A New Wardrobe - Intro
No, this isn't a "modesty" lesson. Maybe later. Or maybe not. :)
This is more of a how-to-dress-for-war post. Because we're in a battle. One that's been going on for as long as humanity has been the pinnacle of God's creation. And Satan, who was there to deceive the first of God's glory, has been at his old tricks for a long time, meaning he's pretty good at it.
And as I was reading in Ephesians 6, it hit me that though the passage seems very manly in nature (battles and armor and all that), it should be a lesson for us girls, as well. If you'll remember, Eve--a woman--was the first person he tricked (Genesis 3). I don't want to be like Eve. I don't want you to be like Eve.
And we don't have to. We know what it takes for the battle.
In Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus we see these words:
"Finally, be strengthened by the LORD and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand," (Ephesians 6:10-13).
Just a few observations:
#1 We cannot fight this battle in our own strength. We start by seeing that it is Christ's "vast strength" that actually strengthens us. And if you look at the verses again, you'll see why we need Christ's strength: our battle is not against flesh and blood, which is what we are. If this were a flesh-and-blood battle we might be expected to participate. But we're up against the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavens," which we can't even begin to understand or see, let alone fight. A heavenly battle must be contended with heavenly power. You and I don't have it. Only Christ can give us what we need.
#2 We're told twice to put on the FULL armor. Not some of the armor. Not just certain parts; all of it. It would be like a football player going out with just his shoulder pads: there is just too much left exposed. Now, some of the pieces of armor might feel a little more comfortable on you than others; that's a result of our humanity. But we NEED every single piece of armor we can get. (Remember #1.) So figure out where your battle gear is ragged, worn out, or, honestly, not on at all, and determine to do what it takes to wear it daily. (We'll be talking through each of the pieces in the coming days. Ask yourself: what's the condition of my gear here?)
#3 Though there is a battle and we're in it, our primary goal is to stand. And boy do I take comfort in that . Every time I think of earthly wars and consider what people go through in the name of freedom or country, I thank God that I'm not called to fight. I'm not a fighter. But these verses don't call me to fight; they call me to stand. Now that's totally different. In order to stand I don't need to know any fancy footwork. I need no specific training. I just need to wear the full armor (#2) and trust in the strength of Christ (#1) in order to stand.
Are you ready to "take your stand?" Over the next few days we'll dig deeply into each of the pieces of armor and how to put it on. This might be just what you need for the next season of your life!
Notebook with me! myleslienotebook@gmail.com
This is more of a how-to-dress-for-war post. Because we're in a battle. One that's been going on for as long as humanity has been the pinnacle of God's creation. And Satan, who was there to deceive the first of God's glory, has been at his old tricks for a long time, meaning he's pretty good at it.
And as I was reading in Ephesians 6, it hit me that though the passage seems very manly in nature (battles and armor and all that), it should be a lesson for us girls, as well. If you'll remember, Eve--a woman--was the first person he tricked (Genesis 3). I don't want to be like Eve. I don't want you to be like Eve.
And we don't have to. We know what it takes for the battle.
In Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus we see these words:
"Finally, be strengthened by the LORD and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand," (Ephesians 6:10-13).
Just a few observations:
#1 We cannot fight this battle in our own strength. We start by seeing that it is Christ's "vast strength" that actually strengthens us. And if you look at the verses again, you'll see why we need Christ's strength: our battle is not against flesh and blood, which is what we are. If this were a flesh-and-blood battle we might be expected to participate. But we're up against the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavens," which we can't even begin to understand or see, let alone fight. A heavenly battle must be contended with heavenly power. You and I don't have it. Only Christ can give us what we need.
#2 We're told twice to put on the FULL armor. Not some of the armor. Not just certain parts; all of it. It would be like a football player going out with just his shoulder pads: there is just too much left exposed. Now, some of the pieces of armor might feel a little more comfortable on you than others; that's a result of our humanity. But we NEED every single piece of armor we can get. (Remember #1.) So figure out where your battle gear is ragged, worn out, or, honestly, not on at all, and determine to do what it takes to wear it daily. (We'll be talking through each of the pieces in the coming days. Ask yourself: what's the condition of my gear here?)
#3 Though there is a battle and we're in it, our primary goal is to stand. And boy do I take comfort in that . Every time I think of earthly wars and consider what people go through in the name of freedom or country, I thank God that I'm not called to fight. I'm not a fighter. But these verses don't call me to fight; they call me to stand. Now that's totally different. In order to stand I don't need to know any fancy footwork. I need no specific training. I just need to wear the full armor (#2) and trust in the strength of Christ (#1) in order to stand.
Are you ready to "take your stand?" Over the next few days we'll dig deeply into each of the pieces of armor and how to put it on. This might be just what you need for the next season of your life!
Notebook with me! myleslienotebook@gmail.com
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