The Armor of God
This is a fairly well known selection from the
book of Ephesians. As Paul closes out his letter to Ephesus with these
instructions, understanding that we are in a spiritual battle. Paul's
closing is broken down into three sections. Instead of looking specifically at
the pieces of armor, today let's examine those three sections he challenges us
in.
The strength of the Lord (verses 10-13)
We are called to stand strong in God's might.
Paul is not teaching us how to do it all on our own. He starts by
reminding us that the enemy has a lot on his side: rulers, authorities, cosmic
powers of darkness, and spiritual forces of evil (verse 12). When we realize what we're up against it is
important to know where our strength comes from, Christ. Isaiah 41:10
says:
So
do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Where does your strength come from? Are you doing
it on your own? Where do you need
strength?
Spend some time today praying for the strength of God! I dare you!
Standing firm (verses 14-17)
Paul reminds of the great
resources God has given us to stand firm in: righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation,
and the word of God. Our God is mighty
to save. He has given us all we need to
stand firm, but what are we doing with the things he has given us? Are we ready with his word? Do we stand firm
in our faith?
What does it mean to
be firm in your faith? To be firm in the
gospel? Consider this:
But in your
hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
- 1
Peter 3:15
Being constant in prayer (verses 18-20)
I love that verse 18
says “praying at ALL times”
When you don’t know
what to do, pray. When you think you know
what to do, pray. Whether you are about
to do something, doing something, or just did something, PRAY.
How often do you
pray? What do you pray about? What don’t you pray about?
Take this word from
Phillipians and be reminded that God hears prayer.
Do not be
anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of
God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.
-Phillipians
4:6-7
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