Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.How often do you forget that we are in a spiritual war? Our enemy is deceptively cunning. If we lose the sense of immediacy to his threats, the danger appears gone. But he’s always there, lurking in the shadows. Remember that Jesus’ battle with the evil one during his temptations was only the beginning of his spiritual battles. Luke ends his account of the Lord‘s temptations with these ominous words: When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time (Luke 4:13).We never know when the evil one’s “opportune time” will come for us. So rather than trying to guess when, Paul reminds us to take up the tools God has given us, NOW. These tools are the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-19). They enable us to stand against the evil one. We ARE in a war against evil, the evil one, and his minions. But the Spirit of God in us is greater than those who are allied with evil (1 John 4:4), and the armor of God equips us to defeat the enemy whenever he comes against us. So, no matter when, where, or how the evil one comes against us, we have the power to stand!
Lord of Hosts, my Great Deliverer, protect me from the evil one by your great power. Please give me a sense of urgency as I face Satan and his schemes daily, and lift my confidence knowing that Jesus has already defeated my foe. Oh Lord, I am committed to stand against the evil enemies and show myself faithful to you. Through Jesus my Lord and Savior, I pray. Amen.
