10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. (Ephesians 6:10-13 CSB)
As a follower of Jesus Christ, I have an enemy who prowls around seeing his opportunity. He is crafty. He is a schemer. He is seeking to leverage the cosmic powers of this darkness, the spiritual forces of evil to take me out and bring shame on the name of Jesus.
He most often fires his flaming arrows of evil in the form of temptation, doubt, or deceit. He is the master of distorting the truth and in seeking every way to distract me and take me off course from faithfully following Jesus and fulfilling my mission. He is happy with my complacency, rather than a white hot heart for Jesus that overflows in obedience and boldness.
But I need not fear, for he is a defeated enemy. Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the victory has already been won. The voice of the enemy can be muted. His crafty schemes can prove ineffective. His lies can be silenced. I don’t have to listen to his voice of shame and condemnation. I don’t have to be led astray any longer into his temptations and lies.
Through Jesus Christ, I have all that I need to stand firm. My position in Christ is secure, and I can stand firm through His vast strength. The abundance of God’s strength is more than sufficient for me to take my stand again today.
And if I do get knocked down, if I give into temptation or fall prey to one of the enemy’s traps, the abundant mercy and grace of Jesus is available to me again.
So today, I take my stand. I do so with absolute confidence, not in myself or my strength, but in Jesus Christ my Lord!
