Memory Text: Ephesians 6:13 NKJV “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:13 COMMENTARY BY WILLIAM BURKITT observable it is, that although there be pieces of armour for all other parts of the body, here is none assigned for the back, nor back-parts.

Sunday, December 18 Gird Your Waist With Truth
Ephesians 6:14 NKJV “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness.”
Ephesians 6:14 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES The girdle, or sash, was always with the ancients an important part of their dress, in war as well as in peace. They wore loose, flowing robes; and it became necessary to gird them up when they travelled, or ran, or laboured. The girdle was often highly ornamented, and was the place where they carried their money, their sword, their pipe, their writing instruments, etc.
Ephesians 6:14 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth of God; unless this be known and conscientiously believed no man can enter the spiritual warfare with any advantage or prospect of success. By this alone we discover who our enemies are, and how they come on to attack us; and by this we know where our strength lies; and, as the truth is great, and must prevail, we are to gird ourselves with this against all false religion, and the various winds of doctrine by which cunning men and insidious devils lie in wait to deceive. Truth may be taken here for sincerity; for if a man be not conscious to himself that his heart is right before God, and that he makes no false pretences to religion, in vain does he enter the spiritual lists. This alone can give him confidence.
Psalm 31:5 KJ21 “Into Thine hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.”
Isaiah 65:16 MKJV “[He] who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth. And he who swears in the earth will swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from My eyes.”
Psalm 43:3 MKJV “Oh send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill, and to Your tabernacles.”
Psalm 86:11 MKJV “Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; my heart rejoices to fear Your name.”
3 John 4 MKJV “I have no greater joy than these things, to hear that my children walk in the truth.”
John 14:6 ESV “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:17 ESV “even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

Monday, December 19 The Breastplate of Righteousness
Ephesians 6:14 ESV “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.”
Ephesians 6:14 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY The order in which the pieces of armor are given is probably the order in which a Roman soldier would put them on; thus there is a logical sequence of ideas. The metaphor is a magnificent climax to one of the most profound writings ever penned… The girdle about the loins held together the soldier’s garments that might otherwise hamper his movements… As the breastplate covers the heart of the soldier, righteousness preserves the life of the believer, and protects the “vital organs” of spiritual life… Righteousness. Some apply this to the righteousness of Christ that covers the child of God; others, to the Christian’s personal loyalty to principle. Both are essential for successful warfare, and Paul probably had both in mind.
Romans 1:16-17 God’s Word to the Nations “16 ¶ I’m not ashamed of the Good News. It is God’s power to save everyone who believes, Jews first and Greeks as well. 17 God’s approval is revealed in this Good News. This approval begins and ends with faith as Scripture says, "The person who has God’s approval will live by faith."”
1 Corinthians 1:30 KJ21 “But because of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who from God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 NRSV “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Romans 6:10-14 NRSV “10 The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13 No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

Tuesday, December 20 For Feet, the Gospel of Peace
Ephesians 6:15 NKJV “and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
Ephesians 6:15 COMMENTARY BY BARNES The Greek is, literally, "having underbound the feet;" that is, having bound on the shoes, or sandals, or whatever was worn by the ancient soldier. The protection of the feet and ankles consisted of two parts: (1.) the sandals, or shoes, which were probably made so as to cover the foot, and which often were fitted with nails, or armed with spikes, to make the hold firm in the ground; or (2.) with greaves that were fitted to the legs, and designed to defend them from any danger. These greaves, or boots, 1Sa 17:6, were made of brass, and were in almost universal use among the Greeks and Romans.
Ephesians 6:15 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY The legs of the Roman soldier were covered by greaves, with sandals on the feet. This was necessary in order that his movements over rough ground should not be impeded. If he was to be able to stand the assault, he must have a sure footing… In Paul’s figure the sandals apparently served to enable the wearer to stand firm rather than to run… Essentially, the gospel is the good news that men need not die, and that is a welcome word to the warrior facing relentless foes. He stands firm on the knowledge of Christ incarnate, crucified, risen, ascended—the heart of the gospel, and the reason for peace.
Revelation 14:6-12 MKJV “6 ¶ And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those dwelling on the earth, even to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, 7 saying with a great voice, Fear God and give glory to Him! For the hour of His judgment has come. And worship Him who made the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8 And another angel followed, saying, The great city, Babylon, has fallen, has fallen; because of the wine of the anger of her fornication; she has made all nations to drink. 9 And a third angel followed them, saying with a great voice, If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark in his forehead or in his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the anger of God, having been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented by fire and brimstone before the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. And they have no rest day or night, those who worship the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints. Here [are] the ones who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

Wednesday, December 21 The Shield of Faith
Ephesians 6:16 NKJV “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
Easton’s Revised Bible Dictionary, art. “shield” - Shields were usually "anointed" #Isa 21:5 in order to preserve them, and at the same time make the missiles of the enemy glide off them more easily.
SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY, art. “shield” A shield was ordinarily made of wood, with a hide stretched over it to which oil was applied (2 Sa 1:21; Is 21:5) to keep it pliable. During marches it was protected by a cover (Is 22:6).
Ephesians 6:16 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY This faith is active, like the shield that is raised to catch the fiery darts; it is also passive in that it trusts in God for deliverance. Under the impact of temptation of any kind it is faith that restores confidence and enables one to carry on the battle. Moreover, “without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6)… Ancient arrows sometimes had combustible materials, such as tow and pitch, ignited on the head of the shaft so as to set fire to whatever they hit. This is an appropriate image for the fiery temptations that come to the child of God. They may take the form of fear, discouragement, impatience, unholy thoughts, envy, anger, or any other vice. But faith in God, held aloft like a shield, catches them, snuffs out the flame, and makes them fall harmless to the ground.
Ephesians 6:16 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE In the word yureov, thureos, the apostle alludes to the great oblong shield, or scutum, which covers the whole body…And as faith is the grace by which all others are preserved and rendered active, so it is properly represented here under the notion of a shield, by which the whole body is covered and protected.
James 2:18-20 MKJV “18 But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well; even the demons believe and tremble. 20 But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

Thursday, December 22 The Helmet of Salvation
Ephesians 6:17 KJ21 “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,”
Ephesians 6:17 COMMENTARY BY BARNES The helmet was a cap made of thick leather, or brass, fitted to the head, and was usually crowned with a plume, or crest, as an ornament, Its use was to guard the head from a blow by a sword, or war-club, or battle-axe...the hope of conquering every adversary and surmounting every difficulty, through the blood of the Lamb, is as a helmet that protects the head; an impenetrable one, that the blow of the battle-axe cannot cleave.
SDA BIBLE DICTIONARY, article “helmet” Helmets were used primarily to protect the wearer against arrows or other weapons directed against the head, but they also served as signs of identification between friend and foe in the midst of a battle melee.
Ephesians 6:17 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY The head needs special protection as being a most vital part, the seat of the will and the intelligence.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 KJ21 “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.”