Ephesians 6:10-13 says...
Today's verses are Ephesians 6:10-13, which read,
v.10 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Paul is winding up this letter to the Christians in the church in the city of Ephesus called the Ephesians. He has given the fact that they have been and are continuing to be transformed from the old life to the new life. He has given general instruction to all of what is to be laid aside and what is to be picked up as a follower of Christ. He has also given specific instruction to specific groups to their conduct and attitude as they obey as onto the Lord in their specific roles.
Now Paul goes back to the general population of Christians with some closing instructions. The word to focus in on in verse 10 is the word "in." What am I strong in? What do I have strength in? I am strong in the Lord and I have strength in His might. I am strong in the Lord by being with the Lord and as I am with the Lord on a regular basis, I see His actions as He has went against Satan and defeated him. As I open the pages of the Bible; as I gather for worship; as I fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ; and as I serve Him I am being strong in the Lord. The Lord will show His might as we lay things at His feet instead of holding them in our clinched hands. Our focus and actions are to be not on ourselves but on Him.
v.11 - Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Whose armor is it? It is not ours but it is God's. This is something that needs to be put on, an action taken by you, and it is to happen every day. "Keep putting on the full armor of God" would help us see the continuance of this. Don't put on part of the armor but the full armor. So as we are given the pieces of the armor in the next study, make sure to put each piece on and not leave it sitting by the bedside in morning.
This armor will give you the ability through the power and strength of the One whose armor it is to stand against the schemes, the cleverness, the crafty methods, and the deception of the devil. He is like a lion seeking whom he might devour. He comes seeking to kill, steal, and destroy. This is what you and I are up against but we are not alone when we put on the armor of God and are strong in the Lord and the in strength of His might. Paul is wetting their and our appetite for what this armor of God is to do such battle.
v.12 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The word "struggle" has the meaning of "hand to hand" combat, or to wrestle with something. What we are dealing with on a daily basis with the temptations that are thrown our way by the devil always has bigger connotations that what we think. Actually, we play down those decisions and actions by saying that we are only affecting ourselves and no one else when we sin. God says otherwise.
It is not just about us, flesh and blood, but it is about our loyalty and obedience to one ruler or another, one power or another, one of darkness and the other of light. That "little" decision or action is not so "little" in the scope of everything that is tied to it. It stretches far and wide. My failing to follow Christ in this "little" sin is what God is telling me here is a "big" deal. Therefore, put on the full armor of God because you are battling not just with yourself but with Satan himself as he tries to get you to think that it is all about you. It is not. It is all about us giving glory to God, the One who gave you His grace through the cross of Christ and the empty tomb of fulfillment.
v.13 - Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
We say things twice and maybe three times to add emphasis and also to stress importance of what is being said for adherence to it. Paul again says to take up daily and put on fully each piece of the armor of God. There will be days that you put it on and nothing "big" happens and you might think, "why did I go through the bother today, nothing happened that I needed it" but you are only seeing part of the picture of your day. Sometimes we see the direct reason why we put on that armor daily. Sometimes we see evil face to face in all of its reality and the armor of God will enable you to resist that evil. You might get beat up in the process but it will allow you to stand firm because you are in Him and you have His armor on.
Where is His armor assigned to you today? Did you put all the pieces on? I know that it will be covered in the next study but it is okay to read ahead. We do not walk this earth as Christians under our own power and our actions are not limited to just us. We are to walk in the power of God and our actions are to reflect our love of Him and that is not possible unless we are strong in Him by being with Him and knowing Him more and more. Let's pray.
"Lord, I think You made your point through Paul that this armor and the full armor is important beyond just our daily activities. I am very tempted at times to not put it on or just put on certain pieces that I think I need and I know that is a scheme of the devil to go on my own strength and power instead of Yours. Convict me on what pieces of Your armor that I haven't been putting on lately. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.10 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Paul is winding up this letter to the Christians in the church in the city of Ephesus called the Ephesians. He has given the fact that they have been and are continuing to be transformed from the old life to the new life. He has given general instruction to all of what is to be laid aside and what is to be picked up as a follower of Christ. He has also given specific instruction to specific groups to their conduct and attitude as they obey as onto the Lord in their specific roles.
Now Paul goes back to the general population of Christians with some closing instructions. The word to focus in on in verse 10 is the word "in." What am I strong in? What do I have strength in? I am strong in the Lord and I have strength in His might. I am strong in the Lord by being with the Lord and as I am with the Lord on a regular basis, I see His actions as He has went against Satan and defeated him. As I open the pages of the Bible; as I gather for worship; as I fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ; and as I serve Him I am being strong in the Lord. The Lord will show His might as we lay things at His feet instead of holding them in our clinched hands. Our focus and actions are to be not on ourselves but on Him.
v.11 - Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Whose armor is it? It is not ours but it is God's. This is something that needs to be put on, an action taken by you, and it is to happen every day. "Keep putting on the full armor of God" would help us see the continuance of this. Don't put on part of the armor but the full armor. So as we are given the pieces of the armor in the next study, make sure to put each piece on and not leave it sitting by the bedside in morning.
This armor will give you the ability through the power and strength of the One whose armor it is to stand against the schemes, the cleverness, the crafty methods, and the deception of the devil. He is like a lion seeking whom he might devour. He comes seeking to kill, steal, and destroy. This is what you and I are up against but we are not alone when we put on the armor of God and are strong in the Lord and the in strength of His might. Paul is wetting their and our appetite for what this armor of God is to do such battle.
v.12 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The word "struggle" has the meaning of "hand to hand" combat, or to wrestle with something. What we are dealing with on a daily basis with the temptations that are thrown our way by the devil always has bigger connotations that what we think. Actually, we play down those decisions and actions by saying that we are only affecting ourselves and no one else when we sin. God says otherwise.
It is not just about us, flesh and blood, but it is about our loyalty and obedience to one ruler or another, one power or another, one of darkness and the other of light. That "little" decision or action is not so "little" in the scope of everything that is tied to it. It stretches far and wide. My failing to follow Christ in this "little" sin is what God is telling me here is a "big" deal. Therefore, put on the full armor of God because you are battling not just with yourself but with Satan himself as he tries to get you to think that it is all about you. It is not. It is all about us giving glory to God, the One who gave you His grace through the cross of Christ and the empty tomb of fulfillment.
v.13 - Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
We say things twice and maybe three times to add emphasis and also to stress importance of what is being said for adherence to it. Paul again says to take up daily and put on fully each piece of the armor of God. There will be days that you put it on and nothing "big" happens and you might think, "why did I go through the bother today, nothing happened that I needed it" but you are only seeing part of the picture of your day. Sometimes we see the direct reason why we put on that armor daily. Sometimes we see evil face to face in all of its reality and the armor of God will enable you to resist that evil. You might get beat up in the process but it will allow you to stand firm because you are in Him and you have His armor on.
Where is His armor assigned to you today? Did you put all the pieces on? I know that it will be covered in the next study but it is okay to read ahead. We do not walk this earth as Christians under our own power and our actions are not limited to just us. We are to walk in the power of God and our actions are to reflect our love of Him and that is not possible unless we are strong in Him by being with Him and knowing Him more and more. Let's pray.
"Lord, I think You made your point through Paul that this armor and the full armor is important beyond just our daily activities. I am very tempted at times to not put it on or just put on certain pieces that I think I need and I know that is a scheme of the devil to go on my own strength and power instead of Yours. Convict me on what pieces of Your armor that I haven't been putting on lately. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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