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. (Ephesians 6:10-11)
I have carpal tunnel syndrome. My wrists ache when I’m tired and will become sore and numb in my sleep if I don’t wear wrist braces to bed. This is fairly manageable compared to some stories that I’ve heard of others. But there are times when I’m tired of taking on my nightly routine, and just want to go to sleep without those braces of support on.
Then I always wake up in the middle of the night numb and sore in my arms. You’d think that I’d learn that I need to put on my support every time, not just sometimes. They are a necessary part of my life.
The armor of God is a necessary part of the Christian life.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13)
Standing in place is so difficult when the enemy is overwhelming. When everything in you tells you to run screaming in fear, it takes faith and trust in your armor to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (Ephesians 6:14)
When you have the truth of God surrounding you and His righteousness over your heart, you can have faith that He is with you. With His promises over you, you will find the ability to stand.
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:15)
Shoes of peace can only be fitted to our feet when we walk in forgiveness. We are to be forgiving of others as well as seeking for others to forgive us. In this peace, we will be ready.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16)
With our faith and trust in God, only then can we remember that no matter what lies Satan throws at us, they will be diminished in His strength.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17)
Our salvation gives us the mind of Christ. And the sword of the spirit (The word of God) is our only offensive weapon. By His words, the enemy is defeated.
So just as when I try to spend my day without the support of my wrist braces, if I try to live without God’s armor for support, I will be numb and endure pain. It’s only through faith, truth, and the word of God that I can trust and stand in life every day. Otherwise I’m just opening myself up to suffering.
No comments :
Post a Comment