For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
Before anything else existed, there was God alone. Until one day, in just six days, He created everything. The first humans—Adam and Eve—got to walk and talk with God, and everything was perfect.
One day, God’s enemy, whom we call “the devil” or “Satan”, tricked Adam and Eve into disobeying God. Disobeying God is called ‘sin’. Sin separated everyone from God. Like Adam and Eve, we also choose to sin.
God loves us so much that He sent His perfect Son, Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment that we deserved for our sin upon Himself. Then He beat death by coming back to life three days later.
Jesus gives us new life and His power to fight against our old life of sin. Our old life and choices kept us separated from God. But when Jesus saves us, He brings us back to Him and gives us a new life.
While we wait for Jesus to come back and make everything perfect, we still have an enemy who tempts us to disobey God. But when we follow Jesus, He gives us His power to say no to sin.
There will be times when we choose sin instead of obeying. When we sin, we can go to God and ask for His forgiveness. Jesus’ power is so great, and He is so kind to us, that He brings us back to Him every time.
What an amazing gift God has given us through His Son, Jesus. This gift is for everyone. Anyone can receive it by admitting that we’ve disobeyed God, believing that His Son, Jesus, died and came back to life, and choosing to follow Him.
In what ways are our lives “made new” after we choose to follow Jesus?
What does this teach us about Jesus and His power that He gives us?
Thank You, God, for sending Your perfect Son, Jesus, to save us and give us new life. We know that through Jesus we have the power to fight against our old life of sin. We love You, and we want to choose to follow You every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
Ephesians 6:10-11;13-14a
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
The devil is God’s enemy, which also makes him the enemy of everyone who follows Jesus. God wants us to obey Him because He loves us and knows what is best. But the enemy lies and wants to trick us into following him instead of following Jesus. That is why we need God’s power—to help us stay strong against the enemy’s evil plans. To protect us and help us fight back, God gives us His armor.
A soldier’s armor protects him from attacks against his body, but God’s armor protects us from attacks against our hearts and minds. We can’t see or touch this armor because it protects us from things we also can’t see or touch.
The Bible tells us that we are in a battle—not against people, but against the tricks and evil plans of the enemy. The belt of truth helps protect us from these plans.
Jesus is the truth. This means that everything that is true comes from Him. To “put on the belt of truth” means that we keep what is true in our minds at all times. We know the truth by knowing Jesus, and knowing the truth protects us from lies.
The truth helps us spot lies and helps us know who we are and how to live. Just like a belt holds a soldier’s armor together, the truth holds us together and helps us be ready for whatever is next. With the belt of truth, we are ready for whatever comes our way.
How does knowing the truth help us spot the enemy’s lies and make right choices?
How can we learn God’s truth and keep it in our minds every day?
Thank You, God, for giving us Your armor to protect our hearts and minds. We know that through Jesus we have the power to fight against the enemy’s tricks and lies. We love You, and we want to know Your truth and choose to follow You every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.