“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)
The only defensive weaponry we have sufficient to ward off Satan’s attacks is the armor of God. And in this passage in Ephesians Paul admonishes believers to equip themselves accordingly. The moment we receive Christ as Lord and Savior and endeavor to serve him, we must be prepared for combat for it is then that the spiritual enemies of our salvation will set themselves against us to destroy us.
Biblical evidence to this fact abounds. At the point that Abel offered a favorable sacrifice of sweet smelling savor to God, Satan stirred up Cain to murder him (Gen. 4). While Moses was content to be seen as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter he enjoyed all prosperity; but as soon as he joined himself to God’s people, Pharaoh set out to kill him. While Paul persecuted the church of God, Satan did not trouble him, neither outwardly in body nor inwardly in mind. But once Saul was converted and began preaching the Gospel message, the devil commissioned his demons to work to take away his life which, of course, the Lord did not permit. So then he convinces the enemies of Christ to persecute him by beating and imprisoning him. It appears from 2 Corinthians 12:7 that Paul was tormented from that point on.
In fact, God did not even spare his own Son from Satan’s attacks. For as soon as he began to show himself to be the Son of God and Redeemer of mankind, performing the duties of his calling, Satan throws everything he has at him. He tempts and assaults him for the first forty days of his public ministry. And from that moment on, Satan and his forces are continually at work to stir up the religious and political leaders of that day to accuse him, arrest him, charge him, and eventually kill him (Matt. 4).
Christopher Love rightly said, “Whoever resolves to be God’s servant must make account to be his soldier as well.” You cannot effectively fight the good fight (1 Tim. 6:12) when you are exposed and vulnerable. Rather, in order to win you must see that you follow Paul’s injunction without fail, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” For it is only when we are suited in the standard of Christ that we are set in readiness to withstand the spiritual battles we are sure to face.
Contemplations:
- Lord, help me perform well the work of my calling as a Christian, that I might use the spiritual weapons of Christ to stand fast. Further, hinder the work of all that would come against me for your glory.
- Lord, I must face a great many spiritual enemies day in and day out. No sooner had I become a friend of God, but Satan presently assaulted me. No sooner did I receive Jesus Christ, but Satan advanced against me to overcome me. But I have the armor of God, I have Christ, my Shield and Buckler!
- The war I am in is one I must fight for the cause of Christ with boldness. I must be sober, vigilant, for my adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour. And it is him that I must resist steadfast in the faith.
- Lord, I know the cause of our war is the glory of God and our own salvation. I am encouraged to this fight by the certain hope of victory, for we fight under the standard of Christ Jesus who alone is mightier than all our enemies (Eph. 6:12). Our Savior has already triumphed over them all through his death and resurrection.
Further references for Ephesians 6:11:
Rom. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:8; 2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 4:27.
