We stand firm. Paul wraps up his letter to the Ephesian church with a solemn reminder: on our mission from God, we have enemies actively looking to sabotage us, oppose us at every turn, & attempt to take us out. These enemies are not people, political rivals, or military adversaries; rather, they are identified as the devil & the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. So, what are Paul’s instructions for us to follow so we can endure in the face of such opposition? Be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil… Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. He reminds us that our source of strength & power, as well as our ability to stand firm in the face of opposition, is firmly rooted in our faith in & dependence upon Christ. Paul uses the mental picture of a fully armed & armored Roman soldier as a means of communicating the ways we are prepare ourselves for the daily onslaught of evil. We do this when we stand firmly in truth, holding fast against the lies, imaginations, deceptions, & alternate realities/futures confronting us. We stand righteously, doing right, living in a holy manner, repenting of our sin/wrong-doing, & rejecting indecency & dishonor. We stand in the peace that comes from the Good News of the gospel, which is a stark contrast to the chaos & conflict of the world around us. We stand on faith, reliant & assured that the One we put our trust in, Christ, parries every attack of fear & doubt the enemy launches at us. We stand confident in our salvation by Christ, knowing that He is bringing us to wholeness: body, soul, mind, & spirit. We stand on God’s Word, the Scriptures, which transform our hearts and minds, exposing lies, imaginations, & attacks of the evil one. We stand in prayer, empowered, filled, & led by the Holy Spirit for every area of life. We stand in the strength of the LORD & the power of His might. And when the day of evil comes, we will STILL be standing firm. Blessings & grace to you Louie
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 21:07:36 +0000