Ephesians 6
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Ephesians 6:10-12, 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.
When we take a look at the first-century church, we see the Holy Spirit at work in amazing ways. But we also see opposition. As we've mentioned over the past few days, Ephesus was a very pagan city. One of the largest and most famous temples, the Temple of Artemis, was in Ephesus. Worship of other gods was everywhere. Forces working against God were everywhere. While the church was growing and experiencing signs and wonders, it was also experiencing resistance and opposition. Evil was present and real.
Evil is still present and real. True, it is no match for the Holy Spirit but for us mere humans, we need to be sure to stay strong in the Lord and his mighty power. If we don't, we can easily and without our knowledge, be used by the evil forces of this world. I often say that most of the time, we don't make the devil work that hard because we do such a good job making bad choices. But we must be aware that evil is out there, tempting us, and looking for our weak spots. The enemy wants us to experience defeat and discouragement, rather than the freedom and victory we can experience in Jesus. So what's the answer?
Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. How might we do this in practical ways? Off the top of my head, I immediately think of frequent prayer and dwelling in God's Word. By making these two things a priority in your life, you will know God better, stay connected to the Spirit that dwells within you, and you will have a growing awareness and knowledge of God's truth, wisdom, and love. But what else does Paul say in chapter 6?
· Verse 14 - Put on the belt of truth. Our belt is what holds our clothes on the body. Our integrity holds our lives together. Are you a person of integrity?
· Verse 14 - Put on the breast plate of righteousness. The breastplate would have protected vital organs on a soldier. Any crack in the breastplate would have been dangerous. Any crack in our righteousness is dangerous, as it allows impurity and evil to creep in.
· Verse 15 - Put the gospel of peace on your feet. Our foundation needs to be the peace of Jesus Christ. The enemy will try to steal our peace and if that happens, we stumble. How's your foundation holding up lately?
· Verse 16 - Hold up the shield of faith. Paul says that the shield protects us from Satan's arrows. Prayer and Scripture are two ways to stand firm in faith and protect ourselves from those fiery arrows.
· Verse 17 - Put on the helmet of salvation. A helmet protects our brain; damage to the head has horrible consequences. Because of our salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, we are new people, called to have the mind of Jesus. When we seek to have the mind of Christ, evil has a much harder time creeping into our thoughts.
· Verse 17 - Hold up the sword of the Spirit, which is God's Word. God's Word is the most powerful weapon against the evil. Think of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness - he used Scripture to fight back. Knowing and dwelling in God's Word is critical if we are to push back anything the enemy throws at us.
Let's pray...God, We stand firm in you and your Word. We pray that you keep the enemy at our feet. Help us stay grounded in prayer and Scripture so that we can be unwavering against opposition. Help us not be defeated but stay victorious in you. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.