[Faithwalker012]

Jeremiah 9:22 "Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them."

Now keep in mind that again this is spiritual. We're still on the subject matter here of deception and death in the spiritual sense. That "sword" that cuts them to pieces is not a physical sword but the lies of Satan that will carve up a soul. This is why putting on the gospel armor is so very important. What is this gospel armor? Let's go to Ephesians quickly and find out.

Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

This is why you want to put it on. Satan is a supernatural entity and he's going to deceive many. But there are some who will not put up with him and will not be deceived by him. But you've got to be covered and well protected with these items.

Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

This is an important verse to take note of. I'm not saying memorize it, make a religion out of it, or go off on some fanatical tangent off of one verse. But it is important to realize that we are in a spiritual war. It's not a physical war with guns and bombs, but a war of ideas. Quite frankly, there's no middle ground or neutral ground in this war. If you say you're neutral, then you're actually on the wrong side. I'm not saying you're evil, you're going to hell, or anything of the sort. I'm saying there's two sides... God's side or Satan's. If you stand up in whatever way suits you for what is right according to God and this Word then you're on His side. If you think the other ideas sound better or just don't care either way then you're on the other side, which is to say Satan's. Again, I'm not judging anyone here, just stating facts. But when you see a nation or government do things that seem downright evil, devilish if you will, well they could very well be. We are fortunate to live in a country, those who do, where we have both freedom of religion and a Christian majority. We've been blessed by putting our trust in God. Not everyone has that luxury. Yet even in this nation we have allowed evil and contrary ideas to creep in. Contrary to what exactly? The Word and law of God. I'm not going to get too political, but we've legalized abortion, we've kicked prayer out of school, by law, though no one can truly stop someone from praying in school. We've started to allow gay marriage in some states. Just recently we had our lovely elected Senate vote 93-7 in favor of a bill that among other things lifts the military ban on sodomy and beastiality. We also found that our President wants to kind of make America almost an asylum or safe haven for LGBT people and kind of encourage other countries to follow suit. Where do you think those ideas come from? People do evil on their own, but they do get a little push in that direction without a doubt.

Ephesians 6:13 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to with stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

When is the evil day? Naturally the most evil day or time period imaginable would be when Satan is here pretending to be Jesus. That's the time you really want to have the gospel armor on.

Ephesians 6:14 "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;"

Your girt is your belt. Quite honestly, girting yourself up with truth will keep your pants from falling down spiritually speaking and getting confounded, which is to say embarrassed or ashamed. When you have the truth, you will not be one of those praying for mountains to fall on top of you at Christ's return, because you knew the truth that Satan was a fake and wanted nothing to do with him.

Your breastplate of righteousness comes from obeying God's voice and protecting your Christian name and character. No one is perfect, but if you work at doing things the right way and stand up for God and His Word and speak out against those principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places then God counts you as pretty righteous.

Ephesians 6:15 "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;"

Your feet obviously are what you move around on. There will be many again as it written in Daniel and even in Jeremiah who cry peace, peace when there is no peace. So, what is the preparation of the gospel of peace? It is knowing God's basic plan and timeframe of events and operating within that plan and timeframe. You will not be harvested out of season for you know that the false Christ comes first and you know that you will stand against him and not run to him.

Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

That is so important even today beloved. Satan will do a number on you in your life if you allow him to. You must keep the faith in God in knowing that no matter what he does, Satan is a dead man walking, and just as God told Jeremiah in the last verse of the first chapter, even though they would fight against Jeremiah they would not prevail because God was with him and would deliver him. You need to have the faith that if it would come down to it you would go into a firey furnace and risk your flesh life before you would bow to falsehood, as Shadrach,Mesach, and Abednego did in Daniel 3. It won't come to that, but you have to have that level of faith. You know what happened there, I hope. Nebuchadnezzar threw them in that furnace, tying them up even, heated it 7 times hotter. Yet he threw 3 Hebrew people in there and saw a 4th that he said was like the Son of God. They pulled those 3 out and their clothing was not even singed. There wasn't even the smell of fire or smoke on them. God takes care of His own friends.

Ephesians 6:17 "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"

Your head is the most vulnerable part of your body, so you want that helmet, that covering of salvation. You also want to be sealed in your head, in your mind with God's truth. But you want to lean on and hold on to your salvation in Christ, and you fight back with what, a metal sword? No, you fight back with the Word of God, that spiritual two edged sword that cuts right through Satan's lies, so that he can't decieve you and so you can cut him to pieces rather than the other way around. Friends, we have the victory! But you have to know what to take into battle.

Jeremiah 9:23 "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:"

Again I can't help but think back to Luke 10:20 when it says what not to rejoice in or glory in since I brought it up. It's not a perfect comparison at all, but the point made there was rejoice not that the spirits were made subject unto you but that your names were written in heaven. Here we have instructions not to glory in wisdom, might, or riches. None of these things in and of themselves are bad, but if you put them before God they are, or even if you actually obtained them through God's blessings and tried to take the credit yourself then too they can become bad. But what we glory in is in the next verse.

Jeremiah 9:24 "But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD."

This too is something that one can truly glory in. When there is a child who truly seeks to understand and know our Father, that gives Him great pleasure. He does exercise lovingkindness, which is to say favor to the unworthy and judgment, which is to say justice to the oppressed. But to know and understand Him is indeed something to boast about. Not on your own account but to boast of Him and that you're a part of His family.

Jeremiah 9:25 "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;"

This leaves a little to be desired on the surface but it's explained in the next verse.

Jeremiah 9:26 "Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart."
What this is referring to is although the people of Israel might be circumcised in the physical sense inwardly in their minds they are not circumcised. Circumcision is no longer of the flesh but it's of the heart(mind). It's saying you might follow doctrine and play the part of a legalist, but inwardly you do not honor God or truly love Him. You don't listen to or obey His voice. You have your doctrine, you have your traditions and you look all nice and religious. But on the inside and in terms of what you teach and believe, it does nothing to honor our Father. So therefore the people who fall into that boat, they will be grouped right with those who know nothing of God and don't care. Which is sad because God does delight in showing that lovingkindness to His children. But you have to seek Him. You honestly seek Him and seek out His truth and you'll find it. So do that won't, you, and be blessed.

God bless,

Jason