There's a Crack in Your Armor Perry Stone

were taken and renewed once a year. The standards were believed to embody the soul of the army. Biblical truths—the doctrine of the apostles, the instructions of the prophets, the words of Christ—should set the standards by which every believer lives. The Bible is the standard that Christians globally should rally around . When society challenges the accuracy of a biblical revelation such as the marriage covenant, believers must join ranks uniting under the standard ordained by God and fight the good fight of faith. We must rally around the cross, and we must live around the Word of God. THE GUMNASIA FACTOR Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy, and instructed, “But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7). The Greek word for “exercise” is the word gumnazo and is a word rich in meaning, especially as it relates to how a person trained for the games in the time of the apostle Paul. Among the ancient Greeks the gymnasium was not just the place of exercise and personal training, but it was also a meeting place where the men met to discuss politics and social issues along with the most important part of the exercising. In Paul’s instruction to Timothy the word gumnazo was a word speaking of those who exercised in the gym. Paul, however, wrote that the physical exercise was of little benefit to Timothy (v. 8). However, Paul’s instruction was for Timothy to exercise his mind, spirit, and emotions for the benefit of growing in the Lord. Paul’s desire was for his spiritual son to