The Overwhelming Importance of Putting on the Armour of God! Part 2.

26 Aug 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ephesians 6:14.          Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And it’s cool, windy, somewhat sunny, but partly cloudy on this last Tuesday morning in August. Yes, I did say the last Tuesday in August, for come Monday, we’ll be talking about September. And you know what that means; the beginning of the cold season, unless we have some climate change eccentricities. (smile) In any case, these last few days have been rather cool, possibly to have us adjust to the cool temps that are on the way. (smile) And the computer is promising afternoon rain, but that’s okay, for nothing can harm us once we’re fully dressed in the armour of God. 

Now that’s what we spoke about yesterday, and promised to continue our refresher course today, if the good God gave us life to see another day. And it seems like He’s done just that, so let’s get into the meat and potatoes of the armour of God, what it actually is. Yesterday, we saw why we so badly need it, today we’ll discuss all the ramifications of what it is, thanks to Bruh Paul’s writings to the Ephesians. We stopped yesterday where he advised us to take up the whole armour of God and then to stand our ground. 

Today, he continues: ‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God:’ (Eph. 6:14-17) Now those are the basic parts of the armour of God, as Bruh Paul likens them unto the protective armour that the Roman soldier wore back then.

And according to the scholars, The belt of truth, is like the belt the Roman soldier wore around his waist, which held most of the other pieces of his armor. And in the believer’s case this belt of truth is a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word, which like the old soldier’s belt, holds all our other pieces of Christian armour, based on our knowledge of the truth. 

Then there’s the breastplate of righteousness, or the breastplate which is righteousness. A breastplate of leather or metal was worn on the soldier’s chest and prevented damage to his upper body, for the Christian this represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (righteousness). 

Meanwhile, the preparation of the gospel of peace, means ‘eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called caligae, enabling him to advance against his enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of “eagerness” or “willingness” to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him. Such “eagerness” to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful foe. 

Next we have the shield of faith, which the soldier carried to prevent missiles thrown at him, or weapons thrust at him from hitting him, therefore believers have a shield of faith to block all the enemy’s threats. That means taking God at His word, by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan. 

And then comes the helmet of salvation. The Roman soldier wore a helmet to protect his head, and so do we believers. Or as the scholars point out, since the readers are already Christians, they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8. Describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is the certainty (assurance) of salvation. In other words, our helmet protects our heads by assuring us of salvation, leaving no doubts to the reality of the situation.  

And last but not least, we have the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Now that means the pieces of scripture with which we battle the enemy, and you cannot quote any scripture unless you know it. That therefore means we have to be very familiar with God’s Word if we want to use it as a deadly weapon against the enemy. Remember how the author of Hebrews characterizes the Word of God? ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’  (Heb. 4:12)

Wow! What a powerful weapon is God’s Word. In fact it’s the most powerful weapon in the universe! So if we’re wielding it as a sword against the enemy, he’d better look out! (smile) And those are the parts of the armour of God and some basic explanations of their purpose. However, there’s one more aspect of that armour without which, nothing will happen. That’s prayer. As Bruh Paul says: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and the supplication for all saints.’ (Eph, 6:18) 

And the scholars tell us that ‘Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’ 

And so it is my people! As true believers in Christ Jesus, we don’t only look out for ourselves, but for all the saints of our faith. Now, I sincerely hope and pray that that refresher course on the armour of God has indeed refreshed and renewed our spirits and souls and has made us more aware of the spiritual warfare in which we’re engaged as children of God. And that we will always dress in the Lord’s armour, before going out to fight for His glory. 

Now, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’ 

That now makes us duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…if you’re not properly dressed for battle…you should not go into battle…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 June 2020 Luke 9:23.

27 Jun 2020 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 9:23.    ​If any man will (desires to) come after (follow) me, let him deny himself and take up his cross DAILY, and follow me.
 

Well thank the Lord, some early morning showers of blessings graced the parched earth in my area! And I’m sure the earth was mighty thankful for them because it has been a few dry and hot days since they were last watered. And now the earth looks nice and clean as the reflection of the shining sun sparkles the drops of water on the green leaves and green blades of grass. 

Oh friends, there’s nothing like being cleansed; and that in body, spirit, mind and soul, for it cleans, refreshes and brings a new perspective to our thinking, to our way of life!  That’s why Bruh David pleaded with God in his prayer for cleansing: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:10) 

So let’s all send that prayer heavenward this bright, clean and beautiful Saturday morning nuh, as we take a gander at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, in his sincere aspiration to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first quote states: ‘Whether it’s forced or invited, change is inevitable.’ And that’s gospel truth my people! There are only three things in this world we’re very sure about; death, taxes and change! And the comforting thing about them all, (smile) is that they all often come at some unforeseen and unbidden times.

 But change is a must, if the human race expects to survive. And we’re going through such a time right now with the double situations of the Covid-virus pandemic and the protests in streets all over the world. Things are going to change before those two babies are put to bed, that’s for sure! And this next quote falls in line with what we’ve just been talking about. I also like its expansiveness. (smile) ‘The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.’ 

Now that might boggle some of our minds, but it really is true. And right now we’re seeing the perfect example of it; sickness all over the world and protests all over the world. Those things are not relegated to small pockets of our world, but the entire universe, where much change, much improvement is certainly needed! And when it’s all over, the entire earth will have effected some change(s) be they large or small, but hopefully good and necessary. 

Yes, nowadays, the whole world is our playground; it is indeed a global village, where most things affect everybody in every part of it. For example, even the dust from the Sahara Desert, thousands of miles away, is currently affecting the citizens of Jamaica. It’s really a small, small world! 

Now the next quote is especially significant to the Christian believer. ‘Don’t say it cannot be done, rather say, you don’t know how to do it yet.’ And I say that, not only because it’s a useful way to view life, but with Christ as Lord of our lives, there’s nothing we cannot do, since all things are possible with Him, because He is God incarnate. And remember, He strengthens us to do whatever He requires us to do. That leads us to this quote, a rather interesting one, and one that’s also significant to the believer. (smile) 

‘Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.’ And isn’t that the living truth friends? It surely is! And it’s also what Christ expects from His followers; steadfast diligence that nurtures an attitude of excellence. We know that we can’t be perfect, but if keep reaching for high levels, levels of excellence in all that we do, we will get as close to perfection as an imperfect being can get, and that’s what Jesus desires of us. But this last quote is the champion, (smile) and is again especially significant to believers in Christ Jesus. ‘If you believe in a cause, be willing to stand up for that cause with a million people or by yourself.’ 

Yes people, standing up for whatever we believe in is extremely important, whether it’s with a throng of millions, or by ourselves! If we don’t do that, then it says that we don’t truly believe what we profess. And standing up for our beliefs is NEVER easy, not even with millions involved, like the worldwide protests we’re now experiencing.  So you can imagine how difficult it can be when you’re standing up by yourself. But standing up is what we must always do, especially as faithful saints of Christ. 

And in these trying and troubling times it is even more important than ever for us to stand up for what we believe in, namely the gospel, the good news of Christ and His kingdom, which is at hand. This is a significant moment in time when the Lord our God is calling mankind to repent and return to His fold, and we are the workers on whom He is depending to get that job done. Remember Jesus words to His disciples when He saw the multitude that needed saving. ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few: Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt. 9:37) 

Well friends, the good news is that we Christians are the labourers that the Lord is sending forth to reap the harvest of an unsaved and evil world. And no, it’s not easy, but I guess it’s time to remind us of the terms of discipleship which we agreed to. ‘If any man will (desires to) come after (follow) me, let him deny himself and take up his cross DAILY, and follow me.’ Now do you remember agreeing to that? If you consider yourself a follower of Christ, then you either explicitly or implicitly agreed to it. And you can’t complain that you didn’t read the fine print. (smile) Ignorance is no excuse!  

I’d also like to emphasize the point that taking up one’s cross and following Jesus is a DAILY exercise, not a once in a while, an occasional thing, as so many of us supposed Christians believe and do. Every day we need to get up and be counted; like soldiers, be prepared to stand our ground on matters of principle, in unity, on the true foundation of God’s Word which is our guidebook and lifeline. That is the only way Christ’s church will ever be successful! 

So let’s take some time today to ponder our walk with Christ nuh; let’s check out whether we’re really taking up our crosses DAILY and following Him, then, with the Lord’s help, make whatever changes are necessary. Much LOVE!

…stand up, stand up for Jesus…the trumpet calls obey…