10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Paul told the Ephesians in chapter 4 to put on the new self and put off the old humanity. He told them to be imitators of God in chapter 5. Here, the Ephesians 6 soldier was to be strong in the Lord. It seems he was getting them ready for something, persecution perhaps. How were they supposed to do this? How do humans put off their humanness, imitate the Creator, and be strong against Satan? Paul’s answer was far simpler than we would think. Put on the whole armor of God. First century Roman soldiers wore the belt, the breastplate, shoes, carried a shield, wore a helmet, and brandished a sword. If any of these were missing, they were vulnerable in battle.
We are most definitely in a battle today. Like the Roman soldier, we can have no area of weakness. We need the WHOLE armor of God that he supplies. Are any of these missing from your armor today? Do you doubt the truth of God’s promises? Is there something getting in the way of your righteousness or your readiness? Has your faith shield taken a beating? Do you lack confidence of victory in your salvation battle plan because of the mission of Jesus? Finally, have you put in a request for supplies at the armory, the Holy Spirit, through prayer? Are you going into battle unarmed and alone, vulnerable and surrounded by attackers? Don’t go it alone. Be strong IN the Lord in HIS strength. The WHOLE armor of God will help us “to withstand in the evil day”. Like today.
Attention!
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church
Cape May Court House NJ