We live in a world that tells us we need to focus upon ourselves at any given moment. Do you know why Satan wants us self-obsessed? Because as long as we are caught up in our own feelings, our own ideas, our own thoughts, our own self in any way, then we are not focused on anyone else, including God. Satan sets us up perfectly, make no mistake he takes every single opportunity to arrange for us to be slighted even in the tiniest way. As soon as we feel the inkling of a slight we are shaking off the armor of God and replacing it with armor of our own fashioning trying to protect our own feelings, our so called honor, our perceived dignity, our self-important integrity and God's armor cannot remain upon us if we replace it with our own armor. Why can't God's armor protect us if we are fashioning our own? Because God's armor is SELFLESS, not SELF-FOCUSED.
The Helmet of Salvation- Christ's selfless sacrifice.
The Breastplate of Christ's Righteousness- Christ's selflessness as He relied upon the righteousness of the Father.
The Loins Girt in Truth- Christ is truth, selfless truth. Sacrificing truth.
The Feet Shod in the Gospel of Peace - Peace found in the selfless of Christ's sacrifice.
The Shield of Faith- Faith in Christ's selflessness.
The Sword of the Spirit of the Word of God - the Selfless WORD of GOD, the same Word that tells us to sacrifice self for God, for others!
God sacrificed ALL for us, we are called to do no less than sacrifice all for God- by the Spirit of the power of God. We are called to allow God to have His way in us because we KNOW His way is the way of LOVE, pure LOVE unlike anything we can truly comprehend in our sin soaked state of living.
We need to give up SELF! Self-protection of our feelings, our idea of self-justification, these all need to be given up! Satan will use them to destroy us at every turn eating away at us bit by bit, piece by piece, chipping at our perceived self that we deem more important than so much else.
Vain glory… self-glory- this is something we must not desire! We must not provoke one another in any way, we must not envy one another something we do all too much! God help us, God save us! God keep us from all evil! God keep us from all evil - from every single evil trap Satan lays for us to fall into!
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
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