Don’t Shelve the Armor

“Don’t shelve the Armor”

Don’t shelve the armor God gave you. If you have experienced victory weather one day, a year, etc. If you quit that sin or habit “ cold turkey” , don’t shelve the armor.  Celebrate with the armor on. The battle may not be knocking at your door, but still rages on.  Our Lord may be fighting unknown forces in battles not known to us. Maybe the reason we are getting a reprieve is because God is fighting our battles , while we rest.  Don’t shelve the Sword of the Spirit , which is the Word of God, for although the enemy cannot have the soul of a person who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, he will come knocking. The enemy may try to lure you away from the safety of your Heavenly Father’s arms, so he can try to steal, kill, and cause destruction in your life.  Stay on your guard, and do not shelve the armor and sword for display only.  Arm yourselves every morning, not in fear of the enemy, but for the sake of preparation for those days when he comes knocking. Stay on guard and don’t let the enemy get into your space. Close the door on the enemy and temptation, and seek the Lord for the battle plan, the way of escape.  Don’t let excuses for sin become a hindrance to the freedom you can experience in Christ Jesus . Sin is not a master that is stronger than the Lord, for one day sin shall bow the knee and be destroyed forever.  The battle rages on. Don’t let the enemy catch you unaware, for  it would be a great joy to him to see you relapse and put back on the chains, the Lord freed you from.  Don’t shelve the armor too early. Rejoice in your freedom with the armor on  that God has provided for you.  Victory doesn’t have to wait for Heaven’s gates in eternity. Celebrate your victory wisely knowing that God by His Power , through the Holy Spirit has helped you be an overcomer in your battles each day you have breath. 

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall. 

13 No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Ephesians 4:12-32 

He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds† and teachers;  12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,  14 that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ,  16 from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love. 

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,  18 being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts.  19 They, having become callous, gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  20 But you didn’t learn Christ that way,  21 if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:  22 that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,  24 and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth. 

25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and don’t sin.”* Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,  27 and don’t give place‡ to the devil.  28 Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice.  32 And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 6:10-18

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  13 Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  14 Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  15 and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace,  16 above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word† of God; 18 with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints.  1

This is something to ponder:

If you are one who seeks for others to constantly teach you God’s Word and not search it for yourself, beware. There are many false prophets and doctrines in the world that sound good , but contradict God’s Truth.  

If you are one who doesn’t study God’s Word as though as it’s a necessary training, beware. The enemy could come at any time , even when it may seem “out of season.” How then will you stand? 

If you look to leaders to do all the “front line” work, if the Lord suddenly calls them home whether peacefully, through a struggle, or martyrdom, who then shall lead?  

2 Timothy 4:1-5

1 I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: 2 preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching.  3 For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts,  4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables. 5 But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.

I will share this from November 21, 2023

I pray you will read and pray to the Lord about this, whether to heed or discard what I am about to share.

 I had a dream. I was at a house and two missionaries had just died for their faith. I saw the families trying to carry on normally. Heavy grief surrounded the two families in the house. Soon a year passed , though one family was still grieving , they rejoiced at the fact their loved one was with Jesus. The wife of the other martyred husband was hurting, and never wanted to talk about him. “He was foolish,” she would say. I sensed she carried a heavy load, young children always hanging on her. 

The dream changed and I looked at the yard on the property . There were fallen and uprooted trees. Some were no more than a hole left because the stump had been removed. 

The next day , I returned to the property and another tree had fallen barely missing the camper and car.  It was the first time I had seen one on the property. Some people when their family member dies, they lose their source of livelihood , or maybe while the person is still yet alive . Some do not. They had be very rooted and huge trees, not young nor weak. 

I kept wondering what the trees meant, and the Lord gave this explanation . These are the ones completely sold out to me no matter the cost , even death.  There is a hole after they die. Nothing goes back into that hole, because I didn’t call anyone else to be that person.  He brought to my mind  the Biblical examples of Moses and Joshua . Same God and Spirit led and guided them, but what they did in the role as leader was different. 

I began to notice huge gaps in the distance between the trees, and my view panned to a grassy lot. So much space for other trees to be planted. 

Matthew 9:37

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38  Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”

He continued telling me, that He has the harvest ready , but few who want to obey no matter the cost. 

I asked what about the next generation… why doesn’t the tree remain through generations? 

The tree was to represent someone’s life on earth. If they did teach and share with another , it was like a cross-pollination of the receiving tree. It becomes a part of that other tree, but when the original tree’s time is up it dies.   

We need to pray for both types of families , the ones who are grieving and rejoicing, and those who are grieving , not understanding why their loved one had to pay such a high price. 

In the dream,  those who were sold out to the Lord , the trees were getting fewer with each passing day, with no new ones coming up. 

Will we be willing to be obedient no matter the cost? 

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh,

and whose confidence is in Yahweh.

8 For he will be as a tree planted by the waters,

who spreads out its roots by the river,

and will not fear when heat comes,

but its leaf will be green,

and will not be concerned in the year of drought.

Psalm Chapter 1

Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stand on the path of sinners,

nor sit in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in Yahweh’s† law.

On his law he meditates day and night.

3 He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water,

that produces its fruit in its season,

whose leaf also does not wither.

Whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The wicked are not so,

but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked shall perish.

Last thing I want to leave you with on this day September 5th, 2024 is this: Your freedom found only in the Lord’s Ways is a gift. The armor is for your protection. Don’t shelve it or let it go unused. Don’t let excuses cause you to be bound to sin when freedom is an option for you to choose. Each day is a choice to walk according to what God through the Spirit is telling us, or go our own way, fulfilling the desires of the flesh. It’s a moment by moment decision. Do we desire to live in ultimate Freedom or not?

* All scripture from the World English Bible