PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD TO STAND AGAINST EVIL

PROCLAMATION

“Finally, be strong in The Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the whole armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  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 heavenly places.  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."  Ephesians 6:10-13 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Ephesus.  Paul begins this final chapter by offering advice to children, telling them to obey and honor their parents. (Ephesians 6:1-3)  The parents were also admonished not to provoke their children, but to educate and train them in the ways of The Lord. (Ephesians 6:4 and Proverbs 22:6)  Paul also offered advice for the behavior of workers and bosses. (Ephesians 6:5-9)  Finally, as he ended this letter, he offered this advice to the believers, telling them to be strong in The Lord.  Paul told them to protect themselves by putting on the armor of God.  He followed this with specific instructions regarding how to do that and included a rationale for why it should be done. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

 

APPLICATION

As believers today we should also prepare for battle against evil.  The devil and his army are well-positioned for their attack.  However, as the Old Testament believers were told, the battle is not ours to fight, but it is The Lord God’s. (1 Samuel 17:47 and 2 Chronicles 20:15)  We will be attacked, and we will need special weapons and protective “war clothes” in order to survive the battle, to stand our ground, and keep the faith. (Ephesians 6:11-13)  We will need the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace about our feet, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith in one hand, the sword of The Spirit (The Word of God) in the other hand, and prayer in our mouth. (Ephesians 6:14-18)  We cannot overcome the devil on our own with our limited abilities and power.  As a Christian we will need the help of The Lord God in order to withstand and survive the devil’s attacks.  We have already been granted the victory through Jesus, The Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)  Stand firm with the help from God.

STAND STILL AND SEE THE DELIVERANCE OF THE LORD

Proclamation:

"Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance The Lord will bring you today ... The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.'"  Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV)

Explanation:

In this second book of Moses, after he has led the Israelites our of Egypt, they were now trapped with the Red Sea in front of them, the Pharaoh and his army behind them, and mountains on both sides.  They were afraid that they would be killed there, and Moses told them "Do not be afraid.  Stand firm ... The Lord will fight for you ..."  The Lord parted the Red Sea for them and they crossed over on dry land while He kept Pharaoh’s army away from them.  Then He destroyed the army when they pursued them. (Exodus 14:18 -29)

Application:

As believers, we are children of God.  He will protect us, and fight our battles for us.  We have enemies that only He can protect us from. (Ephesians 6:11)  All we have to do is stand on His Word and do as He says.  Our faith may be tested, but He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)   It does not matter whatever the problem, believers just need to keep the faith and stand on His Word.  As the song says:
"What do you do,
when you've done all that you can,
and it seems like you can't make it through,
you just stand ...
after you've done all that you can,
you just stand."

We Need God's Help To Stand

"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."  Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul told them that after they had done all that they could do, they were to just stand.  He told them that in order for them to stand firm in the faith against the attacks of the devil, they would need to put on the whole armor of God.

The Bible does not tell us to attack the devil or his demons, we are told to resist him, and not to give in to him when we are tempted.  The only way that we can resist the devil is to submit to The Lord God. (James 4:7)  We need His help stand up to the attacks of the devil.  That is why we are told to put on the whole armor of God. (Ephesians 6:10-18)  We are in a battle against a smart, cunning, and powerful enemy.  We need the all powerful God's help. (Matthew 28:18)

DO WE REALLY DELIGHT IN THE WORD OF GOD?

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of The Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” Psalms 1:1-2 (NIV)


The psalmist first describes the people that believers should avoid: the wicked, sinners, and mockers. Then he describes what the believer should delight in The Word of God, and states how often he should meditate on it.

Do we really delight in The Word of God? When we read His Word do we take great pleasure in it, does it bring us joy, does it make us happy, and does it give us a sense of satisfaction? How often do we read The Word of God? Here the psalmist suggests that the man who reads The Word of God twice each day, morning and night, is blessed. We need God’s help in delighting in His Holy Word. We have not because we ask not. (James 4:2) We should pray to God and ask that He would create in us receptive hearts and minds so that we might receive His Word with gladness, joy, and delight. We were all charged to share The Word of God with others. It is much easier to share with others something that we ourselves enjoy and are really enthusiastic about.

Stand And See The Deliverance Of The Lord

"Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance The Lord will bring you today ... The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.' "  Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV)

In this second book of Moses, after he has led the Israelites our of Egypt, they are now trapped with the Red Sea in front of them, the Pharaoh and his army behind them, and mountains on both sides.  They are afraid that they will be killed there, and Moses tells them "Do not be afraid.  Stand firm ... The Lord will fight for you ..."

As believers, we are children of God.  He will protect us, and fight our battles for us.  We have enemies that only He can protect us from.  All we have to do is stand on His Word and do as He says.  Our faith may be tested, but He will never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8)  No matter what the problem, we just need to keep the faith and stand on His Word.  As the song says:
"What do you do,
when you've done all you can,
and it seems like you can't make it through,
you just stand ...
after you've done all you,
you just stand."

We Need Protection And Help

"Finally, be strong in The Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  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.  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.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of The Spirit, which is the word of God.  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 saints."  Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

Paul told the people that they needed God's protection and help because they were fighting against powers and evil spiritual forces that are much more powerful than they are.  Only with the full armor of God and prayer will they be protected.

The devil and his demons are powerful and we cannot stand against them without God's help.  We need God's truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and The Word of God in order to survive.  And we need to pray and ask for God's help for ourselves and for others as we deal with our struggles as we stand for Him.  We cannot make it without Him.

Stand And See The Deliverance Of The Lord

"Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance The Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV)

After they had been delivered out of Egypt and had come to the Red Sea, the children of Israel saw Pharaoh's army approaching and began to complain to Moses that he had led them out of Egypt to die in the desert. Moses told them, "Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of The Lord." The Lord blocked the path of Pharaoh's army with a cloudy firy pillar, and then parted the Red Sea so the people could cross over on dry land. Then He drowned Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea when they followed them.

The song writer said, "After you've done all that you can, you just stand." When our circumstances and our situations seem impossible, and all we can see is our defeat and destruction, we need to have faith in God. He specializes in doing things that man thinks would be impossible. He protects and provides for His own. We just need to believe, have faith, and trust in Him. He will see us through every storm. "Let go, and let God."

God Has A Place For Each Of Us

"Then Moses said, 'Now show me Your glory.' And The Lord said, 'I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My name, The Lord, in your presence ... But,' He said, 'you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.' Then The Lord said, 'There is a place near Me where you may stand on a rock. When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.' " Exodus 33:18-23 (NIV)

After leading the people out of Egypt, God met with Moses and told him to lead the people to the promised land. Moses asked God to show him His glory. The Lord said "There is a place near Me where you may stand on a rock ... I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you ..." God said that Moses could see His back but not His face, for no one could see His face and live. God had a place for Moses. He protected him and hid him in a rock.

Some times we ask God for things that are not in our best interest and He protects us from our wants. God has a special place for each one of us. If we stand where He puts us, He will protect us. He can cleft a rock for us, hide us, cover us with His hand and protect us. We just need to make sure that we are where God wants us to be. We need to stand near Him so that we may experience the glory of God.

Be Patient And Persevere

"Be patient, then, brothers, until The Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because The Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of The Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what The Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." James 5:7-11 (NIV)

James was encouraging the people to be patient, not just with the trials and tribulations of life, but to be patient with each other. Things will happen in God's due time. Pain and suffering are a part of living. Those who had gone on before them had suffered, persevered, and were blessed. He reminded them of Job and what he went through, and how God blessed him.

Most of us are very impatient people. We want what we want, and we want it right now. We need to develop patience. Some of the things that we go through are part of our preparation and development, so that God can use us. Personal growth takes time. We also need to recognize that others also need time to learn and grow. We need to be patient with, and to pray for, others as they learn and grow. All of us can say, "We are a work in progress, be patient with us, God is not finished with us yet."

God Provides Us With A Way Out

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NIV)

After the Apostle Paul had reminded the people about the things that had happened to the children of Israel after they were led out of Egypt and why some of them had to die in the wilderness, he warned them to be careful, least they fall into temptation.

We all will be tempted, but we have to choose not to give in to the temptation. God will not let more be put upon us than we can stand. And He will always provide for us a way out of every situation, but we have to choose to follow His way.

Stand Firm And Hold On

"... From the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul is encouraging the Christians in Thessalonica by reminding them that God chose them to be saved. He is telling them to "... stand firm and hold on ..." to what they have been taught. Then he prays that God will encourage them, and strengthen them, and allow them to do more good work.

We each were created and saved by God for a purpose. Our good works here are a part of kingdom building here on earth. All that we do should be done for the glory of God. While temptation is all around us, our human nature is basically sinful, and trials, storms, and tribulations seem to keep pulling us down, we need to "stand strong and hold on" to our Bible teachings and our faith in God. Whatever it it that you are going through, may God encourage your heart and strengthen you, and allow you to do more good deeds in the future.

Stand And Ask Where The Good Way Is

"This is what The Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.' But you said, 'We will not walk in it'." Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)

At the crossroads of life, before all of our decisions, we should stand for a moment, and pray for guidance and direction to identify the "good way", the righteous way to go, and then we should "walk in it". However, all to often we make decisions without praying to God first, we just go off on our own. At times we even refuse to do that which we know is right. Then after we find ourselves in a mess, we ask God for help. We really should pray first, before we speak or act, and we would have fewer problems in our lives.

Stand In The Face Of Adversity

After his conversion, Saul, the future apostle Paul, went about boldly preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. So much so that the people wanted to kill him, but he continued his work for The Lord even in the face of adversity.

"And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, the He is The Son of God ... And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him ... And he spoke boldly in the name of The Lord Jesus and disputed against the Grecians, but they were about to slay him." Acts 9:18-30

Twice the brethren led Saul to safety to save his life. They let him down over the wall in a basket, Acts 9:25, and they took him to Caesarea to get away from the Crecians, Acts 9:30.

He continued to do The Lord's work even when the people wanted to kill him for doing so. And The Lord used his good relationship with the brethren to protect him from harm.

Will we stand up for Christ even when it is not popular with the people that we are around? Do we have the respect of the Christians around us such that they would be willing to help us in times of trouble?

It is easy to stand for a popular position, but it takes a serious commitment to stand up for what you believe in when you are faced with adversity. Don't deny Him to please the crowd. Jesus said "... whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven." Matthew 10:32-33

Stand up for Christ, even in the face of adversity.