Sola Devotions

Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions

Scripture Text: Ephesians 6:13-17

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Ephesians 6:13-17

From the Confessions: The Defense of the Augsburg Confession

Concerning Love and the Fulfilling of the Law 

The knowledge of this faith is necessary to Christians, for it brings the most abundant consolation in all afflictions, and displays to us the work of Christ. Those who deny that people are justified by faith, deny that Christ is mediator and propitiator, and repudiate the promise of grace and the gospel. They teach a doctrine of justification that is inferred either from reason or the law.

Pulling It Together: Whenever your conscience assails you, take up the shield of faith. When you doubt your salvation, take up that shield. Every time the law accuses you of wrongdoing or unholy thoughts, immediately grab that shield. Take it in hand and as you repent of your sins, remember that you are not saved because of a lack of doubts or because you always do good and think well of others. As you hold tightly to that shield, think, “I am saved by faith in Christ alone.” Lift up the shield of faith in Christ every time the devil attacks. Do not trust your thinking and your doing. Trust Christ, who is your shield. Faith in Christ will extinguish every fiery assault of the evil one.

Prayer: Lord, help me to always hold on to you. Amen.

A Reading and Discussion of the Augsburg Confession is written in easy-to-understand language but is a challenging study series based on assigned readings from the Book of Concord and related Scripture texts. Each study is comprised of eight sessions, plus an optional introductory session, each presented in a question and discussion format. Click here to see the Table of Contents and a sample session.

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