Ephesians 6:13
Therefore, take up the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand.
Our whole armor is laid, piece by piece, on top of each other waiting for us to pick up our stack of armor, and carry it to our dressing place. When the young shepherd was given armor to put it on, it didn't fit. That's because that wasn't his stack of armor. We each have our own which God has prepared for us. And while each piece is significant in and of itself, one size does not fit all.
However, what we are focusing on today is why we must take up our armor, why this armor must be worn. First, we must be able to withstand in the evil day. And when that battle is finished, we must be able to stand. Two different agendas, two differing battles in the same fight.
Withstanding means being able to repel the onslaught of evil which comes against us. Without the Authority of God's Word alive in us, we are not able to withstand any temptation which is aimed towards us. Once we not only lived in sin, but enjoyed it. Perhaps we recognized that it was wrong on an immoral or illegal level. But when we got saved, when we let Jesus into hearts and His Holy Spirit into our lives, we began what seemed an insurmountable task on our part: becoming God's holy people.
We learned through intense study and unwavering faith how to become a holy people, how to love with the love of God, how to live a righteous sin-repelling life. We are yet an imperfect in the sight of the Law, but we are complete in Christ. Therefore, we are made perfect in Him. But the devil will still try to drag us down, attacking us wherever he can.
We withstand the enemy by being filled with Gods' Holy Word and with God's Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives us breath to speak The Word in rebuke to the tempter's voice. It helps to remember that he is a mere worm and a dead one at that, for we have stomped on his head. The Word of God is Strength for the weak, Savior for the lost, Mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. And sin is a stronghold on the flesh.
The days of evil are days of adversity, days of distress, days of trouble. These are days of testing, days of trials, days of discipline. These days of evil are days of learning to submit, to live obediently, to overcome through perseverance of faith in God.
[[Ecclesiastes 7:14; Proverbs 24:10; Psalm 27:5; Job 2:10; Proverbs 3:11, 12; James 1:2-4]]
And when we have overcome temptation in the days of evil, the days of disobeying God's Word (just this once won't matter will it), the days of not thinking before speaking (it just slipped out), the days of putting God second, or even last (not seeking Him out first thing in our waking up) (nor seeking Him for guidance on every matter), we will need to stand. We need to be ready, be filled with The Word and with The Spirit, to defeat the evil days in which we live and are challenged by.
We may not actually hear the cunning, sssneaky voice of that wily ssserpent in our ears, but he wins the duels when someone cuts us off in traffic or conversation and we respond negatively. He wins when foul language rolls off our tongues. He wins the duels when we reach for a weapon that is not ours to use. Stop picking up armor that isn't yours; it doesn't fit.
We stand when we have won the duels. We stand when we have rebuked the enemy with The Word of God. We stand when we have overcome temptation. We stand when we set fire to the little foxes who have invaded our gardens and fields. We stand when we lay aside the heavy armor that does not fit and remain strengthened in The Wisdom of The Word as it applies to us in that day.
We stand when we bless those who not only come against us, but appear to be negative towards us. We stand when we continue to glorify God while we are being assaulted and killed for His Name's sake. We stand when we pray for God's blessings to be upon our enemies. We stand when we have the demeanor of a faithful servant of The Most High God.
Though not many will stand with us, though some may leave when the battle stretches on and seems to be neverending, we will stand. We will remain upright in the face of overwhelming odds. Why will we stand? Because we love our Father God and His beloved Son. And They stand with us.
