Tag: Strength

The Shield of Faith and Prayer in the Spirit: What Makes it All Work

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Faith & Discipleship, Life & Perseverance1 Comment

Scripture: Ephesians 6:16,18 (NASB 1995) “In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one….With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”

Paul brings Ephesians 6 back to the main thing: God gives the full armor so his people can stand firm in the victory Jesus already won and go make disciples. Christ died for sins, for forgiveness, for reconciliation with a holy God, and also so his people would have everything needed to participate in the kingdom of God. The Bible keeps pressing toward that same work, telling of Jesus, preaching the gospel of peace, and making disciples.

Paul says the struggle is not against flesh and blood. The real enemy is the devil with his schemes, lies, discouragement, and condemnation. Satan wants to pull as many people as he can away from God because he already knows he is defeated. Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection claim victory over those powers, so God’s people have no reason to shrink back.

The Armor Belongs Together

The armor of God belongs together. Truth cinches everything up like a man getting his belt situated before serious work. Righteousness protects the vitals because Christ gives his righteousness through faith. The gospel of peace puts shoes on the feet so the good news goes wherever God’s people go. Salvation holds the head up because forgiveness means shame does not get the last word. The sword belongs to the Spirit, not to the believer trying to sling Bible verses around by himself.

The Shield of Faith Snuffs Out the Fire

The shield of faith stands right in front because Satan keeps shooting flaming arrows into the mind and heart. Those arrows are lies, accusations, criticism, shame, and doubt meant to start a wildfire. Faith soaks the shield so the fire gets snuffed out. Satan may be stronger than any person, but he cannot win against Christ’s victory.

Prayer in the Spirit Keeps You in Step

Paul ties that shield of faith to prayer in the Spirit. Real prayer is not just talking at God about whatever is on the heart. Prayer in the Spirit means staying alert, listening, responding, and keeping in step with what the Holy Spirit is doing. The simple things like forgotten eggs and bacon at camp even became a gospel moment, because ordinary errands can turn into holy openings when the Spirit has somebody’s attention.

The Spirit helps weakness when God’s people do not even know how to pray as they should. The Spirit intercedes according to the will of God. Prayer in the Spirit means praying in God’s will, in God’s Word, in faith, for God’s glory, and for lost souls. Jesus paid too high a price for bad days, stress, pain, or busyness to make his people check out from the work of the kingdom.

Key Takeaways

  1. Faith snuffs out Satan’s fire. The shield of faith does not keep every arrow from hitting, but it keeps the fire from taking over. Satan aims at the mind and heart with shame, accusation, and doubt, hoping one spark becomes a wildfire. Faith answers those lies with settled confidence in what Christ has already done, not with confidence in personal strength.
  2. Prayer means staying in step. Prayer in the Spirit is more than telling God everything on the list. The Spirit calls for attention, listening, and obedience, so prayer becomes a way of keeping pace with God instead of running ahead or lagging behind. The life that prays this way learns to ask, listen, and get back to kingdom work.
  3. Ordinary errands can become ministry. Things like forgotten eggs do not have to be just a funny camp story, because God may use a grocery delivery to put unbelieving people near the gospel. The Spirit often works through small interruptions, inconvenient details, and plain old daily life. A disciple paying attention may find that the next open door is sitting in an every day life exchange.
  4. The Spirit uses the Word. The sword is the Spirit’s sword, not a weapon for careless hands to swing around. Scripture does damage when it is thrown at people apart from surrender, context, and the Spirit’s work. The Word first cuts, heals, and shapes the believer, then the Spirit uses that same Word through that life for somebody else.
  5. Discipleship is the whole point. The armor does not exist so God’s people can feel safe while staying still. The whole outfit is given for standing firm, bringing the gospel of peace, resisting the enemy, and making disciples. Busyness with personal kingdoms can dull spiritual attention, but Paul keeps the church alert to the mission Christ died to make possible.

Be Strong in the Lord: Standing Firm in the Full Armor of God

On By Archie L. GilmerIn Faith & Discipleship, Life & Perseverance1 Comment

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10–13 (NASB 1995) “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

The soldier on the edge of the battlefield stands there with a real enemy in front of him and eternal stakes on the line. The commander has not handed him 98% of what he needs. God has already placed within reach the strength of His might and the full armor needed to stand firm in a victory already won by Jesus.

Paul’s “finally” in Ephesians 6 gathers up everything already said in the letter. God has saved believers by the blood of Christ, united them in Christ, made them one body, and called that body to live holy because He is holy. The assignment to make disciples never comes with an “unless.” God knows every trauma, every interference, every attack, every blessing, and still gives the command.

Strength Has a Location

The phrase “be strong” cannot stand by itself. Paul says, “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” Strength outside Christ will not carry the mission. Christ is the place where God’s might is found—the same might shown when God raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him above every rule, authority, power, dominion, and name.

Christian confidence grows when the believer quits measuring personal ability and starts drawing from resurrection power already made available in Christ. God does not send His people into spiritual battle with missing pieces. The comfort of the Christian life is not that the battle feels small, but that the provision is complete before the first step is taken.

Armor Must Be Put On

The full armor of God is not decoration. Paul gives an active command: put it on. Armor left unused is like a coat a cold teenager refuses to wear, or fire gear a firefighter leaves in the truck before running into a burning house. The world is on fire, and the mission is to rush in and tell prisoners that Jesus has already won and there is a way out.

Spiritual immaturity often looks like freezing in the cold while the coat is already in hand. The armor does not help while it sits unused. Paul’s command requires action, not because God has failed to provide, but because believers must choose to stand dressed in what God has given.

People Are Not the Enemy

The devil’s schemes are real because lies are meant to deceive. Satan does not care two hoots about people for their own sake. The enemy wants to hurt what God loves and disrupt what God is doing. The armor matters because Satan is a master liar, and flesh and blood is not the enemy.

Paul names rulers, powers, world forces of darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness because the struggle is spiritual. People in the room, people in the community, difficult people, broken people, and lost people are all people Jesus died for. The text calls believers to stop fighting in their own strength, stop treating people like the enemy, and stand firm in Christ.

Stand in What God Has Already Provided

Paul’s command is not to win the war, because Jesus has already claimed the victory. The call is to stand in what God has already provided, not to prove strength by trying harder. Surrender becomes the place where God’s strength shines most clearly, especially when human strength has run out.

The provision is complete. The call is simple: stand, surrender, pray, obey, and trust God to do what only God can do.

Key Takeaways

  1. God supplies more than almost enough. He does not send His people into battle with missing pieces. The strength of His might and the full armor are already provided so believers can stand in Christ’s victory.
  2. Strength is found in Christ. “Be strong” is not a call to bare human toughness. The strength has a location—“in the Lord”—and a source—“the strength of His might.”
  3. Armor must be deliberately worn. The armor of God does not help while it sits unused. Believers must choose to put it on and stand dressed in what God has given.
  4. People are not the enemy. Every person is someone Jesus died for. The fight is against spiritual forces of wickedness, not the ones held captive by the enemy’s lies.
  5. Standing is not self-effort. Jesus has already won. The call is to stand in what God has provided, surrendering so that His strength is clearly displayed.