Strength To Stand

There was a time and place when, if you were born a Hatfield or a McCoy, you were born into a battle. Conflict was inevitable. It wasn’t a matter of what you chose, but of who you were. We who are born into Christ join Him in battle, as well. His fight is not against countries, clans, or individuals, but against Satan and his underling spiritual forces of darkness. This “evil one” hates God and will use any means possible to deceive, tempt, accuse, and destroy God’s people forever. We know this by experience, don’t we?

With eternal consequences at stake, spiritual warfare demands spiritual strength. The problem is, on our own, we have none. “The spirit is willing,” Jesus warned, “but the flesh is weak.”¹ Knowing this, the apostle Paul provided basic instructions for spiritual conflict, a regimen every bit as effective for us today as when he wrote them in his letter to the Ephesian church:

We guard our minds with salvation as though it were a helmet,
And who is our salvation but Christ?²

We fortify our hearts with righteousness as though it were a breastplate,
And who is our righteousness but Christ?³

We secure ourselves in truth as though it were a belt,
And who is truth itself but Christ?⁴

We equip our feet with the good news of peace,
And who is our peace but Christ?⁵

We trust the Word of God as though it were a sword, piercing to the truth of a matter,
And who is the Word of God but Christ?⁶

We stand behind faith as though it were a shield against all fear,
And in whom do we place our faith but Christ?

The armor we put on for strength is Christ! Nothing can overcome Him, for He is above “all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given.” No wonder our enemy flees when we resist him! He looks at us and sees the all-powerful One who covers us from head to toe.

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

Lord Jesus be all of these things in me, and strengthen me to stand against all the forces of evil today. Amen.

¹ Matthew 26:41 (NASB
² Acts 4:12
³ 1 Corinthians 1:30
⁴ John 14:6
⁵ Ephesians 2:14
⁶ John 1:14

Click here to see today's Scripture in Ephesians 6:10-12.]

Today’s post is an excerpt from Christ in Me. Copyright © 2016 Paul Nordman. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Click here to order a copy of Christ in Me by Paul Nordman.

Someone Is Out To Get Me

Life can be hectic.

The home phone rings at the same time the door bell rings and my mobile phone rings. The mail man is down the street and I need to get a couple of checks in the mail. I am about to watch a football game, but my wife asserts that the internet is down and letting it go is not an option. It is time to mow the lawn, but the mower won’t start. Oh yeah, and I am informed that the tuition bill must be paid by 5 PM today.

Aaarrrrrgggghh!!!!!!!!!!

 Sometimes I think someone is out to get me!

 Today’s reading is Ephesians 6:10-20.

Paul is telling us that there really is someone out to get us. That someone, though, isn’t trying to make our life on earth difficult. He may do that, but that isn’t his ultimate goal. What he really wants is to take away my eternal bliss. He wants us to join him in the burning lake of sulfur.

Satan. Lucifer. Devil. The dragon. The serpent. Prince of this world. We know him by many names.

Other cultures know him as Haborym, Loki, Mania, Pluto, Mantus, Balaam and Apollyon.

Paul tells us there is a defense against Satan and that is faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus gives us our salvation and frustrates Satan’s efforts.

 But Satan is a stubborn, cunning and persistent enemy. He keeps trying. Paul tells us we therefore  need to put on the full armor of God. We need to be in the Word of God and pray in the spirit. Being in frequent contact with Jesus ensures that Satan will not achieve his goal.

 Yes, Satan is out to get me. Jesus ensures Satan won’t win, but as a partner with Jesus, I also have a responsibility. By remaining in the Word, after I die I will be in Paradise, not with Satan. That indeed is a great blessing.

Now if only Paul can give me advice on dealing with unwanted phone calls and door-to-door salesmen ….