Armor of God: Learning to Walk in the Power and Protection of Our LordSample

Read: Ephesians 4:1–24

SOAP: Ephesians 4:22–24

You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.

Into the Text

What an incredible blessing to be given the righteousness of Christ, to have the breastplate of righteousness available to us and at our disposal each and every morning as we begin our day. God, in His great mercy, gives us everything we need, morning after morning, to live victorious lives in His strength.

In our verses for today, Paul instructs us to lay aside our former way of life, the old self corrupted by deceitful desires, and to renew our minds with God's truth. He also tells us to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God, in true righteousness and holiness. In other words, we can discard the "old clothing" we once wore when we didn't know Jesus. Those "old clothes" are no longer needed and no longer reflect our change and who we are now in Christ. Now, we can clothe ourselves with the breastplate of righteousness.

It can be tempting to believe that we have to live up to the standards set by society or by those around us. But Paul reminds us that, while we used to live that way, we are now in Christ and have been given a new nature: we now love the things that are holy and bring glory to God. And even though we still sin and fail, we repent from our sins, not making excuses or continuing in them.

So, how do we put on this new self? By renewing our minds. This means we need to constantly be filling our minds with the truth of God's Word, believing every promise, and letting His Word shape our thoughts and actions. Then, when we meditate on Scripture and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, we will be empowered to live in the new nature God designed for us.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for forgiving my past and giving me a bright future with You. Thank You for the freedom You have given me to no longer live in the shame of my past. Help me to renew my mind with Your truth. Amen.