The shield of faith is another weapon in our arsenal of spiritual weapons that are necessary for the cosmic battle that we are in. The Apostle Paul tells us that we need to take up the shield of faith, and in doing so, we will be able to quench all the fiery darts that our …
In John 8:12, Jesus tells us the truth will set you free. In our cosmic battle, two competing narratives exist for people’s hearts. One narrative comes from our creator and is filled with truth; the other is a stream of lies and deception from our enemy, satan. Adam and Eve fell into sin in the …
Paul gives us instructions on how to use the armor of God: put on and stand. Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against …
Who is the enemy? Paul gives us insight in this letter. Ephesians 6: 10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil …
Who are the Ephesians? The ruins of this town on the southwest coast of what is now Turkey are several miles inland. The port that was present in Paul’s time silted in. At one time, Ephesus was an important port and trading area. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of …
It makes you feel good inside when you realize Jesus chose you. Ephesians 1:4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.[1] For the Lord to choose us says something about the Lord’s mercy and grace. If there is one team …
As believers in Jesus, we experience the battle of wills in this earthly life. On one side of the struggle is our new spiritual life in Christ; on the other is our old sinful nature. Luke 9:23 Then he (Jesus) said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give …
Serving in love will make a difference in your life and those around you. Those serving in love are beacons of God’s love as they go about their daily lives. Their actions are refreshing, like drinking cold water on a sweltering day. You might not think that serving is fashionable, but serving never goes out …
Freedom in Christ is free for us, but it comes at a high cost to our Savior, Jesus. Freedom is often equated with personal independence, which is the ability to make our own decisions and follow our plans in life. In many ways living out this type of freedom is selfishness in disguise. The world …
Grace is free but not cheap. The Jewish Christians who preached that one must follow all the Jewish regulations in addition to having faith in Jesus didn’t understand this. They misunderstood the freedom Paul spoke of. Galatians 5:1So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied …