Last time, we reflected on what the Shield of Faith looks like. Today, let's look at what it does. Ephesians 6:16 says, "Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." We'll look at those "fiery darts" tomorrow.
Faith is being sure that God will keep His promises. The Shield of Faith in God protects you when you are tempted to doubt. Psalm 125:1 says that 'Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever." Do you trust in God, completely? Do you believe that nothing can defeat you?
Your toughest battles will concern matters of faith--times when you'll be tempted to think God's Word and His ways won't work for you, that He has abandoned you, let you down, or failed to come through for you. If Satan can get you to drop your Shield of Faith, he knows you won't remain standing for very long.
When your defensive Shield of Faith is down, every gate into your "palace" is wide open, unguarded. Satan's forces can walk right in and take whatever they want, without having to put up a fight. Doubting God and His Word causes your Shield of Faith to clatter to the ground, but you might not even hear a sound.
Be careful. Be vigilant. Plaster your Shield of Faith with God's Word, and then hold it up, believing and affirming that 1) God is who He says He is, 2) God can do what He says He can do, 3) I am who God says I am, 4) I can do all things through Christ, and 5) God's Word is alive and active in me! [5-point Shield of Faith by Beth Moore]
I Peter 5:8-9 [NLT]
"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith."
What this has to do with weight loss: I Peter 5:8-9 gives a whole new meaning to the saying, "It's not what you're eating; it's what's eating you." When you know you're being obedient in matters of food and exercise, take a look at the possibility that the enemy may be devouring you, so that you are experiencing a stall or other forms of weight-loss defeat. Trust me, he'll do what he can, he'll use what he can to cause you to stumble and fall. The Shield of Faith in God and His Word, if you keep it raised high, will defeat your enemy, and you'll see victory in your life and body.
Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I wonder how many times I've allowed my Shield of Faith to lower and even clatter to the ground. I wonder how many bouts of sickness, how many 'upsets' and even crises Satan has been able to bring to me because I did not wield my Shield. I can't go back and change any of that, Lord, but right here, right now, I say to the enemy, 'NO MORE!' I'm keeping my Shield up, in front of me, with all the power of Your Word behind what I know to be true! In Jesus' Name. Amen."
Go forth today, and wield the Shield of Faith.
Showing posts with label victory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label victory. Show all posts
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Life Plan Devotion #76 [God's Armor--Shield of Faith, Part IV]
Last time, we looked at the phrase "taking the shield of faith" as found in Ephesians 6:16, "Above all, taking the shield of faith..."[New King James Version]. Today, let's see what the Shield of Faith looks like. Tomorrow, we'll look more closely at what it does.
The Greek/Roman soldier's oblong, curved 4' x 2' shield was, both individually and collectively, their most important defensive weapon. Soldiers could join their shields together, in front or overhead, placing themselves behind a fortified wall. Their wooden shields, covered in thick leather, protected them well. The Shield of Faith is meant to be as valuable a weapon in spiritual warfare.
According to Romans 12:3, "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" [King James Version]. That tells me that God has placed in every person the same amount of what I like to call "faith potential." That makes sense, since "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34). It is up to each of us, whether or not we yield to faith and whether or not we yield to the Shield.
The believer has the potential for great faith, the faith shown by all those pointed out in Hebrews chapter 11, the Hall of Faith chapter. When you read that chapter, you will see that many of these precious believers suffered great persecution, but they never lost their confidence in the Lord. Today, most of us don't suffer persecution like that, thankfully, but we do have an enemy who would like to defeat us, and if he can't steal our salvation, he'll certainly try to steal our joy, on a daily basis.
When we look at our own life, as a believer, and perhaps that of others we know, it certainly seems as if there are various sizes of shields of faith. Some hold up a very small shield, and others hold up a very large shield, and that, my friends, is why some experience defeat and others, while still in the fight, experience ultimate victory.
In the Shield of Faith, size matters. Your challenge is to increase your faith. Don't wait for God to do it, because He's already given you everything you need. Experience will teach you that the more you use it, the more you'll see it works, and the more it works, the more you'll use it. Now, it's up to you. You've got to yield to the Shield!
Revelation 2:13 [NLT]
[Jesus speaks to the church at Pergamum words He wants to say to us today] "'I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to Me...'"
What this has to do with weight loss: When you recognize that Satan will use even your weight-loss journey to try to defeat you, you know that you can use your Shield of Faith to protect yourself. It's available to you, and as you yield to the Shield, you will hear the words, "You have remained loyal to Me." Victory is assured, when that happens.
Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I'm so grateful for the measure of faith You've given to me. My desire is to increase it and to yield to the Shield of Faith, every moment of every day. I want victory, and nothing less will do! The Shield of Faith works. Help me to work it, in Jesus' Name. Amen."
Go forth today, and yield to the Shield of Faith.
The Greek/Roman soldier's oblong, curved 4' x 2' shield was, both individually and collectively, their most important defensive weapon. Soldiers could join their shields together, in front or overhead, placing themselves behind a fortified wall. Their wooden shields, covered in thick leather, protected them well. The Shield of Faith is meant to be as valuable a weapon in spiritual warfare.
According to Romans 12:3, "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" [King James Version]. That tells me that God has placed in every person the same amount of what I like to call "faith potential." That makes sense, since "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34). It is up to each of us, whether or not we yield to faith and whether or not we yield to the Shield.
The believer has the potential for great faith, the faith shown by all those pointed out in Hebrews chapter 11, the Hall of Faith chapter. When you read that chapter, you will see that many of these precious believers suffered great persecution, but they never lost their confidence in the Lord. Today, most of us don't suffer persecution like that, thankfully, but we do have an enemy who would like to defeat us, and if he can't steal our salvation, he'll certainly try to steal our joy, on a daily basis.
When we look at our own life, as a believer, and perhaps that of others we know, it certainly seems as if there are various sizes of shields of faith. Some hold up a very small shield, and others hold up a very large shield, and that, my friends, is why some experience defeat and others, while still in the fight, experience ultimate victory.
In the Shield of Faith, size matters. Your challenge is to increase your faith. Don't wait for God to do it, because He's already given you everything you need. Experience will teach you that the more you use it, the more you'll see it works, and the more it works, the more you'll use it. Now, it's up to you. You've got to yield to the Shield!
Revelation 2:13 [NLT]
[Jesus speaks to the church at Pergamum words He wants to say to us today] "'I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to Me...'"
What this has to do with weight loss: When you recognize that Satan will use even your weight-loss journey to try to defeat you, you know that you can use your Shield of Faith to protect yourself. It's available to you, and as you yield to the Shield, you will hear the words, "You have remained loyal to Me." Victory is assured, when that happens.
Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I'm so grateful for the measure of faith You've given to me. My desire is to increase it and to yield to the Shield of Faith, every moment of every day. I want victory, and nothing less will do! The Shield of Faith works. Help me to work it, in Jesus' Name. Amen."
Go forth today, and yield to the Shield of Faith.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Life Plan Devotion #66 [God's Armor--Breastplate of Righteousness]
We have looked at the first piece of the Armor of God--the Belt of Truth, what it is, how to put it on, and what to do if we let it slip. Today, let's take a look at the second piece of armor--the Breastplate of Righteousness, which we are to put "in place" so we can "stand firm" (Ephesians 6:14).
The breastplate covered the body of the Roman soldier from his neck to his thighs. It was used to protect all the vital organs, especially the heart. The Breastplate of Righteousness is meant to protect the heart of the believer, as that believer focuses on the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
When one gives one's heart to Jesus, immediately God counts the believer as righteous (Galatians 2:16). "Righteousness" is the right standing before God that is the status of the Christian, out of which moral conduct and character emerges. It is not our own righteousness that counts, for "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags"(Isaiah 64:6). No one is good enough to stand before God, yet since "God made Him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us,...in Him we become the righteousness of God" (II Corinthians 5:21). When you become a believer, God sees you through the Cross, cleansed and righteous.
Righteousness is both imputed and imparted. Righteousness is imputed, put on us, by God (Romans 3:22). Righteousness is also imparted, worked in us by Christ, with our cooperation and the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:10-11). True righteousness is something we are, not something we do. Righteousness within us affects what we do, but what we do does not make us righteous.
Satan is called "the accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10), and that is his favorite method of attack on a believer. He will try to bring up the past, to accuse you, but the breastplate of righteousness, along with the Belt of Truth, knowing who you are in Christ and what you have as His child, is your trusty defense. Without them, the enemy could knock you down with one word of condemnation.
Romans 8:1,11 [NIV]
"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, [God] who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you." [Note: Masculine pronoun changed to specific proper noun and placed in brackets by author, for clarity.]
What this has to do with weight loss: It is a fact that only a small percentage of dieters is able to lose weight and keep it off. That proves we can't do this on our own. Believers, however, have the added, supernatural help of the Holy Spirit within us, to give us the power and strength to walk the weight-loss journey with victory. The question is, will you yield to Him daily?
Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, thank You for showing me the truth about myself--that on my own I could never be good enough to live in Your presence. Thank You for taking my sins to the cross and offering me Your righteous life. Lord, show me any sin I need to confess right now, so that nothing will hinder me from being filled to overflowing with Your Spirit and so the enemy has nothing with which to accuse me. [Take time for confession.] Thank You for forgiving me, clothing me in Your Righteousness, and filling me with Your Spirit. In Jesus' Name. Amen."
Go forth today, armed with the Breastplate of Righteousness.
The breastplate covered the body of the Roman soldier from his neck to his thighs. It was used to protect all the vital organs, especially the heart. The Breastplate of Righteousness is meant to protect the heart of the believer, as that believer focuses on the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
When one gives one's heart to Jesus, immediately God counts the believer as righteous (Galatians 2:16). "Righteousness" is the right standing before God that is the status of the Christian, out of which moral conduct and character emerges. It is not our own righteousness that counts, for "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags"(Isaiah 64:6). No one is good enough to stand before God, yet since "God made Him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us,...in Him we become the righteousness of God" (II Corinthians 5:21). When you become a believer, God sees you through the Cross, cleansed and righteous.
Righteousness is both imputed and imparted. Righteousness is imputed, put on us, by God (Romans 3:22). Righteousness is also imparted, worked in us by Christ, with our cooperation and the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:10-11). True righteousness is something we are, not something we do. Righteousness within us affects what we do, but what we do does not make us righteous.
Satan is called "the accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10), and that is his favorite method of attack on a believer. He will try to bring up the past, to accuse you, but the breastplate of righteousness, along with the Belt of Truth, knowing who you are in Christ and what you have as His child, is your trusty defense. Without them, the enemy could knock you down with one word of condemnation.
Romans 8:1,11 [NIV]
"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, [God] who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you." [Note: Masculine pronoun changed to specific proper noun and placed in brackets by author, for clarity.]
What this has to do with weight loss: It is a fact that only a small percentage of dieters is able to lose weight and keep it off. That proves we can't do this on our own. Believers, however, have the added, supernatural help of the Holy Spirit within us, to give us the power and strength to walk the weight-loss journey with victory. The question is, will you yield to Him daily?
Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, thank You for showing me the truth about myself--that on my own I could never be good enough to live in Your presence. Thank You for taking my sins to the cross and offering me Your righteous life. Lord, show me any sin I need to confess right now, so that nothing will hinder me from being filled to overflowing with Your Spirit and so the enemy has nothing with which to accuse me. [Take time for confession.] Thank You for forgiving me, clothing me in Your Righteousness, and filling me with Your Spirit. In Jesus' Name. Amen."
Go forth today, armed with the Breastplate of Righteousness.
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