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Armor of God

Blessed Day 15 Celebrate In Persecution

July 31, 2020 by Mandy Farmer Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 15:18-19
Acts 4:29-31
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Philippians 1:12-14
Romans 5:3-5

Blessed, Day 15

In the 1950s, a young missionary pilot had a passion for the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador. This tribe was suspicious of, and known to kill, all outsiders. But Jim Elliot felt called to reach them and share the Gospel. Step by step, he made inroads to reach the tribe.

Finally, he and his team built a camp not far from the Huaorani people. They made contact and even took one of the tribespeople for a plane ride. Later, a larger group of tribesmen came to the base expressing interest in the plane, instead, they turned and killed all five missionary men.

Jim’s wife, Elizabeth, and the other widows continued the work to reach the Huaorani people, despite the great danger they faced. She persisted in the belief that, as her husband was often quoted to say,

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep
to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Eventually, the women reached the entire Huaorani tribe for Christ, including those who had killed Jim and the others.

The Elliots experienced what Jesus promised would be true for all believers in this world, we will be hated and even killed (John 15:18-19, Matthew 10:22). The world rejected Jesus and attempted to end His work; we are to expect the same. So rather than being surprised and caught off-guard when we face persecution, let’s prepare ourselves so we can endure to the end.

The apostles certainly experienced persecution! But they persevered to spread the Good News. They prayed for each other, not to be removed from trouble, but to seek boldness to continue speaking the Word of God and performing miracles. As they prayed for endurance, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31)

In my own life, there have been many trials and tribulations, and my ministry team has encountered persecution. But this opposition has drawn us even closer to God! We were made stronger in our faith and able to encourage others. Looking to Jesus kept us from becoming distressed and gave us boldness in ministry.

This boldness in kingdom work comes from equipping ourselves with the armor of God. Each piece of armor, fueled by the Spirit of God, adds strength and courage to our fight. As we don our armor daily, we are prepared for battle.

Paul wrote of his many trials in his epistles:

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our bodies.”
(
2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

Rather than complaining about his poor treatment, Paul praised God in his suffering because it advanced the Gospel. (Philippians 1:12-14)

Yes! Because he was sent to prison, he testified not only to prison guards, but to the great leaders of the day. He would not have been allowed in their presence except to stand trial. In presenting his defense, he shared the Gospel with judges and counsels and great men, such as King Agrippa (Acts 26:1-32); Paul was even prepared to testify before Nero, who was Caesar at the time (Acts 27:4).

Paul, and other saints of old, surely experienced fear as they faced persecution and declared the Gospel to hostile leaders. Similarly, we are still human and may become fearful when confronted with opposition to the Good News. But, just as the prayers of fellow believers gave Paul courage to boldly speak the Word of God, we too can be strengthened and encouraged through prayer (Philipians 4:6-7).

We can even rejoice, not only because the Gospel is being spread, but also because of the transformation within our own spirits. As Paul explains,

 “We also rejoice in our afflictions,
because we know that affliction produces endurance,
endurance produces proven character,
and proven character produces hope.
This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

Paul’s words encourage us even today! We can rejoice because our suffering produces character and hope within us. Hallelujah! God’s love is poured out into our hearts and we are able to share His Gospel Story.

Finally, the Bible promises reward to those who persevere through trials: the crown of life!

“Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)

Therefore, sisters, let’s endure persecution covered in the armor of God and shrouded in prayer; let’s rejoice in our suffering, ever keeping our eyes fixed on the promises of God to further the kingdom, transform our character, and bless us with the crown of life!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Posted in: Blessed, Bold, Called, Equipped, God, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Hope, Jesus, Kingdom, persecution, Praise, Prayer, Seeking, Suffering Tagged: Armor of God, celebrate, celebration, Hallelujah, Miracles, Persisted, rejected, rejoice, reward

Shielded Day 10 Shields Together

February 7, 2020 by Sarah Young Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 6:10-16
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
Psalm 18
2 Chronicles 20:13-23
Exodus 14:13-14

Shielded, Day 10

Huddled in an arena, a group of prisoners wait. Sand and dirt under their feet, sun beating down, hearts pounding in their chests as they anxiously await the gates to open.  They will fight valiantly, but most will not leave the colosseum alive.  The crowds have come expecting entertainment from watching prisoners fight a battle they simply cannot win.

Unless…

One man, Maximus, changes the game.
He calls out, “No matter what comes out of these gates, if we stand together, we will survive.”  As the iron bars rise, and chariots race towards them, instead of scattering in fear, the men come together, lock shields, and accomplish the unthinkable…
gain the upper hand.

As arrows fly, metal spikes catch on shields, and swords clash, the men continue to fight with and FOR each other. TOGETHER, they stay alive.

This scene from Gladiator is one of my absolute favorites.  Nearly 20 years since its release and Maxiumus’ words ring in my ears.

We may not be standing in ancient Roman colosseum today, but I assure you, the moment your feet hit the floor this morning, you stepped onto a battlefield.

We are ALL involved in a war of epic proportions.
The reality of the fight is NOT up for debate; however, how we each CHOOSE to engage in the battle IS ours to decide

In studying the armor of God, we’ve noted the importance of the belt of TRUTH, the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and the power of shoes fitted with the GOSPEL OF PEACE.

Today, we give attention to the SHIELD OF FAITH. It’s here I firmly believe we NEED to heed Maximus’ instructions, get our shields UP and keep them TOGETHER if we will survive Satan’s attacks and come out VICTORIOUS.

We cannot SEE our enemy,
or the flaming arrows he shoots, but I assure you,
we HEAR his lies.

“You’re not good enough.”
“You’re not as pretty as HER.”

 We are AFRAID.
“Will the kids adjust to the new school in the middle of the year?”
“How will we pay for the broken windshield?!”

 We FEEL pain.
“Why didn’t God heal my mom?  Why did He let cancer get first place?”
“How could my husband’s boss lay him off without warning?  How will we pay bills this month?”

No matter how the enemy attacks, we must, “In ALL circumstances,
take up the shield of FAITH.”
(Ephesians 6:16)

But what is faith?

Hebrews 11, often referred to as the Hall of Faith, begins with a definition,
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.”

The author also writes, “without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for whoever would draw near to God must believe He exists…”

Faith is…
taking God at His Word,
believing Him no matter what,
holding onto His promises even if we can’t see how He will work out the details,
obeying Him even if it doesn’t make sense,
and trusting that He WILL remain faithful.

Easy, right?!
Um, NO.

To show us this kind of faith IS actually possible, the author of Hebrews provides example after example of real life people who truly “lived by faith.”

Abel, Enoch, Noah, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, David, and of course, Abraham.
Can’t forget him.
After all, he is the “father” of faith and the reason Paul wrote,
“the righteous will live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11)

WAAAAAAAY back in Genesis 15, God make a HUGE promise to Abram (his name before God changed it).  Though Abram had NO children and was OLD, God assured him his descendants would outnumber the stars of the night sky.

Abraham believed God at His word, and it was counted to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6) This is FAITH.

Paul assures us in Galatians 3:7 that ANYONE who has faith in God is a “son of Abraham”. (verse 9) Hence the song, Father Abraham had many sons and many sons had Father Abraham. (Go ahead, do the motions!)

BEFORE God makes any promises to Abram, He STARTS His conversation with,
“Fear not, Abram, I AM YOUR SHIELD; your reward shall be very great.”

WHO GOD IS sets the stage for Abram’s faith.
GOD is his shield as provider and protector.
He’s the same for us.

David sings in Psalm 3:3, “But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
You are my glory, the one who holds my head high.”

Not only does God lift us up, but He SURROUNDS us.
No way could we face Satan alone.
And we NEVER have to.

We don’t need Maximus’ words in our ears reminding us to lock shields.
We have a WARRIOR KING in the arena who IS OUR SHIELD.

The outcome of the battle does NOT depend on anything WE can do, but on our GOD,
for whom NOTHING is impossible.

If He can part the Red Sea,
cause the sun to stand still,
bring down a giant with a little stone,
close the mouths of lions,
turn water to wine,
feed a crowd with a boy’s meager lunch,
make the blind see,
the deaf hear,
and the lame walk,
God can shield you from Satan’s deluge of arrows through faith.

Abram believed God, and so can we.
EVERY single promise God makes, He keeps.
OUR job is to have FAITH that He will.

May we join with the Psalmist and DECLARE, “Our soul waits for the Lord; HE IS OUR HELP AND OUR SHIELD.   Our heart is glad in Him, because we TRUST in His holy name.”

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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Shielded Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Shielded!

Posted in: Faith, God, Gospel, Shielded, Trust, Victorious Tagged: Armor of God, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, Shields, Together, Warrior King

Shielded Day 8 Summer Ready Feet

February 5, 2020 by Sara Cissell 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 6:10-20
Romans 10:8-15
1 Peter 3:14-19

Shielded, Day 8

At the first glimmers of spring, my toes begin to long for the freedom of my summer sandals. All winter long they have been safely guarded by the socks and shoes the cold temperatures my Midwest climate require. The hope of warmer days to come reminds me it’s time to prepare for the adventures that await.

You see, I have summer feet and winter feet. During the winter months, color does not grace my toes and tan lines from my sandals fade away. I fully admit to forgetting about my feet somewhat in the winter other than ensuring they stay warm and dry.

But in the summer, I prepare for them to be seen.
I prepare for them to carry me to both new and beloved old places.  I intentionally select the color I paint my toenails (does anyone else pick the color based on the name of the color? No, just me. Noted.) and consistently apply lotion to moisturize my feet.

As I ponder the reality of my investment in summer feet, I am convicted about the level of investment I place in my spiritual feet as well. In Ephesians 6, the Armor of God is listed as head to toe wisdom for living our daily lives with the Lord. A true warrior would never approach a battle ill-prepared and un-protected, so why do I so willingly walk out my days without seeking the presence and protection of the Lord?

Ephesians 6:15 focuses on the feet element of the Armor of God. In order to understand just what this verse might be conveying, I looked at it in a variety of translations.

NIV: “and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”
NASB: “and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
AMPC: “and having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.”
CSB: “and your feet sandaled with the readiness for the gospel of peace.”
KJV: “and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”

As I looked at all the versions, two consistent things (besides the obvious element of feet) stood out to me: shod and preparation related to gospel of peace.

Shod speaks to the reality that we absolutely must put on this piece of the armor. Think back to the last time you went shoe shopping. You didn’t simply look at the shoes and assumed they fit. Pairs were tried on and steps were taken. You put them on with intentionality, looking for a fit that would support you in the manner required for whatever setting you wore them.

So it is with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Jesus came to save all who were lost and He did so by way of the cross. He took our sin and, in place of its shame and weight, traded us His blameless righteousness. He came to bring us peace with the Lord.
He is our Prince of Peace.

Through His sacrifice, we are invited to become partakers of the gospel and allow Him to shape us to become more like Christ. The Holy Spirit dwelling within us produces fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), especially when we actively submit our will to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to grow it within us. This fruit enables us to live this life for His glory and with His joy. It is through our relationship with the triune God we are prepared to take the gospel of peace to those around us. It is through that relationship we are prepared to face everything that comes our way.

My mind drifts to the last time I had a professional pedicure. How I loved the feeling of soaking my feet in the warm water and feeling the water bubbling around my toes. The heat and moisture prepared my feet for their beautification. The pumice stone removed the rough edges of my heels, and the nail polish brought a pop of color to my toes. My feet were summer ready and prepared to journey through the coming months.

As delightful as that sounds to experience right now, I am more drawn to spending time with the Lord in order to prepare my spiritual feet.

Lord, would you soften my heart to hear Your voice?
Would you use the truth of Your Word to remove the rough edges still so evident in my life? Would you breathe upon the fruit of the Spirit within me to add beauty that draws others to You?

Today I’m choosing to shod my feet with the preparation of Your gospel of peace.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Shielded Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Shielded!

Posted in: God, Gospel, Peace, Sacrifice, Shielded Tagged: Armor of God, Feet, preparation, Summer Ready, warmer days

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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14