Stand!

Stand!

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 KJV

This is the conclusion of the letter of Paul to the Ephesians, and it is quite important to draw reference to his final words to the elders of the church in Ephesus, as he was coming to the end of his ministry and going on to Jerusalem, where he would be handed over to the Romans and be put to death. Paul's charge to the elders is a fairly long one, but let's just put out an extract here: 

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. Acts 20:28‭-‬31 KJV 

Paul understood the danger of not watching carefully, or not standing right in and with God. He warned the Ephesian church elders in Acts, and also warns the entire church in Ephesians, and the message is the same: you are only strong when you are standing in God. All other grounds or sources of confidence are futile and bound to fail. So, what is the recommendation: the WHOLE armour of God. 

Why is the word 'Armour' used? It is a picture of a man who is at war. In wartime, a soldier isn't concerned about mundane things; things not of direct importance to the war he is fighting. He is dressed as the occasion demands, not what is attractive at the time. He knows that a moment of weakness or carelessness can be fatal, and an opportunity for the enemy to strike. Do I know where I am at all? Am I even conscious of what I have been called into, or what the demands of the present time calls for? Am I so caught up with the world and its attractions that I have forgotten what God called me out of and into? 

Soldiers are known by their attire, as well as their disposition. Right on the uniform will be found all required information such as country of allegiance, rank and name. Do men know who I belong to and serve or is the uniform just an attraction? Do I bear true allegiance to the One who called me into service or am I just wearing the uniform while my heart is distracted by what another authority promises? Did you notice that every part of the body is accounted for, except the back? This is a warning that you are only good when you are facing the battle, not running away from it. There is no provision for retreat or surrender, because the One we fight for is the King of Kings, also called the Man of War. He will protect and provide, but I must face the battle He places in front of me. 

And this is the armour of God, not of any man. The one who wears it is making a public declaration of his/her service. And you don't get to pick and choose what part of the armour you want to wear, or what part will serve your own purpose. The One who designed and provided the armour knows what each part is expected to achieve, and it is when I wear it the way the designer wants that it will achieve the purpose of the designer. 

And that is the promise of the designer: if I wear it AND use it the way the designer wants, it will achieve the purpose of the designer, which is that I should be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. We fight against the devil and his evil plans. The devil has been able to convince most men that he does not exist, and as a result, he is able to wreck havoc with men's lives. How do you fight an enemy you don't recognise as such, or whose tactics you can't identify? That is why the one who has defeated the devil is the only qualified one to provide the help required to defeat the devil.

God is glorified when I show off His power and might. I am mortal, which means I don't get to live forever on this earth and in this human form, but as long as I am in this earthly body, God wants to be glorified in and through me. He knows what is ahead, and He is able to provide all the required help for my daily victory. All I need to do is depend on His provision, not my own personal privileges. Nothing I have by myself can achieve all that God desires; it is by, of, in and through Him that victory is certain. Do I know this God? Have I truly met Him? Does He know me as His own? Have I taken advantage of all his provision for the victory He has sealed for me? My answers will define my earthly impact. His time of favour is here.