EPHESIANS 6 EPHESIANS 6 The Armor of God

EPHESIANS 6

EPHESIANS 6 The Armor of God

EPHESIANS 6 Are we at war? Open your hymnbooks. Find as many hymns as possible that mention conflict. Who are we at war with? Revelation 12: 7‑‑ 11. Ephesians 6: 10‑‑ 12. Why does Satan fight so hard? (see 2 Nephi 2: 18).

Ephesians 6: 13‑‑ 17 1. What is the piece of armor used for? 2. What did Paul call the piece of armor? 3. What could the body part being protected by the armor represent spiritually? 4. How can wearing this piece of spiritual armor help you withstand evil?

“I like to think of this spiritual armor not as a solid piece of metal molded to fit the body but more like chain mail. Chain mail consists of dozens of tiny pieces of steel fastened together to allow the user greater flexibility without losing protection. I say that because it has been my experience that there is not one great and grand thing we can do to arm ourselves spiritually. True spiritual power lies in numerous smaller acts woven together in a fabric of spiritual fortification that protects and shields from all evil” (“Be Strong in the Lord, ” Ensign, July 2004, 8).

Ephesians 6: 13: The Last Phrase? “In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. ” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lord, I Believe”)

THE SHIELD OF FAITH

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

LOINS GIRT WITH TRUTH ~ No dating until age 16; missions before serious dating ~ Do not participate in kissing/hugging sessions ~ No French kissing ~ Never go into a home or bedroom alone ~ No back rubs ~ Do not lie down or on top of each other ~ No immodest dress ~ No late hours

QUESTION: THEY ALWAYS TELL US WE SHOULDN'T BECOME SEXUALLY INVOLVED, BUT THEY NEVER TELL US THE LIMITS. WHAT ARE THEY? Answer: Any sexual intimacy outside of the bonds of marriage—I mean any intentional contact with the sacred, private parts of another's body, with or without clothing—is a sin and is forbidden by God. Satan tempts one to believe that there allowable levels of physical contact between consenting individuals who seek the powerful stimulation of emotions they produce, and if kept within bounds, no harm will result. As a witness of Jesus Christ, I testify that is absolutely false.

QUESTION: BEFORE YOU ARE MARRIED, HOW FAR IS TOO FAR TO GO IF IT IS WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND? Answer: Before marriage there can be no sexual contact with a girlfriend, fiancee, or anyone else, period. Protect the one you love by controlling your emotions to the limits set by the Lord. You know how to be clean. We trust you to do it.

QUESTION: HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT REPENTING AFTER A SEXUAL SIN IS COMMITTED? WHAT SINS SHOULD YOU TELL THE BISHOP? Answer: All of the sexual transgressions we have discussed require sincere repentance with the participation of the bishop. Should you have done any of this, repent now. It is wrong to violate these commandments of the Lord. It is worse to do nothing about it.

EPHESIANS 6 • Which 3 things we are to ‘have’ (Skim, beginning in Ephesians 6: 14, looking for the word ‘having’) • Which 3 things are we supposed to ‘take’ (Skim Ephesians 6: 16 -17) • We are given truth, righteousness (in Christ) and peace-- but we are to exercise our faith, control our thoughts and seek for the spirit through scripture study.

EPHESIANS 6 President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: "The war goes on. It is as it was in the beginning. It is an ongoing battle. We cannot be unclean and expect the help of the Almighty. "You cannot afford to partake of things that will weaken your minds and your bodies. These include cocaine, 'crack, ' alcohol, tobacco. You cannot be involved in immoral activity. You cannot do these things and be valiant as warriors in the cause of the Lord. . "We are engaged in a great eternal struggle that concerns the very souls of the sons and daughters of God. We are not losing. We are winning. We will continue to win if we will be faithful and true. We can do it. We must do it. We

Loins Girt With Truth Do you avoid music that promotes promiscuity? Is what you do on dates suitable for sharing with your parents?

Breastplate Of Righteousness How long has it been since you watched an inappropriate movie? Is your heart set on marrying in the Temple? Have you forgiven, with all your heart, all those who have offended you? Do you love keeping the Sabbath Day Holy?

Feed Shod With The Preparation Of The Gospel Of Peace Were you here on time today? For Church on Sunday? Have you done a meaningful act of service this week?

Shield Of Faith Do you know how to recognize the Spirit well enough that it has become a weapon or tool in your life? Do you offer sincere prayers every day? Did you honestly fast on the last fast Sunday?

Helmet Of Salvation Do you avoid swearing? Do you daydream less than 10% of the time in Seminary? Is your mind free from the effects of pornography? Do you get up and walk out of a room, turn off the TV or at least change channels when inappropriate scenes occur?

Sword Of The Spirit Have you read your scriptures every day for the last seven days? Have you read the Book of Mormon?

In the old time Western movies, scenes of conflict between cowboys and Native Americans filled the screens. The cowboys would wield their guns and the Indians would shoot their arrows. Quite often, the cowboys would circle their wagons and set up a defense against the Indians. They used the canvas coverings of their wagons to protect themselves from the arrows of the Indians. Many of those early movies showed one of the Indians leaders wrapping his arrow in cloth and then dipping the tip into tar or sap. The Indian would then light the tip of the arrow on fire. His intent from lighting his arrow and then firing it towards the cowboys was to ignite the protective wagon covering, exposing the cowboys to their piercing arrows. Fortunately, when the devil sends his fiery darts our way, the Lord has equipped us with our own ‘circled wagons. ’ He’s invited us to take up the shield of faith to be able to quench the fiery darts of the adversary. Those satanically fiery darts target our shields of faith. As we know, in its purest definition, faith is simply acting on truth; we show our faith and increase our faith and demonstrate our faith by ACTING on truth. If the Adversary can send those fiery darts and tear down our faith- that is, tear down our desire to act on revealed truth we are exposed and become easy targets for his other assaults. Once our shields are down, it’s simply easy for Satan to finish the job. How do we combat his fiery darts and protect ourselves and our faith? 1 Nephi 15: 24 teaches, “Whoso would hearken unto the word of God and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction. ” So the key to success when it comes to battling Satan and maintaining our desire to act in faith is our commitment to study and apply the Word of God consistently- daily. Scripture study (and scripture application) keeps us safe and secure when those fiery darts of temptations and diabolical darts of distractions shoot into our lives.

“The putting off of the natural man makes possible the putting on of the whole armor of God, which would not fully fit before!” (Neil A. Maxwell, “Plow in Hope, ” Ensign, May 2001, 60).

• Which pieces of your spiritual armor do you consider to be strong? • Which is your weakest piece of armor? • What could you do to strengthen each of these pieces of spiritual armor in your life?

EPHESIANS 6