DRAWING NEAR
September 14
Guarding Your Mind and Emotions
"Stand firm therefore . . . having put on the breastplate of
righteousness" (Eph. 6:14).
True righteousness begins with a right relationship with God.
A Roman soldier would often engage his enemy in hand-to-hand combat.
At such times, the weapon of choice was the short sword, with which
he sought to penetrate his opponent's vital organs. For his own
protection he wore a molded metal breastplate that extended from the
base of his neck to the top of his thighs. It helped deflect any
attacks aimed at his heart and abdomen.
The Roman breastplate has great symbolism in Paul's analogy because
to the Jewish people, the heart represented man's mind and thinking
processes; the intestinal area or bowels represented the seat of
feelings and emotions. Proverbs 23:7 says, "As [a man] thinketh in
his heart, so is he" (KJV). Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is more
deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand
it?" Jesus added, "From within, out of the heart of men, proceed the
evil thoughts" (Mark 7:21).
During spiritual warfare, Satan's primary attacks target your
thinking and emotions. If he can condition you to think and feel
contrary to God's Word, he has won a significant victory. That's why
he attempts to fill your mind with lies, immorality, false doctrine,
and half-truths. He tries to blur the line between righteousness and
sin by surrounding you with evil influences that increase your
tolerance for sin. He clothes offensive sin in the blinding garment
of entertainment. He puts it to music and masks it in humor to
confuse you and deaden your spiritual senses. Satan wants to corrupt
your emotions and draw you into sinful desires.
Putting on the breastplate of righteousness begins with a right
relationship with God, who is the source of true righteousness. From
that relationship flows the commitment to cultivate righteousness in
your own life by learning and applying His Word. Therein lies the
protection you need to safeguard your mind and emotions from satanic
deceptions.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Focus on strengthening your relationship with God today. Commune with
Him in prayer. Meditate on His Word. Seek His grace in responding
thoughtfully and righteously to the temptations you face.
For Further Study:
Read Proverbs 10, noting Solomon's description of righteous people.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Proverbs 10
10:1 The Proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a
foolish son is the grief of his mother.
2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers
from death.
3 The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts
away the desire of the wicked.
4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent
makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest
is a son who causes shame.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers
the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked
will rot.
8 The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will
fall.
9 He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts
his ways will become known.
10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble, But a prating fool will
fall.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers
the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a
rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.
14 Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is
near destruction.
15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the
poor is their poverty.
16 The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked
to sin.
17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who
refuses correction goes astray.
18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander
is a fool.
19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who
restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the
wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of
wisdom.
22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow
with it.
23 To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding
has wisdom.
24 The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the
righteous will be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the
righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man
to those who send him.
27 The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked
will be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation
of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the LORD is strength for the upright, But destruction
will come to the workers of iniquity.
30 The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not
inhabit the earth.
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse
tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth
of the wicked what is perverse.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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