Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2021
Friday, August 20, 2021
Grab the big shield of faith (Eph. 6:16).
In ancient times, it was a humiliation for a soldier to return without the shield. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote: "Leaving the shield abandoned is its greatest shame." This was one reason why the soldiers tried to hold him tight. To hold on to the shield of faith, we must regularly attend meetings and tell people about Jehovah's name and his Kingdom. --Heb. 10: 23-25. In addition, we need to read the Bible daily and pray to Jehovah to help us put his guidance and counsel into practice in all that we do. --2 Tim. 3:16, 17). Thus, no weapon of Satan will cause us permanent harm (Isa. 54:17). The "great shield of faith" will protect us. We will stand firm, serving Jehovah shoulder to shoulder with our brothers. And not only will we win the daily battles, rather, we will have the honor of being on the side of Jesus when he achieves victory over Satan and his people (Rev. 17:14; 20:10). w19.11 19 pars. 18, 19
What can materialism result in?
Materialism can result in us being distracted and neglecting the shield of faith. The apostle Paul said, "No soldier gets involved in the business affairs of life if he wants to please the one who recruited him" (2 Tim. 2: 4). In fact, Roman soldiers were not allowed to do business. What could happen if a soldier ignored that rule?
Why weren't the soldiers in business?
Let's imagine the following situation. All the soldiers in a company spend the morning practicing with the sword, except one of them, who is in the city opening a grocery store. That afternoon, the soldiers examine the armor and sharpen their swords. However, the one who owns the store is dedicated to preparing the food that he will sell the next day. In the morning, the enemy launches a surprise attack. Which soldier will act as he should and win the approval of his commander? And who would we like to have by our side? One of those who were preparing for battle, or the one who got distracted by his business?
What do we, the soldiers of Christ, consider valuable?
Like a good soldier, we do not allow ourselves to be distracted from our main goal: to win the approval of our commanders, Jehovah and Christ. We consider it more valuable than anything Satan's world offers us. We make sure we have the time and energy we need to serve Jehovah and keep the shield of faith and the rest of our spiritual armor in good condition.
What warning did Paul give us, and why?
We must never lower our guard. Why? The apostle Paul warned that “those who are determined to be rich” will be “turned away from the faith” (1 Tim. 6: 9, 10). The expression "deviant" indicates that we can become distracted by trying to get unnecessary possessions. Our hearts could be exposed to “many foolish and harmful desires”. So let's not allow those desires to enter our hearts. We must see them for what they are: weapons that can damage our faith.
After reading the account in Mark 10: 17-22, what questions should we ponder?
But suppose we have the money to buy many material things. Do we do something wrong if we acquire things that we want but do not really need? Not necessarily. However, let us ponder these questions: Even if we can buy something, do we have the time and energy to use and maintain it? Also, could we become overly attached to our possessions? Could that feeling lead us to act like the young man who rejected Jesus' invitation to do more in the service of God? (Read Mark 10: 17-22). It is far better if we lead a simple life and dedicate our precious time and energy to doing Jehovah's will.
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