“Stand”

Ephesians 6:10-18 KJV

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

Our Strength comes from the Lord

Psalm 112 1-4 CJB

“If I raise my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come?

My help comes from ADONAI, the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip — your guardian is not asleep.

No, the guardian of Isra’el never slumbers or sleeps.” 

This why we have the ability to stand in the face of the most distressing of moments in our life. The Psalmist asks the question “Who is going to help me through this?” As Paul states it won’t just be a trickle. It will be an outpouring of his mighty power. That is what he will bring about to assist you.

The question is where is that power to be directed? Is it towards the person who is attacking you? Is it to be poured out upon the person who is creating the distress you are experiencing? Those questions need to be addressed.

The Whole Armour of God

We start to determine and home in on the target of our distress. Satan, doesn’t employ anything new. He uses the same tactics over and over. Although the agent of harm will be another human being, they are simply being used as an unwitting (for the most part) tool. He states “we wrestle not against flesh and blood”.  But, at the end of the day Paul directs us to get an understanding of the true nature of our struggle. I’m by no means saying that it will be Satan himself that will be railed against you. It is more likely to be one or a combination of the classes of  spiritual forces as outlined.

The Command is to “Put on The Whole Armour of God”. Not just one or two parts. We also need to realise that it is not a physical suit of armour as we would see from medieval times. Paul is drawing upon the imagery of the armour used by one of the most effective expeditionary armies that the world has ever seen; the Romans.

The Armour is for use in the struggle against the real enemy: “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” These are the spiritual forces that reside and have influence over the activities within specific regions of the earth. They are not physical forces. But they do exert influence over the actions of people susceptible to the manipulation of ungodly desires and appetites. 

This is also one of the reasons that the Apostle Peter calls us to be vigilant, and aware of the spiritual forces that prowl around us. He encourages us to remain vigilant and diligent, and not be distracted by the enemy’s attempts to draw us into fear. 1Peter 5:8-9

Each of the pieces of armour is a spiritual force that is the nature of the recreated human spirit, they are resident, but have to be operated in and by Faith. Each force is significant in its use, with all bar one being for the defence of the one standing. By becoming aware of the presence of these forces within our hearts, we can learn to use them and become adept in the development of them in others not yet aware.

Loins Girt – Leaning solely upon the Truth of the Gospel, and not “another Gospel.”

Breastplate – Righteousness – Our true standing with God – Covers the most vital organs of the human being.

Feet Shod – The Preparation of the Gospel of Peace – This concerns our walk in this life – We are to be Peacemakers.The Shield of Faith – the development of Faith through a constant and consistent Hearing God’s Word, provides protection against the enemy’s doubts that come when we operate in Faith.The

Helmet of Salvation – The renewal of the mind is essential for us to develop “The Mind of Christ” I Corinthians 2:16 – we need to start the process of thinking the way that Christ himself thinks; principally in regards our relationship with the Father, as well as with the rest of the Body of Christ. 

The Sword of the Spirit – The Word of God – Note that this is a two edged sword; one edge for attack, the other for cleaning yourself off. It is the only part of the Armour that can be used to attack, and it must be done wisely. It is NOT for use on other people, and that includes other Christians.

Prayer and supplication in the Spirit – The whole of the Armour is activated and empowered for the purpose of Prayer. In truth it is that part of the armour that brings comfort and warmth on the longest of treks, against the cold and the rain. – The Prayer of Praise is what empowers the whole. Because God is enthroned upon the Praises of his people. Psalms 22:3

Having Done All, to Stand, Stand