Ephesians 6:13-17-"Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."THE BELT OF TRUTH:
John 14:6-"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
Jesus tells us that He is the truth. That should be easy to believe, but sometimes it isn't. Satan gives us all sorts of things like doubts, worldly things that look like the truth, and harp ships that make us turn away from the truth of a Christian way of life. We are called, though, to put on the belt of truth, and to tell Satan to take a hike! Just by reading God's Word and remembering all the things He has done for us, we can know that everything we believe in is true.
Put on the belt of truth today, and realize that God only speaks what is true! Keep Measuring Up. You are loved!
THE BODY ARMOR OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS:
Deuteronomy 31:6-"So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."
Probably the biggest benefit of wearing the righteousness of God is that we KNOW that by our faith, He has forgiven us, and we have become righteous in His sight.
Satan may sometimes trick you into thinking that you have done things so bad, that you can't be forgiven by God, or that you will never become righteous. When he gives you those thoughts, pray for forgiveness, and put on the body armor of God's righteousness! He's with you always, and He will never fail you. Even when you die, you will be protected, for you will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven! God is good!
THE PEACE THAT COMES FROM THE GOOD NEWS SHOES:
Ephesians 4:14-"Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth."
Satan tries to trick your mind into believing all sorts of wrong things about God, life, and even yourself. Even though he can be very cunning, as Christians, we have a weapon that he can't get past-our shoes of peace! You have the Holy Spirit living in you if you have accepted Christ. His job is to guide you and show you what to believe and what to do with your life. Put on the shoes of peace today, and start walking through your day. If God fills you with peace about something, He is probably happy you are doing it. If you are filled with something other than peace, well, you might want to think twice about what you are up to! Stand firm, and you will become stronger.
THE SHIELD OF FAITH:
Matthew 16:7-10-"At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, 'You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don't you understand even yet? Don't you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up?"
If you ever have trouble putting your faith in God-REMEMBER everything He has done for you in the past. Satan will try and make your view of God's power smaller, but don't let him! Take up your shield of faith everyday, and believe that whatever God calls you to do can be done by you, just as the people in the Bible and in history have done what God called them to do. The One True God can move mountains! He is good! Never forget it!
SALVATION AS YOUR HELMET:
1 Corinthians 15:54-57-"Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Have you ever thought about the power of sin on your life, or the sting of death? Have you ever been afraid of dying, or been uncertain about what will happen when you die? Well, you don't have to be! Take heart! Christ Jesus lives, and He has payed the price for your sins. Trust in Him, give your life to Him, and death will lose its grip on your heart. Put on the helmet of salvation today when the devil tries to scare you, and remember that God is good! We have victory forever in Jesus. :)
Keep Measuring Up and working hard for the Lord! You are forever loved.
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT; THE WORD OF GOD:
Hebrews 4:12-"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is SHARPER than the SHARPEST two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our INNERMOST THOUGHTS and DESIRES."
How did Jesus overcome His temptation? He knew the Word of God!!! Sometimes it is hard to make time to read the Word everyday, and even when we do read it, sometimes it's hard to actually apply it to our lives and understand it. Think of the Bible as a love letter! If someone you had a crush on wrote you a 66 Book love letter over the course of 4000 years telling about how he saved all of humanity from sure destruction by His loving and just and perfect plan, wouldn't you be eager to read it? Well, that's the Bible! If you can't find time to read it, try to find something you could give up to have more time. In 8Th grade, God led me to read a chapter in the New Testament everyday before I left for school instead of spending extra time on my hair or clothes. This summer, God helped me finish the New Testament! If you don't understand what the Bible says, or know how to apply it, pray before every time you read the Bible that God would bless the reading of His Word, and open your heart up to it so that you can understand it, apply it, and use it to defeat Satan!
Keep Measuring Up! Make sure to carry your Sword of the Spirit so that when the devil tempts you, you can tell him to read it and weep! You are loved dearly by the Creator of the Universe. Get it? Got it? Good. :)
John 16:33-"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
-Jenna Hampton
with many great verses from God's Word, and much thought, prayer, and elbow grease.
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