Romans
13:12-14 KJV The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us
therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour
of light. (13) Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in
rioting
and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and
envying. (14) But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make
not
provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Exodus 3:17 KJV And I have said, I will bring you up out of the
affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites,
and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the
Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
Numbers 13:1-2 KJV And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
(2) Send
thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto
the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a
man, every one a ruler among them.
Numbers 13:27-31 KJV And they told him, and said, We came unto
the
land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and
honey; and this is the fruit of it. (28) Nevertheless the
people be
strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very
great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. (29)
The
Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the
Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites
dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. (30) And
Caleb stilled
the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess
it; for we are well able to overcome it. (31) But the men
that went
up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they
are stronger than we.
Numbers 14:29-31 KJV Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness;
and
all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from
twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
(30)
Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to
make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the
son of Nun. (31) But your little ones, which ye said should
be a
prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have
despised.
Hebrews 3:14-19 KJV For we are made partakers of Christ, if we
hold
the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (15)
While it
is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as
in the provocation. (16) For some, when they had heard, did
provoke:
howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. (17) But
with whom
was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose
carcases fell in the wilderness? (18) And to whom sware he
that they
should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
(19)
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Just as Hebrews 3 tells us we have a journey to a REST to make that was
similar to the Exodus to the promised land, EPHESIANS tells us of a
KINGDOM land called HEAVENLY PLACES.
Picture the book of Ephesians like the BOOK OF JOSHUA.
- Joshua was the book that told of when Israel moved out of the
wilderness into the Promised land after forty years.
- Israel was ready to enter Canaan and they doubted God.
Ephesians 1:3-4 KJV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us in him
before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame
before him in love:
Ephesians 1:19-20 KJV And what is the exceeding greatness of his
power
to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty
power,
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the
dead, and
set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Ephesians 2:1-7 KJV And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins; (2) Wherein in time past ye walked
according to
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the
air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
(3)
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts
of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (4)
But God,
who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
(5)
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
(by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us up
together, and made
us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7)
That in the
ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his
kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 3:9-10 KJV And to make all men see what is the
fellowship of
the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in
God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (10) To the
intent that
now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be
known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Ephesians 6:10-12 KJV Finally, my brethren, be strong in the
Lord, and
in the power of his might. (11) Put on the whole armour of
God, that
ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(12) For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places.
IN HEAVENLY PLACES is the exact same phrase in Greek as IN HIGH PLACES.
Picture the HEAVENLY PLACES as the Promised land.
- Israel was given all the blessings of God in the promised land.
- But enemies occupied that land and Israel had to FIGHT THEM OUT.
- The way we fight these enemies are described in the New Testament.
- We have to FIGHT enemies to get our promises.
- Paul the apostle is laying it out plainly that we have blessings
in HEAVENLY PLACES, and there are enemies in THOSE HEAVENLY PLACES that
have to KNOW SOMETHING.
- And we must FIGHT THOSE ENEMIES IN HEAVENLY PLACES.
The weapons we fight with are very spiritual.
- And we all heard sermons about the weapons of our warfare.
- We heard all about the armour.
- But Peter actually goes in details about it that are not so well
known.
1 Peter 4:1-3 KJV Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us
in the
flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath
suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2) That he no
longer
should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but
to the will of God. (3) For the time past of our life may
suffice us
to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in
lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and
abominable idolatries:
Peter speaks of ARMING OURSELVES the same understanding Jesus Christ
clearly showed.
- Peter spoke about baptism saving us by the resurrection of Jesus.
- Jesus went to the throne with that resurrection.
- It was KINGDOM POWER he obtained.
- We arm ourselves with KINGDOM POWER by taking that same CONCEPT
He experienced.
- WE DIE WITH JESUS and as He went to KINGDOM POWER and dominion,
we cease from sin.
- SIN has a power over mankind.
- Kingdom power is getting to the place where we do not live the
rest of our lives fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.
- Peter said we lived that way long enough!
- He speaks of it as though it is so much time and lives wasted.
- Letting the flesh throw us around, and satan uses that to whip us
and defeat us.
Peter said to ARM OURSELVES with the understanding that WE DIED WITH
JESUS, and were saved by baptism by the resurrection of Jesus.
Ephesians is speaking about Fighting enemies in our promised lands with
the weaponry of REVELATION.
- Having our eyes opened to this revelation that the power with
which God put Jesus on the throne is the power upon us, is arming
ourselves with UNDERSTANDING.
- Peter took the same concept of Paul and said this truth ARMS US!
- Both Peter and Paul spoke about dying with Jesus and connecting
us to the power of God that raised Jesus.
- Both spoke of arming ourselves (Peter) or putting on the whole
armour of God (Paul).
- Paul said this combats spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.
These spirits feed on you committing sin.
- And we defeat them with Jesus’ Christ’s right hand
power.
Ephesians 1:19-20 KJV And what is the exceeding greatness of his
power
to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty
power,
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the
dead, and
set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
1 Peter 3:21-4:1 KJV The like figure whereunto even baptism doth
also
now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ: (22) Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right
hand of
God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto
him.
(4:1) Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh,
arm
yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in
the flesh hath ceased from sin;
The two passages say the same thing.
- Both mention that Jesus resurrected and went to the RIGHT HAND
THRONE.
- While Paul said we are seated with Christ at that place, Peter
phrased it saying we ARM OURSELVES WITH THE SAME MIND CHRIST HAD.
It is like Christ had a concept in His mind about going to the right
hand, which He heard from the FATHER!
Psalms 110:1-2 KJV A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord,
Sit
thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
(2)
The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in
the midst of thine enemies.
And this same concept is what Peter tells us to ARM OURSELVES WITH.
- That tells us that the UNDERSTANDING that the Father told the Son
as to how he would sit at that right hand until every enemy is put
beneath his feet, and how the rod of his strength would come out of
Zion is the UNDERSTANDING we are supposed to arm ourselves with.
RULE THOU IN THE MIDST OF YOUR ENEMIES!
Arm yourselves with the same mind.
- Paul connected the power on Christ that put Him at the right hand
to us, and Peter said the same thing!
- Both these apostles said THIS CONCEPT MUST BE IN OUR MINDS!
Ephesians 3:10 KJV To the intent that now unto the principalities
and
powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold
wisdom of God,
1 Peter 1:12 KJV Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto
themselves,
but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto
you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost
sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
It is not enough to show the great wisdom of God through creation of
the sun, moon and stars.
- It is not enough to show it by creating immortal minds and
intelligent beings.
- You can only get the wisdom of God made known through the special
work of redemption.
- There is a wisdom of God that is revealed more fully through the
understanding of the way GOD REDEEMED THE WORLD.
- This is precisely the reason why ANGELS DESIRE TO LOOK INTO THIS
SALVATION.
- A display of something GOD KNOWS is made through THE GOSPEL.
So we see that angels who are holy have a desire to look into this
salvation since all the many facets and layers and layers of events
that are involved in it show the wisdom of God – not in any
single
event, but the entire overall unveiled series of things God did in
salvation.
But devils need to see it as well.
- There are devils with whom we fight in those high places.
- Like tribes of enemies in Canaan, we must fight and drive them
off.
And this fight involves the revelations of death with Jesus.
- Overcoming a lifestyle that lives to lusts of the flesh is what
Peter said is what saints do with ARMOUR.
- When Christ sat at the right hand throne position of power, a
certain KINGDOM POWER is referred to.
The most popular verse quoted by the New Testament from the Old is
Psalm 110:1.
- Psalms 110:1 KJV A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my
Lord,
Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
- Jesus told us to to SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM.
- And we find the two are connected!
- For the KINGDOM is ruled by Jesus AT THAT RIGHT HAND THRONE.
- And Paul said the full power used by God to put Him there is the
power WORKING TOWARDS US FOR OUR BEHALFS!
- Peter said that concept of RIGHT HAND attainment by Jesus is the
concept we must use as ARMOUR.
- God spoke to me years ago about this and I am only now really
grasping what He was saying to me.
- A minister and I were talking about how sin shall not have
dominion over us.
- And the minister asked me how that is possible seeing we both
knew another minister who fell into sin and completely backslid away
from God.
- How can such things happen if sin shall not have dominion over us?
- And God spoke to me about Israel entering the promised land.
- I said, we have victory over sin as much at our disposal as
Israel had conquest over the giants and well walled cities in Canaan.
- But when Israel DID NOT GRASP THAT GOD WAS WITH THEM, so as to
abandon all fear and worry over those enemies, GOD COULD NOT GIVE THEM
VICTORY BECAUSE THEY HAD NO FAITH.
- GOD NEEDS OUR FAITH to bless us and work wonders for us.
- THE VERY GOD WHO WAS WITH ISRAEL TO CONQUER ALL CANAAN COULD NOT
DO ONE THING FOR THEM WHEN THEY DOUBTED.
- And so, after God told them they had to wander in the desert til
they died due to such unbelief, and they tried to enter and fight
anyway, Amalekites and Canaanites smote them.
You believe this so strongly that you go to God in this manner:
Romans 6:13 KJV Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that
are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God.
When you KNOW you are dead to sin and resurrected with Jesus, you KNOW
that means sin cannot have dominion over you.
- You do not have the slightest doubt that YOU HAVE TO continue in
sin.
- And all of that is in your heart when you go to God.
- Paul said THAT is YIELDING YOURSELVES TO GOD AS THOSE ALIVE FROM
THE DEAD.
- THAT is the faith you must have in your heart for God to EMPOWER
YOU.
As they had to believe GOD WAS WITH THEM to conquer Canaan successfully
and not fear, we must believe in the power of the Gospel so much that
we KNOW we died and resurrected with Jesus having the same power on us
that put Jesus on the right hand throne.
- That FAITH in that WORD is ARMOUR.
- And God empowers us with supernatural power over fleshly sins and
lusts.
Romans 13:12-14 KJV The night is far spent, the day is at hand:
let us
therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour
of light. (13) Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in
rioting
and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and
envying. (14) But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make
not
provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Notice he uses the same idea of ARMOUR OF LIGHT.
- And he called it PUTTING ON CHRIST.
- You put it on like you put on armour.
Another translation says it like this:
Romans 13:14 GNB But take up the weapons of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and
stop paying attention to your sinful nature and satisfying its desires.
The idea of putting on ARMOUR is directly said to be the opposite of
satisfying lusts and desires of the flesh.
- Now I know why Romans 6 talks so much about death with Christ so
we are risen with Him and how that makes us dead to sin and how sin
shall not rule over us.
- True KINGDOM power is experienced by people who FULLY UNDERSTAND
that they died with Jesus to sin and live with Jesus so fully to God
that sin cannot even have dominion over them.
- They do not satisfy any fleshly pleasures, and do not struggle
knowing we should not do them but giving in over and over again, that
such living has STOPPED.
You are putting ARMOUR ON when you are so faith-packed and you
confidently know who you are in real, God-sent revelation FAITH, and
KNOW you are so dead with Jesus to sin to the extent that you will not
serve sin in the least again, and have all His power on your life.
- Think of THAT when you read Paul speak of the helmet of
salvation, Sword of the Spirit the Word, and feet shod with preparation
of the Gospel, and shield of faith, and girdle of truth, and
breastplate of righteousness.
- You know you have HIS righteousness, and that protects every
vital part of your life as a breastplate protects the heart, lungs, and
all major organs.
Ephesians 6:13-17 KJV Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of
God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all,
to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt
about with
truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (15)
And your
feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16)
Above
all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked. (17) And take the helmet
of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
YOU PUT ON CHRIST because YOU see yourself as RESURRECTED as Jesus is,
and Seated in Heaven as much as Jesus is.
- In short, you see all the power that put Jesus on the throne to
be on YOUR LIFE.
- And because all that is true of Jesus is true of you, it is
simply like saying YOU ARE PUTTING ON JESUS!
Ephesians 4:22-24 KJV That ye put off concerning the former
conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts; (23) And be renewed in the spirit of your
mind; (24) And
that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness
and true holiness.
No wonder Paul said I have a dispensation of grace given to me to
preach to the whole world!
- We have this GARDEN KINGDOM POWER restored to us, and it is time
to put on this armour by putting on everything that is true of Christ
–
putting on Christ – and seeing it is TRUE OF US AS WELL.
- And we need to have so much confidence in this truth from God so
that God can empower us and endow us with supernatural
1 Peter 4:1 KJV Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in
the
flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath
suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
Romans 6:10 KJV For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but
in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
You die to sin when you suffer in the flesh to the death.
- We die to sin so we do not live any longer to the lusts of people.
- We wasted enough time living to fleshly lusts ((3) For the
time
past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the
Gentiles).
- We must arm ourselves with the same understanding Christ had.
- IT IS UNDERSTANDING THAT IS SO VITAL.
- It arms us.
- It equips us with weaponry.
Death with Christ is supposed to end lives of living for lusts.
1 Peter 4:3 CEV You have already lived long enough like people
who
don't know God. You were immoral and followed your evil desires. You
went around drinking and partying and carrying on. In fact, you even
worshiped disgusting idols.
We do not need to continue to live lives like people who do not know
God.
IT IS HIGH TIME TO TAKE OUR INHERITANCE AND PROMISED LAND OF DOMINION
ON THE EARTH BACK AGAIN!
Romans 6:12 KJV Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body,
that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Romans 8:11-12 KJV But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from
the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in
you.
(12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to
live
after the flesh.
1 Peter 4:1-2 KJV Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us
in the
flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath
suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2) That he no
longer
should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but
to the will of God.