Tag: devil

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Secure In Christ

God’s Full Armor

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based on the LGG Study, Secure in Christ/w6d3

Read: Ephesians 6:10-12/SOAP: verse 12

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:10-12

Oh, how I love this passage! It is one of my top 10 favorite passages. I love when God gives us the “what to (be strengthened in the Lord), how to (by putting on the full armor of God), and the reason to (so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil)” do what is needful to live as He has called us to live. Perhaps the best part is knowing that we are not expected, nor should we try, to rely on our own strength to live as He has called us to live. Instead, we are trained and encouraged to depend on God’s power. Only then will we be able to overcome the battles and faithfully live out the real-world scenarios and warnings that Paul has given throughout his letter. His instructions have called us to love, obedience, and faithful living, to forgiving others, putting others first, and everything that comes with putting off the old nature and putting on the new. Because our new nature is from Christ (2 Cor 5:17), we are blessed to be able to put on God’s full armor, which Paul will elaborate on in the next section of this passage.

I love when God gives us the “what to (be strengthened in the Lord), how to (by putting on the full armor of God), and the reason to (so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil)” do what is needful to live as He has called us to live.

Me from the Inside Out🦋

Friends, to truly resist the devil as James warns us1, we must daily and deliberately put on and use every weapon God has made available to us. The devil, as Paul points out, is strategically scheming and purposefully coordinating plans to destroy the people of God and/or their obedience and good works. However, we have nothing to fear, for we can rest in and celebrate the truth that the enemy is no match for the power God has given us to “stand against2” the devil’s schemes!

Ephesians 6:12 clearly indicates that the conflict with Satan is spiritual, and therefore no tangible weapons can be effectively employed against him and his minions. We are not given a list of specific tactics Satan will use. However, the passage is quite clear that when we follow all the instructions faithfully, we will be able to stand, and we will have victory regardless of Satan’s strategy.

Gotquestions.org

I do not like being in the dark about things, which is why verse 12 is one of my favorites in this passage. While I may not know precisely how Satan will attack, I like that Paul tells us exactly who, what, and where the battle comes from. God has trained me, and continues to train me, that I need to stop seeing people as my enemy. For, as Paul so beautifully describes, this is not a physical battle but a spiritual one. The devil may use people3 or things as part of his attack, but our true enemy, according to God’s Word, is the devil/sin itself, and the only way to overcome him is to heed Paul’s ‘how to’ instructions daily. The armor is a great gift and accessory of our faith, and if we hope to stand firm against the schemes of the devil, we must never lay it aside or forget its incredible power.

The More We Know

Dear reader, only those who have believed in Jesus as their Savior have access to the full armor of God and the power to stand against the enemy. If you have not trusted in Christ, I would love to share Him with you. The Bible says that there is salvation in no one else! I encourage you to connect with me in the comment section and to visit the “Know These Truths“ link below.

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Triumphs over Trials

Just Say No

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, Triumph over Trials / w4d3

THE JOURNEY (SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVATION)

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8-9 and SOAP: vs 8-9

Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering.

1 Peter 5:8-9 NET

If you’ve ever been drunk or have watched someone who was, you understand that when we aren’t “sober,” we cannot and will not be alert. This, of course, is one of the reasons for the slogan: “Don’t drink and drive.” A slogan that became popular in the early eighties and still bears weight today because of the tragedies caused by drunk drivers. Do not be fooled; alcohol can and will impair your senses and, thereby, your judgment.

Peter’s words are an eye-opening reminder that physical suffering and/or persecution are not the only dangers we face as believers. “Our enemy, the devil” is the real and present threat to every believer.

The same can be said of life. We can become so caught up in the day-to-day cares and/or pleasures of life that our physical and spiritual senses are dulled. This makes us easy prey for the enemy, which is exactly what he’s counting on and persistently waiting for. Rest assured, just as he tried to distract Jesus in the wilderness – the devil will look for ways to distract us.

The only way to survive his attacks is to be not just clear-minded but alert, spiritually speaking – this means having our eyes on God and our minds armed with His Word, the Christian’s only sure weapon of defense.

The explanation of this verse (8), by Bibleref.com is quite sobering: “Our enemy, the devil, desires to devour us, to cause real and lasting harm. The Greek word here is Katapiein, literally meaning to “swallow,” or to “drown.” Peter has made it clear that our place in eternity with our Father is secure. The devil cannot take that from us, but he does seek to damage our faith. He wants fear to shake our submission to the Father, and lies to distort our understanding of God’s goodness. Since he cannot touch the believer’s soul, Satan seeks to leave us as weak and ineffective servants of our King.”

LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)

Life can offer us some wonderful pleasures – from family and friends and breathtaking experiences. It can also offer us responsibilities, challenges, and hardships that make us grow weak and weary. The question is, how do we avoid being intoxicated by the pleasures of this life or under the influence of fears and doubts when life overwhelms us? Whatever strategy Satan uses, Bibleref.com suggests that “the plan for standing strong in our faith is the same.” – Peter lays it out nicely: In addition to being sober and alert, we are to resist the devil and be strong in our faith. This means we will need to …

  • Trust God more …
    • more than Satan’s lies –
    • more than what you think looks best –
    • and more than you did ‘yesterday’.
  • Increase your reliance on God. Satan’s goal is to steal, kill, and destroy, and the only way he can do that is to weaken the believer’s confidence in God, just as he did with Eve in the garden, asking her: “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”. Our dependence on God grows deeper as we plant our roots in Him – the more time we spend with Him in prayer and in His Word – the deeper and stronger the roots grow.
    • True reliance on God involves your whole being and becomes not just a way of thinking but a way of life that stems from your faith and knowledge of God.
  • Resist the devil are the words used in Peter’s last step. However, we would be wise to understand that saying no to the devil, first requires a resounding, unwavering YES to God. Say YES to God’s authority over everyone elses’, YES to His will over yours, YES to His desire over yours, YES to His wisdom and purpose over yours. … an unequivocal YES to God will secure a sure and unwavering NO to the devil.
    • Knowing God’s Word is the best weapon of warfare to use on the enemy.
Question FOR THE JOURNEY

What specific Scripture can you memorize this week to arm yourself for the inevitable attacks of the enemy?

PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY

Father, the enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy Your children. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Help us to be self-controlled and alert so that we do not get caught up in his web of deceit and cunning ways. Help us to be like Jesus and use Your Word as a weapon when we are tempted. Help the roots of our faith grow deeper and deeper so that we are able to stand strong and resist the devil’s tactics. Remind us that satan has no authority over us and help us to boldly and faithfully ‘just say no! – In the name of Jesus – amen!

THE MORE WE KNOW

For more insight check out today’s blog post at lovegodgreatly.com

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

Shoes

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, The Armor of God, w3d1

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18 / SOAP: verse 15

 – by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace,

Ephesians 6:15

This verse is not meant to stand alone, so let’s look again at the ones that come before it. As you read, notice all of the instructions we are given for living out our faith well –

Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Clothe yourselves with (the full armor of God), so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.13 For this reason, (take up the full armor of God) so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, (and having done everything, to stand.) 14 Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace –

The Responsibility is Ours

As believers we have been saved by grace through faith, it is a free and forever gift of God. That being said we are given responsibilities as believers that we must strive for the rest of our Christian life. James said, “Faith without works is dead.” He encourages the believer to not just read or hear the Word but to live it out. Living out our faith doesn’t have to be a mystery, that is the purpose of His Word and the examples set before us in Christ and the other disciples and men and women of faith throughout Scripture

So far in our study we have been given the responsibility of “putting on” the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. In today’s soap verse we have been given the task of “fitting our feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace.” This is the third piece of armor we are called to wear in preparation for battle. We will spend the week learning more about this peace, what it is, and how to apply/wear it well. Remember we are to suit up in the “full armor” so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil (11,13), and not just stand but we are to stand firm (14).

Shoes

For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

Ephesians 6:15

I love the way the New Living Translation and others translate verse 15 using the word “shoes”. I loved going barefoot as a child and still to this day I would rather have my shoes off than on, but I have learned that there are times where it is very helpful to wear my shoes. It is also helpful to wear the right shoes. For instance, I would not wear my snow boots on a sandy beach nor my beach shoes on a snow walk. I love my comfy slip on shoes but I know not to wear them on a three-mile walk. The same is true of the soldier who has his belt and and breastplate in place, he knows he has to have have his feet in the right shoes in order to use the other pieces of his armor well. Just like the shoes of the soldier make him ready for battle the “Gospel of peace” makes the believer ready for spiritual battle. We will look more intently at what this all means in the days to come – but for today suit up with the belt of TRUTH and the breastplate of righteousness – and don’t forget to fit your feet with the peace that comes from the Gospel, the Good News about Christ.

The gospel is, broadly speaking, the whole of Scripture; more narrowly, the gospel is the good news concerning Christ and the way of salvation.

gotquestions.org
Reflection on the Journey
  • What does Ephesians 6:15 teach us about the importance of having our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace?
  • What are some practical ways we can prepare ourselves to share the Gospel with others?
Going Further:

Be sure and 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

Prepare Yourself

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Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18; SOAP / vs. 10-11

10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Ephesians 6:10-11

Paul has been giving instructions to the Church of Ephesus on obedience, giving specific instructions to children, parents, slaves, and masters. As he wraps up the teaching on obedience, he tells them how to remain faithful and obedient to God, or to use Paul’s words, “how to stand firm.” He starts with the reminder that their strength and power must come from the Lord and there is one that plots against them. However, it’s the next phrase that captured my attention:“Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand [against the schemes of the devil].” If I were teaching this in the classroom, I would undoubtedly be writing this on a whiteboard, underlining and circling and highlighting every word of this sentence. Why? Because it is crucial to the rest of the passage and to living obedient lives and surviving the battle that Eve, and every person on the face of the earth has faced since the garden.

Please note the personal responsibility Paul places on every believer. We are to “clothe ourselves”, in other words to “put on” our own protection. We cannot dress others in the armor nor can they ‘clothe’ us. Neither are we to pick and choose which pieces we want to wear. No, if we wish to win the battle(s), we are to put all of the armor on; and it is clear that we are to not only put each piece on but we are to know what the pieces are and how they protect us. Don’t miss the added key to all of the armor is prayer and alertness. While he doesn’t say to put these on he gives clear instruction to “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

Paul testifies, and all of Scripture supports, that the devil schemes against the children of God; and that without being properly (ie fully) clothed with God’s “armor” we will not be able to stand. Instead, we will, like Eve, succumb to his tricks and deceitfulness. Make no mistake, as children of God, the devil is our number one enemy and we must learn to live fully armed and ready.

There is much to learn in the weeks ahead. Many, if not all of us, have already heard or studied this section of our soldier manual (the Bible), and yet good soldiers never stop training. They continually prepare for battle, they make sure their equipment is in order, and that they are well versed in using it. They know what is expected of them, they have drills, and training sessions to assure that they are ready. We must do no less and we must start with the wisdom packed into these two little verses.

  • (You) Look to [the Lord for your strength] (10)
  • (You) Depend on [His power] (10)
  • (You) Put on [the full armor of God] (11)
Let’s Reflect
  • What is the armor of God?
  • Why is it important?
Going Further

The devil, as Paul calls him here, has many other names – including the evil one [Matt 6:13,John 17:15; Eph 6:16; 2 Thes 3:3; and Matt 13:19] and the father of all lies (John 8:44). You will find 10 others at the following link: 10 Different Names for Satan and What They Mean

For more insight to today’s passage read Today’s Love God Greatly Blog Post

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Quiet Time
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The Temptation of Jesus

Read Matthew 4:1-11

In today’s reading Matthew shares insight and wisdom from the life of Christ that will help us overcome the temptations we will inevitably face. Christ had just been baptized and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where He was to be tested. Bibleref.com explains, that “it was God’s intention that Jesus should endure this time of testing.” [For a full explanation of 4:1 visit https://www.bibleref.com/Matthew/4/Matthew-4-1.html. ] However, the focus of today’s passage for me became verse 4, which follows Satan’s pointed temptation to Jesus, who had been fasting, to turn stones into loaves of bread (4:3). While Jesus, no doubt, could have easily met this temptation He instead answers Satan, directly, with a firm “No!” He then uses Scripture to confirm His choice.

3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:3-4 (NLT)

Actually, every other time I have ever read or heard this Scripture taught my mind has been drawn to the use of God’s Word to combat the temptations, and rightfully so. We should always be ready with Scripture when we meet temptations – after all God’s Word is our primary weapon against sin which is why David answered his own question in Psalm 119, “How can a young man keep His way pure?” with these words, “By obeying God’s Word.” He goes on to explain how he does that, “I seek You (God) with all of my heart, do not let me stray from your commandments. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Temptation is clearly combatted with God’s Word. However, it is equally clear to me today that it is good and right to be direct and firm with the ‘tempter’ and say “no”! What a great example of handling our temptations, “But Jesus told him, ‘No!'”.

How can a young man keep his way pure?

By keeping your word.

10 I have sought you with all my heart;

don’t let me wander from your commands.

11 I have treasured your word in my heart

so that I may not sin against you.

Psalm 119:9-11 (CSB)

Jesus’ example makes me think of the campaign, “Just Say No!”, used in the “War on Drugs during the 80’s and 90’s to discourage children from using illegal drugs. Perhaps, as children of God, we should make this our campaign against temptations this year – “Say No to Satan!”. We are only 10 days in to the new year, yet it is already clear to me that there will be, as with every other year, daily temptations. Perhaps we will be tempted to mimic the behavior of the world (Romans 12:2), or to fear (Isaiah 41:10), or complain (Phil 2:14-16), or become angry (Eph 4:26, James 1:20) and unforgiving (Col 3:13), or to use our words to tear down instead of build up (Eph 4:29), the list of temptations are endless (the combatting Scriptures are equally endless) … but regardless of how or when the temptation comes may our answer be, like Jesus’, a firm and resolved NO! Let’s “Say NO to Satan!” and watch him flee in 2022.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 (ESV)

Posted in God is good

Are You Ready?

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Everyday I declare the Goodness of God. I look for it and see it often in my own life or in the life of someone I know. I see it in His Word or played out on the world’s stage in some miracle unexplainable by man. I know He is good. I trust in His goodness. I rehearse it daily in prayer and praise to Him, and I proclaim it often to others. However, there are days when the goodness is overshadowed by the disappointments in life or the hurtful deeds and words of another. There are, I confess, moments when I find myself tempted to doubt or at the very least question ‘it’. *I mean where is His goodness in job loss or the devastating illness of a loved one? Where is ‘it’ in financial struggles, the hurtful words of a friend, or when a spouse walks out on the marriage? Where is His goodness when the ones we trust aren’t honest with us or a trusted confident betrays us? Where is it when the something good we’ve waited for comes – and then just as quickly is taken away. Where is it when ________? You fill in the blank. I would venture to say that if we are honest we can all fill in that blank.

We may not want to admit it but, I believe, we’ve all experienced something that has made us at least wonder, even for a fleeting second, if God is really good then why did this happen? When it does, we must be careful and quick to remember – when “we do not see God’s hand we can trust His heart”*. If we do not act quickly with the truths that we know – the enemy will gain a foothold and we will find ourselves tempted with bitterness, anger, ungodly responses, and all sorts of other sin. Satan’s purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy and there’s no greater destruction he would take pleasure in than to make us doubt or turn away from our God. Peter called the devil an adversary and told the Jewish Christians of his day that if they would “resist” the devil he would flee from them. Just in case we think this warning was only for the Jewish Christians of Peter’s day, we must remember that God gave us His word and said it “is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness”. When doubts come we must be prepared to use our knowledge from God’s Word to stand firm. To be prepared we must put into practice the words Paul wrote to Timothy and train for godliness.

Physical training is good but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

To train for godliness we must first and foremost know God’s Word so that we can put our training into practice. For instance -when we know that His Word says He is our provider we must learn to trust Him to provide in our time of need. The same is true of the proclamation that He is our deliverer, when faced with trying situations we must trust that He will deliver us. Trusting God to be faithful as His Word declares may not always be easy but it is always beneficial, developing an enduring faith. When we practice trusting, despite the inevitable times when He doesn’t deliver or provide exactly as we requested or hoped, we will no doubt, in time, experience Him to be a faithful provider and deliverer and so much more. These experiences will foster a personal relationship with God. They will also develop a confidence that is built up over time through the implementation of trusting, waiting, and reciprocal faithfulness to Him. For an example of such confidence, consider David’s words to Saul when Saul challenged his ability to face the giant, Goliath.

The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:37

Again, when threatened by the giant himself, David recalls the faithfulness He has seen from God and declares his full confidence to be in Him – even in this difficult and life-threatening situation. From these experiences with His God came his confident reply to Goliath’s threat:

You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of Yahweh of Hosts, the God of Israel’s armies – You have defied Him. Today, the LORD will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, cut your head off and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God, and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the LORD saves, for the battle is the LORD’S. He will hand you over to us. 1 Samuel 17:45-47

Ah, and there is the answer. We don’t just see His goodness when life is problem free – we see it in the realization that the battles of this life, the temptations of this fallen world we live in, or the full on attacks of our enemy, the devil – belong to the LORD. His goodness shines when we remember Who He is and what He has done on our behalf already. It is known when we know Whose we are and what it means to belong to Him. We experience it when it becomes evident that He has equipped us not just with armor and weapons for the battle but with everything we need for life and godliness. The answer lies in walking by faith and not by sight and keeping our eyes on the author and the perfecter of our faith. It is in knowing that He has promised a way of escape when we are tempted, looking for that way and taking it; and yes, it is in humbling ourselves before our God, resisting the devil – and believing he will flee. God’s Word is TRUTH and I believe His TRUTH sets us free not only from the law of sin and death but from the attacks, the fears, the battles, and the assault of the enemy. If we aren’t trained and ready with the TRUTH – when the doubts come – we will be shaken; but, if we set the LORD always before us, and know that He is at our right hand we will, like David, stand in the face of our problems or the adversary and proclaim “I come against you in the name of the LORD, my God!”

*On a personal note: Like David, I have learned that God can be trusted. I have tasted and seen His goodness in all of the difficult situations listed in the opening paragraph. So, when the days come where the disappointments, and hurts, or life’s challenges threaten to overshadow the goodness of God I practice David’s example of recalling what the LORD has done. I write it, or speak it out loud, or whisper it in a prayer, and I proclaim – Father I cannot see or understand what You’re doing or allowing, but I know You are Good and I will trust You. When doubts arise, I have learned to practice recalling His goodness and trusting His heart. I have those in my life that will come along side of me and remind me of the truth and I have often had to play that role in the lives of others. I am continually learning to walk by His Spirit, who lives in me and was given to teach me and remind me of everything Christ said (John 14:26). If you do not know God I would love to introduce Him to you, or if you are struggling to trust Him through a present battle I would be happy to pray for you – please just leave a reply that says I want to know Him – or pray for me.