Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

“But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 NLT)

Are you trying to live in two worlds? If so, then I know something about you. I know you’re not happy. Am I right? When you...

“About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.” (Matthew 14:25 NLT)

In Matthew 14, Jesus sends His disciples on a boat journey across the Sea of Galilee without Him. As the disciples rowed their way across the sea, they encountered a storm so severe that it made them fear for their very lives. Fishermen who had spent most of their lives on the water were convinced that the...

“And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:47 NLT)

Several years ago, my wife and I rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disneyland. If you’ve never been on it, it’s an elevator that drops very quickly. And that’s a scary sensation for a lot of people. After...

“I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:1–3 NLT)

David enjoyed an intimate relationship with God. You can see evidence of that intimacy in the psalms he wrote...

“Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help.” (2 Chronicles 20:3–4 NLT)

The king of Judah faced a military crisis. “The armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. Messengers came and told Je...

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7 NLT)

Fight fire with fire. That’s what you do when you find yourself in a spiritual battle. Your ene...

“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10 NLT)

When I was a kid, I...

“In the west, people will respect the name of the Lord; in the east, they will glorify him. For he will come like a raging flood tide driven by the breath of the Lord.” (Isaiah 59:19 NLT)

I remember reading a story about a battle between General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War. General Lee was, of course, the head of the Confederate forces. He was known for his brilliant military t...

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” (1 Peter 5:8­–9 NLT)

Often after great victories, the greatest challenges and temptations of the Christian life will...

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

While reading his morning newspaper, a man was shocked to find his name listed in the obituary column. He called the newspaper office, outraged that the editor had made such a mistake. “This is terrible!” he screamed. “How could you do this to me?”

Th...

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3–5 NIV)

The sword of the Spirit tha...

“Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17 NLT)

The pieces of the armor of God that the apostle Paul lists in Ephesians 6 are almost all defensive in nature. They are designed to protect. Only one—the sword of the Spirit, the word of God—is intended as a weapon. Unfortunately, many believers never use it as one. They have the rest of ...

“Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17 NLT)

There are a lot of motorcyclists today who don’t like helmet laws. Rather than donning a helmet, they prefer to feel the wind in their hair and the sun on their face. It feels like freedom. That is, when things are going well. But the moment they lose control, and their bike goes airborne, is ...

“In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:16 NLT)

Keep in mind that as the apostle Paul was writing his letter to the Christians at Ephesus, he was chained to a Roman guard. He had plenty of time to observe Roman armor, including the shield. The Roman shield was made of wood—rectangular in shape and about four feet high and two feet wide.

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“For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.” (Ephesians 6:15 NLT)

The shoes that Paul described as part of the armor of God in Ephesians 6 do more than give believers the stability to maintain solid spiritual footing. They also provide mobility. These aren’t uncomfortable dress shoes that you walk carefully in so that you can keep them clean and unscuffed. ...

“For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.” (Ephesians 6:15 NLT)

No matter how solid the breastplate of a Roman soldier was, and no matter how tightly he cinched his belt, those pieces of armor would be of little use if he slipped and fell in the heat of battle. So, in the apostle Paul’s list of the pieces that make up the armor of God, he says, “For...

“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.” (Ephesians 6:14 NLT)

The second item on the apostle Paul’s list of the armor of God is the body armor—or breastplate—of righteousness. On a Roman soldier, the breastplate protected the vital organs. Because of the nature of close combat, the area covered by the breastplate was the area most likely ...

“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.” (Ephesians 6:14 NLT)

In his description of the armor of God in Ephesians 6, the apostle Paul doesn’t start with high-profile objects like the sword or the shield. Instead, he begins his list by instructing believers to put on “the belt of truth” (NLT).

To understand the importance of this piece of ...

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” (Ephesians 6:13 NLT)

When the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians, he was under house arrest, which meant that he was chained to a Roman guard. So, when we come to Paul’s description of the armor of God in chapter 6, it’s wo...