Dear Friends

 

Over the next few weeks our focus on Sundays will be on the spiritual armour that God provides for us, as described by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians:

    

“Therefore, put on the full armour 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”

 

The image is of the enemy attacking us, but clothed in the armour of God we are able to withstand the attack, and to keep on standing.  It is an image of steadfastness, of a core strength that is able to withstand the pressure of the enemy attack.

 

Some Christians seem to think that we put on the armour of God and then go out and pick a fight with the enemy, looking for spiritual forces to do battle with.  This, however, is not the picture that Paul paints in these verses.  When we go out looking for a fight with the enemy our focus is taken off God and onto the enemy, but our focus as believers must always be on God.  When our greatest desire is to honour him, then we will not need to go and find an enemy to fight, because the enemy will come to us.  This is the image that Paul gives.  It is an image of soldiers standing together with feet firmly planted in the ground and shields held out in front and firmly braced, forming a solid barrier against the enemy advances.  The strength is found not in ourselves but “in the Lord, and in his mighty power” (v10).

 

Our job is to look with eyes of faith to Jesus, because that is where our core strength is found.   In this season when there is much going on in our lives, let us keep our eyes fixed on him because “the battle belongs to the Lord”.

 

Love and Abundant Blessings

 

Jon