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READ:

Ephesians 6:14

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.

EXHORTATION:

The first piece of the armour of God that a Christian is presented with is the belt of truth. Our chief adversary, the devil, is a liar and master deceiver (cf. John 8:44b; Acts 13:10; 2 Corinthians 11:3, 13-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10; Revelation 20:2-3). He uses his lies as a lethal weapon against God’s people, and because of this, the apostle Paul expressed his concern to the Corinthians about the real danger of their being beguiled by Satan (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:3).

What does Paul mean by “having your loins girt about”? In the apostolic period, the Roman soldiers wore loose robes. These soldiers would not go into a battle with their tunics impeding their movements. It was dangerous to be entangled in their own robes while the enemy closed in on them for the kill. So what they did was to gather up their clothing and tuck it under their belt, as they prepared to fight the battle. This is what Paul referred to as “having your loins girt about”. This act of girding up the loins was a picture of preparedness or readiness. Thus, having one’s “loins girt about with truth” implies wearing the truth as a tight lash to gird up one’s thoughts, desires and actions. Just as a Roman soldier girds his loins to prevent his tunic from obstructing his movements, the Christian must also tuck his life under the belt of God’s truth, even His Word. “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4).

The second piece of armour that God has given to Christians for their spiritual battle is “the breastplate of righteousness”. The breastplate protects the soldier’s vital organs like the heart, liver, lungs and kidneys from being pierced by the enemies’ weaponry. For the Christian soldier, the breastplate of righteousness is the vital protection against the deadly pierce of sin. A believer who lives unrepentantly in his sins will become the target of Satan’s attack. He will try to discourage and even prevent such a one from making spiritual advancement. The only defence against the devil’s deadly blow precipitated by our sinfulness, is the imputed righteousness of Christ upon the believer. When we trust Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, God justifies and sanctifies us as He imputes His righteousness upon us. Being clothed with the righteousness of Christ, believers ought to live in His righteous ways to leave no room at all for harassment from Satan.

READ:

Ephesians 6:13

¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

EXHORTATION:

Christians need to arm themselves with “the whole armour of God” for their “adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Our enemies are more than flesh and blood. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The devil has set against Christians a great many demonic forces, worldly and fleshly lusts, unbelieving people, etc. All these are constantly trying to bring down Christians through satanic devices.

This being a spiritual warfare, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (2 Corinthians 10:4a). Christians are provided with the “armour of God”, which is “mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Corinthians 10:4b). The Christian soldier’s armour is wholly spiritual. The spiritual armaments provided by God are best suited for defeating the devices of Satan. No better armoury can a man find for spiritual victory than that which God has provided for him. According to Ephesians 6:14-17, the whole armour of God consists of (i) the belt of truth, (ii) the breastplate of righteousness, (iii) the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace, (iv) the shield of faith, (v) the helmet of salvation, and (vi) the sword of the Spirit. The armour of God is indispensable, and also ever accessible. What glorious and powerful protective gear the Lord has given to us!

Christians must always be ready with the whole armour of God – that is an absolute necessity to fight the good fight. It is very foolish for a soldier to enter the battlefield without his armour, yet many Christians do this every day; being utterly defenceless, they become easy prey.

Christians are also called to stand firm in the evil day - when is “the evil day”? Though every day can be said to be an “evil day”, it refers to a day when the forces of the devil continuously pounce on a believer. It is the day of test! It can be today or tomorrow. Hence, having done all things in preparation for the battle, we must stand our ground. Christians must not become indolent or lazy. Neither should they become fearful. Even when they have gained victory over a certain satanic assault, they must brace themselves for the next battle. Fight for Christ to the end of your life!

READ:

1 Corinthians 1:9

⁹ God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

EXHORTATION:

As Christians, one of our greatest consolations is that we have an unchanging, ever dependable, true and faithful God. Our circumstances may change, people whom we have relied on for a long time may change; but He who has called us “unto the fellowship of His Son” will unchangeably remain as our endless help and strength.

God will also remain faithful to all His promises. He will not fail to perform what He has promised. We can trust Him to keep every word He has promised. He will not deceive us. He will not commence anything which He will not perfect and finish. Our confidence in the blessed hope that Christianity gives to us is wholly built upon the faithfulness of God.

The apostle Paul’s purpose in presenting the truth about God’s faithfulness here is to provide the proof for his earlier statement that the believers will be kept blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, their ultimate bliss in heaven is guaranteed by the fidelity of God. As Paul said in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”.

Paul also reminds the believers that they have been called by God. He said to them, “ye were called”. It is God who called them. The word “called” here does not refer merely to an invitation, but what the theologians refer to as “the effectual calling”. When the Gospel call is given to repent and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, some hearers will reject it. But some others would experience a deep-felt, inward call to repent and believe on Christ. Those who are effectually called do not just receive the external call of the Gospel, but also the inner call of the Gospel by the working of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. Westminster Shorter Catechism explains effectual calling as “the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel” (Q & A: 31).

When God calls us, He leads us into a close fellowship or communion with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then onwards, we shall enjoy a warm and abiding relationship with Christ. Let us always seek to walk with Christ.

READ:

1 Corinthians 10:13c

^13c But will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

EXHORTATION:

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, three major divine promises are given to comfort and to strengthen Christians who are encountering temptations and trials in their lives. The first promise is that God would not permit any temptation that is uncommon to man to befall His people. The second promise is that our faithful God will not allow us to be tempted above that we are able. The third promise is the focus of our devotion today; it assures us that along with the temptation, God will make a way for us to escape so that it will not be unbearable to us. At times, believers might encounter very sore and overwhelming temptations and trials, but the Lord will deliver them from being overpowered and overcome.

Amidst our temptations and trials, the Lord shall be most tender and affectionate towards us. He will be paying attention to our peculiar struggles and challenges. He promises us that He will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able. As Psalm 103:14 tells us, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” So, being our faithful God, He would never let temptations that are disproportionate to our strength to overtake us.

Nonetheless, we have known of believers who have foolishly walked into great temptations and troubles. Consider Lot, for instance. He went and resided in Sodom, a city of great wickedness. He lost his family to the wickedness of that city. Yet, the apostle Peter tells us that God “delivered just Lot”, who was “vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked” (2 Peter 2:7). On Lot’s part, many careless and foolish choices were made; but on God’s part, His faithfulness and mercy in rescuing His child who had wandered far into a land of temptations and dangers, is instructive.

Even though we may feel that we are almost trounced by temptations and trials, God will provide “a way to escape”. God Himself will see to it that we are delivered from our temptations and trials. He will come to their aid with a divinely devised escape. He is like a faithful shepherd who looks out for his wandering sheep to deliver them from all perils that lurk around them.

Beloved, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations” (2 Peter 2:9). In every trial, God prepares a way out for His children.

READ:

1 Corinthians 10:13b

^13b But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able.

EXHORTATION:

When God’s children are faced with temptations and trials, they can be assured that God is faithful to them. This is the greatest and the best source of help and safety that they can have in such times of despair. In Psalm 89:33, the Lord says, “Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.” God’s faithfulness to His people is flawless and abiding.

His faithfulness to His people is very great. Lamentations 3:23 declares, “great is thy faithfulness.” The psalmist extols, “thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds” (Psalm 36:5). It has been a recurring theme in the apostle Paul’s epistles that God is faithful to all whom He has called (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:13). He is also faithful to keep all His covenantal promises to us. Deuteronomy 7:9 exhorts us, “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations”.

In the midst of our temptations and trials, if we look only to ourselves, we will fail. But if we depend on the faithfulness of our God, we will be secure. This is not to say that we do not have to make any effort on our own to resist the temptations that assault us, but rather that we can trust Him to be faithful to help us in our efforts to overcome them. If at any time we err in our conduct, we should immediately repent and confess our sins, for “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Because God is faithful, we are assured that He “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able”. He will never place us where we cannot overcome temptations of sin. Let us not doubt His faithfulness and yield to temptations. Let us believe in His assurances and resist our temptations. Even when difficulties increase and we see no light at the end of the tunnel, let us trust that He “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able”. The Lord will not abandon us to our ruthless foe, the devil. If temptations and trials abound, be not dismayed. No servant of Christ had ever been steered to heaven without being often tempted and threatened by the enemy. So, fear not; but resist to the uttermost!

READ:

1 Corinthians 10:13a

^13a There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man.

EXHORTATION:

What does Paul here mean by the word “temptation”? The Greek word that is used here (peirasmós) can mean either a temptation of sin or a trial. Generally, temptation is an incentive, enticement, or provocation to sin. When afflictions are brought upon us by Satan, he would also attempt to stir within us doubt, impatience, and even apostasy. But as it was in the case of Job, God will use the trial and temptation brought by Satan to prove the faith and fervency of His children.

So often, people try to extenuate their sins by citing the strength of temptations and the weakness of their human nature. They speak as though temptations and trials are expected to get the better of them. But Scripture teaches that such notions are absolutely groundless.

The apostle Paul reminds us that “there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man”. Temptations or trials that we experience have already been experienced by other saints of God, and have been resisted and overcome with God’s help. When God permits the temptations and trials authored by Satan, He wants us to know that with His help we can certainly overcome them. If they were beyond our power to resist, how could they be called temptations or trials?

It is totally absurd to believe that there never was anyone who had faced temptations and trials as you have. It is absolutely wrong to think that there was never a sinner who had been tempted with sins as you have been. Even though your temptation or trial has some peculiarities that warrant others’ sympathy, it should never be thought that no man had ever experienced anything like it. Nothing that is uncommon to man would be permitted in life. So, do not become despondent and yield to the enticements and provocations of your particular temptation.

Remember that so many of God’s saints have been affected by temptations of sin and trials, and have overcome them by trusting in God’s grace, forgiveness, faith and sanctification. Here is your encouragement in the midst of your temptations and trials: thousands and thousands of God’s children have been led safely through their battles by His grace. So, do not give yourself to presumption and despair. Take heart and seek the Lord in prayer, for His wisdom and strength to overcome whatever temptation and trial He has permitted in your life.

One of the most challenging teachings of Jesus is found in Luke 6:27-28, “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” This command goes against every instinct of our carnal nature, which seeks retaliation rather than reconciliation. The natural human response to injury is bitterness and revenge, yet Jesus calls His followers to a higher standard of love and grace. This teaching reveals the depth of Christ’s love, and calls us to embody that love in a world full of hostility and conflict. 

Jesus’ command to love our enemies is radical because it contradicts the common wisdom of the world, which teaches us to love those who love us and to hate those who harm us. This kind of love is rooted in the nature of God Himself, who shows kindness to the unthankful and the evil: “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil” (Luke 6:35).

To love our enemies means actively seeking their good, praying for their well-being, and refusing to harbour bitterness or seek revenge. This love is not based on feelings, but on a deliberate choice to reflect God’s character. The Old Testament also echoes this principle, urging kindness even to those who oppose us: “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink” (Proverbs 25:21).

This kind of love demonstrates that we belong to God, whose nature is love (1 John 4:8). It reveals the transforming power of the Gospel, which enables believers to rise above the instincts of the flesh.

Jesus Himself is the ultimate example of loving one’s enemies. On the cross, amidst excruciating agony and injustice, Jesus prayed for His executioners: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). This prayer was not just a demonstration of divine love, but also a model for His followers to emulate. 

Stephen, the first Christian martyr, followed Christ’s example when he prayed for his killers – “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:60). The apostles, too, embodied this teaching in their ministry – “being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it” (1 Corinthians 4:12b).

These examples underscore the truth that loving our enemies is possible, which is also a powerful witness to the transforming power of the Gospel of Christ. They show that Christians live by a different set of values—those of the Kingdom of God, where love triumphs over hatred, and forgiveness over retaliation.

Divine power enables us to love our enemies. Loving our enemies is humanly impossible without divine help. The carnal mind is predisposed to anger and revenge, making it incapable of fulfilling Christ’s command. However, God has not left us without help. The Holy Spirit, who dwells in every believer, empowers us to love beyond our natural capacity. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3a).

The fruit of the Spirit includes love, patience, and kindness—qualities essential for responding rightly to those who hurt us (cf. Galatians 5:22-23). As we yield to the Spirit, He enables us to subdue our carnal tendencies and to manifest Christ’s love even in the face of hostility. Prayer is a vital part of this process. By praying for those who persecute us, we submit our hearts to God’s purposes, and open ourselves to His grace to forgive and bless. The act of praying for our enemies transforms our perspective, helping us see them not as adversaries to be defeated but as souls in need of God’s mercy.

Loving our enemies manifests a distinct testimony. When Christians love one another, and respond to hatred with love, they create a powerful testimony that the world cannot ignore. Jesus declared, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). The love that embraces even enemies is a distinctive mark of true discipleship. It confounds the world’s expectations and points to the supernatural work of God in the believer’s life. 

The early church’s response to persecution was a profound example of this. Despite severe opposition, the first Christians continued to preach the Gospel, pray for their persecutors, and show love towards them. This radical love contributed significantly to the rapid spread of Christianity across the world.

Moreover, loving our enemies glorifies God by reflecting His nature. As Jesus has taught, “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good” (Matthew 5:45a). By loving our enemies, we show the world what God is like—a God who loves impartially, and gives generously even to those who rebel against Him.

Love makes us overcomers of evil. The Lord disallows and utterly excludes all kinds of revenge and retaliation against those who malign and persecute us. The Lord’s desire concerning us is that we will be a benevolent people even in our sufferings. 

The apostle Paul provides a practical application of Jesus’ teaching in Romans 12:20-21, “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” To “heap coals of fire” on another’s head refers to that person’s remorse and conviction of his sin. When we respond to hatred with kindness, we leave room for God to work in our enemies’ hearts. By choosing to bless rather than curse, we refuse to be overcome by evil, and instead become instruments of God’s redemptive love.

Conclusion

Loving our enemies is one unmistakable evidence of a transformed heart. It reflects God’s character, fulfils Christ’s command, and is a powerful witness to the world. Though it is contrary to our natural inclinations, God has provided the Holy Spirit to empower us to live out this radical love. As we seek to follow Jesus’ example, may we pray for those who persecute us, bless those who curse us, and trust God to work through our obedience for His glory and the salvation of souls. In doing so, we demonstrate that we indeed are children of our Father in heaven.

Sermon Text: Psalm 105:8–45
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 9th March 2025

READ:

Galatians 5:1b

^1b And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

EXHORTATION:

Attempts had been made by false teachers and false brethren, who were the agents of Satan, to deprive the Galatian Christians of their Christian liberty. It was apparent to Paul that some in the Galatian church were influenced by the false teachers who instructed them to return to the ceremonial observances of the Jews. So Paul warned the Galatians to stop turning back to different forms of legalism and self-efforts which would ensnare their souls. The verb he used in his admonition, “be not entangled again”, is a present imperative with a negative particle; and thus serves as a strong command to stop an act which is already in process. He wanted them to act immediately to stop being persuaded by the false teachers of ceremonial observances. Christ’s life and atoning death on the cross have accomplished all that is needed for our salvation.

Paul emphasised that it was Christ Himself—not our own merits or our own deeds—that set us free from our sins and condemnation. Paul had clearly taught that it is not by our works that we are redeemed, but by the righteousness of God that Christ provides. As Paul said in Romans 10:3-4, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

Paul further warned them that the doctrine of ceremonial observation is a “yoke of bondage”. The apostle Peter also used this same image in his rebuke of those who persuaded the believers to observe the Jewish ceremonies. He chided them, saying, “Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” (Acts 15:10)

A yoke is an emblem of slavery or bondage. Farmers place the yokes on the necks of their oxen to control them while they plough the land. It adds unpleasant burdens and restrictions to the creatures. The religious legalists, by their insistence on observation of Jewish rites, were trying to place a yoke of bondage on Christians who were already liberated from the yoke of sin and curse of the Law. Christ died to set us free from everything that enslaved our souls. We should not go under the burden of anything or anyone to be saved. Let us follow our Liberator, Christ, alone.

READ:

Galatians 5:1a

^1a Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.

EXHORTATION:

This is an exhortation from the apostle Paul to the Galatian believers not to allow themselves to be intimidated by the false teachers, such as Judaizers, who insisted that circumcision and other ceremonial ordinances of the Old Testament law are obligatory for salvation. Paul had been warning the Galatians against them – “because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Galatians 2:4-5).

Paul then established them in the truth of the Gospel, saying, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16). In fact, if he ever taught them that “righteousness come by the law”, he would “frustrate the grace of God” (2:21). Later in Galatians 3:24-25, Paul expressly taught them that the law was a schoolmaster or guide “to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” Paul also told them that “if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing” (5:2), and that “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” (5:4). It is for those reasons that Paul exhorted the Galatian believers to stand firm in the liberty that Christ has won for them, and not be brought again under the bondage of ceremonies.

Christ has already freed us from many tyrannical masters. Here is a list of the bondages from which we are freed: (1) bondage of sin (Romans 6:14, 18, 22); (2) accusing conscience (Hebrews 9:8-12; 10:1-10, 19, 22); (3) wrath of God (Romans 5:9, 10; 1 Thessalonians 1:10); (4) Satan’s tyranny (2 Timothy 2:26; Hebrews 2:14); (5) curse of the law (Galatians 3:13); (6) law of ceremonies (Romans 8:2; Ephesians 2:14-16); (7) human traditions and ordinances (Galatians 4:10-11; 1 Corinthians 7:23; 1 Peter 1:18).

Not to stand firm by faith in the freedom that Christ has promised is to continue under all those terrible oppressions. Let us be firm in maintaining the great principles of Christian liberty and never again yield to those things that once enslaved us.