The New World Dictionary of American English gives two meanings for the word "Breastplate". (1) It is a piece of armor for the breast and (2) In ancient times, an embroidered cloth worn on the breast of the Jewish High Priest. It was set with 12 jewels representing the 12 tribes of Israel.
We have a ‘breastplate’ and this one is of Righteousness. When we speak of the Breastplate of Righteousness, we are saying that the Lord is our Righteousness. "Righteousness" is one of His attributes, He is ‘All Righteous’ and when we receive Christ as Savior He clothes us in His righteousness. Part of our complete armor, found in Ephesians 6:14 is the Breastplate of Righteousness (or as in the Amplified it is called the Breastplate of Integrity.) In I Thess. 5:8 it is called the Breastplate of faith and love.
Not only does this covering of Righteousness protect us from Satan’s fiery darts, but when the Father looks at us, He sees us as Righteous. He sees us covered with the Righteousness of His Son. Then we can stand before the Father and truly say "Search me O God, and know my heart…" Psalm 139:23.
Prayer: Lord, when I became your child, I received your covering of Righteousness. I am covered by You with a Breastplate of Righteousness and thereby protected from the darts of Satan. Thank You for preserving me in Your Righteousness. Amen
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Two-Edged Sword
"...these are the words of Him who has and wields the sharp two-edged sword." In Revelation 2:12 Christ discribes Himself as the one who has the sharp sword with two edges. The Sword is the Word of God with power to convict all men and to convert all who believe on Him.
Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God who made the heavens and the earth from absolutely nothing. He spoke and they came into being. John 1:1 states "In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This same Word divides between those who are born from above and those who are not.
The Written Word is the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God that we can use as our weapon against Satan and all his principalities and powers against whom we wrestle.
In Hebrews 4:12 the author writes "the Word of God is quick, 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 the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Prayer: There are answers to everything "under the sun" in your Word, dear Lord. Your Word is right and true. Your truth and mercy still endures. Your Word have I hidden in my heart so that I might not sin, and I will be faithful to You. Use Your Word through me to draw lost souls to you, I pray in Jesus name. Amen
Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God who made the heavens and the earth from absolutely nothing. He spoke and they came into being. John 1:1 states "In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This same Word divides between those who are born from above and those who are not.
The Written Word is the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God that we can use as our weapon against Satan and all his principalities and powers against whom we wrestle.
In Hebrews 4:12 the author writes "the Word of God is quick, 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 the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Prayer: There are answers to everything "under the sun" in your Word, dear Lord. Your Word is right and true. Your truth and mercy still endures. Your Word have I hidden in my heart so that I might not sin, and I will be faithful to You. Use Your Word through me to draw lost souls to you, I pray in Jesus name. Amen
Monday, May 17, 2010
My Shield
In the New World Dictionary of American English, the word ‘shield’ is: "a flat, usually broad, piece of metal, wood, etc., carried in the hand or worn on the forearm to ward off blows or missiles." It is also: "any person or thing that guards, protects, or defends."
God told Abraham, the one who was to become the father of the race of Israel, that he should not fear because "I am thy shield" (Genesis 15:1). David called God his shield in many of the Psalms. Here are just a few examples:
Psalm 3:3: "But You, O Lord are a ‘shield’ to me...".
Psalm 28:7 he says the Lord is his "strength and shield".
And in Psalm 33:20: "He is our help and our shield."
Paul says to "take up the Shield of Faith…"
The Lord, as our Shield, is both our shield to ward off the fiery missiles of Satan, and also He stands guard, He protects, and defends. He comes between each of His children and all of life, no matter what is happening. It may be the scorn given you by someone, or a group; it may be something very tragic happening in one’s life; it may be an illness or death of a loved one. It may even be a wrong choice, or a sin, yet He is still there to guard and protect. We may feel our faith is too weak, but He, as our Shield, is the Faithful one, and He never leaves us. Whatever it is, He is our Shield.
Prayer: O Lord, you are my strong shield for everything. You will help me through your Holy Spirit, to be an ‘overcomer’ as I learn with confidence that nothing can harm me when I have Your protective Shield of Faith around me. You are my Shield now, and will be until I am with You in Glory. Amen
God told Abraham, the one who was to become the father of the race of Israel, that he should not fear because "I am thy shield" (Genesis 15:1). David called God his shield in many of the Psalms. Here are just a few examples:
Psalm 3:3: "But You, O Lord are a ‘shield’ to me...".
Psalm 28:7 he says the Lord is his "strength and shield".
And in Psalm 33:20: "He is our help and our shield."
Paul says to "take up the Shield of Faith…"
The Lord, as our Shield, is both our shield to ward off the fiery missiles of Satan, and also He stands guard, He protects, and defends. He comes between each of His children and all of life, no matter what is happening. It may be the scorn given you by someone, or a group; it may be something very tragic happening in one’s life; it may be an illness or death of a loved one. It may even be a wrong choice, or a sin, yet He is still there to guard and protect. We may feel our faith is too weak, but He, as our Shield, is the Faithful one, and He never leaves us. Whatever it is, He is our Shield.
Prayer: O Lord, you are my strong shield for everything. You will help me through your Holy Spirit, to be an ‘overcomer’ as I learn with confidence that nothing can harm me when I have Your protective Shield of Faith around me. You are my Shield now, and will be until I am with You in Glory. Amen
Monday, May 10, 2010
Spiritual Armor (Part II)
Last week we talked about the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, and your feet fitted with the Gospel of Peace.
The rest of the armor is found in Ephesians 6:16 and 17: "In addition to all this, take up the Shield of Faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."
In the Amplified version it says: "lift up over all the (covering) shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one." What a word picture this gives us. The wicked one, or Satan, is always trying to catch us. He not only throws darts, but they are life threatening fiery missiles. We must cloth ourselves with the life saving faith, which is our shield.
The next item is a Helmet. Helmets are worn for many reasons, in fact in many cases it is the law, such as construction sites, riding bikes, skateboards, even roller skates. Soldiers in the war zones wear helmets; the reason is of course to protect the head. Salvation is our Helmet, protecting us from a lost eternity and assuring us of our Hope for the future.
The last mentioned, by no means being the least, is the Sword of the Spirit. This is self-explanatory as it says it is The Word of God. The best place for the Word is to be hidden in one’s heart. In Psalm 119:11 it says, "the Word of God hidden in my heart that I might not sin against God." It is God’s Word that will cause Satan to turn and run. In the front of my Bible given to me when I was a little girl, is written "Sin will keep you from this book, but this book will keep you from sin."
The Sword of the Spirit is our weapon of defense, and our weapon of choice. "I will not forget your Word" (Psalm 119:16)
Prayer: Thank You for providing me with Armor, Lord, that I may stand against the wiles and schemes of the devil. You give me all I need; I must just use it. Amen
The rest of the armor is found in Ephesians 6:16 and 17: "In addition to all this, take up the Shield of Faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."
In the Amplified version it says: "lift up over all the (covering) shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one." What a word picture this gives us. The wicked one, or Satan, is always trying to catch us. He not only throws darts, but they are life threatening fiery missiles. We must cloth ourselves with the life saving faith, which is our shield.
The next item is a Helmet. Helmets are worn for many reasons, in fact in many cases it is the law, such as construction sites, riding bikes, skateboards, even roller skates. Soldiers in the war zones wear helmets; the reason is of course to protect the head. Salvation is our Helmet, protecting us from a lost eternity and assuring us of our Hope for the future.
The last mentioned, by no means being the least, is the Sword of the Spirit. This is self-explanatory as it says it is The Word of God. The best place for the Word is to be hidden in one’s heart. In Psalm 119:11 it says, "the Word of God hidden in my heart that I might not sin against God." It is God’s Word that will cause Satan to turn and run. In the front of my Bible given to me when I was a little girl, is written "Sin will keep you from this book, but this book will keep you from sin."
The Sword of the Spirit is our weapon of defense, and our weapon of choice. "I will not forget your Word" (Psalm 119:16)
Prayer: Thank You for providing me with Armor, Lord, that I may stand against the wiles and schemes of the devil. You give me all I need; I must just use it. Amen
Monday, May 3, 2010
Spiritual Armor (Part I)
Paul has been telling his Ephesus believers about the battle all believers are in, that of fighting against principalities and powers of the darkness of this world. But he encourages them by telling them that God gives us Spiritual armor to put on, all we have to do is put it on.
So to continue in Ephesians 6, Paul says in verse 14 and 15 that we are to "stand firm with the Belt of Truth buckled around your waist, with the Breastplate of Righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace." This is quoted from the New International Version. To read it in the Amplified Version: "Stand therefore (hold your ground), having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God. And having shod your feet in preparation (to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news) of the Gospel of Peace."
Paul is telling us just what a good soldier of Jesus Christ needs to wear. First of all, it is important to have a belt. Belts can be used for many things, but one, and probably the most common use, is to hold ones clothing together and keep it from falling. Our spiritual belt is called the "Belt of Truth". In Jude 24 it says "Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling…" The Holy Spirit, also known as the ‘Spirit of Truth’ is given to us to keep us from falling.
Next we have the Breastplate of Righteousness. This is a protection for our heart and vital organs. It is like a ‘bullet proof vest’ used today to protect from bullets. Should a bullet strike, one will be bruised, but not broken. In Isaiah 61:10 we are told that "He has covered me with the robe of righteousness…" When the Father looks at us and sees us covered in the robe or Breastplate of Righteousness, He knows we are protected and whole, and yes, Holy.
Verse 15 states our feet should be shod in readiness to go; readiness to carry the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, to others. In Isaiah 52:7 it says, "how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tiding, who publishes peace…"
My Prayer: O my Lord! With my mind stayed on You I am covered with Your truth, Your righteousness and Your Peace. Thank you for helping me to stand firm. Amen
So to continue in Ephesians 6, Paul says in verse 14 and 15 that we are to "stand firm with the Belt of Truth buckled around your waist, with the Breastplate of Righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace." This is quoted from the New International Version. To read it in the Amplified Version: "Stand therefore (hold your ground), having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God. And having shod your feet in preparation (to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news) of the Gospel of Peace."
Paul is telling us just what a good soldier of Jesus Christ needs to wear. First of all, it is important to have a belt. Belts can be used for many things, but one, and probably the most common use, is to hold ones clothing together and keep it from falling. Our spiritual belt is called the "Belt of Truth". In Jude 24 it says "Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling…" The Holy Spirit, also known as the ‘Spirit of Truth’ is given to us to keep us from falling.
Next we have the Breastplate of Righteousness. This is a protection for our heart and vital organs. It is like a ‘bullet proof vest’ used today to protect from bullets. Should a bullet strike, one will be bruised, but not broken. In Isaiah 61:10 we are told that "He has covered me with the robe of righteousness…" When the Father looks at us and sees us covered in the robe or Breastplate of Righteousness, He knows we are protected and whole, and yes, Holy.
Verse 15 states our feet should be shod in readiness to go; readiness to carry the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, to others. In Isaiah 52:7 it says, "how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tiding, who publishes peace…"
My Prayer: O my Lord! With my mind stayed on You I am covered with Your truth, Your righteousness and Your Peace. Thank you for helping me to stand firm. Amen
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