January 28 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The theme of the month is spiritual war. Jesus won the battle not by might but by obedience. He is the source of salvation for all who obey him. When we have stood the test, we will share Christ's glory.

Bible Reading:

Ephesians 6: 14–18

Bible Text:

Put on the full armor of God ... And pray in the Spirit (Eph. 6:11, 18).

Devotional:

God gives us the spiritual equipment to endure the battle of the last days. Paul describes this outfit in terms of the military equipment of a Roman foot soldier.

Before embarking on a journey or entering battle, a soldier would put on a belt for unhindered physical movement. Thus we are ready to go into spiritual battle when we wear the belt of truth—when we are "truth-full." We are prepared when we know what we stand for and what we're fighting against. Truth and sincerity before God and people will win.

In preparing for battle, we must also put on the breastplate of righteousness, for if we are not morally upright, we will have a gaping hole in our armor.

Our shoes determine our stance, which is in the gospel of peace. We are in this battle not to hurt but to heal.

Roman foot soldiers caught flaming arrows on their leather-covered shields. When Satan fires his darts at us from people's tongues or life's disappointments, only faith's shield—that is, reliance on God&mdaash;will protect our souls.

In Christ we also wear the helmet of salvation. And in agreement with the Holy Spirit we handle the Word as God's sword.

To summarize Paul's message without the military imagery, we will not fall if we rely on God, if we are in Christ, and if we know how to pray.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.