Ephesians 6:10-13
Thoughts from Chad Smith
Dive Deeper
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. 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.”
Ephesians 6:10-13
Behind the Scenes
One of the more iconic verses in Scripture feels almost daunting to tackle in a devotional, because the text itself is just golden, wouldn’t you say? But I’d like to pair this text with one from the Old Testament to amp up the imagery!
This chapter reminds me of David and Goliath, where David takes OFF his armor because it’s physically too heavy, and he goes to battle with the largest, strongest man known at the time. David didn’t need physical armor, because he was equipped with the armor of God, and that dichotomy is something that forever sticks in my mind. He needed what no man could provide, God’s strength in him. That gives me chills.
Make it Real
The first sentence says, ‘be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.’ It uses the word ‘strong’ and ‘strength’ within the same sentence, as if to emphasize that the strength comes from God, not us. I think a lot of us, including myself, get that part wrong often. When I try to be strong, courageous, and brave without God’s strength, I strive, I exhaust myself, and it’s like the image of David with physical armor that weighed him down.
That armor was man made, and though necessary in battle, he didn’t need it. God gave him the confidence and ability to throw a stone square in his foe’s forehead, which caused his death. Now, if another man tried the same thing, he likely would have died against Goliath, but when God is on your side, no one can be against you. This is a great reminder that we need to be in close communion with Him, so that He can lead us to victory.
The passage then leads to tell us that we do not battle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Again, I like that we have this physical, tangible imagery to connect to our spiritual lives. It’s a scary thing, thinking about evil lurking, but when we do not acknowledge that presence, we cannot be properly equipped. The truth is that our fear ceases when we are fully equipped with his armor anyway!
I encourage you to read through the whole chapter and consider each piece of armor individually. Decide if you are fully armed, or partially armed. I wonder how many are armed with the whole armor of God. Check in on yourself, and check in on those around you, too. We are in this together!
Ali Bair
ACF Devo Team
End in Prayer
Dear God, I need your armor. Please equip me with your full armor in my life today. I pray that I can have courage and faith like David, knowing that I have your Spirit and Presence in my life. Sorry for times when I put my own armor on rather than Yours. I give you mine to replace with yours today, amen.