Below are some pictures of me and Harry, suited up in the full armour of God... as provided by members of the youth group we help run (who have recently christened themselves as the "Army of God")
We were covering Ephesians 6:10-18 which says:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
We covered the relevance of each armour and it's position. It's important to remind yourself of the knowledge of your salvation in your mind... hence the helmet of salvation. To maintain a righteous attitude within your heart, hence the breastplate of righteousness. In armour, everything h weight-wise was suspended on the hips and the shoulders... this is why the belt... truth, is important. everything hangs on the truth. It's also important not to get caught with your pants down living in a world of lies. Shields can be moved around to give protection wherever a threat comes from... and to cover other people, God is with us in every situation... so we should not be ashamed to call on him in difficulty.. Footwear enables you to stand firm and ready against whatever you may face... which is why it is important to have peace in your heart. Finally the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. By reading up on it, you gain insight into God's will.. and you become aclimatised to his plan for your life. It's not about brains either.... so what if you can't remember it off by heart... God is so much more powerful than that! He can refamiliarise you with something you have read a long time ago... so trust in him... rely on his strength... not worrying about your weakness.
One other thing I felt inspired to do was to write some words from Genesis 15:1 down on the back of a small cardboard shield... and get the young people to write down their name instead of Abram's. The idea was that if it was small enough to fit inside a wallet or pocket or diary... that if they felt overwhelmed they could remind themselves that they are not to be afraid... that God is their shield and their very great reward.
Anyway... here are the piccies... don't laugh!
We were covering Ephesians 6:10-18 which says:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
We covered the relevance of each armour and it's position. It's important to remind yourself of the knowledge of your salvation in your mind... hence the helmet of salvation. To maintain a righteous attitude within your heart, hence the breastplate of righteousness. In armour, everything h weight-wise was suspended on the hips and the shoulders... this is why the belt... truth, is important. everything hangs on the truth. It's also important not to get caught with your pants down living in a world of lies. Shields can be moved around to give protection wherever a threat comes from... and to cover other people, God is with us in every situation... so we should not be ashamed to call on him in difficulty.. Footwear enables you to stand firm and ready against whatever you may face... which is why it is important to have peace in your heart. Finally the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. By reading up on it, you gain insight into God's will.. and you become aclimatised to his plan for your life. It's not about brains either.... so what if you can't remember it off by heart... God is so much more powerful than that! He can refamiliarise you with something you have read a long time ago... so trust in him... rely on his strength... not worrying about your weakness.
One other thing I felt inspired to do was to write some words from Genesis 15:1 down on the back of a small cardboard shield... and get the young people to write down their name instead of Abram's. The idea was that if it was small enough to fit inside a wallet or pocket or diary... that if they felt overwhelmed they could remind themselves that they are not to be afraid... that God is their shield and their very great reward.
Anyway... here are the piccies... don't laugh!
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