Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of his might.
Ephesians 6:10
Apostle Paul tells the church at Ephesus to prepare themselves against all the wiles of the enemy, the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil. The battle that we fight, as Apostle Paul lets us know, is not a natural fight, it is a spiritual one and thus every bit of the armour we are given is spiritual. You may say that the bible is of the natural world; however, it was initiated bt the Spirit.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, . . . 2 Timithy 3:16
When you meditate on the word so much so that it becomes a part of you, you can activate it in the spiritual world; make it come alive in you!
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
When you put on the armour, you're ready to fight - right? Wrong! According to the word of God, you are now prepared to withstand, stand, and then stand some more knowing that God will fight the battle:
And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. 1 Samuel 17:47
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. 2 Chronicles 20:17
God wants us to stand our ground, not give up, and not look back. It is the armour of God that allows us to do this. God has equipped us with everything we need to stand firm in the spirit. When it becomes necessary to strike back, it is done with the word of God. Jesus is the perfect example of this. When Satan came to tempt and deceive Him in the wilderness. Jesus stood His ground with the word! Remember Him saying: '. . . it is written' ?
After his instruction, Apostle Paul tells them one more time to stand; giving them specific instructions:
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:14-18
The armor of God is an amazing metaphor for action we need to take in our spiritual lives. Apostle Paul sets the scene for us: We are fighting a war, and the stakes are the highest that they have ever been in human history amidst all of the wickedness and spiritual blindness of today. It actually seems as if we are reliving the days of Noah:
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:9
Apostle Paul believed in the reality of our enemy, Satan, and in the need to use spiritual armor to do battle with him. After all, Satan himself is not flesh and blood but a spirit and he must be fought in the spirit.
Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus warning them about the enemy of their faith; a foe that must be fought on a spiritual battlefield. Apostle Paul uses the term “powers of this dark world” to aptly describe Satan's forces. To Apostle Paul, and to all believing Christians, this battle was and is a real struggle grounded in truth.
Since living in the safety of
the armor means oneness with Jesus, we can expect to share His struggles as
well as His peace. Remember, God did not promise us immunity from pain. He has
promised us something much greater; victory in the midst of our trials!
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13
An old but apt saying goes something like this:
Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free?
The response is a resounding NO! There is a cross for everyone and that includes you and me!
Apostle Paul’s instruction to the Ephesian
church was to be aware of the “devil’s schemes” – to stand strong against the
one who desired to destroy their life.
He used an example which was familiar to his audience…the Roman army
& its armor.
As Apostle Paul looked at the Roman
soldiers, he reminded us that our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but is a spiritual battle! He then used the armor of the Roman
soldier to illustrate a spiritual truth: that God has given us “spiritual
armor” to protect ourselves and to war successfully.
Though Apostle Paul tells us about the
outer armor, there is an undergarment that must also be put on:
The Roman soldiers wore a linen
undergarment next to the skin, covered by a woolen one–piece tunic that came
down to the knees. Like the Roman
Soldier, we must also be properly adorned underneath our armor. Our undergarment consists of the following:
¨ Prayer – communication and dialogue to
the Father; He hears you when you pray.
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to His
will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we
have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John 5:14-15
¨ Fasting – act of discipline of flesh;
focus on priorities; draw closer to God
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:16-18
¨ Praise & Worship – gets God’s
attention; He dwells in the midst of praise
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24
¨ The Word – sword of the Spirit; a weapon to conquer and defend
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews
4:12
¨ Faith/Testimony – helps those who need to overcome situations; faith cometh by hearing
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
¨ Assembling together – Receive strength from the saints; coming to the temple
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:25
God's armor brings victory because
it is far more than a protective covering. It is the very life of Jesus Christ
Himself. Apostle Paul, in his letter to the
Romans, wrote
". . .clothe yourselves
with the Lord Jesus Christ." Romans
13:12-14
When you do, He becomes your hiding place, and shelter in the
storm--just as He was to David. Hidden in Him, you can count on His victory,
for He not only covers you as a shield, He also fills you with His life. When you put on His armor, His life surrounds
you, keeping you safe, close to Himself, and free from the yoke or bondage of
sin.
". . . that in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him who loved us . . ." (
"We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed" 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We can only attest of this through the armor of God.
Our enemy? Not flesh and blood, no human foe—we fight against a much more fearsome opponent whose forces as described are not of this world. Our adversary, Satan, the devil, and his host of demons have a single, driving purpose: obliterate the children of God.
Faced with the cares of this world, we can easily forget about the severity of this battle. But make no mistake: Our spiritual lives and future in God's Kingdom are on the line. If we lose this war, we lose everything. What can we do in the face of such overwhelming odds? Is there any hope?
The answer is a resounding YES and it is found in the word of God! We are told it is time to suit up. By putting on all of God's armor, we can be assured of withstanding our enemy's onslaughts.
(Biblical Studies)
10/04/13
11/09/15
12/14/16
08/16/19
11/09/15
12/14/16
08/16/19
02/27/21
Amen. Let us stand our ground, not give up, and not look back.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
KW