#DailyDevotion Put On God's Armor Today
#DailyDevotion Put On God's Armor Today Eph. 6:14-17 14Stand, then, with truth as a belt fastened around your waist, with righteousness covering you as a breastplate, 15and with shoes on your feet, ready to bring the good news of peace. 16Besides all these, take faith as the shield with which you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take salvation as your helmet, and the Spirit's sword, which is God's Word. Now Paul goes into some metaphorical language to describe the full armor of God using the language of most likely the well known Roman soldier. If you are a Roman soldier you need a belt, a breastplate, shoes, a shield, a helmet and a sword to engage in battle. Some people like to distinguish between offensive items and defensive items. There is some truth to that, but I would not make too big a deal of that. So we have the belt. Paul says we should stand then (remember we're just standing after all the devil's assaults) with truth as a belt. Now a belt holds all your clothing together. It also hold some of your weapons until read for use. The truth of course is that which we know from God's Word. His truth holds us together and keeps things in place as we engage the enemy. Breastplates keeps the enemies strikes against you, whether hand or sword, from penetrating you skin and puncturing your vital organs. Whose righteousness is our breastplate? Well this is God's armor so it is God's righteousness. When the enemy is accusing you of your sins to tear you away from the LORD, to kill your faith, remember it is with the righteousness of our LORD Jesus Christ we stand before God in judgment. If we can remember that, the enemies accusations cannot penetrate our hearts. Shoes protect your feet. The good news of peace is what we bring to others and it protects our way as we go. That good news of peace is Christ Jesus is our peace between God and man. Jesus is the propitiation, that which removes God's wrath from us. God no longer counts our trespasses against us for the sake of Jesus. This is good news for us and good news to those we bring it to. A soldiers feet brings them into enemy territory. When we bring the good news of peace, we are making inroads into the enemies territory and claiming new ground. A shield protects against sword, spear and arrows. Faith is compared to a shield that can put out the enemies flaming arrows. These arrows could be temptations or accusations. Faith that God loves us and takes care of us for Christ's sake keeps at bay many temptations. The devil always wants us to believe God his holding back on us good stuff. Faith says God provides me with daily bread, every good thing I need for today. Usually, there is a God pleasing way to acquire what we desire. Faith says, take that path. The devil always wants to short cut which is harmful to us and others. If you believe God provides for you as you need it, you will not fall into temptation. Salvation is our helmet which further protects from the attacks of the adversary. Trusting we are saved guards our minds into thinking evil of our maker and Father. Finally, the Spirit's sword is the Word of God. With it we rightly distinguish law and gospel and apply either according to the need. With God's Word we attack the enemy proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ and his salvation, freeing men from the devil's tyranny over them. Heavenly Father, grant us your armor so we may stand against all the attacks of the evil one and win back for you those under his power. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Read the full article
