Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  Ephesians 6:10-11 ESV

     Paul, throughout Ephesians, gives insight as to how the Christian comes to know God personally, and then instructions on how to live as a person.  Living for God takes an inward strength that can only come from the indwelling Holy Spirit living within the believer.  It is not a strength of our own, but a God-like strength overcoming a habit or sin that has so easily ensnared us.  A person who wants to live strong for God will not float through life allowing the current in the river of opinion, circumstance, and ease to determine how they live.  Living strong can and will be difficult at times for it will cause us to go against the current of life by living the principles and teachings of the Bible…. God’s words of instruction for us.  The reason a person should want to live strong is because they love God, knowing that he has forgiven them of sin.  A person will not desire to live strong for God until they love him more than they love their sin.  Paul, in Ephesians, had a final instruction for the believer… 

BE STRONG IN THE STRENGTH OF HIS MIGHT:         

     True strength in the believer is not from knowing what to do; it is knowing that the strength in which you walk comes from God alone. ( 1 John 4:4 … Philippians  4:13 )  Knowledge and action are needed to live and move in the way God would have you to go.  To have knowledge without action will not get you where you need to be, and to have action without knowledge can be very dangerous, for you may be going in the wrong direction.  You grow in His strength when, by faith, you believe in his word and trust him.  Just as one builds physical strength by working the muscles, so the Christian builds spiritual strength by working the mind with God’s word.

PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD:   

     The verses which follow give specific instruction for the armor we are to wear if we are to stand against the Devil.  Each piece of the armor is very important and must be a part of how you dress / prepare for battle.  To neglect one piece of armor will leave the Christian vulnerable to the attacks of the devil, and it is not a question of if he will attack, but when.  The closer you walk with God , the closer you walk on the front lines of battle against the evil one.  This is why I believe the closer we walk with Him, the more intense the spiritual battles become in our lives.  So don’t neglect even one piece of the armor, for it could be right where the Devil will aim his attack…don’t give him a target.

ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE SCHEMES OF THE DEVIL:  

     The devil has one agenda for the Christian’s life and all life…. to steal and kill and destroy. John 10:10a   If a person is NOT dressed in God’s armor,  he/she lines themselves up for destruction.  Even the best armored/dressed Christian will be wounded at times, but not killed or destroyed.  God’s armor will protect the points of their life that could cause such a fate.  The Christian is only able to stand when dressed for battle…. a battle that will be in the mind, not against flesh and blood.  Note: scripture instructs us to stand, not charge. We must always remember that the battle is the Lord’s, and we stand in His strength.  Actually the battle is already won, and the armor we wear is to give evidence that we are in Christ.  Even though defeated, the enemy will still attempt to take ground.

APPLICATION:            

     In the weeks ahead we are going to study each piece of the armor, and its importance in the battles faced daily in life.  I encourage you to read and re-read the book of Ephesians, especially chapter 6, over the days and weeks ahead and pray for understanding of the importance and all the truths concerning each piece of armor.   Pray for wisdom and understanding of exactly where you are to stand in the line of battle. 

Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David