Ephesians is actually a letter to the church at Ephesus, written by the Apostle Paul, probably about 60. A.D., when he was imprisoned in Rome. The letter talks about the Lordship of Christ and the position of the believer as a member of the body of Christ. Paul admonishes the Ephesian Christians to “to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Eph 4:1). He encourages them to walk in love; giving instruction in matters of husbands and wives, parents and children, and master and slaves. Today that might mean employers and employees.
In the last chapter (chapter 6), Paul says this
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Eph 6:10-17. (NIV)
Paul reminds the Ephesian Christians, and us, that there is a supernatural battle going on all around us, all the time. In order to withstand the attack of the enemy, the soldier of God must be prepared and protected as he or she goes into battle.
Paul says to put on the whole armor, every bit of it, not just a few comfortable pieces. We can't be protected with just the belt of truth, or the footwear from the gospel of peace, and the helmet of salvation. We have to wear that heavy breastplate of righteousness. Righteousness is not easy. It takes effort, and while no one in this life will do it perfectly, we have to work at it, every single day. The good thing about that is that we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us. We must pick up that shield of faith. Its what protects you from Satan's attacks. Sometimes, in the midst of a battle, hanging onto faith is one of the most difficult challenges you can face. However, this isn't just a defensive position. We are also instructed to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. A sword is used to attack. The Amplified Bible says it this way:
“And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit [d]wields, which is the Word of God.” That “d” refers to a footnote that says:
“Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation in the Language of the People: Subjective genitive—a type of genitive of possession. Thus here the Spirit is the subject or agent of the verbal action.” In other words, the sword that we are to take, belongs to the Holy Spirit. He wields it, and it is the Word of God. Jesus himself used scripture when he as being tempted by Satan. A thorough knowledge of the scriptures is a tremendous asset, and it will always be brought to mind just when you need it. That is, I believe, another working of the Holy Spirit.
Writer Beth Moore says in her book “Believing God”
“It’s about learning that we don’t have to put down the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) to raise up the Shield of Faith. The way I see it, that’s why God gave us two hands. If we want to live abundantly and victoriously, we must pick up both. To pick up the Sword of the Spirit without the Shield of Faith is to shrivel and dry up in the desert of legalism. To pick up the Shield of Faith without the Sword of the Spirit is to try walking by faith on quicksand.”
Can you see the illustration? A fully armored child of God protecting herself with the shield of faith, while wielding the sword of the Spirit. She stands her ground, and when she has done everything, she still stands, and waits with anticipation to hear her Lord say, "Well done!"
Reference:
Moore, Beth (2004-09-01). Believing God (p. ix). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
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