Category: From the Insideout

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

The Feet of the Messenger

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Scripture: Isaiah 52:7

How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains the feet of a messenger who announces peace, a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance,who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Isaiah 52:7

I remember reading this for the first time in my late 20s or early 30s and was so intrigued by it. I was using the NIV study Bible then, which, along with the KJV and NLT translations, uses the word beautiful instead of delightful. It has the same meaning, but the word beautiful really struck me and has stuck in my mind all these years. When I hear the Gospel preached on Sunday morning or think of Billy Graham’s crusades that my dad had us watch when we were growing up, or in any other setting where I hear His Word of peace and salvation proclaimed – the Spirit raises this verse to mind, and I stand transfixed to that moment in time when the people first heard the messenger on the mountain, that Isaiah refers to.

How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of the messenger who brings good news,
the good news of peace and salvation,
    the news that the God of Israel reigns!

Isa 52:7 NLT

Isaiah’s word imagery is also used in the Old Testament by the prophet Nahum in Nahum 1:15, where we read:  “Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.” It is used again by Paul in the New Testament, in Romans 10:14-15, as a reference to “missions” and carrying the Gospel to the unreached – where Paul poses the question,  “How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news.”

In Isaiah’s day, his words were meant to leave Judah rejoicing in deliverance from captivity to their enemy. The same was true in Paul’s day, and even now, the words can should evoke rejoicing in the “goodness’ of our salvation and the freedom it brought us. For by it, we have been delivered from captivity to the law of sin and death! (Romans 6:14-15)

Is this not a beautiful message of peace that Paul delivered, bringing us the ‘good news’ of our salvation?!


14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!

Roman 6:14-15
Other Notable Observations
  • Having learned from Ephesians 2:14 that “Jesus is our peace,” this could read “…the feet of a messenger who announces Jesus.
  • It wasn’t just the feet; it was the message – the good news of deliverance
  • Freedom comes through the Sovereign God who reigns!
One Obvious Application

While there may be other worthy applications, the one that jumped off the page to me was – be ready with the Gospel.

A Prayer in Response to the Word

Father, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news that “our God saves!” Thank You for calling Your disciples – myself included to share this Good News with ALL! And, as Peter said, to be ready with an answer for the HOPE that is in me, 1 Peter 3:15. Help me to be excited about the message of Good News and not let the enemy keep me silent. Help me to live as Paul taught – unashamed of the gospel, the Good News about Christ, for it is You at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. Help me to remember that Christ himself united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us – so that I don’t hold back but share and work as He did to bring all people to You. – In His Name I pray – AMEN!

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.[a]

1 Peter 3:15 and Romans 1:16

Reflection on the Journey
  • How can we make sure that our feet are fitted with the “Gospel of Peace”?
  • What “mountains” can you ascend with the good news of the Gospel?
Going Further:

“God has called each of us to be a messenger of His love and grace to those around us.”

The LGG Devotional Journal

These are great and helpful links to understanding what Paul meant by not being ashamed of the Gospel and how to be ready to implement the Gospel in your everyday life.

By nature, we are not at peace with God, but are enemies to Him, living in rebellious pride. Our responsibility is to share the gospel of peace, telling people that they can turn to God and come to Jesus for forgiveness. Whether through our words, actions, or simply the way we live our lives, we have the privilege and responsibility to share the Good News of salvation and the peace that only God provides.

The LGG Devotional Journal

The Good News of salvation is not just for us: it is for everyone. We have been given the privilege of sharing it with the world. Let us take courage, lift up our heads, and go forth with joy, knowing that our feet are beautiful because they carry the Good News of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The LGG Devotional Journal

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Jesus Our Peace

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based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God, w3d3

Scripture: Ephesians 2:13-18 / SOAP: verse 17

 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near

Ephesians 2:17 NET
Note the Difference

This peace is more than the peace we seek and know when we face a test tomorrow or a real and present battle today. This peace is what brings us near to God, giving us access to Him – the One who guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. It doesn’t negate or change the peace that passes all understand that we seek in order to not worry, as Paul instructed, but rather it is the Peace that makes all other peace possible.

A Portrait of the Real and Lasting Peace of God

What a beautiful and encouraging passage of Scripture! Perhaps one of the most realistic portraits of Christ our Savior that is painted in – and with – the Word. Jesus as our peace, His blood pouring down as access for all who would believe – no longer just the Jews but now the Gentiles were included! Or as Paul writes in Colossians, “.It doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, barbaric, uncivilized, slave or free.” We are brought near to God through Christ! Why? Because there was hostility [sin] between us and God. We were, as it is written, “enemies of God” who were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,”.

 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life? 11 Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation. Read the rest of the story

 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Ephesians 2:17 NLT – I can’t help but think once again of the old hymn, “Peace peace wonderful peace – flowing down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever I pray in fathomless billows of love.”

Think About It

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Romans 5:10
  • His act of love wasn’t just His death but His life – for He left Heaven’s splendor and lived the life of a man, actually of a servant, in a “man’s world”, full of sin and far different from from Heaven’s splendor – not so that He could experience life with flesh and blood but so “He could first preach the message of PEACE” (John 14:27, Matt 5:9) to all so that through Him we have access to both the Father and the Spirit – and as verse 15 says, so that there would be no more condemnation. (Romans 8:1).
Reflection on the Journey
  • What does it mean that He preached peace to those who were far off?
  • What does it mean that Jesus brought us near? (13)
Going Further:

Don’t forget to check out today’s LGG Blog

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

The Answer for True Peace

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, The Armor Of God, w3d2

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7 (8)

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

God’s message through Paul is: “do not be anxious” about anything. While that may sound like a daunting and impossible instruction to follow we must remember Jesus’ words to His disciples in Matthew 19:26, concerning another impossibility. Matthew wrote, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘with man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.'” So, yes, ‘anything’ is a really big word but God is a really big God who empowers us to do whatever He has called us to do.

So, how do we do it? Money’s tight and the bills are due – how do you not worry? You or someone you know is facing serious health issues – how are you not going to be anxious? Your children are struggling with school or life – how do you keep the concerns from overpowering you. The list is endless but the bottom line is this – regardless of what scenario we come up with – God is bigger than the problem and He has given us the answer for true and lasting in peace in every situation.

Paul tells the Philippians they are to pray in every situation, bringing their petitions (requests) to God and offering prayers of thanksgiving for what God has already done. gotquestions.org

Prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving

There is a difference between praying and petitioning God and this is important to the mix. To pray is to talk to God. The conversation can and should include more than asking something from God. It is, as Gotquestions.org explains, “the primary way for the believer in Jesus Christ to communicate her emotions and desires with God and to fellowship with Him.” However, to petition God means to make a request from Him, it is a great an awesome gift that we are able to ask anything from God when He has already given us His ALL; but to only always petition God would be to forfeit the best of what God intended our relationship with Him to be.

God saved us from the sins that held us captive but He saved us to a rich and satisfying life(Jn10:10), a life where we would come to Him and find rest for our souls or comfort for our sorrows, refuge in the storms of life and wisdom in the battles and decisions of this life. It is a life that promises a peace that passes all understanding as we live in Christ Jesus. He saved us not just so we would know His love but so that we might love Him and others in return. In regards to love, Jesus told His disciples that when we remain in His love we would not just know joy but we would overflow with joy (John 15:11). When our time and energy are spent on/with God like this – our hearts and minds will be filled with and guarded by His peace.

  • His peace is more than we can understand
  • His peace is able to guard our hearts and minds from the anxious thoughts – because we are in Christ
Don’t Worry – Be At Peace

So how do we live this out? Well, it may look different for you than it does for me or the next person but the answer or prescribed method of knowing God’s peace always involves prayer, petition, and thanksgiving. This is not a cavalier method of telling yourself not to worry – or just kick back and relax. This is a- 1arealize you are anxious or worried about something and 1brespond by talking to God about what ever it is. 2Thanking Him is next and is a way of letting Him know you trust Him more than you fear the problem or are having anxiety over a situation. Then 3ask Him to help you not worry over “it” and to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, just as He promised. It’s about choosing to give and leave the situation in God’s hands knowing He is fully capable of handling the fear or anxiety you are battling. Finally, remember God is true to His word, so you can – and should expect and claim His peace, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s Prayer Response

Father, thank You that Your peace is more than we can understand. Thank You that Your peace is able to guard our hears and minds from the anxious thoughts and the evil one who seeks to steel and kill and destroy. Help us to be alert to the evil one and to turn away from him and to You – for only in You will we know Your peace – Amen and Amen!

Reflection for the Journey

How can we know the peace that passes all understanding?

Going Further

There are several reasons why it is imperative to guard our hearts. First, our hearts have a significant impact on our relationship with God, and the condition of our heart can either draw us closer or push away us away from Him. When we meditate on the Word of God (Psalm 1:2) and allow it to sink into our hearts, we are radically transformed and will experience a greater sense of peace, joy, and contentment (John 10:10; Philippians 4:6–7; Galatians 5:22–23).
On the other hand, allowing sinful influences to take root in our hearts will hinder our relationship with God. We will struggle to pray, read the Bible, and may even feel distant from God. Thus, we must guard our hearts and cultivate a deeper relationship with God.
The second reason why it is imperative to guard our hearts is that the heart impacts our relationship with others. It can draw us closer to others or estrange us from them. For example, if we cultivate an attitude of love, kindness, and compassion toward others (Ephesians 4:32), we will build strong and meaningful connections with them. A heart of patience, understanding, and forgiveness creates a culture of trust and mutual respect (1 Corinthians 12:25–27).Read the full post about Guarding your heart at https://www.gotquestions.org/guard-your-heart.html

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Lay Aside the Old – Put on the New

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, The Armor of God /w2d5

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-24; SOAP: Ephesians 4:22-24

You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.

Ephesians 4:22-24

At the beginning of chapter four Paul reminds those in the church of Ephesus that they have been called by God and should live accordingly – that is “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” He goes on to tell them, and by extension – us, that they are no longer to live like the Gentiles. This is best explained by Bibleref.com and, for context, should be understood before digesting or soaping verse 22-24.

[In verse 17-19] Paul instructs the Ephesians not to share in the kind of immoral lifestyle which non-believers follow. The Ephesian Christians were mostly Gentiles, in the sense of being non-Jewish: they were not descendants of Israel. Symbolically, “the Gentiles” mentioned in this context are those people who are separated from God. They are the unsaved. As saved believers, the Ephesians were once “spiritual” Gentiles, but no longer. Paul’s point here is that believers cannot continue to live as unbelievers and expect to please God.

Verses 22-24 of chapter four are some of Paul’s best teaching as to Christian living – or living righteously. He reminds them of what they were taught and gives them word pictures in regard to both their former way of life and the new. As we have seen throughout week two of The Armor of God, living righteously requires more than God saving grace, it requires personal responsibilities on our part. We must be active in our faith – like putting off, or as Paul says here, “laying aside the old man … being renewed in our minds … and putting on the new man.” It is important not to miss the distinction between the two –

  • “The old man is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires.”
  • “The new man has been created in God’s image – in righteousness and holiness that come from ‘Truth.'”

Righteousness and Holiness come from TRUTH, God’s Word is TRUTH.

Do you want to live the righteous and holy life God has called you to? Surround yourself with God’s Word, fill yourself with it, and study it for yourself. Then we can say like the Psalmist who asked how he could keep his way pure. Answering his own question – he realizes that it is by living according to God’s word. He then acknowledges that he seeks [God] with all of his heart – and asks God not to let him stray from His commandments – and ends with the profession: I have hidden Your Word in my heart so that I might not sin against You” (119:9-11)

How can a young person maintain a pure life? By guarding it according to your instructions. 10 With all my heart I seek you. Do not allow me to stray from your commands. 11 In my heart I store up your words, so I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:9-11

Reflection of the Journey

What does Romans 12:1-2 teach about the process of putting off the old self and putting on the new self? How does this process lead to a change in our behaviors and actions?

Going Further

Read Romans 12:1-2 for more about being renewed and not conformed to the ways of the world

Be sure and check out today’s Love God Greatly blog post –

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Declared Righteous

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based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God, w2d4

Scripture: Genesis 15:1-6; Romans 4:1-5/ SOAP: Romans 4:3

For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Romans 4:3

Oh the joy I find diving into God’s Word! I marvel as I travel from the Old Testament through the New Testament reading messages of the redemptive stories of those, who, by no merit of their own – were saved by grace through faith. Today’s Scripture reading is an example of this, as we read that Abram (later named Abraham) who was credited with the righteousness of Christ, not because of anything he had done but because of his faith. Verse six of chapter fifteen says that “Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD credited it as righteousness to him.” We should note that this is not the first evidence of his belief in God. We find that part of the story in Genesis chapter twelve, verse four, when he leaves country, home, and family to follow God’s command.

Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to (the land) that I will show you. 2 Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, but the one who treats you lightly I must curse, so that all the families of the earth may receive blessing through you.” 4 So Abram left, (read the rest of the story)

Genesis 12:1-4

I hope you won’t skip through the Genesis portion to focus on the SOAP verse. A walk through the story of Abram – who left all he knew for an unknown location and a promise that he could not see – much less understand – reveals much. In Abram we see both faith and curiosity, that some would say was born of doubt; and if you look carefully you will even see the evidence of what appears to be fear in Abram(v1). In God we see, comfort and encouragement as well as personal interaction as He answers Abram’s questions and goes a step further with a beautiful and demonstrative sky-gazing moment of the promise yet to come. Finally, we see first-hand evidence(v6) of the account that Paul speaks of in Romans chapter four. As the old saying goes, “stop and smell the roses”, so to speak, before moving on to Paul’s account. Let yourself imagine walking in Abram’s shoes (for an even better understanding back up to chapter twelve), consider his questions – and then close your eyes and imagine the vision in verses four and five. Hear God say, “But look,” Do you feel the hope? Do you hear it in these two little words and in the message that follows? Visualize walking outside with him and looking up into the sky at the countless stars and hearing God say that Abram’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars. – I love that we serve a God who understands who we are and what we are thinking or feeling and responds with such compassion and such an excitement for what is ahead that He infuses hope into our hearts and minds that helps us to press on.

Fast Forward

“There is no one righteous, not even one,
11 there is no one who understands,
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
together they have become worthless;
there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Romans 3:10-12

In today’s focus passage, Paul picks up right where we left off with Abram. Keep in mind that Paul had just announced that “man” can be justified/saved (which is to be made right with God) by something other than the law, (Rom 3:21-26). Now, with this one question, he takes them back to Abraham/Abram to show them how. The question was perfect, for anyone who knew of Abram knew the answer. God had credited Abram with righteousness simply yet profoundly because He had “believed God“. Paul goes on to give an example that teaches the people that FAITH is greater than works when it comes to righteousness. The outcome of work is an obligatory payment or accolade – but what comes from belief/faith in God is His gracious gift of a righteousness that covers all of our sin and shame. It was the righteousness of His only son, given to take the sins of the world on himself and die on a cross that did not belong to him – but to each of us. – Now this is love and grace at their greatest!

Reflection for the Journey
  • What does Romans 4:3 teach us about the relationship between faith and righteousness?
  • How doe it challenge the lie that we must earn righteousness through what we do?
Going Further

How It All Began

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

The Grace of Righteousness

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based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God /w2d3

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; SOAP verse 21

God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

I have many passages of Scripture that I refer to as “one of my favorites”, however, this one is among the top 10. It is one of the passages that allowed me to believe and understand the true meaning of God’s grace – a grace that not only saved me from my sins and took them all away, but a grace that neither remembered my sins nor held them against me any more. It freed me from sin’s condemnation, and forever made me new! It is this passage that made me realize and claim the phrase, “From the Inside-out”, for my blog page and other postings. It is this passage that made me love butterflies (ok so – let me explain that one – lol …). You see, as I continually reread the passage, enamored with its truth, the picture that I kept seeing over and over again was a beautiful butterfly emerging from its cocoon – struggling and then breaking free to fly free and growing stronger with each second of flight. Because I love the passage so much it is hard for me to zero in on just the one verse so I have included a snapshot of today’s “soap” from my journal.

The Righteousness of God

There is beauty and truth in all of the verses but in light of understanding “the breastplate of righteousness” let’s zero in on verse 21. As you will notice in the illustrated journal page, I paraphrased this verse to read, “God made Jesus, His sinless son, take my sins on Himself so that God no longer sees me covered in sin but instead covered by the righteousness of Christ!” This is love and grace at its finest and a great illustration of the Gospel of Christ.

As Paul points out Christ was not only sinless but He was the way for us to become righteous before God. This is why we no longer face the condemnation that our sins deserve. This is why God is faithful and just to forgive us of sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is why we can enter into a relationship with God – because God made a way where there was no way.

borrowed from the LGG Devotional Book, The Armor of God, p 68

Reflection on the Journey
  • How does the concept of righteousness relate to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross?
  • How does it affect our relationship with God and our daily life on Christians?

Going Further

Don’t forget to check out today’s LGG Blog Post

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Be On Guard

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based on the Love God Greatly study, The Armor of God / w2d2

Scripture Proverbs 4:20-23 / SOAP: 23

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23 NLT

I love this passage of Proverbs and committed it to memory many years ago. It has helped me tremendously, teaching me the importance of knowing and remembering God’s Word, which has proven to be the victory in my battles with anxiety and fear.

Proverbs is known as the book of wisdom. Solomon wrote most of the book, including this chapter. He makes it clear that he is speaking to his “sons.” He reminds them here, as in other chapters, to not just listen to his words but to pay attention to what he is saying. He paints a word picture of cherishing his words as something valuable – always on their mind and close to their heart. Why is he so animated and insistent? Because he is talking to them about the commands and wisdom of God and has learned for himself how valuable they are. It would seem that Solomon, as the Psalmist in chapter 119, understands that the words and teachings of God offer protection to the one who knows and follows them. He refers to them as “life and healing” for the entire body. Then, trusting that they will heed his advice to keep them within their hearts, he instructs them to “guard their hearts,” reminding them that their heart determines the course of their life. Gotquestions.org sheds more light on this verse, commenting that “the heart is the source of our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and actions,” which agrees with Jesus’ words in Luke 6:45, where He said: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

I have hidden Your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you. …Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 119:11 and 97
Prayer

Father, help us not only read and listen to Your words but also help us to remember them and store them in our hearts. Help us to use them in the battles waged against us and to encourage others with them – that they might do the same, and may they be our strength to serve and obey You well. They truly are the source of life in Jesus’ name – without them, we will stumble in the dark, for they are the “source of light” on our path and in our hearts as we live and breathe. They are the hope and peace of each new day and the reminder of Your amazing grace and mercies that never end. In Jesus’ name – Amen!

Reflection on the Journey
  • Why is it important to guard your hearts and minds?
  • How can we put this advice into practice in our daily lives?
Going Further

For more on guarding your heart visit gotquestions.org/guard-your-heart.html

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Body Armor

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based on the Love God Greatly study, The Armor of God / w2d1

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18 / SOAP 14

 Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness

Ephesians 6:14
In the first week of our study we looked briefly at the second piece of armor but focused primarily on the first, which is the “belt of truth.” This week we will spend time exploring the breastplate and learning how to implement it. Just as the belt of truth is vital to our battles – so it is with the breastplate of righteousness, which “refers to the righteousness purchased for us by Jesus at the cross.1“

1https://www.gotquestions.org/breastplate-of-righteousness.html

The Second Piece

The second piece of armor that Paul mentions is the “breastplate of righteousness” or, as the NLT translates it, “the body armor of God”. I love that description! We must understand this is not a righteousness of our own (Romans 3:10-12) that protects us but rather the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed to us (Romans 4:22-25) – and covers us in such a way that it defends us against the evil one and the evil he entices us with. Just as the breastplate a soldier wore was meant to protect his heart and other vital organs – so it is with the righteousness we received from Christ through faith, a faith, which according to gotquestions.org – “guards our hearts against the accusations and charges of Satan and secures our innermost being from his attacks.” What a beautiful definition of the job of “the breastplate of righteousness”, the reality of which should move our hearts to gratitude and worship, and surely a faithfulness in putting it on daily.

 At salvation, a “breastplate” is issued to each repentant sinner. It is specially designed by God to protect our heart and soul from evil and deception. Our own righteous acts are no match for Satan’s attacks (Isaiah 64:6). The breastplate of righteousness has Christ’s name stamped on it, as though He said, “Your righteousness isn’t sufficient to protect you. Wear mine.”

Putting It On

We are instructed to “put on” this armor, which implies that we do not automatically wear it all the time. Putting on the armor of God requires a decision on our part. To put on the breastplate of righteousness, we must first have the belt of truth firmly in place. Without truth, our righteousness will be based upon our own attempts to impress God. This leads to legalism or self-condemnation (Romans 8:1). We choose instead to acknowledge that, apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). We see ourselves as “in Christ” and that, regardless of our failures, His righteousness has been credited to our account.

We “put it on” by seeking God and His righteousness above everything else (Matthew 6:33). We make Him and His ways our dwelling place (Psalm 91:1). We delight in His commands and desire for His ways to become our ways (Psalm 37:4; 119:24, 111; Isaiah 61:10). When God reveals an area of change to us, we obey and allow Him to work in us. At the point where we say “no” to God, we open a little crack in the armor where Satan’s arrows can get through (Ephesians 6:16).

As we wear Christ’s breastplate of righteousness, we begin to develop a purity of heart that translates into actions. Wearing this breastplate creates a lifestyle of putting into practice what we believe in our hearts. As our lives become conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), our choices become more righteous, and these godly choices also protect us from further temptation and deception (Proverbs 8:20; Psalm 23:3).

PUTTING IT ON [borrowed from Gotquestions.org]

The “righteousness” Paul is referring to can not be bought or earned – it belongs to Christ alone and comes to us only through faith in Christ – a faith, which as gotquestions.org explains, guards our hearts against the accusations and charges of Satan and secures our innermost being from his attacks. The following details from got questions.org will be helpful to our understanding and implementing the “breastplate of righteousness” that has been so graciously given to us.

  • We “put it on” by seeking God and His righteousness above everything else (Matthew 6:33). We make Him and His ways our dwelling place (Psalm 91:1). We delight in His commands and desire for His ways to become our ways (Psalm 37:4; 119:24, 111; Isaiah 61:10). When God reveals an area of change to us, we obey and allow Him to work in us. At the point where we say “no” to God, we open a little crack in the armor where Satan’s arrows can get through (Ephesians 6:16).
  • At salvation, a “breastplate” is issued to each repentant sinner. It is specially designed by God to protect our heart and soul from evil and deception. Our own righteous acts are no match for Satan’s attacks (Isaiah 64:6). The breastplate of righteousness has Christ’s name stamped on it, as though He said, “Your righteousness isn’t sufficient to protect you. Wear mine.”
  • We are instructed to “put on” this armor, which implies that we do not automatically wear it all the time. Putting on the armor of God requires a decision on our part. To put on the breastplate of righteousness, we must first have the belt of truth firmly in place. Without truth, our righteousness will be based upon our own attempts to impress God. This leads to legalism or self-condemnation (Romans 8:1). We choose instead to acknowledge that, apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). We see ourselves as “in Christ” and that, regardless of our failures, His righteousness has been credited to our account.
    • Guard Against Wearing it Incorrectly
      • When armor is abused or worn incorrectly, it can malfunction. Likewise, there are several factors that can interfere with the effectiveness of our spiritual breastplate. Carelessness (1 Peter 5:8), unbelief (Hebrews 3:12), abusing grace (Romans 6:1–2), or disobedience (1 John 3:4; Hebrews 4:6) can hinder our ability to stand firm and defeat the enemy in our lives. When we tolerate sin, refuse to forgive (2 Corinthians 2:10–11), rely on personal righteousness (Titus 3:5), or allow earthly concerns to crowd out time for an intimate relationship with God, we, in effect, take off the breastplate of righteousness, minimizing its power to protect us.
      • We need our breastplate of righteousness in place in order to gain the victory specified in 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” When we quickly reject heretical ideas, idolatry, and the “counsel of the ungodly” (Psalm 1:1) and instead “keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), we keep our breastplate securely fastened.
Reflection on Today’s Journey

Why is it important for the breastplate of righteousness to be worn with the belt of truth?

Going Further

Be sure and check out today’s LGG Blog

More on the Breastplate: “A Roman’s breastplate would typically be made from bronze or chain mail and would cover the vital body parts (heart, lungs, stomach). Righteousness, or doing what is right, is essential to protecting the life of the believer through spiritual battle. Also, the breastplate is a primary means of identification: this is one of the clearer ways for soldiers to recognize each other in battle. Likewise, a Christian’s behavior is meant to identify them to the world, and other believers, as a follower of Christ.” The breastplate would be attached to the belt and if the belt wasn’t applied correctly the breastplate would fall right off leaving the soldier in grave jeopardy. further evidence that the armor was intended to be worn in full not in pieces. [borrowed from bibleref.com]

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Greater is He that is in You

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based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God, w1d5

Scripture: 1 John 4:4-6 / SOAP: verse 6

We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

1 John 4:6

This passage, particularly verse 4, always reminds me of the song, “Greater is He that is in Me” or at least of the first verse, which highlights the Ephesian passage we studied earlier in our previous posts; and the chorus, which is actually patterned after verse 4 of today’s passage from 1 John. Read them, sing them if you know the tune (if not you might want to look it up), I sing the song often when I find myself challenged or up against the enemy and it truly helps.

Verse One:

Satan’s like a roaring lion roaming to and fro’

Seeing whom he may devour, the Bible tells us so

Many souls have been his prey to fall in some weak hour

But God has promised us today His overcoming power.

Chorus:

Greater is He that is in me

Greater is He that is in me

Greater is He that is in me

than He that is in the world.

https://lyricstranslate.com

Because we are God’s children His Spirit lives in us and gives us understanding of the Scriptures. This understanding empowers us who are saved or being saved but it seems like mere foolishness to those who are not saved. This is helpful knowledge as we face a myriad of tactics by the enemy and his armies, tactics that require us to be alert and ready. Being ready and alert with the truth we will be able to identify “the spirit of deceit”; and as John describes here, we will recognize those who belong to God and possess the Spirit of truth and those who do not.

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Set Apart In the Truth

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based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God, w1d4

Scripture: John 17;14-19 / SOAP: verse 17

Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. 

John 17:17

I had the best time studying today’s passage but the day got in the way and then the evening responsibilities and here I am with so much to say but falling asleep trying to say it. My guess is I will eventually get it shared but for now I’m going to share a portion of today’s LGG Devotional and prayer with the hope that you will find encouragement and see the correlation between Jesus’ prayer in John 17 and Paul’s instructions about putting on the “belt of truth”. –

The Foundational Piece of Armor

The belt of truth is the foundational piece of the armor of God. It is designed to keep all the other pieces of armor in their place. This verse reminds us of the power of God’s Word and the importance of knowing it in our lives. When we make a habit of reading and studying the BIble, we are intentionally saturating our mind and heart with the truth. This truth serves as our spiritual armor, equipping us to stand firm in our faith and resist the attacks of the enemy.

God’s Word is the Truth

Because God’s Word is truth, it not only sets us apart from the world but sets us free, too. We acknowledge our emotions and the value they play in our lives, but we also know their place. Our emotions do not dictate what is true in our lives. Only God’s Word has that honor.

  • Prayer: May we never forget the power of Your Word. May Your truth be the foundation of my life. Set us apart for Your glory. Help us to remember to clothe ourselves with the belt of truth each morning as we strive to clothe our minds and hearts with your Words and Your truth – Amen!

Reflecting on the Journey

What does John 17:17 teach us about the sanctification process and the relationship between God’s Word and truth?

Going Further

For more on God’s Word is Truth visit https://www.gotquestions.org/your-word-is-truth.html