Transcript Hypocrites and Backsliders

Hypocrites and Backsliders
Lesson 063 & 064:
The Helmet and The Sword
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The Armor of God
• Eph. 6.10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and
in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full
armor of God, so that you will be able to stand
firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our
struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the powers, against
the world forces of this darkness, against the
spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly
places.
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The Armor of God
• 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of
God, so that you will be able to resist in
the evil day, and having done everything,
to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore,
HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH
TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE
BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH
THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL
OF PEACE
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The Armor of God
• 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of
faith with which you will be able to
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil
one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF
SALVATION, and THE SWORD OF THE
SPIRIT, which is the word of God…
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The Armor of God
• Ephesians 6:12 clearly indicates that the conflict
with Satan is spiritual, and therefore no tangible
weapons can be effectively employed against
him and his minions.
• There is no listing here of specific tactics he will
use.
• However, the passage is quite clear that when
we follow all the instructions faithfully, we will be
able to stand, and we will have victory
regardless of his offense.
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The Belt (Baldric)
• The Belt: This was a very important piece to the
Roman Soldier's armor.
• The Roman soldier put around his waist a very
wide belt which was the holder for a lot of
equipment.
• There was a loop, for example, for the different
swords.
• Other loops held ropes and a rations sack.
When the legions conquered a city, the soldiers
would empty out the ration sack to make room
for gold, jewelry, and other loot they picked up.
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The Belt (Baldric)
• There were loops on the belt for darts.
• The belt was tied in several places to stay in
place, so that no matter how the soldier moved
about, fell down, climbed hills, etc., the belt was
always in place with weapons at the ready.
• If the belt were not on straight, then everything
would be out of place for the soldier.
• This would cut down his efficiency in battle and
may even cost him his life.
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The Breastplate
• The Breastplate of Righteousness
• Also in vs. 14 we are told to put on the breastplate
of righteousness.
• A breastplate would shield a warrior from a fatal
blow to the heart and other critical organs.
• This righteousness is not works of righteousness
done by men—rather, this is the righteousness of
Christ, imputed and imparted by God and received
by faith, which guards our hearts against the
accusations and charges of Satan, and secures our
innermost being from his attacks.
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The Breastplate
• One key area the Soldier's breastplate protected
was the heart.
• While the heart is the one key organ responsible for
sending blood through our circulatory system to
keep us alive, in our spiritual lives the heart is the
source for living out righteousness or evil.
• When we walk in the Reservoir of Righteousness of
God, it is a weapon of defense against all
slanderous accusations, and outrageous strategies
of the devil.
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The Boots
• And your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15).
• Because the foot soldier depends upon good
footwear to take him where the action is, combat
boots play an important role in his career.
• The Romans were no different; they designated
their infantry by the word CALIGATI after the
heavy footgear they wore - the CALIGAE.
• So, if we are to be known by our footwear, it is
important to learn our “Identity”!
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The Boots
• In Scripture, feet become synonymous with
service; but there can be no effective service
apart from constant training and preparation
along the road to super-grace.
• It was the seasoned combat veteran of the
Roman army who served his country best; and it
is the spiritually mature Christian Warrior who
can serve the Lord to the maximum of his
capability and capacity!
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The Shield of Faith
• The Christian Warrior does not have to march to
any geographical location to be at the front;
wherever he finds himself, his soul is the arena of
combat in the unseen warfare. Therefore, you must
carry your doctrine with you no matter where you
are.
• Doctrine comprises your inner resources; doctrine
shields you from confusion, from involvement in
inconsequential activities, from attacks of legalism
or socialism or from the influence of evil. (R.B.
Thieme, Jr.)
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The Helmet of Salvation
• The Roman helmet was generally made from
bronze. It fitted over an iron skullcap, which had
been lined with either leather or cloth for greater
comfort.
• A heavier helmet was worn by the Roman armies
stationed along the hostile frontiers on the Rhine
and Danube.
• The helmet covered the back of the head and was
reinforced by a back plate, which protected the
soldier's neck.
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The Helmet of Salvation
• Atop each helmet was a ring into which a crest of
horsehair or feather plumes could be inserted for
parades or dress occasions.
• Those regimental plumes were never worn on the
battlefield!
• The Roman helmet had no visor.
• Instead, a small metal peak jutted out in front to
offer added protection against the downward cuts
of the opponent.
• Hinged bronze cheek pieces held the helmet
securely in place.
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The Helmet of Salvation
• Upon completing his basic training, each Roman
soldier received his mark.
• At the same time, he was fitted with an iron
skullcap of his own, which he was obliged to wear
at all times.
• Once he had become accustomed to having his
head covered, he would be less conscious of the
weight of the helmet.
• The wearing of the helmet called for a special
mental attitude: respect for authority, respect for
military discipline, as well as self-discipline.
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The Helmet of Salvation
• He had learned to respect the sagacity and better
judgment of his superiors; he had learned to
appreciate the value of the helmet in combat!
• Even if it were uncomfortable, it was well worth the
trouble, and he welcomed the safety it offered him!
• The Roman Army was noted for rarely ever
suffering head injuries.
• The Roman soldier simply had no excuse for losing
his helmet.
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The Helmet of Salvation
• If he received a head wound in battle, it was
assumed that he had become a coward, had fled
and left his helmet behind.
• His comrades would never let him escape such
disgrace, and it was considered better to lose one's
life rather than report in after battle with any kind of
head injury!
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The Helmet of Salvation
• The Greek text of Ephesians 7:17a emphasizes this
principle.
• "And" is the adjunctive use of KAI and means
"also."
• "Take," is the aorist active imperative of the verb
DECHOMAI - "to receive, to welcome."
• The constantive aorist contemplates the occurrence
of salvation - a momentary action of believing in
Jesus Christ - and gathers it into a single whole.
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The Helmet of Salvation
• The active voice of DECHOMAI indicates that
mankind produces the action of the verb.
• Although you can neither be ordered nor compelled
to believe in Jesus Christ, you may be urged to do
so.
• This concept is brought out by the imperative of
entreaty, which expresses an appeal to the free will
of Homo sapiens to accept Christ.
• If you are not yet saved, the fault is entirely on your
side.
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The Helmet of Salvation
• The Greek word for helmet is PEHIKEPHALIA, a
compound noun derived from the preposition PERI
(around) and the noun KEPHALE (head) - that
which goes around the head.
• In the Latin, the exact equivalent of the Koine
Greek, "helmet" is GALEA or CASSIS (casque).
• Let us examine this very valuable piece of
equipment.
• It is called the "helmet of salvation."
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The Helmet of Salvation
• "Salvation" is the genitive neuter singular from
SOTERIOS and is used as a substantive rather
than as an adjective.
• The genitive of reference indicates the significance
of the helmet.
• In order to bring out the true meaning of the word, it
must be translated here as a relative clause:
• "Also, receive the helmet, WHICH REFERS TO
BEING SAVED!"
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The Helmet of Salvation
• Each part of the Roman helmet is analogous to
some facet of salvation.
• For example, the SKIN LINING emphasizes the
work of Christ on the Cross: redemption (toward
sin); reconciliation (toward man); propitiation
(toward God).
• The first Biblical reference to skin in connection
with salvation is found in Genesis 3:21:
• "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God
make coats of skin, and clothed them.”
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The Helmet of Salvation
• Since skins are obtained by the shedding of blood,
we are reminded of the blood of Christ - His
efficacious spiritual death in providing salvation,
which includes not only our forgiveness and
cleansing from sin, but also the imputation of God's
perfect righteousness to our account!
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The Helmet of Salvation
• The BRONZE CASQUE is analogous to the
uniqueness of the Person of the Savior - His virgin
birth as the sinless Son of God; His Hypostatic
Union as the God-Man; His impeccability (His
faultless, perfect Person).
• The GOLD CREST and PLUME identify the
believer of the Church Age as royalty forever; and
the CHEEK PIECE portrays the eternal security of
each believer in union with Christ.
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The Helmet of Salvation
• The helmet of salvation is a permanent item of
equipment (Eccl. 2:14; cf. 1 Pet. 1:5).
• Once you have received the helmet of salvation,
you can never forfeit it (John 10:28).
• You may turn traitor and deny your Lord as Peter
did; you may retreat shamefully from the heat of the
unseen conflict by your reversionism; you may be
deprived of your decorations and citations; but you
can never lose your eternal salvation!
• So great is the grace of God!
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The Sword of the Spirit
• The Sword of the Spirit
• .. and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God (Eph. 6:17b):
• One of the most unusual weapons ever invented
was the MACHAIRA.
• Swords had always been symbolic of warfare and
slaughter, and many kinds of swords existed in the
ancient world. Earlier swords were made of bronze;
those of later periods were forged of iron.
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The Sword of the Spirit
• It was the Romans who introduced swords made of
iron, and the Roman MACHAIRA turned out to be
the most ingenious invention of warfare of its day.
• The blade of this perfectly balanced weapon was
usually only eighteen inches long.
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The Sword of the Spirit
• It had two cutting edges instead of one, and it
tapered off to a sharp point.
• Extremely keen, the MACHAIRA was very
maneuverable; its outstanding advantage was that
the Roman soldier was never off-balance while he
used his MACHAIRA.
• The introduction of this new weapon constituted a
remarkable innovation in the weaponry of the
ancient world and demanded a complete reversal
in the training of the Roman swordsman.
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The Sword of the Spirit
• Thus, recruits were taught not to cut but to thrust
with their swords.
• A firm grip on the excellent hand-guard of the
MACHAIRA, a stab to a vital part of the body, and
the enemy of Rome fell mortally wounded.
• Unlike his enemy, who must expose his right arm
and side in order to strike a hacking blow, the
legionary's body was covered while he thrust his
sword at his opponent.
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The Sword of the Spirit
• Since he was well protected by his shield and
heavy armor, the blow could do little harm; since he
exerted less force or strain, the Roman soldier's
stamina in battle extended far beyond that of his
enemy.
• The finest of these double-edged swords were
issued to the Praetorian Guard.
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The Sword of the Spirit
• It is significant that the Holy Spirit has chosen the
Roman MACHAIRA as the counterpart to the
Christian soldier's most effective offensive weapon
- the MACHAIRA OF THE SPIRIT.
• This same analogy is used in Hebrews 4:12, where
the Word of God is compared to and found to be
even more powerful than the sharp MACHAIRA of
the Romans.
• In this context, Ephesians 6:17, the Bible is called
the "MACHAIRA of the Spirit."
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The Sword of the Spirit
• "Of the Spirit" is the ablative singular of source from
PNEUMA (Spirit) and refers to God the Holy Spirit.
• The genitive case - that is, the genitive of source demands this literal translation: "from the Spirit."
• The Third Person of the Trinity is the Source of our
offensive weapon, "which (nominative neuter
singular from the relative pronoun HOS) is (present
active indicative, EIMI - 'to be') the word (predicate
nominative, REMA) of God (ablative of source,
THEOS, minus the definite article)."
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The Sword of the Spirit
• On closer examination of the grammatical structure
of this phrase, we note that the tense of the verb
ElMl is the static present, which represents Bible
doctrine as perpetually existing.
• In spite of Satan's effort to erase every trace of the
inspired Word of God from the face of the earth -at one time, only fifty copies of the Scriptures
remained in man's possession, and Rome had
ordered these to be destroyed there will never be a
generation destitute of Bible doctrine!
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The Sword of the Spirit
• In order to become effective in the believer's life,
the doctrines contained in the Word of God must be
taken from the printed page and transferred into the
Christian's soul.
• Doctrine must become resident in the soul before it
is usable in the life!
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The Sword of the Spirit
• To emphasize this point, God the Holy Spirit
inspired the Apostle Paul to use the Greek word
REMA in place of the more commonly used word,
LOGOS.
• REMA means "the Word sent forth" - the spiritual
weapon taken from its scabbard, the Bible.
• REMA could be properly rendered "mandate," or
better yet, "doctrine," “APPLICATION” for it
presents the concept of a specific saying or of a
category taught exegetically.
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The Sword of the Spirit
• Stored in its scabbard, the Sword of the Spirit is
preserved for you and for all generations hereafter;
unsheathed, this super weapon becomes your
personal property and allows you to assume the
offensive in spiritual combat.
• How do you take this sword from its scabbard? By
appropriating God's gracious provisions for learning
Bible doctrine.
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The Sword of the Spirit
• In this apt analogy between the MACHAIRA of
Rome and the MACHAIRA of the Spirit are found
parallel truths.
• It takes skill to use the MACHAIRA ! The Roman
soldier spent long hours in sword practice.
• To the Romans of antiquity, the MACHAIRA was
but an extension of the wrist.
• The recruit must learn the correct use of his wrist;
he must develop agility of elbow and shoulder,
expert footwork; he must know where to aim his
thrusts.
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The Sword of the Spirit
• The Roman soldier stood his ground; he was never
thrown off-balance.
• His maneuverability in combat was phenomenal,
and his thrusting ability remained unhampered.
• Thus, the once scornful Barbarians learned well the
lesson that size in either man or weapon does not
necessarily guarantee an advantage.
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The Sword of the Spirit
• What the MACHAIRA was to the Roman soldier,
the Sword of the Spirit is to the Christian Warrior.
• Bible doctrine becomes resident in the soul only
after a period of the consistent function of GAP.
• Once the Christian soldier is fully equipped for
combat, he is ready to meet an enemy, superior in
every way, in close combat.
• Nor can he be thrown off-balance by the forces of
Satan!
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The Sword of the Spirit
• How can you, as a member of the Royal Combat
Legion, take the offensive and gain tactical victory
in the unseen warfare?
• By your daily, positive volition toward Bible
doctrine. The super-grace believer attacks!
• The reversionistic believer retreats!
• Accept this Roman challenge: FORTES FORTUNA
JUVAT ("Fortune favors the brave")!
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The Sword of the Spirit
• If Jesus Christ had to rely entirely Upon the Holy
Spirit to sustain His humanity during His Incarnation
in order to execute the Plan of God, how much
more dependent are you and I on the filling of the
Spirit!
• Our Lord used the equipment God made available
to Him for His conflict with Satan.
• Think of Christ's use of the Sword of the Spirit!
Never did the blade flash brighter; never was the
Sword sharper nor more brilliantly wielded than in
the wilderness duel (Luke 4:1-14).
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The Sword of the Spirit
• Yet it was not by His skilful use of the Sword, but by
His strategic victory on the Cross that the Master
Swordsman made possible our exploitation of His
conquest.
• It remains for us to become expert in its use!
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The Sword of the Spirit
• Also, receive the helmet, which refers to being
saved; also, the sword from the Spirit, which is the
doctrine from God (expanded trans., Eph. 6:17).
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• Praying always with all prayer and supplication in
the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints (Eph.
6:18).
• The Royal Family of God enjoys tremendous
privileges, some of which were never experienced
by believers in previous dispensations.
• These privileges in no wise exempt us from certain
obligations.
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• Far from it; the Scriptures state that "unto
whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be
required" (Luke 12:48).
• One of our foremost duties is the Royal Warrior's
responsibility of PRAYER.
• The importance of prayer can never be
overemphasized! Prayer is a part of the Christian
Warrior's offensive action, and the command for
effective prayer is issued repeatedly throughout the
Epistles.
• Yet this command is obeyed less frequently and
with less enthusiasm than all other orders from the
divine Headquarters!
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• In the so-called "arms race," the world's major
powersthe U.S. and the U.S.S.R. - seek to
accelerate their research and development of ever
more sophisticated nuclear weapons.
• The awesome destructive potential of nuclear
weapons spiraled with the perfection of the
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.
• The tools of warfare have evolved tremendously
since the day when the Roman ballista catapulted
gigantic stones, weighing five hundred to six
hundred pounds, against their enemies.
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• There is one weapon, however, which has far
greater capability than any weapon of man's
design. Perfect from the moment of its inception in
the mind of God, that weapon - PRAYER _ can
never be improved upon.
• For the Christian Warrior who is skilled in its
deployment the use of prayer unleashes the very
power of God.
• The range of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
shrinks into insignificance over the range of the
believer's prayer missile.
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• The instant prayer is launched, it spans stellar
space to reach the heavenly Command Post - the
throne room of God!
• And often, before ever a prayer is verbalized, the
answer to it is dispatched (Isa. 65:24).
• Sad to say, the fantastic power of prayer goes
untapped only too often!
• Prayer is one of the greatest weapons ever forged
in heaven for the use of the Royal Family on earth!
• Prayer can avert disaster!
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• Prayer can halt corruption in government and the
influence of evil!
• There is a definite relationship between the prayer
of mature believers and the outer as well as inner
tranquility in a nation (1 Tim. 2:1, 2).
• By means of prayer, each member of the Royal
Family of God can offer combat support to the
frontline Christian Warrior.
• Why, then, does such a magnificent weapon go
unclaimed and unused?
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• Simply because too many Christians lack Bible
doctrine in the soul and the self-discipline which is
required for intelligent and effectual prayer!
• In the Greek text of Ephesians 6:18, the word order
differs considerably from that found in our English
Bible.
• The verse actually states: "By means of every
prayer and petition, be praying on every occasion
in the Spirit."
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• By extracting the highlights of the exegesis of this
verse, we discover not only the grammatical setting
but also the principles which should regulate our
responsibility as prayer warriors.
• For example, there is the word "praying"
(PROSEUCHOMAI, present middle participle).
• PROSEUCHOMAI is a deponent verb, middle in
form, active in meaning.
• The present tense is the linear aktionsart of the
retroactive progressive present, while the middle
voice is reflexive.
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• In the New Testament, this word is always
associated with prayer with emphasis on the act of
addressing God.
• It is also the preferred usage if the act of prayer is
indicated but not its content.
• Therefore, in this context, it refers to a system for
prayer.
• Prayers are to be expressed to the Father (Matthew
6:9), in the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians
6:18), in accordance with His will (1 John 5:14 -15),
and in the name of Jesus Christ (John 14:13-14).
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• Proper prayer can have several categories which
are implied next by the second instrumental of
means,
• the noun: deēsis - The best English translation is
“entreaty” and means “to make an earnest
request.”
• This word can mean “petition” for personal needs
or for requests in general which would include
“intercession” for others.
• All requests are to be submitted through the
divinely constituted system of prayer.
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• Properly submitted prayers are answered in the
divine decree.
• In eternity past God knew all that was knowable,
the potential as well as the actual. The actual
included His knowledge of every thought, decision,
and action that His omniscience perceived would
take place in human history.
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• These thoughts, decisions, and actions of every
believer were programmed into the divine decree.
• This category of divine omniscience is called
foreknowledge and can be illustrated by imagining
the divine decree as a giant computer into which
God has inserted this data.
• We may further illustrate this by imagining that
when God inserted the data He programmed it onto
a CD.
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• CD’s, as opposed to CDRW’s, can be programmed
just once, after which the programming becomes
permanent.
• Thus the CD for this prayer illustrates human free
will programmed once by the believer’s volition and
since it is foreknown it cannot be rewritten.
• Consequently, God perceived your prayer in
eternity past and placed it into the divine decree on
your CD.
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• Isaiah 65:24 - “It will also come to pass that before
they call, I will answer; and while they are still
speaking, I will hear.”
• God also processed our prayers in eternity past,
and if we submit them according to His will, He will
answer them:
• 1 John 5:14- And this is the confidence which we
have before Him, that if we ask anything according
to His will, He hears us.
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• v. 15 - And if we know that He hears us in whatever
we ask [1stCC: and He
• does], we know that we have the request which we
have asked from Him."
• God inserted His answer into the divine decrees in
a similar way that a computer saves data on a CD.
• The CD cannot be overwritten with new data and is
available at any time to be played back – in fact, He
plays it back as we are still asking it!
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The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• Here then is how prayer works, you express a
prayer to God utilizing the biblical system:
• 1. to the Father: All prayer is directed to the Father
(Matt. 6:9), in the name of the Son (John 14:13,
14), in the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 6:18).
Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Christ is praying for us at
the right hand of the Father. Romans 8:26, 27
informs us that the Holy Spirit is praying for us.
Since They both make intercession for us, we
never address our prayers to the Son or to the
Spirit.
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• 2.
under
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Holy Spirit (Confession),
The Royal Warrior’s Responsibility
• 2. under the power of the Holy Spirit (Confession),
followed by
• 3. Adoration of God for who He is and His
Essence/Character
• 4. Listen to God (Quiet rumination)
• 5. Thanksgiving to God;
• 6. Intercession for others;
• 7. Petition for self; and
• 8. in the name of Christ.
• CATLIP
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• This prayer is a collection of thoughts decisions and
actions perceived in eternity past by the
omniscience of God.
• Before you prayed it, God answered it (Isaiah
65:24a).
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• First, He recognized the prayer by programming it
onto your CD.
• He knew you would pray it because omniscience
can perceive what will happen in the future with the
same clarity as we can the past.
• Because you prayed in accordance with His will,
God is obligated under His promise in 1 John 5:1415 to answer it and the details of His answer are
inserted into the divine decrees onto the CD.
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• God’s timing is perfect.
• He has so arranged human history that the answer
to your prayer is as much a part of history as the
prayer you pray.
• When you pray the prayer the answer is in the
divine decree awaiting its perfect point in time to
become a reality for you: “while they are still
speaking, I will hear (Isaiah 65:24b).”
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• Petition Positive - Desire Negative.
• And he gave them their request; but sent leanness
into their soul (psa. 106:15).
• Numbers, Chapter 11, records the petition of the
children of Israel. The Lord had supplied a perfect
food, manna, but they grew tired of it. Their request
was for meat: "And he gave them their request; but
sent leanness into their souls." The Lord sent quailmore quail than anyone had ever seen, “he that
gathered least gathered ten homers [about 860
gaIlons]”.
• They got sick, many died, none were happy.
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• Petition Negative - Desire Positive.
• And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might
live before thee (Gen. 17:18)!
• This is Abraham's petition, but the desire behind his
petition is that he might have a son from his own
loins who would be the heir.
• The petition was not answered. Ishmael was not to
be in the line of Israel, even though he was a son
from Abraham's loins. The desire behind the
petition for an heir was to be answered by the birth
of Isaac.
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• Petition Positive - Desire Positive: Petition
answered; desire answered (Judg. 16:28; 1
Kgs_18:36, 37; Luke 23:42,43; John 11: 41,42, 45).
• The petition: “And he said unto Jesus, Lord
remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”;
his desire behind the petition: salvation.
• And Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say unto thee, To
day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke
23:43).
• The man was born again into the eternal kingdom.
• Petition and desire were both answered
affirmatively.
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• Petition Negative- Desire Negative: Neither petition
nor desire answered.
• Nine reasons why prayer is not answered. (Note
that all are connected with either carnality or
accumulation of scar tissue.)
• a. Not filled with the Spirit (Eph. 6:18).
• b. No faith-rest function (Matt. 21 :22).
• c. Mental attitude carnality (psa. 66: 18).
• d. Lust-type selfishness (Jas. 4:2-4).
• e. Lack of obedience (1 John 3:22).
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• f. Non-compliance with specific and known will of
God (1 John 5:14).
• g. Pride as a basic mental attitude sin and resultant
selfrighteousness (Job 35:12,13).
• h. Lack of compassion or grace orientation (prov.
21: 13).
• i. Lack of domestic tranquility (1 Pet. 3 :7).
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• Here is your order to keep right on praying, for
prayer is not optional; prayer is commanded every
believer in the Royal Family of God.
• We might liken prayer to that branch of the military
service, which is known as "the Silent Service" - the
gallant heroes of the American Submarine Service.
• For total effectiveness, the "Silent Service" is
known to operate under the strictest conditions of
secrecy.
• Few of its exploits are known to the general public
or even to newspaper correspondents.
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• Just as the submarines were one of America's most
decisive weapons in World War II, so are the silent
prayers of mature believers in the spiritual conflict.
• Like the submarines, they surface from time to time
in verbalized prayer; but always, they have
farreaching activities and impact!
• There are countless avenues, countless occasions
for prayer exploits; these are inferred by the
preposition EN plus the locative of KAIROS ("at all
times" or "on every occasion").
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• There is an apropos prayer before meals - the
request that God sanctify the food for the
nourishment of your body by removing any possible
impurities.
• There is a prayer suitable prior to periods of Bible
study.
• You are about to partake of spiritual food; why not
ask for the necessary concentration and objectivity
which is so vital to spiritual growth?
• There are prayers for divine guidance in situations
in which you lack a definite course of action.
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• Pray that pertinent doctrines resident in your soul
may be brought into focus to be properly applied!
• Times of adversity and heartache demand that you
not only draw on your inner resources of Bible
doctrine, but that you make specific request to the
God of all comfort!
• Then there is the whole realm of prayer for others
within your periphery.
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• Your prayer can become the means of
encouragement to your right pastor and to his
ministry.
• Prayer requests and petitions should be launched
on behalf of all who are in authority over you on a
local, state and national level.
• How well do you fulfill your responsibility to pray,
member of the Royal Family of God?
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• Prayer demands more than self-discipline and
concentration; it requires alertness!
• This concept is found in the middle of Ephesians
6:18, in the word "watching."
• The present active participle of the verb
AGRUPNEO means "to be alert."
• Alertness comes from doctrine in the soul and
expresses itself in the function of effective prayer.
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• The retroactive progressive present of this
participle denotes that what you have begun to do
in the past with lesser accumulation of doctrine, you
can do better now that you have advanced to the
high ground of spiritual maturity.
• The active voice identifies the Christian Warrior as
the one who produces the action of prayer.
• The participle is again used as an imperative - a
command.
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• Thus, prayer is both the prerogative and the
privilege of the Royal Family:
• "with reference to prayer, be on the alert with all
perseverance!' ,
• EN plus the instrumental of PROSKARTERESIS
actually means "persistent determination";
• the instrumental coupled with PROS adds the word
"all" –
• "with all persistent determination."
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• Here is tenacity in prayer, tenacity in DEESIS or
"supplication."
• Next, we are given the scope of prayer: "for all
things (PAS) concerning all saints (PERI plus the
genitive of HAGIOS)" - a reference to the Royal
Family of God.
• There is a need for prayer in our generation as
never before!
• Prayer offers tremendous opportunities.
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• We need prayer for missionary organizations which
emphasize doctrine and are free from legalism.
• We have men in military service who face
discouraging odds and loneliness, yet who may
have wide open doors set before them.
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• By means of every prayer and petition, be praying
on every occasion in the (filling of the) Spirit, also
with reference to prayer, be on the alert with all
persistent determination and supplication for all
things concerning all saints (the Royal Family)
(expanded trans., Eph. 6:18).
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• In summary, the following principles regarding
prayer should be noted:
• (1) Prayer is the responsibility of every royal soldier
during the course of the Church Age.
• We need both individual and collective prayer.
• Prayer is the exploitation of opportunities offered us
by God's grace.
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• (2) The effectiveness of the believer's intercessory
prayer is based on his being attired in the full armor
from God.
• The sooner you get to super-grace, the greater
your prayer life will be and the more productive
your priestly function.
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• (3) In the field of prayer, each Christian Warrior is
on IRF - Instant Reaction Force.
• When God opens the door, that door can be held
open by prayer.
• A volunteer force of alert prayer warriors lays down
the barrage of prayer; and prepared men, whom
God has chosen for a task, move through that door
to accomplish God's purpose for their lives.
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• (4) Persistence, perseverance in prayer is one of
the greatest ministries for any believer of the Royal
Family of God.
• (5) Last, but most important, there is the true
motivation for prayer - Bible doctrine in the soul!
• In temporal as well as in spiritual warfare, there is
no substitute for victory!
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• God's Battle Plan calls for decisive defeat of all of
Satan's forces.
• In view of every perfect provision God made for His
Royal Family - the full armor, offensive and
defensive weapons, the secret weapon of prayer there is no excuse for spiritual retreat!
• You are ordered to hold your ground; you are
ordered to CONQUER. You are given the weapons
for victory and the battle cry of conquest: VINCIT
OMNIA VERITAS - "Doctrine Conquers All!"
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Armor of God Summary
• There is a powerful kingdom surrounding us whose
sole purpose to stop us from advancing in God’s
plan.
• It is controlled by our adversary, the devil in 1Pe
5:8. Satan is the “god of this world,” and his goal is
to first seduce us and then ultimately defeat us.
• He will continually bombard us with his many lies
and philosophies until he finally sees one hit.
• Without the “mind of Christ” in our souls, we have
no chance to withstand his deception.
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• Satan succeeds when we lose our peace,
composure, poise, happiness, and contentment.
• Satan can use cosmic (worldly) thoughts and
projections to influence us, therefore we must all
continue “taking up the shield of faith with which
you will be able to extinguish all the flaming
missiles of the evil one.”
• Only Bible doctrine exposes his lies, 2Co 2:11, “In
order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan;
for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”
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• Today, we see the “schemes of the Evil One”
manifested in the attempt to remove God from our
culture and thereby our thinking, but these quotes
establish the founding father’s intent:
• George Washington Farewell Address, 1796
• “And let us with caution indulge the supposition that
morality can be maintained without religion.
Whatever may be conceded to the influence of
refined education on minds of peculiar structure,
reason and experience both forbid us to expect that
national morality can prevail in exclusion of
religious principle.”
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• John Adams: "We have no government armed with
power capable of contending with human passions
unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice,
ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the
strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes
through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a
religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate
for the government of any other."
• Benjamin Rush: "The only foundation for... a
republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there
can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no
liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all
republican governments. "
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• As the god of this world, Satan has placed foolish
individuals in positions of authority as he attempts
to control the entire world system, Rev 12:9, “And
the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of
old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives
the whole world.”
• We are not told to fight with those in positions of
authority or rulership; instead, we are commanded
hold our ground as we execute God’s plan, Eph
6:11-14; Jam 4:7, “Submit therefore to God
[execute His plan]. Resist the devil and he will flee
from you”
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• How do we resist?
• 1Pe 5:9, “But resist the devil by being firm in your
doctrine.”
• The soldier is trained so much in the same skills,
over and over again, through constant repetition,
that once he is placed in a pressure situation and
does not have time to stop and think, he will
automatically do what he has been trained to do.
Repetition of doctrine is security for us (Phi 3:1)
because, when we come under pressure, we will be
thinking the right thoughts, responding instead of
reacting, and applying the necessary doctrine.
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• Soldiers are also clothed by their military.
• What is our Armor?
• The Christian soldier is said to be clothed by the
Lord Jesus Christ in the spiritual realm, Gal 3:27,
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ.”
• A soldier is also told who to go to war against, and
he understands who his enemies are; likewise, the
Christian soldier has his warfare appointed to him,
and his enemies are made known to him by the
scriptures.
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• We are told that the devil makes war against the
Lamb and His followers in Rev 17:14, “These will
wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will
overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and
King of kings, and those who are with Him are the
called and chosen and faithful.”
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• A soldier is also supplied logistically as he goes
forward in training, discipline, and warfare, and the
Christian soldier is provided logistical grace for his
spiritual walk and warfare.
• The military bears the expense of the war and
furnishes the soldier with whatever is necessary for
his calling.
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• Our Lord has given us clothes, armor, weapons,
and everything necessary to handle what we are
going to face, 1Co 10:13, “No temptation has
overtaken you but such as is common to man; and
God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation
will provide the way of escape also, that you may
be able to endure it.”
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