November 17, 2015 – Ephesians 6:14-16

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Ephesians 6:14-16Stand Firm!  Don’t give up.  Keep on keeping on in doing good, loving others and belonging to Jesus!The armor of God is an ‘inside you’ armor.  It protects your heart from bad deeds and thoughts and helps you belong to Jesus.  The first defense is faith in Jesus.  Believing in Him leads to trusting Jesus in all things.  Hold that shield so it protects your heart from the attacks of the Devil.How can you tell if the Devil is winning?  It is in our relationship with others, friends or not.  When anger rules our hearts and is our first defense, it causes a ‘get even’ mentality, or an ‘it’s not fair’ retort.James 3:17 tells us the what to look for from Jesus.  Wisdom.  Wisdom is belief in being pure, loving peace and being gentle no matter what.What is the best thing about Jesus?  His mercy and the good deeds – miracles of healing and feeding.  He heals and feeds not only the body, but also the heart. He loves you with all His heart!Can you imagine no favoritism?  How can that be?  Do to others as you would that they do to you… This does not say Do to others as they do to you or before they do to you.  No favorites – just mercy, good deeds to all, and love sincerely.But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. James 3:17