armor

Calling Day 15 Undying Love

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 6:10-24
Psalm 138:1-8
Colossians 1:1-29

Calling, Day 15

For my birthday, my sister gave me an Amazon gift card. With that e-card, she placed a vast array of options at my fingertips and whatever I chose could be on my doorstep in two days. Any guesses as to what I selected?

A charging station for all my electronics. 

All #adulting jokes aside, I have happily used the charging station daily since it arrived. Gone are the days of plugging items in to charge all around the room since no outlet had enough space for all my chargers. No longer am I searching for various cords and adaptors and successfully pair them accurately with devices, which were often threatening to die at any moment. Now a small bamboo box, containing a charging hub, hosts all my charging electronics.

So now that I’ve given you far more insight into my life than you ever wanted, let me share how the Lord used this ordinary charger to provide a new perspective on a portion of His Word.

Our study on Ephesians is drawing to a close, but the rich depth of its application continues on if we embrace the challenge presented to us in the final verses of this letter from Paul. This challenge produces fruit and the abundant life Christ died to bring us. (John 10:10) In verse 10, Paul begins to walk through the armor of God.

If you grew up in the church, you may remember learning this concept in Sunday school; I distinctly remember something akin to an “armor of God” paper doll. (For those in a younger generation, they were like paper doll apps but–gasp–made of real paper!)

If you’re not familiar with the concept, the armor of God describes how believers can prepare for, and successfully fight, in the spiritual battles we face on our journeys of faith.

Unfortunately, I sometimes equate putting on the armor of God with the dressing up of a paper doll. I can “dress” myself with the correct words, thoughts, and outlooks from head to toe, but am I truly drawing my strength from the Lord . . . or just putting on a good show?

So as I read through Ephesians 6, I asked myself if I am truly “plugging in” to the Lord as my source as I seek to live out the life described in verses 10-18? As I pondered that question, the Lord brought to mind my charging station. I would not set my phone on the wooden base and assume it would charge without plugging in the base.

Similarly, putting on the armor of God is about drawing close to Christ and His Word, and listening to the Holy Spirit as we pray. It is not about looking the part; it is about living the part.

For example, when verse 14 challenges us to stand with truth like a belt around our waists, it is not exhorting us to assume a certain physical posture, or pull ourselves up by our bootstraps emotionally.

Instead, Paul encourages us to embrace truth, both through immersion in Scripture and prayerful pursuit of discernment and wisdom in the Holy Spirit. Then, just as a literal belt was the foundational piece of armor to which all else was attached, God’s truth will be the launchpad from which the rest of our spiritual armor springs.

What passage of Scripture or words of the Spirit speak to your heart in this moment and remind you the God who has overcome the world is for you? Stand on His words of truth, dear sister; stand with the authority Christ died to give you.

As we read through the armor of God, let’s envision each piece as a charger for an electronic device.
What would it look like to “plug ourselves into Christ” for each piece of armor?
Let’s invest the time to intentionally seek interaction with the Lord and discover His strength.

The key component in my charging station is electricity, and the key component of the armor of God is God. Long before electricity ever made its mark on planet earth, Paul understood the reality of being plugged into Christ, and the significance of this vital connection is still felt today as we read his letters.

Paul wrote about the armor of God as a tested and tried warrior, not as a child playing with paper dolls. He put on the armor of God in order to fulfill the purpose the Lord had for him. Paul sought to declare the gospel and he worked with the Lord to spread the good news about Christ. He has modeled what it looks like to live fully alive in Christ and fully alive for Christ. 

Paul ended his letter to the church in Ephesus (and to all of us eavesdropping on the conversation) with a prayer for grace to all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear sister, may we plug in to the Lord and be counted among those with an undying love.

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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 Calling Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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The GT Weekend! ~ Shielded Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) If you were to lay out all the pieces of armor listed in Ephesians 6, which would you earmark as non-essential? Which piece would be the most critical? Once you’ve ranked the pieces of armor on paper, take a few minutes to consider your real, everyday life. From the moment your eyes open in the morning and those first sensible thoughts to that glorious moment when your mind shuts down to all the busy of the day, which pieces of armor are you consistently suiting up with? Which ones often get laid aside? How does your ranking list compare with what you actually live out in everyday life? Identify one actionable step you can begin this weekend for being more intentional in the armor you wear.

2) Jami began her Journey Study with sharing the idea that words have been used as a weapon as far back as the beginning of time. Pause with that idea and think back to when you last used words like a weapon. If you’re like me, you don’t have to think back too far! Short, cutting, accusatory, blame-shifting, self-preservation, angry, are just a few examples of how we use words like a sword. Now think back to when you used God’s Words as a weapon, not against another person, but against the true enemy, Satan, the Father of Lies. When did you speak His truth against an enemy lie? When did you last confront the work of Satan, with the Word of God? Are His words ready in your heart? Did you read them this morning? Last night? This weapon of His Word, is not one to be taken lightly. It’s our One Weapon, and it is more than sufficient to bring about victory. How can you strengthen your ability to wield this weapon correctly? Start this weekend!

3) When was the last time you very intentionally prayed for boldness on behalf of another brother or sister believer as they faced a battle? Boldness to stand firm. Boldness to speak. Boldness to put on the battle and trust the Mighty Victor to have their back. Pause, for 60 seconds, and breathe and pray. Who is the Lord prompting you to pray for right now? Sisters, this battle is not ours, it is the Lord’s. He is the victor and winning is not hinging on our performance, but whether we will step into the fight and trust the Warrior King, is our decision. To do so, takes boldness. A boldness the Holy Spirit will gladly pour out on us, as we seek His face and stand up with our brothers and sisters surrounding us, pleading on our behalf. Are you in the fight? Have you asked for other co-laborers to pray boldness for you? Who are you praying for? Be faithful in that!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Ephesians 6:10-13 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Prayer Journal
You, oh Lord God, lovingly crafted us, knowing we would choose ourselves over loving You back. You lovingly gave us the choice to return to Your arms, giving us salvation through Your Son, knowing many would reject Your kindness and die in their sin, eternally separated from You. You knew Your heart would break and grieve over our rebellion. You knew the enemy of our souls would fight to keep your beloved ones from seeking You. You knew the battle would wage against us every single day, moment by moment, and because of Your magnificent love, You provided armor to protect us, offering Yourself to win the war. Father, this love is utterly unfathomable! How dare we, I, decide to reject the lavish gift of Your armor, choosing instead to wield my own tin-foil sword against an impossible foe? Thank You for providing Yourself to hide behind and stay safe within. Thank You for your safety, for fighting for us, for winning for us, for me. I praise You for Your kindness, and I hide myself here with You!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

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Shielded Day 15 With All Boldness

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 6:19-20
Isaiah 26:3-4
2 Corinthians 3:12-18
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Acts 20:25-28

Shielded, Day 15

“Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. For this, I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.” Ephesians 6:19-20

We’ve studied the different components of God’s armor as we’ve journeyed through Shielded together: the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, sandals of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Every piece of armor evokes powerful imagery of what spiritual warfare looks like when battled God’s way, and it looks nothing like what we might picture on our own. 

In a nutshell, He shields us with His armor as He fights for us. We have only to stand firm.

Following such an impassioned illustration and instruction, Paul’s plea for the Ephesians to pray for his own boldness feels…a little out of place. In fact, it brings several questions to mind.

If Paul was indeed adequately covered and “suited up” in the armor of God, why would he need to beseech other believers to pray for his boldness in speaking the gospel? Wouldn’t the presence of spiritual armor automatically make him bold? What does this imply about the overarching purpose of the armor itself?

All good questions; let’s unpack them. Paul’s illustration of the armor of God is intended to give us solid imagery regarding who our battle is against: the enemy and his forces, and how we are to withstand him: by keeping our minds and wills submitted and purposed in the Kingdom as we go about our daily lives. We know all Scripture is God-breathed and inerrant, so with that in mind, what can we conclude from Paul’s plea?

To answer that question, we must dig a little deeper.

Every human is comprised of body, soul, and spirit. Our body is made up of flesh, blood, and bone; our soul consists of mind, will, and emotions. and our spirit contains wisdom, communion, and conscience. Paul gave a nod to this distinction when he wrote about the constant tension he found himself living within.

In the verses we’re studying today, Paul is talking about two of the different components of our being. As he expounds on the spiritual armor, he is addressing our – and his – spirit. When he asks the Ephesians to pray for his boldness, he is addressing his personal battle within his own soul, which is the mind, will and emotions.

Can you relate? I know I can. The sad, and very real truth, is the vast majority of us are far less concerned with anything the enemy might do than we are concerned about what other people might do or say.

Ouch. That manages to make me wince and be comforted simultaneously; even Paul warred with himself in the same way. His plea for boldness may as well be my own.

Or yours, too, maybe?

Think about it. Have you ever found yourself stirred by the Spirit? With sweaty palms, your heart pounding in your chest, and stomach rolling because you knew you were being moved to respond, to speak, to give, to share, to witness, to love…but then you didn’t do it? Have you felt the wave of sorrow that rushes over you when you failed to submit in the moment?

My friend. You’re not alone. I’ve been there. And Paul was there, too.

But do you notice what he didn’t ask the Ephesians to pray for?

Paul didn’t ask for safety.
He didn’t ask the enemy’s plans would be foiled.
He didn’t ask for his survival, or to be freed from chains, either.
No; instead, he asked for boldness.

Paul knew God would fight the real enemy for him, so he asked for help battling his own mind, will and emotions so he would be able to accomplish the task he had been commissioned for: preaching the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike.

Where do you stand, Sister? Do you find yourself shying away from the opportunities the Lord gives you to be a light in this dark world? Do you battle your own anxiety, or fear, or worry about what others may think?

Confess your worry and fear to the Lord, and ask Him to bolster your spirit. Then, reach out to someone you trust to pray for you, and do what Paul did: ask them to pray for you to be bold! The Lord is faithful and He will strengthen you!


Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
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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 Three! 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!

Shielded Day 14 One Weapon: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out One Weapon!

The Questions

1) Is Paul writing to a group of believers or individuals in these verses?

2) Who is our struggle against?

3) What is the armor of God?

Ephesians 6:10-17

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation 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.

Original Intent

1) Is Paul writing to a group of believers or individuals in these verses?
Paul is writing a letter to the church in Ephesus. In the letter, Paul focuses on both unity in Christ and unity as believers. These verses are found in the latter section, applying to unity within the body of believers. Immediately before these verses, Paul is reminding the Ephesians of how they should live as the body of Christ. He then turns his attention to reminding them there is a constant battle going on and they need to be ready to engage in warfare. Much of the second half of Paul’s letter focuses on individual behavior and how that looks as a collective group of believers. The individual must be ready because if we aren’t ready individually the Church as a whole will not be fully armed.

2) Who is our struggle against?
Paul is extremely clear that our struggle is not against mankind. He names who the struggle is against in verse 11, the devil. He also reminds his readers our battle is against authorities, cosmic powers of the darkness, evil, and spiritual forces in the heavens. Put simply, the struggle is against Satan and his army. Expositor’s Bible Commentary reminds readers, “To Jesus Christ, it is very certain, Satan was no figure of speech; but a thinking and active being, of whose presence and influence He saw tokens everywhere in this evil world”. The enemy is real, and Paul didn’t want his audience to lose sight of that true reality.

3) What is the armor of God?
Paul specifically answers this question in verses 14-17 where he lists the armor believers in Jesus need to fight against the enemy. Believers need truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, and the Word of God to fight. However, these things are not simply given to believers as automatic apparel. Paul instructs them to put them on, requiring action on the behalf of the believer. In these verses, Paul is encouraging the Ephesians to be on guard and always prepared for the battle coming towards them by actively employing the tools (armor) God has provided.

Everyday Application

1) Is Paul writing to a group of believers or individuals in these verses?
Paul meant this letter for a group of believers and that is true today as we apply it to our local churches. Paul’s words are meant just as much for us as a body of believers both in our unity to Christ and our unity to one another. Just as there were individual callings for his original audience, the same is true for us. Matthew Henry writes, “We have enemies to fight against, a captain to fight for, a banner to fight under, and certain rules of war by which we are to govern ourselves.”  It is both collective and individual. As you study this passage, what are some things the Holy Spirit is convicting you of as you follow Jesus as an individual who is part of a whole Body called the Church?

2) Who is our struggle against?
While we may be over 2,000 years removed from when Jesus walked on earth and when Paul wrote to the Ephesians, the truth about our enemy is no less true today than it was then. Jesus faced this struggle when He was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). If not even Jesus was above this very real struggle, we should not be quick to think we will be immune. While we know Jesus defeated death and the grave when He died on the cross and rose again, we also still live in a fallen world. Until the day Jesus returns and forever binds Satan in eternal separation from God, he roams the earth with the goal of defeating the Church and preventing the spread of the Gospel. Satan will use any tool at his disposal to achieve this goal. Satan wants nothing more than for us to fall back into sin and become ineffective for God’s Kingdom. While we know the end of the story and Who has the ultimate victory, we must live in the daily struggle against Satan until either Jesus returns or He calls us home.

3) What is the armor of God?
The armor of God is what we, as believers, need in order to withstand the schemes and attacks of Satan. We first must know truth, because as John 8:44 reminds us, in Satan there is no truth. Without truth, we have no hope and no firm anchor to steady ourselves against the deceitful attacks of the devil. Next, we need righteousness that comes from Jesus alone. We then need the Gospel of peace. Matthew Henry describes it this way, “the gospel of peace because it brings all sorts of peace, peace with God, with ourselves, and with one another”.  Next, we need our shield which is found in faith. This faith is in both what Jesus has already done and what He is yet to finish. Through faith we cling to the truth of what only Jesus can do. Salvation is the next piece of armor. Salvation is both a moment in time when we accept what Jesus did for us, and a process as we grow in relationship with Him and are conformed more and more to His image. Last, is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God which we find in Scripture. Jesus used God’s words when He faced Satan in the wilderness. Each of Satan’s three attacks resulted in Jesus answering with Scripture. When we have on this armor we are completely protected from the attacks Satan throws at us. It doesn’t prevent the attacks from coming, but it helps us withstand them. God knew we would face these attacks, and He lovingly made sure we would be ready for them by giving us the Holy Spirit and the tools we would need to fight.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Shielded Day 13 One Weapon

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 6:10-17
Romans 8:1-11
2 Timothy 3:16-17
2 Peter 1:16-21
Hebrews 4:12-13

Shielded, Day 13

Since the beginning of time, words have been used as a weapon. In the garden, the serpent twisted God’s words to tempt Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of life. From that time until now, lies, manipulations, half-truths, and slander have been fuel for the fire of pain and division.

In Ephesians 6:12 Paul reminds us,
“Our battle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

I’ve used my own words as a weapon against others, or even as a defense to keep people from getting too close and knowing something I would rather they didn’t.
My words have cut others and myself deeply.
They have burned bridges and destroyed friendships.

I think a lot about the conversations and words of the past and the impact I made because of them. I’ve been fighting the wrong enemy using the wrong weapon.
I’ve been duped by the real enemy – Satan.

Up until this very last instruction from Paul, we are asked to take up pieces of armor that are defensive, pieces intended to protect our heart, mind, and soul.
But now, after fastening ourselves with this armor, we are invited to pick up a sword,
the only weapon we are to carry, the Word of God.

For the first two years after college, I was on a traveling music ministry team. After my two-year commitment was over, I was invited to help train the next set of teams who would go out to carry on the work that had been done by teams before us for the last 48 years. While I was on this training staff it came to our attention that many of the team members were suffering pretty intense spiritual attacks. A few of us decided it was time to fight.

In the chapel above the dining hall, there was a small costume and prop closet where I found myself a plastic toy sword, tucked it into my belt loop and joined other staff as we picked up our Bibles, and some old hymnals with scripture-based songs and decided to walk the path around the camp we were staying at and fight. I wore that sword in my belt loop for the rest of the 3 weeks of training. I didn’t realize it until writing this what a significant symbol and message to the Enemy this was.
We were armed with Scripture and we wouldn’t back down.
I would fight for those team members against his schemes,
and I knew we had the upper hand.

It may seem like an ineffective weapon.
How can a book of writings from a bunch of dead guys be our weapon?
Could this really be what Paul meant?
But when we take a closer look, we see there is more power to God’s Word than meets the eye.

Scripture isn’t just a collection of words from random people.
Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
God Himself, through the work of the Holy Spirit, guided men to write the truth, His truth, the world needed. The words in Scripture are God’s words.
The God who spoke all of life into creation.
The God who spoke and calmed the storm.
The God who spoke and raised the dead.
The God who spoke, “It is finished” into the air as He breathed His last, defeating the grip of sin once and for all.
These words are our weapon!

The same Holy Spirit who breathed these words into the earthly writers of Scripture and raised Jesus from the dead is the same Holy Spirit who makes His home within every believer when we embrace the gift of Salvation given for us.

How are you training for battle?
Are you relying on your own words to be your dagger?
Or are you picking up the unfailing Sword of the Spirit?

When we are armed with Scripture, we can walk out into the daily battlefield of life prepared to fight the spiritual forces of the heavenly realm with a fool-proof weapon.
Stay in the fight, Friend, His Word will never fail!

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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 Three! 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!

The GT Weekend! ~ Shielded Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) “We are to cover our hearts with God’s righteousness”. Day in, day out, morning, noon, night. All the messy moments, the angry ones, the wounded ones, the weeping ones, the celebratory ones, and the overwhelmed ones. Every moment is exactly, perfectly, the right moment to tuck ourselves behind the breastplate of God’s righteousness. The natural response to well, everything wrong, is to fix it ourselves, or maybe hide it under a rug, or even off load it to someone else insisting it isn’t our problem. But our hearts themselves have a problem we can never solve or run from. Sin. We are each in desperate need of God’s righteousness to cover and protect our hearts. Spend some time quietly reflecting on the last few days or weeks. Consider your relationships and your own heart and ask the Spirit to open your eyes to your sin. Then ask Him to cover you with His righteousness and rejoice in that safe place of freedom!

2)  How prepared do you feel to share the gospel with someone? I know, most of us are slowly backing away right now. Or maybe you’re running! Put up the walls and change the subject because sharing the gospel? What am I supposed to say? What if I offend them? What if I push them farther from God? Or, what if I don’t know the answers to their questions? All good questions to wrestle through, and, Sister, you are not alone in those wrestlings! But, hear this! God’s armor for sharing the gospel isn’t found in a vast treasury of knowledge and seminary training. It begins with humble willingness to put on the shoes and go. What are we bringing? A sword to win every argument? No, we bring peace. Make no mistake, the God who rescued your heart is calling you to share His hope with others. In place of fear, put on shoes of peace! Who is He tenderly prompting you to invest in a little deeper in order to share peace? Connect with them this weekend!

3) Faith is all about taking God at His word, whether we can see it with our physical eyes or not. This isn’t about blindly believing whatever other people tell you about the Bible. There is solid, abundant proof for the truth claims of the Bible. Don’t be afraid to explore those! God certainly isn’t afraid of your doubts and poking questions! The Faith of God’s armor, however, is about looking into what our eyes cannot see, while our hearts are firmly anchored in the truth of Scripture, and declaring, “I am taking You at Your word, God. I trust You.” Assess your relationships and circumstances around you, taking stock of the places where you are unsure, afraid, or anxious. Carve out some time this weekend and in the days ahead to explore God’s Word and see what HE declares about you and Himself and how you can apply battle-ready faith to your everyday life!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 3:5-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again because the Lord sustains me.
I will not be afraid of thousands of people
who have taken their stand against me on every side.
Rise up, Lord!
Save me, my God!
You strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.
Salvation belongs to the Lord;
may your blessing be on your people.

Prayer Journal
Ah, Lord, I remember the exact time in life when I memorized these verses, choosing to intentionally anchor myself in Your truth and hide myself here under the protection only You can provide. It was a messy battle all around me, and I was drowning in the waves around me. Peace was hard to come by. I was running ragged trying to sustain myself. But Your Spirit spoke over me, beckoning me away with You. You, who holds my heart, fought for me while You shielded me, protecting me with Your radiant love. You rose up, and walked with me. Salvation is yours, in every situation, Abba, and because it is Yours alone, and because I am Yours, You gave to me generously. So, I will forever sing Your praise for being my Victorious Shield and Salvation!

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Shielded Day 9 Summer Ready Feet: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Summer Ready Feet!

The Questions

1) Why does Peter write, “do not fear what they fear”? (verse 14)

2) How is “but in your hearts” tied to being “ready at any time’? (verse 15)

3) Why does Peter insert the phrase, “if that should be God’s will” when he writes of suffering in verse 17? How is this tied to Christ in verses 18-19?

1 Peter 3:14-19

But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. 16 Yet do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison

Original Intent

1) Why does Peter write, “do not fear what they fear”? (verse 14)
Peter was actually quoting the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, when he wrote these words. Isaiah’s original words were, “For the Lord spoke thus to me with His strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.” In Isaiah’s day, the people of Israel continued to choose their sin over the Lord God. They feared man, so they puffed themselves up and made agreements with nations that didn’t follow God because of peer pressure. They were shallow, anchoring themselves in what was popular at the time, having no anchoring in what was true. They worshipped idols and followed the lusts of their hearts, even sacrificing their children as they caved to the idolatrous demands of foreign gods. Their fear was rooted in the sinfulness of their own wicked hearts; they had to protect themselves at all costs, even if that meant sacrificing everything else. Peter reiterated these words to a new generation with new challenges, yet the message was the same. Don’t fear what the world around you fears. The believers held the truth of the gospel in their hearts and were called to share it with the world around them, despite persecution or being misunderstood. The cost of eternity for other souls was much too high for the believer to back away out of fear.

 2) How is “but in your hearts” tied to being “ready at any time’? (verse 15)
The word “but” signals a transition. Wow, I know. You really needed to know that, didn’t you?! This time, however, it acts as the tie between 2 critical phrases. On the front side, Peter commands “do not fear what they fear”. On the back side, he prompts, “be ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” In the middle is our pivotal phrase with that transition word “but”. “But in your hearts, regard Christ the Lord as holy.” (verse 15) Herein is the anchor to Peter’s command to the believer! Just as Isaiah called the Israelites to anchor themselves in the character of God and His holiness, so Peter insists believers root themselves in who God is as Christ, as Lord of all, and as supremely holy. We don’t need to fear anyone else, only He who is flawlessly holy and holds all power and authority over our souls. The Lord’s desire above all others for all people is that we would know Him, deeply and intimately as Lord, Savior, and Father of our hearts. He wants us to know His kindness, to recognize His grace towards us, and to be aware of His constant presence and work in our lives. When we know Him like this, what matters to us or is said about us, becomes insignificant because we only care about honoring our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When we know Him like this, we are ready at any time to tell any one why we have the hope we do in Jesus. He is our Lord, He is holy, He is worthy of our worship, He is our personal Savior. Knowing Christ is the all-important key in Peter’s commands to the believers!

3) Why does Peter insert the phrase, “if that should be God’s will” when he writes of suffering in verse 17? How is this tied to Christ in verses 18-19?
Suffering and following Jesus are inextricably linked. If Christ Himself, as God of all, suffered at the hands of sinful humanity while He came to save them from eternity separated from Him, all followers of Christ are also to expect suffering. (1 Peter 2:21) How could we escape suffering when even our Lord did not escape it. Rather, He welcomed it, knowing it was for our good that He humble Himself and be rejected, mocked, scorned, and shamefully murdered so we might be set free from our sin! However, Christians do not always suffer when they follow God. Yes, suffering will happen in the life of the true believer as a direct result of choosing righteousness over sin, but not every instance of right action results in suffering. God allows the suffering because we live in a broken world, surrounded by sinful people and the consequences that sin. He will, however, always use the suffering to bring about His glory. Peter adds this phrasing in his letter to embolden and encourage his hearers. If they suffered for righteousness, it was not without specific intention. The Lord would use their suffering for His glory and advancement of His kingdom. No believer suffers in vain, nor is the suffering wasted.

Everyday Application

1) Why does Peter write, “do not fear what they fear”? (verse 14)
What stops you in your tracks when it comes to sharing the truth of God, His Word, and the hope of eternal salvation He offers? Do you find yourself fearing people over God like Israel did? Our fear of people can look like fear of being made fun of, misunderstood, labeled as religious, or wanting to be so all-inclusive that we begin losing the clear truth of the gospel for the post-modern religion around us where truth is relative and there are no absolutes. Repeat the Lord’s truth to yourself over and over until your heart calls it up instantly when you’re faced with choosing fear of people over trusting God and His heart. “Do not fear what they fear.” The picture Peter paints is one of glory and good in suffering for doing what is right. When we honor the Lord, and love people by sharing the hope of Jesus with them, God is honored. There is nothing to fear because God is the final victor and He has chosen us as His method of expanding His kingdom!

2) How is “but in your hearts” tied to being “ready at any time’? (verse 15)
If knowing Christ Jesus for who He is as Lord, as God, as utterly holy and righteous, and as sovereign King with all power and authority is the key to not only being unafraid, but also sharing the gospel boldly, every believer must ask themselves how they are pursuing this knowing of Him! Knowing Him begins with a humble heart that recognizes He is God, and we are not. Our ways are not His ways. (Isaiah 55:6-9) Our understanding is not even a speck compared to His. Our wisdom is like folly to Him. (1 Corinthians 1:25) He is Lord of all, and our knowing Him better must begin here on this solid foundation. (Proverbs 9:10) Once our hearts are in a place of ready humility, we are ready to pursue knowing Him, without all of our own agendas in the way. We come, ready to bring our questions, but willing to listen to His voice over ours. Then, we ask the Holy Spirit of God Himself to teach us, to open the Scriptures for us so we can understand the heart of God. Only God can reveal Himself to humanity. When we ask with humility, He is ready to show us Himself! The more we whole-heartedly seek Him, studying Him through reading the Bible and surrounding ourselves with other believers to encourage us in our growth, the more we truly know Him and His heart! We will absolutely never come to an end of our knowing of God, we are simply too finite to fully comprehend the infinite Almighty. Yet, He is forever inviting us to discover Him in ever-deepening ways. As we do, fear of everyone and everything else fades away as unimportant, and our hearts are boldly stirred to share what we have discovered with everyone around us! Take the challenge, know your Savior deeply!

3) Why does Peter insert the phrase, “if that should be God’s will” when he writes of suffering in verse 17? How is this tied to Christ in verses 18-19?
We don’t need to seek out suffering in order for our faith to be proven genuine, but we should take note when we struggle comes against us as a result of following Jesus. Maybe it’s family pressure because you make moral choices based on Scripture. Maybe it’s because you spend Sunday mornings at church. Maybe friends make comments about your worship music choices. It could be your decision to honor biblical marriage or protect unborn life or maybe, some friends have left you because you chose Jesus over them. Or maybe you’re living in a location where persecution for the believer is life-threatening for you and your family. Wherever you live, if you’ve never experienced struggle as a believer, take some time to think through how serious you are in following Him. The reality is, the more closely we follow in obedience to Christ, and the longer we walk with Him, the greater the struggle becomes. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is faithfully shaping us more clearly into the image of Christ, which looks a lot more like righteousness, and a lot less like the world. As we become more like our Savior, the world and the enemy of our hearts hates us more, and suffering intensifies. Let Peter’s words remind you that no suffering is wasted, and we don’t walk through it unbeknownst to God. He is faithful and good. He will always use our suffering to expand His kingdom and tenderly teach us more about Himself. The more we suffer for Christ, the sweeter He becomes, because it’s worth it!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Summer Ready Feet!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Shielded Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Shielded Day 7 Heart Armor: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Heart Armor!

The Questions

1) What is the “it” in, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…”?

2) What is meant by “first to the Jew, and also to the Greek?”

3) Where is it written, “The righteous will live by faith”? Why bring in this quote?

Romans 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

Original Intent

1) What is the “it” in, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…”?
“It” in verse 17 is a continuation of the “it” in the middle of verse 16 where we have the definition of “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”. This definition points back to Paul’s first words in verse 16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel”. The gospel is the incredible, shocking news of the holy God entering into a human, sin-wrecked world, humbly clothing Himself in human flesh, living a faultless, perfect life only to die a shameful, torturous death He did not deserve, and then rising from the dead 3 days later just as He Himself predicted….all to rescue sinful mankind who would forever be stuck in their own sin, hating and spurning the God who made them because they loved their sin more than the Savior. THIS IS THE GOSPEL!!! Paul practically shouts that he refuses to be ashamed of this radical declaration of love for him and the world. He refuses to back away from preaching it with eagerness because it is so powerfully effective in buying back a soul previously dead in sin! (verse 15) In it, in this gospel, the very righteousness of God is on display for the world to see. God is perfect and blameless. What better way to see His righteous holiness than in His intentional, sacrificial love for us? Because He is perfectly just, the debt of sin required blood sacrifice. A righteous, just God could not “look the other way”, shrug His shoulders and make excuses on our behalf. Sin demands payment. That payment has always been, and will always be one thing, death. Specifically in this case, because God is a holy God, incapable of being in the presence of sin, death is a spiritual removal from God forever. In radical, generous love, He sacrificed Himself to pay the penalty, heaping death upon Jesus Christ and separation from God the Father as Jesus took our sin upon Himself at the cross. (which is why Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?! –Matthew 27:46) His righteousness is on display in with loud, vibrant colors as Jesus Christ conquers death once and for all for everyone who believes in Him as He rose from His own grave, visited eyewitnesses, and ascended back into Heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father. THIS is the righteousness of God, on display for the world to see, through the precious truth of the gospel!

2) What is meant by “first to the Jew, and also to the Greek?”
God does not show favoritism. Period. In fact, Paul, the author of Romans, uses that exact phrase in Romans 2:10-11 where he also connects the idea of God not showing favoritism to how He engages with people “…first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For there is no favoritism with God.” The phrase “first to the Jew” goes all the way back to Abraham! God called Abraham out of his homeland, away from his idol worship, to follow Him in obedience, promising to bless him if he would follow. Abraham took God at His word, chose to trust Him and followed Him. God took Abraham’s faith and credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6) Yes, righteousness, just like the righteousness of God on display in the gospel which we read of in our passage! (verse 17) Abraham didn’t do any work or put on good behavior to become righteous, he simply trusted God at His word. This has always been true for every person from Old Testament to New Testament to right now in the 21st century. This is how God doesn’t show favoritism, because the same offer of faith being credited as righteousness is extended to all people. It was first made known through Abraham and his physical offspring, who were the Jews. Later, when Jesus came, He made it clear that salvation was for everyone regardless of race, gender, or nationality. (Acts 10:34-35) 

3) Where is it written, “The righteous will live by faith”? Why bring in this quote?If this phrase was translated word-for-word in its original language we would read, “The one who is righteous by faith will live”. Paul is quoting Habakkuk’s words which came directly from the Lord as He compared the person who relied on himself to be righteous against the person who had faith, which was credited to him as righteousness, “Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) To have integrity, in the case of Habakkuk’s quote, was to recognize oneself as a sinner hopelessly separated from God. With a true view of oneself as a sinner, unable to attain righteousness by one’s own merit, one is in a position where they are able to accept Christ’s work of righteousness on their behalf.  Covered by God’s own righteousness, the sinner, now made whole, can stand before God clean and forgiven, able to live for eternity in God’s presence! Without complete righteousness, Death rules, keeping us forever separated from God and His presence.

Everyday Application

1) What is the “it” in, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…”?
Has this “power of God” wrapped up in salvation been embraced by your heart?! Do you know for certain that there was a time when you took Him at His word for all He accomplished for you, a sinner spurning God, and surrendered the whole of yourself to Him for eternity? This singular decision is the biggest one of your entire life and deserves your honest wrestling. As you read the description of the gospel in the first question, what portion stirred deeply in you and awakened your heart to love and worship towards God? Praise Him for that incredible gospel and for the way He continues to work in and through you! For every single person who says a true “YES!” to Jesus, welcoming His powerful salvation into their heart and life, God’s righteousness continues to work through that now-redeemed person! Everything about their life is affected as it is open to the new work of God unleashed in that heart. God is righteous and holy, and His salvation demonstrates it with awesome strokes of beauty, as a further demonstration of His righteousness, the entirety of a believer’s life is remade! No sinner is left the same once Christ’s righteousness clothes them. Relationships will change, purpose in life will shift, priorities will reset, fullness, peace, and love will rule where brokenness and shame once held chains fast over heart territory. Look for that righteousness being worked out in your own life, and praise God for doing it! Look for that righteousness being worked out in the lives of other brothers and sisters around you, encourage them by telling them what you see, and praise God for His righteousness on display! 

2) What is meant by “first to the Jew, and also to the Greek?”
The main point of Paul’s passionate statement in these verses is to point to the supreme power of the gospel to transform lives, any life. Period. We are left to sit with this reality and wrestle through it in our own lives. Though we might verbally give assent to the truth that the gospel is for everyone, do we offer it willingly to all? Are there some we deem “too far gone” to be reached by the hope of Jesus? Or maybe, because of our own sense of justice, or a result from wounds we have experienced at another’s hand, we decide someone is unworthy of receiving the salvation Christ designed for all. Or maybe, sometimes the person we decide is unworthy of salvation is ourselves. Shame. Guilt that hits us like waves or gnaws on the edges of our hearts little by little. Fear of who we envision God to be. What if He can’t stand us? What if He is angry? And we know He would have the right to be angry at us for our sin, don’t we? We know we possess zero righteousness on our own. If this is you, whether you’ve already crossed the line of faith but still carry the weight of heavy shame, or you’ve never fallen headlong into the grace of God, He doesn’t stand in condemnation of you. He died to rescue you, offering His flawless righteousness in exchange for your putrid sin. Hold out your heart to Him, Sister, seek His face, He will overwhelm you with His loving rescue from yourself!

3) Where is it written, “The righteous will live by faith”? Why bring in this quote?
While we live here on earth in our physical bodies, God is extending us grace, which equals time to listen to His voice and respond to His offer of giving us His righteousness in exchange for our heavy burden of sin. We have the chance now to be given life for eternity in God’s presence and stand whole and forgiven because of Christ’s righteousness given as a free gift to us. This is a gift we could never possibly hope to earn by our own hard work to become good. This is His righteousness, and by it we live! God is pursuing every heart that beats in the here and now, revealing Himself to them by declaration of the gospel, of which Paul says he was unashamed to boldly preach. Time on earth will not last forever, as we all know. Our lives are like a mist that vanishes as quickly as it comes, and it’s impossible to know when our last opportunity will be to choose eternal life over eternal death. Choose Now! What is holding you back?! If you’ve already given Christ lordship over your heart, and you stand whole and righteous before the God of the universe, are you living as Paul did with the bold proclamation of the gospel ready on your lips?! Who are you praying fervently over for their heart to be unveiled and understand how rich the Father’s love is towards them as He offers out His righteousness? Wherever you are, believer or not, the time is short!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Heart Armor!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Shielded Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Shielded Day 6 Heart Armor

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 6:10-18
Romans 3
Proverbs 4:20-27
Romans 1:16-17

Shielded, Day 6

Our hearts work in incredible ways.

As you are reading this, your heart is beating with one steady, consistent beat after another, sending carbon dioxide-laden blood to your lungs for a quick clean and then pumping oxygenated blood to every inch of you. It mightily gives each part of the body what it needs to function properly.

Our hearts are also one of the few organs possessing the ability to completely stop the entire body from working in a split second. At any point, someone’s heart could stop beating and life would be over.  When the heart is weak or diseased or blocked, the rest of the body is affected and begins to break down and lose its function.

Because of its essential role in our physical bodies, humankind has taken to using the heart as a spiritual metaphor describing the essence of ourselves,
our feelings and emotions, and our relationships with others.

Our hearts are full, or they’ve been hurt.
Our hearts are given to others who touch our lives.
A special place in our hearts is made for those dear to us.

It’s no wonder God’s design for our bodies protects our hearts with a sturdy ribcage. Similarly, Solomon instructed his son to “guard his heart above all else,” and Paul encourages us to put on the body armor of righteousness over our hearts to thwart the enemy’s schemes.

The heart is vital.

The last part of Ephesians 6 is all about a battle plan, a plan leaning on the attributes of God to stand against the attacks of our enemy, Satan. Paul instructs us to put on various pieces of armor and associates each with characteristics of God. Victory doesn’t come from our own strength or ability, but from a developing, growing relationship with God.
He alone is the One who saves, protects, defends, and fights on our behalf. 

In Ephesians 6:14, we are told to don the armor of righteousness. Other translations commonly refer to this armor as the breastplate of righteousness. A breastplate is a piece of armor that covers a soldier from the neck to the waist, protecting the vital organs for life.

Namely, the heart.
We are to cover our hearts with God’s righteousness. 

Read that again.
We are to cover our hearts with God’s righteousness.

I am constantly trying to make things right. Perhaps you can relate? My immediate response to any problem is to solve it on my own. It’s a knee-jerk reaction.

I don’t just leave it at my own problems, either. Present me with an issue, and I’ll have 3 different solutions off the top of my head to offer up as advice. I’ve prided myself for years on this ability, championing myself a hero.

But as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to understand how relying on my own right-making has been more of a hindrance to growth than a pathway to growth. I’ve isolated myself not only from the tender care of those around me, but more dismally, from my Savior’s.

More importantly, in trying to build my own armor of righteousness, I have left my heart, the well-spring of life, exposed to the enemy’s sinister plots.

Remembering the times I’ve allowed the devil to take a foothold in my heart wrenches my gut. I am reminded of harsh words spilling from my own mouth, of attitudes creating division, and of relationships left irreparable, all because I chose not to use the armor so readily available to me.

This sobering truth is echoed in Romans 3, which emphasizes we cannot be righteous on our own. Trying to make things right in our own way is fruitless.

However, Jesus is righteousness incarnate. He was the righteousness of God on earth for 33 years, showing us how to live.

Jesus made the way,
creating the connection from sin-filled us to an utterly holy God,
building a bridge to God’s righteousness through His own life, death, and resurrection.

By Jesus and through Jesus, we have access to His righteous armor.

When we are brought to faith in our precious Savior, Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit, God no longer sees us as unredeemable and wicked. Instead, He sees us covered in the righteousness of His Son. 

And now, our invitation is to pick up our armor and walk in righteousness, drawing ever closer to the One who saves us, the One who makes us righteous by His blood. We are called to dive ever deeper into His Word, letting it wash over our hearts until our lives reflect His promises.

So, let’s pick up our armor of righteousness, dear friends, and march into battle. The war is raging as we speak, but the victory has already been won.

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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!