And pray in the Spirit… (Ephesians 6:18).

Hey, Michael–what does it mean to pray “in the Spirit?”

Look at you, going straight to the tough question. That’s why I like you.

Beloved, I’ve wondered about this quite a little bit, and I’m still not sure what it means. My current thinking goes like this: Praying in the Spirit involves being in tune with the Holy Spirit, trying to pray about the things that are on God’s mind. That’s a tall order. It means you have to listen, not just speak. You have to get through your list of requests and find the place of quiet where you can detect that still, small voice we’ve heard about. Then you have to make sure that the still, small voice is speaking Biblical truth. Because you know, sometimes what I think is God is really just my own emotion, and who needs more of that? 

My old choir choir director used to tell us, “Listen louder than you sing.” It’s like that. 

Only with God

Listen loud, Beloved.

Happy Wednesday

…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17b)

You know the power of words.  You’ve felt it.  Words can bruise, they can cut, they can crush, they can soothe, they can comfort, they can heal.

And those are just human words.

The word of God is infinitely more powerful.  It goes far beyond emotional impact; it reaches deep into the spiritual realms. So it shouldn’t be surprising that the Word is our primary weapon against the enemy.  After all, what did Jesus use to defend himself from Satan’s temptations?  Did he blast Satan to powder?  No.

But that would have been cool.

Jesus used Scripture to defeat his enemy.  Why?  Perhaps because that is a weapon we can use as well.  You probably can’t command the powers of Heaven and Earth the way the Son of God can—in fact, I’m pretty sure of it—but you can use Scripture.  Maybe you don’t have the advantage of having written it, but you can still read it, and learn it, and memorize it, and use it to back your enemy off when he attacks.

How good is your sword arm?  How much drill have you put in this week?

Maybe it’s time to practice.

The battle awaits, Beloved.

Happy Tuesday

Take the helmet of salvation…(Ephesians 6:17a)

When I was a kid, you didn’t have to wear a helmet.  Bicycle, motorcycle, pogo stick—you were free to ride with the wind in your hair and the bugs in your teeth.  It was wild and free and deadly.

To ride without a helmet is to ask for dain bramage.

Paul speaks of the helmet of salvation.  He’s talking about the knowledge of who you are in Christ, and the price that has been paid for you.  That knowledge can protect you in the heat of battle.  You see, that enemy of yours likes to mess with your head.  He likes to get into your thought life and plant false ideas about who you are and what your value is.  He’ll tell you that you’re not good enough, not strong enough, not worthy of a life in Christ.

All of which is true.

The helmet doesn’t block those ideas, but it filters them through the knowledge of your salvation.  You can answer, “You aren’t worthy,” with, “Of course not…but Jesus is.”  You can answer, “Look at all you owe,” with, “Look at what He paid.”

To walk this world without the helmet is to ask for soul damage.

Strap it on, cinch it tight, and go face your Monday, Beloved.

He’s got you.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  (Ephesians 6:16)

I don’t want to be struck with a flaming arrow.

No, not even one.

So I will trust in the Lord, placing my faith completely in him. I will lean not on my own understanding, but will do as he asks to the best of my abilities—even when what he asks doesn’t make sense to my little brain.  I will soak the shield of my faith in the water of his word, and I will listen to the thunk and sizzle of the arrows that he stops for me.

Let this be my prayer.

Let this be your prayer.

Happy Friday, Beloved.

…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  (Ephesians 6:15c).

You know how you get when you’re on your feet all day.  Tired, sore, cranky—if you don’t have decent shoes, it’s even worse.

Huh, this sounds more like a commercial than a devotion.

A soldier’s gear was designed to protect him while he was on his feet.  If he fell, that soldier became vulnerable and ineffective. On the battlefield, a sharp stone, a tangle of debris, even a random arrow could spell disaster.

Think Achilles.

God wants you in the battle today.  He doesn’t want the stones, the debris, the random shots of life to take you down and make you ineffective.  God’s truth—the peace in your heart bought by Christ—protects your foundation. It is not only the firm ground upon which you stand, it is the protection you need to keep you standing.

Lace ‘em up tight and stand firm today.

Happy Thursday, Beloved

…with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (Eph. 6:14b)

The breastplate is essential protective gear.  Cops wear a Kevlar vest.  Baseball catchers wear a chest protector.  Even Batman has anatomically correct upper body armor.  Why is it so important to protect the chest?

Because your heart is there.

In a very literal sense, you can’t live without your heart—so eat right and get plenty of exercise.  In the metaphoric sense, the heart is the center of our being, the part that makes us…us.  As you go out into a sinful, broken, fallen world, how do you protect this essential part of your being?

The righteousness of Christ.  The right relationship with God that is yours through Christ, and which gives you a right understanding of who you are and how much you are loved.  This, and this alone, will protect your heart from the blows of this twisted world.

Remember, I’m not talking about your own righteousness…the place with God you might think you’ve earned by your good behavior.  Count on that to protect your heart, and you might as well try to stop an arrow with a wet paper towel. No, I’m talking about the righteousness of the Lord of Everything.

How can this mighty piece of armor fit your spindly little self?

It’s a mystery…just go with it.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved

Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…(Ephesians 6:14a)

If it isn’t true…

If God did not send his only begotten son to Earth…if Jesus did not die for our sins…if he did not rise from the grave…if he is not seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession for you and for me…

Then it’s all a lie.

My faith is a joke.  My salvation is a sham.  My righteousness is totally pointless. The peace I have with God is nothing but a delusion.  Nothing that I do matters, because in the end I am nothing.

If it isn’t true.

But…

it is true.

All of it.

And when I buckle that truth around me, my faith becomes a shield, my salvation a helmet, my righteousness the guardian of my heart, peace with God the shoes that help me stand.

As you head into your day, know this, Beloved: It is true.

Happy Tuesday

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. (Ephesians 6:13)

Words that intrigue me in this verse of Scripture (just in case you were wondering):

Full  Half measures won’t suffice.  You have to put on all the armor; if you leave a vulnerable spot, your enemy will find it and use it to hurt you.  He is far more experienced at this sort of thing than you are.

When  As in, “When the day of evil comes.”  Don’t think in terms of “if.” If you live in California, the big earthquake will happen.  If you’re on the East Coast, the hurricane will happen. If you live on this planet, Evil will come for you.  Don’t pretend…prepare.

Stand Not leap.  Not fly. Not dance.  Stand. The day of evil will leave you bloody but not broken, drained but not destroyed.  When the tempest recedes, if you stand in Christ, you will stand.

If you stand in Christ,

you

will

stand.

Happy Monday, Beloved

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.  (Ephesians 6:12)

Ever have that nightmare where you’re being chased by a terrible monster, and no matter how fast you run it keeps getting closer and closer, and you’re absolutely powerless to stop it?

Or the one where it’s like you’re in a movie and you keep hitting the bad guy but it turns out he’s not really human but some kind of sci fi spooky robot monster kind of thing so everything passes right through him and you can’t seem to touch him but he’s about to touch you and that will be the end of you and you are absolutely powerless to stop him?

It’s kinda like that.

Only worse, because it’s real.

Physical skills cannot suffice against spiritual evil.  And that’s what you and I face each day as we go about our business.

Your only hope, my only hope, the only hope, is to let the righteous power of God guard us.

Don’t get macho about this.  There’s too much at stake.

Happy Friday, Beloved

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  (Ephesians 6:11).

Many moons ago, my kids got invited to go quadding with some family and friends. Their uncle, who was in charge of the outing, made sure that everyone was outfitted with protective gear. Helmet, gloves, goggles, chest protector—you didn’t ride if you weren’t protected.

It was a good thing, too.  One of the boys took an epic fall.  All that gear that he was wearing saved his bacon, not to mention his head, chest, etc.  He was knocked around and shaken up; without his armor, he could have been seriously injured.

An interesting note: the armor wasn’t his.  The gear was provided for him free of charge by someone who knew what dangers he faced, knew what would protect him, and wanted to keep him safe.

The quad, the hills, the rocks—they weren’t out to get anybody. They were simply passive objects that presented a hazard. You have an enemy who is anything but passive.

Is your gear on?

Happy Thursday, Beloved.