You searched for Putting on the new man - Page 2 of 6

Cowardice (δειλία)

For the God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but inherent ability and love and a saved frame of mind – 2 Timothy 1:7

Cowardice means to lack mental or moral strength. Jesus uses this concept of cowardice with the disciples when they feared for their lives while in a storm on the sea, in which Christ was in the stern of the boat asleep. Having woken Him up because the waves were covering the boat, they pleaded with Him to save them. Jesus responds to their fear with asking them why they are being cowards, and then rebukes the wind and the sea, Matthew 8:26. At this point the disciples were aware that Jesus is the Messiah, and they had already seen some very incredible signs proving that He is in fact God in the flesh. Their cowardice was unfounded, for all they had to do was watch Jesus and they should have known not to fear.

In the upper room, just prior to Christ’s death and resurrection, when Jesus is giving the disciples instructions concerning the new relationship that is about to come into existence between God and man because of what He will face and His imminent victory over death and Satan, Jesus tells them that He leaves His peace with them. My peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. Not just as the world gives, I give you. Stop letting your heart be troubled nor cowardly, John 14:27. This peace that Jesus spoke about is one of the aspects of the fruit from the Holy Spirit by which the mind can be in an unruffled state, Galatians 5:23-24. The Christian has the ability, because of the filling of […]

Cowardice (δειλία)Luther Walker2023-11-25T07:37:27-08:00

Armor for the Christian Life

Within Scripture, two sets of armor are described for the Christian. Panoplia (πανοπλία) is the heavy armor used by Roman soldiers for defense. Hopion (ὅπλον) expresses a weapon of warfare that can included armor.

When the Chief Priests and Pharisees dispatched a troop of roman soldiers to arrest Jesus, they came armed with weapons (ὅπλον), John 18:3.

As we apply the truth to overcome the desires from the sin nature, after reckoning to ourselves that we have died with Christ and are co-raised with Him to walk in newness of life, we are to yield our members as instruments (ὅπλον) of righteousness, Romans 6:13.

The night is well spent, the day is near. Therefore, we are to cast of the works of darkness, putting on the armor (ὅπλον) of light, Romans 13:12, so that we walk properly as in the day, having put on Christ as our outer garment so that we are making no provisions for the flesh and its desires, Romans 13:13-14. This armor (ὅπλον) includes the breastplate of faith and the helmet of salvation, 1 Thessalonians 5:8.

When dealing with persecution and tribulation, we are to commend ourselves as those who belong to God by the internet ability of God, through the use of the armor (ὅπλον) of righteousness, 2 Corinthians 6:7.

Our daily armaments (ὅπλον) of warfare are not carnal but in the inherent ability of God we use them to tear down strongholds, which are the reasonings that exalt themselves above God, bringing the working of our minds into obedience to the Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.

Panoplia (πανοπλία) is our heavy armor that is used when we are attacked by Satan so that we are able to stand firm against him, Ephesians 6:11. With […]

Armor for the Christian LifeLuther Walker2024-11-14T06:34:39-08:00

Outwardly conforming (συσχηματίζω)

Outwardly conforming (συσχηματίζω) means putting on a mask to appear as something you’re not. It is to conform one’s mind and character to another’s pattern.

Suschēmatizō (συσχηματίζω) is derived from a word that means to be in the appearance or likeness of something else. When God the Son wrapped Himself in flesh, He was found in the likeness of a man; however, He was still fully God. He emptied Himself of His outward display of Deity and wrapped Himself in flesh, Philippians 2:8. As Christians, we are not part of the world system, for in Christ we are crucified to it, and it to us. However, Christ chose not to remove us from it; therefore, we are to use it but not abuse it, realizing that the outward form of the world is always changing, 1 Corinthians 7:31. It is the one who does the desirous will of God that abide into the age, 1 John 2:17.

In Romans 12:2, we are instructed not to put on a mask (outwardly conform ourselves) as though we are under law. Christians do not govern their lives by law, Romans 6:14. We are not to be inarticulate babblers who need a tutor because we are sons, Ephesians 1:5 (having marked off our bounds to the placement of sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His desirous will). Sons do not need governors and tutors, which is what the law served as, Galatians 3:24. In contrast to living by law we are to train our senses to know what is proper from what lacks in character and govern our lives by grace out from faith, Hebrews 5:14; Romans 1:17. This standard needs no law […]

Outwardly conforming (συσχηματίζω)Luther Walker2024-08-09T16:26:11-07:00

Deceive (ἀπάτη)

Deceive (ἀπάτη) expresses the concept of misleading someone through untrue statements intended to give them a wrong impression or misrepresentation of the truth.

When the man of lawlessness comes, it will be in accordance with the working of Satan by his inherent ability with signs and lying wonders and with all unrighteous deception to the ones perishing. Those who follow him will have strong delusion upon them because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10.

During Christ’s earthly ministry, the deception of the riches of this world choked out the message of the Kingdom of the Heavens many received, Matthew 13:22. Rather than following the Messiah, whom they believed was Jesus, they allowed the deceitful desire for wealth to lead them away from the promise of God.

One of the derivatives of this word emphasizes a thorough deception. Eve was thoroughly deceived (ἐξαπατάω) by Satan into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; however, Adam was not deceived (ἀπατάω), 1 Timothy 2:14. This is why sin came into the world through Adam; although, Eve was first to transgress, Romans 5:12. The sons of the unpersuaded use empty words to deceive, Ephesians 5:6. The false teachers among us thoroughly deceive the hearts of the simple, Romans 16:18. If anyone considers himself to be religious but cannot bridle his tongue, he is deceived in his own heart, James 1:26. Our sin nature uses law to thoroughly deceive us, making it impossible to live out our righteousness in Christ through law, Romans 7:11.

Those who intentionally deceive are misleading others by distorting the truth, just as Satan deceived Eve by his craftiness, they seek to corrupt our […]

Deceive (ἀπάτη)Luther Walker2024-07-11T06:06:54-07:00

Tempt (πειράζω)

Tempt (πειράζω) expresses a trial through examination or a solicitation to do something that is wrong.

When Jesus was led away into the wilderness by the Spirit, the devil solicited Him to go against the desirous will of the Father, Matthew 4:1. Satan knows that God is One, James 2:19, and that Jesus is the second Person of the Godhead, Mark 3:11. By tempting the second Person of the Godhead, Who was now in human form, Satan sought to divide Them so that Their Word concerning his coming judgment would not hold truth.

In one of the trials by the Pharisees and Sadducees, they again sought a sign from Jesus. However, their intent was not to see a sign so they would believe; instead, they sought something by which they could accuse Him of doing wrong. In response, Jesus rebukes them for being hypocrites and a malignantly evil and [spiritually] adulterous generation. They claim to know what is coming by the appearance of the sky but cannot discern the signs of the times, Matthew 16:1-4.

Attempting again to gain an advantage over Jesus so they could accuse Him, the Pharisees solicited Him to do wrong with a question, “Is it lawful for man to divorce his wife for any reason”, Matthew 19:3. Through Moses, divorce was permitted. Therefore, rather than going against Moses, which is what the Pharisees sought, Jesus explains to them why divorce was permitted through Moses. It was the hardness of their heart. However, Scripture states that the two will become one flesh and, therefore, if a man divorces his wife for anything other than fornication and marries another, he commits adultery under the Mosaic Law, Matthew 19:3-9.

Desires that solicit us to do wrong […]

Tempt (πειράζω)Luther Walker2024-05-30T05:38:34-07:00

Previous 123 Next