The Armor of God and The Bible...
In God's Word (the Bible) one can find an answer for every moral issue that is faced in life; but he/she must seek out such answers as one who is digging for gold in order to find them. In other words, we should be excited about studying God’s word, and expect to find great things in it, because it is the work of a Great God! And when I say we ought to be excited about studying God's word, what else could this mean but that we shouldn't allow any form of worldly entertainment to take its place.
Moreover, we ought to study it (not merely read it) to show ourselves approved unto God, rightly dividing the Word of truth, so that we may come to understand it well enough to test the spirits. What this means is that we need to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men's thoughts. For, many false teachers have gone out into the world, and are deceiving multitudes with their deadly doctrines. Therefore, just as there are true prophets of God, there are also false prophets.
Now then, one thing to keep in mind when dealing with a person who claims to be a prophet is that if he doesn't direct you to God's word in such a way that he shows himself to be the lesser light pointing to the greater Light, then it would be best for you to flee from him. Such people are under the influence of seducing spirits, which seek to devour your soul. God's prophets don’t seek to draw attention to themselves; rather, they always strive to bring the attention of God’s people back to the obedience of the Holy Scriptures.
With that said, the only thing that we really ought to be concerned about is walking perfectly in the Lord (indeed this covers everything). To do this we need to make good use of the full armor of God (allowing Christ to equip us with His righteousness). Hence, not only should the Christian read the Word of God to discover what it means to glorify and reflect the character of Christ in this way, but he/she should also appropriate the teaching to his/her own life, so that he/she may be "thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2Tim. 3:17
For whatever it is that we seek to do, it would be wise to first discover if God’s word commends such activity before carrying it out. If we can find approval for such works in the Word of God, we'll surely discover that His Word will also pave the way for its success in giving us moral direction on how to put it into practice. Thus we'll discover our gift(s); and God will use us as a means to bring much comfort and truth to those humble souls who are in search for the answers of life which matter most: Where did I come from?, Why am I here?, and Where am I going?
At the same time, we'll also find comfort in God's word by meditating on how He's led people who were subject to the same call of faith (holiness) to which we are being called, in times passed. (See Rom. 15:4) Thus their experiences with God will become ours, and ours will give testimony of God's love to someone else who is in need of such comfort. In other words, the Holy Word of God shouldn't merely be the source to which we look to substantiate what we believe about God (no Bible thumping allowed), but also the place to which we go when seeking for comfort and shelter from the storms of life.
Hence, as we continue to walk in obedience to God's word in this way, our faith will increase (Heb. 11:1; Rom. 10:17). And the more our faith increases the more aware we'll become of His presence in our life. Thus you'll often hear that gentle whisper voiced within your heart saying, "This is the way; walk ye in it."
By taking heed to His voice, and stepping into the Light as He is in the Light, you'll know for sure that you're making good use of the full armor of God!
In God's Word (the Bible) one can find an answer for every moral issue that is faced in life; but he/she must seek out such answers as one who is digging for gold in order to find them. In other words, we should be excited about studying God’s word, and expect to find great things in it, because it is the work of a Great God! And when I say we ought to be excited about studying God's word, what else could this mean but that we shouldn't allow any form of worldly entertainment to take its place.
Moreover, we ought to study it (not merely read it) to show ourselves approved unto God, rightly dividing the Word of truth, so that we may come to understand it well enough to test the spirits. What this means is that we need to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men's thoughts. For, many false teachers have gone out into the world, and are deceiving multitudes with their deadly doctrines. Therefore, just as there are true prophets of God, there are also false prophets.
Now then, one thing to keep in mind when dealing with a person who claims to be a prophet is that if he doesn't direct you to God's word in such a way that he shows himself to be the lesser light pointing to the greater Light, then it would be best for you to flee from him. Such people are under the influence of seducing spirits, which seek to devour your soul. God's prophets don’t seek to draw attention to themselves; rather, they always strive to bring the attention of God’s people back to the obedience of the Holy Scriptures.
With that said, the only thing that we really ought to be concerned about is walking perfectly in the Lord (indeed this covers everything). To do this we need to make good use of the full armor of God (allowing Christ to equip us with His righteousness). Hence, not only should the Christian read the Word of God to discover what it means to glorify and reflect the character of Christ in this way, but he/she should also appropriate the teaching to his/her own life, so that he/she may be "thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2Tim. 3:17
For whatever it is that we seek to do, it would be wise to first discover if God’s word commends such activity before carrying it out. If we can find approval for such works in the Word of God, we'll surely discover that His Word will also pave the way for its success in giving us moral direction on how to put it into practice. Thus we'll discover our gift(s); and God will use us as a means to bring much comfort and truth to those humble souls who are in search for the answers of life which matter most: Where did I come from?, Why am I here?, and Where am I going?
At the same time, we'll also find comfort in God's word by meditating on how He's led people who were subject to the same call of faith (holiness) to which we are being called, in times passed. (See Rom. 15:4) Thus their experiences with God will become ours, and ours will give testimony of God's love to someone else who is in need of such comfort. In other words, the Holy Word of God shouldn't merely be the source to which we look to substantiate what we believe about God (no Bible thumping allowed), but also the place to which we go when seeking for comfort and shelter from the storms of life.
Hence, as we continue to walk in obedience to God's word in this way, our faith will increase (Heb. 11:1; Rom. 10:17). And the more our faith increases the more aware we'll become of His presence in our life. Thus you'll often hear that gentle whisper voiced within your heart saying, "This is the way; walk ye in it."
By taking heed to His voice, and stepping into the Light as He is in the Light, you'll know for sure that you're making good use of the full armor of God!