Page 19 - 2-20-15 Friday's Edition

Sunday School
Dressed To Survive
the enemy. Paul instructs the church that the way you dress spiritually helps in your fight. Paul calls it “armor.” The armor in which you dress yourself is God’s brand. God’s armor helps you withstand the schemes of the enemy. It protects all the parts of your life the devil will use to defeat you.
Verse 12 - 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.
Your struggle is not with people of this world. What you are fighting and warring against is not the flesh that you see. You are under spiri- tual attack by forces of au- thority and power beyond the existence of this flesh. These forces and powers use the bodies of the flesh to do their work against you.
Verse 13 - Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the
day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done every- thing, to stand.
This verse will save you a lot of heartache and pain if you adhere to advice given. This verse also explains why people are oftentimes over- taken and defeated. Paul ad- vises the believers to PUT on the armor so that WHEN evil comes, you will be prepared.
Too often the people of God are not already prepared for when evil comes. So many people have to get ready for battle when the enemy comes. If you put on the armor daily and keep it on you will al- ready be dressed to stand and withstand the attacks. It is not a matter of IF evil comes, it is a matter of WHEN it comes!
Verses 14-17 describe what the believer should put on. Every item mentioned is significant and vital to your ability to overcome. Failure to dress with any piece of these spiritual resources can make your chances of survival much more difficult.
Being able to stand and withstand the attacks of the enemy are based upon the same tools Jesus used to over- come the attacks of those who wanted to destroy Him. Jesus stayed true to His calling and always protected His heart from the enemy. He did not allow anything the enemy said or did infiltrate Him in- ternally. When He walked He walked according to the word of God and stood on the promises of God. The shield of faith was His protection to be able to move freely and be able to resist and fight off the darts and spears of the enemy that were being thrown at Him.
As a believer in Christ Jesus and a Child of the Most High God you must be dressed to impress daily. The clothes that you wear to pro- tect your life are not material in nature, but spiritual. You must dress daily for your spir- itual success. Take time to prepare your spiritual clothes and make sure you are well covered and prepared for whatever challenges come your way.
People spend a lot of time, effort, and energy putting on clothes. Before they leave the house, they make sure every- thing is clean, matching, and even ironed. Getting dressed has caused some people to be late for work, church, and other social events. To some, their clothes make a state- ment about who they are.
With all the clothes we pur- chase and wear, none of them can save our life. When we consider getting spiritually dressed we are getting dressed to make sure that our lives are spiritually equipped and prepared for the chal- lenges of the day. We must take as much special care and attention to our spiritual wardrobe as we do the physi-
cal. Ephesians 6:10-20 ad- dresses how we should be dressed going out into the world.
Verse 10 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Your strength and power to resist and overcome the threats and attacks of the enemy is in the Lord. If you are going to be righteous like God wants you to be you are going to need His strength and power.
Verse 11 - Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
God provides you with the tools and resources you need to stand against the attacks of
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-B