JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to fight the good fight of the faith.

This battle does not involve the weapons of the world, but requires the armor of God, which includes the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, and the shield of faith to extinguish the arrows of the evil one. Our battles are against the forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

In First Timothy 6:11, the Apostle Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight. Then, he showed him how to fight effectively. Step away from the love of money, temptations, foolish and harmful desires. And step toward godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

Walking with Jesus enables us to step into the light of victory in our spiritual battles of life.

Fighting the good fight of the faith is a Vital Step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Daily Challenge motivates us to take up the shield of faith.

This is found in Ephesians 6:16. The Bible tells us that this piece of God’s armor enables us to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

This means that there are times when Satan will attack us. It could be with accusations to condemn us, or it could be with temptations to deceive us.

The shield of faith protects us from these attacks. When Satan launches the flaming arrow of despair, the shield of faith defends us with hope. When Satan launches the flaming arrow of hatred, the shield of faith defends us with the love of Christ. When Satan launches the flaming arrow of worthlessness, the shield of faith defends us with the truth that we are valuable to God. Faith is effective for putting out the destructive fires of the evil one.

Take the daily challenge to stand firm by taking up the shield of faith on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is Shield.

This is an instrument of protection for the spiritual battles of our lives. In Ephesians 6:16, the shield of faith is mentioned as a defensive weapon in the armor of God. As we take up the shield of faith, we can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Faith serves as a shield in the sense that it helps us to overcome fear, doubt, and temptation. The shield helps us to take our position on the spiritual battlefield and to stand firm when the forces of spiritual darkness attack us.

Ultimately, the LORD is our shield and protector. David wrote in Psalm 3, “Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.”

Find encouragement in knowing God as our shield who protects us from the evil one in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on Ephesians 6:10.

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to this church: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

We are engaged in a spiritual battle, and sometimes the battle gets intense. The devil has declared war over our souls, and he wants to deceive us into believing his lies. He tempts us, and then accuses us. But the good news here is that God is stronger, and He makes His mighty power available for us to fight the good fight of faith.

He provides us with weapons of righteousness. These are not weapons used by the world.  These weapons include the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

These are a few of the helpful tools for building our faith and taking our stand against evil influences in the world.

Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to a place of having a strong faith that resists the devil in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – For today’s Life at the Crossroads Moment, taking up the shield of faith.

In Ephesians 6:16, faith is compared to a shield. “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Do you see the implication of this verse? We are targets of the evil one. In the spiritual realm, he is firing off flaming arrows at us-Arrows of temptation, arrows of deception, messages of condemnation. After all, he is our accuser. His ultimate aim is to destroy us.

But faith is an adequate defense against the attacks of the enemy, serving as a capable shield to protect our heart and soul.

So, what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. And then the rest of the chapter gives example after example of those patriarchs of the past who lived by faith in God, who is unseen, but gives us hope and confidence that can be seen in the lives of His followers. Faith is not wishful thinking, hoping something is true without any foundation. Faith is belief in a living God who is true. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” So, having faith means believing that God is real and that He is good. This faith leads us to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and Lord.

Ephesians 6:19 and Hebrews 11 gives us wisdom for turning to God at the crossroads of life.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Trust, today’s Focus on God examines the shield of faith.

According to Ephesians 6, the armor of God is vital for us to take our stand against the devil’s schemes. Satan seeks to destroy us with his attacks, whether they be in the form of temptations or accusations.

Verse 14 highlights one of the pieces of God’s armor, which we can use. “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

The shield of faith protects us from Satan’s attacks. It reminds us daily of our need for God’s grace and it challenges us to believe the truth about the Gospel. Belief in the truth shields us from the lies of the devil and this world’s system. The shield of faith reminds us that we are not alone in the spiritual battles of our lives.

Psalm 28:7 says, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.”

Having God as our shield is a reason to trust in God for today and forever.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com