put on God's armor!

"Put on all the armour that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil's evil tricks." Eph. 6:11 GNB

Oooh, I don't often use the GNB Bible, so it's fun to see this verse! The devil has a "bag of tricks" and here's how we combat them:

1. Helmet of salvation. (Accept Jesus and make Him a part of your life... then you start to mentally picture life through this lens of salvation.)

2. Breastplate of righteousness. (Because of Jesus, we have right standing with God.)

3. Belt of truth. (God's Word has truth. Stand on God's Word. It keeps all things together just like the belt holds things up!)

4. Shield of faith. (When we are uncertain about life, faith is our shield! We can believe in the hope that God is greater than what we face!)

5. Sword of the Spirit. (Our one offensive weapon is the sword, which is God's Word. Speak it! Use it!)

6. Gospel shoes of peace. (We bring God's Word to others in peace!)

Listen to how the Message Bible puts it: "Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon."

BTW, I just remembered it's five-fact Sunday. Here's what I'm thankful for today.

1. Warm weather! Yes, I'm enjoying warm weather today. So grateful!
2. Time to not think about anything. Everyone needs rest!
3. Pajamas. Isn't it nice to get into comfy clothes for bed?
4. Scripture. It's nice to have something filled with good things to think about!. Very helpful in this world of crazy things.
5. Conservatives in Congress. Very grateful we have some people who are still willing to stand up for truth, morality, and principles!