[Friday's Devotional] - What’s it all for?

At the start of the week I posed a question: what am I wearing this armour for? In other words, what am I actually meant to be doing once I've got it all on? What activity is so dangerous, that God would ask me to wear all this gear?

What did you think we are meant to be doing?

Witnessing? No.

Speaking? No.

Serving? No.

(Not that we are not meant to be doing these things but none of these are suggested by this passage)

The answer is: to PRAY. The answer is right there in the text, you put all the armour on in verses 13 -17 and then what?

'pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people'. V18

So clearly prayer is a much more dangerous activity than most of us would suspect. And certainly much more dangerous than our often sedentary approach to prayer would betray.

Samuel Chadwick famously said 'The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying… He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray'.

To put on the armour of God is to prepare for the battle but prayer is the battle itself. Prayer is the purpose for which we are armed.

As you begin to pray, put on the armour of God, for you are going into battle, you are engaged in a dangerous, life-changing activity. No time spent in prayer is wasted time.

Eugene Peterson in his translation of this passage reminds us that 'we are up against far more than we can handle on our own' and of prayer he says,

'prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out'

So let's pray….

Sheila Bridge

 

Read the Bible in a year:  Psalm 115:1-11, Jeremiah 1:1-2:30, Philippians 1:27-2:11

[Thursday's Devotional] - Wielding your weapon

Today we come to the one part of our armour that is not for defence but for attack. The word of God is to be in our hands and we are to use it.

May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands (Psalm 149:6)

¹²

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

We are to remember that God's words are not just marks on a page, carried on the wind of the Spirit they are words that 'do stuff', they work! They might bring conviction, or conversion. They can bring healing and used in the way that Jesus used them (Matthew 4) they can repel lies and keep us from sin.

There is a key issue here: you can't use the word of God if you don't know the word of God. A sword in the hands of someone who's hardly ever held one is more likely to be a hindrance than a help. Get to know your weapon: study it, practise applying it, memorise it, and above all keep it close. You never know when you might need it.

Sheila Bridge

 

 

Read the Bible in a year:  Proverbs 23:29-24:4, Zephaniah 1:1-3:20, Philippians 1:1-26

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Hiding behind the door

Go on, be honest: did you ever hide behind a door or the sofa when Dr Who was on? (or something equally scary?)

 

Today we are looking at the protective pieces in our suit of armour: the shield, the helmet and the breastplate. 

 

For shield, don't think little circular object. The Roman shield was the size of a door! It was huge and oblong and big enough to get your whole body behind it. It was highly effective as a portable protective device for one person but virtually impenetrable when combined with other shields. There's a lesson in that. Paul tells us what the shield can do 'extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one'.

 

Where and what might be the flaming arrows in your life at the moment? Maybe it is inner accusations 'you're not good enough', 'God could never use you' or maybe it's stuff that someone else is throwing at you, unreasonable expectations or demands?

 

Hold up your shield of faith and if necessary get a few others around you to hold up theirs around you too.

 

Your helmet and your breast-plate remind you who you are and how God sees you. He declares that you are his, you are saved, you are made righteous and acceptable. These facts need to protect both your heart and your head.

 

Give thanks to God that he has provided so many pieces of equipment for your protection. It is clearly his intention that you be kept safe.

 

Sheila Bridge

 

Read the Bible in a year:  Psalm 114:1-8, Nahum 1:1-3:19, Ephesians 6:1-24 

[Tuesday's Devotional] - In Those Shoes?

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.   Ephesians 6:14-18

 

'In the right pair of shoes, a girl can conquer the world' goes the slogan, usually advertising a completely impractical pair of 'killer heels'. Hmm! I'm not so sure.

 

But I am sure that footwear matters. Just run through your day in your head, imagine doing it all in barefeet.  The school run? The supermarket? The gardening? The business meeting?

 

Give thanks for actual shoes (yes, really, because so many people in the world don't have any shoes) and ask God to help you slip your feet into a peaceable readiness to take the good news to other people.

 

Remember: you may be armed for battle but, wearing the right shoes, you are always standing in peace.

 

Sheila Bridge

 

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 113:1-9, Isaiah 65:17-66:24, Ephesians 5:8-33

 

[Monday's Devotional] - What are you wearing today?

If you are reading through the Bible in one year, you will read Ephesians 6 in the course of the week. This week's devotionals are all around the theme of The Armour of God taken from that chapter.

Paul closes his letter to Ephesians with an image that would have been a familiar sight to his readers: a Roman soldier dressed in armour. You are to wear armour, he says, because you are also engaged in a fight.

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.  Ephesians 6:14-18

I'm guessing that on most days our choice of what to wear is decided by a) what will be comfortable or b) what will look good.  Not many of us 'dress defensively' (at least not until the cold and rain of winter sets in). Paul encourages us to wear spiritual armour and I have found it a helpful habit to begin my prayer time each day mentally running through this check list.

One weapon: the word of God which is the sword of the Spirit.

Two items of clothing: one to hold everything in place, the belt of truth and one to help me move from place to place, the shoes of peace.

Three items that defend me: the helmet, the breastplate and the shield.

God has provided everything necessary for me to be protected and effective. 'Putting on' the armour of God reminds me that I'm not meandering about aimlessly but I am purposefully engaged in battle. I can be engaged joyfully and cheerfully because I know ultimately that the outcome of this battle has already been settled but never the less, I am in a battle: 'a life or death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels' (v13 in The Message)

Two thoughts for today and one question to think about during the week:

STAND -  vvs 13 and 14 have the word 'stand' in three places. Our position must therefore be important. I think it's not literally standing but rather it means 'not yielding, not fleeing, maintaining our ground'.

Where are you being tempted today to give up on a situation? Don't give up, stand your ground.

TRUTH – we are held together by the fact that the Good News is true. It's not an interesting idea, it's not one of many possible things that people believe. It is the truth. What's more it holds us, we do not cling on to it.

Think of one aspect of God's nature – what does difference does that truth make to you today?

Finally be asking yourself all week: what am I wearing this armour for, what am I actually meant to do once I've got it on? What activity is so dangerous, that God would ask me to wear all this gear? (I'll give you my answer to that question on Friday)

Sheila Bridge

 

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 112:1-10, Isaiah 63:1-65:16, Ephesians 4:17-5:7