As to Our Good Works: Introducing the Subject (1) We obey. We do. We labor. We work. We must work. We can work. We do work. By the power of Christ’s Spirit we elect believers who have been called into communion with Christ do good works. But what is the relation between our doing of […]
God’s Armor for Us: the Praying Soldier (23)
God’s Armor for Us: the Praying Soldier (23) “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” – Ephesians 6:18 Prayer and war are inseparably related. Certainly this holds true of prayer and physical warfare so that as the old adage goes, “There […]
God’s Armor for Us: the Sword (22)
God’s Armor for Us: the Sword (22) “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” – Ephesians 6:17 Down through the ages, no weapon has been more valuable and had a greater use in warfare than the sword. Countless enemies have fallen and countless battles […]
God’s Armor for Us: the Helmet (21)
God’s Armor for Us: the Helmet (21) “And take the helmet of salvation….” – Ephesians 6:17 Defense, defense, defense. How important is defense! The one and only offensive weapon—the sword—is very important, as we shall soon see. But so important is the individual believer’s soul in which God has deposited eternal riches in Christ, and so important is the defense of that […]
God’s Armor for Us: the Shield (20)
God’s Armor for Us: the Shield (20) “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Ephesians 6:16 Fiery darts! Who shall stand in this war against an enemy with arrows that drip with the angry fires of hellish unbelief, selfishness, worldliness, pride, and […]
What It Means to Be Reformed (9) The Church – My Chief Joy (2)
What It Means to Be Reformed (9) The Church – My Chief Joy (2) As a Reformed Christian, I love the church of Jesus Christ. And love for the church commits me, as it does all Reformed Christians, to devotion to the church. So much is devotion to God’s church a part of being Reformed that, if I did […]
God’s Armor for Us: the Footwear (19)
God’s armor for us: The footwear (19) “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” Ephesians 6:15 The footwear itself Like the girdle and breastplate we have previously examined, footwear is also important for battle. To have “your feet shod” is to have sandals fastened to your feet. The Roman soldier […]
God’s Armor for Us: the Breastplate (18)
God’s armor for us: The breastplate (18) “…and having on the breastplate of righteousness.” Ephesians 6:14b Having girded our loins (tightened our belt) with the truth of God’s Word so that we know the truth, believe the truth, confess the truth, defend the truth, love the truth, and live the truth, we have begun the […]
God’s Armor for Us: the Girdle (17)
God’s armor for us: the girdle (17) “Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth….” Ephesians 6:14a Having heard our marching orders, “Be strong in the Lord!” (Eph. 6:10), and how to carry them out, “Put on the whole armor of God!” (Eph. 6:11), we now proceed to a treatment of our battle armor. […]
Our Marching Orders (16)
Our Marching Orders (16) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. – Ephesians 6:10 Go forth in His service and strong in His might to conquer all evil and stand for the right. – From Psalter 407, stanza 3 The words above are our marching orders for […]