SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/16/2019
2:02 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-1 “The Breastplate of Righteousness”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Eph. 6:14b
Message of the
verses: “and having put on the
breastplate of righteousness,”
As Paul was chained to a Roman Soldier he would see that
the Roman Soldier would have his breastplate on, which was a tough sleeveless
piece of armor that covered his full torso.
This was often made of leather or it could be made of heavy linen, onto
which were sewn overlapping slices of animal hooves or perhaps horns or pieces
of metal. Some were actually made of
large pieces of metal molded or hammered to conform to the body. It is obvious what the purpose of that piece
of armor was for, to protect the heart, lungs, intestines, and other vital organs.
We have spoke about what the heart was about, but I think
perhaps it best to quote from John MacArthur on this. In ancient Jewish thinking, the heart
represented the mind and the will and the bowels were considered the seat of
emotions and feelings. The mind and the
emotions are the two areas where Satan most fiercely attacks believers. He
creates a world system a sinful environment by which he tempts us to think
wrong thoughts and to feel wrong emotions.
He wants to cloud our minds with false doctrine, false principles, and
false information in order to mislead and confuse us. He also wants to confuse our emotions and
thereby pervert our affections, morals, loyalties, goals, and commitments. He desires to snatch the Word of God from our
minds and replace it with his own perverse ideas. He seeks to undermine pure living and replace
it with immorality, greed, envy, hate, and every other vice. He wants us to laugh at sin rather than mourn
over it, and to rationalize it rather than confess it and bring it to the Lord
for forgiveness. He seduces us to become
so used to sin in us and around us that it no longer bothers our conscience.”
The protection to which MacArthur spoke of comes from the
breastplate of righteousness. As
believers we are to have wrapped around us righteousness in a similar way that
the ancient soldiers covered themselves with the breastplate of armor.
I think that it is obvious that Paul is not speaking of
self-righteousness, which really is not righteousness at all but the worst form
of sin. The problem with this sort of
righteousness is that Christians clothe themselves with, thinking that their
own character and legalistic behavior and accomplishments will please God and
will then bring His reward. MacArthur
adds “But far from protecting a believer, a cloak of self-righteousness gives
Satan a read-made weapon to stifle and smother our spiritual life and
service. Self-righteousness will as surely
keep a believer out of the power of fellowship with God as it will keep an
unbeliever out of His kingdom (Matt. 5:20).
Our own righteousness, even as believers, is nothing more than filthy
garments (Isa. 64:6). It brings us no
favor with God and no protection from Satan.”
There is another kind of righteousness that Paul is not
talking about that we will go over in our next SD, Lord willing.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I have to say
that the way that we are looking at the Spiritual Armor is different than the
way that I studied it years ago, but I am beginning to think that it may be the
best way to look at this. I also know that
from my study of the Spiritual armor along with reading “The Strategy of Satan,”
that I truly believe that more attacks from Satan are coming my way.
My Steps of Faith for Today: At the beginning of this year I was seeking
to learn more about humility and have learned among other things that pride is
the opposite of humility, and that pride was what caused Lucifer to become
Satan, and pride was the worst sin that David committed, and that being humble
is much more difficult than I had ever though when I set out learning about it
this year. This is another reason why I
believe Satan is bringing attacks on me at this time.
Today’s quotation from “Love
in Action” will be very short:
In the last days perilous times will
come.
II Timothy 3:1.
10/16/2019 2:42 PM
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