Standing Firm with God

Ephesians 6:10-24

As Paul concludes his letter to the Ephesians, he offers a powerful exhortation that resonates across centuries: “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). Let’s face it, this life has its challenges do you believe me? This call to strength isn’t about physical or mental toughness alone—it’s about a spiritual resilience that can only come from God. Last week we spoke spirit guided relationships, meaning that it’s going to take God to help me mature and nature healthy relationships that can overcome my shortcomings and personality traits. So here we see believers can be strengthened not only by the person of the Lord but also by His resources (cf. Phil. 4:13). I Can Do All Things through Christ who gives me strength. We don’t just believe that Jesus Died for our sins, but also that He has gifts, and resources to ensure that we can overcome anything. As I was reading and studying this text, I could see Job's story. Job is one of the Old Testament books written in the style of ancient Hebrew known as wisdom literature. Wisdom literature is a genre of ancient literature that provides guidance on how to live a good life. Rather than dealing directly with Isreal’s history, wisdom literature like Job, proverbs, and Ecclesiastes reflects on universal themes that are relevant for all people in all places—making it relevant to Paul and the faithful in Ephesus. and this letter was to passed around to all the churches in the Asia Minor area. Just think about how we live in a world filled with challenges, temptations, and spiritual forces that seek to draw us away from God. Is that not what Job dealt with? And we see how even through his trials he was able to stand firm. How do we stand firm? what are your methods, philosophy? Let’s look at a few things here in Ephesians.

1. The Source of Our Strength (Ephesians 6:10-12)

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

• Paul begins by reminding the Ephesians that their strength doesn’t come from our might; it comes from the Lord. This strength isn’t something we achieve on our own; it’s a gift. Being “strong in the Lord” requires reliance on God’s might rather than our own abilities. The moment we trust ourselves, we falter. But when we place our confidence in God, we tap into a strength that overcomes any opposition.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NKJV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to him, And He shall make your paths straight.

• In verse 12, Paul makes it clear that our struggle isn’t against flesh and blood but against the rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world, against the spiritual forces of evil. Our true enemies are not the people who hurt us, the circumstances that challenge us, or even our weaknesses—they are the spiritual forces that work behind the scenes to distance us from God.

• This understanding shifts our perspective. Instead of fighting battles in anger or resentment, we are called to wage a spiritual battle, focusing on prayer, faith, and the power of the Spirit. So in order for us to do this we must put on His resources. this goes back to proverbs where we have to submit our ways to Him so that he can make us right.

3. The Armor of God: Our Defense and Offense (Ephesians 6:13-17)

• Paul’s description of the armor is both vivid and practical, showing us how to stand firm and be prepared for every spiritual battle.

The Belt of Truth: Truth is foundational. The primary substance about the message of the gospel is that it is true; if it isn’t, it’s meaningless. why have it if it does not work. We should not believe in the truth because it works; it works (if it does) is because it’s true. Never give up on the sheer truth of the gospel. It’s like the belt which holds everything else together and in place. In a world full of deception, we need the truth of God’s Word to ground us. John 8:31-32- 31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The Breastplate of Righteousness: Righteousness guards our hearts. This isn’t our righteousness but Christ’s, given to us through faith. When we walk in righteousness, our hearts are protected from guilt and shame. In the book of Isaiah: Isaiah 59:17 (NIV):“He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.” This verse describes God Himself putting on righteousness as armor. It highlights the importance of righteousness as both a divine quality and a protective force, emphasizing that when we embrace righteousness, we are equipped with God’s own protection and strength. “ IF IT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOD THEN IT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME”

The Gospel of Peace as Footwear: The gospel prepares us to move forward, bringing peace wherever we go. With peace as our foundation, we can face life’s challenges confidently, knowing that God is with us.

The Shield of Faith: Faith shields us from the enemy’s attacks. When doubts, fears, and temptations come, faith reminds us of God’s promises, protecting us from being overwhelmed.

The Helmet of Salvation: Our salvation gives us hope. Knowing that we are saved guards our minds, keeping us focused on God’s love and grace, even when we face trials.

The Sword of the Spirit, Which Is the Word of God: Unlike the other pieces, the sword is both defensive and offensive. With the Word, we can counter lies with truth, fight despair with hope, and reject temptation with God’s promises.

It is, of course, a surprise to many people that there is a ‘struggle’ at all. Yes, they think, we find it difficult from time to time to practice our Christianity. We find it hard to forgive people, to pray regularly, to resist temptation, to attend church regularly so that we may learn more about the faith. But as far as that is concerned most people believe it ends there.

But this still leaves the one offensive weapon: the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. The ‘word’ in question is clearly the same as in 5.26, that is, the word of the gospel through which God accomplishes his powerful, cleansing work in people’s hearts and lives. (Though people often, and with good reason, refer to the whole Bible as ‘the word of God’, this can hardly be what Paul means here, granted that most of the New Testament had not been written at this stage.) It seems that here, and in some of the previous phrases, Paul is referring to various Old Testament passages, including Isaiah 11.4–5; 49.2; 52.7. Interestingly, if this is so, he is taking passages that appear to be about the Messiah, clothed with righteousness and faithfulness, striking the earth with his words, with a mouth like a sharp sword, coming to announce the gospel of peace. This, then, is what he means by being strong ‘in the Lord’: it is because all these things are true of Jesus himself, and because we, his people, find ourselves ‘in’ him, that they can be true of us too.

We have never thought that our small struggles might be part of a larger campaign.

As the apostle Paul reverences we are like soldiers fighting in a fog: never seeing, and actually not knowing about, the others not far away in the same line of battle, let alone the other locations where the war is continuing. In most major conflicts, of course, hardly any front-line soldiers know very much about the rest of the war. That’s the job of the generals. But at least they know that something is going on, and that our little piece is part of that larger whole. So should we do? shall we continue believing that our little life, struggles and disappoinments mean nothing? Paul says no, but we should pray

4. Prayer: The Power Behind the Armor

EPHESIANS 6.18–24 18Pray on every occasion in the spirit, with every type of prayer and intercession. You’ll need to keep awake and alert for this, with all perseverance and intercession for all God’s holy ones – . 23Peace be to the whole family, and love with faith, from God the father and King Jesus the Lord. 24Grace be with all who love our Lord, King Jesus, with a love that never dies!

Prayer is the energy, the lifeblood, of our spiritual armor. Without a life of prayer, the armor remains ineffective. the suit becomes dead and ineffective. Paul urges us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” This isn’t just a call for personal prayer but for intercession. We are encouraged to pray for others, for the Church, and for the gospel to advance. We’re not meant to fight alone; we need each other. As we stand together, each equipped with God’s armor, we become a united front against any spiritual attack.

Paul’s words are as relevant today as they were in the first century. God has equipped us for every challenge we face. But we must put on the armor daily and stay connected to Him through prayer. Let us be strong in the Lord, stand firm in His armor, and support one another as we advance His kingdom in a world that desperately needs His light.

May we leave today empowered, knowing that we are never alone and always equipped to stand firm, come what may. Let us wear this armor with confidence assured that the victory is already won in Christ Amen.

That’s the perspective that every Christian needs to maintain as we hold our bit of the line against attack. The weapons Paul speaks of are mainly defensive, equipping us to withstand attack and standing up at the end of the day. The belt, the breastplate, the shoes, the shield and the helmet, are all to enable you to remain safe under attack. Only the sword has a potentially attacking capability.

Conclusion

What, then, is the battle? Who is fighting against us? And what are we to do about it? Paul clearly supposes that the forces of evil that put Jesus on the cross have been seriously upset by the victory of the resurrection. They are now positively panic-stricken at the thought that the message of this Jesus is everywhere challenging their power and authority, and that communities loyal to Jesus as Lord and king are springing up, bringing together peoples and communities in a new unity, a new humanity, that shows evidence of the creator’s sovereign power and hence of their own imminent destruction. They are therefore doing their best to oppose this gospel, to distract or depress the young Christians, to blow them off course by false teaching or temptations to anger or immorality (see 4.17–5.20, where these are the main themes). As individuals and the whole church must do is, first, to recognize that attacks are coming; second, to learn how to put on the complete armor which God offers; and, third, to stand firm, prayed up and undismayed.

We are about to be uncomfortable for over a month, so let’s not allow our uncomfortability be an excuse for inability.

Song: I’m in the Lord’s Army

I may never march in the infantry, Ride in the cavalry, Shoot the artillery, I may never fly over the enemy, But I'm in the Lord's army!, Yes Sir!