ALERT FOR THE ENEMY

“Surely," says Satan when he sees a fervent Christian, "this will not last long."

Where the soldier is placed, there he stands and must neither stir nor sleep till he is discharged. When Christ comes, only that soul whom He finds so doing shall have His blessing.

Why is Christ so insistent that His soldiers remain on alert? Because Satan's actions demand it. Satan's advantage is great when he catches our graces napping. When the devil found Christ so ready to repel his temptation, he soon had enough. It is said, "He departed... for a season" Luke 4:13. But in his shameful retreat it seems he comforted himself with the hopes of surprising Christ unawares at another time more advantageous to his design. And we do find him coming again at the most likely time to have had his way-- but only if his enemy had been man and not God Matthew 27:42.

Now if this bold tempter watched Christ so closely, does it not seem likely he will scout you, too, hoping sooner or later to find your graces slumbering? What he misses now by your watchfulness he may gain later by your negligence. In fact, he hopes you will push yourself to exhaustion with continual duty. What fiendish pleasure he would derive from turning the tables on your sincere efforts for Christ. "Surely," says Satan when he sees a fervent Christian, "this will not last long." When he finds him most sensitive to the Spirit and scrupulous in conduct, he says, "This is but for a while; he cannot keep it up for long. Soon he will unbend his bow and unbuckle his armor, and then I will have at him." But this can never happen as long as we are continually applying to God for our strength.

Satan is not the only pitfall; the nature of our graces makes diligence essential. If not watched closely, they will play the truant. And a soul long absent from the school of obedience will not be eager to return and take up his old assignments.”

In today’s study Satan’s diligent attempts to trip us up and our not so perfect ability to be faithful are the focus. What is missing is the watchful eye of God on us who are His beloved. God is eager to deliver us and keep us from the sifting of Satan even as He was for Peter. We need not fear Satan but we must be diligent in our pursuit of God and His ways.

Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S. Bell http://www.moodypublishers.com/

THE ARMOR MUST BE KEPT ON

“He tells us to have our armor on, our grace in action: "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning" Luke 12:35. The Christian's armor is made to be worn-- no taking it off until you have finished your course. Your armor and your garment of flesh come off together. Then there will be no more need of shield or helmet, no more late night watches. Those military duties and field graces-- as I may call faith, hope, and the rest, shall be honorably discharged. In heaven you shall appear, not in armor, but in robes of glory.

Nevertheless, for the present you must wear your assigned suit night and day. You must walk, work, and sleep in it or you are not a true soldier of Christ. Paul set himself a goal: "So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man" (Acts 24:16). Here we see this holy man at his arms, training like a true soldier, his own heart the target range on which he practices all the graces in preparation for battle. We have ample reasons to conduct ourselves in like manner.

He speaks as a general to his soldiers: "Oil your armor; light your torch; be ready to march. Prepare to fight at the first alarm of temptation!" Again He speaks, this time as a master to his servants: "If the lord of the manor is called away and the hour of his return uncertain, will a faithful servant bolt the door, douse the fire, and retire? No, he will stand watch through the night, ready to greet the master whenever he comes." Meaning, it is not fit for the Master to stand at our heart's door knocking, and find our graces sleeping.

Every duty of the Christian demands this constant effort. Pray he must, but how? "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We must hold our shield of faith and helmet of hope to the very end (Ephesians 6:16-17).ESV 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S. Bell http://www.moodypublishers.com/ I have replaced the books translation with the ESV and deleted repetitive portions.  Artwork from Rose Publishing.

GOD PERFECTS HIS SAINTS

"Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to sift you," Jesus said to Peter (Luke 22:31). The devil knew the disciples were weak at this time.

In any army called to active duty, weapons are frequently battered and broken. One man has his helmet dented, another his sword bent, a third his pistol broken. So replacements are often necessary. In one temptation you may have your helmet of hope crushed or your charity trampled upon. You need an armorer's shop near at hand to make up your losses as quickly as possible, for Satan is most likely to attack when you are least prepared to repel his charge.

"Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to sift you," Jesus said to Peter (Luke 22:31). The devil knew the disciples were weak at this time. Christ, their captain, was about to be taken from the head of their regiment. They were discontented among themselves, arguing about who would have the best seat in heaven. And their supply of stronger faith, which the Spirit was to bring, had not yet come. Therefore, Christ sent them to Jerusalem to wait together until He could dispatch His Spirit to them (Acts 1:4). This example shows us, in the weakness of our graces, whom to ask for a fresh supply.

He is called "the old serpent," and for good reason: subtle by nature, yet ever more cunning; wrathful by nature, yet ever more enraged. Like a bull, the longer he is baited, the madder he grows. And considering what little time he has left, we who are to fight with him must enter the arena well equipped.

The end of all God's working is to perfect His saints in their virtues and comforts. He is the wise caretaker of our souls. When He uses afflictions to lop and prune our spirits, it is only to purge so we can bring forth more and better fruit (John 15:2). The same tribulation which yields bitter results in the arid soul of the wicked is used to produce the sweet fruit of the Spirit in the fertile soil of the saint.

Why is God so intent on perfecting His saints? To prepare a spotless bride for His Son, and complete His grand design!” 
Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S. Bell http://www.moodypublishers.com/

I stand amazed at the depth and quality of these devotions. I am tempted to rephrase some sentences for our current language but then realize it is so very powerful as it is written.

Artwork: Come Follow Me.

TEMPERANCE AND PATIENCE

“Satan will line the hedges with a thousand temptations when you come into the narrow lanes of adversity.

But knowledge is not the end of the work of grace. To it we must add temperance. Without it, both faith and reason may soon relinquish their rightful place to temporal pleasures. Temperance is an excellent steward. It regularly inspects the soul and sets the saint's affections in order so that he does not ignore holy duties to pursue his own entertainment. If you allow your love of creature comforts-- or even your pleasure in family and loved ones-- to outrun your love for the Lord, you cannot be a victorious soldier for Christ. Therefore, pray for temperance, which keeps the spiritual gauge of your heart well within the safety range. Imagine yourself now well equipped and marching toward heaven while basking in prosperity. Should you not also prepare for foul weather-- i.e., a period of adversity?”  @ Peter 1:1-12

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S. Bell http://www.moodypublishers.com/

FAITH AND KNOWLEDGE

“Satan is not particular what lie he tells you; one will work as powerfully as another if he can get you to believe it.

God designs each part of the armor for a particular purpose; therefore, the saint must be properly attired. In other words, it will not do to cover the heart with the helmet, or to hold the buckler where the breastplate ought to be. Indeed, there is a series of graces, each with a special function to bring life and health to the soul-- much like the network of veins and arteries, which carries blood through the body. Prick one vein, and the blood of the whole man may spill from that outlet; neglect one duty, and the strength of all the graces may be lost.

The apostle Peter urged Christians to increase the whole body of grace. Is this not true health-- when the whole body thrives? Faith is the grace, which leads the procession. If you have faith, then add virtue: "Add to your faith virtue," says Peter (2 Peter 1:5). These graces are of mutual benefit to one another. Good works and gracious actions get their life from faith; faith, in turn, fattens and becomes strong on works-- so says Martin Luther.

Your works may bear luscious-looking fruit, but you are not safe from the devil's blight unless you add to your virtue knowledge. Knowledge is to faith as sunshine is to the farmer. Without it, faith cannot see to do her work. Nor can the work, once finished, be adequately inspected in the dim light of half-truths. If you do not ground yourself in the truth of the Gospel, Satan will play upon your ignorance to thwart your spiritual growth. He has a clever proposition for every occasion. In one instance he may try to persuade you that you are not humble enough, and cause the weeds of self-condemnation to choke out the assurance of your salvation. Another time, he will flatter you into a false sense of pride in your humility, and the pestilence of self-righteousness will wipe out the Spirit's crop of fruit in your life. Satan is not particular what lie he tells you; one will work as powerfully as another if he can get you to believe it.”

What are you believing today? Read the following verses over and rehearse them to yourself. Write them down on a 3X5 card and reread them throughout your day. They will empower you to think and act according to God’s plan for you.

 ⁵For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence), ⁶And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety), ⁷And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love, ⁸For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). AMP

Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S. Bell http://www.moodypublishers.com/

GOD MAKES HIS SAINTS' ARMOR

“Thus thousands perish who supposed they were armed against Satan, death, and judgment--when all along they were miserable and naked.

Look closely at the label to see whether the armor you wear is the workmanship of God or not. There are many imitations on the market nowadays. It is Satan's game, if he cannot keep the sinner satisfied in his naked, lustful state, to coax him into some flimsy thing or other that by itself will neither do him good nor Satan harm. Perhaps it is church attendance, or good works, or some self-imposed penance by which he intends to impress both God and man.“

I am often grieved when I hear people tell me that they love God, serve Jesus and then they tell me how they have God’s grace or favor who then follow this proclamation with beliefs that are clearly not Biblical in fact or principle. They will shape their argument with a little scripture and a lot of something else. When we seek to prove something by teachings and philosophies that are not Biblical we err and our so-called armor is like the Kings invisible clothing in the old fairy tale. It is useless and just a fantasy. It will not allow us to stand in battle against the world, the flesh and the devil. It is not the armor of God’s light nor is God’s righteousness in it.

“But what their armor is, or how they came by it, and whether it will hold up in an evil day, they never stop to question. Thus thousands perish who supposed they were armed against Satan, death, and judgment--when all along they were miserable and naked.”

“To most of us, a careful copy of a masterpiece looks quite as good as the original. But when the master himself appears, he can tell in an instant which is real and which the imposter. It is the same with that self-righteous hypocrite who is a pretender to faith and hope in God.”

If we are to put on God’s Armor we must first take off any we have fashioned for ourselves, for God’s righteousness will never fit over anything we have provided for ourselves. Only a person who has been cleansed and who is dependent on God’s provision of righteousness can fit into the Armor he provides.

Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S. Bell http://www.moodypublishers.com/

FOLLOWING GOD'S ORDERS

“It was God's war they waged, and therefore only reasonable they should be under His command. They encamped and marched by His order.

The Christian soldier is bound to God's orders. Though the army is on earth, the council of war sits in heaven and issues directives: "Here are your orders these are your weapons." And those who do more or use other than God commands, though with some seeming success against sin, shall surely be called to account for their boldness.

The discipline of war among men is strict in this case. Some have been court-martialed and executed even though they have beaten the enemy, because they forgot their rank or acted without orders. The discipline of God is also very precise on this point. He will say to all who invent ways of their own to worship Him or who fabricate their own forms of penance, "Who has required this at your hands?" This is truly to be "righteous over-much," as Solomon says (Ecclesiastes 7:16), when we presume to correct God's law and add supplements of our own to His rules. God told Israel that the false prophets were wasting their time because they did not come on His errand (Jeremiah 23:32). You, too, are wasting your time if you are doing anything that is not by God's design.

God's thoughts are not like man's, nor His ways like ours. If Moses in his own wisdom had directed Israel's flight from Egypt, we would have expected him to plunder the Egyptians of their horses and arms. But God would have His people come out naked and on foot, and Moses kept close to His orders. It was God's war they waged, and therefore only reasonable they should be under His command. They encamped and marched by His order; they fought at His command. And the tactics and weapons they used were all prescribed by God. What are we to learn from their example? In our march to heaven, fighting with the cursed spirits and lusts that stand in our way, we too must go by God's rules, which are spelled out for us in His Word.”

If you would take time to read the book of Joshua you will see these principles made real. When the people of Israel did consult God for a strategy and obeyed Him they were successful and when they went their own way they failed.  Today it is the same for us. If you get to know God and his ways through His Word you will know His strategy for every battle.

The Christian in Complete Armour daily devotional by Gurnall and Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/

THE MALICE OF SATAN

“Do you wonder that Satan works so hard to dispossess the Gospel which dispossesses him?

Do not doubt for a moment that Satan will hurl all his fury at those who love God's Word. His acquaintance with the Good News of Christ goes back a long way, to the dawn of the ages, in fact. He has seen its power demonstrated over and over again, and he knows it houses an arsenal of arms and aids for battered souls.

The very first assault the Gospel made against the kingdom of darkness shook its foundation and put the legions of hell on the run. They are fleeing still. When the seventy missionaries commissioned by Christ returned with their reports that even demons were subdued by the power of the Gospel, Christ replied, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven!" (Luke 10:17-18). In essence He tells them, "What you say is not news to Me; I watched when Satan was cast out of heaven. How well I know the power of the Gospel!"

Nothing torments the devil more than to see his old companions neglect their former sinful pleasures and spend time studying the Scriptures instead. He knows that a saint without a knowledge of the Gospel is as vulnerable as an army without ammunition.”

I hear people say, “I can not read the Bible, I do not understand it. There are so many good translations with excellent study helps that there is really no excuse to not read the Word.

It is after all the Sword of the Spirit!

For the complete devotional purchase  'The Christian in Complete Armour daily devotional by Gurnall and Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/

SATAN'S VAST EMPIRE

“If God's grace did not step in and override the veto, the whole world would be held in Satan's sway.

When you look around and see the devil's vast empire and what a little spot of ground contains Christ's subjects-- what heaps of precious souls lie prostrate under Satan's feet and what a tiny regiment of saints march under Christ's banner of grace-- perhaps you ask yourself, "Is hell stronger than heaven? Are the arms of Satan more victorious than the cross of Christ?" But if you consider what I am about to tell you, you will wonder that Christ has any to follow Him rather than that He has so few.

Every son of man is born in sin (Psalm 51:5). So when the prince of this world first approaches a young soul with this or that wicked proposal, he finds the soul unarmed and in its natural state already familiar with his policies. Yielding to Satan's control will therefore not cause much of a stir in the naturally sinful heart. But when Christ campaigns for a soul, He proposes sweeping changes. And the selfish soul, which generally likes things as they are, answers Him with the same scorn as the religious citizens in the parable: "We will not have this man to reign over us!" (Luke 19:14). The vote is unanimous: All the lusts cast their ballots against Christ, and rise up like the Philistines against Samson, whom they called the destroyer of their country (Judges 16:23-24). If God's grace did not step in and override the veto, the whole world would be held in Satan's sway.

Satan's conquests are limited to ignorant, graceless souls who have neither strength nor sense to oppose him. They are born imprisoned to sin; all he has to do is keep them there. But when he assaults a saint, whose freedom was won at the Cross, once for all, then he is laying siege to a city with gates and bars. Sooner or later, he must retreat in shame, unable to pluck the weakest saint out of the Savior's hand. Doubt your own strength, but never doubt Christ's. In your gravest conflicts with Satan, trust Christ to bring you out of the devil's dominion.”

Rejoice in this knowledge!

From  'The Christian in Complete Armour daily devotional by Gurnall and Bell.

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