Ephesians 6:10-23 (NIV)
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Final Greetings
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. 23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
What evidence of this battle do you see in your life?
Lord, there are days where I wonder if the devil and his evil schemes are actually winning. You have been pushed out of schools, government and basically every area of our lives and replaced with hatred, jealousy, selfishness, pride, cheating, violence, the struggle for power and personal gain and recently the fear of the coronavirus and economic ruin. We also face struggles against evil in our own lives with temptation, sin, and addiction. Thank You, Lord, that You revealed the end of the story, that You are victorious over all these things and You are in control. But relying on Your victory does not mean that I can be passive or inactive, but instead, I need to take responsibility for my life and be strong in You. You have given me weapons and a covering to protect myself from the powers of evil. Help me to use them well. Lord help me focus on Your truth in Scripture and to soak myself in Your Word. Keep my heart truthful, transparent and authentic. Help me to keep a right relationship with You and with others. Help me to trust You in difficult times and keep an open line of conversation with You through prayer. Lord, thank you that although on my own I am powerless, with the armor that You have provided, the strength of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, I can experience Your victory. Amen