Today's Bible Reading: EPHESIANS 5:15-6:24; COLOSSIANS 1:1-23
Ephesians 6:13
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.
We face spiritual battles daily. We wrestle continually against the power and principles of the enemy. A spiritual warfare wages against us. It is a relentless volley of arrows from the enemy assaulting us. There is no rest or reprieve from his attacks. If we are not watchful and weaponized we will not be able to withstand his onslaught.
A primary reason we can’t withstand attacks is not because God is not engaged, but we are ill equipped. We are missing portions of our armament. It is because we have not appropriated the whole armor that God has provided. Partial preparation leaves us vulnerable. We must take up the whole armor of God or we risk exposure to the schemes and strategies of Satan. We have not done all. So rather than stand firm we falter and fall in battle.
The little phrase “having done all” is the key to success in our struggles. Our responsibility is to properly array ourselves with the armor God has provided. We need to put on the helmet of salvation to guard our thoughts, the breastplate of righteousness to stay our unrighteous emotions and the shoes of the gospel to secure our foothold. We need to gird ourselves with the belt of truth to defeat deception. We need to take up the shield of faith to deflect the faithless fiery darts. And finally, we need to affix the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, to effectively attack. All of these are essential to equipment us for our encounters. The craftiness and cunning our enemy necessitates each piece of armor. Daily bombardments by a barrage of impure thoughts, improper impulses, and erratic emotions necessitates that we put on the whole armor of God. We must do all to defeat all.
Our ability to withstand the onslaught of the enemy is contingent on taking up the whole armor the Lord has provided for battle. Don’t expect victory apart from obedience. If you don’t take it up, the enemy will take you down. It is only then that we have “done all to stand firm.” We cannot “withstand in the evil day” if we don’t do what the Lord says. So don’t just let go and let God, rather do all and depend on God. We must put on the armor and put our trust in the Almighty then we will prevail.
Today consider your armament. You must make sure that you are fully attired in the armor of God. Don’t let one piece of God’s armor be left off. Put it all on. Ask the Lord to help you stand firm in the day’s battles. Ask Him to help you withstand the temptations and trials that the day will bring. Do all He says and then depend Him
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