Being Prepared
Ephesians 6:10-24
Know – what the Word says
Main idea of the passage: Paul makes clear that the battle believers face is not a physical one, that the enemy is real, and that preparation for battle involves every aspect of our lives.
Explanation: Paul wraps up his discussion of how our earthly relationships should work with a strong statement about spiritual warfare. Why? On a surface reading, this might seem like an addendum at the end of his book to the Ephesian believers. However, when we see it in context, we realize it is closely tied with everything else he has said. Paul says that how we relate in our earthly relationships is closely tied to who we see as our enemy. Do we recognize Satan as our enemy and battle against him with spiritual armor, or do we arm ourselves with our own strength and battle against the things we can see – circumstances and people around us? Paul says to stay alert and be prepared. Know that there is a knock-down-drag-out fight going on in realms we cannot see, and if we are going to have consistent victory over them, we have to recognize the real battle and fight with useful weaponry.
Live – what the Word says
Main application of the passage: God has given us the tools we need to wage the right war with the right weaponry.
Application: One of the primary reasons our earthly relationships get out of whack is because we begin to operate in the flesh and ignore the spiritual battle that is being waged against us. We begin to see people as our adversaries, rather than Satan and his henchmen. We put conditions on our love and operate based on sight. We allow circumstances to dictate how we interact with people, how we relate to the world, and how we dish out forgiveness. Failing to see the much deeper spiritual war, we fight our fleeting surface battles, which only result in broken relationships, a damaged witness, and disunity among believers. The next time you are frustrated with someone, take a step back and understand that they are not the enemy, Satan is. He is a defeated foe, but we must be clothed in Christ in order to put him in his place. Ask God today to reveal to you the spiritual attacks being waged around you.
Rogers– Lessons by Bucky Rogers, minister to students at Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church, Moore, since 2006. Rogers, originally from Cleveland, Tenn., is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and Southern Seminary.