QT 27 Nov 10

Eph 6:14-18 (NIV) Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

NOTE: I would like to look at each one of these and see if there is some relationship to chapters one to three.

The belt of truth relates back to verse 1:13, the word of truth. In 1:13, the word of truth is what we believed, and as a consequence were sealed by the Holy Spirit. The HS serves as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. Our waist covers a variety of organs, mostly involved in digestion, such as the stomach, intestines, and liver. We need to digest the word of truth in our life, and allow the nutrients of the word to filter through our whole body.

The breastplate of righteousness relates back to verse 4:24, in the application section. Verse 4:24 talks about putting on the new man, created in righteousness and holiness. The word for righteousness, dikaiosune, seems to also refer to the overall character of a man. Because we are new creatures, going back to the main idea in chapter 2 and 3, the mystery of our inclusion in the family of God and the kingdom of God, we are to live as bespeaks our new status. The breastplate protects the very vital organs of the body, heart and lung. Both are critical aspects of life that must always be working. When they stop, our life stops. So we should treat our character. It is not something that we can take a break from living.

I think that is all for now. My character must exhibit the new man; my digestion must be on God's word.

QT 25 Nov 10

Eph 6:13 (NIV) Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

NOTE: Up to this point, Paul has discussed the application of chapters 1-3, in chapters 4-6 with the term "walk." Now, he says "stand," what is the difference. I would think that 'walk' refers to a way of life, how you live, how you interact, and how you go about life. But 'stand,' especially in the context, is a military term, i.e., "stand your ground." And the passage starts out with a discussion of the enemy and his strength. So these verses are specifically referring to the spiritual warfare that will occur in life, and how we are to defend ourselves, and to not lose ground to the enemy. I think these verses are more personal in nature as opposed to verses concerning the Christian movement. There will come times in a person's life where the enemy will make a frontal assault upon our faith. We are to 'STAND,' and not lose ground. I think many of us think that we can 'shrink back,' because God will accept us when we return to him. But God is not pleased with those who 'shrink back.'

Heb 10:38 But my righteous one will live by faith. // And if he shrinks back, // I will not be pleased with him."

QT 22 Nov 10

Eph 6:10-13 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

NOTE: This is Paul's final point, as evidenced by the word "finally." I would call this "walk in power." The power is found in putting on the whole armor of God. My guess is that each of the pieces of armor will relate back to the doctrinal portions of chapters 1-3. So, after telling us to put on the whole armor of God, Paul gives the reason: this is a spiritual battle against evil which you can't even see. Evil is coming and we must be ready to fight against it. I don't know if I truly recognize the evil battle that is occurring around me. Yes, I see the evil, but I don't pay attention to the source. I need to be more serious in my battle against evil. I need to understand each part of the armor and how it helps me in my battle against the forces of evil.

QT 18 Nov 10

Eph 6:9 (NIV) And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

NOTE: Do not threaten them, in other words no bullying. Why is it that bosses bully their employees? It is our sin nature. Some need to control another person's life because of the inner pride or feeling that we are better than them. I so look forward to the millennial kingdom when we will have transformed leadership, when bullying will not be tolerated. We are a society imploding and we don't even realize it.

QT 8 Nov 10

Eph 6:1-3 (NIV) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother"-which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

NOTE: This is really a lot like a proverb, although it may also have direct spiritual intervention as well. But the reason life goes well for a child who listens to their parent, is that parent has wisdom whereas the child does not. There is always great gain in listening to someone with wisdom. Wise counsel is not found in young friends. And the best counsel is found in those who know God. Those who avoid the counsel of the wise are foolish, and are very likely to make supremely stupid decisions that ultimately could cost them their earthly life. Another interesting aspect of this verse is that the children are told to exercise their will and obey. The parents are not told to make their children obey. Ultimately, all of life is defined by choices that made out of free will. While in general, good parenting is accompanied by good children, there is no guarantee. A bad child can come from good parents as a good child can come from poor parents. A person chooses his course, not a parent, not another person, but him or her alone.