Key Verse: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.” (Ephesians 6:12-13 CSB)
The Christian life is not unlike trying to ride a bike into the wind or swimming against the current. It’s a struggle. Pursuing a holy, Christ-centered life that is devoted to seeking His kingdom above all else is a battle every single day. And sometimes it feels like it just gets harder and harder.
In Ephesians 6, however, the Apostle Paul provides some valuable principles for how we can take our stand and ensure victory in our lives as we seek to follow Jesus faithfully. He reminds us first of the source of our victory. “Finally, be strengthened in by the Lord and by his vast strength” (v.10), Paul wrote. The strength to stand firm and to overcome in the battles we face is not rooted in ourselves. If it were, we would all be in big trouble. Rather the strength we need comes from the Lord. His mighty strength is vast and limitless. It is more than sufficient to give us the victory we need.
Secondly, in order to take our stand, we need to ready ourselves for battle. How do we get prepared? Paul wrote, “Take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand” (v.13). A key part of standing firm in the battle is ensuring we are equipped with the full armor of God. We must put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (v.14-17). This is how we resist in the evil day and take our stand.
Finally, Paul tells us that we need to know our enemy. He wrote, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (v.12). While we will encounter resistance from the world around us and from our own sinful desires, these things are ultimately not what we’re fighting against. Rather, we are fighting “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens” (v.13).
Our battle is a spiritual one against the enemy of our soul who is “prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, he is cunning and crafty, scheming up ways he can try to deceive us and lead us astray from Christ.
The good news is that our enemy has already been defeated. The buzzer has sounded and it’s already over. When Jesus died on the Cross and rose three days later, He won the victory once and for all. It is finished!
So as you prepare for battle today, be strengthened by the Lord and His vast strength. Suit up with the full armor of God so you are ready to take your stand. As you do, remember that because of the finished work of Jesus you can “resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). So take your stand today in Christ!
Prayer: God, please strengthen me by your mighty power. As I engage in the battle today, I put my trust in you and all that you’ve done. I put on the full armor of God so that I can resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything take my stand. Grant me victory, I pray. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
