“Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own.
Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued,
so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet.”
(Ephesians 6:13 MSG)
Tuesday night our online Bible study finished what was to be an eight week study of the book of Ephesians. Sixteen weeks later, and after studying our way through Paul’s understanding of God’s character, our salvation, and what it means to apply our relationship to God to all our other relationships, we landed in the last of Ephesians 6 – “The Armor of God.” In this Paul talks about our Strong God wanting us to be strong in his mighty power and how he gives us tools to do so.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV)
The idea of STANDING struck me last night. Taking a STAND against our enemy’s schemes. STAND your ground in the day of evil. When all is over, be STANDING firm in God. Think about the different postures. When we lay down or sit we do not have as much strength as when we STAND. Plus, when we are already standing we can easily break into running. Standing is a very strong posture and that’s what God wants for us. Notice the verse says to be strong “in the Lord.” This is not our own power. Those who fellowship with the Lord, eagerly expecting his power and hope for their lives, will renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31) but those who trust in their own strength will fail. We can do nothing without the strength of God.
Is the enemy of our souls real? Yes. Do he and his minions concoct schemes to mess with God’s children? Absolutely. (See C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters for a fictional description of how this happens.) But this enemy is no stronger than the archangels Gabriel or Michael – and he is fallen. He did not stand with God; he chose to revolt against God. Remember, because of Jesus, we have authority to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm us.
“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Luke 10:19 NIV)
The Psalmist said it this way:
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.
“Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
“For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.” (Psalm 1:1-6 NIV)
God delights in us as we stand in him. When we stand in him we are strong like trees planted by water who yield prosperous fruit in season. And the wicked are blown away by the winds of God because they cannot stand in the judgement – their wickedness has led to destruction.
So, today, stand strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
God,
Thank you for your Word which calls us and challenges us to stay close with you. Thank you that we’re up against far more than we can handle on our own and you give us tools to fight our battles. Help us to take up the full armor of God so we can STAND against the enemy of our souls. As we stand firm upon your strength, power, and goodness, remind us that we should take authority over the evil that threatens us. Help us to trust you with all we are and not to depend on our own strength. Help us to remember to delight in your Law, to meditate on it and allow it to mold and shape us, so that we can be strong, firm, prosperous, and fruitful. We pray in the name of Jesus that you would break the power of the wicked and uphold your righteous children so we will stand firm. Amen
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 NLT)
“The power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.” (Psalm 37:17 NIV)