Put on the whole armor of God, that you may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11
Today, I spent a portion of the morning reading the last chapter of the apostle Paul's letter to the church...
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11
Today, I spent a portion of the morning reading the last chapter of the apostle Paul's letter to the church...
...which at the time was located in a city called Ephesus. It was a vibrant and active congregation that was loved by the Lord.
As with any gathering of Christians, while there is joy and peace in serving the Lord, there will also be spiritual warfare and conflict. Why? Because the church has an enemy, and his name is Satan.
The reality is, there is no way to dodge the devil or run from him. Instead, the disciple of Christ is told to stand against him and resist him. And God has equipped His children to do just that (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Conflict and fierce trials will come to those who love the Lord and who seek to follow Him. And although Christianity is often portrayed as the religion of cowards and weaklings, nothing could be further from the truth.
The New Testament contains many references to the followers of Christ being soldiers. It is not a faith for the faint-hearted. We are never to live in fear of the devil. God is infinitely stronger than our adversary. In fact, the Scriptures declare that Satan and his demons have already been defeated.
Reading this passage encouraged me to stand firmly against the devil, not trusting in my own strength and wisdom, but in Christ alone, and on His word. "Greater is He who is living inside me, than he (Satan) who lives in this world" (I John 4:4).
Brother and sister in Christ, always stand ready. Stand strong in your faith. Never back down to Satan's roar, or his threats. Put him to flight. Resist him in the name of our Messiah, Savior and King. His name is JESUS!
D.B.
As with any gathering of Christians, while there is joy and peace in serving the Lord, there will also be spiritual warfare and conflict. Why? Because the church has an enemy, and his name is Satan.
The reality is, there is no way to dodge the devil or run from him. Instead, the disciple of Christ is told to stand against him and resist him. And God has equipped His children to do just that (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Conflict and fierce trials will come to those who love the Lord and who seek to follow Him. And although Christianity is often portrayed as the religion of cowards and weaklings, nothing could be further from the truth.
The New Testament contains many references to the followers of Christ being soldiers. It is not a faith for the faint-hearted. We are never to live in fear of the devil. God is infinitely stronger than our adversary. In fact, the Scriptures declare that Satan and his demons have already been defeated.
Reading this passage encouraged me to stand firmly against the devil, not trusting in my own strength and wisdom, but in Christ alone, and on His word. "Greater is He who is living inside me, than he (Satan) who lives in this world" (I John 4:4).
Brother and sister in Christ, always stand ready. Stand strong in your faith. Never back down to Satan's roar, or his threats. Put him to flight. Resist him in the name of our Messiah, Savior and King. His name is JESUS!
D.B.
