“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”
Ephesians 6: 10
Though it may be an unpopular truth… your strength in the Lord is born during a storm! It’s much easier trusting God when the sun is shining then when the storm is raging. As Christians, we are in constant battle with the evil and powerful forces of fallen angels, whose General is the devil. And we all know what a dirty and vicious fighter he is!
We’ve all heard or read about Spiritual Warfare before. But let me ask you… have you really taken the message with all seriousness? Maybe you have or maybe you have not? Perhaps everything is A-OK in your world right now, but it’s when the sun is shining is when you need to prepare yourself for the battle. If you’re a follower of Christ, the battle will come. There is an appointed time(s) for you to put your hand to the plow and engage in combat with evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world.
The only way we can withstand these attacks, is to depend on God’s strength and use every piece of His armor. The wiles of the devil are the result of superhuman craftiness. Demons will try to use whatever they can to turn us away from God and back to sin, making the careless Christian a prime target. These rulers of the darkness of this age have so blinded the world to spiritual values. Don’t be gullible – wield the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word. We need supernatural power to defeat Satan. We have that supernatural power, and He’s called the Holy Spirit.
“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6: 18
We cannot win without God’s help. So how can anyone pray at all times? We can pray at all times by ordering our lives around God’s desires and teachings so that our very lives become a prayer. I was reading something a friend had written about this very thing… he compared animals’ instinct to “praying without ceasing.” That’s so clever, I never before connected that!
“In Your strength I can crush an army: with my God I can scale any wall. He trains my hands for battle; He strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. You have armed me with strength for the battle.” Psalm 18: 29, 34, 39
Have a nice weekend 🙂