Ephesians: Life in God's Diverse FamilyParaugs

Our battle is not against flesh and blood. It’s actually against the dark powers and in order for us to be the new people of God, this new race of grace, we must live in unity and community and beauty and love. If we are to display to the world what life with God looks like, we’re going to have to put on the full armor of God. Now, as a football player, I dig that because we had a helmet, we had shoulder pads, we had football cleats. Why? Because it was a full contact sport. When we live in God’s kingdom, it is a full contact sport. And God says, “I’m going to give you the armor that you need to succeed.”

So check this out. In Ephesians 6:10-20, this new race of grace is strengthened by the Lord himself. In Ephesians 6:10, Paul says this to the multiethnic churches, “Finally.” It’s like he’s serious about this. “Finally.” I really want you to understand this, “be strengthened by the Lord and his vast strength.” Notice, he doesn’t say, "You be strong, you can do this". No, he says to be strengthened by the Lord and his vast strength. God is your strength. 

Now listen, this is so important: in order for us to be filled with God, we’ve got to be emptied of ourselves. This is a total posture of saying, “God, you are my strength.” And you know what? His strength is vast, it is boundless, it is endless, it is eternal, it never ever runs out and we have access to it by faith. The new race of grace has the armor of God. Notice what he says here, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.”

It doesn’t say the schemes of another person; it says the schemes of the devil, the accuser, that there are dark powers and dark dominions that desire for us to not love God, to not love ourselves and to not love our neighbors, our brothers and sisters. They want us to live divided, to live dis-unified. The devil thinks you can go to heaven when you die, but he doesn't want you to bring heaven here to earth through your relationships. He doesn’t want to see you get across the demonic barriers that have been built up. He doesn’t want to see you tap into the power and strength that comes from a relationship with Jesus. The accuser knows the blood of Jesus is a sledgehammer that knocks those barriers down, but we have to put on the full armor of God. 

Years ago, there was a big  Super Bowl game and a star player for one particular team at the start of the game, could not go into the game and here’s why: he left his helmet in the locker room.

So many of us Christians leave our armor in the locker room. What do I mean by that? We don’t get the seriousness, the power, or the weight that comes from putting on the full armor of God. As soon as our feet touch the floor in the morning, we have to start by saying, “God, clothe me in your armor for this battle that I’m going to be in today.” 

Be strengthened today and don’t leave the locker room without your armor!

Respond

Describe a time when you successfully defeated the schemes of the devil with the armor of God. 

How do you put on the armor of God?

Prayer

Lord, today I choose to defeat the enemy by wearing the armor of God!