“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11
October 3, 2023
The Christian life is a battlefield. If we belong to Christ we must be prepared for the inevitable encounter with evil. The apostle Paul’s Roman imprisonment, while writing to the Ephesian church, gave him a vivid reminder of what it means to take a courageous stand for Jesus Christ. “Armor,” “standing,” “schemes of the devil.” It is no time for doctrinal pacifism. We live in a day when theologically soft pastors and parishioners who back away from calling out evil invite the adversaries of truth into the house of faith. The city of Ephesus was famous for a citadel of pagan unbelief, the great temple of Artemis (Diana). Our present culture has erected its own temple to the cult of personal autonomy. It’s all about self and the pursuit of happiness above all else. If we are looking for a “quiet middle space” safe from conflict we are ill-equipped to face Satan’s strategy to gain advantage over us. The devil uses false doctrine to mislead us (Eph. 4:14). He places obstacles in our way to serve Christ (1 Thess. 2:18). The evil one exploits problems in marital relationships (1 Cor. 7:5). He takes advantage of disunity among Christians (Eph. 4:3, 27). We had better be about the business of putting on the full armor of God. Therein is our potential for victory and our strength for the battle ahead. Are you ready?
H
“Satan has three titles in the Scriptures, setting forth his malignity against the church of God; a dragon, to note his malice; a serpent, to note his subtlety; and a lion, to note his strength.”
Edward Reynolds