Ephesians 6:16—In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Every day I use my arms to physically show myself holding my shield of faith. I also ask God to increase my faith every day. I want to really believe
Read MoreEphesians 6:14-55—Stand firm then…with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Let’s look at the parts of this verse: Our feet need to be fitted. We need to have shoes that fit our feet perfectly. It’s hard to walk or run when your shoes don’t fit right—either being too
Read MoreEphesians 6:14—Stand firm then…with the breastplate of righteousness in place. Here are a few things to think about this verse: A breastplate protects our hearts. How can righteousness protect your heart? We are righteous because of what Jesus did for us, but we still have to choose to walk in righteousness every day. As I
Read MoreEphesians 6:14—Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist. I don’t see a belt as all that important in what I’m wearing, unless of course, I’m wearing pants that are way too big and will fall off without the belt. However, a Roman soldier’s belt was a crucial part of his
Read MoreEphesians 6:13-14—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. Stand firm then… This passage doesn’t tell us to fight, but rather to stand firm. Four times in these verses (including verse 11)
Read MoreIn war, you’d better know who your enemy is. It’s easy to see people or situations as our enemy. There are many people who are seen as enemies these days: whites, blacks, Jews, Arabs, Americans, your ex-spouse… you get the idea. Look what Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
Read MoreEphesians 6:11—Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. What are we told to do? Why? What kind of schemes does the devil use? What schemes has he used against you? I’ve made it a habit to put on my armor every day. I know
Read MoreDo you feel strong and powerful? In myself I don’t. I’m not that strong of a person myself. However, look at what Ephesians 6:10 says. “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” In the last blog, we looked at rejoicing in the Lord. Today we are told to be strong in the
Read MoreEarlier this week we looked at Philippians 4:4—Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I will say rejoice. Today let’s look at Philippians 3:1—Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Paul is reminding them
Read MoreSpiritual Warfare—a source of stress? 1 Peter 5:8—Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Spiritual warfare is not a source of stress we often consider, yet it is very real. We have an enemy who “prowls around like a roaring lion
Read More