Remember sword drills? I asked my Sunday school class of 7th and 8th graders a few weeks back if they remembered sword drills and many said yes. Then one student added, “I remember sword drills, testing our ability to be quick on the draw. The problem is we needed to be taught fencing. What good […]
With all the armor covering our legs, chest, feet and arms, what’s left exposed is our head. So Paul says, in Ephesians 6:10-20, “take up the helmet of salvation.” That’s right, in the same way the breastplate guards the heart, the helmet protects the head. And this isn’t just any helmet, this is the helmet […]
The shield of faith is an essential piece of the whole armor of God described by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10-20. He says “the shield of faith” is that “with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one”. Flaming arrows or flaming darts sound terrifying so let’s consider two images […]
Having put on the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness and the gospel shoes of peace, Paul now instructs us in Ephesians 6 that “In all circumstances,” we should “take up the shield of faith.” We’ll talk next time about what the shield of faith does but today let’s note: it’s not an optional accessory. […]
As we armor up with Ephesians 6 we have donned the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness and today we put on shoes which Paul describes as “the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” So how does the gospel ready us to stand firm against the wiles of the Devil? Think here […]
Continuing in our daily effort to live into Ephesians 6:10-20, having fastened the belt of truth around our waist, today we put on the breastplate of righteousness. There are two levels to consider here: Christ’s righteousness imputed to us and the righteousness we demonstrate as people who are sanctified by one degree of glory to […]
The first piece of the whole armor of God we are instructed to put on is a belt – that seems counter-intuitive for those of us who might fasten a belt as the last piece of clothing, not the first. So, bring to mind the most foundational of garments here and imagine how a man […]
Ephesians 6:14-17 read “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts […]
As we find ourselves in the midst of a great spiritual battle, what can we do? Paul says, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand firm.” Did you get that? Put on the whole armor of God […]
My good friend Brooke called hysterical. It was the middle of the night and her four year daughter was wet with sweat, screaming about a monster at her window. Emiline’s room was on the third floor, facing the river. Could it have been the Spanish moss in the trees? Brooke insisted I come over because […]