Author: mary

Paul tells the church of Ephesus in Ephesians 6:19-20, “and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” Paul was an ambassador for Christ. Everything he said and did was for the kingdom. So what does it mean to be an ambassador and how can we be ambassadors for Christ in our lives?

An ambassador is someone who represents an organization, like a country. Much like an advocate, their duty is to bring a message to the people. In our world today, we have ambassadors for our countries that are stationed in foreign lands. Their job is to do the work of their country.

In the same way, we are ambassadors for Christ. Our job is to do his work while we are living in this alien land where we do not belong. We are to bring the message of the gospel and hope of Jesus Christ to the ones living in the land. We are to show them the way, just as others have done for us. Think about someone who is an ambassador for Christ, maybe someone who has invested in you like a Sunday School leader or a Bible Study leader. If you keep the gospel to yourself and do not share it with others, then what purpose are you serving? Pray and ask God to help you be an ambassador for Christ today.

Ephesians 6:18 says, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” Prayer is powerful and can change lives. This verse tells us to pray at all times, and be alert in your prayer.

What does it mean to pray in the Spirit with prayer and supplication? Many people are hesitant to pray. They think that they don’t have the right words to say or that God will not hear their prayers. They hear others pray and feel inferior or as they do not know as much about the Bible to be able to pray. The beautiful thing about prayer is that it is simply communicating with God. You can’t communicate with him just like you would communicate with anyone else. You do not have to use fancy word knowledge to be able to pray. God delights when his people go before him with their rejoicing and requests. So, to pray in the spirit just simply means pouring your heart out before the Lord. Supplication just simply means your request. He wants you to come on behalf of yourself and others.

Never give up in your prayers. Go before him every day lifting up those around you who are on mission, your family members, and your community. Prayer changes lives. So don’t be afraid to go to God in prayer, but instead just start talking to him like you would anyone else. He will change your life.

The Word of God is our most powerful weapon against the enemy. Paul calls it the “sword of the Spirit,” in Ephesians 6:17. So what is it about the Bible that makes it a weapon? How do we use it in our daily lives to make sure we protect ourselves from the enemy’s attacks?

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” His Word is powerful because it is alive. It is not just words from long ago, but it is words that still affect people today and change lives. It cuts to their souls and separates what is good and evil. It makes us vulnerable and exposes who we really are when we begin to recognize our sins.

When we open the Word and really begin to read it, we will see the effect it has not only on our own lives, but also on the lives of others. We will begin to see lives changed because of the truths it brings.

The helmet of salvation (as Paul stated in Ephesians 6:17) is one of the armour of God. A helmet is a protective head covering. It protects the brain from attacks. It is important to keep the head protected in battle just as a helmet can protect the head when riding a bike or motorcycle.

The brain holds all of our thoughts and emotions. It is the center of our mental and physical actions; it controls them. So when we have a helmet on, we are protecting ourselves from losing control of both mental and physical actions. In the spiritual sense, it is of utmost importance to protect our mind as it controls both the way we think and our actions. If we give in to the devil’s schemes, we allow him to control what we say and do.

So what is this helmet? It is the helmet of salvation. Salvation is what protects our minds. His salvation gives us the security we need to have peace and hope. It also gives us confidence to be able to talk to others about God.

Paul encourages believers to hold up the shield of faith to protect themselves against the devil in Ephesians 6:16, “ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” A shield can be easily moved to stop the arrow depending on where the arrow moves. A shield can also be moved to protect the people surrounding you.

Think about an umbrella and what it does. When you hold it up, you shield yourself from the precipitation falling from the sky. You put your faith in that umbrella to keep you dry and safe. The shield of faith does the same. It protects us from the attacks of the enemy, shields us from the darkness. Faith is needed to walk through this Christian life.

An umbrella can also protect others. When we extend it out and offer to hold it over someone else’s head, we are saying, “I want to keep you from the rain, too.” The same can be said of the shield. We can extend it out to protect those around us as well. When we do, we are sharing our faith and showing the world that we care about their salvation.