Jesus reveals to Nicodemus that salvation is received through faith, not achieved through works, using the Old Testament bronze serpent as a powerful illustration of his coming sacrifice on the cross. The conversation exposes how our sin problem is internal, requiring transformation from the inside out rather than external religious performance.

• Jesus explains to Nicodemus that salvation comes through being born again
• Nicodemus, despite being a religious teacher, doesn't understand spiritual rebirth
• Jesus uses the story of Moses and the bronze serpent from Numbers 21 to illustrate salvation
• Like the snake-bitten Israelites who had poison in their veins, humanity has sin running through us
• The bronze serpent represents Jesus being lifted up on the cross
• Healing comes by looking to Jesus rather than through our own efforts
• Salvation cures us from the inside out, not just external behavior
• Jesus fulfills the Old Testament patterns and prophecies
• Paul describes this in 2 Corinthians 5:21 – Christ became sin so we could become righteous

If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review.

Support the show

Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com

Jesus meets Nicodemus where he is—confused about salvation—and patiently explains that eternal life isn't achieved through works but received through spiritual rebirth.

• Nicodemus approaches Jesus at night with questions about entering God's kingdom
• Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be "born again" to see the kingdom of God
• Nicodemus misunderstands, thinking in physical rather than spiritual terms
• Jesus explains that spiritual birth comes through water and the Spirit, not human effort
• Unlike other religions where humans must ascend to God, Christianity reveals God who descended to us
• Just as newborns don't work to be born, salvation is received rather than achieved
• Religious people often struggle with grace, believing they must earn salvation
• The gospel is not that we first loved God but that God first loved us

If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review.

Support the show

Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com

Support the show

Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com

We explore St. Patrick's Breastplate prayer, focusing on the line about Christ's return for final judgment and how this ancient Irish prayer provides strength for Christians facing spiritual battles.

• St. Patrick's prayer begins with "I rise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity"
• The prayer acknowledges Christ's baptism, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and return for judgment
• Acts 17 explains God has appointed a day to judge the world through Christ
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16 describes Christ's descent with angelic command and God's trumpet
• Revelation 20 depicts the great white throne judgment where books are opened
• The prayer concludes by affirming Christ's presence in every direction and aspect of our lives
• Those whose names aren't written in the Lamb's book of life are compelled to give their lives to Christ

If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review.

Support the show

Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com

We explore the ancient Irish prayer known as St. Patrick's Breastplate, focusing on finding strength through Christ's resurrection and ascension.

• The prayer begins by invoking the Trinity as our source of spiritual strength
• Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Jesus shows how He calls each person by name
• Jesus' appearance to Mary demonstrates His love for those society rejected
• The resurrection transformed the cross from a symbol of fear to one of ultimate hope
• Christ's ascension completes His earthly ministry and establishes His heavenly authority
• St. Patrick's prayer reminds us that Christ surrounds us on every side for protection

If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review.

Support the show

Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com

We explore St. Patrick's Breastplate (or the Deer's Cry), an ancient Irish prayer that speaks of rising through the strength of Christ's crucifixion and burial—a seemingly paradoxical concept that challenges our understanding of strength and victory.

• Reading from St. Patrick's Breastplate about rising through the strength of Christ
• Examining the Gospel of John's account of Jesus's crucifixion and burial
• Reflection on how crucifixion was designed for maximum pain and public shame
• Questioning why crucifixion and burial would be considered sources of strength
• Sharing the beautiful conclusion of St. Patrick's prayer that emphasizes Christ's presence in every aspect of life

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Amen.

If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review. Stay sharp.

Support the show

Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com

We explore St. Patrick's Breastplate prayer and focus specifically on the line "I arise today through the strength of Christ with his baptism," diving into the significance of Jesus' baptism in Matthew 3.

• Jesus' baptism was a public identification with sinners despite being sinless himself
• Christ modeled what he would later command in the Great Commission
• The baptism provides the clearest revelation of the Trinity with all three persons present
• St. Patrick included Christ's baptism in his prayer as a source of spiritual strength
• The closing prayer invokes Christ's presence in every dimension of life

If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review. Stay sharp.

Support the show

Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com

We explore St. Patrick's Breastplate, an ancient Irish prayer used for spiritual protection in battle. This powerful "lorica" has deep connections to Ephesians 6 and the spiritual armor Christians need for daily battles.

• St. Patrick's Breastplate (or Deer's Cry) was used by men going into physical and spiritual battle
• The prayer focuses on Christ's presence in every direction: before, behind, above, beneath
• According to tradition, this prayer made St. Patrick invisible to assassins who only saw deer
• The prayer serves as an Irish poetic version of the Armor of God in Ephesians 6
• This week's episodes will examine individual lines of this protection prayer
• The Daily Blade podcast takes its name from Ephesians 6:17, "the sword of the Spirit"

If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review.

Support the show

Want to connect? Email communication@coe22.com