There are people walking around naked! Buck naked! Don’t look around, look down! Is it you? Are you naked? You know, God has given us a full suit of clothes; a full armor to wear as we daily fight the good fight of faith. Did you notice that I said good fight? Faith is a good fight! (1 Tim. 6:12.)
You aren’t one of those people who is just walking around with a helmet, are you? You aren’t one of those who don’t like to be burdened down with a full suit of armor, are you?
They’re out there, you know. Naked Christians with their helmets on cock-eyed and struggling to see what’s going on out there. Some of them just have a helmet and one shoe. Others have a helmet and a breastplate, but their loins…well, uh, let’s just say they aren’t girded.
Then there are those who have that helmet latched on tight and they’re swinging their Sword of the Spirit at anything that moves. They’re looking to cut something good! They just can’t seem to understand why or how they got so many fiery darts stuck in their rear end!
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that if you’ve got a dart stuck in your behind, there’s a battle going on. If you’re looking down and all you see is the color of your bare flesh, then I’ve got something to tell you. You’re naked. Don’t you think it’s time you put some clothes on?
Put on the whole armor of God! See how it feels to be totally dressed! Hello? A battle is raging as we speak! And if you don’t want to be slain by fiery darts and die partially clothed or buck-naked in a helmet, it’s time you suit up.
So, come on! Secure that helmet of salvation! Latch on that breastplate of righteousness! Gird up those loins with Truth! (Not adultery and fornication. Truth!) Slide your feet into the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace (Peace, not gossip and strife!).
Then lock your arm through the shield of faith and grab that Sword of the Spirit! Wow! That armor is just too much!
Go ahead, look in the mirror and tell me what you see. God?! Yeah, it’s His armor! You look like Him! And do you know what? The devil can’t even tell it’s you when you’re wearing that armor! He thinks you are God! Stupid devil. He’s such an idiot.
But as long as he thinks you are God, you might as well use it to your advantage. Go ahead and slice that fool down to size with your Sword of the Spirit. Careful not to cut your brother!
Oh, yeah? The devil is shooting darts at you? Throw up that shield of faith and laugh! He can’t hurt you with his puny darts. You’ve got the shield of faith that is able to quench all the fiery darts (Eph. 6:16).
The only way the devil can beat you is if you’re naked, or partially suited. Forget to lock on your breastplate of righteousness and he can shoot you in the chest. Forget to wear your shoes and he can shoot you in the foot.
Forget to gird up your loins and you’re in for some pain. Forget to equip yourself with the Sword of the Spirit and, well…you’ve got nothing to fight with.
The armor of God isn’t enough, it’s too much. It really is more than you need. It’s bigger than you need. It’s stronger than you need. You can’t damage it. The Sword of the Spirit holds more power to fight the enemy than you can use up in your entire lifetime.
Your helmet of salvation latches on so tight, it literally becomes part of you. You are the only one that can remove it. Each piece of God’s indestructible armor could rightly be called “too much.”
Anything with God is too much. He’s the God of more than enough!
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Jesse Duplantis, minister of the Gospel, motivational speaker, television personality, and best-selling author, has been in full-time ministry since 1976 and is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries, located in the Greater New Orleans area of south Louisiana in the United States of America. With over four decades of sharing his unique blend of humor and faith around the world, generations of believers have been inspired by his messages and countless numbers have come to know Jesus Christ as Savior through his ministry.
Known for his unflinching, status-quo-breaking messages and humorous take on experiences in the life of the believer, Jesse continues to draw large audiences of believers through social media, television, and meetings held around the world. With speaking engagements booked years in advance, Jesse Duplantis continues to keep an intense traveling schedule, flying throughout the United States and the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With no booking agents pursuing meetings for him and no set fees imposed upon churches for speaking engagements, Jesse chooses his outreach meetings based on the same two criteria he always has: invitations that come in and prayer over each one. This uncommon way of scheduling in today’s world means Jesse’s many followers may find him speaking in some of the largest churches and venues in America and the world, as well as a great many small and growing congregations, too. No church is too big or small for the Holy Spirit, as he says.
Side by side with his wife Cathy Duplantis, the co-founder and chief of staff of Jesse Duplantis Ministries and the senior pastor of Covenant Church in Destrehan, Louisiana, Jesse continues to fulfill his life’s calling by daily taking up the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Through social media, television broadcasts, books, and other ministry products, as well as through many evangelistic meetings, the JDM website, the JDM app, and Voice of the Covenant magazine, Jesse Duplantis continues to see growth in his ministry and expand each year while maintaining his roots. Jesus is the center of his life. The salvation of lost people and the growth of believers is the purpose of his ministry. And for both he and his wife, every day is another day to “Reach People and Change Lives, One Soul at a Time.”