Part 7: The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:17a
And take the helmet of salvation,

Visit a construction site, and you will find workers wearing hardhats. Many states have rules for ATV and motorcycle riders, requiring helmets to be worn during operation. When your child goes out to ride his or her bike around your neighborhood, a bike helmet is a necessary accessory, be it stylish or not. Football players and baseball batters also don the headgear for their respective sports.

The reason for all of this is common sense: even a small injury to the head can cause massive injury, or even death. Combat soldiers know that helmets are necessary, especially in the kinds of wars we see being fought today with snipers, IEDs, and the like.

The head is unique. It houses four of the five senses, it is home to the brain (which, of course, governs every other part of the body), it is how we are recognized. If you bump your arm or leg, you might get a bruise, or possibly break a bone, but if you bump your head in the right place, you could lose consciousness or even lose your life. Therefore, the head requires special attention when it comes to protection.

Like it or not, we are in this world (for better or worse), but Scripture tells us that we are not to be of the world. This is difficult, given the fact that our minds are such a vital part of our existence. Not only do physical things affect our mind, but spiritual things also affect it; the mind is stimulated by emotions, by internal and external attacks. Some things we can guard against, but other things are a bit more difficult. We wear a helmet to protect ourselves from external, physical forces. Therefore, it stands to reason that we need similar protection from those things we cannot necessarily see with our eyes.

We are to take the helmet of salvation to guard our minds, and thus our lives, from the inevitable spiritual, physical and emotional attacks of our enemy Satan. Using Strong’s Greek Dictionary, you will find that the word helmet comes from the Greek (transliterated) word “perikephalaia,” which means “an encirclement of the head.” This gives us the picture of a helmet which completely surrounds the entire head, providing as much protection as possible. This kind of helmet would have holes or slits for the eyes and mouth, but everything other vulnerable area protected.

This is the kind of spiritual helmet we need, because an attack might come from any direction and take any form. Never knowing when, where or how the blow will fall, we need protection. Again, this protection is for our mind, which is vulnerable to our general health, as well as situations and other people. Whoever said, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me,” obviously had no enemies or friends or anyone who ever said anything against him. Words can enter our minds and rob us of our security and peace. When this happens, we stand in the danger of spiritual defeat. Animosity, doubt, fear, and a host of other feelings can take over; we need protection for our mind.

That helmet derives its protective nature from salvation. Again referring to Strong’s, we find the word “sōtērion,” or “defender.” The salvation provided by Jesus Christ is a strong defender against those fiery spiritual darts which fly our way. But that salvation can also be a strong defender for our mind.

Over the years many people have been deeply hurt by close friends, by Christian brothers or sisters. They say no one can hurt you worse than a friend, and when this happens to us, we find it difficult to function. Our relationships suffer, thoughts and feelings that we could never conceive of harboring seem to consume us. We find it hard to focus on anything else but these feelings of pain, of anger, of revenge. Whether we want to admit it or not, these feelings begin to shove God out of our mind, and His voice becomes harder and harder to hear.

At this point, our peace, our joy, and our spiritual growth, effectively cease. We cannot split ourselves, serving two masters. Anger and peace cannot coexist. Isolation and fellowship, discouragement and joy, defeat and victory cannot coexist. One will always defeat the other. Now, you can see why Satan tries so hard to hit our mind; when these things negatively affect our minds, our spirit suffers. If our spirit is incapacitated, we are no longer a threat to him.

We never know what each day will bring, who it is who will say or do something to us to hurt us, what circumstances will transpire to derail our plans. But when these things do come, it is vitally important that we take the time to meditate on the salvation of the Lord. Can God do anything? Is there even one thing too hard for the Lord? If we believe that with Jesus, nothing is impossible, then we must rely on His power and grace to help us overcome all those things which threaten us.

All of us, pastor and parishioner alike, face attacks on the mind. Unfortunately, these attacks don’t stay there. Their effects penetrate every fiber of our being, and are highly efficient in weakening or even destroying us. Yet, we have something to protect us, if we will use it. Our job is to pray daily that the Lord would protect our mind from these attacks, no matter when, where or how they fall. By doing this, we help ensure our continued effectiveness for the Lord and our own spiritual growth.

NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:17b


© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Part 6: The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:16
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

I have always enjoyed all things “history.” One of the things I remember from studying armor throughout the ages is the development of the shield. The shapes and sizes of shields, as well as the material used to build them, varied from culture to culture. Shield construction was also dependent upon its intended use.

The Roman Empire in particular comes to mind as I write this entry. As the troops marched toward battle, they used full-length shields which were somewhat curved. Several feet in length, the soldiers could find protection behind this curved shield (see picture below).



Now, the shield was most effective when combined with the shields of the other soldiers. On the front line, each soldier would put their shield edge to edge, forming a wall. The soldiers behind the front line would lift their shields above their heads, linking their shields end to end with the others, creating a kind of roof (see picture below).


(NOTE: Shield pictures above courtesy of A2 Armory, at a2armory.com)

With such protection, enemy arrows would indeed find it difficult to penetrate the fighting force. Thus protected, the army could advance and overtake their enemy with few casualties.

The shield of faith is a vital addition to the armor of God. But how is it used? What is its significance to our lives? Why does the Apostle Paul use the words “above all”? This is what I want to talk about in Part 6.

Everyone has some level of faith, whether that faith is in God or self or anything else. It is that faith which enables us to move forward with life. For example, you have faith in your car and your driving ability. Therefore, when you get in your vehicle, you believe it will continue to run until you get to your destination, and you believe your own ability is good enough to get you to your destination safely. If you didn’t have this faith, you would never start out on your journey.

Faith in an unfailing, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God enables us to move from day to day, knowing He will be with us and see us through whatever it is we must face. But Paul talks about a shield of faith. How does this time into the overall theme of faith?

First, let’s look at the “fiery darts” he mentions. Imagine arrows dipped in oil or tar, set ablaze, and shot from a bow. Not only do you have something that will penetrate a target, but there is the very real potential for collateral damage caused by the fire. This is exactly what the devil does: he shoots the arrows of doubt, fear, anger, temptation, etc, and if that isn’t enough, he sets them on fire first, so that they cause the greatest amount of damage possible.

Our faith in Jesus Christ enables us to have a shield to protect us from these deadly arrows. We are still subject to the incoming projectiles, so all we can do is find protection. This protection, though, cannot simply be some stationary place to find cover. We must continue advancing despite the onslaught; thus, our need for a shield.

The Roman shields pictured above were mostly made of wood, which is still somewhat prone to burn. The shield of faith in Jesus, though, is firm and solid. When used correctly, it is effective in offering protection to our entire body (physical and spiritual), and enables us to move forward through life, even against the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Quench. Interesting word. It means to smother, extinguish, put out, or reduce. The shield of faith can do this to the fiery arrows of Satan. So, how do we use it? Again, it’s a daily thing.

The arrows are already in the air, and they are heading straight and true toward their intended target: you. We have three choices: run away, stand still, or move ahead. Running away keeps us from arriving at our destination, so that’s out. Standing still is a sure-fire way (pardon the pun) to get yourself killed, so that’s out, too. Moving ahead can also get you killed, but not if you have a shield to protect you.

The fiery darts can hit in many different ways: in our mind, in our heart, in our body. The trouble they bring can manifest itself in many ways as well: in our own life, in the lives of those around us, through circumstances, through temptations, and on and on. What we must do, then, is learn that whenever or whatever the effects of the fiery darts might come our way, we must use the shield of faith. We use this shield not only to block the incoming arrows (which is one way to use it), but to quench them, extinguish them.

All of us have known trouble, have confronted a terrible problem or a particularly difficult trial. It is easy in such instances to give in, to focus only on the problem at hand, and lose sight of God (and the victory He gives to His children) in the process. When this happens, the arrows have done their job.

No matter what it is you’re facing, make the conscious effort to focus on the Lord, His power, and what He can do in and for you. Is there any problem too big for your God? Is there any, ANY power which can overcome Him and His will? The answer, of course, is ‘no.’ But, let’s be honest, when we’re going through a bad time, it’s hard to remember that, or keep going forward even though you know it.

That is where the faith part comes in. Faith (with the help of a thesaurus) can also be called confidence, trust, reliance, assurance, conviction, belief, devotion and loyalty. All these things speak not of empty hope, but of something with a rock-solid foundation. If you look past yourself and your own fears and weaknesses, and focus instead on what God is able to accomplish, your faith is strengthened against any and all enemies. During those rough times, the shield of faith gives you a renewed devotion and loyalty to the Lord, and makes you totally assured and confident in Christ’s ability and faithfulness to see you through. This is indeed, a remarkable weapon for us. But we must use it.

Train yourself to put it to use. When you are tempted, when things seem to be going from bad to worse, when discouragement rears its ugly head, when fear paralyzes you, stop, take a deep breath, and say, “There is nothing too difficult for the Lord. In the name of my Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, I rebuke these fiery darts, and ask for the strength to continue forward.” Do this again and again, every time, and you will discover that despite the ferocity of our foe, you are consistently resisting, and moving ahead.

Those who know me, who are familiar with my style, will know that I like to identify what is, to me, the key word in a verse of Scripture. In Ephesians 6:16, I think that word is ALL. There is no weapon so terrible, no attack so fierce, that our faith in Jesus Christ cannot overcome. If you say, “Yes, but my faith is weak,” my answer to you is this: the only way to strengthen a muscle is to use it. Exercise it, and it will grow. The same is true of faith. To have a shield of faith, you must not merely claim to know Jesus. You must be consistent in your prayer life, in gathering together for worship and fellowship, in study. It must be a practical part of your daily life. If not, the shield cannot help you withstand the incoming arrows.

I, for one, am glad we have this shield. Whether we use it or not is entirely up to us. I guess it’s a matter of whether we want to fail or succeed. God has given us the tools. It’s up to us to put them on and let the Lord show us how to use them.

NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:17


© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Part 5: The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:15
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

In our last examination, we looked at the breastplate of righteousness. This particular piece of armor is designed to prevent enemy attack, a close blow or an incoming projectile. Today’s piece of armor, however, is for something entirely different.

I remember my days as a child sitting around my grandfather’s legs, listening to the stories of his youth. I was amazed at some of them, imagining my grandfather as a young man many years ago. One story in particular sticks out in my mind at this time. He said that when he and my grandmother and their friends played their games, they went barefoot most of the time.

Well, this struck me as odd. You see, many years ago I was traipsing through the yard, without proper foot attire, and accidentally stepped on a bee. Needless to say, the bee was not amused, and shared with me its disapproval by inserting its tiny stinger into my flesh.

We were leaving early the next morning for that year’s International Convention of the Church of God in Anderson, Indiana, quite a long trip for a child with a big, sore, itchy knob on the bottom of his foot. In a few days, though, the swelling went down, and I continued with my halcyon youth.

I asked my grandfather about what he did without shoes, what it felt like when he was a kid, and he said, “We never paid much attention. We’d run over gravel, step on bees, but our feet were so hard and calloused that we didn’t even feel them.” Pretty hard feet. Last night I had to go out to my car to roll up the window, and I walked across some gravel. They didn’t feel that great (of course, for those who know me, they understand that I have a lot of foot with which to step on gravel!), and I don’t think it has much to do with me being “soft.” Still, though, through experiences such as I have described, I appreciate the need for shoes, even if I find it difficult to find size 15s when I need them.

I do not think that the United States military, or any other serious fighting force, sends its troops to battle without shoes. Shoes are important, because the feet are what carry the soldier into the fighting. Injure the feet, and the soldier is crippled.

From the spiritual point of view, we see the same thing. While the breastplate helps protect the vital organs (see Part 4), the feet being shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace keeps us safely and effectively moving forward.

A few definitions for you before we move on:
SHOD – to put on shoes; more importantly, to bind, as onto one’s feet.
PREPARATION – to be ready, prepared.
GOSPEL – good news.
PEACE – prosperity, quietness, rest, being at one with.

Having these definitions at hand, we see that Ephesians 6:15 is telling the Christian to make sure we take every step each day bound to the truth, to be ready in all things and at all times with the good news, the message of Jesus, one that brings us spiritual quietness and rest.

It is important that we approach our daily life with a certain attitude: each step we take is a potential trap of the devil. Now, before you get depressed and say, “What kind of optimistic belief is that, Preacher?” please bear with me for a moment. We must remember that Satan is a master of disguise, that he rarely engages in an obvious, full-frontal attack. The reason is that a sneak attack is much more effective, especially against someone who isn’t expecting it at all.

One reason many people fall into the devil’s snares is that they grow over-confident, even complacent, in their spiritual life. They believe they have it all together, that they “have arrived” in their Christian walk. Therefore, they pay little attention to their spiritual feet, their condition, or where they step.

WHAMMO!!!! Devil – 1, Us – 0.

This piece of spiritual armor, and all the others as well, are things that we know and understand we need every day. As you read this, you may be thinking, “Well, yeah, that makes sense. I need to put on the armor of God every day. And that think about paying attention to my spiritual walk, I get that, too.” Well, we sometimes forget.

God knows how vital the armor is, and so He reminds us throughout His word, especially in Ephesians 6. As you go through your day, on the job, at school, relaxing, doing your chores, do you consciously think about your relationship with the Lord, and how your actions (or inactions) affect that relationship? Do you consider how these things affect the spiritual lives of those around you? We should, and we must.

Every day the Christian faces battles. They may be severe and trying, or they may be trivial. But make no mistake, each battle is significant. Even small battles, over time, can produce the same devastating effects of a single, large battle. So how we advance through each day is important.

To be successful during these trying days, we must remember to daily put on these spiritual shoes. We need to bind, fasten, tie these shoes to our feet, joining and uniting them as one. (They are always a perfect fit, too.) These shoes, the things that protect our means of moving forward, is having the good, truthful, complete message of Jesus Christ always at the ready.

The gospel of peace. One of the greatest benefits the Christian has is the peace of God. Knowing the Prince of Peace gives us the ability to remain strong, even when we are weakened in our battles. Even well-trained soldiers, if they are never injured in battle, will testify that the battle is not easy, that it is hard, and leaves scars that others may never see.

The same is true of our spiritual battles. Just because you are trusting in the Lord, just because you’re doing what the Bible tells you to do, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Even during the worst of times, no matter how much you rely on your faith in the Lord, it can sometimes be all you can stand.

But in the midst of it all, if you daily meditate on the message and meaning of Jesus and His peace, and be ready to think about and use it with each step you take, you will find, eventually, that you were well prepared to do battle for the Lord. Without the protection of this gospel of peace, each step might be the one which leads us into disaster. With it, though, we can be victorious for ourselves and others.

You see, it’s not calloused feet that keep us from spiritual soreness; it’s making sure we have the right kind of shoes to walk the sometimes rocky path of life

NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:16

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Part 4: The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:14
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

Finally, we dive into an examination of the various pieces of Godly armor. If you have not read the preceding three parts to our series, I encourage you to read them in order before proceeding. If you have already read these parts, then by all means, continue!

I would be remiss if I did not reiterate the importance of the word WHOLE in our study. We are instructed to put on the WHOLE armor of God. Each piece is vital in and of itself, but together they form the ultimate spiritual protection and strength for the believer. Part 4 explores Ephesians 6:14, and gives us the first two pieces of armor.

Just before we begin looking at the first piece, we see the first two words in this verse are, “Stand therefore.” Up to this point, we have seen the need for strength and power, to stand against the devil’s wiles, able to withstand, having done all to stand, and now, to therefore stand. Sense a recurring theme? Standing up against our enemies is essential to Christian success, and in order to properly and effectively use the strength, power and might of the Lord, we must use the armor the Lord provides. So without further adieu, the first item we will examine is …

GIRD YOUR WAIST WITH TRUTH
Walk around a mall for any length of time, and chances are you will see a number of adolescents with a common dilemma. What this might be is up for debate. From my personal opinion, it could be a number of things, including rapid weight loss, clothing stores with a lack of proper sizes, an inability to properly measure, etc. What is this malady? Kids wearing the pants off their rears.

Now, I know that’s the style these days. It’s been around for years, but there seems to be a resurgence of the trend. These kids, sans belts, walk around with their boxers showing, the waists of their pants some few inches above their knees. What is particularly amusing is that, in order to keep up with style, they are constantly holding the pants with their hands to keep them from all together falling down.

My wife, a public school teacher, told me the other day about the annual high school talent show, where a group of young men were performing a rap song. While shouting out and busting the proverbial moves, their gyrations facilitated the falling of the jeans, so that most of their set consisted of trying to hold their drawers in place.

Perish the thought that I am trying to be a fashion critic. I do, however, personally know that it is more than annoying when you don’t have a belt on to hold your pants up. Without a belt, you take a few steps, and suddenly you’re reaching around, hiking them up toward your armpits, in a vain effort to avoid embarrassing yourself in a number of ways. For me, I must have the belt.

What has all this to do with our first piece of armor? Allow me to explain. What happens when you need a belt and don’t have one? Here are a few things:

1) You remain distracted by making sure the pants are always up, keeping your focus on how many more steps you can take before they fall completely off.
2) Your pants do fall down, causing everyone to see that today, of all days, you decided to put on your underwear with the dinosaurs and duckies.
3) Before you can grab the sliding waist of your pants, they hit your ankles in mid-stride, causing your face and the ground to have an impromptu, and somewhat painful, meeting.

So, how do you avoid such scenarios? Purchase, and then wear, a belt. Pretty simple, eh? Well, let’s get back to business, and be a bit more serious. The truth is one of the most important pieces of armor in our arsenal, and it is no mistake that it is mentioned first on the list. Battle requires us to be limber, flexible, unencumbered by anything, and girding our waist makes sure we are able to stand, walk, and maneuver effectively.

Additionally, truth is what holds everything up and holds everything together. Without truth, nothing else matters. The world today (in one of those fiery dart attacks) tells us that truth is subjective, that as long as you’re sincere in your beliefs, all is well. This is not the case, however, and the truth of God’s Word must be the first thing you put on, the first thing you use, your ‘first step’ in your spiritual walk.

Also, as you walk, in order to turn other directions, your waist moves; it helps determine the direction of your legs, and thus your ultimate destination. From a spiritual standpoint, this is why it is so necessary that we have the truth. No matter what direction we go, we must have the truth in order to ensure we’re going in the right direction. If we wish to find victory, the truth must be our guide.

Finally, a belt surrounds. We must have the truth all around us. The truth in our life keeps everything in place. It helps us keep things in perspective, as well as living our life as an effective testimony for the Lord. From whatever direction people see you, let them always see the truth in you.

THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Perhaps one of the most vulnerable places on our body is our heart. A well-placed blow to the chest or an attack of a knife or bullet can have instant, and deadly, ramifications. Our heart, our lungs, and other vital organs are all there in a relatively small area. Therefore, through the centuries armies have seen the necessity of providing protection and armor for the heart and surrounding area.

This vulnerability is not only physical, it’s emotional. We know from even the most basic physiological knowledge that emotion is seeded in the brain, but throughout the ages, we talk about deep emotions being in the “heart.” We talk of being heartsick and heartbroken. When our emotions reach their breaking point, when we’ve reached the limit of our endurance, surely our “heart” can’t take any more.

Going one step further, we also hear of the great need to take care of our physical heart. It is said that the number one killer in America today is heart disease. There are countless medicines for cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other ailments affecting the heart. In a fraction of a second, our heart can experience an attack of its own, doing serious damage to the rest of our body, and even causing death. When the heart stops beating, most of the time, that’s it.

Is it any wonder, then, that so much care needs to be taken to protect our heart (both physical and emotional)? Carrying this thought over to the spiritual realm, we see the need to protect our soul, the spiritual heart of our lives. This is a very vulnerable place for us, and the devil knows this, which is why he focuses his attacks so often on our hearts. You see, our spiritual heart is very closely related to the physical and emotional heart. Allow me to explain.

Our spirit suffers when our emotional or physical heart suffers. When someone hurts us deeply, be that person a believer or unbeliever, a stranger or a close friend, our spirit is often times deeply affected. Our emotions begin to take control, and we might say or do things we would otherwise never do. We get depressed, angry, confused, and our spiritual relationship with God suffers the most.

Also, when we are suffering through some physical trauma, when we are hurting, going through an illness of some kind, our spirit also suffers. It is very difficult to maintain a healthy relationship with the Lord when you feel bad. I’ve known many people over the years who could not understand why they were ill, they couldn’t see past the pain, and because of this, their spirit grew weak right along with their body.

We don’t know what form the attacks of Satan will take toward us, but rest assured they will be fierce. We can only do so much when it comes to guarding our health and our emotions, but our spirit is a different story. We get to choose how close to the Lord we wish to be, and while the attacks on our spiritual heart are also fierce, we take comfort in the knowledge that the Lord is protecting us . . .if we have chosen to wear His armor.

Righteousness is not a relative concept; by this, I mean that righteousness is not subjective, not reliant on individual variables. Human righteousness, on which so many people base their entire lives, is as filthy rags compared to the righteousness of Christ. Therefore, I ask this question: if you were going onto the battlefield to fight, which would you rather have protecting your heart: three or four dirty rags tied together, or a metal breastplate? Would you rather have a roll of gauze or a Kevlar flack jacket? The choice is clear.

If we intend to protect our heart from the many things which can negatively affect it, we must make sure we have not just armor, but the right kind of armor. We must not consider ourselves arrayed for battle if we are only trusting in our own righteousness, for we will soon discover the ineffectiveness of our armor. It is only when we cover our heart with the righteousness of God that we can hope to prevail.

What is this righteousness? Well, I don’t have the time to fully explain. I could spend the next ten years trying to explain it, and still wouldn’t scratch the surface. I will, however, tell you how you can find it. First, pray to the Lord to give you the understanding that comes only from the Holy Spirit. Sincerely ask the Lord to enlighten your knowledge in spiritual things, to give you the grace to see beyond the human, beyond the temporary, and find the truth of His righteousness.

Second, study the Word. Don’t worry about all that you don’t know; focus instead on what the Lord can show you. And don’t give up if you don’t get it right away, or if you don’t understand it all. Let the Spirit lead you at the pace He desires, and it will be the best for you.

Third, practice what you know and learn. Don’t leave it inside the cover of the book. Make it a part of your life. Will it be easy? Heavens no! But again, the Lord will be right there to remind you of what His righteousness is, and will help you use it daily. The Christian life, and the Word of God, are useless unless we decide to live what we learn.

Finally, repeat the process! If you live the Christian life for 10, 20, or 50 years, you will never “arrive,” you will never reach the top of your game. There’s always room to grow and learn. So, the more you learn, the more you should strive to learn. Consistency is the name of the game. Never fail to keep praying, keep studying, and keep practicing, for in this process you will not only find blessings for your own soul, you will see what Christ’s life was truly all about, and you will be able to let others see in you the life of Jesus.

Always remember that it is not about our righteousness. Our righteousness cannot protect us one bit. But the righteousness of the Lord can protect us from every fiery dart the devil can hurl our way.

Next time, we will move to the next verse and examine our next piece of spiritual armor. At the end of this series, I hope to show you something about this armor that you may have overlooked. Until then, I encourage you to seek the Lord to show you more about this armor, and how you can best use it in your life. And as you read through the different pieces, try to figure out what it is you may have overlooked. See you next time!

NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:15

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.