Day 30 September 8 - Galations 5-Ephesians 6

[pam]

Discussion

[KeithLBrown]

Put on the Whole Armor of God

Cross References:

Ps. 91: 4.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Rom. 13: 12.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
2 Cor. 10: 4 (3-6).
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds
1 Thes. 5: 8.
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 6:11-17

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Visiting Teaching Message: "Putting on the Whole Armor of God," Ensign, Jan 2001, 74

"It is time to give ourselves to the Master and allow Him to lead us into fruitful fields where we can enrich a world filled with darkness and misery," said Sister Mary Ellen Smoot, Relief Society general president. "Each of us, no matter who we are, no matter where we serve, must arise and make the most of each opportunity that comes. We must follow the counsel given by the Lord and His servants and make our homes houses of prayer and havens of security and safety. We can and must deepen our faith by increasing our obedience and sacrifice" ("Rejoice, Daughters of Zion," Ensign, Nov. 1999, 94).

Sometimes it may seem difficult to rise above the world to that level of righteousness. But as we strive to "take unto [ourselves] the whole armour of God," we will "be able to withstand in the evil day" (Eph. 6:13).

President N. Eldon Tanner (1898–1982), First Counselor in the First Presidency, observed that "those who are clothed in such armor, which means keeping all the commandments of God, are able to withstand the adversary."

He continued: "Are we studying the scriptures so that we can increase our knowledge and faith and testimony regarding the gospel? … Are we honest and truthful in our dealings? Do we keep the Sabbath day holy? Do we observe the Word of Wisdom? Do we pay an honest tithing? … Are we virtuous and clean and pure in heart and mind and deed?

"Do we fight against the evils around us … ? Do we have the courage to stand up for our convictions? Can we truly say we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ? Do we live peaceably with our neighbors and avoid gossip and backbiting and spreading unfounded rumors? Do we truly love our neighbors as ourselves?

"If we can answer yes to these questions, then we will have on the whole armor of God, which will protect us from harm and preserve us from our enemies" (" ‘Put on the Whole Armor of God,’ " Ensign, May 1979, 44, 46).

Elder M. Russell Ballard, "Be Strong in the Lord," Ensign, Jul 2004, 8–15

From a talk given at a Church Educational System fireside at Brigham Young University on 3 March 2002.

The Doctrine and Covenants teaches, "Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work" (D&C 10:5).

What a wonderful promise! In this spiritual warfare that rages over individual souls, that is what we want more than anything else—to conquer Satan and to escape the hands of evil men and women who carry out his work. I cannot stress too highly the protective power that comes into our lives through earnest, humble, consistent, yearning prayer.

I know you believe that, but in the hectic, pressure-filled schedules you face, I also know how easy it is to let prayer slip. Some of you hit the snooze button on your alarm clocks, thinking you can eke out just another minute or two of sleep; then jerk awake, realizing that you are going to be late for school or work. On such mornings, prayer gets pushed aside, perhaps with a feeble promise to yourself that you will do better tomorrow. Put the alarm clock where you can’t reach it from bed; that will solve this problem. Sometimes you return home late at night, exhausted and eager to collapse into bed. You may go through the motions of prayer in a perfunctory and superficial manner, but that is not the kind of prayer that helps us conquer Satan.

You need to find a time and place where you can be alone with Heavenly Father and pour out your heart to Him, that you might add strength and power to your spiritual lives. Every honest and sincere prayer adds another piece to chain-mail armor.

Perhaps there are some of you who have slipped into patterns of behavior that you know in your heart are displeasing to the Lord. "I’ll repent first," you say to yourselves, "and then I’ll begin saying my prayers again." I tell you with all soberness that those thoughts are not from the Lord but from the evil one. Nephi said it very clearly: "The evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray" (2 Ne. 32:8).

It is when we are lost in the mists of darkness and cannot find our way that we most desperately need the influence of the Lord. Nowhere in all of the scriptural injunctions on prayer do we find the suggestion that we must first be perfect in order to communicate with God.

My friends, one of the most important ways to clothe yourselves in the armor of God is to make sure that prayer—earnest, sincere, consistent prayer—is part of your daily lives.

Doctrine and Covenants 27:15-18

15 Wherefore, lift up your hearts and rejoice, and gird up your loins, and take upon you my whole armor, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand.
16 Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, which I have sent mine angels to commit unto you;
17 Taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked;
18 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of my Spirit, which I will pour out upon you, and my word which I reveal unto you, and be agreed as touching all things whatsoever ye ask of me, and be faithful until I come, and ye shall be caught up, that where I am ye shall be also. Amen.

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Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free

“The apostle Paul reminded the Galatians: ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ (Gal. 5:1.)

“And Nephi pleaded with his brethren: ‘O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep . . . and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe.’ (2 Ne. 1:13.)

“President Gordon B. Hinckley has counseled against surrendering to sin: ‘Today there are persons numbered in the millions, who, in a search for freedom from moral restraint and peace from submerged conscience, have opened a floodgate of practices that enslave and debauch. These practices, if left unchecked, will not only destroy these individuals but also the nations of which they are a part. . . . Nations and civilizations have flowered, then died, poisoned by their own moral sickness. As one commentator has remarked, Rome perished before the Goths poured over its walls. But it was not that the walls were low. It was that Rome itself was low.’ (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, pp 380-382.)

“If we yield to sin, we are, in effect condemning not just ourselves but our communities and our countries. We may think we are merely ‘exercising our agency’ when we choose not to follow the Lord's commandments, but in reality we are worshiping the devil and giving him veto power over our souls.” (The Spirit of Freedom, LDS Church News, 1998, 07/04/98)

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Galatians 5:1 be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage


Gordon B. Hinckley

“To the Galatian Saints Paul wrote these stirring words: ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ (Gal. 5:1.)

“I thought I witnessed something of this bondage recently while riding in the lounge of a crowded plane with three other men.

“As the jet began the fast climb to its assigned altitude, I noticed that the man across the table had his eyes fixed intently on the ‘No Smoking’ sign. The instant it went off, he reached for his cigarettes. As he began smoking, the man next to me became nervous. He clenched and opened his fists, looked out the window, turned to look at the man across the table, and his face reddened. The air was a little bumpy. I thought he might have been frightened. I took a closer look. He was a man of good physique, well-dressed immaculately groomed. He did not look the kind who would be frightened by a little bumpy air.

“Then the fourth member of our quartet took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He offered me one, and I declined. He then offered my seat companion one, and he replied, ‘I'm trying to quit, and it's nearly killing me.’

“I had started a conversation.

“The first man to light up told how he had resolved to quit after hearing in January 1964 the report of the Surgeon General of the United States. He recounted a tale of agonizing days and sleepless nights and of a final surrender to a habit that had held him for many years. He placed his cigarette between his lips, inhaled long and deeply, then lowered his head as the smoke drifted slowly from his lips and nostrils ‘I couldn't lick it,’ he said with an evident air of defeat.

“The next smoker took up the conversation. ‘I almost quit. I'd been burning two packs a day. I thought I could taper off. I cut down to one cigarette after each cup of coffee. That was my formula. It lasted for a time but I found myself drinking too much coffee. Now I'm back to a pack a day.’

“He had the manner of an educated man. He held in his hands a business journal. He said that the report of the Surgeon General had frightened him also, but then he had read counteracting statements. Perhaps, he concluded, the relationship between cigarette smoking and cancer is only coincidental the disease could just as likely come from the exhaust fumes we breathe. Then with an impulsive display of self-mastery, he crumpled his half-smoked cigarette into the ash tray, snapped shut the lid, and commented, ‘Just the same, I wish I could quit.’

“My seat companion then spoke: ‘I'm convinced there's some truth in what I've seen and read on the subject. We take the government's word for an awful lot these days, conclusions based on less convincing evidence than this I don't believe you can deny the facts. There is a hazard in smoking. But I'm having a terrible fight. I never dreamed a habit could be so tough to break.

“One of them looked at me. ‘What about you?’ he asked.

“I replied: ‘I've never used them.’

”’How lucky can you be!’ was his response. Without wishing in any way to appear self-righteous, I thought the same thing—‘How lucky can I be!’ And I thought of a day long ago when as a boy I sat in this Tabernacle and heard President Heber J. Grant speak with moving conviction on the ‘Little White Slaver,’ as he bore eloquent testimony of the Word of Wisdom as a divine law. I was greatly impressed that day, and that impression gave me resolution.

“Who could question the bondage in which these men found themselves? Our conversation indicated that all three were educated, able men who made important decisions every day. But in a matter admittedly affecting their own lives and health, two already had conceded defeat, and the third was fighting a terrible battle, the victim of a habit that would not let him go.” (Conference Report, April 1965, Afternoon Meeting 76.)

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Galatians 5:13 use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh

The truth of the gospel provides freedom from the burdens of sin. On occasion, this liberty is abused by those who know that they can be forgiven. In a pre-meditated fashion, they concede to commit sin knowing that they can always repent later. Paul calls this taking ‘liberty for an occasion to the flesh.’ Such is the damnable lie with which Satan deceives the youth of the Church. He declares, “You’re young! You will have plenty of time to repent later. Enjoy yourself now while you can!”

Carlos E. Asay

“Occasionally, I hear of some young people who rejoice when they leave home for the first time and who feel inclined to experiment with worldly influences once they are beyond the sight of parents or other authority figures. They regard their ‘freedom’ as license to stretch the commandments, test the waters of sin, and engage in questionable practices. Usually, those who use ‘liberty for an occasion to the flesh’ do so thinking, I will only do it once or twice, and I can repent later. Such misled people, however, fail to recognize the binding nature of drugs, other stimulants, and undesirable habits. They forget that fire from any source burns or destroys and leaves ugly and sometimes irreparable scars.” (In the Lord's Service: A Guide to Spiritual Development [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1990], 51.)

M. Russell Ballard

“You must be honest with yourself and remain true to the covenants you have made with God. Do not fall into the trap of thinking you can sin a little and it will not matter. Remember, ‘the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.’ (D&C 1:31.) Some young men and women in the Church talk openly about sexual transgression. They seem to forget that the Lord forbids all sexual relations before marriage, including petting, sex perversion of any kind, or preoccupation with sex in thought, speech, or action. Some youth foolishly rationalize that it is ‘no big deal’ to sin now because they can always repent later when they want to go to the temple or on a mission. Anyone who does that is breaking promises made to God both in the premortal life and in the waters of baptism. The idea of sinning a little is self-deception. Sin is sin! Sin weakens you spiritually, and it always places the sinner at eternal risk. Choosing to sin, even with the intent to repent, is simply turning away from God and violating covenants.” (“Keeping Covenants,” Ensign, May 1993, 7)

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Galatians 4:13 by love serve one another

Heber J. Grant

“I have been impressed with the fact that there is a spirit growing in the world today to avoid giving service, an unwillingness to give value received, to try to see how little we can do and how much we can get for doing it. This is all wrong. Our spirit and aim should be to do all we possibly can, in a given length of time, for the benefit of those who employ us and for the benefit of those with whom we are associated.” (Gospel Standards: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Heber J. Grant, compiled by G. Homer Durham [Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1981], 184.)

Ezra Taft Benson

“Do we find it a burden to give of our time to others? Did Christ not heal all those who were brought to Him, even though many a day and a night it seemed the whole city was gathered around Him? Are we sometimes asked to do for others what may seem to be beneath us, or what is tiresome and monotonous? Was not the Son of God born in a stable? Did He not make Himself a servant, even to washing the feet of His disciples, saying to them, ‘The servant is not greater than his Lord?’ (John 13:16.) Love one another. Serve your fellowman. The example has been given you.” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 448.)

Harold B. Lee

“I feel I would like to bear my testimony to you through an experience I had. Only four weeks ago, along in the early morning hours, I was given a glorious dream. In that dream it seemed that I was in the company of brethren being instructed by the President of the Church, and while there were others there, it seemed that everything he was saying was just for me. And if you have ever been in the presence of President [David O.] McKay when he was instructing you, it would be easy to understand the intensity with which he impressed upon me a great truth. That dream came back to me, today—came back to me with a vividness that was overwhelming, for this was the message: ‘If you want to learn to love God, you must learn to love his children and to love serving his children. No person loves God unless he loves service and unless he loves our Heavenly Father's children.’

“And then it seemed that after the President had taught that lesson which impressed itself so forcibly upon my mind, he said, ‘Brethren, let us kneel in prayer.’ And I awoke after he had prayed, with the most heavenly feeling that I think I have ever had, wondering if I could continue until I could reach the high standard of love for service and love for the children of the Lord that had [been] impressed [upon me] in that dream.” (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996], 178.)

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Galatians 5:22 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…


“The gifts of the Spirit are one thing, the fruit of the Spirit another. Patience, mercy, meekness, gentleness, longsuffering, and, of course, charity or the pure love of Christ—these are the kinds of things that characterize men and women who have begun to live in Christ. Such persons are simply more Christlike. Elder Mark E. Petersen once asked a haunting question that strikes at the core of this matter of being Christlike. He inquired: ‘If you had to prove in court that you are a Christian, what would you use as evidence?’

“The interesting thing about the fruit of the Spirit is that such attitudes and such actions do not seem to be situational. In other words, a person is not just very fruitful in the Spirit while the sun shines, pleasant and kindly only when circumstances are positive. Rather, those who enjoy the fruit of the Spirit feel ‘love for those who do not love in return, joy in the midst of painful circumstances, peace when something counted upon doesn't come through, patience when things are not going fast enough, kindness towards those who treat others unkindly, goodness towards those who have been intentionally insensitive, faithfulness when friends have proven unfaithful, gentleness towards those who handle us roughly, self-control in the midst of intense temptation.’” (Robert L. Millet, Selected Writings of Robert L. Millet: Gospel Scholars Series [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2000], 80.)

Parley P. Pratt

“The Holy Spirit…quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, invigorates, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.” (Key to the Science of Theology/A Voice of Warning [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1965], 100-101.)

B. H. Roberts

“Such are the effects of the operations of the Holy Ghost upon the nature of man. These fruits of the Spirit indicate the change that the Spirit of God may effect in human nature; by which that which is corrupted through sin may be conformed to that which is pure and holy, according to the working whereby the Spirit is able to subdue all things unto Himself, in them that give place for His indwelling in their souls. This effectual working of the Spirit in the souls of men, by which they were transformed from vileness to holiness, was the boast of the early saints. And, upon reflection, all will concede that the victories of the Spirit in reforming the lives of men and making them in their very nature conform to the likeness of Christ in righteousness, are more to be desired and more to be celebrated than those victories which are physical or intellectual merely in their nature.” (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, vol. 1, introduction, pp. lxxvii – lxxviii)

Gordon B. Hinckley

“You recognize the promptings of the Spirit by the fruits of the Spirit—that which enlighteneth, that which buildeth up, that which is positive and affirmative and uplifting and leads us to better thoughts and better words and better deeds is of the Spirit of God. That which tears us down, which leads us into forbidden paths—that is of the adversary. I think it is just that plain, just that simple.”(Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 261.)

Ezra Taft Benson

“Jesus…expects us to be like Him. He expects us to demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit in our lives: ‘love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.’ (Galatians 5:22-23.)

“These Christlike traits should characterize each member of the Church and should permeate every Latter-day Saint home. It can be done and must be done if we are to honorably bear His name.” (Come unto Christ [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 54.)

Elaine L. Jack

“I know that a good mother has the Spirit of the Lord with her. I know because the ‘fruit of the Spirit is love.’ It is also ‘joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.’ (Galatians 5:22-23.)

“When those things occur in your home, point out to your family that such wonderful feelings are the fruit of the Spirit. Sometimes when children are touched by the Spirit, they may not know what they are feeling. Don't let those moments pass without gratitude and comment. When a child feels the joy of accomplishment, or you have a peaceful Sabbath, or an older sister is longsuffering with a younger one who just destroyed her new nail polish, that's the fruit of the Spirit. Invite it. Then acknowledge it in prayers, in blessings, and at other times.” (Eye to Eye, Heart to Heart [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1992], 55.)

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M. Russell Ballard

“’If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:22–23, 25).

“As members of the Church, each of us needs to model what it truly means to be a believing and behaving Latter-day Saint. Our example will have a powerful effect on others, making the restored gospel become much more relevant, meaningful, convincing, and desirable to them. Let us, each one, radiate to others the joy, confidence, love, and warmth of being part of the true Church of Christ. Our discipleship is not something to be endured with long face and heavy heart. Nor is it something to be jealously clutched to our bosoms and not shared with others. As we come to understand the love of the Father and the Son for us, our spirits will soar, and we will ‘come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy’ (D&C 45:71).

“Let us reach out in friendship and love to our neighbors, including those of other faiths, thus helping to build better family-to-family relationships and greater harmony in our neighborhoods. Remember, too often our behavior is a bigger deterrent to others than is our doctrine. In the spirit of love for all men, women, and children, help them to understand and to feel accepted and appreciated.” (“Beware of False Prophets and False Teachers,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 64)

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Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ

Harold B. Lee

“When the prophet Alma instructed those about to be baptized on the banks of the Waters of Mormon, as you will recall, he said, among other things, that those who would be called the people of God were to be ‘willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light’ (Mosiah 18:8). A moment's reflection will convince you that the heaviest burden a human being can have is the burden of sin. To help one such to make his burden lighter requires your teaching the way to genuine and complete repentance and to impress upon our leaders and teachers to do likewise.” (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996], 106.)

Jeffrey R. Holland
“‘Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ,’ [Paul commands us]. (Gal. 6:2) … ‘The law of Christ, which it is our duty to fulfil, is the bearing of the cross. My brother’s burden which I must bear is not only his outward lot [and circumstance], … but quite literally his sin. And the only way to bear that sin is by forgiving it in the power of the cross of Christ in which [we] now share. Thus the call to follow Christ always means a call to share [in] the work of forgiving men their sins. Forgiveness is the Christlike suffering which it is the Christian’s duty to bear.’ (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, 2d ed., New York: Macmillan, 1959, p. 100.)” (“I Stand All Amazed,” Ensign, Aug. 1986, 72)

Neal A. Maxwell

“At several points the scriptures speak of bearing one another's burdens that they may be light. (Mosiah 18:8; Galatians 6:2.) Paul clearly connects this form of service with the keeping of the second commandment. (Galatians 5:13-14.) He even coaches us on how to do this so that it will be efficacious: ‘We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.’ (Romans 15:1-2. Italics added.) Even the service we render must be so selfless that it is not self-conscious!

“The lessening of the load of another comes, in part, from our very expression of genuine concern transmitted to the burdened. Empathy expressed can do much to lift the heart of another. Objectively, in fact, the burden (the loss of health, a loved one) may remain, but the capacity to cope and to carry on is increased by our administering the adrenalin of affection.” (All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979], 67.)

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Galatians 6:7 Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap


David O. McKay

“Some young folks say, ‘We shall sow our wild oats now while we are young, and settle down later.’ You know, as I do, that if you sow wild oats you are going to reap wild oats. ‘Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ (Gal. 6:7.)” (Steppingstones to an Abundant Life [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1971], 291.)

Hugh B. Brown

“Our Father is kind and loving and forgiving, but there is an inexorable law which has not been repealed. It Is the law of the harvest. ‘As ye sow, so shall ye reap.’ (See Galatians 6:7.) We cannot sow thistles and reap figs, nor plant thorns and harvest grapes. But when we have had enough of thistles and thorns, we may have the grapes and the figs if we are willing to pay the price—and they cost less. While ours is a world governed by rigid and unwavering law, man has free agency, he may choose to obey or disobey the law, but he must of course abide the consequences of his choice.” (Conference Report, April 1955, Afternoon Meeting 81.)

Jeffrey R. Holland

“If we sow thistles, we shouldn't plan to get strawberries. If we sow hate, we must not expect to reap an abundance of love. We get back, in kind, that which we reap, but we reap, somehow, always in greater quantity. We sow a little thistle, and we get a lot of thistle—years and years of it, big bushes and branches of it. We never get rid of it unless we cut it out. If we sow a little bit of hate, before we know it we've reaped a lot of hate—smoldering and festering and belligerent and finally warring and malicious hate.

“A prophet of the Old Testament, Hosea, warned all of us to be careful lest we learn personally something that I think my friends at the state institution understood more fully than I had: ‘They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.’ (Hosea 8:7.) God is just. We really do reap what we sow.” (However Long and Hard the Road [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1985], 55.)