“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” - ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ I am taking a short, two-week break from the blog. I have been blessed with an opportunity to preach soon, and my mind and heart have been focused in on that responsibility. This will be my first time back in the pulpit in nearly two months, and it has been an incredibly long and difficult journey back into it. I praise God for never leaving me nor forsaking me during this season of difficulty. I praise Him for His faithfulness and for the reward of enduring a trial as a Christian. My friends, never let anyone try to stomp out the fire God has put in your heart to serve Him. Go on living for Him boldly, proclaiming the truth of His gospel message of salvation by His grace through faith in His Son. I am humbled to be preaching on May 31 at Hidalgo Independent Christian Church as I fill in for my father-in-law, pastor, mentor, and role model. I ask you to join me in prayer, that my efforts to serve the Lord are fruitful for those who will hear the message. Most of all, I pray that God be honored in all that takes place. I believe firmly in prayer and thank you for your support. I look forward to getting back to the blog soon.

Titus 2:1 - "But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine." Many people who claim to be Christians today refuse to join a church. People point to past church hurt, a lack of time, or a lack of good local churches as a reason why they refuse to join a church. This shift away from the local church has in part been exacerbated by the growing online and megachurch movement. Many of the world's biggest churches now broadcast directly into your home via television, internet, and social media. This is really a good thing, but it should never be a replacement for a Christian belonging to a local church and doing life with the local believers. With this growing phenomenon comes a basic truth that is essential for Christians to grasp; we need to commit to, and submit to, a local church. The Church is the bride of Christ. The Church exists to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5). Being in a Bible-teaching church allows believers to be strengthened by the Word and encouraged by other brothers and sisters. It creates an environment for true fellowship to occur and is a place for worshipping God. When it sticks to its main purpose, the local church pleases God and equips believers to live out their faith. When the local church fails to stick to its biblical mandate, problems arise. What about those suffering from church hurt? As someone who has experienced church hurt, even as a pastor, I understand it can be a big deal. It can cause you to not enjoy church, ministry, and even question why you serve God. If I have experienced this as a pastor, I can only imagine how one must feel who is new to the faith or new to church. But it is important to remember that church hurt is not ever caused by the Church. It is typically caused by one person or a small segment within the church acting in ways that are unbecoming of believers. Woe to them and woe to church leaders who may be the culprit for causing this church hurt. As Christians, we are viewed by the Father as His children. Here is what Jesus teaches about anyone who would cause the children of God to stumble in Matthew 18:6, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." Many churches have answered this issue by altering the physical appearance of the church to be what is known as "seeker sensitive." The problem with this is that churches are not addressing the core of the problem that exists. Eliminating church hurt starts with a church that teaches and preaches sound doctrine. Churches that preach eisegetically, seek to entertain, and are more focused on the appearance of righteousness rather than actually seeking after Christ and His righteousness do not eliminate church hurt. Instead, they inadvertently foster a culture that produces church hurt because they are more concerned with worldly things and not the things of the Kingdom. What about those professing believers who are simply too busy to spend a couple of hours each week attending a Sunday morning service or a weekly Bible study? I get it. Life gets busy and in many ways it never slows down. As a father of a young child, I understand that struggle. As someone who grew up in a family where my brothers and I played every sport imaginable, I get it. But my parents prioritized church even in the midst of our busiest seasons. Were there weeks when we could not attend church? Yes. Looking ahead, will there be weeks in my life when I will miss church? Yes. But my faith in Jesus Christ is the absolute most important aspect of my life. My relationship with the brothers and sisters I get to do life with from within my local church is also incredibly important. We are a family. We sharpen each other and hold each other accountable in our pursuit of total sanctification by the work of the Holy Spirit. If something is truly important enough, you will prioritize it. If you say you have faith in Jesus Christ, the evidence of your faith will be found in the life you live. Part of that is going to church. What about those believers who do not attend a church because they cannot find a good one? Church does not exist to make us feel good. Church exists to please God through worshipping Him and learning His word. We must only examine the quality of a local church through the lens of scripture. Doctrine must be taught, the Word of God must be the authority, and the leadership of the church must exist to honor God and reflect His grace to all who belong to that church. The pastor must fulfill the commands of him that are detailed in scripture, particularly in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. The worship must seek to please God alone, not the people worshipping Him. The culture must be one that is built on the Word. There are many local churches around you. If you belong to one that does it right, congratulations. If you are in one that does not uphold the commands of scripture, find out why that is, and seek after a church that honors Christ. The church is comprised of depraved humans pursuing a perfect, loving God. The church will fail in some areas and thrive in others. The main point is that as a Christian, you must be in one. Commit to going to church and making that family your family. After all, they are your eternal family. Submit to the authority in the church and allow God to transform you under good church leadership. Again, it is important to choose wisely which church to commit and submit to. Some churches get it wrong and leadership may not be focused on the right things. Once you find a church that preaches and teaches exegetically, worships God, and stands firm on His word to guide their every decision, you are in the right place. As a man of God, get your family in church. If you still haven't found one by next Sunday, I invite you to come sit by me next week. You won't be disappointed.

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” - ‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ Last week, I wrote about enduring trials based on James 1. This week, we continue our look into James but this time we will be looking into the end of chapter three. Here James is discussing wisdom. This week’s blog, much like last week, is a standalone blog post. We are not necessarily doing a study on James, although maybe we will sometime in the future. We find ourselves in James based on the fact that my wife and I are studying through it currently. Wisdom is something we all value. To be seen as wise means people will value our knowledge, experience, and insight into certain issues. It means we will be sought after by others to be helpful to them in moments of difficulty. However, as Christians, we must be cautious to not view wisdom as a means for us to be prideful and arrogant. In fact, James argues that the wisdom of man is different than the wisdom from God. Christians, especially those in ministry or leadership roles, must lead with Godly wisdom. Godly wisdom is presented in meekness (James 3:13). Jesus talks about meekness in Matthew 5:5 where He says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Meekness is defined as being gentle or humble. What James is getting at here is that one who is considered wise and knowledgeable (think of a pastor, teacher, or elder) must lead in humility. There must be an absence of pride, arrogance, selfishness, and a reliance on one’s own understanding. When you give into pride as one who is seen as a spiritual leader, you begin to either purposely or inadvertently make it more about yourself than about God. What is the wisdom of man? James calls it “earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.” He goes on to say in verse 16, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” The wisdom of man can also be seen by finding the opposing qualities of the wisdom from God. In verse 17, we read, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” By this list, it is safe to summarize that the wisdom of man is worldly, argumentative, brash, unreasonable, judgmental, rotten, biased, and insincere. As Christians, we must deny the wisdom of man. Much of our instinctual, fleshly responses to the world around us may be rooted in wisdom, but it is wisdom of man and not wisdom from God. Wisdom from God is pure. It allows us to try to see others how Christ would see them. It is peaceable. It does not argue over words, credentials, or worldly status. It is gentle. It corrects and speaks truth in love. It does not boast in its knowledge. It is open to reason. It lends itself to being approachable, not closed off. It is full of mercy. It recognizes that we all need to desire mercy, because to desire judgment condemns us all. It is full of good fruits. It is backed in integrity. When we treat others well, we need not fear of being guilty of succumbing to the wisdom of man. It is impartial. It is resolute, unwavering, and not uncertain and unstable. It is sincere. Sincere Godly wisdom is a sign of sincere faith. When someone views themself as one who is intellectually above others and lords that knowledge over them, it is a sign of immaturity in their spiritual wisdom and insincerity in their faith. At the end of the day, we as Christians must not look to the world for wisdom. We must not look to other men as sources of wisdom. We look to Christ for wisdom. We read His Word for wisdom. We hold our leaders to the biblical standard of Godly wisdom as well.

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” - James‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ We are finished with the Armor of God series and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This week we are not starting a new series, but instead I am reflecting on some recent life events and looking at them through a biblical lens. I pray that this may help you endure during moments of trial, knowing that doing so not only serves as evidence of genuine faith, but that it also builds us up and equips us for greater responsibility in our service to the King. I have recently gone through a lot of trials, hardship, and difficulty. I am not saying this to ask for sympathy. It is just part of life, especially life as a follower of Jesus Christ. We are promised to face hardships, but it is not the hardships that define us. We are defined by Jesus Christ because of God’s grace that allows us to know Him by having faith in His Son. Whether you are dealing with the passing of a loved one, leaving a role in ministry that you felt called to do, or the betrayal of someone you trusted, God gives us a clear game plan for how to face these trials. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says this in Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” It can be incredibly difficult when someone slanders your character to your face and in the presence of others. But how should we respond? I would be lying if I didn’t confess that among my initial and instinctual reactions is to try to “get even.” But getting even is not what we are called to. We are told by our Lord that we are blessed when people persecute us on His account. When the apostles were arrested and flogged for preaching in the name of Jesus, they rejoiced in that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name (Acts 5:40). Rejoice in persecution, especially when it is from people you think you can trust, and especially when they try to discourage you from pursuing ministry for the kingdom of God. You are blessed. In the past month, I have allowed the voice of man to persuade me into questioning whether I should ever pursue ministry in any capacity again. Even this very blog was something I began to question the future of. In the midst of this trial, my wife and I began to devote our evenings to a study through the book of James. James is a very straightforward and practical book that helps Christians pursue Christ in a better way. Our marriage has benefited from this study, as has my walk with the Lord through this season of trial. In James 1:2-4, James writes, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” When we face a trial, the first thing we should do is pray. To ignore prayer in a time of difficulty is to deny God’s sovereignty and grace. To deny prayer is to pridefully rely on oneself. As a Christian, we must always be quick to take every aspect of our lives to the Lord in prayer. Next, we must read His Word. We cannot know what God requires of us in a situation without knowing what His Word says. Lastly, we must humbly put into action the things we know to be true based on the Word. When the walls are closing in, when trials find you, and when you know things are being said about you that are either entirely untrue or only half true, we must remember James 1:12, which says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” Our faith grows stronger, and we become more sanctified when we undergo and successfully and humbly yield to God in our responses to trials. What trials are you facing today? Are you facing them with the knowledge of these truths from scripture in mind? I encourage you today to lean into the trial, take it all to God in prayer, and watch Him grow your faith in the days that follow. It may be difficult, but I promise that you will never regret doing things the Lord’s way.

Ephesians 6:17 - "... and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God..." We are now to our final piece of armor, which is the sword of the Spirit. The previous pieces of armor leading up to this one did not all give us the exact spiritual definition of what they represent. However, this one does. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. Just as the sword is a defensive and offensive weapon, so is the word of God. In Matthew 4, we see how the word is just that, the perfect and inerrant defense and offense for a follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days, where He was ultimately tempted by Satan. Nearing the end of His fast, Jesus was undoubtedly hungry after more than a month without food. Satan uses this to his advantage and tempts Jesus while He is in a moment of vulnerability. Jesus responds with a proper defensive use of the word of God in verse four by saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" He does it again in verse seven by saying, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Satan, the father of lies, then goes for the kill by promising Jesus the keys to all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus now shows us what it looks like to go on offense with the word of God. In verse 10, He says, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" A sword is strong enough to defend us against the attacks of the enemy, but sharp enough to cut through the lies and deception used by Satan to pull us away from the source of life. When we are clothed in the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of readiness given by the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation, our last and arguably most important piece of armor is the sword of the Spirit. Without this, we cannot defend and attack as a warrior for the Lord needs to. When we are in a moment of weakness, taking hits against our armor, it is the sword that defends us, those around us, and gives us power to advance forward in the battle. How do we access and properly use the sword of the Spirit? We must start by recognizing that the word of God is perfect and totally without error. It is given to us by God and Paul tells us that it is, "breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must do as the Bible says and store up God's word in our hearts, so that we do not live in sin and rebellion against Him (Psalm 119:11). When you follow Jesus, you will be met with trials. But the Bible tells us to rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all circumstances because that is God's will for us (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Without knowledge of the word we do not have an ability to call these things to mind in moments where we are facing trials and need our sword. More importantly, without wisdom, we cannot correctly and boldly apply the word of God to our lives. Wisdom is more than knowledge for the sake of knowledge. It is faith in God's sovereignty, power, and grace to overcome any obstacle we face. We are wise when we rely on the sword of the Spirit to fight our battles and not our own strength. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." As people who profess belief in Jesus Christ, we must use His word to guide our lives and guard our hearts. Back in Ephesians 6:18, Paul closes his list of the Armor of God by commanding us to be "praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." No trial is too difficult, no struggle is too great, and no moment is too devastating to not humble ourselves and drop to our knees in prayer to our Creator and the sustainer of our lives. If He is our Lord, we must submit to His will at all times. We can have all the armor and knowledge available to man, but if we do it all without genuine and enduring faith, it is all for show and is not fit for Kingdom work. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." My friends, I beg you to read the word of God. Read it carefully. Spend time daily with your Creator and allow Him to equip you as He continually works in and through you to bring about His will for your life. Arm yourself with the same weapon Jesus used to do ministry in this world as He prepared to take on the penalty of sin so that we may know the Father and inherit eternal life. If we are going to honestly and earnestly follow Him, we need every piece of this armor. But without reliance on His word, our efforts will be futile. His word is sufficient, His grace is sufficient, and Christ is sufficient.

Ephesians 6:17 - “and take the helmet of salvation…” The helmet is arguably the most widely recognized piece of a Roman soldier’s armor. Not only did it display confidence and power, but it also protected the solider in battle. The helmet obviously protects the head of the soldier. The helmet of salvation in this instance protects the mind of a Christian against spiritual attacks of the enemy. The Armor of God can only be worn by a Christian. Without being in Christ, this armor is practically useless and does not serve its true purpose, which is spiritual. The helmet of salvation should do for a Christian what a helmet did for a Roman soldier. It should show allegiance to Christ and give us confidence in the salvation He alone offers. Paul is not meaning that one can simply put on salvation as if performing a work is what grants us salvation. We know that salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ. A Christian who takes their helmet of salvation with them is confidently walking in the hope of our promised salvation. A Christian who does not take his or her helmet of salvation with them is either misguided or not properly confident in the hope of Jesus Christ. This is not necessarily always the fault of the Christian. They simply may not be exposed weekly, or daily for that matter, to the sound doctrine of grace. Personally, I once never felt confident in my hope in Christ because I was not taught the doctrine of grace. I was convinced that I could lose my salvation. There are many people who believe that you can, but as the late John MacArthur says, “If you could lose your salvation, you would.” The idea that I could act in a way that would cause me to lose my salvation would naturally imply that I could therefore do something to earn my salvation, and we know that to be untrue. No one is worthy of the free gift of grace offered by God. Of course, we know that our salvation is not complete until the joyous day of Christ, which is coming soon. The right question to ask is not, can I lose my salvation. The right question to ask is will God lose those who have been bought by the blood of His Son? Jesus says in John 6:37-40, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” God will not lose those of us who have put our faith in Him. Many schools of thought exist that easily drag us down and convince us that we are hopeless. That does not align with the sound biblical doctrine of grace. We serve a God who offers hope, confidence, and joy - not doubt, anxiety, and uncertainty. When we believe in the promise of God that salvation is offered freely by His grace to all who believe in His Son, we can confidently put on our helmet and walk in the light of hope. The enemy likes to keep us in a state of fear, doubt, and anxiety. He knows that if he can keep us always questioning our salvation, he is then keeping us living in a general doubt of the goodness, mercy, sovereignty, and love of God. We cannot go forward in obedience to His commands without the fear that we are not truly walking with Him, and then any good works we perform have the possibility of being performed to attempt to earn salvation. These doubts from Satan can paralyze the believer rather than empowering the believer to live and love well as a Christian. When you begin to doubt your salvation, ask yourself if you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, recognizing Him as Savior and submitting your life to Him as Lord. Then remember what Paul wrote in Romans 8:37-39, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Put on your helmet, profess your faith in Jesus Christ, follow Him as Lord, and live out your salvation with confident hope in He to whom salvation belongs.

Ephesians 6:16 - “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” We now come to the shield of faith. So far, you have fastened the belt of truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, and put on shoes of readiness given by the gospel of peace. Now we turn our attention to faith and the shield of protection our faith gives us. Our faith in Jesus Christ, by God’s grace, is what reconciles us with the Father. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ and His saving power because of His life, death, and resurrection, we are made right before God. We are saved from the judgment that leads to eternal death. We no longer have reason to be fearful, but have reason to praise God for His mercy, compassion, grace, and love displayed by sending His Son into the world to save it. Paul starts our verse today with the words “in all circumstances.” Our faith is not something to take on and off. We cannot simply leave it at home when we leave to go out into the world because it is more convenient to not have to carry it around. How would a Roman soldier have fared without his shield in battle? It may have been heavy and difficult to carry around, but it was the one thing that would defend him from both direct combat and distant attacks like arrows shot at him from an enemy. We have many ways to defend against the attacks we can see. Through the illustration of a Roman soldier, we have armor from head to toe, a sword, and many years of conditioning and preparing for combat. When someone gets in our face, it may be cause for concern, but we have a variety of tools at our disposal to deal with the direct assault. Spiritually speaking, we have talked thus far about truth, righteousness, and readiness. These are all important components of defending against spiritual attacks, especially those we can anticipate. But what about the surprise attacks? When everything seems to be going well because we are resting in the imputed righteousness of Christ, but then we get blindsided. We get a surprise diagnosis, we hear of a loved one experiencing trouble, we get fired, we have a car accident, we have an argument with a friend, or we begin to be brought down by worries about our circumstances. This is where faith really matters. Pastor Joby Martin of The Church of Eleven22 often says that the opposite of faith is not doubt, it is fear. He says that fear paralyzes us, but faith moves us into action. This is so true. When we walk by faith, we walk in the strength of the promises of God. We walk knowing that we have hope beyond this world because of the victory Jesus Christ has already secured for all who belong to Him by faith. When we walk simply by sight, we can’t see the enemy crouching behind the bushes, or off in the distant mountains ready to launch a series of flaming arrows at our soul. Satan only wants to steal, kill, and destroy, and unless we are walking in faith with the shield of faith, we are left to our own defenses, and anyone who has ever tried to fight the evil one by himself knows how poorly that goes. Faith not only defends against the devil’s schemes of planting seeds of fear, doubt, temptation, and false accusations in our hearts, but it also allows us to play offense. Carrying your shield into battle allows you to march ahead confidently knowing that you have a defense against the attacks of the enemy. Your faith in Jesus is the answer to all his lies and tricks. Not only can we go ahead with confidence on our own, but more importantly, we can band together with other believers who faithfully carry their shields into battle. The Roman soldiers would often interlock their shields to act as a giant wall of defense from attacks. One soldier’s shield was protecting him and the man to his left and right. Our faith can be, and sometimes is, the only line of defense for a brother or sister in Christ. It pulls them out of harm’s way, strengthens their own faith as they prepare to do battle, and helps them refocus their eyes on the things above and not the things of this world. Do you wonder if it is worth telling a friend about Jesus? Do you doubt that it will have an impact. Do you fear the consequences and potential fallout of that conversation? Trust the shoes of readiness that you already put on last week, and lean into your shield of faith. In Mark 2, Jesus healed a paralytic based on the faith of four of his friends. Mark 2:3-5 - “And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” It wasn't the faith of the others that saved this man. My faith cannot save you. You have to have your own faith. But their faith led him toward his Savior. Is our faith actively leading others toward Jesus? Who in your life needs to be brought before Jesus? Are you willing to carry your shield of faith into battle in order to show this person power of our Lord? When we are walking by faith, we are protected, strong, and able to do battle against the schemes of the enemy. Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Soldier, pick up your shield and join me in battle.

Ephesians 6:15 - “And, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” Now that we have fastened the belt of truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness, we move to our shoes. Our shoes are what we put on before we go somewhere. They are usually the last thing we put on before we leave the house. If you are like me, you have a pair for a few different occasions. You have the pair you wear to work, the pair you wear for exercise, the pair for outdoors work, and maybe a nice pair that only get worn to weddings and funerals. To the ladies reading this, we guys know that for some reason you all may need more than that, and we are understanding and supportive of that, so long as your love for shoes does not lead to idolatry. All jokes aside, what is one thing we know about our shoes? We need them to meet the occasion. We don’t wear our church shoes to the gym, and we don’t wear our gym shoes to work outside in the mud. Our shoes should give us comfort, confidence, and peace while not being a hindrance to our ability to do whatever task is set before us. The gospel of peace, which is where Paul says our shoes of readiness come from, is this: Jesus Christ came to earth as God’s only begotten Son to live a sinless life, take on the penalty of sin in His death on the cross, and resurrected to defeat sin and death so that all who submit their lives to Him as both Savior and Lord are reconciled with God. Hallelujah! We were once distant from God, who only ever wanted us to love Him as His children. But man was rebellious and God sent His own Son to us not to condemn us for our sins, but to save us through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. When we have this peace that guards our hearts, minds, and bodies and secures our souls, we are prepared for the kingdom work Christ has called us to as His followers. This peace is true peace. This is not a temporary peace like the world offers that comes and goes based on circumstance. This is an eternal, life-giving peace that guides our lives. Just as a soldier could be at peace with proper shoes to endure the battles and the miles of travel, we too can be at peace because of what God has already done for us. The soldier did not have to worry about a hole in his shoe causing his feet to blister or bruise. We don’t have to worry about our sin condemning us when we are in Christ. Christ is our firm foundation as the were the shoes to the soldier. He empowers us to climb through life’s battles as the shoes did for the soldier. When our lives are marked by the peace of God, because of our peace with God only made possibly by Jesus, we can adequately do battle. Remember, we already have the truth on our side and righteousness secured in Jesus. This is exactly what prepares us to go out into the world and do battle. But be very careful not to do battle according to your own strength or for your own glory. We don’t just put on our shoes of readiness and run into the world to judge, condemn, and speak as though we have any right to do kingdom work. We should be quick to remember that this is His kingdom, His work, His gospel of peace, His shoes, and therefore, we are to humbly serve Him. We don’t just “do the things” to appear righteous to others or to earn a good standing before God. None of that ever works. The gospel of peace produces faith and that faith produces righteousness and obedience to the commands of God. “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” - ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ Our workplace may look different than someone else’s. Our battlefield may have a more treacherous terrain than others, but stand firm soldier because of the peace of God that guides you. Regardless of our battlefield, our calling, or the people God has given us reponsibilities to lead, we all have one job to do; to go out into this broken world and proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 6:14 - “Put on the breastplate of righteousness.” Last week, we looked at the belt of truth. The truth of God, found in His word, guides us as we live in this world. The belt of truth is the first piece of armor and the one that allows the others to fulfill their purpose. This week, we take a brief look into the next piece of armor, the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate on the uniform of the Roman soldier protected all the vital organs against attacks from the enemy. Although the soldiers also carried a shield to defend themselves against the weapons of the enemy, it was the breastplate that stood as the last line of defense of the soldier’s heart, especially in close combat. As Christians, our last line of defense is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We can read our Bibles daily, and even know what it says, but if we fail to truly understand that our righteousness is found in Jesus Christ alone, we are missing the point. When we begin to devote more of our time to the Lord, we begin to put into the practice the truth found in His word. We begin to put off our old selves and we become transformed by the word. But if we don’t give up everything and cast it on Jesus, we miss the point. If we deny the cross by thinking we can handle things ourselves, we will be left vulnerable, like a soldier without armor. Knowing the truth is essential, but doing the truth is vital for our lives. At the cross, Jesus paid for the penalty of all sin. The penalty for every sin we have ever committed is paid for. There is no reason to live in fear, because we know that the King of kings and Lord of lords died for us so that we may live. John MacArthur had this to say about the work of Jesus on the cross: “On the cross, God looked at Christ and saw you. Now, He looks at you and sees Christ.” That is exactly right. On the cross, Christ paid for our sins. Now, if we accept this free gift of forgiveness, His righteousness is imputed to us. God says this about Abraham, the founder of our faith, when He says that his faith was credited to him as righteousness. Our faith in Jesus Christ, because of the grace of God, makes us right with God. Praise Him for that. Do you see why the breastplate of righteousness matters? It is everything for us. It is our assurance of salvation and eternal life. It is also they very thing that saves us from death. As a Roman soldier’s breastplate would save him from a fatal blow, Christ as our Lord and Savior saves us from an eternal death that was our only destination if not for what He did for us in coming to Earth humbly, living a sinless life, dying in our place, and resurrecting three days later. What Jesus did for us keeps us from having to wear around the same old clothes we wore before we knew Him. We are no longer condemned when we live in Christ. Throw off the names the enemy used to call you and embrace the newness of life in Christ. Our righteousness, found only in us because we are followers of Christ, is our defense. We don’t find our protection nor our peace in the works of our own hands. We can do a lot of good things, but if we do not rest in the gift of salvation offered by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we do not have the peace that only He offers. Praise Him for loving us enough to make that possible not only to save us from death, but to give us life eternally as heirs with Christ.

Ephesians 6:14 - “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth.” The very first words spoken by our enemy in Genesis 3 are, “Did God actually say…?” He is exactly who the Bible tells us he is. He is a smart, crafty deceiver who is set on stealing, killing, and destroying everything that belongs to God. He doesn’t always make it obvious as to who he is or what he is doing. He lives in deception, causing us to shift our sights ever so slightly until suddenly we are off the path God intended and on a path leading to destruction. He promises us a false bag of goods without ever showing us the actual cost of his promises. If we only knew the cost of what he sells us, we would be able to say no. But that is not how he works. He finds our weaknesses and he feeds into them, all with the end goal of the destruction of our soul, our lives, and the lives of those around us. The enemy did not lead with a physical attack. He didn’t smack Adam and Eve in the face and force them to sin against God. He purposely misused the words of God to deceive them and draw them into sin. We even see him try this with Jesus. Jesus had fasted for 40 days after being led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Satan uses His hunger against him and challenges His status as the Son of God. Satan tells Him to turn stone into bread. Jesus answers with scripture. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Hearing this, Satan counters with scripture, but Jesus continues to call out his inaccurate and manipulative uses of scripture to prove that he is nothing but a thief and a liar. So what does this have to do with the belt of truth that Paul writes about in Ephesians 6? Why is the belt the first piece of armor mentioned? These questions become increasingly important today when “my truth” dominates the lives of us all. Who do we think we are that we try to define what the truth is? What makes us the arbiter of what is true, good, righteous, and just? If not us, who or what should we look to as the source of truth? God is the source of truth because He is truth. His Word is our reliable belt of truth. Adam and Eve did not have this understanding and were left vulnerable and defenseless against the lies and deception of Satan. Jesus is the Word of God, and therefore was able to successfully fend off the attacks of Satan. For a Roman soldier, the belt was the piece of the armor that held the entire uniform together. Without it, the tunic and armor would not remain in their designed place. Also, the belt is what the soldier used to carry weapons, such as swords and daggers, as well as other protective tools. The Bible serves as our belt of truth. It is God’s living word and our number one way to get to know Him, the source of truth. The Bible is the foundational component of our lives as Christians. It takes faith in Jesus Christ to become a Christian, but the Bible is what equips Christians for proper Christian living. You can buy a new grill but without the manual, you can’t begin to understand how it is supposed to be put together, how it works, or what to do with it. The Bible is that manual for Christians. There is a lot of information in it, but once we realize that it is simply allowing us to get to know our Creator and our Redeemer, we can begin to understand how to use it. Like anything else in life, if we want to know more about God, if we want our relationship with Him to be stronger, if we want to know how to live better for Him, we must spend time with Him in prayer and in His word. Do we prioritize time in His word? Or do we spend more time scrolling Facebook finding out what everyone esle’s truth is? Or do we spend hours watching the news to hear everything but the truth told to us on repeat? If you read last week’s blog, I mentioned that we are not fighting a physical war. We are at war with a very real and spiritual enemy and his demons. If we neglect to prepare for battle, we are only allowing him to have his way with us and our families. Equip yourselves with the knowledge and objective truth that can only ever be found in the word of God and stand firm against the devil. In a world where we are offered so many “truths” we need to stand firm on biblical truth and allow that truth to guide our lives as we live for Christ and His kingdom. Below are some practical tips to help you get started with fastening the belt of truth in your battle against the enemy: Get plugged into a Bible-teaching local church - we aren’t meant to do this battle alone, Satan feeds on loners Just pick it up and start reading it - a reading plan is ideal but it is more important to just read Practice the things you read in the word - faith without works is dead (James 2:17) Replace your “truths” that are really just opinions (whether they are based in experience or beliefs) with God’s truth - let His truth guide your thoughts about life (Romans 12:1-2) Put off your old self and allow Christ to work in and through you (Ephesians 4:21-25)

Ephesians 6:10-13 - “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” This passage in Ephesians is a driving force behind the name of this blog. The opening verses are powerful, true, and should encourage us all to equip ourselves with the full armor of God to fight the battles the evil one has waged against us. We know that ultimately, this war is won already because of what Jesus Christ did for us in His death on the cross and His rising from the tomb on the third day. But the fact is, Satan still wages wars against us daily, seeking only to steal, kill, and destroy. As men of God, we have a duty to guard the hearts and souls of those entrusted to us. It gets easy to begin to rely on our own strength, knowledge, fortitude, and abilities when the fight comes our way. Being ready and able to physically defend your loved ones from physical dangers is important and a large part of being a man. But our most important battle is not against flesh and blood. We fight pure evil sent forth by the evil one. It may manifest in very physical ways, but the ultimate battle is not for flesh. The ultimate battle is for souls. It is to live in a way that allows others to see the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul gives us each piece of the full armor of God, and we will walk through each of them in the coming weeks. We will look at what each one is, real world examples of how to equip yourself with each one, and the ways to use each of them. Briefly, the full armor of God consists of the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of readiness given by the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Notice anything about these weapons of God? That’s right, they have nothing to do with physicality. This is not armor in the worldly sense. This is spiritual armor given to us by God to go forth and do His work for His kingdom. If we seek to dominate this world physically, ruling over it, subduing it, making it into what we desire, all while we reap the benefits of worldly dominance, we are absolutely missing the point. Look at what Jesus says about this in John 18:36, “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this world.” He was speaking to Pilate in this verse, further proving that He has no interest in conquering this world. Rather, He awaits the coming eternal kingdom in which He will reign forever. Paul writes about standing firm and acting like men to the Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 16:13 he writes, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” Sounds easy enough right? When I read this verse my instinct as a man is to beat my chest and prepare for battle relying on my strength. But the next verse is what we need to think about. “Let all that you do be done in love.” Again, this is not about us and our own strength. It is about letting the Holy Spirit transform us daily into the image of Christ. Paul knows that the true source of his strength is Jesus Christ. He tells the Corinthians in his second letter to them that the power of Christ rests upon him in his own weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). So go to battle in love. Loving God and keeping His commands is evidence of your faith in Jesus (John 14:15). See to it that you are pursuing His will and not your own. When duty calls, will you be ready? Are you ready now? You better be. Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:8 that Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” He is always waging war against us and our families. It’s time to armor up.

Joshua 24:15 - "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Your Circle of Influence We live in a world that is extremely interconnected. With a few clicks of a button on a device that fits in our pockets, we can know just about anything we need to know. This can be useful at times, such as when things like war and natural disasters break out. We can be more prayerful for those impacted by these kinds of tragedies. Having access to the internet can also be useful when we need to look up a quick answer for a DIY project or the score of the football game we have to miss out on to take our wives shopping on Black Friday. In my case, I streamed the games on Black Friday while I trailed my wife through all the stores she wanted to visit. It is truly amazing how far technology has come in my 27 years of life. But how often do we stop and think about the negatives? Technology is wonderful, but far too many people these days get far too enmeshed in it. We easily neglect those in our close circle of influence because we just can't help but scroll through social media, mindlessly absorbing information that may or may not matter much. Stop and think about it. Do you have meals with your family with or without cell phones, tablets, or TVs? How often are your evenings spent scrolling as you sit near your wife and/or your children? Regardless of whether we find social media to be useful or not, it clearly distracts us from investing our best into our circle of influence - our family and friends. When you accept Jesus Christ as Lord, your circle of influence seems to naturally grow. As men, when we let the Holy Spirit shape us into who God intended us to be, we become leaders and heads of families, churches, ministries, and workplaces. Godly Men Have Godly Families This week's blog finds us way back in the Old Testament in the book of Joshua. Joshua was God's chosen successor to Moses. It was Joshua who would lead the people of Israel across the Jordan river and into the promised land after 40 long, difficult years in the wilderness. Israel conquered those living in the promised land behind the leadership of Joshua, defeating 31 kings of people who were wicked, worshipped false gods, and performed many sinful acts. Joshua then divides the promised land among the 12 tribes of Israel. At the end of his life, he gathered all the tribes of Israel in Shechem to give a full account of the history of the people of Israel. Speaking for God, he started with Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor living beyond the Euphrates River. He then works through the history of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the journey into Egypt via Joseph, and the journey out of Egypt via Moses. He gave a wilderness account and walked through the various conquests in the promised land that enabled them to possess it after they crossed the Jordan River. The people of Israel had a hard time devoting themselves to the Lord, spending 40 years wandering through the wilderness because of their disobedience and idolatry. The trip should have taken a couple of weeks (Deuteronomy 1:2). Do you see the dangers of being distracted and led by false gods? Joshua challenges the people of Israel. Joshua 24:14-15 read, “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” So, I ask you today to choose for yourself who you will serve. When men love and lead well in a Christlike way, families thrive and nations flourish. Make the decision today to say no to the false gods and idols this world offers us. Remove the distractions that cause us to focus on things we cannot control. Focus on your circle of influence. Say yes to Jesus Christ and lead your family to follow Him.