking of the analogy ie. military to athletic.
Without the discipline of the practical side it can easily be only head knowledge.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Now suppose the "evil"day has come to you. It is your "evil" day. Whatever it is.
It is a crisis.
Perhaps You are at the end of a gun at a home invasion
Perhaps you find yourself married to someone who beats you and you cannot leave
Or your loved one has a disease and you cannot afford to get them the care they need
Or an evil person at work is setting you up to be fired so they can have your job.
It is the "evil" day.
You need to put on the whole armor of God. Cause we cannot fight these battles as if we fight flesh and blood battles.
So, how do we practically apply these verses?
I understand the sheild of faith, I get that. I get when the doubts come that I hold up my faith and I continue to believe the Bible, with my faith in God, I do not believe the lies of the circumstances.
How does the rest of this work? How do you utilize the armor?
I know where a helmet goes. So, I claim that I am "saved" I have salvation that I am already heaven bound when the "evil" day arrives?
Please how do you personally use the armor? How do you fight in this realm with this armor?
And the LCM version of it being sports like -- was that just for him to be able to dance or is that real? Cause that makes less sense to me.
Anyone?
I've waited until I could actually address this with any real sense of attention.
First of all, the lcm version was doo-doo. Even IN twi, I couldn't make it work.
The "whole armour" was "panoplian." The interlinear transliterates it into "panoply." a "panoply" is the complete equipment-set
a soldier would carry. When I fenced back in college, I could fit my uniform, protective gear, and everything else, all into
one fencing bag. (It was like a duffel-bag in size.) I had no trouble understanding one set of everything.
However, lcm, the athlete, INSISTED that these MILITARY terms COULD and WERE translated more properly
into athletic symbolism, and had to use typical lcm "logic" to turn a SHIELD into a DISCUS and so on.
Having been an athlete FAMILIAR WITH WEAPONRY, I didn't feel obsessed to say the verses agreed with that,
or with MY sport, for that matter. (I DID use fencing once to teach, but I didn't say the verses were about fencing,
just how its tenets had uses in doing God's Will. (And not that they were PARAMOUNT, either.)
The "whole armour" is for the "wiles of the devil", they're for lies, deceit, and so on.
Charles G. Coleman wrote a book called "The Shining Sword." It was intended to be an allegory, written for children,
concerning this very subject AND the walk of the Christian.
Me, I found it a great book, and only stopped recommending it when it went out of print. It may be IN print again,
in which case, I STRONGLY recommend it.
It includes a section where a new soldier of the Lord is receiving his whole armour, piece by piece, and each piece's
purpose is being explained to him. The best explanation I've ever given on the subject was just to read those
Apparently, it's in print- since these people have it IN STOCK and I couldn't find it in stock around 2003.
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 160
Vendor: Zeezok Publishing
Dimensions: 8.5 X 5.5 (inches)
ISBN: 1933573058
ISBN-13: 9781933573052
"Product Description
The Shining Sword is sure to help children grasp the concept of putting on the whole armor of God. Beautifully written, the story pulls the reader in from the first chapter, and the updated pen and ink illustrations only add to the narrative. Children and adults will be able to readily relate to the experiences of Lanus and the other soldiers of the King. This allegorical presentation of believers' lives as knights or soldiers of Christ will captivate anyone's imagination.
In some respects, The Shining Sword will remind older readers of the story of Pilgrim's Progress, but the focus in The Shining Sword is on using each of the pieces of the armor of God wisely and correctly. In particular, readers learn along with new knight Lanus how to wield the Word of God (the sword) in various situations. While intended for readers from ages 8 to 13, it is a read-aloud story that will capture the attention and interest of any reader or listener. It is a tale that presents tremendous discussion opportunities on what it means to be a knight of the King in the spiritual warfare that all believers face daily."
Dot - I am not great at the theologian thing, but I do have some thoughts.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
This sorta points to whole idea that we have a this spiritual (unseen) battle thing happening. like a glaring reminder that its not to be taken at face value.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
If loins are the place in our body where the most important parts reside...what are the most important part of of life....things (not really) realationships, careers etc.....It will be different for different people, but ultimately those values need to be filtered with the truth of the God's word that we know and can understand.
Breastplates protect---this is a little more elusive --but I think this means when I know I have done my righteous best to be in fellowship my glass is half full. When I know I am not thinking in terms of where I need to be to watch out for me and the things I care about (those things in my loins) then I need to get my sh** together to find solutions. In the case of a medical need...it might be to get a social worker from the city or county involved--it could be deciding my job is worth OR not worth the headaches...
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
I think change (foot movement) brings peace -- doesnt mean I know always what should be changed...the old question fits here...is one running away or toward something?
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Trust that the actions decisions you make to change things are God inspired andthat you are led of God for your life
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Remind yourself of your salvation and the power that is there when you have time to get quiet and know that he is God. Kinda like the Red Tent--things do go wrong, but we go through them and come out on the other side---I am also thinking of a book on Rahab I read -- I will get you the author...I will find out this Sunday.and PM me if you want to call me and I will give you my number -- still have those tickets!
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
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, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Really appreciate all the posting and observations here, Dot.
Two points, may have already been made - I put some words in bold - while the word "wrestle" is used before this section and seems to indicate a struggle, the point is made that it's not a physical struggle but a spiritual one. The strength is from Gods, and the reliance is on Him. We are told to "stand".
I see that the wrestling isn't an engagement with the wicked spiritual powers in high places - we don't "engage an enemy", properly outfitted for a battle or competition or whatever and duke it out. Our "wrestling" comes down to "standing".
The outfitting God provides allows us to do that - to stand, protected. We persevere for ourselves and the saints by "praying always" in the spirit, again, going to God.
Hello all!. I am new to this site, and am very interested in Biblical Research. I don't mean to interfere or contradict, and am always willing to change my thinking when something is said which makes more sense to me than what I have previously been taught.
I have this to offer for anyone who is interested, concerning the meaning of the phrase "evil day", or "evil days"... as seen in Ephesians 6:13.
Eccl 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
This chapter (for those who have ears to hear) contains a wonderful analogy of the time of one's physical life when it is near the end; sort of like the "autumn years" we refer to. In the Eastern culture, this time was referred to as the "evil days", simply because many of the things one could do as a younger person become more difficult as time goes by -- and we all go through these times to one extent or another. (this can be explained in detail for anyone to see for themselves -- just ask!)
This chapter warns about the regret one may have if he is to neglect God while he is still young enough to have a vital relationship with Him, and now is old looking back on his life as it is coming to a close, and has to answer to himself, "Just what true pleasure have I had in life", or "What have I really accomplished while I was here" so to speak, when now it is maybe all too late....(note: we are all "young", and it is never "really" too late to begin a vital relationship with God!)
Perhaps you may also get a glimpse of this by reading a few verses previous to the beginning of this chapter, as chapters were not included in the original manuscripts, and the true context actually begins sooner than Chapter 12, verse 1.
Now, also compare this with Ephesians 5:
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
We do not redeem the time to the best of our ability merely because things are getting worse and worse in the world, "because the days are evil", so to speak. We do it because time itself for each ones of us is drawing nearer and nearer to "the end". We do all we can while we still can, "while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh", etc,etc -- that we can truly think we have done something good while we were here, and take pleasure in that.
The true meaning of the phrase "evil day" or "evil days" is really referring to not only the end of our lives personally, but to the events concerning this earth we live in as well. Time is drawing nearer and nearer every day to the end of both and we should do all we can every day as though it were our last. (within reason, ha ha - nobody is perfect!)
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We should endeavour to utilize all the resources our loving Father has supplied for us, that we may withstand the pressures of life, and come out winners, even as we get older, and right up until either our physical end or the return of Jesus Christ. Put on the "whole armour".
We stand each day as stong and vigilant as we are able to with what we understand from the Bible, whether that be a little or a lot. That is all we can do. We make up our minds to just STAND on what we know, and live as "more than conquerors" in every situation, for "in due season we shall reap, if we faint not".....
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Dot Matrix
Finally
Interesting
Kinda what I think Son is saying, that it is a daily thing, a lifestyle, not something you go to the closet and dust off the armor on a bad day... interesting
Yeah, Cman the quench did catch my attention. Does not say "stop or prevent". It says "quentch..."
Son of the master any insight?
I am seeing more from the Bible as a whole "teacher" than just looking "at Eph" as to how the was a battle is to be won (in the sense of only here is the great key on what to do, when it has been a telling and retelligng through out ). Perhaps, my misunderstanding and missing the word FINALLY has been key to my confusion
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Dot Matrix
Thanks Dan, Rachel, Jeff, Masterherbalsit and all .... Let's keep going...
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WhiteDove
Dot While I would agree that one must re-examine all of our previous ideas about the scripture I would not be dumping the bathwater just yet. I’ve undertaken several seminars on Ephesians in the past few years most were no more than rehash of the Corps notes. I did enjoy Peter Wades work on In Christ, Christ In, and Ken Petty’s The Blessed Life but those covered other sections than the topic at hand.
Bare with me here for some background
First the change to athletic terminology in the Way came about in the early 70s and became increasingly more prevalent. I just listened to a segment of a 1968 Advanced class this morning since we were discussing this subject, on Ephesians 6 and the focus was on armor in the spiritual fight not one mention of athletic terms.. While there are some athletic terms in the Bible I don’t think these are among them. You mentioned the Corps notes I’m guessing you speak of the ones from your Corps the 11th 81-82 your Corps did Ephesians for the second time the 4th did them in !974-1975 Often there are differences in those notes. While the athletic terminology had crept into the notes even as early as then there is a section that freely admits that there is no scriptural proof for their belief of their athletic terminology. They arrived at that conclusion due to a couple of things 1. the Aramaic word palakh which means labor or work which is used in many of the references to war, warfare, and soldier. 2. The belief from Romans that we are more than conquerors left them not knowing what to do with a war that was won This led to the statement The War Is Over, It Is Finished Jesus Christ Did It. While Paul as someone mentioned was familiar with the armor of the day and I can see a case maybe for a dual analogy here he also was well schooled in Old Testament Law, there is another truth here as well it was buried really only in a scripture footnote in the early notes. most probably skipped over it as just another scripture reference to support the thought being taught.
The reference is Exodus 28:30
And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
There is also mention of this in Deuteronomy 33: 8. Bullinger offers this note on the verse - The Urim and Thummin were probably two stones that were drawn out as a lot to give Jehovah’s judgment The Heb. Is lights and perfections light put by Metonymy for what is brought to light (ie guilt) and perfections by Metonymy for moral perfection (innocence) Thus when these two stones were placed in the bag of the breastplate and one lot drawn out it would give the judicial decision of the Lord. It became known as the breastplate of judgment. (You can read the companion Bible for a longer explanation).
With these stones Aaron made right decisions they were worn close to his heart. The breastplate covered his heart. He continually with the help of the Lord, or in unison with God made right judgments
While today we don’t have stones we do have spirit indwelling within us and it can govern our heart to make the same sound decisions with the help (and that is the key here) of God. We can not rely on our heart Psalms is clear on who we need the help from.
Psalm 26:2
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
Psalm 27:8
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
I think Paul was clearly telling us that just as in the Old Testament when Aaron made right decisions we too, although in a different manner, can go to God with our breastplate of Righteousness (in all that Jesus Christ accomplished for us.)We can stand before him as sons not in the sense of hey I’m a SOG with all power(although there is a time for that as well) but more of hey father need a little help here can you help me with this problem, much like a child maybe would do with a problem at school maybe. The temptation for us is to be sidetracked by other things sometimes our love for other people even and to not seek or to seek and not follow-through or hear what he says. In the example that you gave of the abused wife often their love for the person prevents them from doing what God is telling them is the right judgment which is to leave to some place safe. In this day and time there are options although sometimes not easy ones. Aaron went before him with a quest for right decisions from the heart. So we do today. In the battle the enemy is the accuser but from God’s point of view we stand before Him in His righteousness. We need that armor clothing us or we will fall victim to the constant doubts that are hurled our way of our human failures.
Also of interest are the two commands in Ephesians
1. To put on the armor (enduo) to clothe with
And
2.To take up (analambano). All the armor of God
The first three things are all things to be clothed - loins, breast, and feet. The last three things in vs 16 are all things that we must or are told to take up, shield, helmet and sword. They are preceded with the word analambano related to lambano receive something to the end of making it known. I think that is the practical application of the breastplate of righteousness, in the day of evil we are to go to God for right decisions His wisdom in the situation not with stones but with our hearts like Aaron in quest for help. And who ever said it , its right not something that we put on and off but a constant covering for our heart that we do continually as did Aaron in his day.
Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
In the later years of the Way these truths were lost we became the focus, and while we do have a active part in the process it remains quite clear that without the greater part we would be severely lacking.
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JeffSjo
Hi Dot,
I've been thinking some more about what I shared about looking at the practical side of Ephesians and it's still working for me. I'd like to add, look at the doctrinal side too. After all, isn't doctrine part of what's supposed to be covering our head? (As far as the armor goes that is.)
Back to the practical side: things to fight for.
Eph4:3 The unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.
Eph4:12 The work of the ministry
Eph4:15 Speaking the truth in love
Eph4:23 Being renewed in the spirit of our mind.
Eph4:32 Be ye kind one to another.......
Eph5:2 Walk in love
Eph5:8 walk as children of light
Eph5:11 reprove darkness
Eph5:16 redeeming the time
Eph5:18 filled by the spirit
family relation, love, employment,etc.
There is plenty of things to do and fight for in the practical section. That list isn't exhaustive, just the result of a quick looksee.
I'd tend to agree with you Dot that the entire scripture is suppose to be our teacher, but it might be a better place to start for you if you simply considered practicing the practical section of this epistle. Not that you don't walk already, but just that the focus of imediate context is often the most fruitful place to start with in terms of understanding the practical application of any analogy including the armor of Eph 6.
Right now I'm thinking this approach would be more fruitful than a simple tweaking of the analogy ie. military to athletic.
Without the discipline of the practical side it can easily be only head knowledge.
God Bless Dot.
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WordWolf
I've waited until I could actually address this with any real sense of attention.
First of all, the lcm version was doo-doo. Even IN twi, I couldn't make it work.
The "whole armour" was "panoplian." The interlinear transliterates it into "panoply." a "panoply" is the complete equipment-set
a soldier would carry. When I fenced back in college, I could fit my uniform, protective gear, and everything else, all into
one fencing bag. (It was like a duffel-bag in size.) I had no trouble understanding one set of everything.
However, lcm, the athlete, INSISTED that these MILITARY terms COULD and WERE translated more properly
into athletic symbolism, and had to use typical lcm "logic" to turn a SHIELD into a DISCUS and so on.
Having been an athlete FAMILIAR WITH WEAPONRY, I didn't feel obsessed to say the verses agreed with that,
or with MY sport, for that matter. (I DID use fencing once to teach, but I didn't say the verses were about fencing,
just how its tenets had uses in doing God's Will. (And not that they were PARAMOUNT, either.)
The "whole armour" is for the "wiles of the devil", they're for lies, deceit, and so on.
Charles G. Coleman wrote a book called "The Shining Sword." It was intended to be an allegory, written for children,
concerning this very subject AND the walk of the Christian.
Me, I found it a great book, and only stopped recommending it when it went out of print. It may be IN print again,
in which case, I STRONGLY recommend it.
It includes a section where a new soldier of the Lord is receiving his whole armour, piece by piece, and each piece's
purpose is being explained to him. The best explanation I've ever given on the subject was just to read those
few pages aloud.
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Boo...58&event=CF
Apparently, it's in print- since these people have it IN STOCK and I couldn't find it in stock around 2003.
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 160
Vendor: Zeezok Publishing
Dimensions: 8.5 X 5.5 (inches)
ISBN: 1933573058
ISBN-13: 9781933573052
"Product Description
The Shining Sword is sure to help children grasp the concept of putting on the whole armor of God. Beautifully written, the story pulls the reader in from the first chapter, and the updated pen and ink illustrations only add to the narrative. Children and adults will be able to readily relate to the experiences of Lanus and the other soldiers of the King. This allegorical presentation of believers' lives as knights or soldiers of Christ will captivate anyone's imagination.
In some respects, The Shining Sword will remind older readers of the story of Pilgrim's Progress, but the focus in The Shining Sword is on using each of the pieces of the armor of God wisely and correctly. In particular, readers learn along with new knight Lanus how to wield the Word of God (the sword) in various situations. While intended for readers from ages 8 to 13, it is a read-aloud story that will capture the attention and interest of any reader or listener. It is a tale that presents tremendous discussion opportunities on what it means to be a knight of the King in the spiritual warfare that all believers face daily."
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washn'wear
Dot - I am not great at the theologian thing, but I do have some thoughts.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
This sorta points to whole idea that we have a this spiritual (unseen) battle thing happening. like a glaring reminder that its not to be taken at face value.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
If loins are the place in our body where the most important parts reside...what are the most important part of of life....things (not really) realationships, careers etc.....It will be different for different people, but ultimately those values need to be filtered with the truth of the God's word that we know and can understand.
Breastplates protect---this is a little more elusive --but I think this means when I know I have done my righteous best to be in fellowship my glass is half full. When I know I am not thinking in terms of where I need to be to watch out for me and the things I care about (those things in my loins) then I need to get my sh** together to find solutions. In the case of a medical need...it might be to get a social worker from the city or county involved--it could be deciding my job is worth OR not worth the headaches...
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
I think change (foot movement) brings peace -- doesnt mean I know always what should be changed...the old question fits here...is one running away or toward something?
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Trust that the actions decisions you make to change things are God inspired andthat you are led of God for your life
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Remind yourself of your salvation and the power that is there when you have time to get quiet and know that he is God. Kinda like the Red Tent--things do go wrong, but we go through them and come out on the other side---I am also thinking of a book on Rahab I read -- I will get you the author...I will find out this Sunday.and PM me if you want to call me and I will give you my number -- still have those tickets!
edited to add a bold
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socks
Really appreciate all the posting and observations here, Dot.
Two points, may have already been made - I put some words in bold - while the word "wrestle" is used before this section and seems to indicate a struggle, the point is made that it's not a physical struggle but a spiritual one. The strength is from Gods, and the reliance is on Him. We are told to "stand".
I see that the wrestling isn't an engagement with the wicked spiritual powers in high places - we don't "engage an enemy", properly outfitted for a battle or competition or whatever and duke it out. Our "wrestling" comes down to "standing".
The outfitting God provides allows us to do that - to stand, protected. We persevere for ourselves and the saints by "praying always" in the spirit, again, going to God.
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spectrum49
Hello all!. I am new to this site, and am very interested in Biblical Research. I don't mean to interfere or contradict, and am always willing to change my thinking when something is said which makes more sense to me than what I have previously been taught.
I have this to offer for anyone who is interested, concerning the meaning of the phrase "evil day", or "evil days"... as seen in Ephesians 6:13.
Eccl 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
This chapter (for those who have ears to hear) contains a wonderful analogy of the time of one's physical life when it is near the end; sort of like the "autumn years" we refer to. In the Eastern culture, this time was referred to as the "evil days", simply because many of the things one could do as a younger person become more difficult as time goes by -- and we all go through these times to one extent or another. (this can be explained in detail for anyone to see for themselves -- just ask!)
This chapter warns about the regret one may have if he is to neglect God while he is still young enough to have a vital relationship with Him, and now is old looking back on his life as it is coming to a close, and has to answer to himself, "Just what true pleasure have I had in life", or "What have I really accomplished while I was here" so to speak, when now it is maybe all too late....(note: we are all "young", and it is never "really" too late to begin a vital relationship with God!)
Perhaps you may also get a glimpse of this by reading a few verses previous to the beginning of this chapter, as chapters were not included in the original manuscripts, and the true context actually begins sooner than Chapter 12, verse 1.
Now, also compare this with Ephesians 5:
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
We do not redeem the time to the best of our ability merely because things are getting worse and worse in the world, "because the days are evil", so to speak. We do it because time itself for each ones of us is drawing nearer and nearer to "the end". We do all we can while we still can, "while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh", etc,etc -- that we can truly think we have done something good while we were here, and take pleasure in that.
The true meaning of the phrase "evil day" or "evil days" is really referring to not only the end of our lives personally, but to the events concerning this earth we live in as well. Time is drawing nearer and nearer every day to the end of both and we should do all we can every day as though it were our last. (within reason, ha ha - nobody is perfect!)
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We should endeavour to utilize all the resources our loving Father has supplied for us, that we may withstand the pressures of life, and come out winners, even as we get older, and right up until either our physical end or the return of Jesus Christ. Put on the "whole armour".
We stand each day as stong and vigilant as we are able to with what we understand from the Bible, whether that be a little or a lot. That is all we can do. We make up our minds to just STAND on what we know, and live as "more than conquerors" in every situation, for "in due season we shall reap, if we faint not".....
Thanks for listening all....
Love you!
"spectrum49" (for now)
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