God has given us powerful armor to stand firm and advance for His Kingdom. In today’s devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef teaches about the second three elements of the full armor of God.
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[00:00:00] You're listening to My Devotional, the daily devotional from Dr. Michael Youssef and Leading
[00:00:06] the Way.
[00:00:07] Your Defense Against the Devil by Dr. Michael Youssef
[00:00:13] In times of confusion, uncertainty, and vulnerability, the shield is your most comforting armor.
[00:00:20] It shouldn't be a surprise, therefore, that the shield of faith is a key piece of the
[00:00:24] armor of God.
[00:00:25] Paul writes, Take up the shield of faith.
[00:00:29] The shield that Paul is envisioning is not a small, lightweight shield, but the whole body
[00:00:35] shield up to five feet in diameter of the Roman soldiers on the front lines.
[00:00:40] Now, the faith of the shield of faith is not the faith you exercised when first coming to
[00:00:47] Christ.
[00:00:48] That's actually the belt of truth, your salvation through Jesus Christ by grace and through faith.
[00:00:53] Rather, the faith of the shield of faith is the growing absolute trust and confidence in Christ
[00:01:00] that you exercise every day, whether you're on the mountaintops or in the valleys.
[00:01:05] We daily take up the shield by exercising trust in Jesus, in his provision, his protection,
[00:01:11] his strength.
[00:01:12] Hidden behind him, we can extinguish every fiery dart of the enemy, every temptation to
[00:01:19] covetousness, pride, anger, envy, hatred, doubt, fear, despair, and distrust of God.
[00:01:25] Then, no soldier would think of stepping onto the battlefield without his helmet.
[00:01:30] So, Paul calls us to take up the helmet of salvation.
[00:01:34] Satan attacks by getting us to question our salvation so that we become insecure, doubt,
[00:01:40] and fall into sin.
[00:01:41] But if we guard our minds with God's gracious gift of salvation through Christ, that it's
[00:01:47] God's work in us and not dependent upon our righteousness, the devil's blows will never
[00:01:54] penetrate.
[00:01:56] Lastly, Paul exhorts us to wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
[00:02:01] The sword was the primary weapon of the Roman soldier worn attached to the belt.
[00:02:07] Paul calls it of the Spirit because it's a spiritual weapon of divine origin.
[00:02:13] It's the infallible, authoritative, complete Word of God.
[00:02:17] It's our only charter for every seed, medicine for every sickness, balm for every wound.
[00:02:24] The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, offers limitless resources and blessings to
[00:02:29] the believer.
[00:02:30] However, it is both defensive and offensive.
[00:02:32] It deflects the blows of the devil.
[00:02:34] It rescues people from sin and death to righteousness and life.
[00:02:39] It turns despair into hope, stagnation into growth, defeat into victory, and sadness into joy.
[00:02:48] God has given us powerful armor to stand firm and even advance for His kingdom.
[00:02:55] Let's pray together.
[00:02:57] Lord, thank you for these powerful protections.
[00:03:01] May we take them up and use them for your kingdom and bear witness to the unmatched love
[00:03:07] and power of God.
[00:03:09] We pray this in the name of Jesus.
[00:03:11] Amen.
[00:03:13] If today's devotional encouraged you, we'd love to hear about it.
[00:03:17] Leave a review and share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it.
[00:03:22] My devotional is a ministry of leading the way with Dr. Michael Youssef.
[00:03:26] To learn more, visit ltw.org today.