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put on the armor

1 Thessalonians 5:7&8
"7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

We are studying ENCOURAGEMENT and we have turned to Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. Specifically a section where he is ENCOURAGING them. He uses "darkness" as a metaphor for sin, ignorance, and misery. His writing is made more powerful by being both literal and metaphorical.

Paul cautioned us that Christians CAN be converted BACK into “children of darkness.” The worldly culture will want us to be more like them; decadent, excessive, and self-indulgent. None of this is good for Christians. When Paul is encouraging, "Let us watch and be sober." Sobriety is more than avoiding intoxication. It's also keeping above the influence of the tempting excesses of the culture. 

Paul continues to make these points in today's verses; "For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of FAITH and LOVE; and for an helmet, the HOPE of SALVATION." He is encouraging us to use the GIFTS from GOD to protect ourselves from the temptations of the world. Putting on the full Armor of God!
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