People of Light
People of Strength – Part II
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20
Key Verse: Ephesians 6:12
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Today’s Key Verse reminds us why our battles, as Christ-followers, are so hard. We are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies.
Most of us have been a part of or seen battles that are fought with physical bodies. We can understand and describe what those battles look like.
However, the Bible is telling us that our battles are against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world and against evil spirits in heavenly places.
I seldom talk about evil spirits in an unseen world. Could it be that most of us do not want to sound like some kind of a spiritual medium that conducts seances? I admit that I am suspicious of people who talk a lot about the spirit world.
But the Bible is clear. We need to understand and believe in an unseen world! This unseen world is where there are angels watching over God’s children and evil demons destroying as many as they can.
If you believe the Bible is absolute truth, then today’s Key Verse should make you think about what weapons you need to fight this battle.
To prepare for our battles with these unseen spirits, we are to put on the Armor of God… all of it. We need every weapon that Ephesians 6:14-17 mentions.
The first weapon is the belt of truth to wrap around us. Since the enemy is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44), there is only one way to fight him. We must wrap ourselves with God’s Word.
The Bible is a large book full of truth that God wants us to know and use to fight our battles. Very few people can read several chapters in one sitting and remember all the truths read.
To protect my life and win battles with the evil one, I daily read smaller amounts of Scripture so I can internalize the truths that I need. I underline these truths in my Bible.
You might need to write truths out and keep them in a place for quick reference. Whether ever it takes… wrap your life with God’s Word!
The second part of armor is the “body armor of God’s righteousness”! God allowed Jesus to take our sin and bear it on the cross to make us right with God (2 Corinthians 5:12).
We fight our battles knowing that we are right with God no matter the accusations of the devil. We can stand firm that, from God’s perspective, we are righteous because the blood of Jesus covers all of our sins.
Tomorrow’s devotional finishes the description of God’s armor.
Father, help my mind to grasp and keep the truths that I read in Your Word. Thank You, Jesus, for paying for my sins. It is in Jesus’s Name I pray, amen.