Day 2: The armor of God (Part 1)
READ IT
Ephesians 6:13-17
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
TAKE IT TO HEART
You’re in the Lord’s Army
While some of us may never march in the infantry, ride in the calvary, or shoot the artillery, we are in fact in the Lord's Army. With that membership, God gives us armor to protect us from the attacks of Satan. Let’s put on the armor of God piece by piece.
The belt of truth is the integrity that holds everything together. For an ancient soldier, the belt would have carried weapons and held the tunic together so it would not snag on anything. In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In contrast, Jesus calls the devil “the father of lies” in John 8:44. Jesus is our truth and should be the standard we measure everything against.
The breastplate of righteousness protects our innermost being. A soldier would use their breastplate to protect their vital organs. Our heart is to be protected because it belongs to God. Jeremiah 17:10 tells us that the Lord searches the heart and examines the mind. Satan not only wants to twist your integrity, but he wants to corrupt your heart. While the breastplate protects us, we must keep it clean and in tip-top shape. All it takes is one crack in our breastplate, and our heart is open to attacks. Is your heart pure before God?
The shoes of peace give us a strong foundation. A Roman soldier would have metal studs on the bottom of his sandals to give him a strong foundation when fighting so as to prevent from slipping. In our battle, Satan will throw everything in our path. Are you soled with the peace of Christ? Is He your solid foundation? While the devil attempts to make us stumble, we must make sure we are equipped with the peace that surpasses all understanding.
LIVE IT
• Which of these pieces of the armor of God means the most to you? Which piece needs some maintenance? Take time today to take it to the Armorer that can make it as good as new.
• Pray: Father, thank You so much for the armor You so generously give us. Help us wear it and use it in our battle against the devil.
GO DEEPER
Read Matthew 4:1-11. Look up the verses Jesus used to combat the devil. What are some verses you use in your daily battle against Satan? Take some time today and write down some other verses that you could learn more about and memorize. Your sword can never be too sharp.
Ephesians 6:13-17
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
TAKE IT TO HEART
You’re in the Lord’s Army
While some of us may never march in the infantry, ride in the calvary, or shoot the artillery, we are in fact in the Lord's Army. With that membership, God gives us armor to protect us from the attacks of Satan. Let’s put on the armor of God piece by piece.
The belt of truth is the integrity that holds everything together. For an ancient soldier, the belt would have carried weapons and held the tunic together so it would not snag on anything. In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In contrast, Jesus calls the devil “the father of lies” in John 8:44. Jesus is our truth and should be the standard we measure everything against.
The breastplate of righteousness protects our innermost being. A soldier would use their breastplate to protect their vital organs. Our heart is to be protected because it belongs to God. Jeremiah 17:10 tells us that the Lord searches the heart and examines the mind. Satan not only wants to twist your integrity, but he wants to corrupt your heart. While the breastplate protects us, we must keep it clean and in tip-top shape. All it takes is one crack in our breastplate, and our heart is open to attacks. Is your heart pure before God?
The shoes of peace give us a strong foundation. A Roman soldier would have metal studs on the bottom of his sandals to give him a strong foundation when fighting so as to prevent from slipping. In our battle, Satan will throw everything in our path. Are you soled with the peace of Christ? Is He your solid foundation? While the devil attempts to make us stumble, we must make sure we are equipped with the peace that surpasses all understanding.
LIVE IT
• Which of these pieces of the armor of God means the most to you? Which piece needs some maintenance? Take time today to take it to the Armorer that can make it as good as new.
• Pray: Father, thank You so much for the armor You so generously give us. Help us wear it and use it in our battle against the devil.
GO DEEPER
Read Matthew 4:1-11. Look up the verses Jesus used to combat the devil. What are some verses you use in your daily battle against Satan? Take some time today and write down some other verses that you could learn more about and memorize. Your sword can never be too sharp.