The Battle Belongs to the Lord

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The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Scripture reading: “The Armor of God”

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 6:10-11(NIV)


Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Paul is giving instruction for war, laying out the battle plan...for spiritual warfare.

It is the nature of human beings to be afraid in battle, and particularly afraid of things in the spiritual realm. Devils, demons, Satan! How can we stand, how can we fight an enemy we cannot even see? Our muscles…our weapons…of what use are they?

But it is not our strength that we need. The physically strongest has no advantage over the physically weakest in this battle, for we are merely vessels for the power of the Almighty. As II Chronicles 20 says: "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you.... Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you."

So then, yes, we must be strong...but it is the strength of the Lord beating in our hearts, pumping up our muscles, coursing through our veins...making us strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. May we accept His strength.

Questions
1. How do we find this strength?

2. How do we know we can rely on it?

3. What images does the term 'spiritual warfare' bring to mind?