In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Ephesians 6:16
Well this is the first time we get to do something besides ”put on” our armor. We get to “hold up” the shield of faith. Now this is important because this is an indication that we are in battle. We don’t just put on our armor and go on our way forgetting about it; we hold up our shield because there is incoming traffic in the form of fiery arrows that the devil is shooting at us.
For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. Ephesians 6:15
Does it seem strange that an important piece of the armor of God we are called to put on so we will be ready for battle against the unseen forces and rulers of this dark world would be the shoes of the gospel (or good news) of peace? We’re wearing shoes of peace to go to war? It should be pretty clear by now that God’s strategies are often at odds with what we might naturally think of.
Prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world. Philippians 2:15
There is a style of brick-laying here in our town originated by the builder of our little cottage 85 years ago. His name was Carl Able, and he came here in 1937 from Denmark. Carl put a lot of love into this house. No two windows are the same. He acquired these windows from a hotel in Los Angeles that was being demolished and decided to incorporate them into this house. Four of them are leaded glass. Rough-hewn beams grace the open beam ceiling in the living room, and legend has it there could be valuable wood carvings by him hidden on the grounds in the overgrowth of 85 years. It’s rare for a house that is only 750 square feet to receive such attention, but that’s what makes it special. We keep discovering more things about this place we didn’t know.
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. Ephesians 6:14
Now to the body armor. In Paul’s day they called it a breastplate. It protected the upper torso which houses all the vital organs. This is your main piece of armor since it protects primarily your heart. Your heart is the home of Christ and the source of your emotions. So Paul chooses to call this the “breastplate of righteousness,” or as the NLT updates it “the body armor of God’s righteousness.”
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth… Ephesians 6:14
When you got up this morning and walked into your place in the world — maybe, like me, it was just a room in your house — you immediately took up a position “against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). If I had asked you, you might know about this but chances are, you weren’t aware of it just now.
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10
What does it mean to be strong in the Lord?
First it means to not be afraid. Fear simply has no place in the heart of a believer because there is no room for it. When Christ fills your heart there isn’t room for anything else. Like Peter out on the water walking to Jesus, he was fine as long as he stayed focused on the Lord. But as soon as he took his eyes off the Lord and turned them onto the waves and the storm and the fact that he was out of the boat, actually walking on the water, he sank like a stone. All eyes on Jesus at all times.
The picture above is a print made from a woodcut etching by Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) a fifteenth century German Renaissance artist who specialized in detailed woodcut prints as well as paintings and writings. This particular etching and others he has done like it have always represented to me a graphic illustration of spiritual warfare.
Everyone seems to think there are dark, sinister forces behind the bad things that are going on in the world. Well there are, they just aren’t what most people speculate. This is where conspiracy theories come from — speculation about what is behind the evil in the world.
John the Baptist lost his head over sticking his nose into the king’s private business. King Herod had an affair with Herodias, his brothers wife, and he ended up taking her to be his wife. John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her” (Matthew 14:4). Herod had wanted to kill John over this, but he feared the people who thought of John as a prophet (which he obviously was). But when the daughter of Herodias won the king’s favor by dancing for him at his birthday party, he promised her anything she wanted, and at the insistence of her mother, she requested the head of John the Baptist.
The mockingbirds are back. They are amazing. The average mockingbird has around 200 different songs. Most of them they have picked up from different birds (thus their name). Some of their sounds mimic even non-bird sounds. One bird in our neighborhood must have been around someone who is very thankful because he has a part of his song that is a dead-ringer for, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” It’s an incredible natural reminder to live a grateful life.
John Fischer The Catch 