based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w5d3
Scripture: Romans 12:1-2 / SOAP: verse 2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:2
based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w5d2
Scripture: Colossians 3:1-11 / verse 2
Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth
Colossians 3:2
So what does mean to “keep thinking about something?” The bottom line is it means to continually choose to think about a certain thing, event, or person. When we do this we allow that thing, person, or situation to become what influences our choices – such as how we talk or what actions we take or who we spend time with. When we do this our thinking will ultimately influence what goals, priorities or standards we set.
Setting our minds on things above establishes Godly priorities and sets Godly standards.
me – from the inside out 🦋
Paul poses two courses of thought, things on earth or things above, and he guides the Church to set their thoughts on the things above. The NLT translates things above as the realities of Heaven, but both mean the same thing: Think about the things of God. Think about what He’s done for us through Christ. Think about His promise of eternity and anything else that turns our thinking toward God. Okay, you say, but we have families and jobs and responsibilities that also take thought, right? Yes, and we do have to give thought to those things during the day, and in times of crises that arise here on earth life can demand or require our attention; but Paul’s point is not to neglect thinking about the crisis situations nor even what you’ll fix for dinner or which job you’ll take or where your kids will go to school. Instead, his point is to “keep on” thinking about the things of God even while you are weighing out or dealing with the other issues of life. Basically, we are to have our minds so set on the things of God that those thoughts influence all the other aspects of our life.
How can we do this while living on earth? Paul gives us the answer in many of his letters, but perhaps no where more clearly than here in Colossians chapter three. He makes it clear to the church that they are no longer to live by the standards of their old life. In verse five he uses some very strong words to emphasize the importance of setting new standards by saying, “put to death” any part of their old “earthly” living – including everything from sexual immorality to greed. He makes the point that these things are not pleasing to God. Paul understands that this is the way they used to live and that some were still struggling with the ungodly issues he referenced – and just in case they might have been thinking – ‘good grief, I’m not that bad’, he also covered things like anger and malice, as well as slander and ungodly words. When we profess Jesus as our Lord with our mouth we are to profess Him with our lives as well.
Paul gave us a pretty good snap shot of what we will look like when we “keep thinking about things above instead of things on the earth.” He described those who choose to think like this as ones ” who are filled with tenderhearted mercy, they are kind. gentle, and patient, and they live in humility rather haughtiness. They remember how the Lord has forgiven them and loved them despite their faults – so they make allowance for other’s faults and are forgiving of those who offend them. They are loving and live in harmony with others and are noted for the peace that rules in their hearts; it’s a peace that helps them to live in peace with others. Their’s is a peace so obviously from Christ that is a reflective light of our faith.
Father, I confess it isn’t always easy to keep my mind from getting weighed down with the cares of this world. Whether it is the day to day routines or events or people in my life or the seasons of crises and turmoil – if I’m not careful – my mind is easily captivated and I find myself struggling with fears and worries or a myriad of other emotions that rob me of the peace that I have known when my mind is fixed on the things of Heaven, instead of the world. Thank You for continually reviewing this truth with me, for using this passage to change my life in so many ways. Help me to keep my mind on things above, to know Your strength when I am weak, and to avail myself often of your loving invitation to cast all my cares on You – because You care for me –
based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w5d1
Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18 / SOAP: verse 17
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God).
Ephesians 6:17
Over the past four weeks of our journey we have seen evidence from God’s Word that:
When I consider the pieces of armor we’ve picked up in the first four weeks of our journey, I feel secure. However, I know I must not stop with the Shield of Faith. God’s instructions through Paul are to “Put on the full armor of God.” To do anything less is to be careless and put ourselves, and possibly others, in jeopardy.
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. For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground –
Ephesians 6:12-13
Remember with me for a minute the scene in the Garden. The serpent tempted Eve by messing with her mind, making her doubt what God had said or meant, and enticing her through her senses. Scripture says that Eve saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise; the serpent had captivated her mind, and Scripture says, she took the fruit and ate it, then she gave some to Adam and he also ate it. While we might want to say or think we will not do what Eve did, the reality is we all know that, but by the grace of God, we will. The enemy is still actively at work today, seeking to steal, kill, and destroy God’s people. He still messes with our minds, hoping we will fall for his cunning and deceitful words, just like Eve, which is why we must stay alert. It is why we must put on the Helmet of Salvation to protect our mind from the enemy and the lies and the games he plays with what we think and believe or perceive to be true.
If you want victory over the mind the helmet is not optional. It can save you from the enemy’s schemes and lies.
As I’m sure you’ve heard me say, my mind is a battlefield. I have been putting the Helmet of Salvation on since the first time I studied Ephesians six, close to thirty years ago, and yet even this week, I have seen how very vulnerable I am if I don’t wear it well. God has shown me it isn’t enough to go through the motions of “putting the armor on.” I must live as a warrior who understands what the pieces are and how to use them so that when they are needed, I’m not caught off guard. God faithfully and graciously continues to train me in protective procedures through studies like this and the practical application in the daily battles of this world. Being alert to the enemy is one defense I cannot afford to let down; I’ve seen what happens when I do. I must stay on guard, alert to the enemy’s schemes, as well as my weaknesses, and ready to stand firm.
Because of our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ we have the assurance of God’s forgiveness. We have the great privilege of knowing that we are no longer under the requirements of the law but instead we live in the freedom of God’s grace and the hope of eternity. This is the bottom-line of the helmet of salvation. Gotquestions.org writes that, “The idea in this verse is that, as we prepare for Satan’s attacks, we must grab that helmet and buckle it on tightly. Salvation is not limited to a one-time act of the past or even a future hope. God’s salvation is an ongoing, eternal state that His children enjoy in the present. It is daily protection and deliverance from our sin nature and Satan’s schemes.”
Because of the power of the cross, our enemy no longer has any hold on us (Romans 6:10; 8:2; 1 Corinthians 1:18). He knows that, but he also knows that most of God’s children do not know that—or, at least, they do not live as if they know. We must learn to keep our helmets buckled so that his fiery missiles do not lodge in our thoughts and set us on fire. Through this helmet of salvation, we can “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
So suit up and don’t forget the helmet – 💕
Be sure and check out today’s LGG Blog
based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God / w4d5
because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world. This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith. 5 Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:4-5
From the first day of this week’s journey, I have had the song “Faith is the Victory” playing daily in my head at some point. Today’s passage has amplified the song to full blast, and if I weren’t writing this late at night and worried about waking my daughter, I would be belting out the tune loud and clear – perhaps even marching around my room. For now, I must settle for the more timid celebration of marching and singing in my heart and head.
Reread our verses and read them out loud this time. Listen as John first proclaims that our faith is the conquering power that has overcome the world, and then as he clarifies that the person of faith is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.Surely, those hearing these words at the time would have broken out in loud cheers and shouts of victorious praise to their God that would have rivaled a Super Bowl crowd. After all, this is the final chapter of the First John letters. So far the church has received a series of four letters including: lessons about the fellowship of believers (1), instructions on being Followers of Christ(2), the requirement to love one another(3), instructions on the importance of testing the spirits to make sure they are from God(4), and then he wraps it all up, here in chapter 5, with this beautiful message of peace – that it is our faith, our believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that gives us the power to overcome the world! This is where our text focuses today. And I believe it is the crux of the demand to put on the whole armor of God and stand firm. For, without faith, there is no hope and there is no victory to celebrate – there is only fear and dread.
Our faith gives us power!
Me – from the inside-out
~~~~~
Because our faith places us in Christ and Christ in us ~
and thus, we are empowered to overcome the world.
We could stop here, but this is one of those scenic overlooks of a journey where you want to stop and take a picture of the majestic mountains or some other wonderful sight to remember. So, let’s stop for a minute before rushing on and look at the scenic overview to experience it and appreciate the beauty of what led up to John’s declaration of conquering the world.
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God, and everyone who loves the father loves the child fathered by him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments do not weigh us down, 4 because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world. -This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith. 5 Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:1-5
Did you see the beauty? Verse one explains or at least sheds light on verse four’s comment about being “fathered by God.” Then verse three poses this statement: And his commandments do not weigh us down, but John addresses his statement as if it were a question: “Because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world.” For me, this is an ultimate photo op, one best captured by this quote from gotquestions.org – “The apostle is not implying that only certain “super-Christians” are overcomers; rather, every true believer is an overcomer because he has been born of God.” There it is, a great photo op and a truth that should ignite loud shouts of cheers of victory and thunderous praise for the conquering power of our faith!
The apostle is not implying that only certain “super-Christians” are overcomers; rather, every true believer is an overcomer because he has been born of God:
Gotquestions.org
Father, thank you for this message from John. May our application be to daily celebrate this beautiful knowledge of peace that we are overcomers by the conquering power of our faith in Christ Jesus, Your only begotten Son. Thank You for adopting us, who were once Your enemies, and fathering us as children naturally born to You. We are most blessed to have this faith – please help us to walk in it faithfully, claiming the victory that is ours in Christ and sharing the message of our faith so others may hear and believe in the One, whose name I pray, His name is Jesus and He is the author and perfecter of our victoriously powerful faith! And Father, if there is anyone, even one, who reads this but doesn’t share in our faith, will you open the eyes and the ears of their heart to understand and to claim the faith as their own by believing that Jesus is Your Son, the author, and perfecter of our faith – Amen and amen!
John refers to believers as victorious conquerors multiple times (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21)
How is faith the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4)?
Be sure and check out today’s Love God Greatly Blog Post
based on the LGG Study, The Armor Of God / w4d4
Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 / SOAP: verse 3
But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
Sometimes you can pull one verse out of a passage and SOAP it without the others, but sometimes it is made so much richer with the others. I find this to be true of these five verses. While each one has a distinct message, each one also highlights the next as well.
His enemies were hardened unbelievers.
Bibleref.com
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. – 2 Thessalonians 3:3
Paul had confidence from the Lord that their faith was strong and they were living it out well.
Note: Applications (underlined text) are laced throughout the observations of this SOAP
Father, thank You for Your teachings through men like Paul. His letters and examples of the faith encouraged those in his day and all the generations of believers to this day and beyond. They are living and active, and I pray for strength and faithfulness to apply them well. Grace me with the daily reminders of the truths of Your character, as we find in Paul’s words that You are faithful and will strengthen us and protect us from evil. We are now and forever more dependent on You, and these truths fill us with the hope we need to use the Shield of Faith well – to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. I bless Your Name and the name of Jesus through whom I pray. Amen!
Check out these But God verses
Genesis 8:1
But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and domestic animals that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to blow over the earth and the waters receded.
Genesis 31:42
In fact, if the God of my father had not been on my side—the God of Abraham and the fearsome God of Isaac—you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen your abuse and my hard work. That is why he appeared to you last night and rebuked you!”
Genesis 31:7
yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me.
Genesis 31:23-24
. . .he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
Genesis 48:21
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers.
Genesis 50:20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Deuteronomy 7:7-8
The LORD did not love you and choose you because you outnumbered other peoples; you were the smallest nation on earth. But the LORD loved you and wanted to keep the promise that he made to your ancestors. That is why he saved you by his great might and set you free from slavery to the king of Egypt.
1 Samuel 23:14
And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
1 Kings 5:4
But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune.
2 Chronicles 20:15
And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.
Psalm 49:14-15
Like sheep, they are led to the grave… But as for me, God will redeem my life.
He will snatch me from the power of the grave.
Psalm 73:26
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.
Psalm 86:15
But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
Hosea 1:7
Yet I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will deliver them—not by bow or sword or war, not by horses and cavalry, but by the LORD their God.
Jonah 2:6
I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!
Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
John 1:18
No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
Acts 2:24
But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Acts 3:15
You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.
Acts 7:9
And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him
Acts 10:28
He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.
Acts 13:29-30
When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead . . .
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:27
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
1 Corinthians 2:10
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard . . . the things which God has prepared for those who love Him . . . But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:6
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able . . .
Galatians 1:15-16
You also heard how I was far ahead of other Jews in my age group in following the Jewish religion. I had become that fanatical for the traditions of my ancestors. But God, who appointed me before I was born and who called me by his kindness, was pleased to show me his Son. . .
Galatians 3:18
For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
2 Timothy 2:9
. . .for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.
Ephesians 2:1,3;4-5
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins. . . and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved . . .
Don’t you love them? Oh how wonderful it is to know God has the final say and the victory over sickness and death and all the circumstances of our lives, over the enemy and all his flaming arrows. The battles will continue, they may be bearing down on us right now, but our God, the one true and living God, has the final say!
based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God, w4d3
Scripture; Psalm 18:1-50 / SOAP: verse 50
The one true God acts in a faithful manner;
Psalm 18:30
the Lord’s promise is reliable.
He is a shield to all who take shelter in him.
Last week, we read in Ephesians 2:14 that Jesus is our peace, and in today’s SOAP passage, we read that God is a shield to all who take shelter in him. We see the evidence of David’s faith being firmly in the Lord throughout Scripture, but we also hear it in his descriptive words of God, as he declares Him to be the one true God who acts faithfully and who keeps His promises. Keep in mind that David learned these things both by observing God and from first hand experience. One of my favorite Old Testament passages is when David requests to stand up to the Philistine giant, Goliath, and declares to Saul: “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” To be clear, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God,” and if we spend more than a minute in the Word of God we are bound to read the stories like David and Goliath or Noah and the ark, or of Rahab and the spies and Ruth and Naomi, or of Jesus’ life from the birth announcement to the cross to the empty grave and His ascension into Heaven. These stories bear witness to not only the Gospel but to the realness and the faithfulness of our God. They continue to bring people to faith every day and they strengthen the faith of those who have already believed, or such is my experience.
I made a profession of faith as a young child, but it was in my mid to late twenties, when my first child was born, that my faith began to grow and take deeper root. Looking both backward and forward from that point God has shown me the lions and the bears of my own life and how He has delivered me not only from them but from the giants I’ve had to face as well. It occurs to me as I’m writing this that David’s initial words about the lion and the bear are: “Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear.” He later acknowledges that it was the Lord who delivered him. This isn’t a discrepancy but the beauty of how God walks with us in our battles – fighting for us and through us to overcome the dangers and snares in our paths. We are wise to realize we cannot and should not attempt the battles, the storm tossed seas, or any other part of life without our faith firmly established in Him. After all, as David said – God is our shield.
“Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 David went on to say, “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Then Saul said to David, “Go! The Lord will be with you.” –
1 Samuel 17:36-67
Many things about Psalm 18 jumped off the page to me, starting with the fact that “David – sang to the LORD the words of the song.” I love this, partly because I do it too – as I drive to or from work or as I’m praying. However, I think what I love most is that it is like a love song to the Lord, expounding not only on his love for God but on the wonderful ways God has loved and cared for Him. David knew God was worthy of His praise, but he also wanted anyone who heard the song to see the greatness of God and what He had done for David, which is most likely why he didn’t just say God, You’re so good – but went into details of His goodness.
I also love that David didn’t mind admitting that he was vulnerable and needed help, and he knew his help came from the LORD. When he was feeling like he was being overwhelmed by the currents of chaos and feeling distressed, we find him calling out to God for help. We may not feel the waves of death like David did, but much of life can easily engulf us and leave us feeling trapped very quickly and needing “the One True God” to come to our defense and rescue us. I’m so thankful David, the “servant after God’s own heart,” has given us an example of how to respond in these situations.
One other observation I want to note is that while it may be easy to read some of David’s words as boastful or proud, however, we must keep in mind the opening words of the Psalm, which say “…by the LORD’S servant David, who sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD rescued him from the power of all his enemies, including Saul.”(1a) David’s song was specific to an event in which David had pleased God and how God proved to be loyal, trustworthy and reliable in return; but to Saul, who had acted contrary to the ways of God, the LORD showed sharp and powerful judgment.
I love you LORD, my source of strength! Psalm 18:6
I believe we start with Psalm 18:6, understanding and acknowledging who truly is our source of strength. Can we, like David, say that the LORD is our source of strength? Who do we seek when we are in trouble? Who do we trust more than any other? Who do we believe is truly able to do more than we ask or imagine? It is easy to answer these questions with the Christian answer of God, or Jesus, or His Spirit in us. However, we must not answer according to who we “know it should be” but rather by who we “Know it is.” Ask Him to show you any areas of your life where another is the source of your strength. Don’t be surprised if He shows you places where your faith needs to be rooted a little deeper in Him and less in the world or others. After all, we are works in progress – He’s not finished with us yet. *Note, if God has given you a wonderful friend or friends that are faithful to help you with anything, anytime, and anywhere – this is a blessing to be cherished – but we should be quick to acknowledge that they too, are a gift from God.
Be quick to see and then acknowledge the goodness and faithfulness of God. Count your blessings, name them one by one, as the old hymn says – it truly will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Be quick to ask Him for help, He knows you need it and He is poised and ready and desirous to help His children.
Father, grace us with eyes to see and minds to recall all the ways You have acted on our behalf. Please help us to remember your goodness and faithfulness to rescue us from the power of our enemies and the struggles in this life. When the waves are crashing at our heads and distress is overtaking us, remind us to do as David did and call out to You, the One from whom we receive our help. Help us not lean on our understanding and power but to remember You are our only true and faithful source of strength. Thank You for being our shield! Thank You for being the One who is faithful and a keeper of His promises – May these truths help us to stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around our waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place, the shoes of peace on our feet, and the shield of faith ready to douse the flaming arrows of the evil one. And, when like David, we see the victory – help us to faithfully respond with songs of praise to You born of love and faith in who You are. – Amen!
The words of the Psalm brought this song to mind, may it be a blessing to you as it always is to me –
We Rest on Thee, Our Shield and Our Defender (Grab a tissue and don’t miss this)
Don’t forget to check out today’s LGG Blog Post
based on the Love God Greatly Series, The Armor of God, w4d2
Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
Mark 9:24-25
In my studies of this passage I found a quote by Gotquestions.org that is helpful if not crucial to understanding the scene with the demon possessed boy and the father’s desire for Jesus to heal him.
The believing one has power only due to the one he believes in.
gotquestions.org
Why do I believe this is so important? Because the healing clearly hinged upon what or who the father placed his belief in. The father’s earlier statement that the disciples had failed to heal his son most likely had affected the man’s belief that Jesus would be able to heal the child; at the very least, it had caused him to doubt. So, Jesus repeats the man’s words – possibly to point out the doubt and emphasize that one must believe in Jesus and His ability to cast out the demon. Whatever the reason for Jesus’ words, the father then proclaims his belief, showing he understood the importance of believing by asking that Jesus would help him past any unbelief – and, at Jesus’ command, the boy was healed, highlighting the truth that the one who believes has power only due to the one he believes in.
Bibleref.com makes this statement concerning the passage: “True faith doesn’t presume that God will do what we want but that God can do what He wants.”
Father, help me to continually center my belief on You. It is so easy to get caught up in situations or struggles and cry out with our eyes on the problem rather than on You the only one who can truly answer our requests – be it healing or provision or wisdom. Help me to remember that faith doesn’t mean that You can or will do what I want but that You can do what You want to. In those moments of life when I am desperate, do not allow my desperation to overshadow my belief in You. And, as this father prayed – so pray I – “help my unbelief”. – In Him who I have placed my Trust – Thank You and Amen!
https://www.gotquestions.org/all-things-possible-him-who-believes.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/only-come-out-by-prayer-and-fasting.html
based on the Love God Greatly Study, The Armor of God, w4d1
and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Ephesians 6:18
Ok, so you have your belt of truth in place which is securing your breastplate of righteousness and your feet are readily fitted with the Gospel of peace – but don’t forget your shield of faith. According to gotquestions.org, FAITH is a protective barrier that helps us stay grounded in the TRUTH. It is the VICTORY we know that overcomes the world! (1Jn 5:4 and Hebrews 11:1) In reference to “overcoming the world”, we would do well to remember that Jesus Himself referred to satan, our enemy, the evil one, as the “ruler of this world”. When talking about His own impending death, Jesus announced: “The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.” John 12:31.
Check out this word picture of our “Shield of Faith”. It makes me tired just thinking about how I will lift it and hold it in place but then I remember that, if I followed Paul’s instructions from the beginning – my strength and power come from the Lord! – Ephesians 6:10
The Roman shield of the time was called a scutum (/ˈsko͞odəm/). This type of shield was as large as a door and would cover the warrior entirely. Such a shield was not just defensive but could also be used to push opponents. When fighting as a group, a phalanx of soldiers could position their shields so as to form an enclosure around themselves, called a testudo (“tortoise”). This was especially helpful to protect against arrows launched from the walls of cities they were attacking. Shields, often made of wood and then covered in hide, when wet, could extinguish flaming arrows.
gotquestions.org
If that word picture isn’t enough, Scripture’s is even better, our faith is one of the greatest gifts we have, abiding right along side hope and love – 1 Cor 13:13; Paul goes on to write that faith is the way we receive grace, Eph 2:8-9 and that it is the means of our justification, Rom 5:1 and Col 3:24.
So take heart, in those moments when you feel like you are the enemy’s target practice, like he just launches one flaming arrow after another, God’s armor includes a sure and powerful shield that is ours through faith in Jesus Christ.
Father, some days or even seasons of life it can seem like the enemy hurls one flaming arrow after another but we have this hope through faith in Christ – that no weapon formed against us can stand. We have access to Your Armor that is surely able to defeat the enemy! Help us to heed Paul’s opening word of instruction concerning the armor – to be strengthen in You and in Your power, for I am convinced that we cannot wear this armor with Your Power and strength. Help us to suit up in the full armor, including the shield of FAITH that can extinguish all the flaming arrows of evil one. Help us to stay alert, remembering that our enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour and he uses all kinds of tactic, from fruit of a tree in the garden to the challenge to
Don’t forget to check out the LGG Blog Post for today’s study, The Armor of God/w4d1
based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God, w3d5
Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17/ SOAP: verse 15
Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful.
Colossians 3:15
The word peace typically denotes a serene, laid back, no worries kind of word; however, Paul says “let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart.” If I’m being truly honest, letting anyone or anything be in control of me is not as easy as it sounds. So this one has taken me years to to learn and I’m still working on putting it into practice faithfully. For you see, I’ve learned that peace in this context isn’t a laid back, no worries kind of word – but rather a word that requires me to be an active participant in a difficult task. It is referring to living at peace with others, which is why I must let Him be in control of me. I’m telling you this was daunting to me – until I learned how much I can trust Him, how much He loves me, how faithful, compassionate, patient and kind he is. And then, when I remembered what He did for me, His enemy, so that I could be at peace with God – well, it was a game-changer! I have found that there is truly no greater peace than letting Him be in control of my heart and every other part of me. I find pleasure and strength in giving Him every part of my life and running to and depending on Him for help when I struggle to love as He loved, or to make allowances for other’s faults and forgive those who have offended me. To quote Jesus’ words to His disciples – [living at peace with others] is impossible with man but with God all things are possible, Matthew 19:26.
Our passage today in Colossians three, is one of the ways I learned to “let Christ be in control of my heart”. I put it to memory, along with the first eleven verses, close to a decade ago. I noticed, as with all of Paul’s letters, he is always teaching the disciples of Christ to take responsibility for their faith. Notice here in these verses all of the responsibilities Paul gives to help them take owner ship of their faith.
Sound a bit daunting? It definitely can be – until we remember that God has given us His Spirit who empowers us to live like this, and according to James 4:17, to do anything less is sin. Again, the good news is while it’s impossible for us to live like this – Nothing is impossible with God. The Spirit empowering us is a promise found in 2 peter 1:3-4, where we read: By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share in his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then NOT do it.
James 4:17
The peace Christ came to bring – is a peace that set us free from sins hold – a peace between us and God, and yes, even others – it’s a peace that is able to control our heart’s attitude toward others – because He wants us not just to know His peace but to live in peace with God and others – (I realize I just made that point but it bears repeating – because it is difficult to do) but – as Paul told the Philippians in verse 17, God has called us to “be a representative of Christ” – who exemplified the very definition of peace.
Peace peace wonderful peace flowing down from You Father. Peace that You graciously and lovingly gave by sending Your only begotten Son to be our peace so that we could have a relationship with You and others. You have called us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts for as members of one body – the body of Christ, we are called to live in peace. We can only do this when we live like Jesus. Guard us from hating others or being unkind or refusing to forgive those who have offended us. Help us, instead, to clothe ourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness humility gentleness, and patience. Strengthen us to make allowances for other’s faults and to forgive those who offend us, and when all of this just seems too hard or we just don’t want to live like this– then help us to remember how you have forgiven us. – I pray these things in the name of Jesus – Who is our peace. AMEN!
Don’t forget to check out today’s LGG Blog
What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in your heart?
Me From the Inside Out 