Ephesians 6:11-12
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.
Sometimes I do wonder whether our tendency to sin is because we are a "fallen people" or because of the presence of some negative force of evil, always tempting us. Many believe that both of these things exist. Despite my advanced years, I have never quite felt certain of the answer. I know we are flawed people. I know I need the help of God to resist evil and to do the right thing. I am not sure where evil comes from, but regardless, I need to resist it.
Holy Lord, help me to stay on the right path. Thank you for your Holy Spirit, which always accompanies me. Help me to be strong and to resist evil. Amen
Becky, transforming
Pic by Tom
Ephesians 6:11-12
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
When we follow Jesus, God has given us incredible resources by placing the Holy Spirit within us but we need to resist letting our own high opinion of ourselves tempt us to try to fight the enemy on our own. Our enemy the devil, is real. He is single-minded and dangerous. When we think about overcoming the enemy we may consider a strong reprimand…
Ephesians 6:11–12
From the Message:
God is strong, and he wants you to be strong. So take everything the master has set out for you, well – made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the devil throws your way.
We are currently living in a world that is less and less spiritual. For too many religious belief is very low on their agenda or even worse, they see no need for it. This is the spiritual warfare we are a part of. As Christians we do know that God has given us the tools to withstand those who tempt us way, but we need to remain…
Ephesians 6:11-12 Paul could not be more explicit in his warning to Christians about what faith is up against. i do not believe “powers of this dark world” or “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” are simply euphemisms for bad stuff. It is not currently fashionable in polite theological circles these days to talk about Satan, but whatever one chooses to call the bearer of these powers and spiritual forces of evil, it exists, hates God and God’s people. Satan is not a trivial red buffoon with horns and a pitchfork, but a formidable adversary against whom we must wear the full armor of God every single day. Scripture assures us if we resist Satan, Satan will flee. I…