Courage in the Life of a BelieverSample

Courage to stand your ground

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)

We might not have to deal with a visible enemy of flesh and blood like David did. We do have an enemy though: the devil. He is a cunning and invisible adversary, skilled at lying and telling half-truths.

Paul says, “Keep alert with all perseverance.” This is crucial. It’s so easy to be blind to the cunning presence of the devil in our culture. We are used to our culture and society, so it’s very hard to see what is wrong with it. And when we do see it, it takes courage to go against the grain, to stand our ground. If we are not alert, we will be swept along in a stream that will take us away from God. We need to wear the armor all the time, till it fits us like a glove.

The devil wants us to live in constant fear. Not so the Lord. He longs for us to be courageous, confident and strong. Not in our own strength, but “in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10).

What tendencies do you see in your culture that could turn you away from God?