by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Ephesians 6:11-18—The Armor of Yah

  • Famous passage of Scripture that most evangelical and fundamental Christians know and understand from a denominational standpoint.
  • In fact, whole ministries have been launched and based upon this passage alone.
  • And the focus seems always to be on how to overcome the powers of darkness. Which it is in fact an effective teaching on how to overcome the enemy.
  • But what Paul was trying to convey here in this teaching is that donning the Armor of Yah is about a lifestyle—a way of life—that goes beyond waging spiritual warfare.
  • Putting on the whole “spiritual” armor of Yah is a requirement of every disciple of Yahoshua Messiah if he or she desires to enter the Kingdom of Yah and be effective witnesses for Him in the earth.

The Armor of Light

  • The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. (Rom 13:12 NLT)
  • Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. (1Co 15:49 ESV)
  • and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. (Col 3:10 NET)

Armor of Light   —-> Image of Yah

  • What Paul was trying to convey to the Ephesians was NOT just a means by which they could withstand the evil spiritual influences that existed in their city (i.e., Ephesus), but more so, how they must live on a daily-basis if they desired to enter the Kingdom of Yah.
  • Twice in Ephesians Paul stresses to the Ephesians the importance of putting on the “New Man” twice (2:15; 4:24) and walking/operating in the “light” 3 times (5:8, 13, 14).
  • Essentially, when Paul instructed the Ephesians to put on the Whole Armor of Yah, he was essentially telling them to take on the image of Yah.

Romans 13:12—Put on the Armor of Light

  • 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. (Rom 13:12 KJV)
  • A better translation or understanding:
  • The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. (Rom 13:12 NLT)

What is the Armor of Light?

  • Right Living
  • Yah’s Way of Life
  • Transforming into the Image of our Creator
  • Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. (1Co 15:49 ESV)

What is an Image?

  • Definition: Tselem—Hebrew—likeness; resemblance; a representation.
  • Eikon—Greek—the moral likeness of renewed men to God

 

The Primary Goal of the Enemy is to mar/diminish/prevent Yah’s Image from manifesting in the World…

The Enemy’s Primary Means of Blocking Yah’s Image in the World is by Attacking Yah’s Truth…

Truth = Torah (Yah’s Word)

  • Under the umbrella of the “Renewed Covenant,” we know that Yah is in the process of writing (inscribing) His Torah—His Truths—on our hearts and placing His Holy Spirit in us so that we may walk according to Yah’s Commandments—such that we be Yah’s imagers in the world (Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36).
  • When we decide to abandon our former lives for Yah’s Way of life, we effectively become dead to our flesh—dead to our former way of life.
  • We, through the sanctification process, begin to come alive to Yah’s Kingdom and Way of Life for mankind.
  • We move from a life of darkness to a life of light; from dirty clothes to armor of light.

What is Truth?

  • Truth comes only from YHVH our Elohim—Exodus 34:6, 7
  • Elohim is Truth—Psalms 31:5
  • Yah’s Torah is Truth—Psalms 119:142
  • All Yah’s Commandments—Instructions are Truth—Psalms 119:151

Sometimes The Biggest Impediment to Truth is our Leaders

True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.  7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.  8 But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, (Mal 2:6-8 ESV)

Matthew 15:3-9-Anti-Torah Teachings

3 “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?… 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:  8 “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;  9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'” (Mat 15:3-9 ESV)

 

Such Things Serve to Dim the Image of Yah in the World…

Colossians 1:13-15—The Image of Yah

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,  14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Romans 8:29—Yeshua is our Example

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Hebrews 1:2-3—Yeshua the Image of Yah

 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.  3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…

The Tactic of the Enemy—Disrupt Yah’s Image in the World

  • Religion
  • Philosophies
  • Humanism
  • Doctrines of men according to the rudiments of the world (Darwinism—Evolution)
  • Devastations—Disasters–Wars

Putting on the Belt of Truth

  • Equates to observing the Torah of Yah each day
  • It means becoming that “new creature” that Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 6:15
  • It means being transformed into the image of Yeshua our Master

 

We must learn everything we possibly can about our Master………..For we find in  Yeshua the very “IMAGE” of our Creator…

Attributes of The Image of Yah

  • Justice
  • Righteousness
  • Equality
  • Community
  • Peace
  • Love
  • Holiness

Attributes of the Image of the Enemy

  • Deception
  • Lies
  • Enslavement
  • Hatred
  • Chaos
  • Iniquity
  • Injustice

Call To Action

  • Allow the Holy Spirit to Work in our lives…
  • Be obedient to Yah’s Torah and the teachings of our Master Yeshua
  • Put on the “Belt of Truth” by living every Word that proceeds from the mouth of Yah—Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4
  • Keep our heads in the book
  • Pray without ceasing
  • Guard our hearts and minds from the defilements of this world