Devotional of the Week May 31-June 6

Ephesians 6:10-18

10Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perserverance and supplication for all the saints.

Recently, I had been going through some inner turmoil and conflict that threatened to rob me of my joy in Christ. The forces of evil had launched an attack against me in my home, job, and church, and the whole thing was unsettling. Sometimes we think the problems we have are the fault of others, and while this may be true in some cases, we must remember that the enemy of our souls, Satan, is the hidden instigator of our calamities. Instead of attacking people and retaliating against them, let us try the simple tactic outlined above to restore peace.

We must first believe that God is strong and mighty (vs. 10). We must be prepared to counter lies with truth, and righteous living (vs. 14). We must be willing to make peace with others as much as possible (vs. 15). We must put our faith in God's power to overcome the enemy (vs. 16). We need to accept and cover ourselves with the salvation Christ offers, and fight back with the word of God (vs. 17). Finally, we should perserve in prayer and supplication to God for our needs, as well as for the needs of others (vs. 18).