The Armour of Love
(week 31/04)
Olubi Johnson
Ephesians 6:10-11 NKJV: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
1 John 4:12-16 NKJV: No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Here, we are told to put on the whole armour of God and that God is love, so we can say that putting on the whole armour of God means putting on the armour of love: the attitudes of love graphically described in 1 Cor. 13: 4-8:
“I am patient and kind in all things, I am forbearing and longsuffering, I am not jealous or envious. I rejoice at the blessing of others. I am not boastful; I boast and glory only of Jesus Christ because God gave me all I have.”
“I am not proud; I am courteous to my fellow brethren and treat them with respect either big or small. I am always polite and not rude to others.”
“I do good to all men including myself but I am not selfish so I seek the good of others also. I do not insist on my own rights or my own way except when it concerns the vital will of God and even then with meekness and reverence.”
“I forgive people when they wrong me and pray that God will give life to them to help them to repent, relating to them in wisdom but without bitterness.”
“I do not worry. I cast all my cares and burdens on Jesus. I love righteousness and hate sin and wickedness. I do not rejoice when others go wrong, I pray for them. I am always ready to believe the best of others, I never give up on them even when they are wrong. I keep praying for them.”
As we do this daily and keep ourselves in the love of God by frequently throughout the day (at least once every 6 hours: Dt. 6.7, Josh. 1.8, Mk. 13.35) praying in tongues, determining not to be offended:
Jude 20-21 NKJV: But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Psalms 119:165 KJV: Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
We will not practice sin, since love is the fulfilling of the law (Rom. 13.8-10) and so we will keep ourselves and the wicked one, Satan, will not be able to touch us or penetrate our armour of love:
1 John 5:18 NKJV: We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
