Stand!

Stand!

Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 AMP

The Inspiration:

Paul writes these words, and from the picture he paints, he may have taken his inspiration from personal experiences. He was a man who was frequently beaten and imprisoned, and this physical description could have come from one  of those 'prison' encountered, guarded by Roman soldiers. Please note that following and serving Jesus faithfully will not keep you from tough time; life itself outside of Jesus is tough enough. What you get from following and serving Jesus, among many other thigs, is a  daily supply of protection, provision and grace for all facets of the journey He sets you on. At no time does He promise a life free of trials, but He then gives an unbreakable promise of His ever-abiding presence. God will definitely supply all that my journey needs, but the verse above makes it clear that I have to put it on myself. It seems to me that this dressing up is my responsibility; it cannot be delegated or assigned to someone else.

The Contention:

I also note the reference to the 'full armour of God'. Please do not dare face the world before you are fully dressed. There is no soldier that is allowed to stand on guard without being first fully kitted and prepared for the assignment. God would not rejoice in the daily deaths of His saints, which is why He supplies all they need. I cannot take the nice-looking parts and dispense with the rest. All parts of the armour are important, because they build up to the complete soldier of Christ. This soldier of Christ is one that He can trust to represent Him well, and He can send on assignment. There are battles to fight, and God is described as a 'man of war'.  He is skilled in these things, and if I will also survive that which is coming, I need the provisions God has made for victory. He does not ask me to dress up because He is helpless; He wants me to experience the benefits and blessings that come from a life that God helps. 

The Conclusion:

The devil will fight, with all he has got. The devil is the master of deceit and deception, and can present himself as the real deal. It is by God's provisions that I can fight the devil's pretences. He comes with his darts of fear and doubt, and his schemes of trickery and deceit, but there are antidotes to all that the devil brings. There is a divine provision by God for every situation the devil can bring. Salvation, the Word of God, righteousness, the gospel of peace, are just some of the parts of the armour provided by God to defeat the devil. God makes them available; I have to put them on. It is by putting them on that I can successfully stand. Yes, things may not end up the way I want them to, and like Stephen and some of the apostles, the physical end may not be pleasant, but as long as I have trusted God with my life, I will definitely enjoy eternal life with God at the end of it all. What more could I ask for? God's time of favour is here.