Our struggle is . . . against the powers of this dark world. Ephesians 6:12
In 1896, an explorer named Carl Akeley found himself in a remote section of Ethiopia, chased by an eighty-pound leopard. He remembered the leopard pouncing, trying “to sink her teeth into my throat.” She missed, snagging his right arm with her vicious jaws. The two rolled in the sand—a long, fierce struggle. Akeley weakened, and “it became a question of who would give up first.” Summoning his last bit of strength, Akeley was able to suffocate the big cat with his bare hands.
The apostle Paul explained how each of us who believe in Jesus will inevitably encounter our own fierce struggles, those places where we feel overwhelmed and are tempted to surrender. Instead, we must take our “stand against the devil’s schemes” and “stand firm” (Ephesians 6:11, 14). Rather than cower in fear or crumble as we recognize our weakness and vulnerability, Paul challenged us to step forward in faith, remembering that we don’t rely on our own courage and strength but on God. “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power,” he wrote (v. 10). In the challenges we face, He’s only a prayer away (v. 18).
Yes, we have many struggles, and we’ll never escape them by our own power or ingenuity. But God is more powerful than any enemy or evil we’ll ever face.
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lords and in his mighty power.t
11 Put on the full armor of God,u so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,v but against the rulers, against the authorities,w
against the powersx of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.y
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God,z so that when the day of evil comes, you may be
able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,a
with the breastplate of righteousness in place,b
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.c
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,d
with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.e
17 Take the helmet of salvationf and the sword of the Spirit,g which is the word of God.h
18 And pray in the Spiriti on all occasionsj with all kinds of prayers and requests.k
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on prayingl for all the Lord’s people.
19 Pray also for me,m that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that
I will fearlesslyn make known the mysteryo of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassadorp in chains.q Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
INSIGHT
- What fight are you (or someone you love) facing right now?
- How is God inviting you to stand firm in His strength and fight?
Ephesus was a major Roman city in the ancient world, so the idea of a soldier’s armor would’ve been an easy concept for the Ephesians to grasp. And since Paul wrote this letter while under house arrest in Rome, he would’ve seen many examples of Roman armor on which to base this analogy. The Roman army was a fierce fighting force, and that level of intensity would be needed to do battle “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” that oppose believers in Jesus (Ephesians 6:12).
PRAYER
God, the fight is real. The evil is real. I don’t know what to do, but I’m trusting You and Your mighty power to be with me. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!!
Read: Ephesians 6:10-20 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 24-25; John 5:1-24
