Be The Student:

Bible Study Prepares You to Teach

Pray and prepare your heart to teach by first asking God what He wants to reveal to you about Himself through the daily study of His Word. As you study, record your insights in the space provided, or you may use a notebook or journal that can also be used as a prayer journal. Many times God uses study notes and prayer journals to remind you of how far He’s brought you in your study and how He answers your prayers. Regardless of the method you choose, set aside 15 minutes or more each day to be quiet before the Lord and reflect upon what He wants to teach you for that day.

Standing in Spiritual Warfare Requires God’s Armor

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
–James 4.7

Day 1

• Pray before you begin to read Ephesians 6.10-13.
• What characteristics of God are revealed as you read this scripture?
• Where can you find strength?
  • See especially verse 10
• Whom do we struggle against?
  • See especially verse 12
• What is the goal of wearing God’s armor?
  • See especially verses 11-13

Applying the heart of the message: Ephesians 6.10-13

Consider your hardest struggle- where does your battle take place? Is it a difficult relationship? Fear? Anger? Doubt? According to Paul, a strong relationship with the Lord not only gives us access to His mighty power, it aligns us with a holy God, ensuring that we are challenged on a personal level to stand and defend God’s territory. Living under Roman guard, Paul understood Roman armor and the function of each piece in battle. As an “ambassador in chains” he understood the tactics of evil. How do you picture your enemy? Do you see the face of a difficult person? Perhaps you see your own reflection. We can’t afford to underestimate our enemy- ultimately defeated by Jesus, the devil’s greatest successes come from harassing and distracting believers into seeing each other as the enemy rather than guarding against the real spiritual forces of evil.

Day 2

• Pray before you begin to read Ephesians 6.10-20.

• How does Paul describe our belt? Consider the function of a belt, how does this serve as effective armor against spiritual attack?
  • See especially verse 14

• How does Paul describe our breastplate? What area of the body is protected by this piece of armor?
  • See especially verse 14
• Standing is a function of the feet- how does Paul suggest preparing our feet? What does this mean to you?
  • See especially verse 15

Applying the heart of the message: Ephesians 6.14-15

Living with a Roman soldier, Paul knew that the soldier’s belt went on first, serving as a place to fasten the breastplate and scabbard for the sword. The belt of truth gives us the ability to stand before God with integrity, providing the foundation of our spiritual armor and giving us the freedom to move within His will with purpose and clarity. Without this absolute truth, there would be no righteousness. Jesus said that there is “no truth in (the devil)…for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8.44). By beginning with God’s Truth we can clearly identify the enemy of our souls. How committed are you to examining yourself every day and constantly measuring your life by God’s absolute truth, immediately repenting when you’ve fallen short of God’s standard? There is no other way to buckle the belt of truth around your waist, or wear a breastplate of righteousness.

It would be easier to prepare for a battle against flesh and blood, to take up physical pieces of armor and focus upon a physical enemy. Paul understood better than perhaps anyone that we don’t face specific physical opposition. Even when it would’ve been easy for Paul to look into a face and see an enemy with a name, his passion for the Truth of the gospel allowed him to see everyone as a child of God, manipulated by the enemy of Truth. Paul lived in physical chains, and he understood that emotional prejudice, mental weariness and spiritual weakness are far more restrictive. Search your heart- what is restricting your movement? Paul also said love rejoices in the truth, always protecting, trusting, hoping, and persevering (1 Corinthians 13.6-7)- notice a parallel to defending against a spiritual battle? Unless we can stand in love, we cannot stand in peace. Unless we prepare our hearts and our minds, we cannot defend God’s territory in our lives.

Day 3

• Pray before you begin to read Ephesians 6.10-20.
• How does Paul describe our shield? What is its specific purpose?
  • See especially verse 16
• How does Paul describe our helmet?
  • See especially verse 17

• How does Paul describe our sword?
  • See especially verse 17
• How are we to pray? What specific prayers did Paul ask for himself?
  • See especially verses 18-20

Applying the heart of the message: Ephesians 6.16-20

When Paul described our shield, he saw the Roman shield of battle- not something small and round, but a massive curved, half cylinder shield formed of wood and covered in layers of leather that protected a soldier from shoulder to mid-thigh. He described this shield as a shield of faith, understanding that in battle Roman shields could be linked together to form a united front. How strong is your faith? Are you humble enough to link with a fellow believer when your faith is weak? The Roman shield was designed to absorb and extinguish flaming arrows. Consider this in context of a spiritual battle- you will not be shielded from attack- you’ll be shielded from the EFFECTS of attack when your faith in God outweighs anything else. Trials and disappointments will come and conflicts will flare in your life, but when you trust that “the One Who is in you is greater than the one who is in this world” (1 John 4.4), these attacks will be extinguished immediately by your faith.

The only weapons described by Paul are the sword of the Spirit, and constant prayer in the Spirit. In order for a weapon to be effective, we must know how to use it. Are you committed to studying God’s Word and hiding specific verses in your heart so that you can speak Truth in the midst of crisis?  Paul reminded us of the picture of linked shields among believers when he encouraged us to be alert in our prayers for one another.

Paul’s personal prayer request was not for his release from the chains that bound him, but for words and attitude that would allow him to fearlessly proclaim the gospel. How does this compare with your prayer requests? What we pray for reveals the desires of our heart. How committed are you to defending the territory God has claimed in your life? Do you stay alert to struggles of fellow believers so that you may cover them in prayer even before they make their requests known? We cannot afford to wear only part of God’s armor, because we do not know the timing or severity of our next spiritual attack, only that it will come, and WE will be called to stand OUR ground. Are you ready?