Hi Friends. I hope you enjoyed the detour we took for Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, it's time for us to jump back into our study in Ephesians. It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything. My husband and I have been under the weather and for me, unfortunately, it brought brain fog, so its been extremely difficult to write.
Before the holiday posts, we left off at Ephesians 5:21
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Paul finished Ephesians chapter 5 and half of chapter 6 discussing submission as it applies to Christian households and relationships, beginning with marriage. He continued with Children and Parents as well as Bondservants and Masters/Employers and Employees. Now please don't get your feathers in a ruffle. Paul was not condoning slavery, he was simply addressing the mindset of the day. He lived under Roman rule, they all did, and they had no power to change any of it. However, as Christians, Paul taught mutual respect and submission to one another; beginning with submitting to Christ. That friend changes everything within a household. (see Ephesians 5:22-6:9)
I launched this series in Ephesians with a post on the delicate, yet beautiful subject of submission in relationships. If you haven't read it, please do before moving on; and if you have, you can refresh your memory.
Today, we're picking it up in Ephesians 6:10-24 with Paul's final instruction.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10 NIV
Finally, Paul says. Finally, once you know who you are in Christ, and how to walk in it, be careful that you don't rely on your own strength; there is no power in that. Instead, strengthen yourself in the Lord, relying on His mighty power.
Remember Paul dedicated the first half of his letter (chapters 1-3) presenting to us who God is—what He has done for us—and who we are in Christ. In these chapters, Paul's objective was not for us to do anything, but instead for us to bask in the reality and declarations of God's love.
I know for me, it's not always easy to bask in that reality. Although it doesn't make God's love any less real, seasons of life can be so overwhelming that it feels as though He is miles away. When I'm going through something difficult, I have a tendency to isolate myself and instead of drawing my strength from Him, I spend much of my time licking my wounds or trying to busy my mind so I don't have to think about the pain. I know it's me who moves away from God and not the other way around, but I believe He knew that we'd struggle there; that's why He gave us chapters like these. It's never a one and done. It's been said that we need to preach the gospel to ourselves everyday because we forget it everyday. God never forces His way in, but He never ceases to lift my eyes to His.
Love always empowers and motivates. The strength and power to do what chapters 4-6 call us to, come from God. They are only possible with a true understanding of our position in Him—which is found in chapters 1-3. Paul prayed in the first chapter for the understanding of the incredible greatness of God's power for those who believe in Him (see vs 19). And in chapter three, he prayed that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being (see vs16).
Once we lean into God's love with an understanding of our position, Paul says,
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. Ephesians 6:11-12 NIV
Before Esther would stand before King Xerxes, she asked that all the Jews of Susa fast with her for three days. I believe she was sitting before the Lord and suiting up with His Armor. She knew she was fighting against evil and needed the strength and power of God to stand. Although many would pray for her, she would have to stand before the King on her own. That was the defining moment of her life. (Esther 3-4)
We talk a lot here about standing; about fighting against evil. Unfortunately, I can get lost in what's happening in what seems like a world gone mad and easily lose sight of who I'm actually fighting against. Oftentimes it looks as though our enemy is in human flesh, but our true enemy is the devil.
He has come to steal, kill and destroy.
God gave dominion to Adam and the devil usurped it from him; thereby giving him power and authority.
He hates God, so he also hates us, because we are made in God's image.
He whispers that God's mercy and grace don't actually exist.
He is a liar; a thief; a murderer.
He is our accuser.
He is the one who sows division in the hearts of people.
He overwhelms them with a desire for power, money and position.
He convinces people that a baby is not a baby while in the womb, and
that God made a mistake on marriage, and gender, and especially salvation.
And the list goes on and on. We need to be aware of these things in order to stand against him. Christian, we need to band together in fighting our common enemy. And that beloved, begins first in you.
Your strength is not your own, it's God's strength in you. And your armor, well, Paul didn't say Jena put on your armor, he said to put on the full armor of God. I think we miss that. So many of us are trying to operate in our own strength leaving us weak and frail and reaching for an armor that is completely powerless.
David Guzik wrote in his commentary on these verses, "If you take a weak man who can barely stand, and put the best armor on him he will still be an ineffective soldier. He will be easily beaten. So equipping for Christian combat must begin with the principle, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."
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