I have heard of religious groups that say that they are bullet proof because of their faith in Jesus. They say no harm will befall them because they literally believe what Jesus said in Mark 16 that a snake bite or drinking poison will not harm them.
I have heard people say that God will surround a believer with his angels to protect them and fight demons for them or God himself will go out before them and fight for them which Moses did say to the Israelites before they entered the promised land.

Deuteronomy 9: 1 Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have
walls up to the sky. 2 The people are strong and tall-Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: "Who can stand up against the Anakites?" 3 But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you.

God promised to go before the Israelites and destroy their enemies. But this promise was conditional upon the Israelites completely following and obeying his commandments.

Reading Deuteronomy, we know God knew it was impossible for them to do this because of their sinful nature and they did disobey God and received his promised curse that he forewarned them they would receive if they disobeyed him.

Today people say they believe in God’s promise to go before them and fight for them because they are now under God’s grace having been forgiven of their sins. Is that true?

Jesus promised his presence would always be with his disciples.
Matthew 28: 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Jesus said he will always be with those who love and obey him which he promised in John 14. But it is false to believe that Jesus will go out and fight our spiritual battles. Paul teaches something different.

Ephesians 6: 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against
the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Paul said our battle is with the spiritual forces of evil. James said the devil is like a prowling lion looking for someone to devour. Paul did not say Jesus will go out and fight evil for us. He said we need to put on the full armor of God, and we must stand our ground in that spiritual battle.

The Holy Spirit’s teaching provides us the spiritual armor to go into battle. He will not make you put it on, nor will he fight your battles with it.

Jesus told his disciples they will be protected by his name in John 17. He said our faith in his name will protect us from evil. Those who love Jesus will always have the Holy Spirit in them if they have faith in his name. This faith in Jesus must be true to his name which makes up the armor of God. That armor is putting on the breast plate of his righteousness, his belt of truth, his helmet of salvation, his gospel on your feet, using his word as a sword, and faith in him as our shield.

God wants us to fight our spiritual battles with the spiritual armor that he has provided and as you use them it will mature our faith as we witness it defeat our spiritual enemies.

Jesus commands us in Matthew 7 to put his teachings into practice which gives us a solid foundation and makes us stand strong in the storms to come.

In Galatians, Paul was dealing with the spiritual battle of life and death in this church. Paul warns the church not to follow a different gospel from the one they already received from him. A gospel that was proved to be true when they received the Holy Spirit and by the evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit miracles he did.

There were Jews in the church telling Gentile believers that they must be circumcised, or they will not be accepted by God. Paul warns if they are circumcised themselves they must follow all the OT laws to be saved and if that was possible then there would be no need for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Paul put on the armor of God as he confronted the false teachers that were misleading and confusing church member. He said those who teach a false gospel should be condemned to hell because they were leading believers to spiritual death.

Paul went out to fight his spiritual battle. He did not wait upon God to go out to fight for him. So, we should not think that God will fight our battles. If you want God to do that you would need to be perfect in following all the laws of God in the Old Testament, which is impossible to do because we sin.

We are in a spiritual battle because Revelations 12:17 says that the devil has made war against God’s children and if you are not prepared to battle the devil with God’s armor you will be defeated and sin.

But always remember that Jesus has defeated the devil on the cross for you and he promises that all who repent and seek his forgiveness will not perish they will be restored as a child of God if they do not doubt this everlasting truth.

Be safe in Jesus
Ps. Glenn