Week 6, Thursday, Ephesians 6:10-13

Posted on Oct 13, 2022 in Devotions, General, Today, Yesterday |

Thursday, May 28, 2020 – Ephesians 6:10-13

A Battle Rages

By Pastor Paul Georgulis

Scripture:

“¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore 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 6:10-13 (New International Version)

Earlier in this epistle (Ephesians 4:22-24 – Click HERE for devotional on this passage), the Apostle Paul talked about putting off our old selves, renewing our minds, and putting on our new selves as we follow after God and try to live the life He has called us to live. As we do that, we must be cognizant of the fact that there is a battle for our souls going on. This battle is known as spiritual warfare, and whether we want to admit it or not, it does exist. If we live our lives for Jesus and play our part in sharing His love and furthering His Kingdom, the enemy – Satan – does not like it.

Author C.S. Lewis, in his famous Screwtape Letters, stated that, “The general public prefers either to ignore the forces of evil altogether or to take an unhealthy interest in everything demonic, which can be just as bad in the long run.”

When we realize/admit that we are engaged in a spiritual battle – against forces that seek to derail us from our relationship with/service for God – we need to rely on a strength that is not of our own to combat this evil. This strength comes from God, and it enables us to overcome.

In verse 13, Paul uses the phrase, “stand your ground.” This is a military term meaning either “to take over,” “to hold a watch post,” or “to hold out in a critical position on a battlefield.” Paul is telling us that in order to stand our ground, we need to be prepared. To be prepared, we need supernatural power. Thankfully, God has provided this by giving us His Holy Spirit within us and His armor surrounding us. In tomorrow’s post, we will look at the various pieces of the armor of God.

I know that spiritual warfare is scary to even think about, but don’t be discouraged. Keep in mind Jesus’ words to Peter: “On this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).

Prayer:

Father, we pray for the strength that we need in order to overcome the spiritual warfare that exists all around us. We know that there is a war going on for our souls, but we thank you that you have already won that war and that we are yours. Help us to stay focused on you, and help us to stay strong and diligent so that we remain close to you.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!