Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

We’re all dead at some point.  Sure, in the beginning before salvation, we were dead.  But I believe we’re also near death in more than one place.  Do you ever get that stiff voice inside you that says “You’re spiritually dead.”  Do you ever explore that voice and start to examine yourself?   You should.  It might be a warning that you are.  How do you pick up the pieces? 

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

Jesus Christ died for us on the cross so that our sins may be forgiven and our eternity with Him in Heaven sealed.  All we have to do is repent, believe, and follow (Romans 10:9) to take this wonderful gift.

What does it mean to be redeemed?

Psalm 40:4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!

The Pslamist’s message is pretty clear:

• Do not become prideful.
• Do not be led astray by false teaching.
• Make the Lord your trust.

But what does that mean and how do we do this? The short answer is that we trust in the Lord.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

We all have something that we simply cannot shake. For some, it’s an issues with anger. For others, it is some form of addiction. For you, it might be something that you’ve been praying and asking God to take away from you, but He simply has not. For all of us, it’s simply carrying our imperfections as we follow Jesus. Paul talks about a “thorn” that he could not get rid of (2 Corinthians 12) that God explained as being weakness that would glorify God’s strength.

Ephesians 6:10-20 is the key passage that Christians lean on to protect themselves from spiritual attacks and the wiles of this world. Verse 11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” At first read, this concept sounds really easy, but then you may find yourself asking, “How do I actually put this on?” Let’s take a look at this passage, each verse, and learn what each piece is and how to wear it.