"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."
Read all of Ephesians 6
This verse begins the final section of the Epistle to the Ephesians. It's the section that talks about our need of spiritual armor to fend off the wily attacks of Satan and the world. Verse 10 begins with a pretty bold assertion. "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." Of course this is probably easier said than done. It seems there's always a tension between knowing what we're supposed to do and doing it.
Well, as this section unfolds we are given some pretty good clues about how we might do the things we're supposed to do. We are to "put on the full armor of God." After we're given this command we're told that this armor is essential in standing up to the devil's schemes. Another way of saying this is that if we don't put on the armor and rely wholly upon the Lord, we will fall. These verses shouldn't make us live in fear of Satan, but they should make us draw closer to God for his protection. AND if we're going to draw near for his protection, it means that we had best be sure we're keeping "in step with the Spirit" by hearing and heeding His Words.
Think also of the Lord's prayer and the Sixth Petition. "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Now think about this just a moment. We're taught to pray (even commanded to pray) for God's protection and then we're commanded to do the very things that will provide for our protection. Something to think about.
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