Comment: Finally,
my brothers and sisters, be STRONG in the LORD and in the power of HIS might.
As we conclude this epistle, there is this warning from the apostle Paul that
directs our attention to the strength of our LORD/MESSIAH. God does not expect us to use
our physical abilities to wrestle with the devil, God has not equipped us in
such a way. But He has provided victory over the fallen angelic world. One key
phrase that helps me understand this (there are many), but this helps me daily.
“I (me) have been (completed action) crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who
live, but Christ (who is the resurrected One) lives in me; and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by (personal) faith in the Son of God, who loved
(continues to love) me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20), My flesh is
weak and dead in sin, it has also been put to death on the cross with Christ. How
then shall I use it against the forces of evil on a daily basis? Fighting the
good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12) is simply laying HOLD of the eternal life
we already have; that is we are to use what God has given us, which is the
context of Ephesians.
Devotional: Ephesians 6:10-20 – We are the children of God,
this may be hard for some to realize, but this is primarily because we so
willing seeking to resurrect our body of flesh, which is ‘put off’ (a circumcision,
not made with human hands). We are also buried with Christ; identified with Him
in baptism (also a baptism not made with human hands). What strength, what
power and what love is revealed to us, who are in Christ; Colossians 2:11-14;
meditate on these verses while we finish up the Epistle of Ephesians.
Power and might to do battle
with the devil come from God alone, even the ability to put on God’s armor. must
be done so by FAITH, personal faith that God’s provision is sufficient to
do battle with the devil, nothing else of the flesh works. Transferring from our physical
know how, to equipping ourselves spiritually is not an easy task. Even in this
statement there is a sense of ‘self-effort’. Self-effort is not a work of
faith, is it? If the battle against the evil forces is spiritual (and it is),
why would we want to fight the battles with the tools of dead flesh?
We must be abiding in Truth
(Jesus is the Truth, John 14), we must be abiding in Righteousness (Jesus is
Righteous, 1 John 2:1), we must be abiding in the gospel of peace, Romans
5:1-11). On top of this we must be abiding with God with personal faith, (Hebrews
11, since the dawn of history, God’s story reveals that His children are
victorious over the wiles of the devil; by FAITH.
All of these wonderful truths could not be true if we are not protected by the helmet of salvation; and the
sword of Spirit. The helmet of salvation and the sword of the indwelling
Spirit, IS THE WORD OF GOD and the entirety of the Word of God is Truth, as the Truth is in Jesus. The
LIVING TRUTH. Truth is the only weapon that provides the power
to defeat the wiles of the devil. Christ/Messiah has accomplished what we in
the flesh cannot do, in Him we have victory over the devil and all of his
angelic hosts of evil. Praise the LORD!
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