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Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil – Ephesians 6:10, 11

Be Strong

Paul’s final charge to the Ephesian Church was a call to battle readiness. In preparing their minds to face this ongoing battle between the Kingdom of God and the forces of darkness, he charged them to ‘be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might’. This same charge was given by God to Joshua at the verge of crossing the Jordan River to possess Canaan: ‘Be strong…’ This charge was repeated to him thrice (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9) because of its crucial nature. 

We also find the same charge repeated thrice to the leaders and people of Israel during the building of the temple in Jerusalem, “Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel, says the LORD; and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land, says the LORD, and work; for I am with you, says the LORD of hosts” (Haggai 2:4).

We need to be strong because we are in a war, and our foe is working round the clock to vanquish us. We must understand that the world is a battleground and not a playground. We also need to be strong because God is on our side. This strength can only be drawn when we stay continually in God’s presence through prayer and fellowship with Him. Are you being troubled on every side? God adjures you to be strong. If we must cross the finish line in the race of life, the need to be strong in the Lord is inevitable.

We need to be strong because we are in a war, and our foe is working round the clock to vanquish us. We must understand that the world is a battleground and not a playground.

Put on the Whole Armour of God

Put on the whole Armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. – Ephesians 6:11

In the Christian Faith, there are things God requires us to put off and things He has made provision for us to put on as we come to Him. It is obviously a journey of putting off what is not required for the race, and putting on that which is necessary for our walk with Him. In His epistle to the Roman believers, Paul charged them to ‘cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light’ (Romans 13:12).In like manner, the Colossian Christians were also admonished to put off the old man and his deeds, and put on charity with its fruit (Colossians 3:8-14). 

Here in Ephesians, the admonition was to put on the whole armour of God. No man wears an armour without setting out for a fight. The emphasis for us here is the ‘WHOLE’. God has not made partial provision for our victory over the enemy but has provided a total package in this armour. Each component of this armour is required in various areas of life’s battles and Satan’s threats and has its role in ensuring our victory on a daily basis. It is either we wear the whole armour or we’re left exposed to the enemy’s fiery assaults. It is noteworthy that until we put off the old man and his deeds, there will be no place for the armour of God. Today, identify the weights you need to put off in order to put on the whole armour of God. Putting on the whole armour of God means that we are not civilians in the spirit but soldiers of the Lord, and God desires that we live with this consciousness of our military position in the Kingdom. The implication is that‘you must endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ’ (2 Timothy 2:3) ‘and be ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled’ (2 Corinthians 10:6).

No man wears an armour without setting out for a fight. The emphasis for us here is the ‘WHOLE’. God has not made partial provision for our victory over the enemy but has provided a total package in this armour.

Standing Against the Wiles of the Devil

Put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. – Ephesians 6:11

There is no doubt Satan has in his arsenal various strategies with which he deceives and brings men into bondage. It is these strategies, deceits, tricks and schemes of the enemy that the Bible calls ‘WILES’. These wiles are manifested in various forms today and have led many to eternal damnation. We see this in the form of false doctrines and beliefs which are evident in the tendency of men to embrace the lies of the devil in certain abominable areas such as homosexuality, pornography, atheism, cultism and all forms of wickedness. 

There is no doubt Satan has in his arsenal various strategies with which he deceives and brings men into bondage. It is these strategies, deceits, tricks and schemes of the enemy that the Bible calls ‘WILES’.

The enemy’s tricks are not targeted against the ungodly alone but also the godly, by sending the spirit of lukewarmness, disunity and prayerlessness among God’s people. It is against these wiles of the devil that we are charged to stand. 

How then do we stand against the wiles of the devil? We are asked to put on the whole armour of God so that we can stand against the schemes of the enemy. In doing this, we must take our stand in prayer and intercession and be determined to stay on fire for the Lord. We must also determine not to give our foe a loophole lest he turns it into a stronghold and “to keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions” (2 Corinthians 2:11, AMP). Ignorance is not an excuse for becoming a casualty in this battle. Therefore, we must also arm ourselves with the knowledge of God’s word and be on our guard to be able to survive the onslaughts of the enemy.

To be continued…