The Armor of God
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Spiritually Dressed For Success
Pr 20:18 (NIV) Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.
The purpose of this Bible Study is to consider and meditate on the Scriptural meaning of each piece of the armor of God, so
that we might stand firm in the battles of life.
Eph 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take
your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on
the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have
done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of
righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this,
take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Why Spiritual Armor?
Rom 13:12 (NIV) The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on
the armor of light.
Jer 46:3-4 (NIV) "Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle! Harness the horses, mount the
steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears, put on your armour!"
1 Cor 14:8 (GLT) For if a trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who will get himself ready for war?
Stand!
Luke 21:36 (NIV) "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you
may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
Mal 3:2 (NAS) But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?..
1 Cor 10:12-13 (NIV) So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you
except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you
are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Jude 1:24 (Wey) But to Him who is able to keep you safe from stumbling, and cause you to stand in the presence of His glory
free from blemish and full of exultant joy...
Jas 4:7 (NAS) Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
The Belt of Truth
Eph 6:14 (NRS) ...fasten the belt of truth around your waist...
Isa 11:5 (NIV) Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash round his waist.
Ex 12:11 (NIV) This is how you are to eat it [the passover lamb]: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your
feet and your staff in your hand...
1 Kings 18:46 (NIV) The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way
to Jezreel.
Eph 4:25 (NKJ) Therefore, put away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spiritually Dressed For Success
Pr 20:18 (NIV) Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.
The purpose of this Bible Study is to consider and meditate on the Scriptural meaning of each piece of the armor of God, so
that we might stand firm in the battles of life.
Eph 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take
your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on
the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have
done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of
righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this,
take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Why Spiritual Armor?
Rom 13:12 (NIV) The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on
the armor of light.
Jer 46:3-4 (NIV) "Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle! Harness the horses, mount the
steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears, put on your armour!"
1 Cor 14:8 (GLT) For if a trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who will get himself ready for war?
Stand!
Luke 21:36 (NIV) "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you
may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
Mal 3:2 (NAS) But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?..
1 Cor 10:12-13 (NIV) So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you
except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you
are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Jude 1:24 (Wey) But to Him who is able to keep you safe from stumbling, and cause you to stand in the presence of His glory
free from blemish and full of exultant joy...
Jas 4:7 (NAS) Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
The Belt of Truth
Eph 6:14 (NRS) ...fasten the belt of truth around your waist...
Isa 11:5 (NIV) Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash round his waist.
Ex 12:11 (NIV) This is how you are to eat it [the passover lamb]: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your
feet and your staff in your hand...
1 Kings 18:46 (NIV) The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way
to Jezreel.
Eph 4:25 (NKJ) Therefore, put away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor."
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
I. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
The word “poor” is from the Greek ptokas, a noun that means poor in this world’s goods; it describes a
beggar, desperately ashamed even to allow his identity to be known. It is not just poor, it is begging poor.
The word “blessing” or “blessed”, can be defined as happiness or bliss from the Greek makarios, and has an
opposite in scripture. It is ouie and we translate it woe. Jesus did not say, “I wish you blessedness.” He said,
“Blessed is the man who,” And when He in contrast said, “Woe to the man who,” He was not simply wishing;
He was, in both cases, making a
judgmental pronouncement.
But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Luke 6:24
Why does Jesus Christ begin with the poor in spirit? He’s talking about a new standard, a new way to live,
so why begin here? What makes this a source of happiness? Well, because it is the fundamental
characteristic of a Christian. Becoming poor in spirit is the very first thing that must happen in the life of
anybody who ever enter’s God’s kingdom. No one ever enters on the basis of pride.
Poverty of Spirit is the foundation of all graces, yet so much of our modern Christianity feeds on pride. As
long as you are not poor in spirit, you cannot receive grace.
God gives grace to the humble. That’s why a poor spirit has to be at the very beginning. The only way to
come to God is to confess unrighteousness (sin), confess inability to meet God’s standards, confess that you
cannot do it on your own. You enter with a sense of
helplessness and desperation to receive divine blessing, and you maintain that sense in order to know
continual happiness as you live in Christ.
II. How to Become Poor in Spirit.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Psalms 51:17
A second reason Jesus begins with this beatitude is because it’s the bottom line. It means to be spiritually
bankrupt and know it. There are three principles to becoming poor in spirit:
1. Look to God. (Matthew 6:23) Do not try to do it by yourself (Acts 3:12). That was the folly of
monasticism. The monastics thought they could be poor in spirit by going somewhere, selling all their
possessions, putting on old robes, and sitting in a monastery.
2. Starve the flesh. (1 Corinthians 9:25-27). Starve your carnal nature. You have to seek things
that will strip away any notions that you are anything in and of yourself. By stripping your carnal nature you
will be forced to depend upon Jesus Christ
completely because you have no other resources to deal with your own failures. And that’s the place we all
want to be–totally dependent upon Him.
3. Ask. (Luke 18:13). Do you want to be poor in spirit? Ask. “God, be merciful to me a sinner,” said
the publican, Jesus said, “this man went down to his house justified.”
I. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
The word “poor” is from the Greek ptokas, a noun that means poor in this world’s goods; it describes a
beggar, desperately ashamed even to allow his identity to be known. It is not just poor, it is begging poor.
The word “blessing” or “blessed”, can be defined as happiness or bliss from the Greek makarios, and has an
opposite in scripture. It is ouie and we translate it woe. Jesus did not say, “I wish you blessedness.” He said,
“Blessed is the man who,” And when He in contrast said, “Woe to the man who,” He was not simply wishing;
He was, in both cases, making a
judgmental pronouncement.
But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Luke 6:24
Why does Jesus Christ begin with the poor in spirit? He’s talking about a new standard, a new way to live,
so why begin here? What makes this a source of happiness? Well, because it is the fundamental
characteristic of a Christian. Becoming poor in spirit is the very first thing that must happen in the life of
anybody who ever enter’s God’s kingdom. No one ever enters on the basis of pride.
Poverty of Spirit is the foundation of all graces, yet so much of our modern Christianity feeds on pride. As
long as you are not poor in spirit, you cannot receive grace.
God gives grace to the humble. That’s why a poor spirit has to be at the very beginning. The only way to
come to God is to confess unrighteousness (sin), confess inability to meet God’s standards, confess that you
cannot do it on your own. You enter with a sense of
helplessness and desperation to receive divine blessing, and you maintain that sense in order to know
continual happiness as you live in Christ.
II. How to Become Poor in Spirit.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Psalms 51:17
A second reason Jesus begins with this beatitude is because it’s the bottom line. It means to be spiritually
bankrupt and know it. There are three principles to becoming poor in spirit:
1. Look to God. (Matthew 6:23) Do not try to do it by yourself (Acts 3:12). That was the folly of
monasticism. The monastics thought they could be poor in spirit by going somewhere, selling all their
possessions, putting on old robes, and sitting in a monastery.
2. Starve the flesh. (1 Corinthians 9:25-27). Starve your carnal nature. You have to seek things
that will strip away any notions that you are anything in and of yourself. By stripping your carnal nature you
will be forced to depend upon Jesus Christ
completely because you have no other resources to deal with your own failures. And that’s the place we all
want to be–totally dependent upon Him.
3. Ask. (Luke 18:13). Do you want to be poor in spirit? Ask. “God, be merciful to me a sinner,” said
the publican, Jesus said, “this man went down to his house justified.”
III. Examples of Poverty of Spirit.
Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an
example of suffering affliction, and of patience. James 5:10
The following are sixteen examples of poverty of spirit:
1. Abraham (Genesis 18:27) 9. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:6)
2. Jacob (Genesis 32:10) 10. John the Baptist (Matthew 3:14)
3. Moses (Exodus 3:11; 4:10) 11. Centurion (Matthew 8:8)
4. Joshua (Joshua 7:6) 12. Woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:27)
5. Gideon (Judges 6:15) 13. Elizabeth, (Luke 1:43)
6. David. (1 Chronicles 29:14) 14. Mary (Luke 1:47,48)
7. Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:26) 15. Peter (Luke 5:8)
8. Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5; Isaiah 57:15) 16. Paul (Acts 20:19)
IV. How to Know You are Poor in Spirit.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of
heaven. Matthew 18:4
Take inventory of your life. Here are seven characteristics you will display when you live in poverty of spirit.
1. You will be weaned from yourself. (Psalm 131:2)
2. You will be lost in the wonder of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
3. You will not complain about your situation. (Luke 24:34)
4. You will see the excellence of others and only your own weakness.
5. You will be spending much time in prayer. (Luke 11:2-13 )
6. You will find yourself taking Christ on His terms, not yours. (Acts 9:6)
7. You will be praising and thanking God for His grace. (Hebrews 13:15)
How do you measure up? If you see that you do not measure up at all, you are on your way to true
happiness, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
V. Theirs is The Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
This pronouncement is fantastic. This is not a wish. This is it! Theirs, the pronoun is emphatic, so ”theirs
alone” is the thrust. Who does the kingdom of heaven belong to? Jesus said, just the poor in spirit. It’s a
present tense verb.
There is a future Millennium in which the kingdom promises become fulfilled and fully realized, but kingdom
blessings can be experienced now. Victory in Christ is now. Happiness in Christ is now.
The kingdom is grace and glory. Grace now, glory later. We will share in His kingdom, It is ours to share–
the rule of Christ, the reign of Christ in our lives. We are His subjects;
He takes care of us. He gives us what we need. He fulfills every need of our hearts. That’s the results of
being poor in spirit.
Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an
example of suffering affliction, and of patience. James 5:10
The following are sixteen examples of poverty of spirit:
1. Abraham (Genesis 18:27) 9. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:6)
2. Jacob (Genesis 32:10) 10. John the Baptist (Matthew 3:14)
3. Moses (Exodus 3:11; 4:10) 11. Centurion (Matthew 8:8)
4. Joshua (Joshua 7:6) 12. Woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:27)
5. Gideon (Judges 6:15) 13. Elizabeth, (Luke 1:43)
6. David. (1 Chronicles 29:14) 14. Mary (Luke 1:47,48)
7. Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:26) 15. Peter (Luke 5:8)
8. Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5; Isaiah 57:15) 16. Paul (Acts 20:19)
IV. How to Know You are Poor in Spirit.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of
heaven. Matthew 18:4
Take inventory of your life. Here are seven characteristics you will display when you live in poverty of spirit.
1. You will be weaned from yourself. (Psalm 131:2)
2. You will be lost in the wonder of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
3. You will not complain about your situation. (Luke 24:34)
4. You will see the excellence of others and only your own weakness.
5. You will be spending much time in prayer. (Luke 11:2-13 )
6. You will find yourself taking Christ on His terms, not yours. (Acts 9:6)
7. You will be praising and thanking God for His grace. (Hebrews 13:15)
How do you measure up? If you see that you do not measure up at all, you are on your way to true
happiness, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
V. Theirs is The Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
This pronouncement is fantastic. This is not a wish. This is it! Theirs, the pronoun is emphatic, so ”theirs
alone” is the thrust. Who does the kingdom of heaven belong to? Jesus said, just the poor in spirit. It’s a
present tense verb.
There is a future Millennium in which the kingdom promises become fulfilled and fully realized, but kingdom
blessings can be experienced now. Victory in Christ is now. Happiness in Christ is now.
The kingdom is grace and glory. Grace now, glory later. We will share in His kingdom, It is ours to share–
the rule of Christ, the reign of Christ in our lives. We are His subjects;
He takes care of us. He gives us what we need. He fulfills every need of our hearts. That’s the results of
being poor in spirit.
The Beatitudes - Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
| Laminated 8 ½ x 11 3 hole punch $3.85 |
| Laminated 8 ½ x 11 $3.75 |
| Laminated 6 x 9 $2.75 |
The Beatitudes demonstrate the way to blessedness in Christ's kingdom
is far different from what the world perceives of righteousness.
The Study "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit" covers the following topics:
is far different from what the world perceives of righteousness.
The Study "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit" covers the following topics:
- Blessed are the Poor in Spirit.
- How to Become Poor in Spirit.
- Examples of Poverty of Spirit.
- How to Know You are Poor in Spirit.
- Theirs is The Kingdom of Heaven.
- Available in two sizes 6 x 9 and 8½ x 11.
- Laminated in plastic for durability.
- Two sided (front and back)
- CD's are available containing all charts in this series
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness: That the man of
God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness: That the man of
God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17