Ephesians 6:10-13
A father was working in the yard with his young son when they came across a large rock. The father told him, “See if you can move that rock.”
The boy pushed. Nothing happened. He tried pulling it. He got down low and pushed with everything he had. Still nothing. Finally, frustrated, he said, “Dad, I can’t do it.”
His father asked, “Did you use all the strength available to you?” “Yes! I tried as hard as I could.”
His father smiled and said, “No, you didn’t. You never asked me to help.”
Then the father reached down, and together they moved the rock.
Sometimes we act just like that young boy. We try to win spiritual battles with our own strength, determination and willpower. And more often than not, we fail miserably.
But we have a Father who is stronger than any “rock” that stands in our way.
Notice something else in the story: the boy still helped his father. His strength wasn’t enough to move the rock, but he still had a part to play. The same is true in spiritual warfare.
Our strength will never bring us spiritual victory, but that doesn’t mean we sit on the sidelines.
Verse 10 tells us where our spiritual strength comes from: God, not us.
“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”
Then verse 11 tells us our part: Suit up. Put on the armor of God.
Next week, we’ll begin looking at the individual pieces of the armor. But before we get there, we need to understand something important: we have to be active in the invisible war. There are no sidelines in spiritual warfare.
We need to regularly be in God’s Word, not just because it gives us direction for life, but because God uses His truth to strengthen us and protect us from the lies of the Evil One.
We need to discipline ourselves to pray, not just because we have requests we want God to answer, but because prayer keeps us dependent upon the One whose strength we desperately need.
We engage in spiritual battle when we’re in the Word and on our knees.
A prayer warrior is a powerful warrior. A Scripture-saturated soldier is a prepared soldier.
And we need that spiritual reinforcement because our enemy is no slouch. He is a skilled schemer (v. 11). If you want to be humbled into action, just look at the description of our enemy in verse 12.
Our fight is against evil “rulers,” “authorities,” “cosmic powers,” and “spiritual forces of evil.”
Looking at that list could make even the most courageous person’s knees wobble!
But don’t miss what Paul says next.
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day” (v. 13).
Our enemy is powerful, but he is not all-powerful.
Our enemy is strong, but our God is stronger. Our enemy schemes, but God has given us everything we need to stand.
So gear up, soldier. Over the next eight weeks, we’re going to learn how to recognize the enemy’s schemes, put on the armor God has provided, and stand firm in the strength of the Lord.