Maturing as Christians

Putting on the armor of God points to living by and keeping in step with the Holy Spirit!  The “armor” is a spiritual metaphor for the protection and strength Christians can receive through faith, which is enabled by the Holy Spirit to help them overcome spiritual battles. The strength to put on the armor comes from the Holy Spirit, allowing believers to withstand temptation and the schemes of the devil, as described in the biblical passage in Ephesians 6:10-18. Paul instruct

Paul teaches, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).  The “helmet of salvation”  relates to Jesus as the assurance of eternal life and victory over sin and doubt, which is a gift received through faith in Him. It protects the believer's mind from spiritual attacks by grounding them in the truth of Jesus' sacrifice and the promise of God's protection. Wearing the helmet is a continuous act of trusting in what

We read, “And having strapped on your feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:15-16).  The “gospel of peace”  relates to Jesus as He is the embodiment of peace. In other words, Jesus is not just a source of peace, but is peace itself, reconciling humanity with God through His life, death, and resurrection. The “gospel of pea

We read, “Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14).  The belt of truth relates to Jesus by being the foundation of the Christian faith. Jesus, Himself said these words, “Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).  Truth is not just an abstract concept, but a person—Jesus Christ himself. He is seen as the ultimate a

We read, “ Put on  the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).  Apostle Paul means that Christians should equip themselves with spiritual virtues and divine protection to stand your ground against the schemes of evil forces. The armor is metaphorical for a person's inherent qualities of mind and character. The armor points to habitual qualities of character that guide us!  They’re developed through intentio

John teaches us, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4).  In the biblical Greek, there are two words for “to know.” One is the word which means “to have knowledge of.”  The danger of that word is we can think that when we’ve come to know in the mind and know the facts, that will be enough for us. However,

In the biblical Greek, there are two words for “to know.” One is the word which means “to have knowledge of.”  The danger of that word is we can think that when we’ve come to know in the mind and know the facts, that will be enough for us. However, there is another Greek word for “to know.” It means “to know by experience.”   It basically says that we have no right to say that we’ve come to know something until we’ve experienced it. Let’s examine John 14:7-9. After announcing

Paul says to Titus, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12). So you see those two things that Paul says to Titus here in Titus 2:11-12. Here we’re told what God’s grace is really meant to accomplish. It’s really meant to not just save us, but to make us like Christ. The first thing the apostle says is

This teaching answers the question, “What is a Biblical prophet?” There’s a difference between prophesying using the Scriptures and being a prophet speaking directly from God.  According to Ephesians 2:20, New Testament prophets served as the foundation of the church. They spoke directly from revelation given by God.  Once this foundation was laid, and with the New Testament complete, the unique role of apostles and prophets for the purpose of laying the foundation is underst