David Bahn – Reflections

Ephesians 6:10-20

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Dave Ramsey tells people that they need a rainy day fund – “because it rains,” he says. That seems wise. Survivalists tell us that we should have a supply of food and water, a generator, and other accoutrements of self-sufficiency on hand in case of natural disaster, national emergency, or other urgencies. Whether these bits of advise are appropriate or overly paranoid, you can judge.

Here in Ephesians six, we are called to put on the full armor of God so that we may be able to stand firm in the evil day. That may sounds a bit drastic, but this is God’s call. We do well to take it seriously. As we consider the various pieces of armor and actually put them to use we will be awakened to their value.

Truth is the solid ground on which we stand. Myths, superstitions, fables, fairy tales, lies and deception will never afford us the solid footing we need to make our way through life – much less stand against the onslaughts of Satan in its various forms. When we wear the righteousness of Christ over our hearts, we can easily set aside any accusation of Satan. The Good News of the peace of God gives us traction as we make our way through life. We move forward along a path of God’s favor with a message of peace which people so desperately need. Faith is the shield that allows us to protect one another as well as move into to future with confidence and hope. The knowledge of our salvation is the helmet that allows to keep our heads about us in the midst of the battle. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. It propels us forward, cutting to the hearts to lay bare people’s need for God’s grace. Prayer is like the radio communications equipment of the modern day army; by it we keep in touch with the Commander in Chief, call in reinforcements, and stay motivated in the long days of battle.

All these weapons are unwarranted if there is no battle or danger of attack. None of these is needed if we are simply going with the flow of life. But if you are living the abundant life with purpose and determination toward the future, you will need these weapons. If you are living out God’s kingdom’s purposes, these will be essential.