“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/eph.6.10-18.NLT
The Apostle Paul is helping us understand the unseen battle and the nature of the unseen enemy. Now he begins to give us guidance on how to stand our ground in the unseen battle.
Reflection
" Hold the line, stand fast, dig in, fight in place, and hold at all costs" are phrases used in military battle to convey the importance of standing our ground.
There is an epic scene in The Lord of the Rings where a wise and powerful sage, Gandalf, encounters the unseen enemy in the form of a dragon/serpent like creature in a vast underground system of caves and tunnels.
Gandalf is guiding a small band of travelers to safety. As the last stone bridge is being crossed over a bottomless pit, the enemy of the deep in all its power looks to destroy the travelers.
Gandalf stands his ground with the declaration “You shall not pass!” In doing so, the fellowship of travelers has time to get to safety. See the clip from the movie here: https://youtu.be/3bReJswiMGM?is=38HwF3p9R9bo1AnR
If you want to know what happens to Gandalf, read the books or watch the movies.
Paul is inviting us to have the mindset, will, discipline, and determination to stand our ground in Christ at all costs.
We are to hold the line of faith. Dig in with love and truth. Keep the ground of what is beautiful and good. Do it for the sake of Christ and the Kingdom of God. Do it for ourselves and others. Do not let evil block the escape routes to safety. Don’t let evil pass and consume you.
Encouragement
Standing our ground in Christ is what we are committed to doing. This is our focus, what we are locked in on together in times of battle with the unseen enemy.
With this as our resolve, part 4 of The Unseen Battle examines what will be needed to stand firm and fight.
Prayer
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for Paul’s instruction to stand our ground in you.
Thank you for the resolve to hold the line of faith at all costs.
This is part of your great commandments: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39 NLT.
This is our focus. This is your will.
In your name, Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Ed McDowell