Thrown by the Devil

   

  In the familiar account of the Upper Room, the Bible says that, “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him…” Most Christians rightly understand this passage to be the time where Satan convinced Judas Iscariot to become the traitor.

     But if we take a closer look at the word “put” we see something interesting. When it says “the devil had already put it into the heart,” that word means “to throw.” So we could say, “The devil had already thrown it into the heart of Judas Iscariot.”

     This is not exactly a subtle move on the Accuser’s part. Satan is violently and aggressively throwing ideas Judas’ way. And if this strategy worked 2,000 years ago, you had better believe that Lucifer has only gotten better at what and how he throws things our way.

     So how do we withstand what is being thrown at us? Paul told us. In Ephesians 6:11 he said to, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.” Paul then gets more specific.

     Listed among the armor of God are the shield of faith and the breastplate of righteousness. When we put our faith in God we are also raising a shield of defense that can ward off enemy artillery, and even if something happens to get past the shield, we can be girded with the breastplate. Satan threw his schemes at the heart of Judas, which is exactly what this plate protects.

     This passage reveals to us that it is not enough to simply have faith in Jesus. That is what saves us, but our righteous living is what becomes expected of us. Satan will throw some schemes at you today, so you better put on your armor, grab your shield, and get ready to do battle.  

(Read this post about the armor of God)

The Armor of God

Over the last few weeks we have looked at the fact that we are in a very real spiritual war, and that our faith gives us victory in that war. Now we will look at our armor, our battle gear, for this war.

Our soldiers today wear fatigues, but in these days, the soldier’s uniform required strong armor to cover him from head to toe. These soldiers were involved in hand to hand combat, and their armor was very important. This armor listed in Ephesians 6:13-17.

Let’s look at this armor piece by piece:

1. The belt of truth. The soldier’s belt was used to hold up the armor for the lower half of the body. Today Satan uses false teachers or pastors, or he speaks lies through friends and family. If we do not know the truth of who God is we are left exposed to Satan’s attack.
2. The Breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate covered and protected the soldier’s upper body, and his vital organs. We need righteousness. We need to be in right standing with God through a holy life, or else we are open to Satan’s attack.
3. The Shoes of the gospel. Obviously a soldier needed protection for his feet as he walked. We need to be prepared to present the gospel at all times, wherever we go. As Romans 10:14 reminds us, how beautiful are the feet of those that preach the gospel of peace!
4. The Shield of faith. The shield was used to block the sword or arrows of the enemy. We use our faith like a shield to block the lies our enemy throws at us. When he tells us God doesn’t love us, our faith in God’s promises will block that arrow.
5. The Helmet of salvation. A soldier must always protect his head. The helmet represents salvation because it all starts in the mind. You must realize that you need Christ, then make the decision to give Him your life.
6. The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. The first 5 listed were all for our defense, but this final piece is for offense. There are times when we must go on the offensive, using the Holy Spirit and the Word of God like a weapon to carefully extract sin from someone’s life. A soldier cannot stand back and mind his own business, but he must be aggressive and take the fight to the enemy.

Are you ready for battle, or are you walking around without your armor or weapon?