WBC Daily Devotions March 21-25, 2011

A Study of Ephesians

Daily Devotionals for March 28-April 1

NOTE: This week we pick up our studies in the New Testament book of Ephesians, continuing our weekday preparation for the upcoming Sunday's sermon by Pastor Rob. As you read and meditate on the verses we'll study this week, invite God to speak through this text, praying as Paul did for the Ephesians, that "the eyes of your heart may be enlightened" (Ephesians 1:18).

MONDAY, MARCH 28

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13Therefore put on the full armor 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. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

As we continue our study of this text for a second week, it needs to be noted that there is so much more that could be drawn from these truth-packed verses. Back in the 1600s, Puritan minister William Gurnall wrote three volumes -- a total of 1,472 pages of commentary -- on verses 10-20 alone. More recently, British evangelical Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote two volumes totaling 736 pages on the same text.

By contrast, our brief reflections here will simply introduce three key thoughts: 1) Satan will attack us. 2) In Christ, we have all the resources we need to "stand firm" against his attacks. 3) We "put on" this protective armor as we recognize its effectiveness and increasingly trust its ability to protect us.

We put on this armor in much the same way as we "put off" our old nature and "put on" our new selves when we came to Christ (Ephesians 4:22-24). At the moment of our new birth we're given a new nature -- "the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us -- but it is our choice whether or not to cultivate that new nature, to practice it, to make
daily choices that build its habits into our actions, attitudes, and speech. We "put on" that new nature as we live out the ways God has transformed and freed us to live for Him -- putting off old patterns and putting on new ones.

In Ephesians 6:10-18 we are also changing our attire -- gearing up for what each day will bring in terms of enemy attacks. The style of dress described here is also a vivid reminder us of what we can expect each day: We are not dressing for school, dinner, or athletic competition: this is battle. We are going to war.

Our armor was issued at the moment of our salvation, but it is through training -- growing new patterns of depending on this armor of God rather than our own puny efforts and growing our confidence in this armor God has provided -- that we will find ourselves developing a daily routine of gearing up for battle as automatically as we now brush our teeth each day. When that is our habit, then we will discover that we've been issued battle gear that meets any and all challenges from the enemy's dirtiest tricks and cleverest schemes.

Father,
Teach me more of what it means to "put on" the armor You've provided. Help me today to be alert and to grow in my faithfulness to You and my dependence on the rich resources You have provided.
Amen

TUESDAY, MARCH 29

Truth. That's the first piece of battle gear Paul mentions specifically in his "armor of God" word picture. What could better prepare us to fend off an enemy who heavily relies on his ability to deceive as a primary weapon system? John 8:44 says of Satan, "when he lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies."

Truth, Ephesians 6:14 says, is our belt. It is like the strong piece of leather that gathered up the Roman soldier's tunic -- held back any loose fabric that might trip him up or slow him down. It also held his weapon so he could quickly attack or defend.

Commentators relate this piece of spiritual armor to both truth in doctrine and our truthfulness in speech and action.

In the context of all we've learned through our months-long study of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we have learned a great deal of doctrinal truth about the revelation of God in Christ Jesus -- the Gospel of our salvation. We have also learned about the other aspect of what our "truth belt" represents -- what it means to live truthful lives and being known as people of honesty and integrity. "Therefore each of your must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor," Paul writes of our new lives in Christ." A few verses later, we are challenged to be people who "speak the truth in love" (4:25).

The truth is our standard against which everything is tested. It is our confident basis for confronting and defeating an enemy who lies.

Father,
When the enemy tries to trip me up with his deceptions, my sure defense is to rest on the truth that I know of who You are and who I am as Your child. Make the truth of Your Word even more real to me today. I also want to be a person of truth -- so when I am tempted to shade the truthfulness of the words I speak or to exaggerate or use words that make me sound better or more convincing, help me to stop, to repent, to speak the truth and make truthfulness my habit.
Amen.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13Therefore put on the full armor 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. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Finding ways to protect the vital organs of soldiers, law enforcement personnel, and others who are apt to come under violent attack has long been the subject of experimentation and innovation. Materials fabricated for protection have ranged from overlapping metal plates to puffy cotton vests formed from layer upon layer of cotton fabric, to today's streamlined bullet-proof vests made of Kevlar and other synthetic fabrics that police officers and soldiers wear as on-the-job protection.

For the Roman soldier of Ephesians 6 imagery, that protective "breastplate" was likely a combination of leather and metal. For Paul's purposes it represents the righteousness that is ours in Christ.

What protection do we need in order to "stand firm" against the enemy Revelation 12:10 describes as "the accuser of our brothers, who accuses us before our God day and night"? Our defense against this accuser is the righteousness that is ours in Christ. His righteousness applied to us is our best and only answer to Satan's accusations. Bible teacher and writer John Stott refers to the breastplate of righteousness as "an essential defense against an accusing conscience and against the slanderous attacks of the evil one."

We read in Romans 8:3-4, "Who will bring any charges against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then can condemn? No one." Covered by God's righteousness, we are impervious to the adversary's accusations.

In addition, some Bible teachers believe that the "breastplate of righteousness" may also encompass the moral righteousness -- right living -- that we read about in Ephesians 4:24. There Paul contrasts our old selves with our new nature, instructing us to "put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

When we put on that new self we are able to live up to a new standard -- one that takes us to a whole new level truthfulness (4:25) and a new control over anger (4:26), leading lives characterized by honest hard work (4:28), generosity (4:28), positive and encouraging speech (4:29). It is that new nature that enables us to thwart Satan's efforts to derail us and to live in the light, with lives that reflect an Ephesians 5:1-3 standard of living: "Imitate God therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God."

Father,
Thank You for initiating a plan that would rescue me from the penalty for my sins. Thank You for sending Your Own Son as my perfect sacrifice and for purchasing my redemption with His blood. Help me to never forget that amazing gift. And thank You for giving me a new nature -- created to be like You, truly righteous and holy -- that frees me from my deadness and sinful ways to live a life that brings glory to You.
Amen

THURSDAY, MARCH 31

This week we are focusing on Ephesians 6:10-18, reading today from the New Living Translation.

10A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12For 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.

13Therefore, 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. 14Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. 15For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

What else is included in our head-to-toe battle gear? We pick up Paul's listing today with verse 15.

Our footwear? Shoes that bring God's peace wherever we go! Wherever our path leads today, we should anticipate that the enemy may have gone ahead of us, throwing down obstacles and difficulties, stirring up burning coals of simmering discontent, littering the way with rubble from the mouths and actions of hurting people. Satan seeks to surround us with circumstances that can push us far beyond our human ability to cope. Prepare to walk into these situations, Paul might remind us, with "shoes of peace." And to those resentful, angry, hurting, broken people, be ready to speak God's Good News. Be prepared.

Our helmet? The sure salvation that brought us out of darkness, confusion, deception, and impurity, and gave us a whole new way of thinking. With Spirit-renewed thoughts and attitudes, we can put away Satan's lies -- the twisted priorities and mis-aligned values he'd like to impose on our thinking -- and the sin-fueled miseries he'd like to see played out in our workplaces and homes. Our Spirit-transformed minds will expose those lies and give us true discernment about how we will spend our time and our treasure.

Our shield? Our complete confidence in God's faithfulness. The shield of faith puts out the fiery darts of doubt, false guilt, angry thoughts, rebellion and more that could inflict serious damage if they hit their mark.

Our sword? The truth of God's Word. As our only piece of offensive weaponry, it is the truth of Scripture that answers any lie that Satan attempts to use to weaken or defeat us.

Father,
Thank You for the protection You have provided for me. Help me today to depend on You and to find sure footing whatever circumstances I encounter. Renew my mind today and make me clear-headed and discerning. Grow my faith and help me to trust You more. Help me to develop a growing understanding of Your Word and to apply its truth to the situations I'll face today and in the days ahead.
Amen

FRIDAY, APRIL 1

This week we are focusing on Ephesians 6:10-18, reading today from the Message paraphrase.

10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

This summer -- as our children and their friends and neighbors gather on lawns in front yards and backyards of homes across DuPage County for the 2011 WBC Neighborhood Bible Clubs -- they will be challenged to "Stand Firm" just as we have been by these verses from Ephesians 6. They'll learn what it means to utilize "the whole armor of God" that we've been studying for these two weeks. And while it's doubtful that any of us reading these words are going to be looking for the closet around our church building where extra spiritual armor is stored, or waiting for our armor to be issued, that subject may need to be clarified for some of the tiniest NBC attenders. Teachers may need to help them understand that they won't be receiving a leather and metal helmet or a wooden shield to defend against Satan's attacks, as they're sure to see pictured during their teaching time.

No, we get it. We understand that Paul is using imagery from his own experience to create a word picture to help make his point. But while we don't share that little child's confusion, it may be that we get so caught up in the imagery of this passage that we miss the reality that our armor -- our protection -- is Christ Himself and all He provided for us at the moment when we accepted God's grace-based gift of salvation.

Our study in Ephesians over these months has provided us with a rich context for understanding the spiritual depth of what it means to "put on" the armor of God -- the truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation that is ours in Christ -- the spiritual blessings that have changed everything for us.

In the days and weeks ahead, it will be valuable for us to return to the truths we've studied in Ephesians, and let God remind us of who we are and all we have in Christ -- and all of the battle gear He has provided for our victory over the enemy of our souls.

Father,
Thank You that Your have provided all I needed to protect me from the enemy's attacks when You gave me new life in Christ. Thank you that I no longer live in slavery to Satan and his plans for me, but that I am freed -- in Your power -- to live a whole new way, and to honor You with my actions and my words as I stand firm again the enemy's evil tricks.
Amen