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Ephesians 6:15, Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15

Beautiful Feet!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 11, 2025

I’ve never been a “foot man.” Actually, I’ve always thought God could have done a better job designing our feet. They are really weird if you look at them and think about them. It’s one of those things we learn to take by faith. God knows what’s best, and as the creator, he made them to fit his preferred purpose for them. You kind of get the idea that when Paul talks about each person being different parts of a body, each having their own function, he is referring to the feet when he speaks of the “unseemly” parts. Yet, Paul quotes from the Prophet Isaiah (52:7) regarding the appearance of the feet that bring messengers of good news. Isaiah says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness…” Paul uses this verse to talk about those who bring to others the good news of Jesus Christ (See Romans 10:15).

I’ve been publicly proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ for 50 years from the pulpit or devotional writings, and I still have ugly feet. Paul must be talking about something else! Isaiah’s words describe the good news of the deliverance of God’s people from slavery in Babylon. Paul uses Isaiah’s words to refer to the good news of deliverance from sin of all those who receive and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Redford writes, “Those who bear such good news are pictured as having beautiful feet. Usually, the heralds who traveled many miles to convey a message arrived at their destination with dusty, dirty feet. The appearance of their feet was anything but beautiful; the beauty was to be found in the contents of the message delivered. Later, Paul will describe the Christian’s armor as “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15).

It declares the end of hostility and the victory over evil. It involves setting all the prisoners of war free. Wright explains it this way, “It will be the great rescue, deliverance—from the literal captivity of the Israelite exiles to all forms of oppression, addiction, and bondage. The reign of God breaks the chains of evil, sin, and Satan and removes the ultimate dangers of judgment and death. Salvation is an incredibly rich and complex word throughout the Bible. It was the distinctive, defining character of YHWH in the Old Testament and the personal name of Jesus in the New. So, when God reigns, there will be peace. Life will be good, and we will be saved. This is the summary content of the ‘evangel’ borne by the beautiful feet of the Lord’s messenger. This is gospel truth.”

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Ephesians 6:15, Philippians 4:1-8

Peaceful Thoughts

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 10, 2025

According to Ephesians 6:15, Soldiers are always prepared for spiritual warfare by putting on God’s armor. The first item was the belt of truth. The second item was the breastplate of righteousness, and the third item was the war boots. It’s a subject of debate as to what is meant, but it seems obvious that whatever that specific word means, it refers to what a soldier would wear when he goes out to war. That’s why I call them the “war boots.” It seems to fit the context well. These boots were spiked on the bottom to help secure the soldier’s footing as he would stand firm against the onslaughts of the enemy. They were also designed as light wear, enabling the soldier to march long distances to reach the front lines where the battle was the most intense.

Paul uses footwear as an illustration that focuses on two truths. First, the spiked nature of the boots enabled the soldier to find footing to resist the attacks of the enemy. There will always be resistance. The enemy’s main tactic is to disrupt our lives. He works through fiery darts and brings thoughts (it’s a battle for our mind) that disrupt our peace, break relationships, and destroy the community. But the war boots that Paul exhorts us to put on have to do with the “gospel that brings peace.” Therefore, first and foremost, we must stand firm in the way we think.

When Paul was writing to the Philippians, he specifically addressed how they were to stand firm in their thinking. In Philippians 4:1, Paul says, “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.” The word “thus” is pointing at the instructions he is about to give them. 6-7 explains that the key focus must be on Christ. It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Please notice that it’s “peace” that will guard your hearts and “minds.” Then verse 8 directs our attention to how to conduct mental Warfare. It says, “brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” We are to stand firm by disciplining our thought life. This emphasizes the necessity of mental warfare in our spiritual journey, making it a crucial aspect of our preparation.

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Ephesians 6:14

His Righteousness

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 9, 2025

It’s not a surprise when we find ourselves under attack by the spiritual forces of evil in this world. Jesus made it clear that “in this world, you will have sorrow.” But he also assured us that He had “overcome the world.” The end result of that is that all things will work out for our best regardless of the present circumstances of our lives. Peter actually tells us in 1 Peter 4:12, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through…” Notice the “fiery trials” phrase is reminiscent of the “fiery darts” that are the weapons of our spiritual foes. Peter goes on to reassure us regarding these fiery attacks. He says, “…these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to the entire world.”

No, we shouldn’t be surprised. But we better be prepared. In Matthew 26:41, Jesus instructed us to “watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation.” He means that we are to be on the alert for the temptations that will come our way (as He was tempted in the wilderness) so that we may resist being dragged into the sin that’s presented. Peter also gives us similar advice in 1 Peter 5:8. He warned us, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” To be prepared, Paul said, we must “put on the full armor of God.” We need to be girded up, strengthened with the weight-lifter’s belt of truth. As long as our core is protected by the truth, we will find confidence in the battle.

We also need to be sure to don the breastplate of righteousness. God’s righteousness, expressed in Christ’s life, is the only sufficient righteousness. Our righteousness has already failed us in that we’ve already fallen prey to the temptations and schemes of the evil one. We’ve already sinned. Jesus exhorts us to “be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect.” For man, that’s impossible. Yet, in God’s grace, He put our sin on Christ’s breast. Christ bore the breastplate of judgment upon the cross and into the very presence of God on our behalf. Through faith in him, we have “HIS” righteousness. There is courage indeed in HIS righteousness, whereas, in our righteousness there is only despair. Our righteousness has no value. James Boice described it this way: “The accumulation of human righteousness is a bit like playing Monopoly. The game has colorful money and is enjoyable to play, but only a fool would take Monopoly money and go into town to buy groceries. A different kind of currency is used in the real world. It is the same spiritually. There are people who think they are collecting assets before God when they are only collecting human righteousness. God tells them that they must leave the play currency to deal in his goodness. Our goodness has no value in heaven.” It’s only His righteousness that will suffice to open heaven’s gates on our behalf.

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Ephesians 6:14, 2 Corinthians 5:21

The Breastplate of Righteousness

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 8, 2025

Just as the High Priest was instructed to do in the Old Testament, Jesus, our great High Priest, wore the breastplate of judgment. He brought the perfect sacrifice on our behalf into the very presence of God. The veil separating God from man has been torn in half, and Jesus entered by wearing our names on His heart. This sacrifice was for our sins, and the barrier has been broken. With the truth of Christ’s sacrificial act on our behalf, we have been given breastplates to wear also. These breastplates protect us from the onslaughts of the enemy. Our two breastplates are the breastplate of “faith and love” and the breastplate of “righteousness.” The cross of Jesus is not just a symbol, but it is at the center of my courage in the battles of life. I put on the breastplate of faith when I trust in what Christ has done for me on the cross. He paid the penalty. He made the sacrifice to expunge my sins from the records. He put my sins upon his breast and entered into the presence of God with the ultimate sacrifice. For me (and you!) He lived! For me (and you!), He died. There is no greater love than this. His love shields me and protects me from all harm. Though there is sorrow for a time, I know the end result. Job didn’t know! But he wore the breastplate of faith: “Though he slays me, yet will I trust in Him…naked came I into the world…naked from it I will go… the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away…blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Since God’s deep love for us (John 3:16) brought Christ’s sacrifice for our sins on the cross, I’ve been made clean, and through faith, I’m made whole and righteous in God’s eyes. The cross is the center of my courage. Faith is the secret of my courage. Trusting God’s promises regardless of life’s situations is the best protection we can ever find. In 1 John 5:13, we read, “I have written these things to you who believe (wear the breastplate of faith and love) in Jesus Christ so that you will know (with absolute certainty) that you have everlasting life.” God’s love is the substance of my courage. We have no fear with Christ’s love and our names on his breast! “Perfect love casts out fear.” “If God is for us (and He is!), who can stand against us?” No one!

His perfect righteousness is the source of all my courage. The breastplate of righteousness is not my own righteousness. It’s His! When Jesus bore our sins on his heart into the presence of God he became sin. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin…” But there is more to that verse. The result of Christ’s wearing the breastplate of judgment on our behalf is “…so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The breastplate we wear, righteousness, is not our own righteousness, which is at best questionable, but it’s His perfect righteousness. As the sky turned black with Jesus on the cross as payment for our sin, His righteousness was being credited to our accounts. As our sins were credited to Christ, his righteousness was credited to us. This righteous standing is the source of all righteous living. It’s out of who we are in Christ that we stand against the temptations, trials, struggles and sufferings that come against us in life. Our courage has its source in who we are! When we have faith in Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, motivated out of God’s love for us, we put on the breastplate of righteousness.

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Ephesians 6:14, Ecclesiastes 4:10

Honesty with Others

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 7, 2025

The belt of truth gives us true strength to lift heavier burdens to stay longer in the battle, and to face even stronger foes. It keeps me anchored to something that remains unmovable. Although subjective experience changes for each person, objective truth is the same for everyone. Even when attacked and denied, and betrayed for a time, truth will always prevail in the end. With that certainty, you can do battle with the worst! When we’re honest with ourselves, and when we’re honest with God, it reinforces us in body, soul, and spirit. In addition, we need also to be honest with others. In the context of community, we find the basic human needs satisfied and the help and strength we need to fight our personal foes. The fact is we need each other. There are often failures and defeats that cripple us in our warfare, but with the help of others, we can get back into the fray of battle. The wisest man in the world, Solomon, said this (Ecclesiastes 4:10), “For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”

God exists in a community of three persons. He created us in that image. We exist in the community, and we need each other. John exhorts us to confess our sins to God for forgiveness. James exhorts us to confess our sins to others for healing (James 5:16). P. D. Robbins said, “When guilt feelings hit, I have a hard time believing God forgives unless I first experience forgiveness from some warm bodies here on earth. But even that acceptance is hollow unless I’ve been transparent enough to know that people see the real me—warts and all. Otherwise, I’ll figure they love me only because they don’t really know how rotten I am. Being open and honest with others gives me the assurance that no matter how people react to me, they’re responding to the genuine article, not some spruced-up version.”

We all need an intimate connection with others. We can’t have that kind of connection with everyone, but we need it to be with someone or some group. We’re always encouraging others to find small groups of those who share their faith in order to find true communion in an honest and open community. If we’re not completely honest with someone on earth, the chances are extremely remote that we’re being honest with ourselves and God. It’s in this community that we can truly get to know ourselves. We really don’t find ourselves through introspection as the trend in our society suggests. Paul Tournier, a Christian Physician, says that introspection “is like peeling the skin off an onion; you remove layer after layer and discover there’s nothing left.” He continues to add, “There is nothing more important than honest dialogue between Christians. It’s how we discover ourselves, our friends, and our God.”

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Exodus 28:15, Ephesians 6:14

The Light Of His Glory

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 6, 2025

As part of the armor of God, Paul instructs us to put on the “breastplate of righteousness.” I think we can get a full picture of what that means by looking at the other uses of “breastplate” in the Bible. First of all, we have the “breastplate of judgment.” In Exodus 28, God instructs Israel on how to create the breastplate. It is to be constructed out of “gold, violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials and finely woven linen” (28:15). On it were attached 12 precious stones: Sardis, topaz, emerald, sapphire, diamond, opal, agate, amethyst, beryl, onyx, and jasper. On each stone was engraved the name of one of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Aaron, and every High Priest after him, was to wear this breastplate of judgment over his chest as he conducted his business in the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies in the presence of God. This is explained in verse 30: “Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly.” As our one and only final high priest, Jesus Christ, bore our sins on his heart upon the cross and entered into God’s presence on our behalf. Maclaren puts it this way, “the first step in the intercession of our great High Priest is the presenting before God forever and ever that great fact that He, the Sinless, has died for the love of sinful men, and thereby has secured that the judgment of Heaven on them shall now be ‘no condemnation.’” This establishes for us the basis of our hope in Christ. He took our sins upon himself as our substitute, just as the chief priest did for the children of Israel. It’s the assurance that all who trust in Him are acquitted by the courts of heaven.

There’s another aspect of the breastplate of judgment that’s worth noticing. It’s the fact that our names are not inscribed on pieces of bone, rocks, or scraps of leather, wood or stone. They are engraved upon the most precious of gems known to man. Maclaren elaborates on this fact: “Precious in the eyes of Christ are the souls for whom He has given so much. They are not only precious, but lustrous, flashing back the light in various colors indeed, according to their various laws of crystallization, but all receptive of it and all reflective of it.” Christ’s work on our behalf does not end with acquittal. All those whom He has justified by faith, He also glorified! Maclaren continues, “…be sure that mere forgiveness and acquittal is the least of the blessings which He intends to give, and that He will not be satisfied until in all our nature we receive and flash back the light of His own glory.”

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1 Thessalonians 5:8, Ephesians 6:14, Habakkuk 2:4

The Breastplate of Faith

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 5, 2025

Exodus tells us about the breastplate of judgment that the High Priest wore into the presence of God. On it were the precious gems with the names of each of the twelve tribes. He represented his people with the sacrifice to secure their forgiveness. Christ, as our High Priest, represents us as he entered the Holy of Holies while on the cross, bearing our sins upon his heart. As the veil of the temple was torn in half, we see that Christ’s sacrifice was the final payment for our sins. The cross is the center of all my courage. It is all about Christ’s work on my behalf that evil can be defeated in my life. My courage comes from his work for me. Romans 8:1 says that because of Christ’s work on the cross, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” Christ bore the breastplate of judgment for us!

In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Paul tells us, “Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith…” We’ve been considering the “full armor of God” and Paul’s exhortation for us to put it on as we struggle against the powers of spiritual evil in heavenly places. Really, the armor is all about Jesus. If we put on Christ, we put on the armor. If we put on the armor, we put on Christ. They seem to be one and the same. Consider the pieces. Regarding the belt of truth, Jesus said, “I am the truth…” (John 14:6.) Regarding the breastplate of righteousness, Jesus is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). Regarding the boots of the gospel of peace, Christ is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). Regarding salvation, Jesus is the author and finisher of it all. Regarding the sword of the spirit, the word of God, Jesus is the living word (John 1:1). He seems to be our all in all. But what about the shield of faith or Paul’s reference in 1 Thessalonians regarding the “breastplate of faith?”

The New Testament quotes Habakkuk 2:4 several times: Romans, Galatians, and the book of Hebrews. But all of them say, “The just shall live by faith.” In the book of Habakkuk, in the original, it actually reads, “The just shall live by HIS faith.” You might wonder what the antecedent is to the third person personal pronoun, “His.” What exactly is it referring to? Let me speculate a little. All the other pieces of armor might be illustrated as characteristics of Christ. Could the “faith” be a reference to Christ’s faith and not our own? Well, Galatians 2:20 says, “The life that I now live in the flesh, I love by the faith of the Son of God.” There is so much more security in my victory when the faith that I wear is HIS faith instead of my own. I’m like the apostles at many instances where Jesus asks them “why do you have such little faith?” Donald Grey Barnhouse took it this way. He concludes this observation with this comment: “There I discovered the second great fact. The faith of Christ is the source and fullness of life. Christ is everything, and all that we need to win the battle. All truth is related to Him. All true righteousness has its source in Him. And so on through the list. Put on Christ, and you put on the whole armor of God. Put on the whole armor of God, and you put on Christ.”

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Ephesians 6:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:8

The Breastplate of Love

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 4, 2025

In I Thessalonians, Paul uses the image of the breastplate to describe faith and love. He writes in Chapter 5 and verse 8, “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love…” Jesus exhorted his disciples about love frequently. On one occasion, he explained that they should “live” in His love for them. In John 15:9, Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” Jude exhorts his readers to “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21). Obviously, this is not our love for God but God’s love for us. It’s the only safe place. John Calvin said that God’s love is a “watchtower.” It’s a sentry’s post. Even the exhortation to “keep yourself…” is reminiscent of a military command. When Paul exhorts the Corinthians about fighting the good fight as soldiers, he uses military phrases. In 1 Corinthians 16:13, Paul uses literal military commands. He says, “Be on Guard (alert & Watchful), take your stand in the substance of faith, be courageous, and be strong.” The next verse then concludes, “Let all that you do be done in love.”

Our ability to withstand the spiritual battles against the forces of darkness is not in our own strength, but in our preparedness and reliance on God’s love. Dwelling in, and standing firm in, God’s love acts as a protective shield, safeguarding all the vital parts of our existence against the onslaughts of the evil one. As Paul explains, we are children of the day! We are not children of the night with our pajamas on ready for bed. No, we’re up and dressed and ready for life and able and competent to face all trials and sufferings that life may bring our way. We find courage in the breastplate of God’s love. It’s this truth that brought Paul great confidence when he wrote in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things (read, “face all enemies”) through Christ Jesus.” Whether we are named by our parents or by God, the name that truly defines us is ‘beloved of God.’ That’s what God names you. That’s what God names me! Never doubt God’s love!

Abiding in God’s love, having put on the breastplate of love, will give me confidence and courage in my life long battles. John said it best, “there is no fear in love. Instead, perfect love drives away fear” (1 John 4:18). No matter what assails me in my day to day life I can face it all because I know that God always has my best interest foremost in mind. He may give Satan permission to attack (see Job 1), but he will always limit the attack as well as bring the end results out for my good. This is not always easy to understand that’s why Paul refers to this breastplate as one of “faith and love.” As we grow to trust in God’s love and grow in our conviction of God’s love and care for us, we will find true courage in all trials and problems (i.e., attacks) of life. Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends…” (John 15:13-14).

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