Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. —Ephesians 6:10-11
Over the next four weeks, we will be memorizing Ephesians 6:10-18. It is our prayer that each believer put on the armor of God for the fight of faith with reliance on the strength of His might.
Since the Apostle Paul uses the word “finally” to begin this portion of his letter, we should ask ourselves what came before —what has brought us to this closing? And what are we to consider now going forward?
Strong in the Lord
The first three chapters of Ephesians teach us about the glorious and mysterious union God has given all believers, the church, in Christ Jesus. These blessings of salvation and life in Christ Jesus cannot be overstated! If someone asked you what it means to be “in Christ Jesus,” what would you say? This powerful letter walks us through the garden of God’s grace, the kind intentions of His will in Christ Jesus, on our behalf. Chapters 1-3 then are the introduction and foundation to the call on our lives in the sixth chapter. We have strength for the holy fight of truth and love because we are in Christ.
In Christ, the believer has every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (1:3)
In Christ, God chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him. (1:4)
In Christ, God in love predestined us to adoption as his children. (1:5)
In Christ, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses. (1:7)
In Christ, God has made known to us the mystery of his will that in Christ all things are united in heaven and on earth. (1:10)
In Christ, we have an inheritance and are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (1:11-13)
In Christ, we are saved, raised up with him, and seated with him in the heavenly places. (2:6)
So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, for by grace we have been saved through faith. (2:7-8)
We Stand by God’s Might
The power of God’s grace is given that we might know the hope to which we are called, have strength to comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God (1:18-19). Chapters 4-6 then give us instruction, exhortation, and wisdom in how these truths are lived out in our daily lives, especially in relationships—unity in the body of Christ, our church family, to husband and wife, children to parent and parent to children, employer to employee in service to God. We are admonished to no longer be immature, acting like children, carried away by empty philosophies and deceitful schemes. We are given the call to war—not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, powers, and forces of darkness that we cannot see.
The Devil Deceives
The schemes of the devil are meant to deceive and tempt the Christian to disbelieve God’s Word and the reality of union with Christ Jesus. The evil one would have us forget that the immeasurable greatness of [Christ’s] power, His resurrection power, is directed toward us who believe. The devil is scheming to tempt us with all manner of worldliness that we would forget our position in Christ in the heavenly places; and forget that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. The devil wants to fill the world with his darkness, but we have the light of the gospel, the only hope of all the world, and it will prevail.
God Provides For The War
The armor of God is imperative for this onslaught—left alone we are not strong enough, brave enough, smart enough, or quick enough to stand against the schemes of the devil—that is clear in Ephesians 6. And we are not to be passive in this fight. Resistance, defensively and offensively, is necessary. So, we must put on the full armor of God and stand firm in Christ Jesus. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (6:10-11).
For Reflection
Read a chapter of Ephesians each day this week. Write down what you find about being “in Christ.”
What are some temptations in your life that you are not resisting, making you feel you have lost the battle? Are you letting your mind be carried away with deceptive philosophies that are a denial of God’s truth? Have you put on the armor of God and called upon the Lord to give you “the strength of his might” in this fight?
God’s Word tells us that Jesus suffered every temptation, every onslaught of the evil one that we might suffer, yet He did not give in, did not sin. Therefore, He is a sympathetic High Priest—a wonderful Savior. But is He your Savior? Have you come to Him and placed your faith in Him? The Bible tells us “Today is the day of salvation, now is the acceptable time.” Will you trust Jesus today?