A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

The Shield of Faith
 
"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." (Ephesians 6:16)
 
The shield is a frequently used symbol in the Old Testament, and its spiritual significance is still as relevant now as it was in biblical days. The very first reference to shields in Scripture beautifully defines this significance. "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward" (Genesis 15:1). Thus, God Himself is the shield for those who trust Him. This primeval shield was also, as in our text above, a "shield of faith," for the first mention of faith in the Bible is associated with this first mention of shields. "And |Abram| believed |i.e., 'had faith'| in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).
 
There are numerous other references in the Old Testament Scriptures to God as the spiritual shield for His people, defending them from their spiritual enemies. In Psalm 115, for example, there is a three-fold exhortation to trust in the Lord, each time ending with the strong refrain "he is their help and their shield" (Psalm 115:9-11). Perhaps one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible is Psalm 84:11: "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." This is a wonderful promise to the one who walks with the Lord in the light of His Word! A light for the day, protection on the way, grace for every trial, and glory all the while! "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him&q uot; (Proverbs 30:5).
 
With so many Old Testament assurances, it is fitting that the only reference to shields in the New Testament is in our text. As we put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-13), we are above all to take our shield of faith by which God protects us from every attack of the wicked one. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Inheriting the Earth
 
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)
 
This third of Christ's beatitudes has always seemed paradoxical because those who now rule the earth seem anything but meek. It has always been the strong and aggressive who control the world, not the meek of the world.
 
Christ, however, was confirming an ancient promise given through David: "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace" (Psalm 37:11). Surprisingly, there are also four other promises in this psalm describing those who are to inherit the earth:
 
"Those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth" (v. 9). "For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth" (v. 22). "The righteous shall inherit the land |same word as 'earth'|" (v. 29). "Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land |i.e., 'earth'|" (v. 34).
 
It is Jesus Christ, of course, who ultimately will receive "the uttermost parts of the earth for |his| possession" (Psalm 2:8). However, we also (if we are among the "meek") are "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17), and thus we also shall inherit the earth with Him.
 
But how does this quality of meekness equip believers for such an exalted future? In the Bible, meekness does not mean "weakness," of course, nor is it even an innate mildness that may characterize some unsaved people. "The fruit of the Spirit is . . . meekness" (Galatians 5:22-23), which means that meekness is not a natural human trait at all. It is best defined as the character of Christ Himself, for He said: "I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29), and Paul measured his own actions "by the meekness and gentleness of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:1). In Psalm 37 it was seen that "the meek" (our text) are synonymous with those who "wait on the LORD, and keep his way" (Psalm 37:34). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Being Like Him
 
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)
 
Some evangelical theologians teach that physical death was a part of God's "good" creation, just like life itself, and that God's warning to Adam in the Garden was merely an allusion to "spiritual" death. If that teaching is so, then a whole host of biblical passages must be ignored or interpreted to mean something other than what is said.
 
The apostle Paul insisted that our "vile body" must be changed (Philippians 3:21), taught that the "flesh" had "no good thing" in it (Romans 7:18), called himself a "wretched man" (Romans 7:24), and concluded that the fleshly mind produced death and was at "enmity against God" (Romans 8:6-7). All this was based, of course, on the initial sin of Adam by which "death passed on all men" (Romans 5:12).
 
Thus, it is clearly evident (at least to the Bible's writers) that death is the "last enemy" (1 Corinthians 15:26) and must be destroyed. This is why "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 15:50), and it is absolutely necessary that we "shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:52-53).
 
We are predestinated to be "conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29). Our "corruptible" bodies must "be fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21). And death must be "swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15:54). He who has "life in himself" (John 5:26) must "make all things new" (Revelation 21:5), and a "new heaven and a new earth" where there "shall be no more death" (Revelation 21:1, 4). Even so, come, Lord Jesus. HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

From Where Did the Water Come?
 
"And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered." (Genesis 7:19)
 
Lack of an answer to this question led many theologians in the early 1800s to abandon the biblical doctrine of the global Flood in favor of uniformitarianism. At the time, scientists were saying that the concept of a young earth had been disproved and that since the mountains had been around since before the time of Noah, obviously they couldn't have been covered by the Flood waters. There is simply not enough water to cover the present mountain ranges, they said. Theologians responded by proposing a local flood incapable of laying down the fossilbearing rock of the world. Even today, most evangelical theologians, denominations, and seminaries teach this compromise.
 
The world before the Flood was quite different from the world today. A global water vapor canopy encircled the earth and contained vast amounts of water vapor (Genesis 1:6-8). Furthermore, the topography was much less pronounced, since all present mountain ranges are made up of sedimentary rocks or volcanoes attributable to the Flood. Since it didn't rain before the Flood (Genesis 2:5), yet rivers flowed (v. 10), there must have been great subterranean reservoirs of water.
 
At the proper time, these "fountains of the great deep" (Genesis 7:11) spewed out their contents and the "windows of heaven were opened" as the canopy was precipitated. The breaking up of those "fountains" which were on the sea bottom implies great tsunamis elevating water to an abnormal level on land. Coupling these mechanisms with the fact that most of the earth (70 percent) is still covered with water in sufficient quantity to cover the entire earth (if it were smoothed out) to a depth of about 7,500 feet, we can conclude that the biblical story is, indeed, quite reasonable. JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

A Prayer for Good Works
 
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)
 
The great paradox of God's sovereignty over our lives and His expectation of our willful obedience and joyful labor in His Kingdom has often confused the saints. I know that God will be with me always (Matthew 28:20), but I also know that He expects me to "work out" my own salvation (Philippians 2:12).
 
I've prayed this prayer many times before. Will you join with me today?
 
O Lord, God. We cannot know the end of a thing. We do not have certainty about the plans of our days. Forgive us when we try without consulting You. Forgive our blundering efforts to make something happen. We do love You, and we want to please You, but our lives are so caught up in the things of this world. Help us, Lord. Help us to know how much we need You. Help us to see the real values of eternal things. Give us a greater awareness of Your Holy Spirit. Give us a holy awe of Your Word. Drive us to our knees more often, Lord. Keep us close.
 
Oh, our Father. Purge us from the ungodly. Separate us from the sins that hinder and blind. Meet us in the halls of our heart, and sanctify us there. Protect us from the secret and presumptuous sins and renew a right spirit within us.
 
And then, Lord Jesus, embolden us for the work ahead. Provide our daily bread. Cleanse our sins and enrich our fellowship with the saints. Clothe us in the armor of God and place us where we must stand. Enable us to resist the enemy in the faith, see his strongholds crumble and his minions flee. Grant us a fruitful harvest and an effective ministry. In Jesus' name. Amen. HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

The New Man
 
"Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:24)
 
When Jesus spoke with Nicodemus, He insisted that no one would ever see the Kingdom of God unless he was "born again" (John 3:3). The Greek phrase used by the Lord, gennethe anothen, literally is "born from above."
 
Peter used a different word, anagennao, which stressed the need for a second birth: "Not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (1 Peter 1:23). This "new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17) requires a supernatural work that changes death to life (John 5:24)--literally, "having departed out of death into life."
 
Although that supernatural change does not produce a new body now, it does contain a pledge of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:5) that our mortality will be "swallowed up in life" (2 Corinthians 5:4). It is promised that "we shall all be changed . . . . For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). That event is yet future. What about now?
 
Now, we can "reign in life" (Romans 5:17). Now, we are empowered to participate in the "divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world" (2 Peter 1:4). Now, today in this life, "we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). Our heavenly Father, having determined that we are "to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29), has made our bodies the "temple" of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), and had granted us access to the same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:20).
 
Rejoice! Our New Man has been given sufficient supernatural resources for "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

The Sinning Brother
 
"But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat." (1 Corinthians 5:11)
 
Here is a sober reminder that a Christian brother--one who has accepted Christ as Savior and repented of his sins--can again fall into gross sin. This seems so anomalous that we might question whether such a one was ever saved in the first place. Some modern translations even let this question distort the real thrust of the verse. The NASV, for example, calls such a person a "so-called brother," and the NIV translates the phrase as "anyone who calls himself a brother," both thus implying that he was not really a brother in Christ.
 
The Greek word, however, is onomazo, which means, simply, "named" or "called," as the King James Version correctly renders it. The thrust of the whole phrase is "any man who bears the name of brother." Paul is stressing the anomaly itself. Any brother in the Lord should live in a manner befitting this high calling.
 
If he does not, however, and if he is not responsive to the pleadings of his brethren who seek to restore him in the manner of Galatians 6:1 ("ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness"), then he should be subject to church discipline and be removed from the fellowship of the church. "If he neglect to hear the church," said Jesus, "let him be unto thee as an heathen man" (Matthew 18:17). If such a person later repents, of course, Paul says we "ought rather to forgive him, and . . . confirm your love toward him" (2 Corinthians 2:7-8).
 
In the meantime, knowing that it is possible for a true believer to fall into gross sin through carelessness, or doubt, or whatever, "let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

A Good Soldier of Jesus
 
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Timothy 2:3-4)
 
One of the familiar biblical figures for the Christian life is that we are like soldiers in an army. The weapons and armor are spiritual, but the demands and the discipline are very real. Like military soldiers, we cannot let ourselves get tangled up with the affairs of civilian life. Our obedience must be directed solely to our commanding officer, "the captain of |our| salvation" (Hebrews 2:10), the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Furthermore, we must be willing to "endure hardness." This is one word in the Greek, used almost exclusively in the New Testament here in this final letter from the apostle Paul before his own martyrdom. He referred to his own situation with the same word, indicating it aided the gospel. "Wherein I suffer trouble |same word|, as an evil doer, even unto bonds" (2 Timothy 2:9). Paul had been taken a prisoner of war, being sentenced to die as one fighting the state, simply because he was preaching the truth. He even had identified himself as "his prisoner," bound by "my chain . . . ready to be offered" and to give his life for Christ (2 Timothy 1:8, 16; 4:6).
 
And what he was willing to do, he urged young Timothy also to be willing to do. "Watch thou in all things, endure afflictions |same word|, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry" (2 Timothy 4:5). Paul would urge us today, as he urged Timothy, to be willing to endure such things for Christ, who suffered for us and has chosen us to be with Him. The motivation for such willing endurance of hardship is not the prospect of conquest or reward (though these will indeed become realities one day), but simply that we "may please him who hath chosen us." And for those who truly love Him, that is more than enough! HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Walk in Truth
 
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." (3 John 4)
 
The phrase "walk before me" is used six times in the Old Testament. Here in our text is the foundational setting. God’s standard for us does not waver. "Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16).
 
Eli the High Priest was confronted by a "man of God" because Eli did not "walk before" the Lord. The prophet warned that those who honor God, He will honor, and those who despise God, He will curse (1 Samuel 2:30). God expects those who are His to see holiness as a priceless lifestyle to embrace.
 
King David was promised a ruling line if his children would "walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul" (1 Kings 2:4). God began that promise with the command "Take heed to |your| way." If we are to walk in truth, then we must guard our lifestyle carefully and continuously. Solomon instructed his son, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23).
 
John opened his first letter by admonishing us: "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth" (1 John 1:6). In his third letter, John contrasted the life of Diotrephes and Demetrius, both of whom were active in the church and to whom John was writing. Diotrephes sought "preeminenance" and spread "malicious words" (3 John 9-10). Demetrius, on the other hand, "hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself" (3 John 12).
 
Moses summarized this concept most succinctly: "Love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee" (Deuteronomy 30:16). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

But God
 
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)." (Ephesians 2:4-5)
 
For two one-syllable words, the opening words of this passage speak endless volumes of truth. Before they appear, there is nothing but wrath and death. Then suddenly, there is rich mercy, and great love, and grace, and salvation, and eternal life! The difference is God!
 
The world before God intervened was dead in trespasses and sins and completely helpless. Instead of the "universal fatherhood of God," all men were "children of disobedience" and "children of wrath" (vv. 2-3), living "according to the course of this world" and "according to the prince of the power of the air" (that is, the devil) (v. 2).
 
But God! Note that the word does not say "But man." Salvation is all of God and all of grace. It is God, and God alone, who "hath quickened" those who were "dead in sins." Instead of walking according to the course of this world, He has made us "sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (v. 6). It is not humanistic works by which we are saved, but by "the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (v. 7).
 
All of this has been made possible by an even greater divine intervention: "And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God|!| raised him from the dead" (Acts 13:29-30). Jesus Christ, who rose victorious over sin and death and Satan, "is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him" (Hebrews 7:25). Because He has done all this, we can enjoy throughout "the ages to come . . . the exceeding riches of his grace" (Ephesians 2:7). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Life Among the Philistines
 
"Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days." (Genesis 21:34)
 
This great man Abraham, who is known for faith as he "sojourned in the land of promise" (Hebrews 11:9), is also recognized for living faithfully among the heathen.
 
We who are New Testament "children of Abraham" (Galatians 3:7) should understand our role as "ambassadors" (2 Corinthians 5:20) as well as "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13). Jesus prayed to the heavenly Father "not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil" (John 17:15).
 
Abraham's life and testimony should encourage us to emulate his reputation. First, those with whom Abraham dealt with recognized "God is with thee in all that thou doest" (Genesis 21:22). Even though Abraham lived among a pagan society, they knew him to be a man of God. Wherever the Lord may place us, our first obligation is to maintain a lifestyle and testimony that leave no question of our allegiance. "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17).
 
Second, the expectations of the world's society is nominally just the same as the Philistines' leader: "That thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned" (Genesis 21:23). In a purely practical way, "when a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7).
 
Abraham ran a very successful agricultural business with hundreds of employees. He did so maintaining a godly testimony in a pagan society under stressful conditions. In Scripture, he is called the "Friend of God" (James 2:23). Would God this could be said of all of us. HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

In the Way
 
"And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren." (Genesis 24:27)
 
The remarkable, providential leading of Abraham's servant to the maiden who was to be the bride of Isaac has been a source of inspiration to every generation of believers.
 
One very important principle can be gleaned from this wonderful journey: Before the Lord could lead the servant to the object of his quest, he had to start out on his way. "I being in the way, the LORD led me," he testified.
 
Abraham himself knew this by experience: "By faith Abraham, when he was called . . . obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went" (Hebrews 11:8). God first led him from Ur to Haran, thence to Bethel in the land of Canaan, on to Mamre, and finally to Beersheba. He had no certain home, but because he was "in the way," the Lord assured him that "in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 22:18).
 
Consider also the apostle Paul, who carried the saving gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. He did not, however, dawdle around waiting for this call. "After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. . . . And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us" (Acts 16:7, 9).
 
The principle is this: Those who truly desire to be called to some special field of service should first be doing what they can where they are. Then the Lord will redirect them, if it is His will. "Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21). When we are actively "in the way," then the Lord can lead us. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Let Them Pray
 
"Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. . . . Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." (James 5:13-15)
 
This familiar passage is a difficult one. Many suffering Christians have tried in all sincerity to follow the instructions given here, yet have not been healed. This may be because the promise has a specific, rather than general, application.
 
First, "is anyone afflicted?" This word means "troubled," referring especially to persecution or deprivation. For such a person, the admonition is: "Let him pray." Assuming that he is right with God and is praying in His will (1 John 5:14-15), he can expect either the needed relief or the needed grace.
 
Secondly: "is any sick?" Here the Greek word actually refers to physical illness. However, the context shows that this particular sickness has come specifically "since |the true connotation of 'if'| he have committed sins." The remedy is for such a person to call for the church elders (not the reverse), and "let them pray" (after he has first openly confessed and repented of his sins) in faith, anointing him with oil. Then the precious promise is that, if the elders themselves have faith and are right with God, the Lord will forgive his sins and raise him up.
 
Furthermore, their prayer of faith will "save the sick." The Greek word in this case means "wearied," rather than "ill," and it tells us that the sinner has been delivered from the heavy burden of guilt which had wearied his soul, as well as the illness which had weakened his body. There are other reasons for illness besides unrepented sin, but this is a wonderful promise of both spiritual and physical healing when sin is the problem. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Witness of Conscience
 
"And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst." (John 8:9)
 
This is the first of 32 occurrences of the word "conscience" in the New Testament. Through this pricking of their consciences, Jesus had prevented a mob from stoning a woman charged with adultery, for through it, the accusers recognized their own unworthiness to judge another.
 
A conscience can be a reliable guide, however, only if it is a good conscience. The Scriptures, on the other hand, speak of some who have a "weak conscience" (1 Corinthians 8:7, 10, 12) which may become a "defiled conscience" (Titus 1:15) and eventually a "seared conscience" (1 Timothy 4:2) or even an "evil conscience" (Hebrews 10:22).
 
If used properly, however, the conscience is a blessing. God has given us a conscience to help guide us. The question is, what makes a conscience "good"? There are two references in Scripture to a "pure conscience" (1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3) and six to a "good conscience" (Acts 23:1; 1 Timothy 1:5, 19; Hebrews 13:18; 1 Peter 3:16, 21), but none of these tell how such a conscience is acquired.
 
The answer to this vital question appears to be found in the apostle Paul's testimony before Felix: "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men" (Acts 24:16). The "exercise" (literally "training") which had produced such a conscience in Paul, he said, was this: "So worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets" (Acts 24:14). A lifelong study of the Scriptures, accompanied by absolute faith in their veracity and authority, had produced in Paul a strong, pure, good, reliable conscience, and it will do the same for us. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Seeing and Believing
 
"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20:29)
 
Jesus was willing to give doubting Thomas the visible evidence he wanted before he would believe. However, He did give His disciple a mild rebuke.
 
There is an important principle here. Thomas was willing to believe, but only when the visible evidence was too strong to question. Neither the promise of Christ that He would rise from the dead nor the testimony of His chosen apostles that the promise had been fulfilled was sufficient to convince him, and the Lord was disappointed.
 
When God has spoken plainly in His Word, that ought to be sufficient for those who really believe Him. Yet again and again Christians allow their faith to be shaken by some new cosmic theory, or age estimate, or something else. No matter how strong the biblical case for the worldwide Flood may be, for example, many Christians will not believe it until all the geological questions can be resolved. Even though the Bible unequivocally teaches that all things were created in six literal days (see Exodus 20:11), many Christians won't accept this until they can see overwhelming scientific evidence of a young earth. In fact, some will never believe in either recent creation or a worldwide Flood until all the secular scientists accept them first.
 
God has allowed many visible evidences of the truth of His word to be revealed. There is a strong scientific case for biblical creation, and we are justified in believing God's Word, even where we don't yet see any visible evidence. As Peter said concerning those who believe implicitly in Christ and His Word: "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8). HMM