May 11th, 2018

God’s Full Armor

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”  Eph. 6:11

Ephesians 6:10-18 focuses on Paul’s powerful presentation of how believers are called to stand.  As Watchman Nee so eloquently wrote, we first sit, then walk, and finally, stand.  The Battle is the Lord’s – it is the awesome story of Jehosophat in the Old Testament and it is our story as well. 
Jesus defeated Satan on the Cross - redemption is ours!  We claim our rightful identity and inheritance in Jesus.  We stand in our place of triumph: victorious!

Paul was writing while he was a prisoner to the Roman Praetorian Guard. His writing focused on not just the conditions found in Ephesus -- a hotbed of witchcraft, sorcery, the occult and prostitution, but on how the early church was to stand in the midst of it.  Paul’s work in Ephesus focused on overcoming evil with good.   We are to know our identity and position: secure and standing.  Our weakness is His strength.  Our thoughts are to be focused on Jesus.  Just as God set the land of Canaan apart for the Israelites under Joshua, believers are set apart in the heavenly realms with Christ.  The Lord told Zerubbabel and Joshua to be strong, for they were the remnant of the covenant.  We are to be strengthened in Him and His power, not our own.

The Roman soldier could only fight with armor.  Paul saw this armor daily, and used it as the metaphor for our spiritual battle.  Our armor is His counsel, grace, and strength.  If we lack one piece of it, we are exposed.  The armor represents a total dependence on Him.  He prepares and provides us with the armor - we must choose to put it on.  It is a divine armament.  We stand our ground in the strength of Christ, and with the armor, confound schemes, baffle plans, and are more than conquerors.  Because Jesus defeated Satan on the cross, we in Christ overcome the kingdom of darkness with the kingdom of marvelous light.  This is great news for the believer!