Embattled
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:10-12
Spurgeon’s writings on the armor of God note that we are first to be “strong in the Lord” before putting on our armor. How are we to become strong in the Lord? Earlier in Ephesians, Paul speaks of his prayer for the believers at Ephesus:
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:15-18
May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened that we know the hope and riches of our inheritance in Christ Jesus… How can we be anything less than strong in the Lord when we think on the hope within us? Reading this immediately brought to mind Elisha’s servant who was frightened and dismayed as he awoke to realize that the place where they were had been completely surrounded by the Syrian army in the night.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17
Just imagine the relief and hope that servant felt when God opened his eyes to the truth of the situation. Because we may feel as if we are under constant attack from the enemy, we should continually pray that our eyes remain open to the hope that we have in Christ Jesus. This life we live is demanding. We live in a country that was created to provide religious freedom, yet we are challenged at every turn, as though everyone else’s beliefs are somehow more valid than ours, simply because our faith dictates that we cannot validate their choices. And, even in the midst of public challenges we still struggle with our own personal sinful nature. As our culture turns farther and farther from God, we find ourselves more and more residing in a world from which we are called to be separate. Even though, we may feel completely surrounded by evil in this world, if we continually pray for our eyes to be opened to see the protection provided by the Lord, our faith will be strengthened.
In 2 Corinthians, Paul reminds us that we are earthen vessels, worthless of our own accord, literally made from the soil of the earth, our very breath is God-given, therefore everything good that comes from us, must be of Him. We will have challenges, we will be distressed, perplexed, and persecuted, but we also have the hope within us given by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we face challenges in this life, and give them to Christ, He is glorified through them.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Taking this in account, standing strong in the Lord, we should joyfully strap on our armor, and head into our spiritual battles with the understanding that the outcome of this war is already decided. The end has already been foretold. We win!
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:13-18
Most Christians are familiar with the armor of God, and how each piece, used properly, protects us in our spiritual life. C.H. Spurgeon went on to discuss verse 18:
When you cannot use your sword, and even when you can hardly grasp your shield, you can pray. That weapon of “all prayer” is of the handiest kind, because it can be turned in any and every direction. “Praying always with all prayer” — groaning prayers, weeping prayers, prayers that are made up of single words, prayers that have not a word in them, prayers for others, prayers of confession, prayers of thanksgiving, — “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,”
Going forward, let us remember the verses surrounding the truth about the armor of God. First, we must remain strong in the Lord for our armor to be effective. Our strength allows our armor to fit us better… when we are strong in the Lord, we can wield the sword of the Spirit with ease, and our shield more effectively quenches the darts of the wicked. And, we must couch our efforts in prayer, prayer for ourselves, and prayer for others.
Friends, yes… we are embattled. The evil one seeks to take our joy, steal our witness, and keep as many souls from God as possible. We struggle daily in this war against the principalities of darkness. Let us stand strong, continue in prayer, keep our eyes open, and wear our armor into this battle with complete knowledge that the war is already won by our Leader, our Commander, the Lion of Judah, Christ the Lord.
