Last night several ladies and I wrapped up our study of Ephesians. Our final study covered the Armor of God. I would like to share with you what I got out of that section of Scripture before I leave it behind for now.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, stand firm. Ephesians 6:10-13, NASB
We are engaged in a battle, but it is not with the people we meet on the street. It is not with politicians, or the media, or scoffers, or judges, or whomever else we might be tempted to focus on. Our battle is spiritual in nature and we need to do everything we can so that we can "stand firm." We need the full armor of God. We need every piece of that armor or we will be vulnerable to attack. And we need to "take it up." It won't do me any good if I leave it sitting in the closet, or at the foot of my bed, or tucked away some place collecting dust. I have to make an effort to put it on every day. It sounds so easy- but armor can feel a bit awkward-sometimes it even requires the assistance of another person to put it on.
What I love about Paul's exhortation here is his statement about where our strength comes from- the Lord. Thank goodness I do not have to rely on my own strength as I face the world with God's armor in place. I also love that I am putting on God's armor and not something that I have fashioned for myself. Satan is a schemer and we cannot become complacent about his role in the world. I think it is important for us to know our enemy. And we know plenty about the ways of this evil one. From Genesis we learn that he is more cunning than any. That he tries to get us to question and doubt God's Word. He tries to make us believe that we can be lord and master of our own lives. (I fall for this one far too often.) He is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), he is a murderer, a liar, and the father of lies (John 8:44), and he is a tempter (Matthew 4:3: 1 Thessalonians 3:5). But God has given us the armor we need to stand firm against him no matter what he tries to throw at us. This armor is important stuff and I think it is beneficial that we understand how each piece has been specifically designed to protect us against very specific threats. So I hope you will join me as I delve deeper into the armor of God over several posts to come.
Blessings!
Deb
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, stand firm. Ephesians 6:10-13, NASB
We are engaged in a battle, but it is not with the people we meet on the street. It is not with politicians, or the media, or scoffers, or judges, or whomever else we might be tempted to focus on. Our battle is spiritual in nature and we need to do everything we can so that we can "stand firm." We need the full armor of God. We need every piece of that armor or we will be vulnerable to attack. And we need to "take it up." It won't do me any good if I leave it sitting in the closet, or at the foot of my bed, or tucked away some place collecting dust. I have to make an effort to put it on every day. It sounds so easy- but armor can feel a bit awkward-sometimes it even requires the assistance of another person to put it on.
What I love about Paul's exhortation here is his statement about where our strength comes from- the Lord. Thank goodness I do not have to rely on my own strength as I face the world with God's armor in place. I also love that I am putting on God's armor and not something that I have fashioned for myself. Satan is a schemer and we cannot become complacent about his role in the world. I think it is important for us to know our enemy. And we know plenty about the ways of this evil one. From Genesis we learn that he is more cunning than any. That he tries to get us to question and doubt God's Word. He tries to make us believe that we can be lord and master of our own lives. (I fall for this one far too often.) He is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), he is a murderer, a liar, and the father of lies (John 8:44), and he is a tempter (Matthew 4:3: 1 Thessalonians 3:5). But God has given us the armor we need to stand firm against him no matter what he tries to throw at us. This armor is important stuff and I think it is beneficial that we understand how each piece has been specifically designed to protect us against very specific threats. So I hope you will join me as I delve deeper into the armor of God over several posts to come.
Blessings!
Deb
2 comments:
Amen! Beautiful post!!!
Thank you, Ashley
Post a Comment