Today, let's look at the last 3 pieces of the Armor of God...
4) The Shield of Faith - What tends to win out in your mind...faith or fear? They simply can't coexist. You either trust that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere-at-one-time or you don't. If God is in control..why do we have so much stress? Simple...because we are human. Our tendency is to take everything on ourselves...to handle whatever comes our way with our own power. We believe that worry actually changes things. Put on the shield of faith...believe that God is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do... your mind (and your blood pressure) will be better off.
5) The Belt of Truth - Deut. 4:39 “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other." A powerful verse. There is only one God. That's the truth we are to base our lives on. The problem is that people want to lead you to believe that there is no absolute truth. Relativism has become quite popular these days..the old adage "If it feels good, do it" still holds true in the hearts of many. That's not what scripture says. The truth of scripture states that there is only one God and we are to serve Him with our lives. God is God. What He says is truth is truth. How do we know the truth? Look at the next piece of armor...
6) The Sword of the Spirit - The word of God, the Bible, is the source of so many things in our lives. It's words are inspirational, educational, and timely. It contains no errors or contradictions. It's divinely inspired and useful for learning and correcting. This piece of armor is so important because if we memorize and internalize scripture, we will be able to apply it in our lives as well as help others in crisis. The Bible is God's love letter to us and we should spend quality time each day using it to draw closer to Christ.
That's all six pieces... Let's look at today's three...in your journal, write down three scripture verses from memory (with references). If you don't have at least 3 memorized word-for-word...make an effort over the next couple of weeks to do so. I promise you that God will use those scriptures in your life...
See you tomorrow,
Pastor Brian
Showing posts with label armor of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label armor of God. Show all posts
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Wednesday - "Armor of God pt.1"
Ephesians 6:11 (NLT2) 11Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
What does the "armor of God" look like? We are told to wear it to battle the devil's tactics...what is included? It can be found in Ephesians 6:11-17
1) The Helmet of Salvation - We must be sure that we have a relationship with the living Christ. Our salvation decision is the most important decision that we will ever make.... Will it make life easy? Not necessarily...life will still be challenging. After you make a commitment to Jesus as Lord and Savior, the devil will double his efforts to bring you down. But you have more protection and weapons than he can handle...
2) The Breastplate of Righteousness - No matter what the devil tries to throw in your face, when you are wearing the armor of God you are righteous in the eyes of God. This is not by our own doing but by the blood of Christ who sacrificed Himself so that God would see us this way. Through Christ, you aren't condemned...you aren't accused...you aren't worthless...you are set apart and righteous (in right standing) with God...because you confess your belief in Christ's resurrection and trust Him as Lord and Savior.
3) The Gospel of Peace - The foot part of the armor...are you walking in peace? This part of the armor is one of the most powerful. The devil will do everything he can to make your life chaotic...hectic...challenging...We don't get to control what the world throws at us...we DO get to control our reaction to it. When you are wearing the full armor of God...these sandals of peace are there to help us to remember that we are not in control, God is. Let Him handle the stress and worry...leave those things at the cross (and don't pick them back up). Live at peace with your neighbors, co-workers and family... give grace when needed...live out a Christ-like example to others...
Today we looked at the first three pieces...which of these three do you sometimes forget to put on? In your journals, write a prayer and ask God to help you remember that you are to wear every piece...every day... Your life will be richer as a result.
See you tomorrow,
Pastor Brian
What does the "armor of God" look like? We are told to wear it to battle the devil's tactics...what is included? It can be found in Ephesians 6:11-17
1) The Helmet of Salvation - We must be sure that we have a relationship with the living Christ. Our salvation decision is the most important decision that we will ever make.... Will it make life easy? Not necessarily...life will still be challenging. After you make a commitment to Jesus as Lord and Savior, the devil will double his efforts to bring you down. But you have more protection and weapons than he can handle...
2) The Breastplate of Righteousness - No matter what the devil tries to throw in your face, when you are wearing the armor of God you are righteous in the eyes of God. This is not by our own doing but by the blood of Christ who sacrificed Himself so that God would see us this way. Through Christ, you aren't condemned...you aren't accused...you aren't worthless...you are set apart and righteous (in right standing) with God...because you confess your belief in Christ's resurrection and trust Him as Lord and Savior.
3) The Gospel of Peace - The foot part of the armor...are you walking in peace? This part of the armor is one of the most powerful. The devil will do everything he can to make your life chaotic...hectic...challenging...We don't get to control what the world throws at us...we DO get to control our reaction to it. When you are wearing the full armor of God...these sandals of peace are there to help us to remember that we are not in control, God is. Let Him handle the stress and worry...leave those things at the cross (and don't pick them back up). Live at peace with your neighbors, co-workers and family... give grace when needed...live out a Christ-like example to others...
Today we looked at the first three pieces...which of these three do you sometimes forget to put on? In your journals, write a prayer and ask God to help you remember that you are to wear every piece...every day... Your life will be richer as a result.
See you tomorrow,
Pastor Brian
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