Promised Peace

Thursday, October 28, 2026

Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation 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. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:14-18 CSB

Promised Peace

Plenty of things in this world promise peace but deliver exactly the opposite. Satan entices us with promises of all kinds of things – including peace – but he is the father of lies. He promises us things in order to distract us from the real promise keeper, God. He wants us to take our eyes off of God and to distract us from him and his purpose for our lives, making us ineffective for the kingdom and taking a stand in the spiritual battle we are engaged in.

When our peace is shaken it feels like the whole world is caving in on us. The sandals of the gospel of peace are our foundation, helping us stay steady and secure because our trust in peace found in him and the victory we have in him. The gospel of peace (the gospel story) is the foundation of our lives. Just as shoes protect feet, the gospel of peace protects us bringing durability, comfort, support, and steadiness.

Peace (shalom) brings an inner resting of the soul that doesn’t fluctuate depending on circumstances. Completeness. Wholeness. It comes from Jesus alone, and is different from the world. We equate peace with lack of struggle and pain, but peace is possible in middle of struggle and pain. It is possible in the heat of the battle when the enemy is throwing everything he has at us. 

“The gospel of peace” is both offensive and defensive.

Offensive – we must be ready to intentionally take the gospel of peace to a lost world. Matt 24:14 They also enable believers to move forward in mission.

Defensive – we must always be ready to stand against the devil’s schemes by being firmly rooted in the truth of the gospel and to be ready to give a defense for what we believe. In peace with graciousness and kindness even to those who oppose us. The gospel of peace protects against the “flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16) by reminding believers of God’s faithfulness, their identity in Christ, and the truth of Scripture.

 

The gospel of peace brings peace everywhere there is division, anger, hate, or malice. The gospel of peace is powerful enough to save a whole world, unite kingdoms, span generations of all time, bring heaven to earth, raise the dead, and save a wretch from certain destruction.  The gospel of peace justifies and reconciles an unholy people with a holy God. 

What gives you peace? We look for peace in so many wrong places. If we don’t want to think about it or feel we will seek peace in something. We buy things, take things, eat things, drink things, stay in bed, stay away from people, watch things, scroll things and more just to try to find a sliver of peace or a moment of contentment. None of these things will bring us peace. They are only distractions. Satan loves a good distraction because he knows the only thing that brings peace is Jesus and his gospel of peace. We will never find peace at the end of a distraction. We will find emptiness and the same thing we were trying to distract ourselves from and often more of it. 

What invades your peace? 

What are you carrying that invades your peace? 

The gospel of peace provides us with peace in the midst of storms, chaos, lies, and the most difficult and trying times. He wraps his peace around us like a blanket. We should always have his peace on, along with the other armor, at all times. We need to be ready at all times and not wait until we are surprised by the enemy. We are protected by the gospel of peace because it is truth that stands against everything the enemy is throwing at us. It helps us stand unwavering in the battle when Satan tries to make us wobble. It helps us defend the “flaming arrows” from Satan, giving us confidence in who we are in Christ when he whispers lies in our ear. No matter the circumstances, the shoes of readiness for the gospel of peace enable us to move forward in our purpose, sharing the gospel of peace. 

Unconventional Miracles from an Unconventional God

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. And he said to them, Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’ Judges 7:16-18

Unconventional Miracles from an Unconventional God

The story of Gideon is so powerful and there are so many lessons we can take away from it. One very distinct and unusual twist in the story of Gideon is the battle scene itself. There are two specific points about the battle scene that really stand out: the strategy and the weapons.  

So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”
2 Judges 7:19-20

The Strategy
The bible says that Gideon’s army approached the outskirts of the enemy’s camp at the beginning of the middle watch.  There were three night watches.  The first was from 8:00 pm to midnight, the second or “middle” watch was from midnight to 4:00 am and the last watch was from 4:00 am to 8:00 am.  This makes midnight the beginning of the second watch, which was when Gideon and his men surprised their enemies.  This is the middle of the night, the darkest part of the night and the beginning of the new shift.  Gideon divided his 300 men into three groups of 100 men in each group.  Then he told them to circle all around the camp – the very large camp housing literally thousands of enemy soldiers.  He wanted them to be heard and seen from every direction around the camp.  This is a great idea, but when you take 300 men and stretch them out all the way around a camp that big, in the darkest part of the night, it was almost as it they were all sent out to fight alone.  Some scholars believe they were probably so far apart that they couldn’t even see the person next to them, especially given the darkness. It would feel much like fighting a battle literally all alone.  Not to mention the weapons they were given.

The Weapons
This may be the most unbelievable part.  Here was Gideon’s little army of three hundred going up against this army of thousands and I am sure all of their jaws dropped when Gideon told them what their weapon would be.  After he divided the men into three groups, he gave them each a trumpet, an empty pitcher, and a torch to go inside the pitcher.  He did not even give a “normal” weapon, not a sword or even a shield to hide behind.  

These two aspects are so very typical of how God works. He is a miracle worker and wants His power to be evident to all. I believe His power was quite evident to Gideon and his men since the enemy scattered as fast as they could when they started blowing trumpets and smashing pitchers in the dark of the night. I am sure the Midianites were confused and terrified as they were startled out of their sleep by these loud noises coming from all sides of their camp. I would imagine this made 300 men sound more like 300 thousand!

Our God fights our battles using the most unconventional weapons and strategy. If He did things the way we think He should, what would distinguish Him as God? He will not be predictable or conventional. His ways are not our ways – thankfully! When despair takes over, we need a God who can work above and beyond what we can comprehend. It is the limits we put on Him, because of the limits of our human comprehension, that cause us to despair. He is a miracle worker and miracles are only miracles because there is no way in the human mind that we can work it out. If we could figure it out, we would think we can do it in our own power and where would be the miracle in that? Thank Him today for His limitless and boundless power to work unconventional miracles in our lives – power that He never withholds - even when we don’t deserve it. 

But Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.  Matthew 19:26 

The Right Shoes For Battle

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation 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. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:14-18 CSB

In our current series on Spiritual Warfare called, Stand: Equipped for the Battle, we are learning about the enemy, his tactics, and how we can dress for battle in the full armor of God. As Christians every day we are on the battleground of a war that wages all around us unseen – a spiritual battle. Satan is our enemy and we have learned about his tactics. He distracts us with falsehoods to steer us off the course of God’s plan for us. These tactics weaken us in the battle and create vulnerability in our heart and mind.
We have learned about the Belt of Truth and the Breastplate of Righteousness. This past Sunday we learned of the third piece of armor, the Sandals of Peace.

The Sandals of Peace

Standing tall and upright on our feet is symbolic of strength and victory. The rest of our armor is useless without the shoes. A soldier decked in full military gear cannot get very far without his boots. They have to be able to stand firm, and the wrong shoes can make this impossible. Roman soldiers wore very distinctive shoes in battle. They had thick leather straps that secured them to the foot. On the bottom of the sole were little pieces of metal that protruded like spikes on cleats to give the soldier firmness of footing so he could stand in the battle. In hand-to-hand combat, the soldier could hold his ground and make quick moves without slipping, sliding, or falling. The shoes provided protection and support for long marches over rocky and uneven ground. 

The Weapon of the Gospel of Peace

If we are going to “stand” and “withstand” attacks from Satan, then we need the shoes of the Gospel of Peace. Because we have the peace with God - …we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Romans 5:1 - that comes from the Bible, we need not fear the attack of Satan or men. We must be at peace with God and with each other if we are to defeat the devil (James 4:1–7). The enemy loves it when there is division among Christians.  When we are not unified, we are weak.  He will use that opportunity to slip in and destroy churches and families. 

In the same way that a soldier “brings peace”, we must be prepared each day to share the Gospel of peace with a lost world.  If we wear the shoes of the Gospel of Peace, then we have the “beautiful feet” mentioned in Isaiah 52:7 - How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Satan has declared war, but you and I are ambassadors of peace, and, as such, we take the Gospel of Peace everywhere we go. Our feet must be so shod, that our footsteps do not slip as we carry the Gospel of Peace, straight through the front line of battle, to the world.  

Sunday Pastor Jim gave us five ways we can stand with our “feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace”:

-              Know the gospel. (1 Corinthians 15:1-5) 

-              Stand in the truths of the gospel. (Romans 14:17) 

-              Live out the Kingdom nature of the gospel. A life marked by the presence of Christ. (2 Timothy 2:4)

-              Proclaim the gospel. (Romans 1:16)

-              Disciple others to live out the gospel. (Matthew 28:19-20.

 

When we have peace in our hearts we are steady. Our feet are gripping the ground beneath us. We are planted firmly and nothing can shake us. Our peace is found when we focus on God but Satan wants our focus off of God and on anything else. He wants us unsteady, slipping and sliding in insecurity and fear. He wants us unsure in our footing, so we don’t take a step – so we are ineffective and not engaged in battle. 

We must always be ready to intentionally take the gospel of peace to a lost world. We must always be ready to stand against the devil’s schemes by being firmly rooted in the truth of the gospel and to be ready to give a defense for what we believe in peace with graciousness and kindness even to those who oppose us.

How is your footing? Are you standing firm or sinking? Where is your peace found? How will you take your stand this week for “the gospel of peace”?   

What to Do With Your Doubts

  Monday, October 26, 2026

Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:31

A doubt is often a trigger for the search for deeper faith. Doubts won't just go away. They'll continue to lurk in the shadows of your mind.  When we honestly face our doubts, many times they're not so terrible. When examined in the light of day, they turn out to be only harmless shadows.   

What to Do With Your Doubts

• Admit them - There are lots of causes for doubt.  Improper concept of God and His work is one thing that can cause doubt. Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand who God was or what He was doing.  God was doing what He had intended.  They just did not understand Him. We often have the same problem.  Personal failure can be a cause for doubt.  An attitude such as “I would never…” or “That only happens to other people…” Job loss, divorce, cancer, death of a loved one or other personal tragedy – “Did not think God would do that to me” can bring on doubt.  National or Global Tragedy such as the Covid19 Pandemic – “A good God would not do that.”  All these things can cause us to doubt and feel like God has abandoned us.  
• Examine them - Unexamined truth does not bring security or power.  Don’t panic - Seek answers from scripture.  Christianity is making some remarkable claims when you think about them. Jesus’ friends claim he came back to life after being truly dead. He will come again to wrap up history. Don’t let fear that your doubts may be true keep you from discovering the evidence you need to confirm and feel secure in your faith. 
• Discuss them - Go to the right people and the right sources.  Jesus went to God’s Word. Doubts are most often NOT caused by a lack of faith as much as a lack of understanding. Don’t hang around wrong people.  We fear talking to the family of faith about our doubts, so we turn to the world for our confirmation. Talk to the right people
• Suspend them - If, after all your efforts, nagging doubts remain, put them into a little compartment at the back of your head labeled “To be investigated later.”  If you're honest, you won't be bogged down in what you can't believe but will act on what you can believe.  Realize that you can manage doubt. If you wait until you are 100% certain, you will never act. 
• Resolve them - Don't succumb to the "paralysis of analysis."  Accept the truth and move on.  Accept the answer when it comes.  Open your mind to God's revelation.  Realize an improper base will not sustain a structure of truth.  When God enlarges your faith to cover your doubts, you will have a BIGGER God.  You may also have a larger ministry.  Believe and get to work. Do something!

As humans, we do not understand God. His ways are not our ways. But we can find the answer for our doubts in trusting Him. We can focus on what we know. We may not be able to understand everything He does or allows, but what do we know to be true about God? We know He is in control and when we acknowledge that and accept Him as the Omnipotent God that He is, we can find peace and rest in Him, laying our doubts down at His feet. Remember what He has done. Remember what you know. Remember what is true. 

And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.  Luke 24:38-40

Stand: Equipped for the Battle “The Sandals of Peace”

Stand: Equipped for the Battle
“The Sandals of Peace”
Ephesians 6:14-18 (CSB)

 

Key Truth: We fight from victory, not for victory, because the battle belongs to the Lord.

Main Question: What is the belt of truth and how will it help us in our spiritual battle? 

1.        The purpose of the sandals. 

2.        The weapon of the gospel of peace.  

“The gospel of peace” is… 

a.        Offensive

b.        Defensive

How do we stand with our “feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace”?

1.    Know the gospel. (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

2.    Stand in the truths of the gospel. (Romans 14:17)

3.    Live out the Kingdom nature of the gospel. 
(2 Timothy 2:4)

4.   Proclaim the gospel. (Romans 1:16)

5.    Disciple others to live out the gospel. 
(Matthew 28:19-20. 

After the Message: 
Read Ephesians 6:14-18 How is your footing? Are you standing firm or sinking? Where is your peace found? How will you take your stand this week for “the gospel of peace”?  

What Do You Delight In?

 Thursday, October 22, 2026

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Psalms1:1-3

What Do You Delight In? 

Contentment. What feelings does that word stir in you? it seems that contentment is forever just out of our reach and can keep us on a continual race for the next thing that we are sure will bring us the feeling we are seeking. We reach that next thing only to realize the deep longing inside does not go away. What then, if anything, will satisfy this maddening drive inside of us for this satisfaction? 

In the verses above, the Hebrew word for blessed is esher, which leads to the idea of happiness or contentment. The psalmist is giving us a hint of what will fulfill the longing in our soul, and  it is not the “next thing.”  

Reading these verses closely we can glean much information. God is what our soul truly desires and what only God can give us satisfies above all. It is the only thing that really satisfies and brings us true joy. We can find this contentment, joy, and satisfaction by delighting in and meditating on his word. 

The Psalmist tells us that the person that delights in the Lord and his word will be like a tree planted beside streams of water. Flourishing. A tree planted by water flourishes because it is drinking in the water and grows strong and bears fruit. The fruit comes naturally as the tree is planted by the water.  Its roots go deep providing stability and steadiness in every season. When we plant ourselves in close proximity to the living water we will naturally bear fruit. Those whose delight is in the law of the Lord will prosper – not monetarily, but in their work for the Lord. Delighting and meditating on him brings us the joy and satisfaction our heart desires.

We value all the good gifts that God has given but we when we value them too much, we elevate them above God himself and make idols of his good gifts.  If you are lacking joy consider these questions: Where are you finding delight? Is it glorifying and honoring God? Are you delighted in and meditating on his word? We delight in and have appetites for what we value. Think about this – it is a good way to tell what is important to you. 

His Righteousness or My Unrighteousness

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation 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. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:14-18 CSB

His Righteousness or My Unrighteousness

One of the truths the Apostle Paul wants us to grasp in Ephesians 6 is that we ARE in the line of fire…every day.  He impresses upon us that we are in a battle…not with earthly enemies, but with spiritual enemies.  Standing in my own good intentions, I am tempted to dress myself in an armor of my own righteousness.  We would all love for our personal strengths and spiritual perseverance to be sufficient in protecting us in the battles and temptations we face throughout the day.  

The reality is that a breastplate of our own righteousness is going to be completely and utterly useless in the battle.  The breastplate of our own righteousness has gaping holes in it.  We strive to keep it polished, but in the heat of battle, it proves to be little more protection than wet tissue paper.  Isaiah 64 speaks truth in verse 6: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Apart from Jesus we have no righteousness and cannot save ourselves or stand firm against the enemy’s attacks. 

So what hope do we have?  Whose righteousness will be our protection in this spiritual war?  With what do we dress ourselves against this onslaught? 

When we are dressed with the breastplate of righteousness, it is the righteousness of Christ that we wear by faith.  It is not our reputation that rejects the accusations of the enemy, but Christ’s!  It is not our faithfulness that stands, but His!  It is because of Him that Isaiah 54:17 can testify: “No weapon formed against you will succeed, and you will refute any accusation raised against you in court. This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants, and their vindication is from me.” Our heritage is that we are protected and covered in him. No weapons the enemy hurls our way will succeed. They may knock us down – but they won’t take us out. 

So how do I put it on? 

Ephesians 2:8,9 makes it clear that our salvation is not based upon our own performance:  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Likewise, we do not take on the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness through our own good works or act of will. In fact it is in our weakness that His strength is made perfect.  It is in surrender to Jesus that we are made victorious and clothed in his righteousness. He puts his righteousness on us. He takes our unrighteousness and gives us his righteousness so we can not only stand firm against the enemy, but so we can stand upright before God.  

Wrapped in Righteousness

 Tuesday, October 20, 2026

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise. 
Galatians 3:27-29

Wrapped in Righteousness

Righteousness.  A word that seems unattainable some days. We know our weaknesses and sins and the things that no one else knows when they look at us.  But then there’s Jesus. Jesus knows everything about you and me.  He knows all that we hide from the rest of the world and He sees us as righteous and holy and worthy and good.  How is it that the spotless, unblemished Lord of the universe could see all that we are and still call us worthy?  

Paul wrote the verse above to the people in Galatia when they were struggling to work their selves into heaven.  They thought their actions would bring them salvation by keeping the law. Paul told them that the law would not give them anything – not salvation and not life.  It was never meant to. He had to convince them to see that doing all the right things could not save them.  They would never be “good enough” to save themselves, by themselves.  He tells how, in God’s eyes, everyone is on the same level, one in Christ Jesus. Following the rules, serving in all the ministries, going to church every Sunday will not get anyone into heaven.  Sometimes those things only serve to cover the sin, shame, and brokenness we are hiding underneath. 

The great news is that we don’t have to struggle to qualify for grace.  The minute we become His, we put on Christ like a garment and He covers all our sin, shame and brokenness with His beautiful grace.  He becomes our garment of grace, courage, safety, healing, everything we will ever need.  He covers us and protects us.  He wraps us in safety and everything that touches us has to go through Him first. He changes us – our appearance and identity.  We are redeemed and free and protected.  What a peaceful thought, our Heavenly Father wrapped around us, hiding us, protecting us, and covering the unrighteousness in us, making us righteous in Him. Jesus is the answer and the key to qualifying for HIS grace and salvation.  He is the only way to everything we need. 

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

How The Breastplate of Righteousness Will Help Us In Battle

 Monday, October 19, 2026

Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation 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. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:14-18 CSB

How The Breastplate of Righteousness Will Help Us In Battle
In our current series on Spiritual Warfare called, Stand: Equipped for the Battle, we are learning about the enemy, his tactics, and how we can dress for battle in the full armor of God. As Christians every day we are on the battleground of a war that wages all around us unseen – a spiritual battle. Satan is our enemy and we have learned about his tactics. He distracts us with falsehoods to steer us off the course of God’s plan for us. These tactics weaken us in the battle and create vulnerability in our heart and mind.
Last week we learned that the Belt of Truth, the first piece of armor for believers, is to provide security, freedom, and confidence so we can stand firm in the battle. Yesterday we learned about the second piece of armor, the Breastplate of Righteousness. 

The purpose of the Breastplate: 
The breastplate was perhaps the most important part of the Roman soldier's armor—it provided protection for the torso, which contains vital organs like the heart and lungs.  If a soldier lost a foot or an arm, he could still recover, but without a breastplate, any attack could instantly become fatal. With a sturdy breastplate, the very same attacks become ineffective and useless, as blows bounce off the armor.  
Imputed or positional righteousness: Our sin keeps us from righteousness, so when Christ took on all our sin when he was on the cross, His righteousness was imputed (put on, given, transferred to) on us the second we believe. This matches up with the fact that salvation and eternity are not something you can earn with your good works. Neither is righteousness.  It is strictly bestowed upon us from God.  

On the cross Jesus gave us righteousness and took our sins. What an amazing exchange and Jesus did that for us while we were still sinners.  We could never qualify on our own, so He did it for us.  We just have to believe, and righteousness is ours.  

Imparted or Practical Righteousness: Imparted righteousness is the real, inward change or transformation that results in righteousness that God instills in believers. It is the deep inward transformation and renewal that happens in believers that helps us live according to His will. Imparted righteousness results in the outward display of righteous living before the Lord. Walking in righteousness means actively living a life that has been changed by God. 

What is the breastplate of righteousness and how will it help us in our spiritual battle? 

What is your most dangerous vulnerability?  Our most susceptible area is our heart. The soldier’s breastplate covered the heart. Satan often attacks our hearts - the seat of our emotions, self-worth, and trust. God's righteousness is the breastplate that protects the Christian’s heart. We must focus our hearts on Jesus Christ and his righteousness. We must do all we can to protect that focus. We can do that by living righteously – with integrity, honesty, and diligence. Righteousness keeps the heart from ever being wounded and losing its focus.

Pastor Jim gave us four points of how we can leverage the Breastplate of Righteousness in spiritual warfare:

1. Know who you are in Christ. We are redeemed, a child of God, more than conquerors, God’s workmanship, a new creation, and so much more. We forget who we are in Christ when the enemy tries to make us feel unworthy.  
2. Stand in who you are in Christ. Take your stand in the full armor of God.
3. Grow in who you are in Christ. Learn all you can through reading the Bible, studying, discipleship and community. 
4. Live out who you are in Christ. Live out the imparted righteousness you have in Christ before him. 

The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s attacks or makes it easier for him to defeat us.  Satan is the accuser, but he cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of the Spirit. When Satan attacks the Christian, it is the righteousness of Christ that assures the believer of his salvation. When we are clothed in righteousness, we are impenetrable. Our positional righteousness in Christ, without practical righteousness in the daily life, only gives Satan opportunity to attack us. Be aware and stand guard.  Allow Christ to work His life and will in you. Allow His Holy Spirit to give you the power to live above sin. Every day intentionally live in His righteousness so it can protect your heart.  

Read Ephesians 6:14-18. Do you have a right relationship with God through Jesus? Are you living “rightly” in obedience to Him? What needs to change so that you can?  

Stand: Equipped for the Battle “The Breastplate of Righteousness”

 

Stand: Equipped for the Battle
“The Breastplate of Righteousness”
Ephesians 6:14-18 (CSB)

 

Key Truth: We fight from victory, not for victory, because the battle belongs to the Lord.

Main Question: What is the breastplate of righteousness and how will it help us in our spiritual battle? 

1.        The purpose of the breastplate. 

2.        The weapon of righteousness.  

a.         Imputed or positional righteousness

b.        Imparted or practical righteousness.

How do we leverage the Breastplate of Righteousness in spiritual warfare?

1.         Know who you are in Christ. 

2.         Stand in who you are in Christ. 

3.         Grow in who you are in Christ. 

4.         Live out who you are in Christ. 

After the Message: 
Read Ephesians 6:14-18. Do you have a right relationship with God through Jesus? Are you living “rightly” in obedience to Him? What needs to change so that you can?