I was going to write about fear today, since Halloween is on Saturday...but I realized I couldn't abandon my talk on the armor of God without one important aspect.  I know we've finished putting on every piece of armor, but there's one specific instruction that Paul gives us after explaining the armor.  And that is to pray.  Here it is in Ephesians 6, verse 18: Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Notice that your instructions aren't just to pray sometimes--like "God help me…

Depending on which version of the Bible you read, you’ll find that Ephesians 6:14 describes the armor as “the breastplate of righteousness,” or “the body armor of God’s righteousness.”  When consulting with my husband on these two terms, he informed me that, when Ephesians was being written, body armor and the breastplate were the same thing.  Thus, we’ll treat them as such. Strong’s Concise Concordance describes the breastplate as having two parts that protect the torso (from the neck to the middle of the body) front and back.  This piece of armor, generally made of leather, bronze, or iron, protected…

In Ephesians 6:15, Paul tells us: For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In order for us to really understand this verse, I think we need to dissect it first.  Let’s start from the beginning. Why shoes? According to Merriam-Webster, a shoe is “an outer covering for the human foot,” or “a metal plate or rim for the hoof of an animal.”  In other words, it is protection for feet.  Our feet are sensitive, and sticks, stones, and other debris (like Legos!) can cause us serious pain when…