Spiritual Armor Bible Study
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By Lauren Abraham
May 20, 2016 by Lauren Abraham in [ Spiritual Life ]
Weekly Devotional: The Armor of God – Breastplate of Righteousness
“Therefore put on the full armor 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.” (Ephesians 6:13)
The second piece of the armor of God that Paul discusses in Ephesians 6 is the breastplate of righteousness.
In the armor of a Roman soldier, the breastplate served as protection for some of the most important parts of the body. Underneath the breastplate is the heart, lungs and other organs necessary for life. Therefore, if a soldier did not wear his breastplate, he was vulnerable to an attack that could result in instant death.
So, why does Paul call it the breastplate of righteousness? If we do not protect ourselves with righteousness, we open ourselves up to attack from the enemy and can fall into sin.
To be righteous means to obey God’s commandments and live in a way that is honorable to Him. Psalm 106:3 says, “How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times!”
Unfortunately, our sinful nature often gets in the way of living an upright life. When we decide to live based on our own desires rather than God’s, we make decisions that are harmful to ourselves and others. Romans 8:6 says, “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”
How can we put on the breastplate of righteousness? We can start by being knowledgeable of God’s Word, which will allow us to understand how to live a righteous life. When trials and temptation come our way, we can base our decisions in His Word.
In addition, through prayer, we can ask God to empower us to resist living in sin and to do what is right according to Him. 1 John 3:22 says, “And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey and do the things that please him.”
As Christians, we can put on the breastplate of righteousness in our daily lives. In becoming aware of the decisions we make, we can determine whether or not they are based in God’s Word. In addition, we can ask Him to give us the strength to live righteously. Ultimately, this will allow us to withstand attacks from the enemy and live in ways that glorify Christ.
May 20, 2016 by Lauren Abraham in [ Spiritual Life ]
Weekly Devotional: The Armor of God – Breastplate of Righteousness
“Therefore put on the full armor 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.” (Ephesians 6:13)
The second piece of the armor of God that Paul discusses in Ephesians 6 is the breastplate of righteousness.
In the armor of a Roman soldier, the breastplate served as protection for some of the most important parts of the body. Underneath the breastplate is the heart, lungs and other organs necessary for life. Therefore, if a soldier did not wear his breastplate, he was vulnerable to an attack that could result in instant death.
So, why does Paul call it the breastplate of righteousness? If we do not protect ourselves with righteousness, we open ourselves up to attack from the enemy and can fall into sin.
To be righteous means to obey God’s commandments and live in a way that is honorable to Him. Psalm 106:3 says, “How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times!”
Unfortunately, our sinful nature often gets in the way of living an upright life. When we decide to live based on our own desires rather than God’s, we make decisions that are harmful to ourselves and others. Romans 8:6 says, “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”
How can we put on the breastplate of righteousness? We can start by being knowledgeable of God’s Word, which will allow us to understand how to live a righteous life. When trials and temptation come our way, we can base our decisions in His Word.
In addition, through prayer, we can ask God to empower us to resist living in sin and to do what is right according to Him. 1 John 3:22 says, “And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey and do the things that please him.”
As Christians, we can put on the breastplate of righteousness in our daily lives. In becoming aware of the decisions we make, we can determine whether or not they are based in God’s Word. In addition, we can ask Him to give us the strength to live righteously. Ultimately, this will allow us to withstand attacks from the enemy and live in ways that glorify Christ.
Hi @Mayflower, that's a great set of references there! Ephesians 6 on the whole armor of God is a powerful passage indeed! There was a book by The Christian in Complete Armour by a 17th century writer whose name I can't remember.
PS @Mayflower That book on Ephesians 6 that I mentioned was by William Gurnall.
Deborah_
Well-Known Member
The breastplate of righteousness
Ephesians 6:14
A soldier can quickly be put out of action by an injury to the chest or abdomen. So the breastplate has always been a fundamental piece of armour, protecting all the vital organs.
The Christian’s ‘body-armour’ is righteousness. This is probably the righteousness of Christ, which He has given to us. “Clothed with Your righteousness” (Psalm 132:9), we are impervious to Satan’s accusations and cannot be thrown down from our place in the ranks of God’s army.
But just like the belt, the breastplate also has a personal aspect. Christ doesn’t just give us His righteousness; He sets out to make us righteous! Righteous living and steadfastness against temptation are vital to our self-defence; any ‘chinks’ in our armour leave us vulnerable (I Kings 22:34), and the devil is sure to find and exploit them. Many a successful ministry has been discredited or terminated prematurely because of some serious sin, with devastating knock-on effects on the morale of the entire army.
A clear conscience, on the other hand, gives us confidence when facing opposition. “Live such good lives among the pagans that, although they accuse you of doing wring, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.” (I Peter 2:12) Slander will not stick; false accusations will bounce off; and God will be honoured.
Ephesians 6:14
A soldier can quickly be put out of action by an injury to the chest or abdomen. So the breastplate has always been a fundamental piece of armour, protecting all the vital organs.
The Christian’s ‘body-armour’ is righteousness. This is probably the righteousness of Christ, which He has given to us. “Clothed with Your righteousness” (Psalm 132:9), we are impervious to Satan’s accusations and cannot be thrown down from our place in the ranks of God’s army.
But just like the belt, the breastplate also has a personal aspect. Christ doesn’t just give us His righteousness; He sets out to make us righteous! Righteous living and steadfastness against temptation are vital to our self-defence; any ‘chinks’ in our armour leave us vulnerable (I Kings 22:34), and the devil is sure to find and exploit them. Many a successful ministry has been discredited or terminated prematurely because of some serious sin, with devastating knock-on effects on the morale of the entire army.
A clear conscience, on the other hand, gives us confidence when facing opposition. “Live such good lives among the pagans that, although they accuse you of doing wring, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.” (I Peter 2:12) Slander will not stick; false accusations will bounce off; and God will be honoured.
YAY!!!!! Hi farouk!!!!! It is awesome seeing you back!!! Nice to see you, brother!
I love how these verses from the study are about God's righteousness. He is who ultimately protects us. As we live uprightly by following God's commandments and serving Him, we honor Christ Jesus and as Deborah mentioned, gives us confidence in the midst of opposition. It is hard to face the enemy when feeling condemned about sin.
Attachments
A lot of great points on this thread. I am grateful for the encouragement we can give each other and prayers regarding this important topic.
Oh how I absolutely LOVE these verses. When we are reminding the enemy of the Lord's righteousness and singing His praises, then our own breastplate stands out as well. We are reminding the enemy of his end. And his end and for those who follow him lead nowhere but to destruction.
@Mayflower: Your header verse from Philippians goes well with the Psalm verses quoted... :)
The armor of God is a very instructive subject; and this warrior depicted seems to be bowing in prayer also. In the end it's the spiritual truth which pictorial representations symbolize that greatly supersede pictorial representations, although a design can work as a great talking point or conversation-starter also.By Lauren Abraham
May 20, 2016 by Lauren Abraham in [ Spiritual Life ]
Weekly Devotional: The Armor of God – Breastplate of Righteousness
“Therefore put on the full armor 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.” (Ephesians 6:13)
The second piece of the armor of God that Paul discusses in Ephesians 6 is the breastplate of righteousness. ...
I love how the verses were listed under breastplate of righteousness. All of the verses were about God's righteousness, and these two turn to us and our role. Now that we are no longer slaves to sin, in Christ Jesus, we really owe it to Him to live righteous lives. True love is when you don't have to do something. But you do, because you know what someone has paid. Righteous Father gave us His sinless Son. People take that for granted. And people struggle because of it. Major kink in the armor is righteousness, even though we are called righteous. It is a battlefield of the mind (soul). And in Heaven loss of reward, but probably tears for realizing when we could have chosen a different life. An unbeliever of course has no armor, no Heaven, or anything. It is a privilege to live a righteous life serving His laws, because of all God has done. And in so doing be able to fight the devils's schemes, because he cannot throw condemnation at us for not living righteously. It is important to try our best to seek out God's Word in all matters. We cannot be perfect, but in Christ, any effort is success. We are more then overcomers.
Ziggy
Well-Known Member
Weekly Devotional: The Armor of God – Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
By Lauren Abraham
May 27, 2016 by Lauren Abraham in [ Spiritual Life ]
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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 the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:10-12)
In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to stand firm with our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
It may seem strange to consider shoes to be part of your armor, but can you imagine going to battle shoeless? You would most likely be in pain with every step, as you pass over all kinds of harsh landscape. Ultimately, it would inhibit your ability to fight.
So, how can the gospel of peace be related to shoes? To start, we must understand what the gospel of peace is. The word “gospel” means “good news,” referring to the sacrifice Jesus made for us so that we can be saved. As a result, this brings us peace.
As Christians, we are called to share the good news of Christ with others. Having our shoes fitted with the gospel of peace allows us to do this successfully.
John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” With God’s strength, we can be brave in sharing our faith with others. Jesus already defeated death, so we do not need to be afraid.
Our shoes equip us to walk through rough areas. In the same way, having hope in Jesus helps us walk through the trials we face. John 16:33 says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Just like having a good pair of shoes can help us walk across rough terrain, having confidence in Christ allows us to boldly proclaim His name. While we may face persecution in this life, we can rest in knowing the Savior of the world loves us and cares for us.
Having our feet fitted with the shoes of the gospel of peace allows us to be ready to share God with others at all times. As Christians, we should always be prepared, as we never know when an opportunity may arise to share the good news of the gospel with someone else. Ultimately, the shoes of peace equip us to fight for Christ in the spiritual battles we face.
Grand Canyon University provides students with opportunities to grow spiritually and become co-laborers with Jesus Christ. To learn more, visit the GCU website.
Weekly Devotional: The Armor of God – Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
By Lauren Abraham
May 27, 2016 by Lauren Abraham in [ Spiritual Life ]
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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 the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:10-12)
In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to stand firm with our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
It may seem strange to consider shoes to be part of your armor, but can you imagine going to battle shoeless? You would most likely be in pain with every step, as you pass over all kinds of harsh landscape. Ultimately, it would inhibit your ability to fight.
So, how can the gospel of peace be related to shoes? To start, we must understand what the gospel of peace is. The word “gospel” means “good news,” referring to the sacrifice Jesus made for us so that we can be saved. As a result, this brings us peace.
As Christians, we are called to share the good news of Christ with others. Having our shoes fitted with the gospel of peace allows us to do this successfully.
John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” With God’s strength, we can be brave in sharing our faith with others. Jesus already defeated death, so we do not need to be afraid.
Our shoes equip us to walk through rough areas. In the same way, having hope in Jesus helps us walk through the trials we face. John 16:33 says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Just like having a good pair of shoes can help us walk across rough terrain, having confidence in Christ allows us to boldly proclaim His name. While we may face persecution in this life, we can rest in knowing the Savior of the world loves us and cares for us.
Having our feet fitted with the shoes of the gospel of peace allows us to be ready to share God with others at all times. As Christians, we should always be prepared, as we never know when an opportunity may arise to share the good news of the gospel with someone else. Ultimately, the shoes of peace equip us to fight for Christ in the spiritual battles we face.
Grand Canyon University provides students with opportunities to grow spiritually and become co-laborers with Jesus Christ. To learn more, visit the GCU website.
Weekly Devotional: The Armor of God – Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
I personally get distracted, eyes off... Need to keep my eyes focused on Christ Jesus and the present mission. Shoes of peace are definitely an important part of our spiritual armor.
What piece of armor is your strength? Weakness? I'd say my strongest piece is my shield of faith. My faith in God has sustained me through many times. Because God is faithful.
