Summary: Christ’s many membered body today must put on the full armor of God to withstand all the tactics of the enemy. Each part of His body may supply a different aspect of this armor and be a unique expression in His body. God has put together the body so that there should be no division in the body, but that each part should have an equal honor and expression to help complete the full manifestation of His body today. Show Notes:

• We must change our thinking from being individuals to a part of His body.
• Each person may have a different expression and supply a unique thing to the whole of His body.
• As individuals we can accomplish very little, but as a part of His body we are unlimited.
• God did not make us to be all sufficient in ourselves. We are a part of His body and as every member comes together and supplies what it is suppose to supply the body begins to function.

Quotes:

• each joint supplies or could supply a specific attribute, or a specific manifestation of that armor.
• maybe you're just a part of the armor of God, and you're not sufficient in yourself to have the whole armor of God because God doesn't want you sufficient in yourself. He wants you part of the body of Christ.
• Individually, we can do very little, but together. We can accomplish the will of God together because every joint provides or supplies or is a part of the answer.
• ...if you're not prepared, and that's what's been wrong with people that are absolutely just spectators. And not participants that did not work and will not work. God will have a body that is functioning.
• I'm not the whole thing and I don't have to be the whole thing and God didn't make me to be the whole thing, but He made me to be a part of this armor, a part of the attributes of Christ.
• I think we're talking about one of the most important parts of our functioning together; is the revelation of the Christ within us; in each individual part, participating. functioning together, and being a provision for each other.
• What is the body of Christ? We're all connected in to the head and out of that the body function each individual part ministers what they have that they've received from the Lord for each other.
• We are completed by each other.

References: I Corinthians 12:21-27 (Read about The many membered body of Christ) Ephesians 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Thessloinians 5:23-28 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it. Brothers and sisters, pray for us Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. I put you under oath by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Colosians 2:10 and in Him you have been made ^[a]complete, and He is the head ^[b]over every ruler and authority; Take Away: In this day when Satan is raging against God’s body, we must learn to put on the whole armor of God. As Christ body matures and every joint supplies it’s unique expression, we find that we are each other’s covering within this armor and we become invincible through that which each joint supplies.

We're thinking as individuals - putting on all these pieces of armor. But what if that's not what He's speaking about? What if He's speaking about the family, the body of Christ and each member or each, the many member body of Christ, there's different functions. Some may be the heart; some may be the feet; some may be the helmet of salvation. Each one may supply a different piece. In other words, you don't go in as an individual. Lord, I want your helmet. I want your breastplate. I want your shield of faith. I want your sword. I want all the stuff. That, to me, is thinking as an individual. But if God's doing something in a many member-ed body, these may be expressions of different parts of the body, which each one supplies to the whole.

So each joint supplies or could supply a specific attribute, or a specific manifestation of that armor. Maybe I would supply helmet of salvation, maybe Ken and Lois supplies the breastplate of righteousness. Maybe, Dale supplies the shield of faith. It's getting us out of this individual thinking that comes in and says, “I've got to put this on now.” I got to put this on. I've always got to have the whole armor of God on. No. Maybe you're just a part of the armor of God, and you're not sufficient in yourself to have the whole armor of God because God doesn't want you sufficient in yourself. He wants you part of the body of Christ.

And that is exactly the truth. Individually, we can do very little. But together we can accomplish the will of God together because every joint provides or supplies or is a part of the answer. And I tell you, you're really nailing it down. That is absolutely the truth.

You are fully clothed with righteousness. You add to the whole. But if you come short, then you can't add to the whole. But if we're all clothed, then we come together without a chink.

if you're not prepared, and that's what's been wrong with people that are absolutely just spectators. And not participants that did not work and will not work. God will have a body that is functioning.

I don't feel fully complete in myself. My completeness is in the body. And I don't think that changes for the armor. I don't think you come in fully complete in yourself. Why would you need the body of Christ, if I can walk around with a full armor of God and I'm complete? That goes back to that super Superman son-ship thing; this is not a happening. It answers so many questions because rather than walking around feeling inadequate, you go, no, I have a part to play. I'm not the whole thing and I don't have to be the whole thing and God didn't make me to be the whole thing. But He made me to be a part of this armor, a part of the attributes of Christ.

I think we're talking about one of the most important parts of our functioning together the revelation of the Christ within us in each individual part - participating. functioning together and being a provision for each other.

As we come together, little piece here, a little piece here, a little, and then you've got the breastplate of righteousness, but it's a body ministry. It's not an individual ministry.

If I have any integrity and honesty myself, I cannot come together and feel like I have it together, all together in myself. And that's okay if I understand that I'm not made by God to be that way, that I'm made by God to be a part.

There's a reason why he calls it the body of Christ. What is the body of Christ? We're all connected in to the head and out of that the body function each individual part ministers what they have that they've received from the Lord for each other. That's what Ephesians 4 says, you know the definition of the five fold ministry - each individual part is a supply, exercises through the love that God's put within that part.

If I'm the heart, I have to be a complete heart. If I'm a leg, I have to be a complete leg. That's where we come together to form the body of Christ because the part that we are, He has created complete.

And here's the other part of that, Dale. The end of that the fourth chapter of Ephesians talks about this is the way we come into the maturity of Christ. This is where we're completed, by each other.