Thirsting Souls Bible Teaching

(Eph 6:16) “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”  Why does it say, “above all”? Answer: faith is trusting the Lord. It “acts” based upon the belief that God says what He means, can do, and will do whatever He has said. Faith is not only belief, but it is acting upon that belief. One who says they believe but do not act do not truly possess faith – trust in God. To not trust in God is to call Him a liar, and therefore cannot please Him (Heb. 13).  So, above all, take the shield of faith.

(Eph 6:15) “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”   I wonder how often we are prepared to “share” the Gospel of Peace. I referring to ready and able to give the gospel to those around us in the mall, on the job, standing in our yard, of sitting at our table. Our minds are normally everywhere else but there. God help us to be walking, talking voices of appeal to the lost around us.

(Eph 6:15) “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”  This “peace” is not, as many asset, peace with man as much as peace with God, the message of reconciliation (Col 1:20). The Bible does say to live at peace with man to the best of our ability (Rom 12:18). Sometime they do not allow this to take place, but it should not be us (unless we are standing in a right manner for teachings of the Word of God) that caused the problem.  

WATER  (Eph 6:14) “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”   The truth (God’s Word) teaches us that our own righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64: 6). This breastplate covering our hearts is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. In His righteousness, we are safe! Yes, we are to seek to be righteous in our daily lives, walking in obedience to the Word of God. But our protection is not self and therefore self’s actions. Rest……in Jesus Christ.  

(Eph 6:14) “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,…”  There is only one real truth – that is the Word of God, the Bible. So many today are seeking for and believing in other so-called prophets or “truths”. They are neither, for the Bible is the complete and only Word of God. There will never be anything added to it, nor should we ever seek to take away anything from it. It is “in” It and It alone to which we are to trust and upon which we can and will stand.

(Eph 6:13)  “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  “Withstand – stand”, words that signify victory in the face of demonic attacks. When you and I stand by faith in our Lord Jesus, there is no possible room for failure.  We just have to settle in our mind that God does not lie neither does He fail!

(Eph 6:12) “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  This is probably one of the hardest things to get our mind around. We see the physical and therefore see a person as our problem. Yet, it is spiritual forces at work that are the true enemies of the Believer. We desire to live for our God, yet these forces will do everything they can to hinder that, lest we effect the lost souls around us. 

(Eph 6:10) “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”   Can anything or anyone stand against the Lord? I recently heard my pastor say, “God made everything so nothing and nobody is therefore stronger than Him.”  No wonder the Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”! Stand on your own and you shall fall. Stand doing what is right in His sight, depending on Him to sustain you and you shall stand plus be victorious!   

 (Eph 6:10) “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”  Where is self here? Lost in the person of Jesus Christ, as the Apostle Paul penned it, “I die daily”.  To live as a Christian is to die to self and live unto God. Can it be accomplished in reality? That’s really not the right question. Should we keep on keeping on daily to seek it? That’s the question. And the answer is: “Yes!”